Looking for Inspiration...

Every year around mid-October I wake up from my summer haze and realize the days have become shorter, dark sets in earlier after each passing week. The days more crisp and cold, leaves bright and falling from the trees. I spend my days here mourning and savoring the last dreds of summer. Autumn has come.
I really do try to fight it, but somewhere in between the end of September and early October my body does this whole shift. I start wearing more layers, mind you I am not a layering sort of person. I start eating massive amounts of carbs, lots of them. And I have the temptation to stay in bed, heater on, wrapped in all my blankets even on my most busy of weekends.
 I get a little crazy, all wrapped up, looking up craft blogs. I have a whole slew of ideas I want to try out this Autumn. Crazy decor ideas, interesting recipes. Jumbles and jumbles all over my brain. For right now I'd like to leave you all with some pictures I've been finding inspiring as of late. As well as some links to the blogs I have been crazy stalking these past few weeks.
Except recipes and crafts soon. It's Autumn of course!

 ( awelltraveledwoman )

 (Lee Martin Dickinson. Oak
Red Orb Sculpture Exhibition 2012, Leeson House, Dorset, Green Man Sculpture)

(101success)

 ( Apartment Therapy ) I love the fat round cactus on the table! The space looks so lived in and loved yet simple and still unique.

( Grilled Fig Tartines, Honestly Yum ) I WILL make these someday!

( alittlevintageapartment )

Current Blog Loves:
1. A Beautiful Mess
2. 3191 Miles Apart
3. Hummusbird
4. Adventures in Cooking
5. Little Seed Farm

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!
xxo Laura

 (This is silly, but I don't own any of the pictures in this post, unless otherwise noted* I will try and source all pictures as best as possible.)

{Fitness} Post Work day / Pre Workout - Easy Apple Cinnamon Toast

I've recently come back from a three week vacation with minimal workouts. Also- lots of unhealthy eating : / Tonight I'm finally getting back to my regular workout schedule! Exciting!!
Anyways - just got home from work, I needed something that would satisfy my want for a quick snack but also fuel me through my workout. What's better than protein and fruit?!

Apple Cinnamon Toast

Ingredients
2 slices of bread, thin enough for the toaster, I used Great Harvest's Honey Whole wheat..
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 med. apple
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions
Pop the slices of bread into the toast and toast for your desired amount of time!
While the bread is toasting measure and mix together the cinnamon sugar
Cut up your apple into thinly sliced pieces.
After the toast is finished spread the pb and add the cinnamon sugar and then top with your apple slices.
Enjoy!

xxo
Laura

It's been so long!

Sorry I'm not sorry. NEWS; I've started pastry school and I am so beyond in love with it. My blog has without a doubt been put on the back burner. But I am trying very hard to find some time to write a HUGE blog so I can talk about all of my adventures and put some of my pictures on! Because I have SO MANY PICTURES! Anyways... a long overdue update and hopefully I'll be back soon!


Thanks!
and Happy Summer Everyone!! (finally! :) )

Laura

There'll be days like this

Well my mama told me, there'll be days like this

I have had a pretty bad day today. Basically spending my day off wrapped up tighter than a package on Christmas morning. Dinking around on my laptop, trying not to stress about the little things. I.E. the fact that Spring quarter is starting soon and I've been waiting to hear back from school so I know when to register for my baking program. Worrying about every last little thing that is so out of my control, I stress so much that your grandma doesn't have anything left because I've stressed it all away with my big little heart. So naturally I want to bake to take my mind off things and to make everyone else in the house fat and happy.
My vegan thing...it's going. I'm at a hardy 75% vegan most days. I don't drink dairy or eating meat, although I had a burrito today with chicken. I'm eating lots of vegetables and not reading the labels on breads because I know it's probably made with milk but I love it so much that I'm giving my 75% and that's enough for me.
Now, as of late, I've been on this massive coconut kick. Dried cranberries and coconut flakes in my oatmeal every morning. Coconut in my applesauce, yeah you read that right, APPLESAUCE. It's sweet, crunchy and delicious and for some reason these past couple of weeks I'm in love with it.
Back to being nasty and stressed, I'm a hermit skimming the internet when I stumble across this beautiful picture of toasty looking coconut macaroons and me, being a girl of impulse decisions I decide right then and there that some time today I am making coconut macaroons.

I hope everyone has had a stress free day! Happy Thursday!

Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients

3/4 cups (5 large) egg whites
2/3 cup granulated sugar
5 oz sweetened coconut flakes
5 oz unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp orange blossom extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
pinch of salt

Directions

In a heavy sauce pan combine the egg whites, sugar, and coconut and cook over medium-low heat. Keep an eye out and stir frequently until all the ingredients combine together. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla, orange blossom, and almond extract. Set aside in a bowl and put it in the refrigerator to chill, about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 300°F.



When everything is combined it'll end up looking a little like steamed rice

Now here's where it gets tricky. I went for a palm-sized macaroon, mostly because I wanted to eat these with a cup of tea. But you can always go for a Tablespoon sized or any sized macaroon. The choice is up to you.
Put a piece or parchment paper down and let these cook for about 27 - 35 minutes
Even if they don't look toasty brown on the top, they're toasty all over.
Make up your favorite cup of tea and chow down on these little lovelies.

xxo

(Recipe adapted from skinnytaste )

Nothing Better

Favorite type of salad, I could eat this for the rest of my life. Goat cheese on toasted bread.
Europe, Summer 2012

 

"Tell me am I right to think that there could be nothing better
Than making you my bride and slowly growing old together" 'Nothing Better' - The Postal Service

 

Missing Paris, missing Summer, and really missing my freckles. 

Back to the present... There's nothing better than coming home at night, lighting a few of you favorite candles, and getting organized. There's just something about the routine, you know, the folding of clean clothes. Or making your bed, then have some fun moving around the furniture. Or in my case. Laying in bed and watching my favorite movie, while telling myself that I'll eventually go back to all that other stuff tonight.

 Fat rain drops are falling outside my window and I'm toasty inside.

Just thought I'd share some happiness.

 

xxo

 

An Update seemed like a good plan :P

 

 

I never thought I'd be saying this but hey! Gone vegan, check...guess what else, I'm not eating sugar! Baking...hmmm baking blog? Kind of hard to do. But I love it. I feel fabulous, so incredibly wonderful. I haven't felt this way in a long time. So I'm thinking I'll probably keep up with it. So expect some new recipes and a little less dessert-y prototypes for the time being! :)

 

 

 

I've been making this like crazy, I don't care, I love it. It's Soba noodles with a homemade mushroom - miso broth combined with extra firm tofu and chopped green onions.



 

I used soy based Miso paste and mushroom stock

that you can find at your local specialty foods store.   

 

Soba Noodles with Green Onions and Tofu

Serves 3-4 people or 2 w/large portions

 

4 tablespoons Miso paste

2 1/2 cups water

8 oz of firm tofu cut into bite-sized cubes

1 tablespoon instant mushroom stock

5 tablespoons chopped green onions

Desired amount of Soba noodles

 

Plop your water in your pot and bring it to a boil on the stove. Add in the soba noodles when the water has come to a boil. Also add in your miso paste and mushroom stock. Let the noodles boil for 6 - 10 minutes. Then set aside. Chop up your green onions and tofu and toss them into the pot. Evenly divide you noodlefest and enjoy!!

Ahhhh silliness! More recipes soon! As proof I shall link them and then do them in the oncoming future!!

 

My link button is not having it today~

- Homemade Coconut Cream Pie Lara Bars

- Candied lemon and Grapefruit peels http://www.shutterbean.com/2012/candied-citrus-peel/#more-17149

 

Ta da! Ta da!
Have a good day everybody

 

Thai Green Curry Rice (Being Vegan day three!)

Eating fruits and vegetables has been incredibly easier than I had even thought it to be. :) Which is great! Especially with the new year, almost everyone I talk to is making resolutions and thinking about getting their health back on track. If all things go well this month I've been thinking about going a version of vegan for the rest of the year. I love to bake and although I've worked at a vegan bakery and sometime I bake vegan at home, I don't think I'd be able to give that up. And cheese! I LOVE CHEESE, oh and honey. :) Everything is better with a little honey. But for the month of January I'm veganveganvegan and that's rad. Anyhooooow here's a recipe that my dad and I cooked up last night. {Another thing I love about my whole household going vegan is we have more family time together. Whether it be...between passing in the hallways, we check up on each other, ask how we're doing with this whole new vegan thang. Or it be over the stove when we're preparing a meal together (like last night!) I never realized it till now, but it's definitely something I've missed.


Thai Green Curry Rice
Prep: 20 minutes, Cook: 12 minutes

NOTES:
* Make sure you cook the rice before hand! We didn't read through the recipe, and learned that the hard way
* Coconut extract mixed in almond or rice milk makes a great substitution in recipes that call for coconut milk. It has a lot of fat so it you're looking for low-fat ideas....^^^ try this one!

1/3 cup vegetable broth
1 onion, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
1 to 2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
2 cups coarsely chopped napa cabbage
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup sugar snap peas
1 tablespoon regular or reduced-sodium soy sauce
4 cups cooked long-grain brown rice
1 tomato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh Thai or common (field) basil
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup almond milk or rice milk
1 teaspoon coconut extract

Directions;

Place the broth in a large saucepan along with the onion, red and yellow peppers, and garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the curry paste, or up to 2 tablespoons for a spicier dish. Add the cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas, and soy sauce. Mix well, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the rice, tomato, basil, cilantro, almond milk and coconut extract.
Stir well, then cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes
Serve hot, on plates or in bowls.

It turns out to be a bit like a stir-fry with a little saucey stuff at the bottom. And it makes enough for about five or six people, so plenty of leftovers for us!

xxo
Laura


 ( Found on forksoverknives )