howdy partner

it's been consistenly nice weather for the past couple of days. therefore i am sunburned, and attempting to drink all the coconut water ( my favorite beverage) on the planet in an attempt to hydrate and heal my skin. but i think it's all worth it :



i'm sure everyone can relate to the fact that being outside in the sunshine is the best feeling ever. even if it means overdosing on vitamin D. i mean.. our milk is fortified now so i need to be careful.

also, i keep making yummy food. but i have nobody to share it with because i'm usually at home alone. mabye that's why i resort to posting it on the internet.



i've eaten this too many times to count this past month. that is how stellar the flavors are. yes i'm going to brag, but only because the ingredients are so solid in this. buckwheat soba noodles ( cold), cinnamon roasted carrots? you really can't go wrong. make a little sesame soy dressing and you are good to go. i add greens because i think it looks prettier, and tastes pretty yummy too.




unfortunately i had already eaten half of this before i remembered to take a picture to send to a friend. another easy, not super exciting dish, but SO YUMMY. flat bread in olive oil and chunks of garlic and balsamic and basil ( really, can't go wrong with those), and spinach and tomatoes cooked down.. and of course fage on the side. this lunch gave me so much food energy from all those nutrients too. AWESOME. make it.



i made these the other night with ariana. we also made chocolate strawberries and bananas, but those aren't very interesting. they are really yummy though. these are a variation of macaroon sandwiches. raspberry chocolate filling is the most important thing you need to know about this sugar bomb. it really is sugary. i could only eat one. which is unusual for me.

also. i finally tried the famous cake from extraordinary desserts. it has rave reviews from food network. and guess what folks? it sucks! i only had one bite. i ate alot of their tzatziki. then i had a horrible stomach ache. i want to blame it on the cake but i'm pretty sure it was the tzatziki.





i went to disneyland this past easter weekend. it remains just as fun and nostalgic as ever, and still has that wet subway smell on every ride. mabye not a subway. there's no urine smell. but i think you all know what i'm talking about anyway.



oh and more importantly... i've been searching for the perfect granola ( or a cheap dehydrator to make my own). i think i've found it. thank you laura bradford.




keep hydrated, healthy, and smiling!

love loveessss

rumbly in my tumbly

as i'm sitting here in my kitchen, after a long day at gymboree... my tumbly is a rumbling. so i get up and look into the fridge and find alot of things i don't want, and two things i definitely want: a taco from del taco, and some leftover pizza. and i say no, because i know what my body says once i eat that food. it says " ouch, lets kick this guy out the rear entrance and make him pay for it in the meantime".

i've noticed more and more how SENSITIVE my body is to foods. mainly : sugar, dairy, red meat, salt. how do you like that list? yeah, i don't. it means those pancakes i ate this morning were the reason for my upset tummy and lack of energy. and that taco the other night with onions and ground beef is why i was up in the middle of the night in a hot sweat.

i get these qualities from my dad ( thanks pop), and i've been so angry at them the past couple of years. until recently when i decided to see them as an opportunity. i don't want to sweat at night, i don't want to feel my stomach writhing in pain from digesting that french bread or chocolate cake, and i don't want to fart all day at work from eating a sausage breakfast burrito. so i'm making some serious changes.

all in all, it's a process. we all know i love food. and i love the taste of all kinds of food. but i'm finally feeling like i'd rather not have the taste and have my body feel good. that doesn't mean i won't ever eat those foods again, but i'm trying to make them less of a staple in my diet. of course, living with my family is difficult, and it was really difficult to say no to that taco and pizza. but i know i'll sleep well, and wake up with more energy and less acne if i don't eat those things. so instead i'll take some psyllium husk, and watch a movie, and say goodnight. that way i can start my day with a fresh mind, spirit, and body. sounds good!

one of my safe foods is the open face sandwich.it has many variations. i started depending on these in utah when i was too lazy to cook a real meal, but i decided they are the best lunch/dinner/snack/breakfast.. ever! just grab some ezekiel bread ( because it's the best).. and go to town!
this one had yellow bell pepper, spinach, olive oil, havarti, avocado, and tomato. basically i make mine as colorful as possible, and i'm gonna brag. THEY ARE SO GOOD. just try and get as many ingredients on as you can, stick it in the oven on broiler for 10 minutes and you will be so satisfied i'm tellin ya.

OH, and an upside to living with my family? i can cook all the stuff for them i can't eat.. and watch them savor the goodness!
caroline and my mom's birthday are 3 days apart, and i'm always the cookeroo. carolines favorite food is cinnamon rolls. so a homemade cinnamon roll cake it was! btw: everyone should make their own cinnamon rolls. they taste SO much better than store bought, and are much cheaper, and more fun to make. you can prepare everything the night before and just stick em in the next morning.

then my mom's birthday. she loves chocolate, and curry. two things my dad disdains. but guess what? my dad is out of town so i got to make it for her. she said she hadn't had curry in 20 years because of my dad! so needless to say she was very happy.
this is also super easy to make. and really healthy. the only bad thing in is the peanut oil, but you really don't need alot for it if you want to make it healthier. it took me only 20 minutes to make and tasted SOOOO bomb.com. the best dishes are the ones with tons of fresh ingredients and lots of flavor from spices and herbs. and curry is chocked full of that, so... make this.

and here's her chocolate cake. fun story: i messed up on the box cake before this because i got over anxious. i know everyone who has ever made a cake can relate to this. i had that moment of impatience where i couldn't wait to frost it and put my strawberry filling all up in it, so it crumbled to pieces. i ended up having to make a homemade one, but it turned out better anyways and i ate it for breakfast the next day! ( which was definitely a bad idea) .... i should make food posts more often. at least to look over the pictures again and again and salivate.

happy birthday mom and caroline!!!!




love elizabeth