no fail, kale

our friend via made this insanely easy and delish dish the other day for our weekly bachelorette viewing party.  it literally took 5 minutes to make and it's a perfect side.  side note: we heard a rumor that kale does wonders for the cervix - who knew?! #healthiestcervixintown

 - chop up clean kale into bite sized pieces

 - heat a spoonful of coconut oil on the stove at medium heat

 - saute kale

 - add a little fresh lemon juice, garlic powder, lemon pepper, salt, pepper

 - cook for another minute or so and serve! 

image from steamykitchen.com

the easiest recipe ever...

i don't really cook and to be honest, when i'm asked to bring a dish to a party, i get kinda stressed out...(remind me to tell you all about the time I made inedible gazpacho for a book club meeting - people couldn't even politely choke it down.).

this recipe for magic cookie bars has gotten me through the holidays year after year. it's very hard to mess up (although i've done it before!) and they are always a huge hit! xo, k

Magic Cookie Bars
– makes 2 dozen bars

·1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
·1/2 cup butter, melted
·1 (14 oz.) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
·2 cups (12 oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
·1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
·1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

HEAT oven
to 350°F. Coat 9X13-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.

COMBINE
graham cracker crumbs and butter in small bowl. Press into bottom of
prepared pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture.
Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. Press down firmly
with fork.

BAKE 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Loosen from sides of pan while still
warm; cool on wire rack. Cut into bars.

paleo cookies

Hi Everyone! It’s Arsy of 30 days of paleo, filling in for K + T, while they jet set across the globe to get some much needed R&R in Bali. 

I really can’t wait to see the amazing photos these two will come back with!

Since my blog is about food and nutrition, I thought I would share an easy and delicious recipe with you today. Have you been noticing this gluten-free craze lately and wondering what it’s all about? Gluten-free items are marked in grocery stores now and even on some restaurant menus. 

I started taking a paleo approach to diet and lifestyle a couple of years ago, this way of eating is naturally gluten-free. If you aren’t familiar with paleo, check out the “The Whole9 Nutrition Elevator Pitch” (it’s at the very bottom of the page).

Anyway, I could honestly say removing wheat from my diet is one of the best things I have done for myself. Within weeks, I experienced a surge in my energy levels and never felt that icky too full feeling anymore. I know it seems daunting to remove wheat from our diets, it’s in so much stuff. I took it one step at a time and focused on only doing it for a month, then checking in to see how I felt. I personally didn’t struggle with it too much, but the one thing I really did miss was those Sunday mornings where I would sip on a cup of coffee and indulge in a pastry, while catching up on my favorite blogs. Since, I wasn’t willing to jeopardize how great I was feeling with a cookie or a croissant, I had to come up with an alternative.

I am not claiming that my paleo cookies are healthy (but I would argue that they are healthier than regular cookies), they are still cookies nonetheless! They are a great treat to have once in a while, plus they will make your house smell amazing!

Ingredients
Dry
1 cup almond meal
1 cup ground pecans - I purchase bulk pecans and ground them in a food processor
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips - you can also use cacao nibs
1/4 cup dried berries of your choice
1/2 cup dried turkish apricots - chopped
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp. cinnamon

Wet
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 egg
4 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation
Preheat your oven to 350.
Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine all wet ingredients and mix well.
Once, the wet ingredients are mixed really well, pour over the dry ingredients and mix.
Place a heaping spoonful at a time of the mixture on a cookie sheet.
You can oil the cookie sheet with coconut oil to prevent from sticking.
This mixture should make about 10-12 cookies.
Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes. Keep your eye on these, they bake quick.

Enjoy!

Crazy for popsicles!

The weather in Portland has been AMAZING and hot and it feels like it's finally summer. I went to a bbq last weekend and our good friend Jenna (who I met through Taryn & Katie!) made the most amazing popsicles that I re-created last night for dinner with a few girlfriends and they were a hit! What should we try next? Sangria-sicles, smoothie-sicles, iced coffee-sicles? The sky is the limit in this popsicle craze.

All you need is:

popsicle holders (I borrowed mine, but they're available at Target)
organic white grape juice
fresh blueberries
fresh sliced strawberries
fresh sliced kiwi

Have a great weekend, friends! xo

things we love, that you should love...

Here are a few things we're loving right now and you should too!

K: I thought I was being a bit ridiculous buying a bright purple lace bandeau for $37, but surprisingly, I have a lot of things to wear it under! It's perfect for anything that's a little too low in the front front or low sleeves under the arms! 

:: :: ::

photo via

T: my favorite nail polish color of the moment is sephora by OPI in "how cute is that?". it's a vintage pink color with a tad of shimmer.... perfect for summer! 

:: :: :: 

K: Once again, I found another product by Laura Mercier that I LOVE. This oil-free foundation lays sooo nicely. The gal at Nordstrom suggested wetting the sponge to make it more like a tinted moisturizer. Love!

:: :: :: 

T: this might have to be the best tank top ever made! it's reversible (scoop neck on one side, v-neck on the other!), seamless, comfy, ... and only $24 (at anthro)!  how smart!

:: :: :: 

K: I practically live on black coffee and red wine, so I am constantly whitening. I love this mouthwash, it totally works!

:: :: ::

T: miss katie over at it's lovely lately made me this quinoa salad recently and i'm now obsessed with it (and all kinds of cold quinoa salads). she posted the recipe on her blog today... so try it out! 

 :: :: :: 

PS - check out our fab friend tori from sitting on a tree on the glitter guide today (photographed by shelby & i) --- we ADORE her & her style & her home! take a look!

things we love, that you should love...

Happy Friday! We're going to do a recurring post called things we love, that you should love, because that's kind of how this blog started! We were constantly e-mailing each other about things we bought or found that the other one should check out! Enjoy!

K: I just found this wax for brows and I totally love it!

T: my friend katie got me into this stuff --- it's SOOO yummy in smoothies!

K: I love this blazer by Gibson. I literally throw it on over everything - great purchase! 

 T: a while back when i was buying some pink lipstick at mac, the mac girl convinced me i needed this stuff... i'm so happy she did, because this stuff rules! keeps your lips bright all night & no smudges or pink/red teeth!

K: It's neurotic, but I honestly buy one of these tanks every time I go to Target. I sleep in them, workout in them and layer them under aforementioned black blazer. They're the best!

 T: i'm a nail polish nut... and i'm loving this brand because of their "3 free" polish.  no formaldehyde. no toluene. no DBP (Dibutyl Phthalate). they also seem to come up with the most amazing colors! my new fav is the color above - artful dodger

cali love

we've been quite busy over at joielala lately... 

here's a shoot we did recently with some of our local san diego friends.
styled & designed by the genius ladies of sitting in a tree events -- and inspired by the one and only MIHO gastrotruck. cops tried to shut us down... but we still got the shots!

... and it has to be one of our favorites to date!

see more photos & info on the joielala blog

also a little behind the scenes...

MIHO Wedding from Austin Hendrix on Vimeo.

 

Starting the day off right.

Summer is coming and the ladies of Miss B and Hustle are highly motivated to start eating healthy and taking our workouts to the next level. They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day and I'm totally guilty of drinking coffee until noon and then eating a HUGE lunch because I'm so hungry, but lately I've gotten back into making smoothies in the morning. It makes such a difference! Here are our favorite recipes:

 photo via pinterest via the alkaline sisters

K's "Eat Your Greens" Smoothie
1 banana
small colander full of rinsed spinach (the more the better)
1 cup of frozen blueberries
3 or 4 fresh strawberries
water, as needed
nonfat, plain yogurt (optional)

I don't eat a ton of dairy, but the yogurt is a great addition, if you do. I like to use my handheld Cuisinart Smartstick (raved about here) to make an individual smoothie in a mason jar. Then you can just screw on the cap and go. I promise you can't taste the spinach and it's a great way to incorporate more greens into your diet!

 photo via pinterest via gosavor

T's Morning Smoothie
1 banana (or half of one)
1 handful of fresh baby spinach
1 carrot (or a few baby carrots) - these add a hint of sweet to your smoothie
frozen fruit - i kind of just add whatever frozen fruit i have. frozen blueberries, strawberries, rasberries, mango, or pinapple, etc - just about 1 cup of any combo of these. i always make sure i have some type of berry in there. i also love to use frozen acai instead of any other frozen fruit sometimes... but make sure you get the plain acai (no sugar and energy added!)
fresh fruit - i usually add 1 kiwi or anything else i have --- 1/2 apple. whatever you want.
1 scoop protein powder
1 scoop raw almond butter
almond milk or any juice i have (about 1 cup)

water as needed

*also make sure you buy all organic products

I've learned to just use what i have in my fridge and make it work. the key to always have a banana and something frozen to keep it cold. i love the flavor that the almond butter gives the smoothie. and you don't need the added calories of juice - water works great! having a smoothie like this is the best way to start the day.  (and sadly my blender broke last week... so i think i need to go out and buy that smartstick asap! )

happy blending! ;) 

You need this...

Awhile back, I found the recipe online for a pretty famous Portland soup found at Elephant's Deli. It's way easy and super good. And although, I'll share this fantastic recipe, that's not what this post is about. I haven't made this soup since my blender and I parted ways, but this recipe just isn't the same chunky. A blender is SO not a sexy purchase and I really don't have the counter space, so I popped into Sur La Table and picked up the Cuisinart SmartStick. I'm kind of obsessed. It was soooo easy to blend the soup and keep it in the stockpot I cooked it in, rather than ladling it in small batches into a blender. It's also insanely easy to clean. At $29, everyone needs one.

Elephant's Tomato Orange soup

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup heavy cream

In a saucepan, melt butter; add onion and saute until translucent. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, baking soda and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered about 15 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Puree in a food processor or blender; strain through a sieve or food mill. (OR use your new SmartStick!)

Return to saucepan and stir in orange juice. At this point, the soup can be refrigerated until ready to serve.

At serving time, add the whipping cream and heat gently, stirring constantly, bringing to a simmer and adjust seasonings if necessary. Extra cream may be drizzled on top of the soup immediately before serving for decorative effect.

Enjoy!

images from Google

30 days of paleo

have you heard of a paleo diet? I had never until one of my long time friends, arsy, told me about it.
it's very interesting and she just started a blog to help people focus on eating this way. i would attempt to explain more, but instead you should just head over to her site to read about it.
...and if you're up for the challenge, starting on September 19th she's going to walk you through a 30 day paleo diet.

i'm tempted to try it out for the 30 days... although i know it will be tough for me! but i'd love to see the results and how different it would make me feel. what do you think? would you be down to give it a try?

Learning to Cook...

Happy Monday! After falling off the wagon, many, many times, I've had a pretty solid couple of weeks gluten and dairy-free and the effects are dramatic. Each time I stick with it, my skin clears up almost immediately after a couple of days and my stomach is as flat as it was when I was 17. If you are having any health issues, I highly recommend getting a food allergy test or just try eliminating dairy and/or gluten from your diet for a bit and see how you feel.

As I've mentioned, I don't cook . . . like, ever. In Portland happy hour is very happy and you can literally have a fabulous meal and a glass of vino for like $10. But $10...or $15...or $20, every night? Yikes! In an attempt to save money and start behaving like an adult, I'm going to try a new recipe or two every week. I found this yesterday courtesy of the lovely Gluten-free Goddess and it's pretty much the bomb. Plus it only took like 15-20 minutes to make. Enjoy!

Lime Quinoa Salad with Mint

1 cup dry quinoa
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 2 limes
2-3 fresh mint sprigs, leaves removed and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves or parsley
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
A handful of sweet and ripe cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons diced red onion- or use 2 chopped scallions
1 garlic clove, minced

Cook the dry quinoa as the box instructs - I prefer buying the pre-rinsed variety. Scoop the cooked quinoa into a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients, tossing lightly with a fork until combined. Taste test and adjust seasonings.

Cover and chill for at least two hours.
Makes 4-6 servings.

Yum.

photo

popsicle!

ha... so as i was doing this post, i got the new kids "popsicle" song in my head! haha do you remember that? i was never a big new kid fan, but my bff dana sure was!
you must listen to this song... love the sweet breakdown rap towards the end! haha

• Popsicle by New Kids On The Block

More New Kids On The Block music on iLike

i want one of these popsicle makers... so perfect for summer! it would be fun to have if you had kids... but i think i would have fun myself making all these different kinds. i especially love the ones with fruit slices in them! so cute. you could get really creative...

fun to bust out when hosting a little party too... 

available here

mini cupcakes

about a year ago i was in new york with my coworker karen (who loves cupcakes as much, if not more, than me) and we came across the cutest "hole-in-the-wall" (literally) in the middle of soho, where this girl was selling itsy bitsy cupcakes! They were only $1 each, about the size of a quarter and she had all kinds of amazing flavors! Of course we each got one and were instantly in love with her adorable cupcakes... and this girl's genius idea! Mini cupcakes let you have a bite of something sweet, without making you feel guilty. since that NY trip, i've seen her cupcakes all over blogs and in some magazines... and even came across a bigger cupcake store of hers in another part of manhattan on a more recent trip! it sounds like her biz is taking off...

her little cupcake company is called baked by melissa... and she has now made her cupcakes available for nationwide delivery!

how amazing do they look? I wish i could have one right now... :)

O.M.G.

Hi, it's me. I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted. I'm a loser . . . forgive me? I finally have internet up and running in my new apartment (as well as a camera I traded someone for my bbq!) I promise I will be back on track. Starting...NOW!

So, I think the next year for me is going to be devoted to becoming my healthiest self. I started by going to see my naturopath and getting an food allergy test done. For around $170, they draw your blood and test it against a ton of different foods. Turns out, I'm highly sensitive to dairy and eggs and my body not a huge fan of gluten, oysters, spelt and sugar, either. The good news is that I'm not sensitive to any fruits, vegetables or fish, so that's a plus. If you're having issues I highly suggest looking into this. I'm excited to see what results I get from attempting to eliminate some of these foods. . . after my vacation. Wine isn't really sugar, right? Right?

On that note, my mom has been pushing me to read the book "Diet for World Peace" by Will Tuttle. She said it will completely eliminate your desire for any meat, fish or dairy. We'll see.



I've missed you guys, talk soon! xo

hey peeps!

it's that time of year again....

how cute are these photos? they are by emilee fuss, who is only 18 years old. Yeah... before she graduated high school, she already owned and branded her own pet photography biz!  and her pet photography rocks!
here are a few more i loved from her site....

 all above images by emilee fuss photography

check out more of her work on her site and on her blog.... also check out this interview (which is how i heard about her) from TRA

and a big thanks to melissa's sweet kids chasey & cash for the adorable peeps they gave me today! ;)

xo, t

in love with kale chips...

i had such a fun time visiting krissy up in portland.... i just love that city.
i'll post lots more about my trip soon... but i wanted to share my new food obsession with you all:

my friend dana gave me this recipe for kale chips and i've becomed obsessed with them! they are so easy to make and taste amazing... and so good for you!

here's the recipe via dana's blog (biteintoit.com)

• Buy a bunch of kale form your local farmer’s market or health food store
• Preheat oven to 375F
• Rinse it and dry it really well
• Tear into chip size pieces
• Lay them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
• Lightly mist with olive oil (if you don’t have a mister you can toss the kale in a bowl with a little bit of olive oil) - make sure you go light on the oil!!
• Sprinkle with Kosher salt, sea salt, or seasoned salt
• Bake for 10-12 minutes.

that's it and you will also be in love! seriously, they are hard to stop eating once you start! haha
so go out and buy some kale and give it a try! ;)

 

photos via ecoquaker

Keen-wah...

So, I moved into a new apartment this weekend and I've yet to figure out how to hook up my internet, so that's why I haven't posted lately. I'll post more about the apartment and my adventures in decorating very soon....

My new place is close to downtown and my commute is only 10 minutes, door to door. SO RAD. Because I have all of this newfound free time in the morning, I actually made my lunch today and thought I'd share a recipe for a super easy recipe using a very, very healthy food, quinoa. It's a complete protein, so it's really, really good for you and more importantly, it's impossible to screw up . . . and I could easily burn water.

1 cup Quinoa
1 can of black beans, drained
1 container of salsa
1 avocado

Prepare the quinoa on the stove like the box tells you to. Add the black beans in during the "simmer" process and toss the salsa in, once it's cool. Add avocado right before eating. Salt, pepper and you're ready to go.

Yum.

bite into it

one of my best buddies, dana, is going to school to be a nutritionist and she recently started a blog, called bite into it,  to share all her helpful healthy eating tips and recipes she learns while being a nutrition student and pursuing her career. 

dana's been giving me fabulous tips for years... but i'm beyond excited that i get to read her blog now too!

i love these health tips she posted in this this post

and her yummy healthy breakfast ideas in this post

 

 

check it out and get some good ideas for staying healthy! 

and tonight she'll be posting about some yummy super bowl snack ideas... so make sure to read about those so that you can enjoy the game and stay healthy!
thanks dana. ;)

-t

i scream...

so i discovered this stuff a few weeks ago and i can't stop buying it (and sadly eating it)! it's the best stuff ever!
it's coconut bliss ice cream... and the greatest part is that it's not that bad for you! (yay!). it's made with coconut milk and sweetened with agave syrup. and it tastes amazing... especially if you're a fan of coconut!

it's soy, dairy, & gluten free, low glycemic, vegan... and organic! check out the nutritional info.
it also comes in 10 yummy flavors. my favs are dark chocolate and then naked coconut. i still haven't tried the mint one.... so that's next i think!

anyway... if you haven't tried this amazing stuff... go out to your local natural foods store and buy some!

cheers to a yummy (as good for you as it gets) ice cream! happy friday.