9

Nine years together.  I'm so lucky.

Click below for the details &

Happy Independence Day!

Bruschetta Night

My BFF Julia was visiting from Arizona last week.  She has three kiddos and lives clear across the country so we don't get much alone time together anymore.  But both sets of her in-laws generously took the kids and we had 5 days of girl time!  It was such a treat. 


For dinner one night we made 3 different kinds of bruschetta.  (I'm not sure if they all classify as bruschetta, but I call it Bruschetta Night so please just go with it.)  All three options are vegan, although I did throw some fresh mozzarella on my traditional bruschetta.

Here's us slaving away while sipping wine. 

And here are the creations:

1.  traditional bruschetta with artichoke hearts, 

tomatoes, garlic, basil, and onions with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and

2. homemade hummus with marinated peppers

3.  sautéed mushrooms, onions, spinach, 

and garlic with balsamic vinegar and olive oil

All three were a big hit 

and earned a high five from my hubby.  

(One never knows when creatively cooking sans recipe.)

And now I'm a convert to homemade hummus-  

so easy and so much tastier.

PS:  I had my husband proofread this post, 

and he said his mouth started watering just looking at the photos.  

So I think it's a dinner I'll be making again soon 

(although sadly without Julia).

Bloom Where You Are Planted

A few weeks ago, when I was stopped in traffic, 

I looked left and saw this:

In a rough neighborhood,

in an abandoned lot,

on a graffitied wall.

from an old pipe,

this little pink flower moved me.

With an upcoming relocation on my mind, it's presence reminded me:

It doesn't matter where you are planted.  Just bloom.

Things that Made me Happy this Week

What made you HaPpY this week, 

my dear readers?

Temptation

Serious temptation.

It doesn't take much for me to get excited.

Baubles, buttons, and beads- oh my!

All that glittering goodness was almost too much to resist.

My inner conversation went like this:

Kathianne, you have enough glitter.

But it's 50% off!  Look at all those colors!

Kathianne, you have enough.  You're trying to live with less things.

But it's glitter!

Can you believe I left without a sparkling purchase?  

Me either.  I'm so proud of myself.

***

You can read more about my glitter addiction here: 
 Glitter is my Crack 

and here: Confessions from a Glitter Addict

Happy June

Happy June Dear Readers!  

We just celebrated the unofficial start of summer.
I am a happy camper.  

Welcome sunshine and long hot days.  

Iced tea, lemonade, and popsicles
 (made with 100% fruit juice, of course).  

Hello to sundresses and sandals, 
seasonal fruits and vegetables, 

and collecting shells along the shore.  

Most of all dear readers, 
I wish you lots and lots of blooms.  

Just be sure to stop and smell them too!

More Vegetarian Meals

When I posted My Husband is a Vegan Freak, I promised to give you more vegetarian meal ideas.  Here are 7 meals we've had recently:

Black Bean Cakes with Pineapple Salsa, Salad, and Strawberries

Homemade Veggie Pizza with Whole Wheat Crust

(his without cheese, mine with)

Dirty Rice (includes soy crumbles) 

and Spicy Collards with Stewed Tomatoes

Vegan Sloppy Joes

(made with textured vegetable protein aka TVP)

Huge Salads with Sunflower Seeds and Beans

 (mine also with Buffalo Mozzarella)

American Chop Suey (with soy crumbles)

Spicy Madras Curry with Tofu and Vegetables 

over Whole Wheat Cous Cous
(tasted better than it looks, I promise!)

He cooks with recipes (his favorite source is www.vegcooking.com),while I rarely do.  I call it creative cooking.  I see what we have in our kitchen, may or may not look up a recipe for ideas, and then just go for it.  In 8 years, I've only had to throw out 3 meals because they were not fit for consumption.  Not a bad average, don't you think?

Tranquilista Interview

I'm super excited to share that my interview with Kimberly Wilson (author of Tranquilista and Hip Tranquil Chick) is now live.

It's a free podcast that's about 20 minutes long.  She asked me about nourishing rituals, stress and time management, finding your happy weight, emotional eating, body image, and more.

Click here to listen or to download the podcast.  It's the perfect accompaniment for your next power walk!

Just Add Color

Last month I introduced Amendi, my personal training client (and now friend!), to the joys of adult coloring books.  If you now think I am crazy, please read on.

I've been a fan of coloring for many years now.  Just like knitting, it's therapeutic and meditative.  If you've ever seen children color, you know that they calm down and get into a trance-like state.  It's the same for us adults.  (And I can't just sit and watch t.v.  I'm either coloring or sewing or embroidering or collaging or creating something.)  I recommend coloring and other creative outlets to my nutrition & wellness coaching clients.  It's an excellent form of stress management.  Spending time out of our thinking and overanalyzing left brains and stepping into our creative right brains manages stress.

So after her personal training session, Amendi and I went on a field trip to the local Barnes and Noble.  We found the adult coloring books in the children's section. (Go figure.  I've normally found them in the art section.)   She picked out two (and I'm proud that I restrained myself from purchasing any more.)

I recommend colored pencils (not markers) and being sure you have a little sharpener close by.

Here is the website where I order mine:  Dover Publications
They have SO MANY books for colorists of all ages.  It's quite unbelievable how many they have.  You can also sign up for emails that give you access to free coloring pages each week.  (Also great for those of you with children.)

Go ahead ladies.  GET YOUR COLOR ON!

The Littlest Things

Sometimes it's the littlest things that make me happy.

The monkey with the oversized ears 

that was hanging out on my banana.

The sparkly heart and rainbow stickers 

I bought for myself during a recent CVS trip.

(Who says $ can't buy happiness?)

The Wizard of Oz magnets my friend Darlene gave me 

just because she knows it's my favorite movie.

Seeing my beloved Mini parked next to a huge car.  

It never fails to make me laugh.

Be mindful of the littlest things in your life that bring you happiness.