Packing...

I hate packing. It is not fun... making sure my bag is under 50lbs. Not an easy task.

 Thank goodness my brother is a light packer and I can fit some extra stuff into his bag.

And thank goodness for my matching carry on - that I can stuff a bunch more crap into :) Especially snacks and healthy ones like this that I am stocked up on...

I know I overpack... but considering how cold and windy it is supposed to be in California when I get there, I took out a bunch of shorts and replaced them with jeans and sweatshirts.... blah. I am praying for sunshine not rain while I am there.

I had a package of sprouted tofu that I needed to use up so I made my favorite tofu stirfry, I had to throw in whatever was not getting used... spinach included.

I am freezing the leftovers and will be enjoying the rest when I get back.

I am off to get some sleep... long day of travel ahead of me tomorrow. Have a great week and hope to be blogging as soon as I am back in Milwaukee.

Cousin Melissa & I

The lovely JOJO <3 Love her...

Going to miss some friends while I am gone but surely will be returning soon enough ;)

Nichole

Malibu Bound

Hey friends. Happy Monday..... I am happy since it my last day at work before a much needed vacation!!! So excited to have some time off and go somewhere warm. I leave tomorrow morning and most likley will not be blogging while I am gone.

I went all out on St. Patty's Day... used a 3 barrel crimper on my hair, had knee high socks and the green beads :)

I know I broke a fashion rule by wearing socks with flip flops... but it was all about being crazy and that's what I did! :)

The weather was warm and in the 60's - so it was great getting out and hanging with friends!!

Stay tuned for some vacation pictures!! Have a great week and Happy Spring!!

Nichole

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hey everyone! How is your week going? I haven't blogged in over a week. There has been a lot going on in life and I had to be there to comfort a very close friend going through a very hard time. Over the years I have come a lot closer with some friends and grew apart from some. It happens. I am happy to be there for my friends and family that I have close to me :-)

Happy St Patrick's Day! Are you irish? Are you going out to participate in any bar hopping or green beer drinking today? I did buy some cute green clothes soooo I think I will have to go out for a little while and partake in some celebrating today! I am not a fan of beer really so not sure what will be wetting my whistle :P
It has been over 60 degrees yesterday and today in Wisconsin so I am ready for spring and warmer weather... please!!!!

Last week I posted about the acrylic make up organizer that was on the Kardashian girls show. I really loved the look of this and had to have it. Unforunately it was over $300 & there was no way I was going to shovel that out for a plastic box (basically). I searched and searched and finally found a deal on ebay. I love ebay. I am a new proud owner of a gorgeous makeup organizer... check it out...

Looks great on my vanity...

Please ignore my messy bed with no sheets on it... in the process of washing them haha

I made a yummy pasta dish that Angela created a couple weeks ago and ever since I saw her post about it I knew I had to make it. 

I used 2 servings of brown rice pasta and cooked the pasta in boiling water w/ some salt and olive oil  for 10 minutes. Drained the pasta with cold water and added the delicious avacado topping to the pasta.

~ 1 Avacado

~2-3 T minced garlic (I love garlic)

~2 T lemon juice

~2 T olive oil

~salt & pepper to taste

Process these ingredients in food processor until smooth and creamy.

Add to cooked pasta. Since I rinsed my pasta it was cold. I reheated in a pan on the stove until it was hot and devoured. Oh so yummy.

I plan on eating something green today in honor of the irish :) I know that I will not have a lot of time to cook up a storm so it will be something quick and easy.

I got some highlights in my hair yesterday to brighten me up before my vacation to California next week.

Weird angle but I wanted you to see the top of my head where you can see the color the most.

Also check out these amazing pics at dusk I took while on a drive around the lake.

Such pretty colors of pink and purple. Can you believe these were taken with my android phone?? While in a moving vehicle at that?? haha!!

30 day Challenge Continues:

Day 17: Something you’re looking forward to- My Californication (LOL) next week

Day 18: Favorite Place to Eat - Wasabi (fantastic veggie sushi with black rice + fresh wasabi root) located in Brookfield, WI, Cafe Manna in Brookfield, WI (Vegan, Raw Cafe), Casablanca's in Milwaukee, WI (hookah bar + amazing food).

Day 19: Something you miss - I miss being a child, which can mean quite a lot. I miss long summer vacations. I miss playing with my little brother and cousins all the time. I miss not having to worry about money or paying the bills. I actually miss school and all the fun that went into it as well.

Enjoy the day!

Nichole



My FAT Tuesday Recap

Did you do anything fun for Fat Tuesday? I enjoy this day to it's FULL potential since I always like to give something up for lent. I decided to give up EGGS. I still eat them on occassion but not for the next 39 days. I really like to give up junk food in general. Here goes nothing! :)

I went to Maxie's Southern Comfort for dinner with friends. I have always wanted to try this place & I am happy that I did! They do have an entire vegetarian menu however since it was a special night "mardi gras" they had a special menu. They had fried pickles - I didn't try that however I did have their Vegetarian Jambalaya -- which was amazing. It had smoked tofu, pecans, spinach, & red beans in their zesty creole sauce. It came with a very large serving and I took most of it home, and have been lunching on it for the past couple days. Yum. Can't wait to go back and try some of their other options for vegetarians like Organic BBQ Tofu Plate & Grilled Portobello.

Vegetarian Jambalaya - it would be a lot of fun to re-create this dish at home...

Enjoying some cocktails after dinner :)

30 Day Challenge:

Day 14: A picture of you last year – how have you changed?

This was taken in April of 2010 when I was in Miami. My hair isn't so blonde anymore and I am not as tan :)

This is one of my first business card pictures most likely 2004-2005?

Another business card picture 2006-07

Most recent business card picture also taken in 2010

                        I thought it might be fun to see how I have changed over the years... haha
Day 15: Bible verse John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life"

Day 16: Dream house: my dream house would be nestled into the woods, away from neighbors and on it's own private lake... how spectacular would that be?
Not sure I can find a picture for that one :)

It's almost Friday!!!! :)

Nichole

Easy Button?

Hey everyone! Hope the week is off to a great start. I had some sweet cravings yesterday and some coconut butter that expired on or before Sept 2010, however it still tastes good to me so I don't think it has "gone bad". I remember seeing Katie make "Coconut Butter Melties" & I had a sweet tooth after dinner. I popped my Artisana Coconut Butter and Cocoa Bliss into the microwave to warm them up for about 20 seconds and took a spoon and pushed the butter's into the molds, popped them into the freezer for 30-60 minutes and delicious candies are born!!!

These were really fun and EASY to make, I only ate 3... haha.

Next up -- organization.

I am trying to be more organized at home & work.

I recently organzied at work and threw away recycled a bunch of old paperwork, flyers, pamplets that were all old news in the mortgage business. Feels good to get rid of the clutter. It seems a bit easier to focus now at work, which is a good thing :)

For a couple weeks I have been trying to locate a cheaper but just as pretty and useful makeup organizer just like the one seen on the Kardashian shows.

I want to be able to keep all my makeup neatly organized while being able to see it and know exactly where everything is... the only problem this organizer which is acrylic is really expensive.

http://www.theclearcube.com/

Prices range from $290-$340!!! Crazy!!!!

Check out this website for a cheaper version but still rather expensive ---> starletsandharlets

I have been searching on Ebay to find something similar...

Thus far everything is that over $100 that I really like. I can't seem to justify spending that amount... so I am turning to you.. any tips for organization for makeup? I have a pretty vanity that I want things to look nice and organized and not all just thrown into baskets like they are now. Too bad this wasn't that easy.

Thanks for your help!!!

30 Day Challenge:

Day 13: Goals--

I have a lot of goals...

1. I want to be self employed someday and own my own real estate rental property company. I want to own a few different properties and be able to collect rent and retire on that money someday. I also want to pay someone to manage the properties for me.

2. I want to pay off my car this year .

3. I want to travel to another country within the next 2 years.

4. Spend as much time with the little ones in my family before they grow up :)

5. Stick with Vegan food choices 99% of the time

(I had sushi for the first time since 2010 today and I did fabulous with vegetable rolls)!!

Have a great day!

Nichole



Happy Monday!

Today has been a great Monday! Something you will not hear me saying very often... haha. It is only 11am here in Milwaukee, however I am pleased to say the my day is off to a great start.

I already got in a 30 minute cardio session and quite a bit of work done, which feels nice, the sun was out earlier and spring is in the air. Also 2 weeks until my vacation is also nice... :)

So how was everyone's weekend? My Friday night consisted of a little gambling at Potawatomi Casino (my first time there) and we dined at RuYi which is a Japenese style restaurant. Needless to say I was not impressed. We had sake which was good, they were out of the pot stickers so we couldn't get the appetizer sampler as we wanted. So we ordered Spring Rolls which were $9 for only 2 of them! I ordered a seaweed salad, which was tasty, and a side of stir fry veggies as well as a side of tofu.

My side of stir fry veggies had small pieces of tofu already in it, if the menu had stated this I probably wouldn't have order the additional side of tofu (see left hand side of picture). This dish had very large, mushy pieces of tofu that I did not care for. I like my tofu browned and a little crisp on the outside. I also thought the flavors were pretty bland. I figured I could make a much better dish at home. Most likely will not be going back to RuYi.

Sunday was a day of healthified junk foods for me... I ate some Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin bread with Vegan cream cheese since I was craving bagels, I went the healthy route.

I made Vegan Pancakes.

Healthy Mashed Potatoes

(Mashed Cauliflower)

2 T unsweetend almond milk

2 T vegan cream cheese

1 T Earth Balance or Vegan butter

salt & pepper

1 T Nutritional Yeast

1 head of cauliflower steamed until soft

Combine all ingredients into food processor and process until smooth and creamy!

Yummmmm.........

Getting ready for the trip to Malibu in 2 weeks I stocked up on some cute dresses from BEBE.com during a sale they were having... check out the gorgeous-ness below...

Just like Christmas...

This is a tube top (above)

Dress on left and tank on the right.

Can't wait to wear these fun new dresses!!!!

Back to the 30 Day Challenge:

Day 10: Something you’re afraid of - Spiders.... and Solar Storms in 2012. I am stocking up with water and food in my basement...

Day 11: Favorite tv shows - True Blood, Sons of Anarchy, Kardashians, anything on the Food Network

Day 12: Something you don’t leave the house without - my purse... ever... which holds all the essentials... money, lip gloss, keys, phone etc... however there are times when I go on runs and my purses stays at home, so I guess my phone would be with me then... I can listen to music with it and have it in case of an emergency.

I hope your week is started off on the right foot as well!!!

Nichole

Vegan Cream Mushroom Soup

I made the most delicious *Vegan* Cream of Mushroom Soup the other day... the results were amazing & I can't wait to make it again!!!

The recipe was found on the amazing Joy the Baker's recipe page.

2 T olive oil
1 medium yellow onion chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 T soy sauce (I also used Bragg's Amino Acids)
1 T Worcestershire sauce (Vegan)
about 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper (I went overbaod and my soup had a real kick to it - but I loved it - I think it gave me heartburn so my tummy did not enjoy)
3 C vegetable broth
salt to taste

Cashew Cream:

1/2 Cup cashews and 1/2 Cup Water

I pretty much followed Joy's recipe exactly. No variations - I didn't have to mess with it because it was that great!!

In a large soup pot let olive oil heat up, add onions and cook until translucent, add garlic, then add the mushrooms.

After cleaning and slicing a pound of mushrooms and trying not to eat them all....

After mushrooms begin to cook down add pepper and vegetable broth and cook at a summer until mushrooms are soft.

When soup is cooking, prepare your cashew cream. Blend water & cashews together until smooth. Pour into a cup and set aside.

After mushrooms are soft transfer the soup to blender in batches (I did 3). After blending I placed into a large bowl, and stirred the cashew cream in.

The recipe said to strain the soup with a mesh strainer, which I did not do. I got a couple small chunks of cashews but I think the Vita-Mix did a great job and there wasn't that many. If you don't have a high speed blender I would probably recommend straining your soup.

This soup is amazing as Joy's blog is as well. My mouth is watering thinking about it...

Thank goodness I have a cup of it for lunch today ;)

This soup will not dissapoint!!!

So I have been wanting to try the Brazilian Blowout on my hair for awhile now. I know some people who got it and loved it. I didn't think it would do much for me since my hair is straight when blow dryed. I thought it might help some of my fly aways and I figured what the heck.

Before:

After:

Really not much of a difference but it is a little more sleeker and doesn't require any flat ironing which is a plus. It was fun to try and is supposed to last 3-4 weeks but I am not sure if I will be doing it again. Considering my hair type I don't think it is really necessary. But I am enjoying it while it lasts!

I recently one Emily's first giveaway on her blog One Sweet Vegan.

She made me Shirley's Famous Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (VEGAN)

These cookies were amazing and Emily is a truly gifted Vegan cook!!!

I couldn't stop eating them and I can't wait to make them myself!

Thank you Emily!!

One to the 30 Day Challenge:

I haven't been doing good with posting everyday, but at least I am playing catch up now :)

Day 7: Favorite movies - Titanic ( I saw this in theaters about 10 times), Fight Club,

Day 8: A place you’ve traveled to - Miami, FL, Nashville, TN, Arizona, Key West, FL, Laughlin, NV, Michigan, Indiana, Chicago, IL.
Soon to be added Malibu & Santa Barbara California!

Day 9: A favorite picture of your best friend - One of my best friends Natalie & I on Halloween -- loving our outfits..

Have a great weekend bloggies! I am going to the casino tonight to gamble... hahaha

Nichole

Talkative Tuesday

Hey everyone! It seems like it has been awhile since I have posted, and that is because of the wild busy weekend I had.

It was filled with lots of fun, shopping, eating and drinking :) Nights out with good friends and mornings with hungover headaches and cravings for fried/greasy breakfast foods are what your mid twenties are all about, right? Ha.. I do a pretty darn good job at moderation ;)

I purchased entirely too much makeup from Sephora + MAC at the mall on Saturday however I had so much fun getting ready with it all... so it was worth it. My biggest complaint - it doesn't look like I am barely wearing any makeup in photos, and I really don't like the super dark racoon eye look... oh well.

I went to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner on Saturday and tested out their Eggplant sandwich.

Prior to this I had a bunch of their delicious bread and avacado eggrolls so when this giant sandwich came out, I ate about 2 bites and took the rest home. It was good reheated the next day and still enjoyable. Mozzerella cheese melted over roasted peppers and eggplant.

I woke up early on Sunday and picked up my favorite boy...

Who was exhausted from our shopping trip at Target.

Always sad to take him back home to his momma (my auntie), miss him like crazy. Because of Silas I realized that I want a boy and one just like him <3.

I haven't done the last couple days of the 30 Day Challenge so I am catching up here...

Day 4: Your parents -

My mother Judith

My stepfather Mel

Christmas 2009 - my hair isn't that white anymore haha

Day 5: A song to match your mood - Coming Home - Diddy Dirty Money

Day 6: A picture of something that makes you happy -

This guy...Silas

I can't help but smile everytime I see his little face...

Nichole