Mexican Dinner Party



Mexican Dinner Party Menu:

  • Baked Veggie Taquitos (Vegan & Gluten Free)
  • Quick & Easy Guacamole 
  • Raw Kale Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing (click for recipe)

 


Baked Veggie Taquitos:

  • Corn tortillas
  • Black Rice or Wild Rice 
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • Black Beans
  • 1, 4.5 oz can green chilis 
  • Spices: Cayenne, S&P, Cumin, Cinnamon
  • Corn
  • 1 medium tomato, chopped 
  • Olive Oil
  • Sea Salt 
Cook rice according to package directions, but use chicken broth or veggie broth in place of water. Add bay leaves & your favorite mexican spices.
Once rice is cooked add corn, green chilies, black beans, tomato & more spices (remove bay leaves). Place 2 tablespoons of mixture in a warm corn tortilla. Wrap tightly and place on a foil-lined & sprayed cookie sheet (these suckers stick to pan really badly). Brush the top of each taquito with olive oil using a basting brush & sprinkle with salt to add a nice golden crunch! 

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until golden brown (flip halfway through cooking time).

Enjoy with Greek yogurt, salsa & guacamole. 



Raw Kale Salad:

  • 1 bunch of kale
  • 2 medium cucumbers
  • 1 apple
  • 1/4 cup crasians
  • 1 large tomato
  • 1 medium avocado
  • 1 cup baby carrots, sliced long ways 
  • 1/4 cup chopped almonds
  • Lemon Tahini Dressing
Wash & chop kale, place in large bowl along with all ingredients through carrots. Place coarsely chopped almonds in skillet heated to medium high heat. Add cumin and brown nuts until fragrant and golden brown. Add nuts to salad and toss with Lemon Tahini Dressing.

The best thing about this salad is that it keeps. Kale doesn't wilt as quickly as spinach--left overs were a delightful addition in my lunch for the next week. 

Another dinner party planned for Sunday--I'm thinking soup...

Roasted Veggie Tart

As promised here is the Roasted Veggie Tart:
 Roasted Vegetable Tart: 

Crust:

  • 2 Cups white whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 5 ½ tablespoons very cold club soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Fresh cracked black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Roasted Veggies:
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1 medium tomato, sliced
  • 2 medium zucchini, sliced
  • 2 small eggplant, sliced
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Cooking spray
  • Parchment Paper
  • 1/2 cup Basil Hummus Spread
1.      For Crust: In medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, black pepper & Italian seasoning, set aside. In a separate small bowl, whisk together oil and club soda until creamy, about 2 minutes.
2.      Pour oil mixture over flour mixture and stir together with a fork, until flour comes together like dough.
3.      Divided dough into two equal parts and roll gently between two sheets of parchment paper, in a single direction. Remove the top parchment paper. Trim edges and prick the crust with a fork.
4.      Bake the crust on parchment paper at 400F for 12 minutes.
5.      For Veggies: Place sliced veggies in gallon size plastic bag. Add olive oil and seasonings and shake until well coated.
6.      Place vegetables on foil lined cookie sheet and roast 400F for 25 minutes.
7.      Assembling Tart: Allow crust to cool. Spread ¼ cup of basil hummus spread on each tart. Arrange roasted vegetables on the top of the tart. Sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper and cooking spray.
8.      Bake tart in oven for 2 minutes or just until warm at 350F. 
 

Green Hummus: Spinach Basil Spread

Green Hummus: Spinach & Basil Spread

Alert!! This is the best hummus I've EVER made! Two new ingredients gave it a creamy & delicious texture and taste: Spinach & Xanthan Gum.

Spinach Basil Hummus:

  • 1, 15oz can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
  • 4 Tablespoons tahini
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast 
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil
  • 1 cup baby spinach leaves
  • S&P

All the fixins for a perfect panini
I was a little skeptical at first when I started researching GF foods and saw Xanthan gum in everything. It is a weird name & seems "unnatural." But, I did a little research and decided to go for it and buy: Bob's Red Mill brand. To me this brand seems trustworthy--could be a mistake & definitely a marketing ploy (learning more about marketing due my latest Mad Men obsession). Something about those little bags & the way the put them in boxes & then sky-rocket the prices--but here in Memphis is about as good as it gets.

The front of the package says:

Xanthan Gum is made from the outer layer of tiny, inactive bacterium called Xanthomonas campestris. (well that means a whole lot??). It is an excellent all-purpose thickener for dressings, gravies and sauces. Its unique ability to hold small particles of food together make it the ideal substitute for gluten in gluten-free baking. Most recipes call for only 1 or 2 teaspoons, so it goes a long way (good thing b/c a 8oz package is about $10.)


Panini was filled with: Market Fresh Roasted Zuccihini & Squash, Onions, Eggplant, Spinach & Daiya Vegan Cheese

The thing I found the most intersting about Xanthan Gum was the nutrition facts. For 1 T: 30 calories & 7 grams Fiber!! That is a lot of fiber--but you also will never use 1 T--more like 1 t for a whole recipe & I've started putting 1/4 teaspoon in my oats which brings us to 1/2 gram fiber for 1 serving--but hey it is something!

Then I went to assembly the panini--I'm sure y'all are tried of hearing about my veggie paninis--but I believe this is my most favorite thing I've made since I've start blogging. So you better make it asap if you haven't--you are missing out. Everyone always complains about being bored with their lunch options. This is the perfect solution. You can change up the hummus, veggies, greens & cheese to create a different sandwiches throughout the week. If you roast the veggies in advance the whole process takes less then 10 minutes.

Veggie Panini
  • 2 slices Ezekiel Bread (or GF option)
  • 2 Tablespoons Spinach Basil Spread
  • 1/2 mixture of roasted veggies
  • Handful of Baby Spinach, Fresh Basil or Arugula
  • 1 T Daiya Vegan Cheese (or favorite cheese)

The sandwich is very filling:

350 Calories
12grams fat
13grams fiber
13 grams protein

Paired with a side and this makes the perfect lunch.

I don't have a panini maker (I do have a George Foreman--but it was in a cabinet somewhere & I'm too lazy), so I made my own very dangerous contraption. The kettle had water in it too, so that helped even more!

Homemade Panini Press
Anyone else know anything about Xanthan Gum? Thoughts? Ideas? Concerns? I'm still a little hesitant...

Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

Today is RDW's (soon to be RWL) birthday. This morning I called and sang her this little tune with the help of Jonny River's Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu:
RDW & Me:She always has my back--ha

I wanna jump but I'm afraid I'll fall
I wanna holler but the joint's too small
Bekah's B-day's got a hold of me too
I've got the rockin' Roo-skie* & the Booty* Wooty flu

Calls another baby, that ani't all
I wanna sing to her but she so so far
Twenty eight years got a hold of me too
I've got the rockin' Roo-skie* & the Booty* Wooty flu

I wanna see her but she's oh so far
I would be partying but my house too far
Bekah's B-day's got a hold of me too
I've got the rockin' Roo-skie* & the Booty* Wooty flu
*nicknames for RDW.

After spending too much time using my creative energy (used far 3x in the song...obviously lacking the creative department...but RDW assured me my music talents were right now cue)...I hopped outside for a delicious lunch--leftovers.

Finally, posting my first dinner party recipe.


Pumpkin Black Bean Soup w/ Pepitas
Pumpkin Black Bean Soup:
Serves 6, 1 cup servings & 1 T pumpkin seeds
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • S&P
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2, 15 oz black beans, drained & rinsed (or about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 3 cups vegetable broth, low sodium 
  • 1, 15 oz fire roasted tomatoes, no salt added
  • 1, 10 oz rotel tomatoes, hot 
  • 1, 15 oz pumpkin
  • 6 T pepitas (pumpkin seeds) 
Finally Feels Like Fall


Heat oil in large stock pot. Add onions and saute for 5 minutes, add garlic and spices saute for 2 additional minutes. Add next five ingredients (through rotel tomatoes). Allow soup to come to a boil & then add pumpkin. Reduce heat and cook for 20 minutes. Serve warm with 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds.
Lunch on the Deck

Your mind is like a bad neighborhood--Don't go there.

Well I'm here & my mind told me it was a good idea to sign up for the Bikram Yoga 60 Day Challenge: 60 days of yoga--if you miss a day you can make it up my doing two 90 minute classes in one day.

My lovely brother & sister in-law were in town last night, which leads me to why I will be attending my first day of double yoga classes today: 5:30am & 4:30pm. I will let you know how it goes, but in case you where curious of where I've been recently...I've been yoga-ing & cooking & running: 7 yoga classes down, 2 back-to-back dinner parties & my most favorite Memphis Race: Cooper Young 4 Miler!

Menus (Recipes & Pictures to come!):

Family Dinner Party:
  • Roasted Root Veggie Tart w/ Lemon Basil Hummus Spread
  • Spicy Pumpkin Black Bean soup w/ pepitas & greek yogurt
  • Raw Kale Salad with spiced almonds
  • Chilled Chocolate Torte (Icing made w/ avocados)
Friends Dinner Party Ideas--Final Menu Still in the works:
  • Lime Roasted New Potatoes
  • Rice & Bean Taquitos 
  • Stuffed Peppers 
  • Spinach Salad
The Cooper Young 4 Miler is the best Memphis race in my opinion (Turkey Trot close second). It is a night time race starting at 7pm. The neighborhood streets are lined with cocktail drinking cheerleaders & glow stick happy kids. One tailgating crew even had a bubble machine, projector blinking lights and techno music. The race ends with live music, free beer & BBQ. And to top it off: this was my fastest race ever: 34:33 (8:38)!--Great fun!

Halloween Pumpkin Grits

So I think I have fall fever. I'm ready for the leaves to start changing and I'm actually kind of enjoying the shorter days. Not sure why--I've never liked it before, but maybe this lifestyle change of bed before 9pm is making me like the early evenings.

I was craving some fall food this morning and decided to make Halloween Pumpkin Grits. Sounds a little odd I know and I think my Lowcountry folks in Charleston would be very disappointed in me messin' with their grits. But, they were yummy & would be perfect for a chilling fall morning (we aren't to chilly yet, but sometimes when I wake before the sun it feels like it should be chilly)

I even put the grits in a Pumpkin Mug for a little more holiday cheer (still more than a month from Halloween??)!

All Gone!
I'm sure you are wondering how I maganged time for pictures this morning? Finally, started my new schedule & I don't go in until 9am! I just didn't even know what to do with all that time.

Halloween Pumpkin Grits:
  • 1/4 cup grits
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/4 t vanilla 
  • 1 Tablespoon flaxseed
  • 2 Tablespoon wheat germ
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • dash of nutmeg
  • dash of ginger
  • dash of cloves
  • dash of salt
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons canned pumpkin
Mix everything together in a mug and warm for 1-2 minutes. Enjoy a quick and easy A+ breakfast (1 T pumpkin = 55% Vitamin A).

I said I'd slowly start showing you my new house. Did some major cleaning Sunday, so here is a picture of our living area! More to come...

IMG_3350
Love the built in shelves & hardwood floors!

Ode to Hanson

The only thing I really remember about Hanson is the forth grade variety show performance (Spice Girls also made an appearance which was of much greater interested to me). I never had their CD & I really didn't know more than it was cool to like them & then suddenly it un-cool to like them.

As a determined non-cable owning kid--I always tried to jump on any "cool" bandwagon" asap. Everyone else watched MTV & would immediately know when "we" were supposed to like something and when "we" weren't--so I was a little late getting to know about MMM BOPP, but believe me I did know it and so did everyone else.

The crazy thing is though it was just us--no one else. Go back a few years and ask a sophomore in college who Hanson is--you know the three brothers who  are in a band...You mean the Jonas Brothers??....OHH how the times have changed.

So we all came back together and celebrated their 1 hit success. Tonight we may have poured ourselves into skinny jeans, tattooed ourselves with art, pierce our noses with rings or painted our faces to match our plaid skirt & Micheal Kors watch--But, we all sang & jumped and listened to those three boys (more like old men aka 30ish) that really belonged to us--no one else knows (or maybe cares?) but they were their with us--in our variety shows, at our school dances, playing during carpool & carrying us through those awkward intimidating years of growing up. They knew us before we had the confidence and freedom to be our own dolled up prepster, head bobbing hipster or loud yelling punk rock-star. 

Here's to 15 years of Hanson.

And just so y'all don't think I've been taken over by a crazy person here was lunch today:
Veggie Panini w/ Asparagus Basil Spread

Sunflower Saturday

Almost forgot to give y'all the weekly flower update! Here they are:

Saturday Not Complete Without Sunflowers!
Sunny & in the 80s= perfect
Sunflowers & Zinna's w/ a little extra punch of green
This week I was accompanied by my lovely cousin L. She works late nights, so we went a little later this week. Unfortunately, Whitton was all out of flowers, so I went to another vendor & made my own bouquet. Quite the challenge--flower arranging is hard!

I got home & they looked a little blahhh....needed a little extra punch of color so I took the sissors out back and went to cutting. Cut a few green things--no idea what they were & added them into to make a perfect bouquet for the week!

Pad Thai on the Menu tonight w/ market fresh zucchini, onions, red pepper, carrots (not market fresh), spicy red chili peppers (only got three b/c they told me they are spicy--but IFL got me into trying more varieties of peppers, not just jalapenos! So I'm very excited to try!) all tossed in  a delicious peanut sauce.

Bekestian's Gourmet Kitchen

The sad thing about this title is that it took me about 20 minutes to come up with a name that looks somewhat decent when you mash up B&I&Me together. Quite difficult...but when you put us all three in the kitchen this is what you get:

Halibut with Spicy Pepper Sauce over Wilted Greens, Roasted Potatoes, Asparagus & Zucchini

First Night's Dinner (*Picture by IFL)
Farmers Market Veggie Fritata
Veggie Packed Fritata



 You will need:
  • Squash
  • Kale
  • Onions
  • Habenero 
  • Peppers 
  • 1 can black beans 
  • 6 eggs 
Caramelized Onions & Greens Olive Oil Quick Bread 
*Adapted from here: Cookin' Canuck 
What we did:
  • Kale instead of Spinach
  • All Whole Wheat Flour (could use GF flour too)
  • Manchego instead of feta
  • Almond Milk instead of 2% Milk
Rosemary Crack Black Pepper Quick Bread
*Adapted from here: Cookin' Canuck 
What we did:
  • Same base as above
  • Left out onions & kale
  • Added Rosemary & Cracked Black Pepper
Roasted Cauliflower & Sweet Potato Soup
Roasted Cauliflower & Sweet Potato Soup
*Recipe adapted from here: Elle's New England Kitchen 
We did this instead:
  • Sweet potatoes instead of Butternut
  • Full Fat coconut milk 
  • Cumin, Red Pepper, Ginger, S&P for spice 
  • No flour 
  • Roasted Leeks & Cauliflower on same pan--would be good to do seperately b/c I would have liked chuck of Cauliflower throughout soup
  • Topped with peanuts.
Roasted Veggie Panini
  • Olive oil
  • Eggplant
  • Red Bell Pepper
  • Onions
  • Hummus
  • Machego Cheese
  • Arugula 
  • 2 pieces of bread 
Roast Veggies w/ olive, red pepper and S&P at 400F for 25 minutes. Assemble panini: place cheese on one side (I've made this vegan w/ diayan cheese or just coating both sides w/ hummus)  & hummus on the other, then pile on veggies close & place in panini maker (or use heave skillet on top of sandwich to smash bread together). YUM! For work today I added fresh basil & skipped the hummus--the possibilities are endless of jazzing up this sandwich.

Farmers Market Fresh Strawberries (*Picture by IFL)


Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta w/ fresh thyme topped with a sunny side up egg
I's Recipe:
"pick some tasty tomatoes. cut em up. pour olive oil, salt and pepper on top. chop some fresh herbs (thyme, chives, what have you...) and shallots (and/or garlic) and add those, too. mix it all up.
find yerself a lovely pain au levin or sour batard. slice it, toast it.
heat your well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat and add a copious dollop of evoo.
crack an egg into skillet and cook to desired doneness.
distribute tomato mixture on toast and top your perfectly cooked sunny side up egg. sprinkle with cracked pepper, parsley, or what you will.
EAT!"
Stuffed Poblanos with a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Stuffed Poblanos (*Picture by IFL)
*Adapted from here: Whole Living
What we did:
  • Left out the corn
  • Used a Hard Sheep's Cheese (similar to Parmesan)
  • Added 1 spicy pepper  
  • Made sauce out of Red Bell Pepper that I roasted & then pureed w/ cilantro, garlic, olive oil & water. 
  • Spiced w/ S&P and red pepper 
Warm Cinnamon Carrot Cake Muffins 
Cinnamon Carrot Cake Muffins (*Picture by IFL)

Homemade Sugar Free Almond Joy

Having Scharffen Berger withdrawls. This combination was just as good...might even say better! Homemade Almond Joy.
Homemade Almond Joy
Homemade Almond Joy:
Serves 1
  • 1 tablespoon coconut
  • 5 almonds chopped
  • dash of cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 ounce Unsweetened Chocolate (100% Ghirardelli is the best for this...or even better quality)
Turn on a skillet to low heat. Add coconut and chopped almonds. Watch closely--coconut burns quickly. Add dash of cayenne & turn off once coconut is slightly brown. Add chocolate to hot skillet & stir with wooden spoon so that chocolate doesn't burn. Pour onto wax paper & allow to harden.
Cayenne brings out the flavors of the Chocolate & Coconut
I know I promised recipes from the trip, but I am still waiting on a few photos & recipes from IFL. Hopefully I will post tomorrow! Have a great weekend I'm off the Delta Fair to see Hanson...I may not come back stable...California to Delta Fair & Hanson with only a few days between could be traumatizing!

Italics: Use Sparingly in East Bay

I'm pretty sure I & B live in a blog land--italics used rarely, if ever. 
No Italics Needed Here!

The things I loved the most:
  • A live in barista...start the morning off right w/ a cinnamon almond milk latte! YUM!
    Every Morning: Lattes!
  • 2 grocery stores in walking distance stocked full of yummy things
  • A Market (once again in walking distance) 400x the size of the downtown market full of organic veggies, flowers, live music, almond butter, raw nuts, coffee...I could go on forever

California Farmers Market Flowers
  •  A beautiful lake (in walking distance) that is exactly 3.2 miles/5K distance= perfect for a daily jog.
Mid-Afternoon Coffee, Sunshine & Lake Merritt

  • Most people drive old cars...with a few exceptions. I wouldn't feel quite so out of place & I'd rarely even need a car--walk,bike,bus or Bart.
  • You can check your bus online to see how many minutes until arrival 
  • No need to wake up early for the market, a run or just anything to do with the outdoors because the temperatures rarely go above 85 degrees....sleep in!
  • Lots of good chocolate
  • Lots of good wine 
  • Beautiful view from apartment windows, lots of light & great location
  • Bakeries, chocolate shops, coffee shops 
  • Tons of beautiful green spaces & parks
  • Palm Trees
  • Vintage clothing stores/re-sale stores--never need to buy anything new again! Funky vintage clothes & lightly used F21 dress for 1/2 the price...my kind of place!
  • B & Me!

Italics:
  • The bus sometimes runs late
  • The morning always starts cloudy. I'm afraid I would never get out of bed before ten--this could be considered a good thing many days! 
  • Strangers aren't all that friendly. Not many causal hellos while walking through the city
  • Things cost a lot.
Things I learned:
  • Hipster means oh so much more than dressing like the manikins in Urban.
  • Piegons are fierce and will hit you in head while running.
  •  Used clothes are way cooler than new clothes..."Are those vintage?" Correct answer would be yes they are my grandmothers...wrong answer no they are just from F21. 
  • There is a place close to Oakland where most of our garlic is produce. The whole town smells like garlic according to B &  I...ick sounds awful. 
  • There are different levels of coffee grinds & the finer grinds are used to make espresso b/c the water is pushed through at a really high level/pressure...thicker grinds for drip coffee...rude awakening when I was forced to drink Folgers this morning at work.
That's all for now. Tomorrows post will include all the meals we had.

Heaven: B is one lucky gal!
Teaser: Veggie Pack Frittata, Halibut w/ a spicy pepper sauce over wilted greens, roasted potatoes, asparagus & zucchini, Roasted Cauliflower & Sweet Potato Soup, Caramelized Onion & Kale Olive Oil Quick Bread, Rosemary & Cracked Pepper Quick Bread, Roasted Veggie Panini, Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta w/ fresh thyme topped with a sunny side up egg and Stuffed Poblanos with a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. And of course each night ended with Mad Men, Red Wine & Scharffen Berger Dark Chocolate! It was a perfect vacation--could be put on top ten list!


Salt Lake City Loves the Idea of Camping

So I made it this far and I'm so glad I decided to fly through Salt Lake City (...didn't know I was flying through here until I printed my boarding pass). SLC is beautiful. I guess all I have seen is the view from the air & the airport...but the landscape is quite Hook-esque. The water is a crisp blue color & the mountains are varying heights with white/grayish tips. Too bad I forgot my hipster glasses, my legs are will never fit in a pair of purple skinny jeans & I'm way to accident prone to drink my coffee w/ the lid off (to fit in you must take the lid off here coffee here) or I could maybe move here.

You must remember that even though I am the daughter of a mermaid (mermaids need a higher water to mountain ratio than SLC can offer & warmer temps) I am also the daughter of a pirate & pirates need adventure. I realize that my father has forgotten how to fly & the need for adventure but this little child of theirs is starting to feel quite a stir for a new adventure (I'm sure tomorrow I will remember how much I like bfast at 8, lunch at 12 & dinner 6:30 & bed by 10). 

I know I won't be moving to SLC anytime soon, but it is refreshing to remember that not all places you go have a Walgreens, CVS or Starbucks on every corner. There is more out there in the world!--I believe what this syndrome is called is the idea of camping syndrome. 

*Dissclamier: Father needs to get me an iphone...I wrote this while sitting in the airport on my phone & lost the whole post. Trying to rewrite a witty post is not a fun thing to do...Wittiness comes with spontaneity & this was not spontaneous--iphone needed. 

CousCous Granola Bars-Travel Style

Whole Wheat Couscous Granola Bars

Any sane person would come home immediately following work and start packing, cleaning & getting ready for a million hour plan ride to San Fransisco tomorrow, but a food addict only thinks about food....So I came home and made granola bars for bfast in the morning & a mid-morning snack from Salt Lake City (my lay over) & emergency snacks for when I arrive & I'm starved.

The Whole Wheat CousCous Granola Bars turned out...okay. I really liked them but they just didn't stick together quite right. Probably because I didn't use any honey, agave or sugar which normally acts as the main binding source in a granola bar.

Crumbly Whole Wheat Couscous Breakfast Bars

Instead I used these ingredients:
  • Unsweetened coconut
  • Walnuts
  • PB
  • Oats
  • 1 oz unsweetened chocolate
  • 1 cup uncooked couscous
  • cinnamon
  • vanilla
  • Wheat Germ
  • Flax Seed 
  • Pumpkin Seeds
  • Chia Seeds 
The first five ingredients I processed in the food process until smooth. I cooked the couscous with 1 cup water, 2 t vanilla & 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Once the couscous was done I mixed in pumpkin seeds, wheat germ & flaxseed. The added the PB mixture. Once mixed place in glass baking dish & top with 1/2 oz chopped unsweetened chocolate & chia seeds. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Delicious Chocolate Chucks & Chia Seeds
Like I said they were good, but just didn't hold together. 1 serving which was 1/10 of the recipe (about the size of a normal granola bar) had 200ish calories, 6g Fiber, 8g Protein and only 1.5g of Sugar! Hopefully they won't crumble all over me at the airport.

YUM Chocolate!

Here are my 2 bags: notice the "purse" is practically the same size as my bag...so proud of myself for packing so light (4 pairs of shoes, 2 skirts, 5 tops, 6 dresses, work out shorts, work out top, 2 pairs of work out capris & 1 pair of pants...now that is packing light!).

Not a cute bag I know...but it has a water bottle holder which is SO convenient!--It's my gym bag!

GOOD MORNING!

This is the beautiful-ness I woke up to every morning. The flowers really held up this week, so I am passing them off to my co-worker who is picking up at 5:30am tomorrow for the airport (SO NICE OF HER!)

Hope everyone has a great labor day weekend. Can't wait to enjoy chocolate truffles & delicious mexican food in the mission district--And of course best of all to spend some quality time with I & B!!!! I will come back with lots of stories & pictures!