1-18-15

Sorry for the break in posts, quite the busy week! I even had a great post about mushroom tempeh tacos, but I broke my iPhone and had to get a replacement. Apparently, a few of my phones didn't quite make it into the cloud and onto the new phone. In any case, I wanted to share a warm brussels sprout salad I threw together last night!

I have to admit, I cheated a little bit on this salad....it isn't completely vegan. I added feta cheese because I happen to have it on hand, and I thought it would be good together...which it was. It'd be easy to leave the feta out, and it would leave this salad completely plant-based.

Warm Brussels Sprout Salad

1lb brussels sprouts, finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp EVOO
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup feta cheese (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a skillet, add garlic. Once garlic has slightly browned, add the brussels sprouts and rosemary and sauté 3 or 4 minutes or until slightly wilted. Add maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper and sauté for 4 or 5 more minutes. Remove from heat, add cranberries and feta. Serve and enjoy!

Happy Sunday!

1-11-15

Winter is in full force these days and as much as I love living in the north, occasionally the bone-chilling temperatures get to me. How do I cope? I turn my oven on (which warms my apartment) and roast some veggies for a chowder!

I recently made a Roasted Butternut Square and Apple Chowder from Vegetarian Times. This was definitely among the sweeter chowders I've made, but tasty none-the-less.

Roasting leeks, butternut squash, and apples in maple syrup, salt, and pepper

                                    

Bite sized colorful potatoes!

I love the color and texture of purple potatoes.

I added some walnuts cooked with a little olive oil to add a little crunch - definitely a good decision!

My vacation is still a little less than 8 weeks out, but I'm so excited that I can't resist looking for a few things I'll need. Today involved a trip to REI (my first time to the Boston store) and I came across a great light-weight jacket that will be great in my goal of packing extra light. 

#landofenchantment2015

1-9-15

I could feel the serious Friday struggle today, and cooking tonight was no exception. I was originally making a Vietnamese Rainbow Carrot Salad, but I deviated so much from the recipe (and apparently didn't find suitable alternatives to a couple of ingredients) that it really turned in to a spicy rice noodle salad with carrots and cabbage.

After a long first full week of work in the new year, I found it hard to cook solid meals at night. I finally got around to this salad, and it was just not coming together. I made my chickpeas yesterday in order to save time, and spilled them ALL over my floor while cooking. I had fortunately already added the amount I needed to my salad, but it was definitely one of those moments where I thought, "Was that really necessary?" 

The great chickpea disaster of 2015...and playing with my new iPhone lenses...

Every once in a while (every time), I pick recipes with ingredients I can't find in my local grocery store. For some reason, I was unable to find sweet chili sauce this week, so I thought I would substitute it with sambal oelek and add some honey to sweeten it. The sauce was originally going to be 6 tbsp of sweet chili sauce and 2 tbsp of lime but let me tell you from experience, adding honey didn't work. My mouth was on fire....probably around a 5 alarm fire. I didn't want to completely discard the sauce because that's wasteful, so I turned it into something much different. I ended up adding quite of bit of soy sauce and tahini, which cooled it down to a more tolerable temperature....

Overall, my spicy rice noodle salad was tasty as long as I kept a liter of water next to my plate :)

 The struggle didn't end at the heat of my sauce. I got up to grab some more water (surprise, surprise) and dropped my iPhone in my food. 

No iPhones were harmed in the making and consumption of this salad. :)

The remedy to my Friday struggle? Sleeping until Saturday...

1-8-15

The windchill right now is -20 degrees, so I thought I would warm myself up by posting about my upcoming adventure to a warmer (ish) climate!

I've been working full-time for about a year now, which has allowed me the financial luxury (ish) of planning my very first big (also ish) vacation. I have booked a 6 day solo trip to Santa Fe, NM in March! I spent 4 days in Abiquiu a couple of years ago on a Baylor trip, and we spent one afternoon in Santa Fe. Let it be known that half a day in Santa Fe is by no means an adequate amount of time for this cultural and scenic gold mind.

Here are some of the things I've got in the works:

 - Horseback Riding
 - Spa day at a natural hot springs spa
 - Driving the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway, which includes Taos, Angel Fire, Red River, and Eagle Nest.
 - Shopping (of course...)
 - Sandia Peak Tramway and Hiking


I hope this is the first trip of many in the coming years, and I'm currently doing my research on when/where to do my first international solo trip (suggestions and tips are always welcome!). I'll share more about my packing, preparation, and experiences as a solo traveler soon!

Abiquiu, NM - Spring 2013

1.5.15

Well it's the thought that counts, right?

This is definitely my phrase of the day in the kitchen today...

I made collard green filo triangles tonight, or at least, I tried to. Now, I would love to blame the recipe  and say it wasn't very good, but my lack of success is entirely human error. I did a great job collecting all of my ingredients - I even shopped at Whole Foods! However, no amount of great produce can fix not reading the directions.

My kitchen crime tonight? I didn't thaw my frozen filo dough ahead of time, and proceeded to try and unroll it anyway.

What happens when you don't thaw frozen filo dough?

This:

Don't worry, I tried to make my filo triangles anyway! My filling consisted of chopped collard greens, olive oil, shallots, and garlic.

The filling was pretty good, although if I made it again I would add some sort of citrus. (And thaw my dough first...)

Final result:

The only conclusion I care to share tonight is that my sliced pear was delicious :)


-J

1.4.15

So it's certainly been a while! One thing is for sure, my life over the past couple of years has been transformative and transitional. I left school, started working, and moved to a new apartment (here's to hoping 2015 will be a little bit less eventful).

I've been really into healthy eating the past couple of months and in addition to other topics like fashion and travel, I want to start sharing my journey and experiences with vegan cooking for one in the tiny kitchen of my studio apartment.

So here goes nothing!



If you haven't already discovered foodgawker.com, it's time to open up a new window in your browser and expand your palette. I use it primarily for vegan recipes (there are over 30,000!), but it's great for any kind of cooking.

I found the recipes I'm sharing on foodgawker, so I'm also going to include the links to the blogs where the recipes originated. I haven't ventured out into making very many of my own recipes yet, but I hope to as I gain more experience cooking.

First, Apple, Avocado, Cranberry, and Walnut Salad. This salad was excellent in several ways because it was not only delicious, it was also easy. You can easily adjust how much you make at a time, which is ideal when you are only feeding yourself. It was perfect because I didn't have a lot of energy and time today to cook, and only took about 10 minutes to put together.

I didn't follow the recipe exactly, mainly because I don't have balsamic vinegar (forgot to buy it, such a shame!). I substituted Fig Infused Vinegar, which you can find at your local grocery store. I also added a teaspoon of lemon juice because I like the citrus flavor it adds.

Second, Rustic Parsnip Soup. I made this yesterday during a snowstorm, and it turned out to be a great winter comfort food.  This was particularly fun for me because it calls for a few ingredients I don't cook with often - specifically sunchokes. I tried finding sunchokes at my local grocery store, and the employees laughed and tried to sell me artichokes...(sunchokes are also called Jerusalem Artichokes, but are definitely not the same thing). I ended up finding sunchokes at Whole Foods.

The walnut pear garnish is totally optional but like the author says, it really does take the soup to a whole new level. Just remember not to burn the walnuts the first time like I did... (:

9.27.13

I went on a bit of a shopping spree yesterday, so naturally I have to post a new outfit ;) I went a little out of my comfort zone with a printed blazer, but I think it's paying off well :)

9.26.13

I've seen some pretty interesting outfits that girls have been wearing to go out to bars...and most of them want to show an unnecessary amount of skin. From crop tops to micro mini skirts, most of them are overly suggestive and honestly, they have to be cold considering the temperature at night...haha. Here is my take on fall nights out.

Most of this outfit is about as affordable as anything else. The burgundy dress is $12.95 at H&M, scarf was $15 from Target (I miss target...), socks were $10 from H&M, bracelet and earrings were on sale at target. I said most of this outfit because my Arturo Chiang chocolate brown boots were a steeper $190 from Dillard's a couple years ago. They have lasted great and are super versatile, so definitely still worth it.

J

9.25.13

I've been spending a lot more time in grad school trying to look more professional and put together, so I'll probably be blogging some of my fashion on here in the future. It's been a little hard because my closet in Boston is maybe a tenth of the size of my Waco closet...but I'm making it work ;)

Here is my outfit of choice for today :) I love mixing neutrals and bright pattern...and who doesn't love sequins on an infinity scarf ;)

J

9.24.13

So I've been a little MIA since I've been in Boston because I've been so busy, but I have to say that I absolutely love living here! The city is full of excitement and things to do, and it's already starting to look a little like fall! Since I've neglected blogging, here are some pictures of life since I've been here :)

If you know me at all, you know I have to post pictures of my runs, so here is a view of downtown from along the Charles  River on my 9 miler this past Saturday. The weather was gorgeous!

I've also visited some interesting restaurants since being here...I can't remember what this place was called but they brought you your food and you cooked it yourself at the table! It was an interesting experience...(;

This past week I experienced my first Red Sox game at Fenway park, and they fortunately won! It's super convenient because it's only about a 15 minute walk from my apartment. I can't wait to go back, it was so fun!

Welcome to the view from the 52nd floor of Prudential tower! My friends and I went up the the restaurant to get drinks and check it out. Unfortunately we didn't eat because it was $24 per person just so sit at the table...so we opted for the bar.

And what's New England without some great fall fashion? It was actually cool enough outside for my to wear a blazer! (I'm loving this weather so far..) 

And here is today's outfit, loving the 50s outside that actually allows me to wear a fashionable jacket...sorry Texas ;)

J

9.3.13

So I've finally moved into my new apartment! It's tiny, but since I live alone it'll work ok :) so far, i love living in boston and it feels surreal to walk around knowing that i live in such an amazing place! here are some pictures of my new studio :)

Love,

J

8.20.13

So I've been a little m.i.a. this summer for  a couple reasons: either I had a million things happening at once or I had absolutely nothing going on. It's been a little rough going from zero to sixty and back constantly, but I have no real complaints. Fortunately, I am almost to a new chapter in life because next Thursday, I will load up a U-Haul trailer with my dad and set off on the three day trek to Boston, Massachusetts where I will begin my life as a masters student at Boston Conservatory. In preparing for this move, I wanted to make sure that despite the limited space in my tiny new apartment that it could and would still feel like home. Or as I like to call it, my own little oasis. Since I didn't own any of the furniture in my previous apartment, I have spent a lot of time finding pieces and giving them makeovers to fit my vision. Here are a few of the things I've been doing this summer: 

 

This is my new headboard. It is a 36x48 canvas with some fabric and burlap ribbon attached by staple gun. I'll hang it on the wall behind my bed.

You may recognize this dresser from an earlier post, but it's finally gotten its well deserved makeover. Some paint from vintage vibe in Mansfield and new knobs from hobby lobby make it super shabby chic. Here is an up close of the knobs:

I just love this color, so I also painted a small side table to go next to my bed!

Love,

J

7.20.13

So it's been a while since I posted anything on here because I have spent the last four weeks in Sewanee, TN at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival. It's been an incredible experience being a part of the festival and I have had the privilege of working with so many great musicians and conductors.


Easily the most exciting thing was being selected as one of the concerto competition winners. There were about 70 people who auditioned for the competition and I was selected as one of the top 5. It was a surreal experience playing the Dvorak with an orchestra, and I learned so much from this experience.

In my time here, I also had the opportunity to sit principal under Maestro Carl St. Clair of the Pacific Symphony. He is probably the most inspiring conductor I've ever worked with in my life, and he is also  incredibly innovative and creative in his approach to running an orchestra.

6.18.13

One thing I love to do in my free time is search for new blogs to read and follow. I recently stumbled across the blog of an author that I've come to really enjoy because it offers daily food for thought. The post I'm going to share today is from earlier in the month, but it really hits home for me as I prepare to go to graduate school.

It addresses the issue of money and how much people (including myself) worry about it. 

The most eye opening part for me was this statement: "If you worry about money when you don't have it, then you'll worry about it when you have it." 

Totally true.

I just want to share this because it made me feel a little more at peace.

You can find the blog entry here!

6.16.13

Sorry I've been sort of MIA this past week. Between babysitting, moving, and preparing for a concerto competition life sort of got away from me. I do however have some fun things to share! (Excuse the poor picture quality as I am uploading from my phone lol)

So last weekend I was in Brehnam, TX for a friend's wedding and I had some downtime to go shopping! I found these marquee letters at a local antique shop for about a dollar a piece! I decided to use them to spell out a quote about running (surprise, surprise) in my new apartment this fall. Since living in Boston is extremely expensive, I'm looking for cheap, creative ways to decorate.

  

The next thing I found was actually at the Michaels here in Waco. I've always wanted to decorate using fun, shabby chic frames but never actually bought any because you can spend over $100 getting enough of them for what I wanted to do. I came across these on sale at Michaels and only spent $13 for all of them (you can't tell here, but some of them are even two packs).

I've also come to the conclusion that you can never have too many Nike shorts ;) 

They were on sale this week at Academy and I'm exited to say that I bought my very first pair of size smalls! A year ago at this time, my size large shorts were tight! Running has been so rewarding (despite the occasional injury lol) and I'm so excited to keep working so I can drop the last few pounds to my goal weight. I've lost a total of 17 pounds and went from a size 10/12 to a size 2/4. :)

J