Tuesday Tunes - February 3, 2015

It's Tuesday, guys. You made it past the first two (long) days of the week! But, I know we could all use some good music to get us through the rest of the week. Grab a glass of red wine (we all deserve it) and check out my favorites of the week.

1. "And When it Rains" - The River Pilots

I may be partial, but I promise you'll fall in love with the music. For all of you who don't know, this is my boyfriend's recent music project. It's an acoustic americana duo with some added instrumentals to the mix. They posted one of the songs from their new album on their website today and trust me, it's worth a listen. Keep an eye out for the release of their first album on February 10th on iTunes, Amazon, or on their website! Tune in tonight at 9pm EST on Roanoke's 101.9 The Music Place for the new song!

2. "Black Sun" - Death Cab for Cutie

I think my love affair for Death Cab started back in early middle school. Zach makes fun of me saying that Ben Gibbard is my celeb crush (probably true). Ever since, I've never been disappointed in their music. Anyway, they are coming out with a new album next month and they just released their single "Black Sun" a couple days ago which has definitely been on my top listens for the week.

3. "American Beauty" - Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors

Short and sweet, this song definitely made the tops for my week. I love the acoustics and simplicity. If you like this song, you'll definitely enjoy the rest of his new album "Medicine". Sidenote: he's a also friend of a friend, so check him out! 

4. "Make You Better" - The Decemberists

They're back! I have always loved The Decemberists, but it seems like they've been on hiatus for three years. They just released their new album in February and I'm loving it, especially this song. It's a fun, upbeat, indie jam for all you hipsters out there. You can't help but sing along.

5. "Wherever Is Your Heart" - Brandi Carlile

You have all probably heard her hit "The Story" (all you Grey's Anatomy fans out there). If you haven't, she is sort of a soulful/folk mix and has very interesting beautiful voice. She's been a favorite of mine for a while now and has a new album coming out next month. Also, if she's on tour near you, go. She puts on a great show and is just as good live as on CD.

Hope you all enjoy tonights Tuesday Tunes! Are there any songs you've had on repeat this week that I didn't mention? I love sharing music with friends so send me your favorites!

DIY: Simple Wire Mesh Board

I have been wanting to re-do our little desk area for a while now. I remember when we toured the apartment, it was one of my favorite spots in the apartment. Six months later, I have maybe sat at the desk three times and it's just gotten full of clutter. When I saw this post on Pinterest, I knew it was the perfect addition my little office needed!

I have always loved crafting projects but after painting 100 wine glasses in college, I guess you could say I was a little burnt out. One of the main reasons I started this blog was to challenge my creativity, otherwise I would just spend every night watching Breaking Bad on the couch (oh, wait...). 

What you'll need:

• 1x1 inch wire mesh - you can get this at any hardware store in the garden area ($12)
• Wire cutters - you gotta cut that stuff! ($10)
• Wood Clothespins - optional for hanging items on the board ($2)
• Small paper lanterns - optional for decor ($14)

Total Costs: Less than $40!

Time: 30-ish minutes

After hitting up Lowe's, we came home, made veggie burgers and got to work! First we measured our space and then started with the wire cutting (when I say we, I mean Zach).

Then, to hold the wire in place, we used a few small nails around the edges.

Then the decor items...and voila! We now have a board to post photos, recipes, thoughts, to-do's, etc. Kind of like our real life "Pinterest" board. 

I also bought a few other things just for organization. For example, the file folder organizer (Target), small vase (Anthropologie), and pen/pencil holder (Anthropologie).

What kind of DIYs do you all like to do or have done? Do you have any tips for organizing a desk or office?

Surviving the Grocery Store

When I lived at my parent's house I loved grocery shopping. I could pick out the items I wanted and then didn't have to worry about adding everything up at the end (c'mon who doesn't love that?). Since I have been living on my own, I figured out grocery shopping is not near as fun when you're the one who has to be cost-conscious. The first few times I went to actually "stock" up, I didn't have a plan of what to get and ended up only coming home with the ingredients to make a single dish and two days later was living on protein bars. After a few practices, I finally started to figure out what exactly I needed and how much. I think now I have mastered the art of grocery shopping by focusing on the staples and then a couple different experiment items. Here are some of my grocery staples (keep in mind this is veggie, so your list might be different if you're a carnivore).

1. Amy's Pizza - This is my favorite of all frozen pizzas. The crust is soft and tastes like a fresh pizza. We usually bring the "No Cheese" flavor home from the store for nights (like tonight) when we're too lazy to cook. If you haven't tried this one, you need to. It sounds crazy without cheese, but it has a balsamic sauce that's delicious!

2. Black Beans - We always have some type of beans in our cabinet (actually usually 4-5 cans). Hey, we're veggie! We use them on salads, for tacos/burritos, or really whatever we're in the mood for. Simple Truth is my favorite because has a huge variety of organic beans for $1 a piece! 

3. Tomato Soup - We make grilled cheese and tomato soup at least once a week. It's a great comfort meal, especially in the winter time, and it's so quick and easy to make. My favorite flavor is Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato from Simple Truth!

4. Hummus - No explanation needed. 

5. Frozen burritos - The Amy's frozen burritos are my go-to for lunch at work. I usually keep 1 or 2 in the freezer at work in case there is a day I forget my lunch. They have lots of different flavors, but the southwest is probably my favorite. Amy's also has a lot of other frozen entree options, like Asian dishes and lasagna which and they are usually on sale!

6. Tofu - As a vegetarian, this is obviously a staple. I am one of those weirdos that actually loves tofu. You can do anything with it since it soaks up any flavor you add to it. I use it a lot on salads and more recently to make homemade tacos!

7. Granola - Right now I'm really into granola and cereal for breakfast. I went through an oatmeal phase, but I think I overdid that. I am one of those people that eats the same breakfast every morning for a year and switches to something new. Cascadian Farms Ancient Grains is my favorite because it's not too sweet but sweet enough where you can eat it plain with milk. 

1. Greens - We always make sure to grab some type of greens (spinach, mixed, kale, arugula, etc) to use for salads or juice. 

2. Green apples - These are my favorite apple right now. They have the most flavor (reds are always hit or miss) and are the best to use when I'm making juice. 

3.  Lemons - It seems like almost every recipe I make calls for lemon. So I always make sure to have a couple in the fridge. Right now I have about four lemons that I took from my grandma's lemon tree in Arizona! 

4. Sweet Potatoes - Recently it seems like we've been eating sweet potatoes a lot in different recipes. Especially in winter soups, which I will share in a post soon!

5. Cauliflower - One of my all-time favorite recipes to make is curried cauliflower. It's super easy to make and you can keep it in the freezer for leftovers. But, cauliflower/broccoli are always great veggies to keep in the fridge since they can really be added to anything.

6. Green Peppers - Stuffed peppers, tacos, omelettes. No question, green peppers are the best. Not too spicy, but have enough spice to add flavor. 

7. Ginger - We seem to always go through ginger, especially now that we have starting making juices more and Asian dishes (which we make often as well).

8. Carrots - I always have a bag of carrots around for snacking (with hummus), using in juice, or soup/chili recipes. I like the large carrots best since I can use them for all of the above.

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These are just a few of my staples and they change depending on seasonality (especially the produce). What are your grocery staples?

Where I've Been Lately - Phoenix and New Orleans

It's been a week, so I think it's probably about time for a life update. You know those weeks when everything flies by and you don't really know what day it is? That's how it's been for me, actually pretty much the past two weeks have just flown by. So many good times have been happened in the past week, I can't wait to tell everyone about them! I visited family, drove across the country, ran a half marathon, ate delicious food, and listened to amazing music! This blog is partially dedicated to my travel experiences, so here are my most recent adventures around the country (honestly). 

Phoenix, AZ

A little over a week ago, my family and I all met in Phoenix, AZ at my grandma's house. Although the trip was a little sad, we all had great times sharing memories about my grandpa. My family lives all over the United States (North Dakota, Colorado, California, Nevada, etc.) so it's always nice when we are all able to get together.

New Orleans, LA

A few months ago my mom, sister, and I all agreed to run a half marathon together. When we saw the Rock N' Roll Marathon was going to NOLA (where my sister lives) we decided that was the perfect place. Zach and I decided to make it a road trip since he had never been there 13 hours later...we arrived in the Big Easy.

We drove. The trip was 13 hours long. I know we sound crazy, but I honestly think the best trips are the ones that take the longest to get to. We drove down basically all of the southern states. North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

We ate...everything. Let's be real, half the reason anyone goes to New Orleans is for the food. Especially if you're a foodie like me. Here were some of my favorites from the weekend.

Baked P&J Oysters (don't mistake for PB&J...) at Lüke on St. Charles.

Beignets from Cafe du Monde at Jackson Square. This is a MUST. 

Oyster and portobello sliders from District Donuts on Magazine Street. You also have to try the donuts (obviously). The beignet is amazing!

Enjoyed a delicious meal at Elizabeth's in the Bywater. 

We listened to great music.

Bacchanal Wine in the Bywater. My absolute favorite place we visited. It's a wine bar with a beautiful courtyard and jazz-type bands every night. We went on Sunday and had an amazing cheese plate and clams and mussels! 

Blue Nile on Frenchmen Street. Great place to listen to local musicians. This girl was soulful!

I've never jammed more than at this moment. This is a brass band on Frenchmen Street. Photo is a little blurry, but I thought it was the best portrayal of New Orleans. If you don't jam out to a band while you're there, you didn't fully experience the city. 

We half marathoned.

My sister, mom, and I at the Rock N' Roll Half Marathon in New Orleans!

Has anyone been to New Orleans or wanted to visit? What are your favorite spots? 

Travel Tips for a Nervous Traveler 1.0 - Perfect Packing List

* This will be my first installment of the "Travel Tips for a Nervous Traveler" series - stay tuned for more!

If you know me, you know how much I hate packing. I love traveling, but dread whenever I have to pack for a trip. There have definitely been times where I've been tempted to hire a professional packer (does that even exist?). In the end, I usually end up overpacking, throwing things in last minute that I might need, and I always end up forgetting something important. 

I know there are a lot of people that stress about packing for trips because they don't know what to pack, how the weather will be (I don't always trust the weather apps), will you need something formal, or will you exercise? Anyway, there's a million factors to play in to packing for a trip. So I've put together a simple list of my staples for any trip.

Clothes

• Your favorite pair of jeans/pants
• Plain comfy tee
• 1-2 dressier shirts (I usually go for a button down and blouse)
• One pair of boots (that go with everything)
• Flats or oxfords
• Running shoes (when I bring them, I'm more inclined to actually run)
• Nike running shorts - I usually sleep in them, but useful to have if I decide to run

Toiletries

• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste (Currently using Tom's toothpaste)
• Face wash - Received this in my recent Ipsy bag and love it
• Contacts/Glasses
• Makeup - I'm not a huge makeup person, but I don't go anywhere without mascara or chapstick (right now I am loving Benefit's mascara "They're Real")

Miscellaneous

• Phone and charger - this is a given, but you don't know how many times I forget my charger!
• A good book - I just finished Amy Poehler's "Yes Please"
• Headphones 
• Paper and pen for doodling - I think on the airplane is the best time to jot down things, I'm always so productive!
• Snack - I always bring trail mix or something to hold me over and the airport is so expensive!
• Purse and wallet (don't forget your ID!)
• Plane ticket!

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I'm sorry this post is coming out kind of late, I had a crisis yesterday with my laptop charger. But I'm currently in Phoenix, Arizona at my grandma's house for the weekend. I can say, this list definitely helped me (also, maybe because I wrote a blog about it too). Does anyone have any packing essentials for traveling? 

P.S. I would also love some fun places to see while I'm in Phoenix! Leave a comment if you have recommendations. 

First Juicing Experience

Before moving to Raleigh, my dad gave me a juicer that my parents weren't really using at home. Sidenote: my dad loves buying new appliances for the kitchen, so I probably have any and all kitchen gadgets one would need. Honestly, I was a little intimidated by "juicing" because of all the negative things I've heard (cost, mess, etc.) so I hadn't actually used it until recently.

Over the weekend, Zach and I broke out the juicer for the first time and I absolutely loved it. Our first juice we made was a green juice, so this time we tried an orange juice that I thought would be good to bring to work in the mornings. It was much easier than I expected and such a quick and easy clean up!

Carrot Pineapple Ginger Orange Juice - Makes enough for 2 people

What you'll need:

• Juicer
• 4 navel oranges
• 3/4 pineapple
• 4 large carrots
• 1-1.5 large pieces of ginger (depending on how much you like ginger)
• Lots of luvvv 

Step 1: Collect all ingredients for juice. Peel orange, chop pineapple in small pieces and cut off the skin of the pineapple. 

Step 2: Put ginger into the juicer first so that the rest of the ingredients will help juice the remainder of the ginger pieces stuck in the juicer. *TIP: If you have this same juicer, make sure you hold the top down...otherwise you'll have a ginger-filled kitchen in about 4 seconds...we learned this the hard way.

Step 3: Put the rest of the ingredients in the juicer (pineapple, orange, and carrots).

Step 4: Store in an air tight container (I used a medium sized mason jar) and enjoy!

Has anyone else tried juicing? What are some of your favorite types of juices?

5 Step Flourless PB&J Cookies

Do you ever have that craving after dinner when you want something sweet? But, wait...who ate the last piece of dark chocolate? Then, you contemplate running to the grocery store to grab a pint of Ben & Jerry's Phish Food. Yes, we have all had these cravings. Before you go and grab your keys to run to the store, I have something you might want to try first. Five step flourless peanut butter and jelly cookies.

I came upon this recipe on multiple blogs, but ended up using one of my favorite baking blogs, Joy of Baking, for the recipe. I chose it because it was short and there was only four necessary ingredients (that I actually already had in my kitchen). 

What you'll need:

• All Natural (Chunky or Smooth) Peanut Butter 
• Brown and white sugars
• Baking soda
• Egg
• Jelly (optional, but highly recommended)

See, I told you this would be easy! 

1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a baking sheet with butter.

2. Mix together 1 cup of peanut butter with 1 cup sugars (1/2 cup brown, 1/2 cup white). Mix for about 2 minutes until combined.

3. Add 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1 egg to mixture. Mix for another 2 minutes.

4. Roll the cookies into walnut sized balls and place on baking sheet, then using a fork, flatten the cookies. If making PB&J version, use a spoon to create a small crater in the middle of the cookie and add a tiny spoonful of jelly.

5. Bake cookies for about 10 minutes, or until brown.

6. Let cool and enjoy! 

Do you have any simple dessert recipes?