it was just about 3 years ago that lou and i took our first trip out to the desert to stay at the newly opened ace hotel. we fell head over heels with the mountains, the sunshine, the quiet, the mojitos, the architecture. and now it’s a place we run to when we need a breath. i’m wishing i could teletransport myself there today, this cold weather has me craving some sunshine. palm springs, i love you. and next time we sneak off for a desert vacation we are going to stay here, it looks amazing!!
my girls over at ban.do created the most darling valentine’s collection! i have a few of these sequin hearts and i can never get enough! and how sweet is this, they’ll send an adorable valentine’s card to whoever you’d like along with your purchase. such a sweet idea to send a friend a sequin-y present with a fun card!
when we first started to cook using mostly whole foods we bought a bunch of jars here to store all of our bulk section loot (let me tell you, there are few things less fun in the kitchen then cleaning up a brown rice spill from a faulty plastic bag!). these jars of grains, nuts, beans, seeds, dried fruit and miscellaneous goodies are tucked into every corner of our kitchen. they keep us clean, organized and keep everything we have to cook with front and center.
i see a project in our future. i dream of having something like this! pretty organization like that makes me giddy (yes, it’s a sickness). and lou would be so happy if these were all tucked away, he dreams of a modern kitchen with next to nothing on the counters. that sounds pretty nice to me too! someday my friends, someday.
when i was recovering from this and eating the cleanest/healthiest way possible, my friends and family used to ask me “what are you eating?!”. i could see the worry in their eyes. and when i gave them my answer (mostly whole grains and vegetables). I knew they pictured me with a boring plate of brown rice and steamed broccoli, plugging along through each meal and suffering like a modern martyr. and they were right, for a minute. preparing meals using only grains and veggies was a new thing for me- i ate a lot of boooorrring food at first. but then i started to play around with whatever seasonal veggies we brought home and imagining up the most delicious meals. like this one, our lunch today: a garlicky pile of sauteed collard greens topped with last nights roasted vegetables, some freshly cooked quinoa, heaps of avocado and dressed with our favorite homemade spicy balsamic vinaigrette. sweet, salty, spicy, WINNING!
i guess the cat’s out of the bag, no boring plates ’round these parts! eating healthy, organic, local vegetables with lots of whole grains doesn’t have to be a snoozefest, you just have to figure out how you love them most. and the possibilities seem endless: roasted, sauteed, raw, steamed, chopped, turned into soup, made into casserole, mixed into salad, piled into a bowl, baked into a patty, turned into a drink, inside outside upside down, wheeeeeeee!
top photo: alexa chung for elle uk via here bottom photo: a personal project by lou
one of my favorite breakfasts lately is muesli, piled high with blueberries (and the occasional sliced banana), sprinkled with cinnamon and drenched in soy or almond milk. rather than shell out $7 for a box of organic muesli at whole foods i make my own at home, for {what i know in my heart but have no actual evidence of} DRAMATIC SAVINGS. two fantastic things about muesli: 1. you can mix and match what you have in your pantry like a mad scientist 2. it’s almost impossible to fuck up. ok, one more great thing: if you start your day off with something this healthy, it’s pretty much ok if only a half hour passes before you’re popping one of these suckers into your mouth.
the what and how:
i store our muesli in a giant glass jar in our cupboard, and i make a batch to last a week or two. start with a 3-4 cups of whole rolled oats and then add in whatever sounds most tasty to you from the list below. or leave other suggestions in my comments, i’d love to hear what you’re putting in your breakfast cereal!
-dried cranberries
-roasted sunflower seeds
-chopped almonds
-shredded coconut
-raisins
-dates
-currants
-walnuts
-chia seeds (warning: the consistency of these when wet is questionable, but C’MON, they’re some kind of superfood and the Aztecs swore by them)
-pepitas
- rye or bran flakes
- i think sometimes vegan chocolate chips sneak into muesli. not saying i recommend, but if it happens…
* i convinced lou to partake in this healthy breakfast by mixing in some of his grapenuts. now he’s getting some serious nutrition in his breakfast and still eating what he loves- making for a happy family.
