Tag Archives: bananas

Sometimes Things Can Look Like More Than What They Are…

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And there can be beauty in that. In a way that’s what makes the seemingly simple and little things stand out. Recently, I’ve been noticing that the food I’ve been putting together has some sort of rustic or “very much like the land” look to it.

Pumpkin pie spice roasted chickpeas, Greek yogurt, banana, dried dates and pineapple.
Dates, hazelnut butter, banana, dates, pumpkin pie space, and raw cacao nibs
A mountainous landscape or just a new combination for my secret oat-bar/muffin recipe: dried apples, dates, dried cranberries, walnuts, cashews, chocolate chips, and a blend of tea masala and pumpkin pie spices.
Notice anything by now?

I don’t know if you noticed it, but I realized that lots of my foods have been resembling landscapes. Perhaps it’s been coming from the time I’ve been spending outside recently. Observing the seasons in their transition phases is always something interesting, and beautiful to witness. And now that my time with technology isn’t as readily-available (laptop situation still up in the air, but thank you to a dear friend of mine for letting me borrow his!), more time has magically appeared for me to enjoy these things.

The other day in my sculpture class, my professor took us on a field-trip (haven’t been on one of those in awhile) to a foundry and an art collectors’ private collection.

I was transported to another era and sometimes what looked like a destroyed city.
Things that look like they’ve just taken in a lot…

Afterwards, we went to the private collection of a very dynamic husband and wife. It was such a refreshing and reminding visit to see people enjoying art on their own time. There are people who support and find beauty in what artists make. Oftentimes, some get caught up in the “joke” of being an artist, and don’t see that it can be a reality. This is sort of random, but as an artist I believe; I have faith that a person can make it. Of course, I also understand that a person can very many different routes. Some sculptors sometimes make those molds you see at dentist’s office. Who knows! Anyway, the thing going on in my life have really gotten me to reflect on the idea of beauty, and what it can bring out in us. I recently went over Confucianism. One of the points brought up was that the human spirit can feel uplifted if surrounded by beautiful things. This can nature, the arts, whatever you may find beautiful. Off the top of my head I find this in nature, fashion, food, art, parallels in our universe, and people. What do you find beauty in?

There's some to be found in the smile that leaves a dinner party with a sweet reminder.

 

Or in the beautiful friend that greets you with a thoughtful bouquet of flowers!

 

Finding beauty in nature that led me to finding a beauty in food.

Toasted hemp seeds with sea salt, pumpkin pie spice, and shredded coconut

And the nice thing is that you don’t have to look too far.

 

Living In a Daze, Part II

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Finally the day has come–the recap of the day of the fashion show is here!!!

Hippie food and Vogue can go together!

I finished off the last of the Udi’s Original granola (Raisins, Banana Chips, Walnuts, Cashews, Almonds, and Pistachios), with Greek yogurt, a sliced banana, Sunland’s caramel peanut butter, and drizzled coconut butter. I had to do some last minute things like waxing, exfoliating, and squeezing in some study time before the rest of my day was to be spent at rehearsal. But before I headed out, I threw together a quick lunch…

Leftovers from the Jordanian restaurant, steamed kale + butternut squash, avocado, and a sweet potato
I packed some snacks as well–bananas and a mini-jar of my favorite peanut butter.

The first run-through with the outfits.

I was a part of the first, third, and last segment so our group made the first and last impact.

Check out the killer leggings!
Then the hair and makeup team came and music started pumping!

Credit to David Lee

Quickly getting something to eat before the show…

The venue has a kitchen, so someone prepped a taco station for everyone!

Unfortunately, by the time I got there all of the guacamole was gone.

I made some great friends through the show.
And I got to hang out with some old ones as well!

Then it was time for the show to start! The room got a bit hectic and you could feel the energy buzzing. Not to mention the crowd started pouring in!!! The venue was packed and people were trying to sneak in, even. Can you believe I didn’t had an ounce of nervousness in me? I was way too excited and there was nothing that could bring me down. The moment I walked out on the runway I felt incredibly happy to be where I am. The place was packed so everyone was up by the stage, like a concert. Imagine walking out into a sea of people and feeling all their incredible energy and your own. HECK YEAH!

Credit to David Lee
Credit to David Lee

Credit to Nick Ghobashi

Credit to Nick Ghobashi

Credit to Nick Ghobashi

Credit to Nick Ghobashi

Credit to David Lee

Credit to David Lee

Credit to David Lee

Credit to David Lee

Credit to David Lee

Credit to David Lee

Credit to Todd Raviotta

Credit to David Lee
Credit to David Lee

Credit to Todd Raviotta

Credit to Todd Raviotta

Then the after party started and it was time to dance!

With my mom!

WOO

Everybody shakin' it.

Get down James Brown!

Hey Dad!

Cutie Mom dancing the night away.

My roomie was bartending!

My dad got funky and ended up having a fan club!

Credit to Nick Ghobashi

This was such a great experience and I definitely want to do things like this again!!! It was so much fun, you meet great people, wear killer clothes, and looking back on it… there was nothing negative from this whole experience at all. It was wonderful to see everyone let their personalities shine through and exude confidence, while wearing some seriously hot outfits. And why not?! Everyone should be proud of who they are and what they have to offer. Hey, I’m still living on cloud nine!

Next day I went to my parent's hotel to check it out--Edgar Allen Poe wrote a poem in this courtyard.

It was so charming!

I was still feeling sleepy from the day before.

But we headed over to a local coffeeshop to enjoy the beautiful day.

Dad paid with his allowance money hehehe.

Delicious drinks

Matilda came too!

Mom and sipping her usual order: cappuccino.

I got some good studying in before I dropped my parents off at the airport. We also walked over to the local health food store to check out their hot bar.

My yummy afternoon snack + a refreshing smoothie I brought along.

My parents don't mind their little shutterbug taking pictures of their food hehe.

Then it was time to drop them off at the airport. Usually I get a little lonely after I drop someone off at the airport, but since I had a much needed date with one of my soul sistas, there was no reason to frown. The weekend ended on a wonderful note with a heart to heart and this amazing grilled cheese sandwich…

Fontina + Roasted Red Pepper + Caramelized Shallot + Sweet Basil + Honey

The week has been full of school work and getting things back in order, and the elation still taking hold from the fashion show. I feel so accomplished and ready for spring break! Actually, later today I’m embarking on another adventure with my beautiful soul sista–ROAD TRIP TO MY PARENTS PLACE IN FLORIDA!!! Wow–so this was a crazy long post. I hope you’re all still awake!

Long Letters to My Dear Friends

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Good day to you!

Dinner is served.

I tried out another Veganomicon recipe; one of Neela’s favorites from the book–the chickpea cutlets. I definitely understand why. They’re simple to make and are so versatile! I also steamed some Nishiki rice to go along with the mushroom mutter masala. I’ve missed Indian food and all of its wonderful spices!

All mixed together and voila! A tasty dish.
I noticed Matilda was channeling her inner-yogi again.
You know what this means!
This calls for drastic measures–a spoon long enough for a jar.
Banana PB&J OIAJ

Funny story: while making the OIAJ the container toppled over and spilled everywhere. Luckily the peanut butter was still in the bottom so that survived. But I told myself not to get upset, just clean it up, and that I could just make some more. No big.

Then lunchtime rolled around.

I’ve seen Holly put sweet potato in her sandwiches and I also remembered when I made a sweet potato and ricotta toasted sandwich as well. These things lead me to topping the Garden Herb Sunshine Burger with a sweet potato and ketchup. A very wise choice indeed!

This little bugger helped me through my philosophy exam.

This was a Betty Lou’s High Protein Almond Nut Butter ball. This was so delicious and the texture was awesome. I loved the creaminess of it and the bit of crunch as well. Almost looks like a classic Drumstick doesn’t it? Anyhow, this snack boasts a whopping 12g of protein! These babies are gluten-free and do not contain wheat, corn, soy, and are non-GMO. On the flip side, because they have whey protein they’re not vegan friendly. However, vegans don’t have to feel left out because they do have some treats for you all! Anyway, if you’re looking to up your protein intake with something yummy, definitely keep your eyes peeled.

Actually, the very kind folks at Betty Lou’s sent me some of their products to try out a while ago; remember that? Now since some of their snacks are gluten-free, I was given another opportunity to sample them out. Would they still have that same great taste?

I tried a new Jumbo Fruit Bar flavor: STRAWBERRY!

Check it. It’s gluten-free! Okay, as soon as I opened up the wrapper the sweet smell of strawberries was the first thing I noticed. It was soft and chewy, but not messy and sticky. The best part? It tasted like a delicious baked good!

Crumbled over some yogurt with sunflowers seeds for crunch.

Matilda was curious.

This was the Cashew Pecan nut butter ball. First ingredient? Cashew butter! Um, yum? I love these because they’re like biting into those peanut butter balls you can make for kids. Chewy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Well, they’re obviously not just for kids anymore! Another plus, I was able to take this snack with me while I was on-the-go.

Peanut butter ball

Heck they even peanut butter balls! For some reason though I didn’t like the flavor as much as the other ones. I couldn’t really put my finger on it. Well, I still have some more to sample so I will keep you all updated! Don’t forget to check out their website to see what other products they have that may catch your eye. I feel like they’ve got something for everyone’s tastes.

Then I got ready to go to a modern dance performance with a friend.

Smile for the camera!

The show was awesome! The costumes went well with each performance and just extended each movement further. I wish I could’ve taken pictures of the performances! All in all, I was left with a smile and the yearning to dance.

Afterwards, we went to an Ethiopian restaurant to meet up with a friend/her boyfriend. Aren’t they cute?!
We talked over some yummy chai tea.
For breakfast I wanted to try something new–yoatgurt!

I cooked my oats with a bit of cinnamon, stevia, and vanilla extract. The oatmeal and the yogurt had to share a bowl and I topped them with a sliced banana, coconut butter, and Sunland’s caramel peanut butter.

The yogurt made the oats extra creamy!
After breakfast I went to a contact improv dance class.

It was so much fun. I can already tell that my body will be bruised and sore tomorrow. But I needed to move, extend, and stretch my body like that. It’s been awhile since I moved my body like that without hesitation. Speaking of not hesitating, I was also able to tap into my acrobatics and gymnastics background and do a flip down someone’s back.  Great way to start my Saturday!

Vegan Caesar Salad from The Conscious Cook

This recipe was so simple to put together. It called for focaccia which would be used as croutons. I also added in a chickpea cutlet from the Veganomicon.

So that’s what I’ve been up to for the past couple of days + working on a sculpture project and completing my headache of a philosophy exam. I wish I could post more often because sometimes I think my posts are overflowing with things. I’m hoping school will settle down a bit and that spring break will make its way over here pronto! In the meantime, just see my posts as really long letters to catch you up on what goes on! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and that the weather was gorgeous wherever you may have been. What did you all do?

Ketchup

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I have quite a few things to catch you all up on!

First off,

Matilda, my mother, and I sleeping together in my twin-size bed

Our breakfast for her last day in town.

What was served? I made oatmeal with cinnamon and a bruleed banana + shredded coconut for my mom. She also wanted some of the bread we had gotten from the brasserie with sunflower seed butter. I opted for an end piece with marmalade and butter. I also tried a Heart Thrive. This time it was the raisin flavor and it was so good! It was delicious alone and crumbled over vanilla Greek yogurt + persimmon + cashew butter. We both had cups of warm pumpkin spice soymilk with pumpkin spice! We just dilly-dallied around the apartment and took Matilda on a walk.

Mom's breakfast

And mine

Then lunch time rolled around…

Gluten-free pizza crust with roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, portobello, and goat cheese.

After we got ready, we were off to the studio!

Wishing I didn't have to spend my last day with my mom at the studio.

But before I dropped her off at the airport we were able to meet up with one my bests for some coffee.

Beautiful smiles all around!

All three of us

Being silly

I was sad when I dropped my mom off at the airport but luckily I’ll be flying down to Florida tomorrow till Sunday!

Lazy Sundays

I had a Rudi’s Organic English Muffin – these are so good! One half with cashew butter and the other half with Creme of Almonds and Dates spread. I also had vanilla Greek yogurt with marmalade and some slices of bananas. I also saved some banana slices for my English Muffin. My sweet tooth was calling my name that morning and I had a Marzipan candy and I tried a Newman’s Own Organic dark chocolate peppermint cup. This one was so good! I did some things around the apartment and spent most of my day painting.

More pizza!

Yummy dinner

I had some of the baguette from the brasserie with basil pesto, and a mock tuna made with soybeans. I also had a sliced up a carrot and look at that beautiful persimmon! I’m glad I decided to cut it that way.

I tried someone's favorite nighttime snack.

Well not just someone, but I tried Jessica’s favorite! Warmed up applesauce with cinnamon, melted chocolate chips, a crumbled graham cracker, and since I didn’t have almond butter I just used cashew. Girl, now I know why this snack is at the top of your list.

Spreading the love on Monday.

What a great way to start a Monday – with heart-shaped goodies! I tried the date Heart Thrive that morning. The date flavor wasn’t as intense as some of the other flavors I’ve tried. Maybe it was just me, but it seemed off. I had it over vanilla Greek yogurt, a sliced banana, and cashew butter. Mixed in with everything else it was good, but alone I didn’t really like it.

Baguette action

This sandwich was composed of: a beer-brat Tofurky sausage, homemade tomato sauce, red onions, and relish. Yum! I love using a baguette as the bread for a sandwich.

I obviously couldn't get enough!

So later on I snacked on some more with a baked apple + cinnamon, goat cheese, and honey!

I also got an incredibly sweet package in the mail!

From one of the sweetest girls around, Mitri! Her package warmed my heart and kept a smile on my face for the rest of the day.

Little delicious treats and wonders tucked inside.

Thank you so much! Don’t you love acts of kindness? Especially through snailmail! Since Tuesday was around the corner, I spent most of my day kicking major booty in the studio. Tuesday = my final critique of the semester!

Breakfast on-the-go

This is why bars are perfect sometimes! I tried the last 18 rabbits granola bar – Haute Diggity Date. This was incredibly delicious and is right up there with the first one I tried. The one that made me think, “this is what a granola bar is suppose to taste like.” Thank you for sending me these bars to review! I am so glad that I did because I will definitely find myself getting these in the future.

So now I will share with you what my piece for this semester’s final critique looked like. Now keep in mind that being there in person is an entirely different experience – as is with most art. I also had a Nag Champa incense burning which definitely added to the piece itself. I had originally wanted to set it up in various open fields and document my interaction in the space. Then I realized how little time I had, and I was debating doing a performance piece with it instead. However, nothing specific came to mind and I never force myself into anything when it comes to my art. So I just let it be, but I will set it up outside and film that in my leisure time.

Balancing on itself

Mitri’s beautiful box of goodies found its way into my piece! Can you spy it?

Watercolors on fabric + burlap

Interesting angle the stripped branches made.

The whole experience was meditative for me, and the environment I built is meditative as well. What a great place to relax…

Where do you all like to go to relax?

p.s. check out Katie’s amazing giveaway!