that dress

and these dresses. I am drooling over that orange one. I need that little Susie Bishop in my life today.


Enter here: http://prettylifeanonymous.blogspot.com/2014/02/pla-giveaway-win-100-to-sheinside.html

kitchen sink

This is my go-to cookie. They have everything in them, but none of the bad stuff. My sweetie likes to have these with coffee... or he'll make a nut butter sandwich with 2 of them for breakfast. No matter how you eat these, they are YUMMY!

as my sweetie calls them:
chocolate granola bar cookies
 
1/2 cup canned pumpkin or shredded zucchini (or 1/4 cup of each!)
1 cup nut butter
1/4 - 3/4 cup honey, agave, or maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 flax "eggs"
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 - 2 cups mix-ins: raisins, other dried fruit, coconut, chocolate chips, etc.
1/4 - 1/2 cup chia seeds (optional)


Whisk together 3 Tbsp ground flax meal & 9 Tbsp water and set in refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. (This will become the consistency of eggs! It's still SO COOL every time I do this!)

Once you have that chilling, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together your wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients until moist, but not fully mixed. Add in the mix-ins and mix well.

Bake for 10-ish minutes.

Eat them all.

sweet tooth

I. Love. Sweets. So much. Over the last 2 years I really started to focus on my health, and one of the main things I miss the most are the sweets. Especially the sweets with all the chemicals and junk in them. Over the last 2 years I have also spent a lot of time learning how to bake without refined sugar, with whole wheat flour, without dairy, etc... And I am good at it.

It's so nice to discover a talent. It's like a daily reminder that we are God's children, fearfully & wonderfully made in His image, and that nothing can stop us. Insane.

Tonight I needed sweets. BAD. This happens often on a day off. I binge. (Binging for me is whole wheat crust pizza with tiny amounts of mozzarella & coconut milk in my coffee instead of almond.) Here's a little goody I whipped up tonight.

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Vegan Chocolate Chip Zucchini Banana Bread
Makes 1 loaf

2 Tbsp ground flax meal
3/4 cup raw honey
1/4 cup canned pumpkin (or canola oil)
2 large ultra-ripe mashed bananas
1 medium zucchini, shredded
1/4 cup milk (I used almond)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp corn starch (optional)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp chia seeds
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside.

In a bowl combine 2 Tbsp ground flax meal with 6 Tbsp water. Whisk vigorously. Set in refrigerator for 15 minutes. (This will become the consistency of eggs and help bind the bread together! It's so awesome!)

In a large bowl or mixer combine flax "eggs", raw honey, pumpkin, mashed banana, shredded zucchini, milk, & vanilla. Mix well.

Add in flour, baking powder, baking soda, corn starch, salt & cinnamon. Mix just until combined. Add chia seeds & chocolate chips. Mix just until combined again.

Pour batter into pan, but leave a very small amount for yourself to enjoy. (Unbaked batter is delicious and you know it.)

Bake for about 50 minutes. Remove from oven, cool for a couple minutes, remove from pan, & cool completely. Enjoy.

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This is very gooey & rich. You won't need a very big piece... unless you want it. Then eat the whole loaf.

Do you like anything on your banana bread?

vegan avocado & white bean "egg" salad

This sandwich was not planned. Sometimes the best meals happen when you walk into your kitchen are just start chopping.

Vegan Avocado & White Bean "Egg" Salad

Makes 2 servings

1/2 can white beans
1/2 large avocado
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup cucumber, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1/2 - 1 tsp fennel seed
Salt & pepper to taste



Put all the ingredients in a bowl and smash it. Seriously. That's all.

I served mine with spring mix on sprouted grain bread.

How do you like your egg salad?

gross

There won't be a lot of pictures on this entry because... yup, I'm about to write an entire post about cold sores (aka fever blisters.) They're gross. They're annoying and inconvenient. And I know a few tips to get rid of them quicker. (Which I didn't even realize until today when I was helping a friend out.)

Cold sores can show up for a number of reasons: stress, change in diet/sleeping patterns/exercise, eating too much of a certain food, your body has become too acidic, or just because they feel like bugging the crap out of you.

There is no cure, but changing your diet can definitely make a difference in healing time. Or, if you're prone to getting them frequently, you can change to this diet permanently and it may help keep them at bay.*

*Now, please remember, I am NOT a nutritionist. But neither is Dr. Oz. (Remember that, minions.) I do not get cold sores frequently, but I do get them when I am extremely stressed out.


Foods to enjoy:
Any food high in Lysine (an essential amino acid that helps keep cold sores away and helps speed the healing process.) including:

• All dairy products (Specifically margarine, yogurt, milk, and cheese. The fattier, the better.)
• Dark and leafy veggies (Kale, collard greens, spinach, mustard greens, beets, etc.)
• Fish (If you hate fish like I do, try to scarf it down anyway. It's incredible for you and helps in the healing process. If you ABSOLUTELY can not eat fish, eat chicken, but in smaller amounts than usual.)
• 
• Papaya, mango, pears, and figs. (These make great dessert options with yogurt!)
• Whole grains (in small amounts.)
• Raw apple cider vinegar. (1 Tbsp in a large glass of water. You can add honey if you want. I recommend doing this before each meal. This can also help prevent heartburn and helps with acne!)
• If you go on pinterest you can probably find a recipe that contains some or all of these items.

Foods to avoid:

• Caffeine (No coffee! If you HAVE to have coffee for the flavor, try this. If you HAVE to have coffee for the caffeine, switch to yerba mate.
• 
• Chocolate and sugar (Seriously. It's awful, but it will majorly speed the healing process.)
• Black tea (If you're used to drinking tea every day, switch to white or green tea.)
• White or wheat bread (Only whole wheat bread.)
• Tomatoes (Actually, just stay away from all acidic foods.)
• Red meat
• Chia seeds (While these are incredible for you and packed full of fiber, they have been proven to increase your chances of a cold sore appearing. Use sparingly. If you are needing fiber, switch to ground flax seed for awhile.)

Extra steps you can take: 

• Take Lysine. The bottles usually recommend 1 with a full glass of water at each meal. Honestly, it won't hurt you to take double that while you're fighting one off.
• Take Vitamin C. You don't need 159483096 milligrams a day, because honestly, that will just go right through you. Stick to 500mg. This will boost your immune system.
• Abreva. Once or twice an hour. This product specifically. No store brands, no rip offs... only Abreva.
• Carmex. Once or twice an hour. This product specifically. No store brands, no rip offs... only Carmex. And only the Carmex that comes in a squeeze tube or the tiny tub. Do not get the twisty chapstick type. It does not contain the same ingredients.
• Stop using the Abreva and Carmex the day after the cold sore is completely gone. Otherwise you may become addicted to this products and they will not be as useful.
• Drink LOTS of water. LOTS AND LOTS.
• Get plenty of sleep.
• Avoid any and all stress.
• Do not touch it. Do not try to pop it. It will heal quicker if you leave it alone.
• You technically can use toothpaste or a sulfur mask to dry them out, but this may cause scarring.

These things have worked for me in the past, and I hope they can help you out. Do you have any other tips?

black bean dip

I know I promised a sentimental post, but I'm not ready for it yet. Soonly.

I had the day off today. Took my sister and niece to the airport, slept in, had an amazing run (week 2 of 5k training!), visited the boy at work, and then caught up on a couple of my favorite shows via Hulu.

I wanted something to go with the massive veggie tray we still have from a birthday party, so I threw together this:

(Yes, that's New Girl. What show did you think I was talking about?)

Black Bean Dip
2/3-1 cup of cooked black beans
1 Tbsp ranch dressing
1 Tbsp cream cheese
2 Tbsp salsa
1 tsp Cholula hot sauce (or similar)
1 tsp lime juice

Put everything in the food processor and blend.
That's it.
Seriously.
SO GOOD.