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Week 5 in Durango

Week five has come and gone, and ohmygosh, I am not ready to go back to the ‘real world’ (i.e. Texas). However, I do miss everyone like crazy, and cannot wait to hug all of my family and friends. This past week flew by in anticipation of one of my best friends, Kirby, arriving on Thursday. I managed to run every day this past week, clock between 13,000-20,000 steps every day, enjoy short hikes to the top of a nearby mountain in the mornings, continue my Illustrator 101 and Floral Arranging 101 classes, work on the blog (some fun giveaways coming up soon!), and spend lots of time with Sasha, Belle (our dog) and sweet Isla. We also hiked the 6 mi. trail of the Animas Mountain together for the first time – Sasha and I did it last Labor Day when we were visiting (see photos here).

As you can tell from the thousands of photos below, I love taking pictures of Isla’s cute face, because I know I won’t have as much time to once we are back in Houston (and because she cannot yet tell me to stop).

In case you want to keep track of our Colorado sabbatical, you can also read about Week 1, Weeks 2 and 3, and Week 4.

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Isla being sassy in her Carter’s Romper (similar here) – that last face kills me – her personality is shining through

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Pretty in pink (and white!)

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Cheesin’ it up

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Hot pink is my absolute favorite (similar bodysuit here)

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Someone was none-too-pleased with us taking photos before she got to eat ‘lunch’

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Bows on bows on bows (buy dress here) – and Sophie the Giraffe making an appearance (and Isla loves her hands if you can’t tell!)

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I swear this isn’t a hunger cue, Isla just adores her hands (praying this is ‘self soothing’!)

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Kisses from her ‘Tata’ and (the much dreaded) tummy time (similar outfit here)

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Saturday mornings are for PJs and superman time with dad

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Her hair is seriously out of control, but I love it

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Isla’s little Gap peplum top and leggings

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This was taken after five minutes in her new heaven – i.e. the Skip Hop Treetop Friends Activity Gym… she’s enamored (this is a GREAT baby shower gift)

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Loving the views from the top of the Animas Mountain – Isla loves the view from over my shoulder (her favorite holding position)

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Vegan ice cream at Cream Bean Berry – my one true weakness!

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Isla LOVES (eating) this lovie!

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A sneak preview of my first homework assignment from Floral Arranging 101 (more to come tomorrow!)


Three weeks left! Have a great day. xo

 

Life in Durango & Isla’s Two Month Anniversary

Our first week in Durango was very go-go-go. We’ve gotten into more of a routine by the point, which helps this feel more like home. We’ve established local restaurant favorites – Himalayan Kitchen, Grassburger, Durango Coffee Company, and Cream Bean Berry – and had a schedule for exercise, feeding, sleeping, “working,” etc. Isla is growing by the second – I wish we knew her exact weight, because I feel like she’s doubled in size in the last 8 weeks. She celebrated her two month anniversary on Monday, August 4. I cannot believe it. She is super smiley, gurgles all day long, wants to be “standing” all the time, still spits up everywhere after eating (see bottom photo), does not enjoy tummy time except for the first 1-2 minutes, and is very used to having a camera in her face. Isla’s gassiness is much better now that I’ve cut out all dairy (i.e. become a vegan – ohmygosh I miss cheese!). Her (okay, my) favorite books are Snuggle Puppy and Oh Baby, Go Baby. She is finally getting used to taking a bottle, but I am not a huge fan of pumping! Isla went on her first hike and slept through the entire adventure (typical!). She loves, and I mean loves, sleeping in the BabyBjorn carrier. We are doing CIO (ah!) and had her fall asleep without a peep the last two nights (praying it stays that way!). We’re still learning lots and lots every day. We love her to pieces.

I put together two short videos: here and here

Lastly, the Trumpette giveaway winner is Caron B! Congratulations!


Isla Week 2 and 3

Sasha’s special feeding time // Bloomers by Baby Grace // Happy little Isla

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Mesmerized by the sun – I need to get her in some shades quickly

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It’s hard to tell, but that onesie was covered in spit up minutes before these photos were taken

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Finally taking a bottle – this is a huge accomplishment and relief to me after much resistance

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Sleepy girl in my favorite J. Crew onesie // Working on tummy time // Her signature Zoolander look

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Our first baby is loving Colorado (perhaps the most!)

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After every feeding, Sasha tries to teach Isla to stand – he seems to think this is a requirement at 2 months… crazy man

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If Sasha wakes up first, Isla will be wearing her UT onesie

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Sasha’s dad drove from Texas (16 hours) for TWO days!

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Getting ready for a MAM pacifier giveaway (coming soon!)

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I love Baby Gap so much – this dress is one of my favorites

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Two months already? How is this happening?

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This face is a regular

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I couldn’t get enough as you can tell!

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Little Miss-chievous Isla

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Working hard on that tummy time


 

Some iPhone snapshots

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Braving dinners out on the town with this little unpredictable one – Grassburger is our favorite

Isla Week 2 and 3_6Sasha’s hardcore strength training is beginning to work // And that is his repayment // My favorite face in the world

Vegan Black Bean Brownies + The New York Baking Company

Ever since my vegan chocolate beet muffin success, I’ve felt a little braver in the baking department. Rizzi from The New York Baking Company (Facebook page) asked me to review their brightly colored silicone baking cups, which you can buy on Amazon here. After doing some research, I decided to try baking vegan, gluten-free black bean brownies. I found a number of different recipes online, and adapted them to make our own unique blend (mainly adapted from The Minimalist Baker’s recipe here). Sasha and I devored them within minutes – they are that good (and we’ve made them multiple times in the past week!). Did I mention they are flourless and have no dairy products? It’s definitely seems too good to be true. I have included photos and the recipe below – I highly recommend you make these if you’re trying to satisfy a sweet tooth. 

The baking cups worked like a charm. They cost $9.95 and are worth every penny. Not only are these colorful cups BPA free, they are easy to clean – just rinse them and pop them into the dishwasher. The cupcakes came right (without any difficulty!) and into our mouths. Delicious! If you enjoy baking but hate peeling cupcakes, brownies, and muffins out of wrappers, I highly recommend you buy these cups.

Ingredients

  • 1 can black beans
  • 2.5 tablespoons flaxseed meal + 6 tablespoons water to create a flaxseed ‘egg’
  • 3 tablespoons of melted coconut oil
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup of Truvia sugar blend
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 bar of vegan, gluten free chocolate (I love this one!)

Steps

  1. Turn oven to 350 degrees in the bake setting
  2. Mix 2.5 tablespoons of your flaxseed meal with 6 tablespoons of water and set aside to settle
  3. Add together all of your dry ingredients (sea salt, cocoa powder, sugar blend, baking powder) and mix
  4. Add the melted coconut oil and vanilla extract and stir well
  5. Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute and add to the bowl
  6. Add your flax egg – the batter should be icing-like texture at this point
  7. In a separate bowl, add the drained, clean black beans and grind them until they are a soft, blended texture (you can do this in a blender or food processor, but my parents don’t have one in their house in Durango – it works easily by hand too)
  8. Add the ground beans to the batter and mix well
  9. Line your muffin tray with the baking cups and add the batter to each cup – these don’t rise much, so you don’t need to leave space
  10. I added some almond butter to the batter for the last few muffins for a little extra kick – delicious!
  11. Allow the brownies to bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the outside is slightly crispy, then wait until they cool off and enjoy!

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Et voilà – the final product below!

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One happy mouth


Recipe adapted from The Minimalist Baker

Baking cups provided by The New York Baking Company – all opinions are my own

Photos by me!

5 Ingredient Raw Vegan Brownies

I am not a baker. But seriously, every vegan dessert I try fails (except these beet muffins – yum!). So when I came across a recipe for a simple, raw vegan brownie bite recipe, I jumped at it. I made some slight adaptations to the version I found online, and both Sasha and I love the result! These have five ingredients – raw cashews, organic honey, pitted/chopped dates, coconut oil, and unsweetened cocoa powder. They take five minutes to prepare (minus recommended refrigeration time) – and they are healthy-ish (no refined sugars!). Perfect tiny snack to fill your sweet tooth cravings!

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Ingredients: 1 cup of plain cashews, 1 cup of pitted or chopped dates, 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1.5 tablespoons of coconut oil, 2 teaspoons of honey

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Step 1: Add 1 cup of raw, unsalted cashews to your blender and pulse until finely chopped

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Step 2: Add pitted or chopped dates to cashew powder and pulse until completely mixed (should get kind of solid)

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Step 3: Add 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

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Step 4: Add 1.5 tablespoons of coconut oil and 2 teaspoons of honey to the blended mixture – may have to stir with spoon vs. blend (depending on how strong your blender is!)

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Step 5: Lay down stick-free parchment paper or aluminum foil and make into small brownie bites

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Optional (but I recommend) Step 6: Add to fridge for an hour so the coconut oil hardens – then enjoy!

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If you try them, let me know how they turn out!

San Francisco Travel Guide

I was in San Francisco last weekend and on the flight there, I did a little math to figure out how many times I’ve visited the Bay Area in the past 3 years – nine! If that’s not an indication of how much I love San Francisco, I don’t know what is! We got married in Napa last July, so we made a couple of trips for planning, but most have been for fun. My sister-in-law and one of my best friends both work for Google in Mountain View, so I’ve always got a place to stay (and the best hosts!). If you haven’t been before, or if you want some of my tried-and-true suggestions, please reference the list of my favorite food, drink spots and activities below! Also, please offer any recommendations – I’ll be going back again soon (hopefully!), and always love to try new places.

Other San Francisco posts here. Pictures from this weekend below! Find a Google map with these locations here.

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Favorite Restaurants/Drinks

  • The Plant (Various): Hands-down, one of my favorite restaurants in America – there are so many delicious vegetarian options that I rarely order the same thing twice (try them all!)
  • Radish (The Mission): The veggie burger is so unique and delicious – very nutty (add cheese!)
  • Mission Cheese (The Mission): A cheese and wine lovers dream
  • Dosa (Pacific Heights): The Indian food here is melt-in-your-mouth delicious – try the paneer masala dish
  • Zazie’s (Haight Ashbury): Holy cow – the line here is indicative of how good the food is – come early for breakfast!!
  • La Boulangerie (Various): Starbucks didn’t decide to use La Boulange baked goods for no reason! I live for the coffee + oatmeal in the humongous ceramic bowls
  • Tacolicious (Various): I wouldn’t normally recommend Mexican food this far from the border, but it’s worth it! Amazing guacamole and Marina Girl Salad (YUM)
  • Helmand Palace (Russian Hill): My first taste of Afghani food and I hope not my last! Be adventurous!
  • Kokkari (Financial District): Hands down, my favorite restaurant in SF – the baked feta appetizer is all you really need, but you’ll want and love everything else too
  • Sweet Maple (Pacific Heights): Famous for their bacon, this place has some amazing veggie/vegan options (great salads and oatmeal)
  • Millenium (Tenderloin): One of the best all-vegetarian restaurants I’ve ever been to… get a bunch of dishes amongst your table and share!
  • Reveille Coffee Co (Financial District and Mission Bay – my favorite location!): Modern, glass wall coffee shop with amazing drip coffee and the tastiest homemade granola you’ll ever try
  • Woods Polk Station (Russian Hill): Tiny little beer (and wine) bar with a selection of empanadas (the cheesy aroma will lure you in)
  • The Brick Yard (Cow Hollow): This yuppie bar has a great atmosphere and gets pretty darn crowded during happy hour
  • Rickhouse (Financial District): I’m obsessed with the front doors alone, but the entire bar (quiet lounge area upstairs) is really cool (with great cocktails!!)
  • Cultive (Cow Hollow): My favorite frozen yogurt in San Francisco – the flavors taste fresh and not artificial (or as anti-artificial as cookies ‘n cream froyo can be!)]
  • Souvla (Hayes Valley): A very simple Greek menu, but the most delicious meal and make sure to order the Greek frozen yogurt… seriously heaven on earth!
  • Smitten Ice Cream (Hayes Valley): The eclectic flavors taste a little different than what you may be used to, but I’d sample them all! Delicious.
  • House of Nanking (Chinatown): Get to this (rather) hole-in-the-wall Asian restaurant in Chinatown early if you don’t want to stand in line outside! It’s that good! I got two tofu dishes and was in heaven – and stuffed!!
  • Greens (Marina): Ah, this vegetarian restaurant has my heart! The glass windows look out onto the Golden Gate Bridge, and Sasha (a carnivore) recently said the stuffed pepper was his favorite dish of our entire vacation!
  • Jane on Fillmore (Fillmore): This tiny cafe has a simple, but delicious menu, and is perfect for a ladies lunch.
  • The Mill (Fillmore): Amazing coffee spot near Alamo Square Park – gorgeous interior!

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Restaurants on My “Must Try” List

Betelnut, Umami Burger, Presidio Social Club, and Outerlands

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Favorite Activities

  • Mingle with the hipsters and sip on Ritual Coffee in the Mission or Reveille Coffee (various locations, but Mission Bay is the best/prettiest/offers more food – on this map)
  • Rent a GoCar and drive around the city in this baby-sized Smart Car
  • Grab San Francisco’s famous Blue Bottle at the iconic Ferry Building
  • Sip on New Orleans style iced coffee from Blue Fog Market
  • Act like a paparazzi in front of the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Shop at boutiques on Union and Fillmore Streets and in Hayes Valley
  • Explore Chinatown
  • Smell the amazing bread being freshly made at Boudin Bakery at Fisherman’s Wharf
  • Reminisce the greatness of Full House and sit in the park in Alamo Square (love the Painted Ladies!) – grab a coffee at The Mill beforehand!
  • Take pictures on and walk down Lombard Street
  • Go to the gorgeous sandy beaches of Point Reyes (where we took our engagement pictures)
  • Check out the redwood trees at Muir Woods
  • Go to Dolores Park to play, or if you’re getting coffee at Reveille in Mission Bay, then go to the Mission Bay Kid’s Park

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Activities on my “Must Do” List

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Other City Tours

ParisDurango (Colorado)AustinHoustonBaliWashington, DC

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Me (6.5 months preggo belly!) and Georgia