Farewell Chicago!

In some ways this day feels like it has been a long time coming. Josiah and I have been buried in boxes, both empty and full, for the past eight weeks and we could not be more excited that it is officially here. I've been working with a few less forks than normal because for whatever reason, they were a priority to pack up ASAP and have thus been sitting who-knows-where for at least four weeks. Things have been off the walls for two months because we struggled so deeply to contain our excitement. We've shared a lot of meals on paper towel and paper plates and we are so, so ready for real plates (and real food!) 

In other ways, this day punched us in the face (probably in the we-were-supposed-to-have-some-practical-things-more-figured-out-by-now kind of ways, but ya know).  It came up so fast and caught us off guard. It feels almost like an out-of-body experience. Like I'm just watching all of this happen because there is no way it's real. Three months ago this was just a thought, an idea, and now our entire life is loaded into a trailer and we're about to jump into a whole new life. Cue my love-hate relationship with change. 

Tomorrow morning we will be Denver bound and I am hopeful any nerves that I am feeling will be weighted equally against uncontrollable excitement. 

Cheers to change and the refusal to settle.  

Let the adventure begin. 

The Healthy Oat Muffins We've Been Stocking Our Fridge With

Health, along with simplicity, has been our thing this year. Or at least our attempted thing. And as of lately, we're actually making strides in both of those areas.

Our pantry and fridge has been packed with less processed things and more nutrient dense foods. So many fruits and vegetables. Like, so many. We did make an ice cream run on Easter and the remains (for which I am actually very proud, because I so could have eaten the whole thing) sits in our freezer, but we are really making progress.  

On to the muffins! Typically muffins are tasty, but not something you can really eat every day. Well, let me introduce you to these yummy AND healthy muffins -- a rare find -- that you can totally eat every day.

They're packed with whole grains and sweetened with bananas and a little bit of maple syrup. You could throw in some dried fruit, chia seeds, flax seeds, or any kind of nut to add some variety. So much versatility. We are totally in love. I like to grab one right before our morning workout or as a snack mid-afternoon. I keep them in the fridge to prolong the freshness. Because we don't have a microwave and heating them would take too long I tend to just eat them straight out the the fridge, but they're super tasty warmed up as well. 

I hope that these become staples in your house and that you love them as much as we do. If you come up with any awesome variations, let me know! I am always looking for ways to make things fresh and new. 

Healthy Oat Muffins 

Serves: 12

  • 2 1/2 cups oats, reserve 2 tablespoons for topping  
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 4 bananas, very ripe
  • 2 tablepoons maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 3/4 cup milk of choice
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl or food processor, combine the oats, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder. Add in the bananas, maple syrup, vanilla, and milk. Combine the eggs in gently. Portion the batter out into 12 muffin tins. Top with the reserved oats and bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the muffins. When the toothpick comes out clean, remove from the oven and allow to cool. Enjoy! 

Adapated slightly from Brendid

Simple Superfood Salad

Happy Monday, friends! Spring is here, maybe more officially on the calendar than it reflects outside, but nonetheless it is here. There is something about just knowing that it is spring that makes me much more productive. It's still like 30 degrees here in the midwest, but the birds are out and the sun is shining and that makes sitting at my computer all day far less dreadful. 

Since the new year, Josiah and I have been attempting to integrate healthy habits into our life. As most years, it started off super rough and the commitment was pretty nonexistent. We basically tried and failed at every habit we attempted. I think we lasted for 5 days on Whole 30  which, if you can't tell by the title, is 25 days less than the program call for. (I just love carbs too much.) We also tried to get into a workout routine again, but failed again. March rolled around and we still hadn't really kicked any of our old habits or committed to new, healthy ones.  

I was starting to think that Josiah and I were doomed and incapable of change. At this point we decided that instead of doing a bunch of things at once, we would just integrate one healthy habit a week and see how thing went from there. We also gave ourselves a break and only committed to the new habit Monday-Friday at first. That allowed us mentally to plow through the hard days knowing it wouldn't be forever. The first week we cut out sugar. Yeah, it sucked.  The only thing I could think about that week was the ice cream we had planned for Saturday night, but something crazy happened at the end of that week when I finally sat down to eat the so dreamed of dessert. I took a bite and it didn't taste as good as I remembered. It wasn't bad by any means, but it wasn't worth dreaming about all week. Sunday, when we would technically still have been allowed (by our rules) to indulge in something sweet, we didn't want to. Josiah and I were both completely shocked at how quickly we had locked into this healthy habit (even on our "off" days) and we were eager for more. The next week we added in working out in the morning and the week after that we stopped eating after dinner. It's only been three weeks since this healthy habit thing started, but I think we are onto something. Baby steps. 

More to come on our new healthy habit journey, but for now enjoy this salad that represents our journey towards both health and minimalist. Keep it simple people. 

Let's Monday!

SIMPLE SUPERFOOD SALAD

Serves: 2 

  • 4 cups arugula 
  • 1 cup quinoa, cooked 
  • 1/2 cup blueberries  
  • heaped 1/4 cup blueberries
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • big splash of water
  • salt + pepper
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

Combine the blueberries, ginger, vinegar, maple syrup, water, salt + pepper, and olive oil in a food process. Blend for 20-25 seconds. 

Divide the arugula, quinoa, and blueberries between two salad bowls. Finish by topping with the salad dressing. I told you it was simple. 

*The dressing can likely be used for more than two salads. I like to have extra on hand.