Colorful Quinoa

The first time I ate quinoa... it was not a pleasant experience. I didn't like it - at all. 

I vowed to never touch the stuff again, but I decided that it deserved another chance. After a few more quinoa experiences, I realized that my initial judgement was a tad harsh, and that quinoa could in fact be let back into my diet. 

Quinoa does need to be doctored quite a bit. By itself, its rather bland. Mixed with a bunch of colorful veggies, a few herbs, creamy chunks of avocado and a light dressing - quinoa makes the cut! 

Here's what you'll need...

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed

1 cup chicken/vegetable stock

1 cup water 

1 cup fresh corn removed from husks (about 3 ears of corn)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered 

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

1 avocado, chopped 

2 tablespoons olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Here's what to do...

Add one cup quinoa, water and stock to pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. 

While quinoa is cooking, heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in pan and add corn. Cook over medium high heat until cooked (5-8 minutes) stirring occasionally. 

Once quinoa is finished, add corn, tomatoes, onion, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and stir. Season to taste. Enjoy warm, at room temperature or cold. 

BATH TIME!

So, we are in the process of buying a condo. 

I have a vague idea of how this process works, and I think it's basically safe to say it's ours... but it isn't over until we sign our names a few more times (and write a few more sizable checks) so I've been hesitant to blog about it. 

With that being said, I'm way too excited to not blog about it.. so here we are. 

The biggest project in our new condo will be the bathroom. It's being gutted and completely redone, 

and I'm so excited to get to put all of our own personal touches in this room.

Sure, it's the smallest room in the place, so some might think it's the least important, but I beg to differ.

We're going for a bit of a masculine and simplistic feel in here .. Clean lines and neutral tones. While some elements will have a modern flair, we're trying to keep the overall feel traditional to match the rest of our more vintage apartment.

Most of the big ticket items have been decided on - vanity, tiles, hardware ... I'm looking forward to finishing off this project with some chartreuse towels and accent pieces, and some art that yt (mr. radiologist) actually found!

I love when we agree on things and this project has been so fun to piece together... together.

Dark to Light

I've been mulling over a kind of big decision and I need some advice.

My hair is easy, and simple, and it works, but it's also really boring. I've had a few different length variations of the same hair for years, and I'm in desperate need of a change.

 I'm considering a suble ombre.

Please note: I've never dyed my hair. Okay, I dyed it once when I was 16 and "everyone was doing it" and then immediately dyed it back. Streaky highlights are not cute. My eyebrows are thick, and extremely dark, so any kind of coloring really needs to work with those caterpillars.

This seems like a happy medium. My hair will still be relatively dark around my eyes, it won't require too much upkeep, and I'll keep it very natural, but I'm still scared. Should I be?

Do or don't?

Inspiration below.....

Why I'm attempting Whole30

This might be one of the hardest things I've ever done. That might sounds a bit dramatic. 

But I really love wine. And cheese makes me happy. And bread is what makes each day worth living. 

What?! You don't feel the same? Pizza IS my lover. 

Okay, but all joking aside, I need to reign it in around these parts. 

I'm feeling really blah, and tired, and like my body deserves better. 

So I've decided to saturate my diet with vegetables, and fruits, and organic meats. 

Because I'm hoping that I'll feel immensely better at the end of this 30 days period, 

and perhaps take some healthy eating habits into the summer... and beyond.

Here are a few more semi real reasons why I'm attempting the whole30:

- it was this or a juice cleanse and I don't have hundreds to spend on juice

- my grocery trips will be cut in half by sticking to the permitter of the store

- ill have an excuse to shop at whole foods more frequently (i love that place)

- no hangovers in the month of april = productive weekends always. 

- i look forward to cooking with produce ive never tried before!

- id like to not have cellulite peaking out of my shorts in a few months.

cheers (with water) to being healthy in April!

5 things.

1. I am a kind of anxious person (some days more than kind of). I get very stressed out by situations that most people can easily brush off. I tend to over think just about everything. I dwell on little things until they become big things in my head. But - I've come a long way. I like to play the "worst case scenario" game, where I think of the absolute worst thing that can happen. When I realize it's not that bad, I can usually talk myself out of my anxiety... that or a glass of wine and a hug from my husband usually does the trick :)

2. I'm an extreme home body. Always have been, always will be. Even in college and high school when everyone else was going out and partying, I preferred much more to be home curled up with a book or in front of the television. I do like the occasional night out, but they are few and far between.

3. I played an organized sport once. I was 5, and it was a soccer game. I went to kick the ball, my cleat flew into the air, everyone laughed, and I cried. I never played a team sport again. I have extreme anxiety about team sports (... back to #1).

4. I am allergic to a growing list of things: fish, raw nuts, fruits with pits, a long list of grasses and trees, and most recently the sun. I might as well invest in a bubble now.

5. We are in the process of buying our first home in Chicago (if you follow my Pinterest board you will see that the mortgages, lawyers, inspections, etc.. only come second to a well decorated home!). Will have more updates on this fun fact soon.


PS. This post makes me look like the nerdiest, weirdest person alive. And I'm okay with that :)

Thanks for tagging me Christin. I tag: Jane, Taylor, Shari, Julia.