5 things {I love right now}

1. Porcelain Berry Basket...perfect for displaying store bought strawberries and will hold my strawberries and tomatoes when I harvesting! I recently also lined one of the baskets with parchment paper and place my homemade baked sweet potato fries and placed on table to share...cute and functional! (Can be found at Sur la Table or Antropologie)

photo from Sara's Sweet Life

2. Farmer's (Porcelain) Egg Crate...for easy access to eggs while baking and for morning cooking! It just makes me happy! (From Antropologie)

Image from Antropologie.com

3. Nespresso, Pixie (espresso machine)....helping to break my Starbucks addiction! (Can be purchased at Williams Sonoma or Bloomingdales)


Image from Williams Sonoma

4. Garden Markers...a cute way to remember what you have growing!

Garden Markers from Etsy.com, photo from Sara's Sweet Life

5. Maxie Dress...stylish, comfy, and the perfect summer staple!

Dress and Image from Banana Republic

sweet nothings {saturday}

You may be thinking....

or maybe not thinking....

it is Saturday right?

But anyways if you were thinking you may be wondering how 'sweet' and 'healthy' could go hand in hand?

Well after much searching and tweaking they can...

and taste pretty darn good if you are asking me...

but don't take my word for it, try this recipe (Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker) yourself!

GO...NOW....

it's Saturday, what else do you have to do?

Healthy {Peanut Butter-Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip} Cookies

Photographed by Sara

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
½ cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup coconut oil
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
½ cup peanut butter (I use Trader Joe’s Valencia Peanut Butter with Roasted Flaxseeds, crunchy and salted)
¼ cup granulated white sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large whole egg
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. On medium speed, cream together the coconut oil, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Add the egg, and applesauce and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4. Drop dough (2 Tablespoons) onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden on the edges (do not overcook). Cool completely on the baking sheet and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Side note: If anyone is wondering why I used coconut oil and are wonder where to get that let me explain. My friend Kristin introduced me to coconut oil as a healthier substitute to butter. Coconut oil is a saturated fat just as butter is but its molecular combination is such that the body is easier able to metabolize it. Coconut oil is stored as a solid in a jar and can be found at most grocery stores in the bakery/oils area. To measure and use you simply run jar under hot water until desired amount of oil is liquefied then measure it in the liquid form. The remaining oil in the jar will solidify and store just fine at room temperature.

lululemon

While being bored at work tonight and searching the internet I came across lululemon athletica website. I initially was scrolling throught the yoga and running gear which was very nice but then came across the 'education' tab. I am always one for wanting to learn something new and was curious what this athletic clothing company could teach me, so I clicked on the tab...I came aross more than I could have ever imagined. Being that I am training for a half-marthon I first looked at 'goal setting'. There I was directed to the lululemon goal tender. I highly recommend that you all click on that link and follow the steps as I did. I am already a pretty goal oriented person so filling out my career, personal and health goals for 1, 5, and 10 years was not too difficult for me but having it on writing is always an added encouragement. Set your goals high, failure is okay... SERIOUSLY, that shows you are pushing yourself to accomplish tough things. Go on, do it NOW!

From there I came across lululemon's manifesto which really spoke to me. It really made me think and examine my life. Here it is in text format:

• Drink FRESH water and as much water as you can. Water flushes unwanted toxins from your body and keeps your brain sharp.
• A daily hit of athletic-induced endorphins gives you the power to make better decisions, helps you be at peace with yourself, and offsets stress.
• Do one thing a day that scares you.
• Listen, listen, listen, and then ask strategic questions.
• Write down your short and long-term GOALS four times a year. Two personal, two business and two health goals for the next 1, 5 and 10 years. Goal setting triggers your subconscious computer.
• Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle setbacks.
• Your outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself.
• That which matters the most should never give way to that which matters the least.
• Stress is related to 99% of all illness.
• Jealousy works the opposite way you want it to.
• The world is changing at such a rapid rate that waiting to implement changes will leave you 2 steps behind. DO IT NOW, DO IT NOW, DO IT NOW!
• Friends are more important than money.
• Breathe deeply and appreciate the moment. Living in the moment could be the meaning of life.
• Take various vitamins. You never know what small mineral can eliminate the bottleneck to everlasting health.
• Don't trust that an old age pension will be sufficient.
• Visualize your eventual demise. It can have an amazing effect on how you live for the moment.
• The conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time. Choose a positive thought.
• Live near the ocean and inhale the pure salt air that flows over the water, Vancouver will do nicely.
• Observe a plant before and after watering and relate these benefits to your body and brain.
• Practice yoga so you can remain active in physical sports as you age.
• Dance, sing, floss and travel.
• Children are the orgasm of life. Just like you did not know what an orgasm was before you had one, nature does not let you know how great children are until you have them.
• Successful people replace the words 'wish', 'should' and 'try', with 'I will'.
• Creativity is maximized when you're living in the moment.
• Nature wants us to be mediocre because we have a greater chance to survive and reproduce. Mediocre is as close to the bottom as it is to the top, and will give you a lousy life.
• lululemon athletica creates components for people to live longer, healthier and more fun lives. If we can produce products to keep people active and stress-free, we believe the world will become a much better place.
• Do not use cleaning chemicals on your kitchen counters. Someone will inevitably make a sandwich on your counter.
• SWEAT once a day to regenerate your skin.
• Communication is COMPLICATED. We are all raised in a different family with slightly different definitions of every word. An agreement is an agreement only if each party knows the conditions for satisfaction and a time is set for satisfaction to occur.
• What we do to the earth we do to ourselves.
• The pursuit of happiness is the source of all unhappiness.

trick-or-treat!

It is Fall here in San Diego, the air is cooler, crisp and it "smells" of Fall.

So far this Fall I have been enjoying...

Disneyland at Halloween time (more to follow on this)...

Fall decorations...

pumpkin spice scented candles...

pumpkins...

and a new yummy treat...pumpkin ice cream a la Trader Joes!

hAppY hAlloWeeN!

I heart crumpets

It was this easy to miss shop, The Crumpet Shop, in Seattle, WA, tucked away off the side street leading up to Pike's Place Market that got me hooked on crumpets. While visiting this past Spring, my friend Kristin and I went to this shop she had been raving about after a past visit she had there. I had never had a crumpet until that very day and let me say I am very happy that the crumpet and I met! A crumpet is similar to an English muffin yet a little more moist, and the nooks and crannies are on the top rather than the inside as an English muffin. Here are some fresh baked crumpets from the shop.

Photo from Roadfood.com

After having 2 crumpets of my own and sharing a 3rd, I left the shop with my Seattle souvenir...a bag of 6 plain crumpets! These crumpets did not stick around for long because I quickly found many ways to top them and enjoy their deliciousness! My favorite ways to enjoy a crumpet are with berry jam, nutella, and egg but the shop has many more mouth watering options! Finishing my crumpets from The Crumpet Shop, resulted  in great sadness, this was until I discovered  that Trader Joe's has crumpets (in plain and blueberry). I have been able to enjoy crumpets now once again (although I have to admit they are not quite as fresh and tasty as the ones from "the shop")! I even picked up some nutella so I could enjoy my crumpet the way I loved that wonderful day back in May!

When in Seattle make sure to stop but The Crumpet Shop for some breakfast, lunch or just a bite to eat and a coffee you will surely not be disappointed that you did. And for those of you who do not live in the Seattle area and don't have a trip planned but your mouth is watering after reading this post, head to Trader Joe's pick up a pack of crumpets (usually in the bread section near the English muffins), toast your crumpet, top with butter and then add jam, nutella or a scrambled egg and  ENJOY!

melaleuca

I feel the need to share with you my love for the company Melaleuca. I was introduced to Melaleuca almost a year ago by my dear friend Kristin because she knows my love for natural, healthy products, and my goal to live a greener, less toxic lifestyle. So as a good friend she introduced me to and helped sign me up as a preferred customer to Melaleuca. As a devoted and believing customer I thought that I should "pay-it-forward" to you my friends because I want you to have access to and experience what these wonderful products can bring to you and your families!

This is what Melaleuca stands for: (curtosy of Melaleuca's website)

• We develop, manufacture and sell over 350 of the world's leading wellness products for your home and family. We carefully craft products you use everyday with the highest standards of safety, health, and wellness in mind.
• Discovering Melaleuca is like finding a new store with better products at a better value. You're not adding to your monthly shopping budget, just taking a portion of what you already spend at the grocery store and spending it more wisely.
• Our EcoSense cleaning products are safer for your home. We use naturally derived ingredients with no chlorine bleach, ammonia, or formaldehyde. You'll see that our products are more effective, safer, better for the environment AND save you money!
• Our Focus Has Always Been on Environmental Wellness. At Melaleuca, we were green long before being green was popular. For 25 years, we've been leading the way in selling concentrated products and preserving nature's resources.

Through their easy to use website I make monthly purchases of things I used to buy at Target or the grocery store. Now I get things such as my vitamins, dish soap, dish washing detergent, shampoo/conditioner, face wash, hand soap, shave gel, all my cleaners which are concentrated (making them last forever!) and non-toxic, some foods, and much, much more. The products are ordered monthly and delivered straight to my apartment within a few days of placing my order. I have never been disappointed with any of the products I have tried.

Some of the product categories include: Vitamins & Supplements, Food & Weight Loss, Cleaning & Laundry, Medicine Cabinet, Dental Care, Bath & Body, Beauty, Candles & Air Fresheners! Both men's, women's and children's specific products are available!

sprinkles

Sprinkles was the worlds first cupcake shop, the one that started the many cupcake bakeries & Cupcake Wars craze! For those of you who have not had a Sprinkles cupcake are missing out but if you do not live near one of the 7 (by Feb. 2011, there will be 10) Sprinkles locations you can head to Williams Sonoma for Sprinkles mix in one of these flavors: Red Velvet, Vanilla, Dark Chocolate, Lemon, or Banana.  If you follow the mix directions to a T, the cupcakes will turn out fairly close to the in-bakery cupcakes. The mix even comes with the recipie for frosting! Each mix container makes 12 cupcakes.

I picked up the Red Velvet Mix at Williams Sonoma to make for my friend Kate's birthday when we celebrated at Disneyland since they are her favorite! Come along with me as I make the perfect Sprinkles cupcake...

Start with by placing your cupcake liners in the cupcake pan, I found these cute decorative ones at Micheals Craft Store.

Follow the instructions on the mix container and place equal amounts of batter into each liner and bake as directed.

Let cool on wire racks.

Make the frosting...for the red velvet cupcakes I made a cream cheese frosting using powdered sugar, butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.

Carefully frost one cooled cupcake at a time with a hefty serving of frosting.

Apply the sugar candy 'modern dot' decoration and let the frosting set.

And repeat until all the cupcakes are frosted. If you do not plan to enjoy them within the day, store them in the fridge and either bring to room temp before serving or enjoy cold (they are great both ways!)

Lucky me and the rest of San Diego, a Sprinkles location will be coming to La Jolla, CA in Fall 2010! Stop by their website to see if a Sprinkles shop is near you or vote to have a Sprinkes shop brought to your town!