Earn Your Stripes

Today was beaaaautiful. After my shower, I made up some lunchlunch that was absolutely scrumptious. I love leftovers.

Lunch was kale salad, leftover Brussels sprouts, kabocha squash with azuki beans, savory quinoa, and a juicy tiger-striped heirloom tomato

My stripey heirloom

I spent the day reading in the sun, and checked off some of my to-do list! I also biked down to the library and got a few movies because, sadly, Eat, Pray, Love has not come in the mail from Barnes and Noble yet, and it was express shipping! I ordered it about a week and a half ago. Boo.

Finally got my work permit (check!), and scheduled my senior portraits (check, check!). So ahhh it was time to relax and watch a movie before it was time to cook dinner. Rebecca and I watched Crossroads – yes, the cliche road-trip movie with Britney Spears in it! It was actually kind of cute, and reminded me of the good old days before Britney..well, you know.

So then, it was time for dinner! I whipped up some Portobello Mushroom Burgers with Sautéed Collards with Raisins and a Simple Bean Salad. Yum

We all had happy tummies.

Portobello Mushroom Burgers

Ingredients:

• 4 Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Buns
• 4 large portobello mushroom caps (stemmed)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• EVOO (about 3 tbsp, I didn’t really measure)
• Sea Salt (a few pinches)
• Marinara sauce (or agave-sweetened ketchup)
• Daiya mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Stem mushrooms, then wash and pat dry with a towel, undersides face down.
3. Combine garlic, EVOO, and sea salt in a small bowl, then let sit for a few minutes.
4. Take out a casserole dish large enough to fit all of the mushrooms. Rub both sides of the mushrooms with the mixture and place underside face up in the casserole dish. Drizzle extra EVOO and be sure to use all of the mixture – the more the yummier
5. Cover casserole dish with foil and roast for 30 minutes. Then uncover, flip ‘shrooms, and cook for another 10 minutes.
6. Place on warmed, toasted buns dressed to your liking (I used marinara sauce and Daiya mozzarella), and enjoy!

Sautéed Collards with Raisins and Squash Seeds (Adapted from The Kind Life)

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch collard greens
• EVOO (about 2 tbsp.)
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp. raisins
• 2 tbsp. toasted kabocha squash seeds (or any kind of seed you like…pumpkin, sunflower.. )
• 2 tbsp. Bragg’s Liquid Aminos

Directions:

1. Cut green leaves away from the rough stem and chop into about 1-inch sections. Rinse in a colander and let sit.
2. In a skillet, heat the EVOO over medium heat and then add chopped garlic. Sauté until they become fragrant, and then add the chopped, damp collard greens. Cover and cook for about 2 minutes.
3. Add raisins and seeds, then cover and cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Add Bragg’s and then cook for another 2 or 3 minutes, or until the collards are well-wilted.
5. Serve and dig in!

Simple Bean Salad

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups or 1 (15.5-oz.) can of beans, drained and rinsed (I used Pinto tonight)
• your favorite salad dressing

Directions:

1. Put beans in a bowl, drizzle in some of your favorite dressing, mix, and voila! Simple bean salad

See? I wasn’t joking This is perfect for nights when I realize I’ve forgotten to soak beans the night before (everybody makes mistakes, everybody has those days…even Chef Katelyn!). Yummy, quick, and too simple to be called a recipe. Killer combo.

Question of the Day: What’s your favorite quick, simple meal?

I’m interested to hear your responses

Mine would have to be an Amy’s California Burger with marinara sauce, kale, chopped tomatoes, and sprouts on an Ezekiel Sprouted Grain bun. And a kale salad on the side! Mmmm

Have a good evening lovlies! I’ll be reading Chi Running to get some tips for my morning run, as well as Beowulf for my AP Lit summer reading. I actually really like it! Once I get into Old English mode, reading becomes enjoyable rather than trying to migrate through a maze.

See you in the morning!

xoxox,

Katelyn

Busy Bee

Good morning lovlies! Hope everyone had a nice evening

I had a pretty relaxed one filled with leftover kabocha squash with azuki beans, savory quinoa, and roasted brussels sprouts, my favorite! (halve brussels, preheat to 350F, place cut-side down on EVOO’d baking sheet, drizzle with EVOO and sea salt, roast for 15 minutes) Mmm

This morning I woke up bright and early – at 6:15 am! – to check email, hydrate, and go for my run. At first I was kind of sluggy and not motivated, but then I turned on the Today show and started my workout. Since I’m training for a 5K (hopefully I’ll be able to do 5K by the race!), I did an endurance workout I saw online last night, but tailored it to make it a bit harder.

I did a 5 minute jogging warmup, stretching before and after, then repeats of 5 minutes running and 1 minute powerwalking, then a 5-minute walking cooldown. Total, I logged 30 minutes and 2.25 miles. Not bad! I felt good, so I’m going to keep up with the running/walking workouts and build up my endurance. Of course I stretched forever and then did my abs!

By the way, I do not have any fancy workout gear. I don’t like spending money on much other than a good pair of sneakers and running shorts, so this is my daily attire

Watch I got at Target in the 3rd grade. No joke

With a "new" band 2 dolla velcro!

My sneaks Asics alll the way, baby!

The usual

On the Today show this morning, I was shocked by one of the stories – a girl named Phoebe Prince who had recently moved to a new town was being harassed by a group of kids in her high school, and couldn’t take it anymore, so she committed suicide. Sad, right? I felt awful for this girl, and couldn’t believe that kids could be so cruel. Normal emotions, right?

Well, a reporter came onto the show and talked about how a giant story had emerged that Phoebe had been a giant bully/harasser at her previous private school in Ireland, and had been on antidepressants for a long time, somehow making the harassment not as bad since she “already had problems”.

Now, where do people get off talking about a poor girl who just killed herself like that? Phoebe’s friends and family are probably completely distraught, and in all this madness, the people harassing her are looking for a way out with use of this story. It’s terrible.

What do you think of the way they’re handling this story?

I’m honestly pretty disgusted that people would try to compensate what they did by “victimizing the victim”. Read more about Phoebe’s story here.

Okay, enough with the sad. Onto happier things! My brekkie this morning was so yummy, filled with 1/2 a grapefruit, oatmeal, and tons of berries since I love them so much

Of course, no morning is complete without some Yogi tea.

Time for me to go get ready for the day! I have a long list of things to do (yes, I make a list for myself every night before bed )

Have a good day everyone!! Try not to be too busy

Question of the Day: What’s your morning routine like? How do you make it more efficient?

I look forward to hearing your tips

xoxox,

Katelyn

Strut

In honor of my entry into the Albany Vegetarian Network Expo’s Vegan Fashion Show (vote for me! ), I have selected Sheena Easton’s classic song to grace the title of this blog post.

Strut, pout, put it out, that’s what you want from women..come on baby, what’cha taking me for? Strut, pout, cut it out, all taking and no giving, watch me baby, while I walk out the door…

Okay, that’s enough. I might just really like that song, a little bit..or a lotta bit. It’s my “runway in my room” song…I mean what?

I’m not a model. Actually, I’m too short to be a professional model, so this show is perfect for me! Plus, I’d be able to rock some vegan clothes, makeup, bags, and shoes on a runway at one of the best vegetarian expos in the country.

I don’t think I can contain my excitement much longer..I am so excited!! I really hope I get picked. Jeez Louise, I feel like a little girl waiting for Christmas morning to come and see if I got my Barbie dreamhouse. So “Like” my entry here (or don’t! that’s totally fine too), and help me get chosen Every “Like” is a vote for me, so click away! (and tell your friends!)

And since I’m asking you to vote for me, I might as well show you the pictures I submitted as well as some of the outtakes. Here’s a little runway show for you!

The ones I submitted:

The ones I didn’t submit, exclusively for your enjoyment

Hahah, don't mind my funny eyes in this one

And that concludes our photo shoot! So remember to vote for me here, and tell your friends!

Okay, that’s enough self-promoting and vote-harassing Kate-lyn. Onto other things!

Lunch today was so yummy, much thanks to the copious amount of squash and quinoa I made last night, ensuring that I would have plenty for lunch:

Kale salad with one of the baby heirlooms (I finally ate one!), kabocha squash with azuki beans, and savory quinoa. Mmmm, happy tummy

Then, I went to work for orientation! It didn’t last very long, mostly filling out and signing papers, but I got my visor, and it looks pre-tty snazzy.

When I got home, I basked in the sun and read the employee handbook (which took an awful long time, but I’m not complaining ), and then brewed some more tea for myself. I love Yogi tea because they always have inspiring words on the tags. Today’s was one that definitely hit #1 on my list of inspiring tea-bag quotes:

This is so important for everyone to remember as they go through life every day. I’ve been working on a post about disordered eating and guilt, so this really hit home. It’s about your inner self. Love yourself and the world will love you. Skinny is often what girls strive for, but it really should be about health, within your body and in your spirit.

So, I leave you with that, children. Walk with a sound spirit and a sound body, and the world will walk with you.

Namaste.

xoxox,

Katelyn

Living the Kind Life

Good morning lovlies! It’s (finally) a beautiful day! It’s already 80 and sunny, praise the lord.

So, last night after the mall I was so exhausted..kind of like a Mall Migraine. Do you ever get that? I always end up this way after shopping in real stores instead of online. Boooo. But I got this t-shirt! The picture from the last post was cell-phone-quality, so here’s some HQ for ya:

Go Vegan! with my main man, Porky the Pig

We match!

This Mall Migraine put me to bed around 9 or so, so unfortunately there was no dinner post for you lovely people. The menu was delicious! I whipped up some savory quinoa and kabocha squash with azuki beans with salads. To die for.

We have some beautiful heirloom tomatoes that we bought at the Farmer’s Market, but I can’t bring myself to actually chop them up and eat them! They’re so beautiful.

As you all know, I’ve been following The Kind Diet‘s Superhero plan as much as I can, so I’ve been adding in more whole grains as well as beans (beans, oh my!). And it is so yummy! I’ve been feeling so much better when I add more whole grains and beans to my meals, not to mention full for a lot longer.

Unfortunately no pictures (they turned out blurry from the steam, sorry loves), but I’ll give you the recipes as per usual These were absolutely scrumptious and I cannot wait until lunch when I get to have leftovers!

Savory Quinoa with Mushrooms and Spinach

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 2 tbsp. EVOO
• 1/4 of a red onion, diced
• 4 or 5 baby bella mushrooms, quartered (more or less to your liking. I like more )
• 4 or 5 small handfuls of spinach lettuce (I don’t really measure)
• 1 tbsp. freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

1. Bring quinoa and water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, covered. When boiling, reduce to very low heat to a simmer and let cook for about 30 minutes, or until all water is absorbed.
2. While quinoa is cooking, heat a skillet and then add EVOO and onions.
3. Sauté onions until fragrant and near translucent, then add mushrooms, spinach, and parsley. Sauté until mushrooms have reduced and browned slightly and spinach has wilted.
4. When both quinoa and veggies are done, combine and serve! Yum

These recipes are perfect for the fall and winter months when you want a warm, hearty meal, but I really enjoy these kinds of meals all year-round. I love me some warm kabocha squash in the middle of the summer!

Kabocha Squash with Azuki Beans (Adapted from The Kind Diet)

Ingredients:

• 1 Kabocha squash, washed and chopped into about 1-inch, large pieces
• 2 (15.5-oz. cans) azuki beans

Directions:

1. Place the beans in a large soup pot, then add enough water to cover the beans by 1 inch. Add kabocha squash and bring to a boil, covered.
2. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook about 30 minutes, or until the squash is clearly soft and everything comes together when stirring (kind of like a casserole).
3. Serve, and enjoy!

That dish in particular was not very pretty, let me tell you, but it was the most delicious thing I’ve had in a hot long time.

Breakfast this morning was a giant plate of fresh fruit. I woke up awfully late and didn’t get to run, so I had a half a grapefruit with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, and my detox tea in my favorite Pooh mug I forgot how refreshing just having fresh fruit for breakfast is!

I. love. cherries. And these were still attached! Awe

Today is my day off from race training (so sore!), so I’m gonna do some yoga with my yoga-teacher Mom in our living room later this morning! Aren’t I a lucky ducky?

Then, I have orientation at work later this afternoon. I am so excited! I probably shouldn’t be excited for work, but I think it might be fun

Have a beautiful day, lovlies!

xoxox,

Katelyn

Lazy Sunday

I’m calling it a lazy Sunday, since that’s what it really wasn’t. I love Sundays though, so here’s a quick recap of my day thus far:

6:25 am: Beep, beep! Wake up, Katelyn! Except this wasn’t an alarm clock..it was my body waking me up, telling me it was time to get up and run. Are you serious? But since nature decided that moment was the time, I woke up and got some water (ps I had slept in my running clothes so I would have no “It’s the weekend” excuse – I’m determined!).

7:00 am: Time to run! Logged 1.25 miles while watching Abby Cadabby negotiate with a genie, did my abs and weights, and stretched for a very long time. Groooar my muscles were tight.

7:30 am: Tea drinking, blog checking, email responding, good morning! Shower power finally and got changed.

8:30 am: Brekkie My favorite time. Whipped up some old-fashioned oats on the stove with some cinnamon, raisins, chia seeds, and some apple spread; eaten with half of a gorgeous looking grapefruit. So juicy.

Brekkie eaten with some detox tea I love mornings

10:00 am: Church! The best part of Sundays. I left feeling spiritually sound and super happy, as usual.

12:23 pm: Time for lunch Kale salad, leftover eggplant lasagna, leftover spinach pie (the last slice! ). Allow me to illustrate.

(some of) my lunch. I also had a ton of millet salad. Yum yum

1:02 pm: Mall shopping! Scored big at Gap Body – got yoga pants for ten bucks (don’t tell me that’s not the best deal you’ve ever known). Cute new delicates from Victoria’s, Fruit of the Loom sweatpants (a staple of my closet), and a flowy white tank top from Delia’s along with this beauty:

The shirt reads: "Go Vegan!" and has the piggie from Looney Tunes on it

2:35 pm: In the bathroom at Dick’s Sporting Goods, found uneaten, open bags of candy on and around the toilet. What an idiot.

Haribo Gummies

Gummy worms

…Mall bathrooms are clearly klassy with a K.

That’s all for now, see you tonight lovlies!

xoxox,

Katelyn

Simplicity at its Finest

I love the farmer’s market. We picked up enough produce to sink a ship (aka, the usual ), and got some beautiful heirloom tomatoes! I’ll put up a picture tomorrow, they are so photogenic. They sold them in a variety pint, so we have lots of fun shapes and patterns to choose from. I can hardly bring myself to eat them! I wonder if I could do that thing where they freeze people and keep them forever, but with heirlooms…? Wait, stop, that’s totally weird and creepy. Rewind!

After the farmer’s market, I went to the gym and logged in 2 miles on the tread, 30 minutes on the elliptical, then stretching, abs, and arm weights. I love running Training for the 5K is going a bit slowly BUT I WILL NOT GIVE UP! That race ain’t got nothing on this girl.

And, of course, my after-workout snack was a yummy-ummy PB & J Larabar. I honestly think Larabars came from the work of a genius, or someone who was awfully hungry and messed up on a recipe, ending up with a sticky, delicious mess. Oh, how I love my Larabars. I always keep Apple Pie, Pecan Pie, and Peanut Butter and Jelly in my house. Don’t waste your money on Clif bars; always go for the raw energy bars! They almost always have 3-5 ingredients that are totally organic and unrefined. Nothing better than that.

Once I got home, I whipped up a ton of hummus. Probably enough to last a week or more. Did I mention I love hummus?

My quick recipe:

Hummus

(Adapted from 1000 Vegan Recipes by Robin Robertson)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked chickpeas, or 2 (15.5-oz.) cans
• 6-8 garlic cloves, minced (I roll with eight)
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/3 cup water (may or may not be necessary)
• 4 tbsp. lemon juice (I like more)
• 4 tbsp. EVOO

Directions:

1. Put everything in a food processor and puree until smooth. Enjoy!

So, why did I need to make so much hummus? I’ll tell you. Tonight we had 2 giant eggplants sitting, beckoning for me to cook them, so we made an almost-raw, super simple lasagna. But be warned, this is totally untraditional and can barely be called lasagna, but it was SO good!

My dinner:

Kale salad with avocado, leftover millet salad with cooked mushrooms, leftover roasted green beans, and the eggplant lasagna

For dessert, we had the Ooey Gooey Brownie Muffies from last night, nuked in the microwave for about 1 minute for ultimate gooeyness. They were so perfect and melty, and of course we had to have some vanilla nice cream with them. Mmm

But first, dinner!

Eggplant Hummus Lasagna

(Adapted from Opera Singer in the Kitchen’s Vegetable Lasagna)

Makes a casserole-dish sized lasagna

Ingredients:

• 2 eggplants
• 1 cup hummus

Directions:

1. Slice each eggplant lengthwise into about 1/2-inch thick slices. Rub both sides of each with sea salt and let sit in a colander for about 30 minutes.
2. Rinse slices and pat dry, then rub both sides of each with some olive oil.
3. Grill slices until softened (grill pans and indoor grills work just as well), flipping after checking the underside and seeing grill marks.
4. Arrange one layer of grilled eggplant on the bottom of the pan, then coat with the cup of hummus, spreading evenly. Lay the rest of the slices in another layer on top, then serve warm or cold.
5. So simple but so yummy! Enjoy

Did I mention that we don’t have a grill? Well, not a real one anyways. The only one we have is an electric indoor one that’s completely old school, but I love it!

Kickin' it old school

Assembly: not so pretty, but so yummy

Question of the Day: What’s your favorite simple recipe?

I’m excited to hear your responses One of mine definitely has to be almond butter and apple spread on Ezekiel bread. So quick, easy, yummy, and healthy! Whole grains, nuts, and fruit with no added sugar. Holla at that!

Time for me to go to sleep! I am so tired from my busy busy day today, and tomorrow I get to go to church and really unwind. It’s like yoga without a mat! Stretching out my spiritual muscles.

I’ve been working on a post about disordered eating, guilt, and other weight- and health-related matters, so keep an eye out for that

Also, one of my favorite bloggers, Chocolate Covered Katie, is having a recipe book giveaway, so this is me linking back to her blog and telling you to go check it out! Her posts are always so fun and always make my day a little more spectacular. Check her out!

Goodnight lovlies

xoxox,

Katelyn

Reason to Celebrate

Well, for one..it’s Friday! Hello weekend And two…I LANDED MY FIRST JOB! This is particularly exciting for a few reasons: a. It’s my first job, b. I’ll be making good money, c. It was one of TWO jobs I was offered today, and d. It was landed in under ten minutes. No joke. The lady just said, “Okay, I am definitely going to hire you! Orientation is sldkfugeios….” It. was. magical. My mom literally dropped me off, drove halfway down the street, and then had to come back. Ahh, the joys of Friday the 13th

I had a job interview this morning at 8 (which I also landed), then came home and had some oatmeal with a TON of fresh berries. I’m actually really liking this grains-at-every-meal thing that The Kind Diet has me going on.

So for lunch, we had leftovers with salad:

Above you see my famous Spinach Pie, roasted asparagus, and a kale salad with some limon-wataa. Yum

Then I headed over to my second job interview and now I am “employed”! So tonight we planned an outdoor celebration dinner that wasn’t too fancy, but the patio was beautiful tonight. And the REAL celebration was marked by our first batch of vegan brownies! Or vegan brownie muffins I should say. They were so perfect and ooey and gooey…Rebecca and I had to split a second! I couldn’t help myself

Din din Kale salad, roast green beans, great northern beans with scallions and mushrooms (LOVE mushrooms!), and millet salad with veggies, raisins, and lemon juice.

Oh. my. god. The ooey gooey brownies

Ooey Gooey Brownie Muffies

Makes 8 Muffies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/3 cup cacao powder
• 1/2 cup NuStevia Powder Baking Blend
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup + 2 tbsp natural, unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease 8 muffin cups.
2. Combine wet ingredients in one bowl, dry ingredients in another. Combine each separately then pour wet into dry and mix completely.
3. Batter should be very thick, but keep stirring; it will thoroughly combine, I promise! The thickness makes them gooey.
4. Spoon into muffin cups with an ice-cream scooper and then bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are just firm but inside feels gooey when you press down.
5. Cool for 10 minutes and then serve warm. They’re best this way because the chocolate chips are still gooey – mmmm

Rebecca snuck a picture of me..sneaky sneaky

We also had some of my homemade kombucha with dessert! It was the perfect compliment, and made a perfect celebration evening. Who ever said Friday the 13th was always bad?

Also, during my blog reading today I discovered this treasure. This blog has so many inspiring posts, I kept finding more to read! Start with that post and then look at the others. They are so incredibly enlightening and really gave me the spiritual uplift I was looking for.

Ahhh, now time for bed! Running and farmer’s market in the morning Goodnight lovies!

Question: What’s your favorite thing about your local farmer’s market?

Mine is the environment; the quality and vibe that you get from so many people being so friendly There’s the Spice Guy, the Corn Guy, the Quinoa and Rice Guy, and the Guy I Get All My Fruit From. It’s the perfect start to my Saturdays.

xoxox,

Katelyn