So much fruit

Can't beat freshly picked fruit but our 2lbs of kumquats was a little much and we couldn't eat them fast enough without destroying the enamel on our teeth so I set out on the tedious task of making marmalade and it came out tasting like tangy peaches. Sweetened it with honey instead of sugar and added persimmons and cinnamon to dial down the bitterness. 

Weekend getaways

We've been taking so many trips, I wish I could complain. I also wish they weren't called getaways because there's nothing we're getting away from. We just have a need to see and feel as much of life as possible together and I think it's secretly to make up for all the years we lived without each other.

Seeing beautiful places with a beautiful man is time well spent and I thank God every day for letting us fall more in love with every laugh, tear and adventure we share.

Dark places

Eat local

I've been doing research on local farms and their harvesting practices since it's more than likely that we'll be rooted in Sacramento County and I wanted to know where our food was coming from so I got a list of farms for us to visit and a few of them come to the farmers market near our house so we walked on over this mornig with $25 cash money (some vendors take debit but very few). 

We left with ground beef from Lucky Dog Farm in Dixon which has all free-range grass fed cattle and a really cool way of giving their beef a sweet flavor by allowing the cows to eat a special blend of oats and molasses before they're slaughtered. I still don't eat ground beef but I make Dan burgers and meatballs. 

I also met the owner of a mushroom farm here in Sac and I loooooove mushrooms so this was right up my alley. 

We ended up getting a 1/2 lb. of oyster mushrooms, 1lb. of beef, a bunch of Dino kale, a dozen eggs from Vega farms, pomelos, persimmons, sweet lines, two different varieties of cauliflower and a bouquet of flowers with the most beautifully colored rose hybrid. 

On our walk back I slipped into a beautiful bookstore with new& used books called Test of Time, to replace my missing Harry Potter book. I found it in perfect condition still wrapped in plastic printed in 1999 for $9.95

I do love living here.

Backyard harvest

Not sure who benefits more from our evening walks.

Adventure-us pt.2

Husband planned a little weekend getaway, it's hard to top camping but I think the suite wins. 

Adventure-us

Decided Saturday afternoon to go camping so we just packed up our car and left. We found a deserted campground and explored until dinner time.

Packed a green smoothie on ice with some fruit for breakfast 

Bacon wrapped date night

Friday night dinner date at an amazingly cozy restaurant.

↠good.better.best↞

Ak-mak

I love these crackers because they're so sturdy. I use them instead of bread all the time to make sandwiches on, especially chicken salad. I had a late night pizza craving and all the toppings already cut for my salads so I spooned a little sauce on some crackers, added some toppings and popped them in the oven for 10 minutes and it was glorious 

YOLO

Vegan protein shake

|frozen banana|almond milk|spinach|peanut butter|coconut|chia seed|coconut yogurt|

Southwest lettuce tacos

|yams|black beans|jalapeños|corn|onion|garlic|avocado|butter lettuce|

Vegan BBQ

Eggplant & Baby Bella 

|olive oil|salt|pepper|garlic|cayenne|grill|

Sweet salad

|spinach|quinoa|walnuts|beets|blackberries|honey balsamic|

Meal prep

Weekly salad prep 

|red onion|cucumber|tomato|red pepper|beet|radish|mushroom|olive|corn|bacon|onion strings|walnuts|bleu cheese|

*cooked half a pack of turkey bacon and put it in the processor for the bits

* onion string recipe http://pinterestrecipebox.blogspot.com/2011/09/onion-strings.html?m=1

Choke

So good.

Recipe from http://www.simplyscratch.com/2013/07/grilled-artichokes.html

My favorite snack when I was little was pickled turnips and my dad always had a big jar on the counter for me. The hardest part was always the week he'd make a fresh batch and I'd have to stare at them on the counter, untouchable in all their pinky goodness. Now I get to make my own, the waiting has not gotten easier.

|water|vinegar|salt|turnips|beets|

new beginnings

Soupy Sales

   |leek & parsnip soup| | spinach purée designs|

2 medium parsnips

1 large leek

1 small yellow onion 

1 small russet potato 

2 c. Vegetable broth 

4 c. Water 

1tsp. Minced garlic

Wash & dice veggies, sauté in a large pot with coconut oil until almost fully cooked. Add liquids and season to your preference (I used Himalayan salt only). Bring to a boil then simmer and cover for 10 minutes. Pour soup into blender. Once mixed return to pot and allow to simmer for an additional 5 minutes.  

I made the spinach purée with a few handfuls of fresh spinach some water and olive oil. I used it to mix in and brighten up the color of the soup but I also used a few drops of it on top to make the little leaf designs.

Every night is game night 

    It's the little things...and heated floors

    Luxury hotel amenities |FTW|

    

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|NYE|