daily eats: chocolate + cherry overnight oats
February 26th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
Let’s talk about breakfast for a hot minute.
Quick, name off five breakfast foods!
How many of them are vegan?
….yeah, that’s pretty much how I felt.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a big bowl of toasty-o’s with almond milk and a banana (or strawberries), and a smoothie is fantastic. But were are my savory breakfast foods?? It’s been a tough adjustment, to say the least. Yes, I can make a tofu scramble or vegan pancakes, but these oats are easy to make, minimal prep time, no cook time, hardly any dishes, and I can make several batches to store in my fridge for a grab-and-go situation. Plus, they are so, so versatile! You can make them sweet (think chocolate cherry or strawberry), or something more savory (cinnamon apple or pumpkin!). Seriously, the possibilities are endless. Here is the basic recipe for vegan overnight oats, tried and true. Be sure to check out the rest of Angela’s overnight oats for inspiration, she’s got some great ideas!
So, when I posted this photo on instagram, it was quickly followed by requests for the recipe. And who wouldn’t want to make this mouth-watering deliciousness?
To take the recipe to the next level, I added a heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder to the mixture, stirred well, and refrigerated overnight. In the morning, I washed and pitted a few fresh cherries, and sprinkled them on top of the oats.
Oh yessss. It was devoured quite quickly.
I can’t wait to have these again.
Let’s talk nutrition now. Before you add any toppings, this dish serves up 9 grams of protein, 11 grams of fiber, and 9 grams of fat. You want something that will keep you full and energized? This will do the trick! I know the 9 grams of fat is a little scary, but that is mostly the healthy omegas from the chia seeds (soucre). As always, moderation is key; when I’m eating overnight oats, my fat intake is relatively low for the rest of the day. I encourage you to find a balance that works for you!
So, what are some combinations that you’d like to try?
I want to try peanut butter + jelly, mango strawberry, pumpkin (next fall, maybe!), and carob chip blueberry. Nom noms.
xx, b
P.S. – Expect to see a post soon on those vegan pancakes! They sounds delicioso.
interiors: bedrooms
February 25th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
words of wisdom.
February 24th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”
–H. Jackson Brown
(source)
here + there.
February 19th, 2012 § 1 Comment
The past few weeks have been full of adventure + love.
1. My work schedule has been a little erratic lately, so while Drew is at work, I’m spending good, quality time with Jakey. An adorable mix of black lab and boxer, this pup epitomizes what it is to be a dog. Even down to his dummy dumb head snaggle tooth grin.
2. While out shopping for groceries, I was admiring some lovely blue hydrangeas. *sigh* Drew sneakily picked some up for me and they are currently sitting in the kitchen, where they bring a smile to my face every time I see them. I am the luckiest.
3. Chicken shit bingo. Exactly what it sounds like. You get a number. There’s a chicken in a cage, walking around on a piece of plyboard that has a bunch of numbered squares. Chicken shits. Bingo! You win. Unless you are my unlucky roommate and the chicken goes 45degrees northwest of where your square is. Welcome to Texas.
4. Picnic with friends before CSB. Perfect weather. Perfect food. Perfect company.
5. Just cutting up some deliciously fresh veggies for my own personal chef and his fancy wok. He has become quite the stir fry master, and I love being his sous chef. ;)
6. Bowling! Valentine’s Day socks + a black light. If you stay til they close, they might not charge you!
7. I know Valentine’s Day is overly commercialized, and you can (and should!!) express your love every day. But still, there is something special about spending time with someone special on that day. To me, at least. I handmade this little heart as part of the packaging for his handmade present! Crafty, I know. (Look familiar? Inspiration from Pinterest!)
8. We celebrated Valentine’s Day by just being with each other. Strolling around downtown by the river, on a just-chilly enough evening, trying a new restaurant and popping our heads into different bars. This photo was taken at Koriente, an incredible Asian fusion restaurant we discovered. I loved the peonies, paper cranes, and Saint Arnold’s beer. The more time I spend in this city, the more I fall in love.
—are you on instagram? follow along @brolfes—-
words of wisdom.
February 15th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
on the edge.
February 9th, 2012 § 2 Comments
Well, the past few months, as aforementioned, have been a whirlwind of sorts. Moving, getting settled, intense job hunt for Drew…and now, it’s my turn. I have been struggling with my current job for so long now and it’s come to the point where I am exhausted. My days mostly consist of sleeping until work, working, coming home and having a drink (or three), then sleeping some more. My emotional and mental capacity is run into the ground because of the effort it takes to be present and engaged at work. No more, I say. I am young, bright, creative, talented and incredibly hard working. This next path I take may not be the end-all (almost certainly not), but it will heal my heart and spirit. I am not carrying a “grass is greener” mentality, I know my current job has benefits abounding. But my mind has dulled, my energy has depleted and my spirit has been kicked down and beaten for too long.
I am on a renewal journey. It is terrifying. Exhilarating. Invigorating. Inspiring. Uncomfortable. I am constantly seeking assurance and confidence and encouragement. Words of wisdom. Positive affirmations. And I want to share them with you, so that you may be encouraged to break free of whatever’s holding you back from your full potential, your true self, from whatever is keeping you from coming alive.
First, some articles that I love (Tiny Buddha is so fantastic!):
-3 Lies To Eliminate to Start Living Up To Your Potential
-Releasing The Urge To Push And Being Kind To Yourself Instead
-Happiness Is The Way
-What Are You Passionate About?
And now, for some visual inspiration:
//1./2./3./4./5./6./7./8./9./10.//
The “comfort zone” one is my favorite. I printed it out and framed it above my desk. I see it every day and it gently reminds me that no matter how scared or uncomfortable I am about finding something new, my life is about to begin and I will soar.
xx, b
happy tuesday.
January 24th, 2012 § 1 Comment
what have you done to honor your fellow beings today?
we all walk through this life together.
reach out, take a hand, and breathe.
(and hopefully, the person whose hand you take won’t be too creeped out.)
—–
crazy plate lady.
January 23rd, 2012 § 1 Comment
As a kid, I remember one of my friends had a huge porcelain doll collection. So I started collecting them. Until my grandparents caught on and that’s all I started getting for every Christmas and birthday. Another friend had the ENTIRE beanie baby collection. So I got some, actually played with them, and damaged the tags. Which is a big no-no apparently. There was also Polly Pocket, Pogs, and Pokemon somewhere in there. I jumped from trend to trend a lot back then. And as a result, none of those collections were really my own.
But now, I am in real danger of becoming a crazy plate lady. I’ll say it loud and proud: I LOVE PLATES!!!! The past few years or so, I’ve been slowly collecting all different kinds. Small, big, colorful, heart-shaped…anything that catches my attention. Admittedly, most of this impulse-plate-buying occurs at Target. Or thrift shops. But mostly Target. And I love my plate collection so dearly. Then I had the brilliant idea of creating a plate board on Pinterest. And the addiction grew. Here are some of my favorites:
found here.
found here via katie walters.
found here (this is actually a set, but i am in love with this singular plate).
since I am obsessed with trees and everything. found here.
irregular shaped plates make my heart skip a beat. found here.
anthro never disappoints. found here.
bicycles! original source cited is modcloth (but I can’t find on the website, so I’m guessing it’s no longer available) via carolyn williams.
chevron ikat! i die. found here.
———–
Is there anything you like to collect? What are some trendy or unique collections you had as a child?
*if you’re a fellow pinner, make sure to follow me for all my other plates + inspiration*
new goal/day one.
January 1st, 2012 § 1 Comment
i love the start of a new year for so many reasons. a fresh start. renewed hope. there’s a tangible energy in the air. i’m not one for resolutions, but i am excited to use this time to gain some momentum with my 23 before 24 list. one of the items that i’m currently working on now is to take more photos. i really want to make a habit of documenting my daily life + activities. so this month, i’ll be participating in the “a photo a day” challenge that’s been floating around on instagram.
i know i haven’t done real well in the past with “challenges”, but here’s hoping! feel free to follow along on instagram @brolfes! here’s day one:
what are some of your resolutions and goals for the new year?? i’d love to hear them and get some inspiration! xxx
so this is the new year.
January 1st, 2012 § Leave a Comment
i wish you lots of love, laughter and light in this new year.
happy 2012!
