cobb salad remix + dijon agave vinaigrette

Let's face it. It's basically summer and I'm pumped for multiple reasons. Among these - longer days, afternoon thunderstorms, adventures, lightning bugs and salads. That's right. I'm looking forward to creating salads with all of the scrumptious produce that summer brings. Lately I've been experimenting with salad ingredients and I'm pretty sure I have a favorite already.

Since I'm not a big meat eater, the traditional cobb salad doesn't really work for me. However, I do like most of the other ingredients so I decided to create my own version, which I (somewhat) jokingly named the cobb salad remix. One of the challenges of eating vegetarian, is getting enough protein to stay full. To make this a little easier, I chose to add a boiled egg, avocado and sliced almonds to the mix.

arugula | kale blend cherry tomatoes cucumber fresh basil white corn boiled egg avocado parmesan sliced almonds (optional)

I tasted dijon agave vinaigrette for the first time recently. What a mouthful, huh? It was so yummy I decided to make my own batch at home. Fortunately, it turned out well and pairs perfectly with the cobb salad remix! The recipe is pretty easy, simply whisk the following ingredients together:

1/4 cup dijon mustard 1/4 cup agave nectar 1/3 cup olive oil 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 2 cloves of garlic, minced salt + pepper

That's it. This little vinaigrette is sweet and I can't get enough of it. Let me know what you think!

sunsets

Sunsets are one of my favorite things. Not only are they beautiful but they are also one of the most meaningful ways I connect with the people I love. I even have a running contest with my dad to see which one of us has the pleasure of enjoying the most  sunset wherever we are at the time. For us, sunsets are a way that we can connect to each other and feel close even when we are physically far away.

Sunsets are a gift that we are given at the end of each day. They offer us a moment of repose and provide us with an opportunity to appreciate the world in a similar way to anyone around the globe. Sharing an appreciation for nature and its innate beauty allows us to transcend cultural barriers and different languages; it isn't particular to a place or group of people, yet it connects us all.

Here is a collection of both sunrises and sunsets that I've captured at some of my favorite places.

Do you have any favorite places where you enjoy sunsets?

24/7/52/365

Lately I've been thinking a lot about how to find more time to live. After all, it's called LIFE, right? But obviously if time were that easy to create, everyone would extend their days and weeks. At least every other week I've uttered to myself, "There aren't enough hours in the day". It's true. There aren't. However, I think it's time's finite nature that makes it so valuable to us. If we knew that we'd live forever, then we likely wouldn't rush around creating to-do lists or working vigorously to make things happen or savoring our favorite moments to the last drop.

With my 30th birthday merely days away, I've been reflecting on life and what I've made of mine so far as well as what I hope to make of the next 30 years. I have found peace in a few certainties. It's impossible to have more than 24 hours in a day. To that same end, we can't dictate how many days we'll get or what challenges will come our way in the days we're given. We can only do more with the time we have. I read a quote recently that really clicked for me.

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.-Teddy Roosevelt

With this quote in mind, I'm aiming to get more out of my weekdays, particularly the mornings. It's true that we all have hours in our day that are accounted for the minute we wake up, but I think the challenge is finding creative ways to use the periods in between our busy schedules to create lives we're proud of. As we approach summer and the days grow longer, it gets easier to make things happen during the day, whether it be meeting up with a friend for an impromptu walk or baking cookies before work. Today I opted for the latter. I woke up early, brewed coffee and baked batch after batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, eating them as I went along. This morning was just what I needed.

So friends, here's to squeezing more fun out of your week and creating more memories along the way.

oh, breakfast.

Oh, breakfast. How many times have you heard others declare breakfast as the most important meal of the day? I think we've all heard it a time or two. And even though I know that eating a healthy, balanced breakfast can start my day off right, I struggle to make it happen. I wouldn't call myself a morning person but I really do LOVE mornings. On the rare occasion that I get to bed early enough to wake up with the sun, I remember how much I enjoy the crisp quietness that mornings bring. When I wake early, I feel like I've gotten a head start on the day. I have time to think, appreciate nature and enjoy a cup of coffee (a serious staple in my morning routine).

My ideal morning would be waking up with the sun, drinking a cup of my favorite local coffee (brewed at home) and creating or reading something inspirational. As you may notice, my ideal morning does not include breakfast. Well, not until 10 am, hours after I've polished off my bowl-sized mug of coffee.

In an effort to set myself up for success and eat breakfast more days than not, I've compiled a list of what works for me.

1 | Choose a breakfast combo that you're excited about. If you pick something delicious, then you're more likely to eat it! Hopefully, this isn't a hot cinnamon roll every morning but if it is, add fruit. I won't judge. I promise.

2 |  Make it easy to grab and go. If that means prepping food in tupperware the night before, do it. If it's easier to grab instant oatmeal and an apple, roll with it. Odds are, whatever you bring from the house will be healthier than what you'll find on the run. For me, it's easier if I can eat breakfast before leaving the house, but schedules don't always work out that way. For obvious reasons, it's easier to whip up a smoothie on a hot summer morning while at home, rather than on the go. I have been known to take smoothies into the office but they can be messy to transport.

3 | Start with a breakfast size that works for you. If a banana is all you need, that's OK. Start there. Perhaps you'll add a spoonful of almond butter to your routine next month?

This week I've been digging this little combo - plain greek yogurt, coconut almond granola and fresh berries, topped with my uncle's honey.

Breakfast lovers, what is your favorite go-to combo? Non-breakfast lovers, what works for you?

valentine cake

I like Valentine's Day. I wouldn't say I'm into the conventional sort of valentine gift giving - like a dozen red roses or heart-shaped boxes of chocolate - but I definitely value Valentine's Day as a day that reminds us all to do something thoughtful for someone else.

I have found love so perhaps that's why enjoy what most people consider to be a manufactured holiday. In a lot of ways I agree that it is manufactured. However, I think it's best to embrace Valentine's Day as a day to consciously love all people a little more. In fact, sometimes I think that this "hallmark holiday" is strategically placed at the tail end of winter's darkest days to remind us of light-filled spring days to come.

This year I wanted to bake an angel food cake and decorate it with a banner strung of three dimensional hearts. Originally I envisioned this simple cake stand topped with several layers of pink cake. Inspired by this design, I planned to create a gradient from white to a rich pink hue. Instead of using the more tried-and-true method of food coloring for the gradient, I ventured into uncharted territory and decided to add slightly more strawberry puree to each layer, in hopes that it would turn out exactly as I imagined. Well, as you may suspect, things didn't turn out exactly as I planned as they rarely do on the first try. While the strawberry puree made for a deliciously flavored cake, adding too much of it to the cake mix required longer cooking times and created an interesting consistency. Frustrated with the outcome of my first attempt, I decided to go with plan B, which meant omitting the gradient all together and simply adding strawberries atop two layers of plain angel food cake. Luckily, this approach worked out better and I was able to create the decorative banner on the first try. I suppose now we're both aware of my strengths and weaknesses. As for the cake stand, without time to order the one on my wish list I was able to get this one for no cost using a gift card from our wedding, nearly three years ago.

Fear not, I will attempt the ever-intimidating gradient cake again, next time in a more scientific and predictable way. I'll be sure to share the result with you, for better or worse.

xoxo