Mini "frittatas"

These are all the rage on pinterest so I had to give them a whirl.
Much like goldilocks, I liked the idea of them but wanted my own spin:

Some of them look really healthy.
Some of them yummy, but not healthy.
Some a little bit of both, but I wanted different mix ins.

So I gave it a go. The ingredients I used are as follows:

• A dozen eggs
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 red pepper
• 12 cherry tomatoes sliced in quarters
• 3 wedges of laughing cow light cheese (I used swiss)
• Salt & pepper to taste

I chopped all the veggies and arranged in a heavily sprayed muffin tin.

Then I cracked the eggs, added the 3 cheese wedges and salt & pepper and beat them. After making sure the cheese was broken up, I poured the mixture over the veggies (about 1/4 cup in each tin) making sure each individual cup got some cheese.

Pop in a preheated oven at 350 for 20-30 minutes and voila. Mini "frittatas"

Throw on a baking rack to cool and enjoy!

Bonus, they keep in the fridge well - and freeze well

It's finally chilly enough for chili, yay!

San Diego has been unseasonably warm this year. As a native Washintonian I crave sweater weather and crock-pots full of soup. Up until this weekend - I was not sure I would get either this year.

Well, the heat finally broke (we e ven got a little rain) and I was able to make chili (which I have wanted for weeks). I wanted to skip the spice packet and make my own, so it was off to pinterest I went searching for inspiration.... I found this recipe that was awesome and crazy informative - but I had to tweak it (because that is what I do).

I wanted to make it in the crock-pot and I hate ground beef so I made the following mods:

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef stew meat
• 2  large onions, diced (I chose yellow and white)
• 2  large peppers, diced fine (optional, I used 3 we had on our pepper plant without the seeds)
• 5 tbsp. minced garlic 
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoons chipotle powder 
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 2 tablespoons oregano (I used fresh from the garden)
• 2 cubes beef bullion 
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• water 
• 3 15-ounce cans beans (1 each of kidney, pinto and black)

Throw it all in the crock-pot and cook away. ps, Your house will smell amazing all afternoon.

After your chili is ready, top with light sour cream, avocado and chives for a delicious and filling dinner.

Fish off

For tonight's dinner we decided to each prepare one of the two types of fish I bought Sunday and see which one we liked better.

*spoiler alert: they were both delicious*

Left (his): Salmon, Honey, Salt & Pepper, Onions, Apple, Celery

Right (mine): Rock fish, Lemon, Salt & Pepper, Garlic, Chives, Kale, Onion, Portabella

We wrapped both in foil and threw them on the grill for 20 minutes.

Simple side of brown rice, kale, onion, portabella mushroom, garlic, salt & pepper, and a tiny bit of olive oil. Simple, easy and delicious!

*this could be a meal if you added protein, so yummy*

Obsessed with Black Shellac

Something about having my nails painted makes me feel pretty. My nails aren't long, nor have I ever been particularly fond of them. I have never spent much time or energy keeping them up (outside of an infrequent clear coat and a file to make sure they are not scraggly). Why I finally, at the ripe age of 30, have decided to care about what my nails look like is beyond me.

When everyone started raving about shellac I was not fast to buy in to it. I thought it was all hype... a manicure that would last three weeks without chipping.... I call bull. A few years ago I got a shellac mani for a wedding and my thumb chipped within the hour. I figured it was just your typical over-priced beauty fad. (brazillian blow out anyone). However, one of the women I work with always has immaculate nails and my curiosity was piqued. Shiny and polished but natural. No acrylic-style thick grow out or chipping. She swears by shellac. So I gave it another go. I got my nails done three weeks ago (to the day) and they still look amazing (no chips and still shiny). I think I have fallen in love. 

I needed a little R&R so I went in to get them done again. I opted for black (shocker, it is my favorite nail color of all time), and I have found my new obsession. Bonus, the shellac is similar to gel, so it strengthens your nails and helps them from breaking

*obsessed with the black!*

Smoothie Time

Smoothies are a staple in our household. So much so, that we bought a Vitamix a little over a year ago. ps, I love, love, love my Vitamix! Depending on the season I throw any number of things into the smoothies (some combos turn out better than others) Recently I have been on a cleanse/clean eating kick after a few unhealthy weeks and these are helping me get on track. These are hearty, filling, and healthy.... but most of all tasty.

Recent smoothie ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 1 cup frozen strawberries (unsweetened)
• 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks (unsweetened)
• 2 oz L&A all cranberry juice (100% cranberry unsweetened)
• a scoop of Garden of Life Perfect Food raw organic greens
• 1 scoop of Jay Robb Whey Protein (any flavor - I am on a chocolate kick)
• 2 cups of filtered water

*this mixture makes enough for two LARGE smoothies*

Leftover Lunch

I had a bunch of fresh green beans nearing the end of freshness in my fridge and I needed to think of something quickly. I vaguely remembered a side I had while in Japan - green beans drizzled in chili oil - so I decided to recreate it as best and as healthy I could.

I used the following for my lunch Sunday (and leftover lunch Monday), but you can substitute whatever you have on hand:

• Previously cooked plain Quinoa (I always a batch have some kind of grain in the fridge to speed up meal prep) Any rice would be a good sub as would rye berries or kamut.
• Previously grilled chicken thighs
• Fresh green beans
• Fresh white onion
• Bragg's liquid aminos (soy sauce works well too)
• Fresh garlic
• Chili Powder

I sliced the onions and sauteed with a tiny bit of olive oil, garlic, and Bragg's. Once the pan was hot and the onions had softened I added the green beans and let the mixture simmer until the green beans were soft. I then generously sprinkled chili powder and mixed. Bragg's has a decent amount of salt so I didn't add salt, but I did add black pepper.

I threw the mixture over the quinoa and added the chicken. Quick, easy, delicious and healthy. 

Here are a few swap ideas if something doesn't sound good to you:

• Vegetarian/Vegan: swap chicken for tofu 
• Want more veggies: mushrooms, peppers (bell or spicy) would make a great addition.
• Not sure about quinoa or don't want rice? Soba noodles would also be amazing. 
• Sliced almonds would also add some great crunch.

*I never claimed my food would be pretty*

Flower Saturday

I love playing with flowers. Channelling my inner florist is something that is both relaxing and creatively fulfilling. I did the flowers for my besties wedding last year and ever since, I get excited any chance I get to do a little arranging. Today we had both a birthday party and a dinner to attend so I had two reasons to head down to wholesale flowers and grab some bulk blooms.

With a little fall in the air I was ecstatic when I found these beautiful warm colored roses. I also bought hydrangeas, dahlias and Star of Bethlehem. I really prefer sturdier flowers. The dahlias were a little flimsy for my liking and I am always afraid of bruising the hydrangeas, but I think they are so pretty I get them almost every time. I kind of like just heading in there without a vision, picking what I like, and seeing what comes of it. Such a fun and relaxing way to start the weekend.