a rainy time on the westcoast. part 1

our time on the westcoast included...

 a long muddy, rainy but awesome-ly fun hike to the site of a plane crash from 1945.

scrabble by the sea...

sipping our drinks while enjoying the view...

lazy mornings and breakfast while watching the waves...

and of course tons of delicious food which I managed to not snap one picture of! part 2 coming soon!

thursday thought.

a little musical quote for you today...

and my new favourite song.  lovin' the new feist cd- metals

be back soon with a west-coast adventure update!

oats.

a little breakfast for you today... oatmeal is my regular weekday breakfast, seems to be the only thing that has some staying power.  I try to leave myself some extra time each morning to cook oats on the stove rather than microwaving quick oats or doing overnight oats.  I like the creamy texture of oats on the stove much better.  here are some combinations I have been eating lately...

ignore crappy phone quality.

*rolled oats
*vanilla almond milk
*sliced banana
*scoop of peanut butter
*ground flaxseed

*rolled oats
*vanilla almond milk
*mixed berries
*vanilla almond granola
*ground flaxseed
*a pinch of brown sugar

in my new favourite bowl from pier 1! happy sunday, friends.

thai fried quinoa.

I adapted this recipe for thai fried quinoa from the blog peas and thank you...

since I wanted to just use what I had in the fridge I ended up omitting the cilantro and the peas but I used the rest of the ingredients as normal.  I also added some additional veggies including mushrooms and peppers.  this recipe was great- I love the addition of coconut milk and crisping up the quinoa at the end.  AND it is vegan.. and gluten-free! I topped mine with fresh lime and peanuts... enjoy!

an easy, protein-filled recipe for your weekend!!

thursday thought.

this quote holds a lot higher significance for me after last night.  I attended a lecture by one of our biology faculty members called leukemia: the science and soul of the disease.   that faculty member was david g-g

during my first year of school at VIU, david g-g was supposed to be my professor.  after a week of a sub in first year biology we heard he just wasn't coming back at all.  now, I know all the details of why I never met him in that first year of school.  he went through an enormous struggle with a really rare form of leukemia- only 100 reported cases ever in the world.  the things he went through absolutely blew my mind, and it is safe to say one of the most courageous stories I think I have ever heard.  anyways.. he used this quote in his presentation along with a video made by his wife of on-going battle with this rare blood disease.  he continues to teach at our school, while going to vancouver every 2 weeks to get treatment for fighting infection that has come as a result of his stem cell transplant. the stem cell transplant which ultimately saved his life and came from a complete stranger.  talk about awesome.  he spreads so much passion, positivity and inspiration around our department.  such an amazing story- his wife has made a blog which you can check out.. dog named leuk.   now, excuse me while I go put myself on the transplant list for stem cells at onematch.ca...

scenes from my phone.

some old, some new.

vancouver island fog from top of the hill at school.

hockey time with uncle.

massive portion of vegetarian chow mein from iron wok.

new sneaks!!! can't wait to give them a go.

and in case you need some last minute valentines treats check out these, this or any one of these!!! happy love day!

reflections from the week.

I have had this post half written for the past couple days and now I'm FINALLY getting around to publishing it.  this week was CRAZY but came along with so many wonderful things...


*I volunteered to sit on the organizing committee for amnesty international yoga day in april. woop! check out my experience last year here
*homemade potato leek soup from my mom- everything tastes better when she makes it.  it's the little things :)
*a creative evening of painting with the fam.  so nice to forget about school and enjoy some time exercising the right half of my brain at a local art studio.  can't wait to see my canvas after it has been stretched.
*on the line- check out the trailer for this documentary here.  something I think all residents of BC should watch.  It is screening on campus this week.
*this playlist. thanks jess

so I'm going to celebrate the weekend with: tamale pie (great vegetarian/gluten free recipe!), a sunday fun-day with D(or at least a half day, other half will be sadly dedicated to homework), sleeping in, a nice long run, and wishing my lovely court a happy birthday!

have a great weekend everyone!

thursday thought + snacks.

sorry for the lack of posting this week- it has been busy.  but love this quote. love love love it

now, let's talk snacks. I often need quick, healthy snacks with staying power and I'm having a hard time coming up with new things lately.  these are some things I normally go for...

*energy bites
*almonds
*fresh fruit/veggies
*clif bars
*hummus
*smoothie/shake.
my two favourite combinations recently are:
1.) frozen banana, peanut butter, vanilla almond milk, flax, ground oats, and a little honey for sweetness
2.) frozen banana, a little cocoa powder, chocolate protein powder, vanilla almond milk and a little peanut butter if I feel like it.

what are your favourite on the go snacks?

weekend eats.

this weekend was BUSY. so busy. between homework, work, yoga, a beach clean-up, and visiting with friends I didn't have much free time.  but I did enjoy some good eats...

I made these blondies for a work get together saturday night.  I substituted the m&m's for reese's pieces for a little peanut butter flavour and they were delicious.  find the recipe here

sugar-y deliciousness!

on the slightly more healthy side of things I found this awesome recipe for roasted chickpeas.  this was SO simple and relatively cheap. double bonus.  I decided to make lettuce wraps instead of the tacos like the recipe suggested.  all the flavours went together so nicely.  you can definitely top the roasted chickpeas with any regular tacos fillings.  I put cucumber, red onion, a little cheddar, hot sauce, sour cream and fresh lime in the mix!  enjoy!

chili and lime are my best friends!

hope everyone had a restful weekend!

thursday thought. + daydreaming.

daydreaming..

all via pinterest.

things I'm afraid of.

*heights
*big trucks coming too close when I'm on my bicycle.
*fast cars
*criminal minds(I love this show but always cover my eyes during the scary parts).  definitely make sure the doors are locked before starting this show
*climate change.
*not getting the chance to see all the amazing places I want to see on this planet.
*letting people down.
*drunk drivers.
*needles
*giving up sugar and sweets.  boo veggies, yay sugar!
*not having enough time in the day, week, year for everything I want to do.