Good morning!
Surprisingly, I am not sore after the Earthquake run ‘n shake 5 point oh no last night! It must have been all the Polly’s Yoga for runners that I did afterwards. :tongue:
Eric and I also watched The Recruit last night, after deciding that a laid back movie night was much in order!
Bum + couch = bliss. ‘nough said.
Eric is home today and tomorrow and he doesn’t have to be anywhere near the G20 Summit. I am very happy that I don’t have to worry about him being there!
We also picked up our CSA box last night…
We both agreed we have never seen green onions this big before!!
IT’S ALIVE!!!
I am officially stock piling Garlic Scapes now! LOL
Last week, I didn’t have time to make my Easy Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto but this weekend I vow I will make a huge colossal batch and freeze a bunch of pesto. A reader suggested this to me, and I think it is a wonderful idea. I also heard that the garlic scapes can be used as ‘green beans’ in a stir-fry. Just chop them up and throw them in!
Scapes, spinach, mixed lettuce, asparagus…
Asparagus is almost out of season now. *sniff.
Fluffy lettuce.
Zucchini…
Apples with character :biggrin:
Mmmmmm, the star of the show!
When life gives you strawberries, make JAM!
Last night I whipped up a homemade strawberry jam to use in this morning’s Vegan Overnight Oats.
Easy Homemade Strawberry Jam
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of strawberries, stems removed and chopped in half
- Sweetener, to taste (agave, maple syrup, sugar, etc)
- 1/2 tbsp chia seeds or a bit less (absorbs water)
Directions: In a bowl mash strawberries with a fork until a jam-like consistency forms. Add a little sweetener to make the strawberries pop. Now stir in 1/2 tbsp or a bit less of chia seeds into the jam and place in fridge overnight or for 1-2 hours until it thickens.
The strawberry jam was very watery after mashing the strawberries, so I added the chia seeds to absorb the water and to thicken it up. It worked like a charm!!! I am convinced that chia seeds are a pantry essential. They are just so versatile.
The result was fresh, homemade strawberry jam with an antioxidant kick.
My vegan overnight oats this morning were the carob powder variety with a mashed banana mixed in to marinate overnight. I layered with the strawberry jam. I also put a layer of frozen banana (1/4 of a banana broken up into chunks), 1/4 of a Chi Glo Bar, 1/2 tbsp peanut butter, 1 tsp shredded coconut, and a cherry strawberry on top!
Perfecto.
Keep It Simple Stress Relieving Tips
This morning, I read an article called Tips to eliminate stress in your day on the Huffington Post.
Some of the tips offered by Gretchen Rubin include:
- Never let your car’s gas level fall into the "empty" zone.
- Put your keys away in the same place every day.
- Turn out the light as soon as you’re sleepy.
- Walk around the block.
- Take 10 minutes before bed to tidy up.
- If you have to pack a lunch for anyone, get it ready the night before.
- Make your bed.
I liked this article because it showed very easy and simple ways that we can reduce stress in our lives without feeling like we have to tackle some huge obstacle in front of us. I am especially guilty for letting my car go into the empty gas zone! I also rarely make the bed in the morning. I do however put my keys in the same spot everyday. I would also like to try implementing this 10 minute tidy up trick before bed. I think that would make a big difference in the morning!
Do you do any things on this list? Are you guilty of not doing any of the above like I am? Do you have any SIMPLE ways to reduce stress on a daily basis?
That is the prettiest vegan overnight oats yet!
I have CSA-envy :)
You make me wish my body could digest chia seeds pretty much daily! That looks so pretty and tasty.
Great stress relieving tips!!
That jam looks wonderful. Strawberries are out of season here already, but the blackberries and black raspberries are coming on strong! I bet it will work with all those type fruits.
I’m always losing my keys. haha Major stress there. I keep telling myself to put em in the same spot but I never do.
I don’t know why, but making my bed is SUCH a stress reliever! I do it every morning. I think it’s because my room is tiny so when the bed is made the whole thing looks so much cleaner!
I LOVE the color of the jam layered with your oats. So gorgeous!
We’ve hung little hooks next to both the front and back doors for our keys. That way we always know where they are!
I’m guilty for the gas going to empty before I fill it up. I actually wait until the light goes on. That is really bad! I’m the queen of procrastination, and I know that I would probably be a lot less stressed if I just planned ahead of time once in a while! Thanks for the great tips!
Lay out your clothes the night before..or better yet, plan all your outfits on a Sunday and even iron them. Yes that sounds OCD, but it makes the mornings a breeze!
Please send me copious amounts of your strawberry jam :)
Just want to say… your breakfast is especially gorgeous this morning. As far as simple stress-relievers… I always try to clean the kitchen after I cook. I don’t like leaving dishes piled up… it’s easier to clean in small bursts than one big session.
if I’m stressed out and have time, I take a bath, even if it’s a short one! At work, even a 5 minute chair massage is a HUGE benefit to me :)
I clean dishes AS I cook if possible… entertaining I try to make as much ahead of time so I can enjoy…
that strawberry jam sounds DELICIOUS… and looks SO PRETTY in your oats!
Those fruits and veggies look so good. :)
Working out in the morning always seems to make me feel better. It just gets it out of the way and makes me feel energetic the rest of the day.
I love that you get such a variety in your CSA basket. And those apples!! Here is the states, our apples are all GMO globes of scariness!! When I was in Canada a couple of years ago, I was struck by the naturalness of your produce.
Organic rocks… and CSAs are even better!
For me, I don’t drive so I don’t have to worry about gas, I always put my wallet in my purse in the same place. I don’t really walk around the block, but I walk during my lunch a bit. I don’t take 10 minutes to tidy up, which means my place is a disaster right now. I do go to sleep when I’m sleepy (sometimes as early as 9:30) except on weekends when I’m usually up late. I have roommates so I have to prepare my breakfast and lunch the night before so I can just grab it without waking them by making stuff (which is why VOO is so good for me). And I never ever make my bed.
Maybe I should start doing the “nots” a bit more as I do tend to be a very stressed individual.
Hi Angela!
I thought you would get a kick out of this:
http://twitpic.com/1zcdru
Too funny! Glad everyone is safe after the quake!
I do all of the “de-stressers” 99% of the time. The other 1% reminds me of why I do it the 99%! I can’t tell you the last time (even year) my bed wasn’t made! It really does make a diff! My 12 year old daughter is even “seeing the light” and commented today about how good it feels to come home to a tidy room! (No comment on the 16 year old son! :-))
Well last night I sure demonstrated an unhelthy way of dealing with dress – a bottle of red win – lol.
I almost always pack my work lunch the night before.
I like to let my car get to the empty mark where the light comes on just to see how my driving is, If I need to lighten up on the gas peddle to get some better milage out of my car. But my gas light comes on with 50mks left (i pushed it once to where I had no markers (digital gas gauge) I was empty empty) lol.
It’s official…I’m moving in! Your VOO always look SO.GOOD!!! I should try someday…
That jam looks AMAZING!! I will definitely be trying that tomorrow morning in my oats! How do you come up with all of these ideas?!
This is really sad to admit, but out of those ten things, I only do one of them: packing lunch the night before. I guess I have a lot to work on, but I can see how all of those things would take away some little stressful events throughout the day.
My car almost always goes into the empty zone before I full up. Sometimes I get so stressed trying to find a gas station!!
I always put my keys in the same place every day….my purse which is a succubus vortex of evil and once something goes in, it never comes out!
I always sleep with the light on (or at least the tv). The boyfriend turns it off when he comes to bed.
I try to walk my puppy as often as possible but I need to do better.
I try to tidy up a little bit everyday. Last night I was a machine and mopped the floors and vaccuumed. We are going out of town today and I have to leave my home PRISTINE so when I come back the only thing I have to deal with is unpacking.
I usually pack lunch the night before.
I make the bed most days. If my boyfriend is still in bed when I leave for work it doesn’t get done. Ha.
I always put my keys in the same place and normally make the bed. It’s amazing how much cleaner the bedroom looks when the bed is made. I try to do a lot of the other things, and I’m always feel calmer and less stressed when I do.