Monday, February 25, 2013

SIMPLE JUICING.

we started juicing a month ago,
a few times a week for breakfast.
it's really filling and gives us a lot of energy.

cucumber, carrots, celery, and spinach.
 

 green apples, red grapes, lime, and ginger.

veggies and fruit, prepped and ready to go.

my setup.

i always do the carrots first, because the juice is so pretty!

ta-da, breakfast is served!

new combos/recipes each morning keep it interesting.
i usually prep and juice the veggies & fruit
while violet is eating her breakfast.
then i clean up the mess while i'm drinking my juice.
i put the rest in the fridge for will when he gets home from work.
such a good habit. hope i can keep it up!

Thursday, February 21, 2013

V GOES TO DISNEYLAND.


i finally caved in and bought another disneyland pass.
i was so excited to take baby violet.
i actually got emotional as i was parking and walking to the tram.
her first time!!!

she loved it, except when it was supposed to be naptime.
she was completely against being held or sitting in her stroller.
she would tantrum unless i let her walk.
and of course, she has her own ideas of where to go.
now i understand the "kid on a leash" concept...

with some luck, i finally got her to take a little snooze in my arms.
but from now on we'll just go after her nap :)
looking forward to a lot more disney trips!

Monday, February 18, 2013

COCONUT CHOCOLATE CHIP PROTEIN BITES.


these little treats are so great,
because they taste like cookies,
except they are made with no sugar, butter or flour.
they're packed with nutrition & energy and they're filling.
and, you don't even have to bake them!

i got the idea from this recipe.
but i changed it up a bit
by adding protein powder,
and adjusting the ingredient amounts.

last time i made them, i took some photos along the way.
here's what you need:

first, toast your coconut by heating it on low, and stirring it frequently...
until it looks like this. smells delicious!
in the meantime, you can start mixing everything else.
starting with the dry ingredients...some quick cooking oats go in.
(regular oats work too for a chewier texture)
and flax seed. always makes me feel so healthy!
notice your baby crying on the kitchen floor.
give her something to play with.
add your toasted coconut.
some chocolate chips of course.
in goes the protein powder. 
and combine on low speed.
this is my favorite peanut butter in all the world!
add a few globs.
pour in some pretty honey.
and a little vanilla, for good measure.
then mix it all up on medium speed.
and when it looks like irresistible cookie dough, you're ready to go.
and here's my secret weapon when it comes to cookie making.
i like to scoop my cookies with a small scooper.
roll them a little in your hands too.
 aim for 1 to 1-1/2 inch balls.
keep scooping and rolling until you've made around 20 of these bad boys.
then cover and refrigerate. and pop a few each day :)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup coconut flakes, unsweetened
2 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup ground flax seed
3/4 cup chocolate chips
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

note: depending on what brands of products you use,
if your dough isn't a good consistency,
add protein powder to thicken it,
or add peanut butter to make it stickier.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. heat a pan on low and toast your coconut
by stirring it frequently until golden brown.

2. in a mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients:
oats, flax seed, chocolate chips, coconut, and protein powder.
mix on low speed until combined.

3. add the peanut butter, honey, and vanilla to your mixing bowl.
mix on medium speed until combined.

4. scoop and roll the dough into 1 to 1-1/2 inch balls.
makes 20-24 pieces.

5. keep covered and refrigerated.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

DECEMBER IN INSTAGRAMS.

here's a quick look back across december.
i really love instagramming.
it will help me keep so many sweet memories.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

FANCY GIRL.

violet doesn't usually wear headbands or hairclips.
she likes to pull them out and try to put them back in.
every once in awhile though, she obliges.
i'm so glad i have a baby girl to dress up!

here she is modeling some adorable bows from the
lil heartbreakers line by emma zmma. i just love her in them!

her hair is getting so long!
and check out those little chompers!

Saturday, February 9, 2013

THE ZOO IN UTAH.

on a freezing day in november,
we went to the zoo in utah,
and snapped a few pictures too.
 
she was so tired that she fell asleep in my arms,
which is so so rare these days.
 such a fun day!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

GRANDMA & GRANDPA'S HOUSE.

we went to visit my family for thanksgiving this year.
i know, this was 3 months ago. better late than never.
they moved from ca to utah 2 years ago.
i'm still not used to going out of state to visit them.

it's really dry there, so v's hair was pretty crazy.
she had a lot of fun playing with grandma's toys.
here is v with her uncle davin and aunt taniya.
did you know my parents adopted 10 kids? yep.
right by my parents' house there is a farm. violet loved it!you can't tell, but these elk were huge!violet had to borrow this hat from the newborn stash, as you can probably tell.
she loved the donkey and the mini horse!

archives