bird brains

...for birds in cahoots.  we caught these two gazing out from atop our kitchen window last weekend.  i can only imagine that their eyes were on the hummingbird feeder. 

sweet sugar syrup in a bright attractive package?  game on.

smooth moves

...for three beverage mornings.  green tea has been in my life {and on my blog} for many years now, but this summer i am embracing the smoothie breakfast.  now that i've learned how to clean our blender* without accidentally cutting myself**, smoothies and i are besties.

my current favorite mix:
several ice cubes, 1 cup halved strawberries, big handful spinach, 1 scoop vegan protein powder, 1 tablespoon flax seed, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 cup non dairy milk, 1/4 cup water, optional stevia to taste

smush everything into blender: ice on the bottom, then dry ingredients, then liquids poured over top.  mix until smooth.  pour into large cups and enjoy, preferably through a fun straw.

sometimes, i get too excited and overdo my liquids.  a two smoothie morning is a happy morning.

*  after pouring out your smoothie, fill the blender a little under halfway with water and dishsoap.  let it run for a bit, then rinse.  easy peasy.
** true story.  those blades on the bottom are not a joke, kids.     

the saturday matinee

...for great theatre practically in my back yard.  oh, segerstrom center, how i love thee.  even though i don't really understand why you changed your name from the perfectly acceptable orange county performing arts center, and i also resent your overpriced parking garage that takes a half hour to exit from after each show.  we have a history, we do.  over the years, i've seen many* shows here.  most were amazing; all were technically impressive; a few were not my taste.  but there's just something about getting fancied up, packing an extra sweater for the inevitably freezing air conditioning, and discussing how great the show is with random strangers in line for the restroom at intermission.

last year, i bought season tickets for my mom and i, and it was money well spent.  i feel very grown up as a patron of the arts.... a patron who packs flip flops because we park a quarter mile away at south coast plaza to avoid said parking garage.

* in no particular order, and i could be missing a few:
lion king, rent, cats, radio city music hall rockettes, jersey boys, wicked, fly me to the moon, catch me if you can, the prince and the pauper {with my third graders}   

#80s movies rock

...for dual purpose landscape design.  this outdoor garden not only fills up space, but it also allows for what could be a really awesome game of labrynth.  to me, the man to the left is staring at the rest of his family and strategizing how to best get over there.

"hmmmm.... i can see them, yes.  but should i go left?  right?  cut through center?  what if they make a break for it while i'm still standing here?"

it's like david bowie should pop out any minute.  you have thirteen hours in which to solve the labyrinth, before your baby brother becomes one of us... forever.  

 

 

ay, ay, ay, ay!

...for summertime.  our annual summer fair tour kicked off around memorial day, and one of the highlights is the huntington beach street chili cookoff and salsa tasting.  we go, we eat, we eat some more, you get the idea.  unlimited chili and salsa tasting is only for professionals, kids.  don't try at home, or on anything but an empty stomach.

this year there was a mariache band playing in the street.  ay, ay, ay, ay!*  these guys were awesome, and almost made me wish for a sombrero of my very own.**

* i googled the appropriate lyric here to double check, and it is ay, ay, ay, ay! canta y no llores.  unfortunately, yo llore.  some of the chili was super spicy.  tears of tastiness, but still.

**i'm sure my husband will make a mental note for christmas.

craftermath

...for new vocabulary words.  i think it was glamour magazine which defined "craftermath" as the result of a frenzied creativity binge gone awry.  i don't really do glitter or paint {i totally failed as preschool teacher}, but i definitely do fabric and staple guns. 

this piece was the result of a shower curtain which could no longer fulfill its destiny, as our new house has glass doors.  i repurposed the material as a window covering and small bulletin board display for our honeymoon postcards, and i ended up with this large-ish leftover piece.  i figured i'd know exactly what to use this for after i was finished stapling him to the styrofoam. 

apparently, his purpose is to act as a shield if someone wanders in through our sliding glass door.  a cute, but highly ineffective, shield.  because alas, i've got nothing.  too small for a headboard, not really working for me as a large bulletin board, and vetoed by the husband as a strange wall panel hanging in our living room.

what a craftermath.

a whale of a... tortilla

...for foodie fails.  in my quest to become a little more housewifey skilled in all things domestic, i've been trying to accomplish some of my pinterest items.  i'm happy to say, my "pins i've actually tried" board is slowly becoming a real folder.  some pins have turned out better than expected {cake batter cashew butter, you have my heart}.  others... not so much.

these homemade tortillas had all the potential to be delicious.  egg whites, coconut flour, seasoning blend, almond milk:  all things i enjoy.  i even shocked myself when three out of four tortillas came out looking like actual tortillas.  you can see the hidden whale tale there on the right which was the result of a batter oops.  i lovingly spread almond butter on the top beauty there and sat down to enjoy.

it tasted like an off pancake.

undeterred, i tried again with a sort of breakfast burrito a few days later.  another fail.

i guess i'm sticking to my costco la tortilla factory low carb high fiber wraps {much tastier than they sound, i promise} for the time being.  i may not fully understand the whole of the ingredient list, but i'll be darned if they don't make an excellent salsa/ hummus vessel.

not, of course, using my pinned "dessert chickpea hummus" recipe that i made last week.  totally as disgusting as it sounds.