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DOWN UNDER PART III

Published on March 3, 2016January 12, 2021 by ashley@vegvibesLeave a comment

Read about our first few days in Australia here and here.

Day 9, 12/30/14 – Apollo Bay

It was nearing the end of the year and time for us to explore a new part of Australia. We drove along the Great Ocean Road to our next destination, a small beach town called Apollo Bay.

Australia – even though it is a whole other country on the other side of the world – reminded me a lot of home in California. Which can be nice for a homesick lady like myself! The Great Ocean Road was as beautiful as the Pacific Coast Highway back home. I remember feeling like I wasn’t away from home at all on that drive. Could that mean I appreciated the Great Ocean Road less? Possibly. But I don’t think that’s a negative thing. It just means I’ve experienced great beauty and great beaches in my life. And who doesn’t want that?

11149775_10155409475020414_2545394878383643281_o — Great Ocean Road

11103242_10155409475105414_6256846874680956763_o — #photobomb

We stopped in Lorne for lunch to eat beachside and it was pure bliss. A glass of champs, the warmth of the sun, the scenery, the company. It was all good.

After lunch we set out on a quest to spot koala bears. Wendy and Andy knew of a place where they just hang out in trees and you can see them up close and personal, in their natural habitat. There were a lot of koala bears to see and, naturally, even more people trying to snap pictures of them. We were probably there for 15 minutes when we decided it was time to continue on to Apollo Bay.

10387003_10155409475235414_118529351187617190_o — A *wild* koala bear taking a midday nap

In Apollo Bay we stayed in a hostel. This was my first time staying in a hostel and, no lies, when we were planning the trip, I thought nooooooo, I want a hotel but it was a lot cheaper than a hotel (obviously). When we got to the Apollo Bay Eco YHA we were all pleasantly surprised with how great the hostel was. Each couple stayed in their own room that had a queen size bed, some hooks to hang your towels and what not on, a small desk, and a patio overlooking the downtown area. Not too shabby for a hostel, I’d say! There were shared bathrooms – that is never preferred – but wasn’t bad at all. YHA also had a huge kitchen, large common rooms, a TV room, and a giant deck. Luckily we were able to snag a common room every night we were there to hang out in.

Mike and I stole away for a date at this cute little tapas place across the street, where we ordered a bunch on small plates and sangria.

Day 10, 12/31/14

One of my biggest fears is the ocean and up until this point I didn’t have to worry about it too much. Don’t get me wrong, I love the beach and enjoy swimming, as long as it’s in a pool or a lake – a “controlled” body of water! The ocean’s massiveness freaks me out so I was hesitant to try stand up paddle boarding in the ocean on new year’s eve.

Actually, hesitant is an understatement. I was downright scared to do it but, here’s the thing about traveling with a family that isn’t your own (or at least for me), you can only complain or say “no” so many times… SUP in the ocean it was!

10896309_1399562123671261_213504420819972860_o — Catching a wave! …almost

11026138_10155409475300414_5634495942360594922_o — Practicing in the bay

Thankfully we started in a little bay and then made our way out to the ocean. I caught one wave (with some major assistance of the instructor) and every time I feel off the board I desperately scrambled back onto it as quick as I could, seeing an image in my head of a giant shark’s mouth coming right for me, but, aside from a few minor panic attacks, it was fun and I’m glad I did it.

10872953_1399993236961483_2781963454007574841_o — Beach bums reading

After our lesson was over, we just hung out on the beach for a while and soaked up the sun. Then we went back to YHA to get ready for a fancy new year’s eve dinner. Here we tried kangaroo (which was sugar glazed so, sweet and a little chewy) among other good food. After dinner, we settled into a common room for games and to celebrate the new year on the deck with champagne and fireworks.

10900250_1399992316961575_1601919146766782815_o — Kangaroo!

Day 11, 01/01/15

New Year’s Day! I don’t remember making any specific new years resolutions last year (unlike this year), probably because we were still traveling and I knew it would be a feeble attempt to work out and drink less.

Our stay in Apollo Bay had come to an end and we were heading back to Melbourne to pack for the last leg of our journey. On the way back we stopped to see the 12 Apostles, which are quite amazing to see in person!

Then it was on the road again to get back, roadside makeshift picnic included.

10896295_1400227750271365_601251002158362878_o — Two of the Twelve Apostles

To be continued…

DOWN UNDER PART II

Published on March 2, 2016January 12, 2021 by ashley@vegvibesLeave a comment

Read about our first few days in Australia here.

Day 5, 12/26/14 – Melbourne

On our first full day in Melbourne we explored the Botanical gardens. It was summer and I remember this being really nice day. We had a picnic by a little pond and walked around for a bit. Then, on a whim, we went to a soccer match. By this time it had cooled off a bit and it didn’t help that we were sitting in the shade.

After the game we went to one of Wendy’s friend’s house for a BBQ or “shrimp on the barbie” as we kept joking. When in Rome, right?

11121480_10155409472490414_4252206570648747812_o — A picnic in the botanical gardens

10887174_10152764403069230_5244030628694030937_o — Soccer!

Day 6, 12/27/14

I’m pretty sure this is the day we went to brunch (which Melbourne is well known for!) and I got this amazing bruschetta with poached eggs. I also got a green juice here and fun fact, everything is more expensive in Australia except the green juices and smoothies. A pleasant surprise for a California health nut.

After brunch we took a 3 hour free walking tour of Melbourne which was interesting and fun. Plus, I’m always game for a good, long, walk. There are these hidden alleyways in Melbourne with hole in the wall bars and restaurants. We didn’t go to any of them so, another reason to go back! Most of these alleys are also filled with graffiti.

11143083_10155409472865414_6059669915382272967_o — Alleyway graffiti

11084055_10155409473585414_3107461878178386956_o — An afternoon spent lawn bowling

Next up was lawn bowling, something I was hesitant to try but turned out to be fun. It is similar to bocce ball but the balls are weighted, which makes it a bit harder in my opinion. After lawn bowling we went across the street for dinner and I remember getting a huge burger, fries, and a salad.

Day 7, 12/28/14

This day was gorgeous – all sunny skies and warmth – and after a lazy morning, we went to the conservatory for afternoon high tea. At tea, there was an all you can eat buffet with mini sandwiches and …other stuff that I wish I could remember! We each had 2 pots of tea and then it was time for drinks and an outing to go see little mini penguins at St Kilda pier.

I have to say the wildlife sightings on this trip remains one of my favorite things! Little penguins live in the rocks at this pier and at night people gather around to watch them come in from the ocean. We were lucky to see a few and they are still some of the cutest things I’ve seen in my life.

10894904_856760247714999_1523274359_n — Green juice sippin’

1978411_10155409474145414_1710821903516358059_o — High tea #pinkiesup

10845784_10155409474690414_2325111951686231955_o — Little penguin at St. Kilda pier

Day 8, 12/29/14

On our last full day in Melbourne we rented a car to do some final exploring, that included both wine tasting and enjoying hot springs – two of my very favorite things! I remember we stopped for lunch at this cute little Greek restaurant and I was able to get my falafel, hummus, and pita fix while everyone else noshed on delicious pizzas. We also saw wild kangaroos which was crazy for me since I’ve only seen them in the zoo.

10885487_1399052460388894_5679568724737789386_n — Wild kangaroos

We went to this place called Peninsula Hot Springs in the evening and it was my favorite part of the trip! This place is gorgeous, with all of these natural hot springs scattered throughout the grounds, a Turkish bath, small pools to do cold plunges in (more on that later) and a cute little cafe to eat at.

We started our hot spring escape at that cafe. I ordered a roasted vegetable and quinoa salad with an earl gray tea. I remember feeling totally in my element at this place. It was so relaxing and clam. After eating, we started to try out the different hot springs which ranged from really hot ones to lukewarm pools that you could do light stretching in.

There was a reflexology walk that Mike and I loved and did at least five times. There were also these deep but relatively small in diameter pools of cold water that you could jump in between hot springs called “cold plunges.” These were supposed to help with circulation among other things and, while it was freezing(!), it was also invigorating.

10888586_1399054543722019_8481164680798468073_n — Peninsula Hot Springs

10885545_1399054467055360_5601025873608348968_n — Bliss.

To be continued…

DOWN UNDER PART I

Published on February 29, 2016January 12, 2021 by ashley@vegvibes2 Comments

For Christmas in 2014 Mike and I went to visit his sister and her husband in Australia. We were lucky enough to go for 3 weeks and I wish I had written about the trip when we returned but I didn’t get around to it. Now, too much time has passed for me to recount all of the details of the trip but, luckily, traveling with Mike’s family means there was a spreadsheet! Below is a summary of what we did each day and a few pictures of life down under.

Mike and I had a rocky start to this trip (one that I, unfortunately, remember too well) and had major difficulties getting from California to Sydney. There were quite a few but the highlights (lowlights?) were a 24 hour flight delay, leaving us in LAX for longer than desired, and washing our underwear in the sink for a few days because our luggage stayed in America long after we had left.

We were supposed to meet Mike’s family in Sydney on 12/21/2014 but we didn’t get there until the 22nd. Nonetheless, we got there!

Day 1, 12/22/2014 – Sydney

We arrived in Sydney and took an Uber to the airbnb that we rented. The house was a nice, 3 story place. Each couple got their own room, there were 3 bathrooms, a kitchen, living room, and big deck for us to relax on. I remember being pretty stressed that I didn’t have any luggage to unpack but there wasn’t anything we could really do except shower and borrow some clothes. Luckily Mike’s sister and I are close in size.

Mike’s parents went for a walking tour of Sydney while we got ready and had a much needed drink (even if it was probably before 10 AM!). Shots, shots, shots, shots, shots, shots, shots, everybodyyyyyy… Except Wendyyyy. We found out Mike’s sister was pregnant! It’s pretty crazy to think about that now, having met Ella this past Christmas when we went to Canada.

For lunch, we tried something new and went to a place where you grilled your own food. I’ve since forgotten the name but still remember how good the lamb was! We spent the afternoon grilling and drinking beer before taking a ferry to Manly beach. It was insane to see the Sydney Opera House with my own eyes and I think the moment I realized I was actually in Australia.

10882341_1395422300751910_1568213251538260115_n — Grillin’

10308260_1395422287418578_8440181095528675555_n — Eatin’

11084213_10155409469055414_6499414196344024008_o — Sydney Opera House

16819_1395422360751904_3683196949839801347_n — Yaas

11154940_10155409469350414_8203853822535759413_o — A windy afternoon

At Manly, the beach was windy (a sort of premonition for the trip) and we all quickly decided another drink indoors sounded better. We then took the ferry back and headed to the airbnb where I’m sure we figured something out for dinner and then fell fast asleep.

Day 2, 12/23/2014

At this point we learned that our luggage was still in Los Angeles and that we would be given ~$60 a day for clothes until it arrived. Off we went to spend an afternoon sopping where we stocked up on underwear, dresses (for me), shorts, shirts, and bathing suits to get us through the next couple of days without our luggage.

Lunch was at a Mexican joint nearby and then some window shopping for the girls and table tennis at a pub nearby for the boys.

Day 3, 12/24/2014

Mine and Mike’s luggage was still MIA so we didn’t have tennis shoes to join on the Blue Mountains hike that Barb and Dan went on.

Instead, “the kids” went out to explore. We walked from Bondi to Bronte beach which, according to Google maps, is just over 1.5 miles. The walk was gorgeous but windy! We stopped along the way for fish n chips. Everyone told me how fresh the food in Australia was and I found it to be pretty true!

After beach bumming for most of the day we took a bus back to the airbnb and grilled Christmas eve dinner on the deck.

11149656_10155409469990414_6765058825223368269_o — A little rest on our walk

11146385_10155409470060414_4454958518696204908_o — #GoPro

Day 4, 12/25/14

10506551_10155409470645414_7334684635728211931_o — Christmas morning!

Wendy and Andy actually live in Melbourne which meant none of us were “home” on Christmas eve or Christmas. This was also the first Christmas that I was away from my family which was paradoxically really hard and easier than I expected at the same time…

We woke up to stockings (thanks Barb and Dan!) and enjoyed coffee with Bailey’s and mimosas. We lazily ate breakfast and opened presents, trying to really get into the Christmas spirit.

Mike and I STILL hadn’t got out luggage by this point and we were leaving for Melbourne later that day, which added to the stress. Luckily we knew that they had arrived in Sydney. It was only a matter of actually getting them… We deiced to go to the airport early in an effort to track of bags down while Barb, Dan, Wendy, and Andy went to the Botanical gardens.

After more miscommunication and scrambling around, we finally got our luggage!

Only to part with it again for the flight to Melbourne.

To be continued…

Food and Lifestyle Book Reviews

Published on February 23, 2016April 10, 2021 by ashley@vegvibesLeave a comment

Last year, I read some really good books that inspired me. Read on for the titles, authors, and quick synopsis.

No Impact Man by Colin Beavan – This book was left in my office by a co-worker I never met and was going to be thrown out before I swooped it up. It sat on my shelf for a couple months before I finally started reading about Colin’s chronicles of living a life with little to no impact, in Manhattan of all places. I found this book to be eye-opening and inspiring. It really makes you think about how much we all consume on a daily basis. There is also the No Impact Man documentary which I watched after reading the book. Highly recommended!

French Kids Eat Everything by Karen Le Billon – I’ve mentioned this book on the blog before and will likely continue to do so. I’m not a mom yet but found this book insightful and very interesting. The author moved from Vancouver to France – where her husband is from – with her two young daughters and spends a year learning the “ways” of the French and their non-picky little eaters, very different from (most) kids in North America. The book describes cultural differences between how food is viewed, prepared, and eaten in North America vs. in France, along with antidotes and a few recipes for readers to try at home.

A Year of No Sugar by Eve O. Schaub – This book was another winner and really helped me solidify my gripes against sugar. Eve and her family spend a year with a very limited sugar intake. I absolutely loved this book. For some unexplained reason, it made me feel nostalgic for a life I’ve never lived. Eve’s way of describing her hometown in Vermont (in my mind, seemingly perfectly simple… think: Gilmore Girl’s Stars Hallow); paired with her relentless quest for more knowledge about sugar; and her detailed accounts of her findings, feelings, failings, as well as successes, made for a delightful and educational read!

In the past years I have dabbled in quite a few other books about eating and living a compassionate, healthy, informed and educated lifestyle. In the spirit of full disclosure, I didn’t make it completely through all of the following books and, for the ones I did read entirely, it has been years since I’ve finished them, so these descriptions are quick and unrefined.

Food Rules by Michael Pollan – This book is an obvious one. This is basically a staple in any “health conscious” person’s kitchen/home and though, as my grandpa pointed out, Mr. Pollan doesn’t have any credentials in nutrition (he graduated with a degree in Journalism), his thoughts and “rules” resonate with me (and many others!).

Eat only foods that will eventually rot …that’s just good sense. (Although I would respectably add a timeline in there because we all know there’s that smart ass ready to tell us that McDonald’s goes bad too. Eventually.)

Naturally Thin by Bethenny Frankel – I found some gems in here about letting go and just living; urging you to realize food should not be the devil or your best friend; like her rule You Can Have It All, Just Not All At Once – what a relief and a perspective shift! This book helped me let go of some serious limitations I was putting on my diet. Worth the read.

The Skinnygirl Dish by Bethenny Frankel – Bethenny lists tools and provides recipes in this book for healthy, non-stress noshing.

Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin – I first read this book in college and still remember the authors advise to Trust No One (not even them). I love this advice to this day because it’s so true! In the end, you know your body better than anyone. With conflicting information from experts telling us Paleo Is The Only Way To Live in one article and then Veganism being The Cure For Cancer in the next, it is especially important to do your own research and come up with your own guidelines.

The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone – This book is all about being a Vegan with a capital V and living well… kindly. Surface level, I felt kind of judged while reading this book. Alicia outlines the steps to become a vegan and then a “superhero” vegan (someone who, if my memory serves me right, eats only nuts, seeds, and maybe a few leafy greens, like on their birthday, as a treat). But, if you can leave your ego out of it, this book is a good one with a meaningful message. It includes pretty pictures and recipes to start A New Vegan Lifestyle. Yeah!

The Honest Life by Jessica Alba – Okay, I don’t know what the deal is with celebrities writing lifestyle books now (what happened to fragrances!? asking for jLo…) but I’m completely on board with it. Overall I didn’t love the book – and was more interested in an inside glimpse of her life – but it highlighted a few tips and tricks here and there and I dig her message so, it’s all good. Money well spent.

The Body Book by Cameron Diaz – I should probably give this book a second chance but I could barely get through the first chapter… I like Cameron Diaz well enough but I distinctly remember feeling like I was reading an unedited letter while perusing this book. To me, her thoughts sounded scrambled and sporadic… like she didn’t really have an end goal… but the book seems to align with what I’m interested in so I’ll make an effort to try again and let you know how it goes.

Stay tuned and eat your greens.

** Note this blog went through a rebrand and is now veg vibes; which aligns better with the direction I organically gravitated towards. It’s all about your vibe**

South Lake Tahoe

Published on February 16, 2016April 10, 2021 by ashley@vegvibes2 Comments

We’ve been planning a trip to south lake Tahoe since the end of last year with 4 other couples and it finally happened this past weekend! Tahoe is the perfect weekend escape if you live in the Bay Area since it’s only about 4 hours away and has a bunch of activities to do in the summer or winter. Mike and I usually frequent north lake (you can read about our trips here and here) but south shore has more of a party vibe and is better to go with friends.

We spent most of the weekend in a cabin we rented with everyone but Mike and I drove up on Thursday, before most of the others, and shared a room at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino with our friends Ben and Sandra. This way Mike and Ben could hit the slopes on Friday, and Sandra and I could hit the sushi bar.

When we got there around midnight but Ben and Sandra were still about 45 minutes out and we couldn’t check in without them since the hotel was under Ben’s name. Instead we grabbed a beer in the casino and tried not to inhale too much because of all the smoke.

On Friday the guys went straight to the lift while Sandra and I spent a leisurely day getting coffee, sushi, drinking wine, and watching Ellen. Around 6pm most of the other couples arrived and we got ready for dinner at MacDuff’s Pub. This place was cute and cozy, basically a quintessential Irish pub. Half of our group ordered the truffled mac n cheese and, as good as it looked, I knew it would be too rich for me so I got the corned beef and cabbage instead. After dinner, we played Anomia, a card game that involves a lot of quick thinking and shouting at each other.

Saturday started with a lazy breakfast of eggs, bacon, and fruit + a coffee run. It could be just me but heading to Starbucks with a huge list of coffee orders makes me feel oddly very much like an adult…

Back at the cabin, armed with caffeine and Chromecast, we alternated between watching Beyonce and Justin Bieber music videos. (Also, very adult like, for the record.) Finally around 1pm we collectively decided it was time to go outside and play in the snow. We gathered our gloves, hats, beers, and googles to go sledding nearby.

12705412_10103695056094770_5063781684454586884_n

I was starving when we got back to the house and was stoked that I had leftovers from the night before. After scarfing down the rest of my corned beef and cabbage, it was time to hot tub! While we were soaking in the jacuzzi the last couple arrived. We all went to Cold Water Brewery & Grill for dinner with the intention of going to the casinos after.

Mike and I split pretzel bites with beer fondue, a rice + veggie bowl, and fish & chips. It was a lot of food and we just couldn’t rally after. The whole group was tired and suffering from food comas so we went back to the cabin and fell asleep.

12755413_10103698717801680_1818588503_o — Everyone!

On Sunday there was another coffee run and some brunch action back at Cold Water Brewery & Grill, where we saw monkey bread on the menu the night before and had to go try it.

Overall the weekend was filled with more beer than vegetables and essentially no exercise but a lot of fun in a great location!

Stay tuned and eat your greens.

** Note this blog went through a rebrand and is now veg vibes; which aligns better with the direction I organically gravitated towards. It’s all about your vibe**

Yoga Mat Confessions

Published on February 10, 2016April 10, 2021 by ashley@vegvibesLeave a comment

I have a confession. I workout like a grandma.

I don’t push myself to the max.

I rarely break a sweat when I “work out.”

I like to go on leisurely walks and do simple yoga flows.

Sometimes I will add in a 5 pound “strength training” circuit.

I always say I am going to push myself harder and get stronger, faster, more toned, …better. But after I run I feel like I have a cold (no joke, my nose runs, my body aches, my head hurts) and I cannot physically lift more than 10 pounds without ruining my form.

I see some of my friends on Instagram with their rock hard abs and strong legs and think dayyymmmn… if only I had the time…

But, the thing is, I do. I do have time to hit the gym and keep increasing the pounds I lift; even if I tremble and shake and can only do one repetition at first. I have the time to play soccer – or pick up another cardio focused sport – and work out while having fun so it doesn’t even feel like a work out. If I really wanted to, I could carve out time in my day for working out hard; like I find time for writing and walking and yoga and for reading every label in the grocery store (it literally takes me hours to shop for food).

But, for me, working out for any reason other than to move (because, let’s face it, we all feel better after a walk and some downward dog… we just do) and to mentally decompress just isn’t my thing.

So I officially declare that I accept my “grandma” workout tendencies. My stomach is soft and my thighs touch. My calves jiggle and, guess what?, so do my arms. Most days I opt for modifications while I do my chaturanga. I walker slower around one corner just to deeply inhale these insanely delicious purple flowers on my block.

I don’t drag myself to the gym before daylight or try hard for muscle definition. That’s just not how I roll. I work out slow and soft… It’s a bike ride to the farmer’s market over an hour on the treadmill. It’s a light flow on my patio on a nice day over the 26 postures in Bikram yoga. It’s low-impact and minimal results. It’s letting go of the “perfect” body and, really, the time it would take to achieve it…

But, please know, that if you do subscribe to the No Pain, No Gain notion, I salute you. You are likely physically stronger than I am. You choose to dedicate your time and energy and hard work to your body, while I reserve those efforts for other aspects of my life. You probably have more strength (more muscle, more endurance) than me, but we are equally fierce. Neither is better as long as we are both happy and healthy.

On that note, make no mistake, this is not an anthem for not moving at all. I’m not writing this as an excuse to throw in the towel and swear off all exercise. I am not asking you to join my tribe and rebel against CrossFit. I am by no means saying I rather watch Netflix all day than be outside, working my feet and legs, breathing in the air, and knowing my heart is working a little harder pumping my blood throughout my body.

I have to move. I have to move for my mind and my body. But I don’t have to move for results. I can simultaneously respect the hard work it takes to get abs of steel but not become a slave to the gym myself.

I choose to take the hour a day dedicated to my body doing something that releases tension instead of creating soreness, but that’s just me.

Stay tuned and eat your greens.

** Note this blog went through a rebrand and is now veg vibes; which aligns better with the direction I organically gravitated towards. It’s all about your vibe **

Veg Lunches

Published on February 2, 2016April 10, 2021 by ashley@vegvibesLeave a comment

I am a huge advocate for bringing your lunch to the office. It will generally be healthier, save you money, and you can use the time spent driving around town to get food to take a walk around the parking lot instead! (Which legitimately is what I do on days that I’m in the office.)

Mike used to eat out every day (talk about a pricey habit!) but decided to bring a lunch from home 2 days a week instead; which has saved him money and has likely given him better health.

**Note when Mike started bringing lunches to work, he would make them himself but I quickly took over having a self-proclaimed OCD state of needing to know exactly what and how much food we have in our house at any given moment. (Seriously, it’s a bit weird how well I know the contents of our cabinets and refrigerator.)***

Most weeks I make Mike some variation of a hummus sandwich. When we did our No Sugar Cleanse, we learned that sourdough is the best bread to eat (if you’re trying to avoid sugar). I start off with four slices of Trader Joe’s sourdough bread and spread hummus on all pieces. Then I top with whatever veggies we have on hand – which usually includes cucumbers, carrots, and tomato. Sometimes, on a “good week” (we joke), I use sprouts too. I will also pack a piece of fruit, maybe some chips, and Mike has lunch!

Occasionally I will pack him leftovers or just make one sammy and pair it with soup but basically hummus sandwiches are all the guy gets. (Side note, I should be mixing up his lunches with homemade burritos now, since I have so many frozen.)

This week I decided to spice up Mike’s lunches with a whole.new.menu. Can you even handle it? Instead of relying on my go-to hummus sandwich, I got a tad more creative and made him vegetable farro. (Farro is basically quinoa’s cousin – but is made from wheat – so far less trendy.)

Aside from being a believer in bringing your own lunches to work, I am also a big fan of frozen vegetables. I usually have peas and corn on hand and vary between broccoli, green beans, and a few other good ones! (Who am I kidding?! They are all good;)

This week we have frozen peas, (corn – not included in this recipe) and broccoli. I also had fresh carrots and onions. While my farro was boiling in the broth, I sauteed my veggies…

…Then added the cooked farro right on top…

…Mixed it all together and stored in glass containers for Mike’s lunch this week.

This veg packed meal – paired with more vegetables red peppers and cucumbers to dip in hummus (can’t get away from the stuff!) – is a healthy, cheap lunch for Mike that should leave him full and satisfied.

Stay tuned and eat your greens.

** Note this blog went through a rebrand and is now veg vibes; which aligns better with the direction I organically gravitated towards. It’s all about your vibe **

Guest post! Morgan’s vegan pesto zucchini pasta

Published on January 31, 2016January 4, 2021 by ashley@vegvibesLeave a comment

One of my really good friends Morgan is a vegan and I love swapping recipes and food ideas with her. Last week she sent me a snap of vegan pesto that she made and I needed the recipe pronto. I knew it would be even better if she was able to write a guest blog post so I could also share with everyone! Please read on for her recipe and be sure to try it soon! I know I will be 🙂

Hi All! For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Morgan, a good friend of Ashley’s! When Ashley asked me if I wanted to write for her blog I felt EXTREMELY honored. I really enjoy reading her posts and am always looking for new recipes to add to my collection!

So for my post, I will show you guys how to make vegan pesto with zucchini noodles!

I will say that you do need 2 essential tools to make this: – A blender (I don’t think it matters what kind, I just use my nutri-bullet-thing because it’s MUCH easier to bring out than my big blender) – And a vegetable spiraler (I got mine for like $10 on amazon and I use it CONSTANTLY… just get it, ok?) PESTO FIRST! Here are all of the ingredients you will need:

– 2 cups of basil – 3/4 cup of pine nuts – 2-3 cloves of raw garlic (I usually go for 3-4, but I’m a garlic fanatic) – 1/2- 3/4 cup of grapeseed oil (or olive oil… basically whatever oil you usually cook with) – a couple dashes of salt and pepper (to taste) – 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast – 1 tablespoon of lime juice Blend all of the things! I usually blend for like 2 seconds, shake it, and repeat until I get the consistency I like. (I like slightly chunky pesto)

WHA-LA! PESTO!! See…. it’s not that hard! 😉 Ok, you can do whatever you want with that now. Orrrrrr you can make zucchini pasta! In which case, you will need the following:

– 1 zucchini – 1 teaspoon grapeseed oil (again, or use whatever oil you usually use) – Wash and trim the stem off the zucchini. – Put teaspoon of oil into a pan. – Insert cut end into the spiraler and twist over the pan. – (I usually do about two rotations then pull it up to break it off, or they get too long and it’s impossible to eat) – Once zucchini is done, turn heat on low, and sauté until warm.

(I like to just heat them up so that they are still crunchy) When cooked to your preference, put zucchini in a bowl and add a dollop of pesto on top and work into warmed zucchini.

Now you have vegan pesto zucchini pasta. You don’t have to warm the pesto at all, raw is pretty tasty as well. It’s been real and hopefully you all enjoyed my recipe! Your favorite little blonde vegan, Morgan B.

My Best Friend. My Freezer.

Published on January 27, 2016April 10, 2021 by ashley@vegvibes2 Comments

I am 100% obsessed with my freezer. My freezer is amazing. She always has my back when I buy too much food and don’t want any of it to go to waste, not even a single leaf of spinach! (Yes, I have froze approximately 10 leaves of spinach before. …And a half of an apple one time.) She saves me money and time every month. She stores the leftovers from bulk cooking. She makes sure I am never out of ice for my cocktails or iced coffees.

She once let me store vegetable scraps in her drawer for an entire year so I could make my own veggie broth. Smoothies are readily available all year round because of her. If I wanted to, I could make dinner for an entire month and she would keep all of my noshes safe on her frosty shelves. My freezer is on 24/7 and I know I can always count on her. (In my kitchen,) my freezer is my best friend. She’s my ride or die. I love her big and I know she loves me right back.

Some freezer-frequents in my house are soups and stews; bananas; chopped basil, garlic, and green onions; ice wine; and vegetables (of course!). My most recent addition and discovery is homemade burritos! A while ago I posted my vegan sweet potato recipe. I doubled up on this recipe and froze the extra burritos that I made which got me thinking… why don’t I make a whole bunch of burritos and freeze them all!?

#burritosfordayz

Recently I bought a 10 count pack of flour tortillas, mashed sweet potatoes, frozen bell peppers, green chilies and guacamole. I already had some spicy black bean dip and salsa so figured I would make a few breakfast burritos too.

I let the bell peppers thaw overnight and then “wrung them out” with a paper towel to get any unnecessary moisture out. The next day I heated up my mashed sweet potatoes; which I got from Trader Joe’s and they save me a ton of time by not having to steam and peel the potatoes before mashing. All you have to do is pour the potato “pucks” into a pan, add 1/4 c of water and stir while they heat up.

A couple of years ago I wrote a blog for a website called Living Sunlight that explained which fruits and vegetables you should try to buy organic and which ones are okay to buy non-certified. You can check it out here and you’ll notice that sweet potatoes are a part of the “clean 15,” so I don’t fret about finding organic sweet potatoes. (You will also notice bell peppers are on the list of things you should buy organic but, unfortunately, my frozen bell peppers were just regular ol’ pesticide laden ones.)

While my sweet potatoes were in the pan, I spread my tortillas all over my kitchen. If you have a bigger kitchen you won’t have to be so creative…

Then I spread my spicy black beans on 3 tortillas (Mike isn’t a fan of the breakfast burrito so I made less of these), added scrambled eggs, some peppers, and salsa to make a perfect breakfast burrito for busy mornings.

I swear these will taste better than they look

After my potatoes were heated all of the way through, I spread guacamole on the remaining tortillas and piled a scoop of potato in the middle of each.

And then added peppers and green chilies before wrapping them up to freeze for future use!

And there you have it… 10 homemade burritos ready for my girl, the freezer! 😉

Stay tuned and eat your greens.

** Note this blog went through a rebrand and is now veg vibes; which aligns better with the direction I organically gravitated towards. It’s all about your vibe **

Christmas in Canada

Published on January 9, 2016April 10, 2021 by ashley@vegvibes1 Comment

Last night I made a red lentil and chickpea soup that was inspired by the dinner my boyfriend’s sister, Wendy, made on our last night in Canada.

Mike is from Toronto and we usually spend time there with his family over the holidays. I love going to Canada around Christmas because, even though it’s freezing, it is usually snowing and, having grown up in California, a white Christmas was something I only got to experience through movies. This year it didn’t snow as much as it has in the past but we still got to experience some snow before we left. We also tried our hand at an Escape Room which was a ton of fun and highly recommended (even for people like me who aren’t the most strategic, game-minded individuals!).

Of course it’s always nice to see all of Mike’s friends and family. We make it a point to see one of his best friend’s (and my soulmate, essentially) Melissa. It is also a tradition to eat at The Keg (best steaks ever) with family friends Nikki and Carole. This year was extra special because we got to meet Mike’s niece, Ella, for the first time. Our holiday in Toronto was filled with games, celebratory drinks, good food, and better company.

12458792_10101255601213621_2011712349_o — Dinner and drinks with good friends Melissa and Davin!

blogger-image--2047384168 — After we successfully escaped our Escape Room

Our last day there was lazy and perfect. In the morning we took a nice walk in the snow and then went to go see the new Star Wars movie (which I, surprisingly, actually liked). After the movie we went to get a few beers and appetizers and then went home to pack. As we packed (and, full disclosure, drank scotch) Wendy made the most delicious soup with red lentils, onions, and chickpeas. She garnished it with cilantro and, in much need of something healthy and nourishing, I devoured it!

Last night I re-created this meal for me and a friend but based only on the knowledge that the ingredients included red lentils, chickpeas, onions, and cilantro. I had a general gist of the recipe but didn’t have anything written down so it wasn’t exact – for instance, I added a carrot and a tomato because I had them on hand – but I am happy to report it turned out well and tasted similar to what Wendy made. I decided not to share the recipe until I get the real one from her.

Also, this dinner incorporated cilantro (Herb of the Week!) and didn’t include cheese. Win-win.

Stay tuned and eat your greens.

** Note this blog went through a rebrand and is now veg vibes; which aligns better with the direction I organically gravitated towards. It’s all about your vibe **

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