thanks are due.

Hey guys! How is everyone!??! I seriously miss y’all like crazy. I haven’t really been able to read many blogs or comment nearly as much as you deserve, but such is life, right? What’s been kickin’ in your neck of the woods the last few weeks?

Unfortunately I’ve still been struggling with getting to school and the pain is fairly poopy at best, but you know what? Praise god for doing amazing things regardless! I seriously have never been more in awe and more grateful for life. If you take nothing else away from this blog, please know your Creator loves you so, so much! It changes your life, y’all.

As much as I wish I could say I’m back, I’m just stopping in to thank a few companies who have been more than generous to me during my little break:

First of all, shout-out to CSN for hookin’ y’all up with an awesome giveaway – how sweet of them, right? As if that wasn’t generous enough, they’ve asked me to do a product review, coming soon! CSN is an awesome collection of websites that has everything from drop leaf tables to kitchen appliances, and I have no idea what to review! I’m thinking a vegetable spiralizer...? yes?

Also, artisana sent me an amazing package packed full of their new raw nut butters, seriously way too kind! please check them out! What an amazing company that runs their business just how i would. They have new flavors out that make me swoon – macadamia nut butter, cashini (cashews and tahini), chocolate coconut butter?!?! Trust me, you won’t regret it grabbing some, and your sammies will thank you.

And today I got the cutest package from larabar! I won their cocoa mole retirement giveaway, and not only did they send a few bars (my mom’s excited about them!), but they also sent the CUTEST t-shirt! I’ll post a picture soon!

Thank you to these incredibly sweet companies, and thank you guys for being such amazing friends!

-rebekah

last call - giveaway!

don't forget that my $45 CSN giftcard giveaway ends tonight, september 15th, at midnight... get those last-minute comments in to win that baby!

ok guys - i need your help. i'm working my church's yardsale saturday and want to bake things for the bakesale, but am not sure what to make! i've been thinking about making some kind of banana oatmeal muffin, some kind of cookie, and some kind of quick bread...

thoughts? suggestions? secret family recipes? thanks for your help!!!
-rebekah

hello fall, goodbye monday!

hey fellas. busy, busy day today, but i wanted to stop in and say hi! how gorgeous is the weather near you? hello fall!

first of all, if you only make one recipe for all of september, please please please please please please make smitten kitchen's sesame peanut noodles. holy junk... those are some sexy noodles!

also, don't forget that you only have two days left to enter my giveaway! comment for your chance to win $45 dollars to any of CSN's websites! deadline for entry is by midnight on wednesday, september 15th. good luck, y'all!
-rebekah

gift card giveaway!

it's my first giveaway! woohoo!

CSN is an awesome parent company of shopping websites, with everything from bistro sets and gym equipment to baby shoes and blenders. check them out!

the $45 gift card can be used at any of their sites, on anything your little heart desires (my heart desires these shoes).

you don't have to write a blog to win! however, it's for US and canada residents only :( so sorry foreign friends! i love you guys too.

how to win? please pick at least one of the following:

1. for one entry: introduce yourself! and leave me a comment about how you discovered my humble baby blog.

2. or one entry: leave me a comment telling me the first thing you'd buy if someone handed you $45.

3. for five entries: blog about the giveaway, and leave five seperate comments telling me you did!

4. for five entries: twitter about the giveaway, and leave five seperate comments that you did with your twitter name (so i can follow you!)

make sure to get your entries in by next wednesday, september 15th at midnight (wherever you are).

good luck y'all! i'll announce the winner on thursday's post.

- rebekah

book reviews.

hey all! tgif!

mom update: to all those that prayed and kept her in your thoughts, thank you! she is doing AMAZING. this morning she was up dancing, picking peppers in her garden, and generally trying to keep all of us in line :)

giveaway review.

as you heard yesterday, i won a foodie blogroll giveaway! wahoo!

i ended up with a $25 credit to iHerb, an awesome website where you can order hard-to-find products, like vegan vitamins and gluten-free products. score!

since my little sister is a celiac, i usually bake all her bread/muffins/granola bars myself. it's so much cheaper this way, and the giftcard was perfect to restock all our gluten-free flours!

thank you, Abby from iHerb!

book reviews.

being the nosy girl i am, i was pretty interested in some of the new books i have seen out on the internet.... you guys ever do that? 

so, to the library!

my swag:

1. the end of overeating: taking control of the insatiable american appetite by david kessler

basically, this book gives you an inside look at how food manufacturers think. the author interviews many employees of food companies and popular restaurants, and asks them how they make the food as palatable and appealing as possible, and why we eat so much of it.

very enlightening about why we find fast food and restaurant food so enticing. it was really disturbing, honestly, to read about all the processing that goes into our meal that we have no idea they do! we think a piece of chicken is chicken, but it's not... at all.

if you eat out a lot or live off packaged foods, you must read this book. your food is not what it seems!

2. savor: mindful eating, mindful life by thich nhat hanh and lilian cheung

i'll be honest, i skimmed this book. it's a wonderful premise, but i just couldn't get through how repetitive it was! i'm easily bored, what can i say?

if you are new to the mind-body connection concept between food and emotions, this might be a good book for you. it's written by a doctor and a buddhist, so it's a very interesting combination of spiritual and factual. if that's up your alley, give it a try!

3. thrive: the vegan nutrition guide to optimal performance in sports and life by brendan brazier

i was totally blown away by this book. i want to marry brendan brazier! how is he single!?!?

on a more serious note, though, i picked up this book because wanted to see what the hype was about. one of my favorite bloggers, matt of no meat athlete, pretty much says this booked changed his life. naturally, my interest was piqued.

i loved this book because it broke down the science behind what happens when we eat. nothing bugs me more than when you read "eat this! it's good for you! it's healthy!" yeah yeah, that's nice, but WHY?

it's not good enough to tell me it's an antioxidant/superfood/omega-3. i need to know what the particular food does for me once i eat it. what does it do in my bloodstream? how will it effect my hair? my eyesight? my immune system? my skin? why should i spend money on it? why do i care?

thrive does this. it explains everything clearly, is very well-organized, and halelujah, i finally understand! it also has a guide for athletes/active people about, once and for all, what the most effective way to fuel before and after your workout is. you can sign up for a free 30-day newsletter to be emailed to you, if you're interested in learning the basics.

this is not a meat-slamming, veggie-promoting, PETA-thumping book. i loved it so much, i'm buying it! seriously - read this!

4. eating animals by jonathan safran foer

when it comes to your food, are you one of those people (like i totally was!) who says "oh, don't tell me! i don't wanna know!"

i hate to say this, but just because you don't ask about what's in your food doesn't change the fact - it's still there!

i would NEVER judge anyone for how they eat (vegan, juicing, carnivore, whatever!). that's totally personal, and totally up to you. but i will beg you, if you eat meat, PLEASE read this. please. you will be so glad you did!

5. last but not least: food rules by michael pollan

this book is as simple as it gets: 64 simple tips on how to eat as healthfully as possible.

i am a huge michael pollan fan, and this book is basically all his incrediblely sane thoughts, wrapped into an easy-to-read package.

if you've dieted all your life, are tired of the fast food lifestyle, or just need help simplifying how to eat naturally, this is a great place to start!

there it is... my thoughts on a few popular reads. i have a couple more coming (omnivore's dilemma, anyone?), so stay tuned!

have you read any good books recently?

have you read any of these?

anything i MUST read?

- rebekah

let's get real, folks.

you know how sometimes you love reading a blog, but you realize you don't really know anything about the person behind the food?

(or maybe that blogger is you...?)

i hate that! i want to get to know the heart and soul behind the posts. i can find recipes anywhere, but personality? that's a rare gift.

because of that, i aim to be as transparent as possible here at Clarity in Creation... even if it's not a pretty sight!

so in the spirit of full disclosure, here are a few honest statements that have been floating around in my heart and brain here recently...

thank you all so much for your sweet comments on my fibro diet post! i'm definitely not an expert by any means, but if someone else can learn from my mistakes and hard-earned lessons, i'm all for that!

if anyone ever has any tips for me (concerning anything!), i'd be honored if you'd share them. i love new experiences, recipes, and any tidbits of information that could help others. or if there's something i should know, fill me in!

when i remember, i've been trying to post Operation Beautiful notes at the gym, grocery store, etc.

i haven't been taking pictures of them because i'm not concerned about sending the pictures in... i just want the ladies i cross paths with to feel special, for only for one minute of their day.

have you written any Operation Beautiful notes? or have you found any?

since my orientation on monday, i've been working on my class schedule, and i think i finally got it organized! it's not exactly how i could have chosen it, but i think it's going to work out :)

as of right now, i have one class on mondays, and three classes on wednesdays and thursdays. i'll also be lifeguarding for my college pool, so it's nice to be able to work a few hours in between classes.

i've been designing my next tattoo! it's a compass rose (similar to the picture) - my daily reminder that Christ is my guide for life, so i never need to worry about where i'm headed next.... i go to a consult at a local parlor today!

i can't decide if i should add on to my first tattoo (on the inside of my right arm, working towards a half-sleeve), or get the compass on the inside of my left wrist (my original idea).

thoughts??? i'll let you know what i decide! i'm getting inked the second week in august with my freshman roommate who will have just gotten home from her honeymoon!!! eek!

i went to the library... can you tell? i love books (especially free ones!). 

i also put a bunch on transfer, including Thrive, Eat Pray Love, Food Rules, and Veganomicon!

do you use your library? have any book suggestions for me?

finally, a recipe!

i got off my lazy rear and made a chickpea/quinoa salad, looking to Jess and Ashley for inspiration.

i just used what sounded good, but you can adapt it however you want! i'm broke, so i scrounged around until i was satisfied :)

chickpea salad - basic recipe:

cook:

- 1 cup quinoa, cooked according to directions (subbing veggie broth for water)

- 1/2 cup dried beans, or open, drain, and rinse 1 can of choice (i used chickpeas)

let cool slightly, then stir in:

- chopped veggies: i grated 3 cloves of garlic, chopped 1/2 a small red onion, and grated a carrot, but cucumber, strawberries, and/or avocado would make an awesome salad, too!

now, the fun stuff... add:

- 1 cup dried fruit (i used craisins)

- 1/4 cup toasted nuts (walnuts for me!)

- salt and pepper, to taste

- a few tablespoons of your favorite salad dressing, or EVOO + basalmic vinegar (i used a new find, Trader Joe's Raspberry Viniagrette)

and what would wrap up this ridiculously random post better than a picture of my scraggley dawg?

- rebekah

p.s. - check out Mama Pea's cookbook giveaway, y'all!

for your information.

goooooooooood morning, beautifuls! and handsomes, for my fabulous gentlemen!

nothing earth-shattering from me today, but i did just want to fill you in on a little blog update.

in case you've been blissfully unaware (or in Reader), i have a few tabs on my page - my posts, my story, my life/fibromyalgia information, and a tab where i organize my posts on my passions (self-image and nutrition.)

i have been criminally negligent of my "passions" tab (irony?), so i wrangled that bad boy into submission this morning.

without furthur ado, may i present the new and improved passions tab!

feel free to peruse the links if you've ever been curious as to what makes me tick.

also, is there any subject you guys would like me to address? about me personally, nutritionally, or relating to emotional eating/body image?

i'm no expert, but i've made enough mistakes to save ALL OF YOU GUYS the trouble of experimenting, and love to share what i've learned.

happy saturday, happy belated canada day to my northern sweethearts, and happy almost 4th of july to my fellow US buds!

- rebekah

p.s. - Ilana's is having an amazing giveaway to celebrate her new domain... check it out!

lemonade from lemons.

oh, you shoulda known this was gonna be a whopper from the title.

but i have you now! bwahahaha.

i'm gonna get real personal here, y'all. the last week? has SUCKED.

i mean MAJOR suckage. like, abominably sucky. mind-blowingly sucky.

this bad:

catch my drift?

i was trying to think how i could allude to the suckage without just lettin' it all hang out (britney pun intended), but i decided to just be transparent with you guys.

in the last week, i have:

- gotten a virus

- had fibro pain bad enough for me to take vicodin (I HATE MEDS)

- broke up with my boyfriend

- popped my knee doing yoga

- wanted to tear out my stomach from ibs

yikes! yeah, it's been a crazy last few days.

as an update, i am almost 100% recovered from the virus (thanks for your kind words!). the fibro pain's pretty much the same, but mentally i'm handling it much better. my knee is a bit sore, but ok, and my stomach is still shaky, but not as, um... miserable, as it was.

... i don't want to go into the situation with my boyfriend too much, but basically, i can't blame him for not wanting to stick around.

fibro has completely changed my life - i can't really get out a lot, and when i do, i'm exhausted really quick. no longer can i plan my day by what i want to do, but what i have to do that i can manage. it just is a challenge all around, and as a completely healthy 27-yr-old guy, i totally see why this was overwhelming.

still, i'm crushed. he's been my only support this year, other than my amazing mom (hi mom!). when he gave up on me, it made me wonder if anyone will stick with me through this.

ok, ok, i'll leave britney aloneeeeeeeeeeeeee!

the point in this pity party?

what, you thought i just wanted to vent? would i do that?

for real - if i've learned anything at all this last year, i've learned that nothing, NOTHING, NOTHING, is pointless.

every hard thing we go through, everything we don't understand, everything that hurts... it's something we go through for our own good.

God uses the pain in our lives to grow us. think about it... if life was all sunshine and rainbows, why would we ever change?

none of us purposely choose something harder than what we had before. if life is good, we like it to stay that way! 

however, the challenge is exactly what we need to show us - we need change!

i used to hate God for letting bad things happen to good people. it just didn't seem fair! but then i realized... God wasn't responsible for the bad things that happened.

bad things happen because, well, that's life! life is hard. but i kept missing the lesson there... God was patiently waiting for me to turn to Him. to let Him pick up the pieces.

ok rebekah, point here? we will mess up. we will get discouraged. bad things will happen.

but life is bigger than that.

i cannot describe what it feels like to be simultaneously terrified, yet peaceful. all i know is that my whole life, i've felt so... empty. i had this dark cloud over my head that just made me want to give up on everything. i just couldn't shake the question, "does any of this actually matter?!?"

and after dropping out of school, losing all my friends, being diagnosed with an uncurable disease, breaking up with my boyfriend, being sexually abused, and watching my parents fall apart, i asked that question a lot, trust me.

sometimes, we have to have everything stripped away before we will ask ourselves the hard questions. and i did. i've spent the last two years crying out to God for answers.

and i finally understand now. i had to share with you guys...! i have a purpose. God has a plan for me.

it's bigger than my parents' broken relationship, it's bigger than my lonliness, it's bigger than my physical pain. it's bigger than me.

life isn't about how i feel or what i don't have, but what i am given, and what i can do with that. God has given me so much more than i have lost... beautiful things i wouldn't have noticed before the hard things happened.

but what am i given?

i wouldn't trade my story for anything. life means something to me now.

i have a new appreciation for my mom, and how incredibly faithful she is.

i realize i am amazing because of who i am, not because a man approves.

i now know how strong i am. after all this, nothing scares me! i can overcome anything with God's strength.

i've had the opportunity to blog, and from that, have been blessed with more beautiful girls in my life than i deserve. you guys are my passion!

and for the first time EVER, i have peace. rest. satisfaction.

what will i do with that?

i 100% believe that i am a miracle. God saved me from terrible things, mostly myself.

because of that, i have passion for things i didn't see before: i cannot sit still when i am around someone who's hurting. i have a passion for nutrition because it heals. i live to show people hope.

and all this, i owe to the challenges in life.

the real challenge isn't necessarily what happens to you, but letting yourself believe in the good that comes from it.

so the last week? no big.

- rebekah

.....................................................................

how do you handle challenges?

what hard lesson has changed you?

P.S. - anyone up for some free Turtle Mountain So Delicious coconut milk?!?

how about a GlassDharma straw?!?

free artisana! holy crap!

i just had to let you know about the most freakin' awesome giveaway ever!
check out katie's giveaway for hug-a-fat month - 2 free jars of artisana coconut butter!

p.s. - katie is a total sweetheart, and really encouraged me when i was struggling to eat from the fibro. if you don't follow her, you should! she's super encouraging and has the best body image of anyone i've ever met. my kinda girl :)

coconut brownies, anyone?

guess what i finally got around to opening?

the tropical traditions coconut cream concentrate i won in miss stephanie's giveaway like two months ago!

i'm so on top of things.

so, what is it?

coconut cream is simply ground coconut meat. period.

just like how peanuts are ground up to make peanut butter, coconut meat is ground up to make coconut cream.

it's 70% fat, so it's similar to coconut butter, except coconut cream has all the fiber of whole coconuts... score!

ok, so what do you do with it?

the website recommends using it to make homemade coconut milk (my wallet rejoices!), as a spread on toast, a soup base, or blended into smoothies.

well, what did i do with it?

funny you should ask...

cocoa coconut brownies

adapted from the tropical traditions recipe blog

1 cup coconut cream concentrate

3 room temperature eggs

1/3 c maple syrup or brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

splash vanilla extract

1/3 c cocoa powder (my favorite ingredient ever!)

and 1/3 c each add-in: nuts, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, dried cherries, etc.

mix all ingredients until just combined.

bake in a greased 9x9 at 325* for 18-20 mins.

um... aren't they gorgeous?

i couldn't help but drool.

these. are. so. good. these. are. so. good. these. are. so. good.

hey sexy!

i wish i had planned to be this awesome, but i also realized after i made these they are flour and gluten-free.

score. my little sister can now join me in snacking my face off.

and promise you won't laugh?

here's... um... dinner:

ohhhhhhhhhh mmmmmyyyyyy.

because really,

what's better than yogurt, fresh strawberries, chocolate, and coconut?

thanks again stephanie!

p.s. - check out the tropical traditions website.

they're a really cool company with an awesome story behind them. and hello coconut peanut butter!!!

- r

a clarification, a bar review, and a thought.

thank you guys so much for your encouragement yesterday!

i know being excited about hunger is a strange thing to think about, but after a few years of feeling like a freak with my health, just to do normal things again is such a blessing.

1. allow me to clarify something:

my links were almost the same color as my regular words, so i changed it to make it easier to see. 

sorry about the the link to the justin's nut butter giveaway being hard to see... enter for free justin's here!

2. a bar review on a bar actually worth buying.

ok, i'm probaby the last person on earth to try something from amazing grass, but i can't help it!

a) i'm a starving student, and b) they ain't cheap! but i snagged this bar buy one get one free at whole foods the other day and thought i'd give it a try.

i love that it has so many incredible ingredients packed into one little bar!

"The peanut butter protein Bar is a premium blend of organic peanuts and whey protein in a chocolate covered bar. Each bar is loaded with 12gr of protein."

270 calories
14 grams of fat (healthy omegas)
12 grams of protein
19 grams of sugar
28 grams of carbohydrates

Ingredient List: Organic Peanut Butter, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Dates, Whey Protein Concentrate, Organic Peanuts, Organic Rice Crisps, Amazing Grass Green SuperFood (Organic Wheat Grass, Organic Barley Grass, Organic Alfalfa, Organic Spirulina, Organic Spinach, Organic Chlorella, Organic Broccoli, Organic Acai, Organic Maca, Organic Carrot, Organic Beet, Raspberry, Organic Rose Hips, Pineapple, Green Tea, Organic Flax Lignans, L. Adidophilus, Alpha and Beta Amylase, Protease, Lipase, Lactase, Cellulase, Organic Peppermint), Natural Flavor, Peanut Extract, Organic Vanilla Extract, Sea Salt Organic Dark Chocolate Coating: Cane Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Non-GMO Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavor

i usually don't do chocolate covered bars, but this one seemed pretty wholesome as far as they go. i shared it in the dark with the boy during a movie, and when i ate the next one the day after, i started cracking up... if he knew the inside was green, he wouldn't have touched it for a million dollars!

this is actually a bar i think could be a good addition to my snack rotation. i like.

have you tried it or the shake packets? whaddya think?

3. a thought.

do you guys buy all organic produce?
i grocery shop for 4: me, my mom, my little sister, and my little brother... except my sister, brother, and i are all athletes, so we eat for more like 10,000.

... so i just try to buy what i can afford.

sure, i'd love to bring home the organic produce section of whole foods everyday, but there's no way i could fit that into my budget.

so what is really important to be organic, and what isn't?
if you're like me, you have a limit budget for food, but you want to make the best choices with your money.

so what's worth the money for organic, and what can you pass on?

the dirty dozen:
you should always try to buy these organic.
they retain the highest amounts of pesticides from being sprayed with chemicals during farming.
- celery
- peaches
- strawberries
- apples
- blueberries
- nectarines
- bell peppers
- spinach
- kale
- cherries
- potatoes
- grapes

not quite as bad, but also on the naughty list?
- salad greens
- carrots
- pears
- meat
- milk
- coffee

the clean fifteen:
these are foods that are considered safe from the chemicals used in farming.
these are ok to buy regular, so go nuts!
- onions
- avocados
- corn
- pineapple
- mango
- asparagus
- peas
- kiwi
- cabbage
- eggplant
- papaya
- watermelon
- broccoli
- sweet potato
- tomatoes

want a printout of those lists to take shopping with you?

the bottom line?
do the best you can with what you have.

if you eat an apple everyday, you might consider going organic. if you only eat blueberries twice a year, don't sweat too much if they aren't organic.

think about what makes the biggest impact in your life, and stick with that. life is about making good choices, not wasting it worring about what might kill you. eat well, and live well!


do you guys think organic food is worth the price?
do you make it a priority to buy organic produce every time you shop?
- r

blessings, a recipe, and a giveaway.

hello my lovelies.

i had just a jumble of thoughts going through my head today.

1. the smallest things in life can be the biggest blessings.
         i don't really talk about it much, but these last couple months, i have struggled hard with managing my fibromyalgia. the foremost struggle is my fatigue/pain for sure, but an unexpected challenge has been with my hunger.
not only is it rare for me to be hungry, but i actually have to force myself to eat most of the time (FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE EVER). think about trying to eat again right after thanksgiving dinner... that's what a lot of my meals have been like.
... pure torture for a foodie!

so after months of struggling with eating enough, today i felt REAL HUNGER. i mean, i ate a normal lunch, and 30 minutes later, i was starving.
at the time i thought it was strange and kinda knocked on wood, but when i got home, i actually cried. it was such a relief to feel "normal" again, even if it was just for a few minutes. normally, the pain dulls my hunger, but today, my body's natural signals we're ok!

it's such a small gift, but when your sick, life is just more simple and raw, and normalcy is a treasure.

          the boy and i also had a really emotional talk today. i can't say enough good things about what he's done for me in the last year. from the moment we, he faced all my physical challenges head on.
sure, we've had our struggles, but he has been there for me when i didn't have words to express the depth of my fears.

once again, he blew me out of the water today with his faithfulness and diligence.
a small thing, but it meant something huge to me.
i'm a lucky, lucky chick.


2. i made pesto, and you should too.

we have a little pot of pesto growing out back that all of a sudden decided to explode.
when life gives you basil, you make pesto.

EDIT: thanks to jess, i realized that i should mention we actually don't have a pesto plant, but a basil plant :) whooopppss.

not-your-average-pesto pesto (technique crash-course from 101 cookbooks)

1 huge handful of basil leaves

3 cloves garlic

5 sundried tomatoes

1 big pinch nutritional yeast

3 or 4 spoonfuls olive oil

salt and pepper

                                     

directions: 

heidi describes the process much better than i ever could. basically, i grabbed a handful of a few things and started chopping, then added more when i got it uniform, and kept adding until i had all my basil, garlic, tomatoes, and nutritional yeast minced. i scooped it into a little bowl, stirred in the salt and pepper, and covered it with a thin layer of olive oil. 

                               

om nom nom.

slather me on a baguette, please.

 
3. anyone interested in any free JUSTIN'S NUT BUTTER!?!?!?

any small things that you guys discovered recently?
- r

y'all make me blush.

you guys are too sweet!
thank you all so much for your comments on my pictures yesterday...

the crazy thing is, i had long, curly hair halfway down my back in high school...! see?

from summer 2007...

..........................................................

last night, i had the pleasure of meeting up with two lovely blog buddies, brittany and meredith, at one of my current restaurant obsessions, ipanema cafe. is it obvious how much i love this place?

it's also a favorite of miss brittany's, and since meredith had never been, we felt we must introduce her :)

meredith, brittany, and i in front of a 7-11...

gotta love richmond!

i had an amazing arugula salad with roasted beets, gouda cheese, and the most incredible salad dressing of all time! brittany donated a handful of her sweet potato fries, too, which i could have kissed her for.

think if i ask really nicely, the chef would give me the recipe???

the girls were lovely, and we chatted the night away about foreign food, work, and how our men deal with our quirky blogging habits.
i mean, doesn't everyone photograph their food?

if you guys haven't checked out their blogs yet, please do! they both have incredible, motivating stories to share, and their eats ain't too shabby either.

...................................................................

i also did a little sumthin' in the kitchen.
roasted up an eggplant, zucchini, and a sweet potato for lunches this week.

i also marinated some tempeh in sriratcha, honey, and dijon mustard, and popped it in for the last few minutes of the veggie roast...

by the way, i roast my veggies/taters on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for easy clean up. i set the temp to 350* and leave them for 40-60 minutes. try it!


aaaaaaaaaand i made more hummus. 
try this recipe if you're in the market for some incredible, face-rockin' curried honey hummus.

thanks ashley! this girl is amazing, talented, and super sweet, as if her hummus recipe wasn't rockin' enough!
it's her picture, too - i'm clearly not that talented, because mine was too gross-looking to post.

if you guys are still buying hummus, you're cheating yourself!
the cost for this recipe?
- can of chickpeas: $.89 at whole foods
- 2 cloves of garlic: basically free???
- scoop of peanut butter: maybe $.30 or so
- tablespoon of sesame oil: $.15
- spices: only a tablespoon of each, probably $.05 each
total: around $1.50 for a container, versus $4.99 from whole foods... whaaa?


and allow me to introduce you to the best thing you'll ever eat:
whole wheat wrap, banana, strawberries, sprinkle cinnamon, and a spread made from 1 tbsp cocoa and 2 tbsp almond milk.
holy junk.

i really doubt i could ever top this snack. my life is complete.

so, your turn!
do you guys have an incredible snack/meal recipe to share with me?
i'd like to see you beat this one! :)
- rebekah

p.s. - check out katie's awesome giveaway for a giftcard!

update ya.

hey there lovelies!
the stomach hasn't felt very good recently, so i really haven't eaten meals - just snacked my face off all day long. therefore, no good pictures!

however, i did get my Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate in the mail yesterday!

i won it in miss Stephanie's giveaway a while back... girl, you rock!

i absolutely cannot wait to try it! does anyone have any good recommendations on how to use it?
i am really new to coconut so i need your suggestions!!!

from what i understand, it's different from coconut butter because coconut butter is part ground coconut meat, part added coconut fat/oil. the cream concentrate is just pure, straight-up coconut meat. it cannot be used as a cooking oil. it has no additives - no water, no oil, no salt, no nothing!

the website suggests using it as a spread (almond butter and coconut sammie anyone?) or to make your own coconut milk! awesome! it will be so nice to not have to buy a carton of Turtle Mountian So Delicious Unsweetened every week at whole paycheck.

i'll do a post as soon as i use it! i predict a coco-nutty day tomorrow :) and with the weather being almost 90 freakin' degrees, it fits!!!

in other breaking news, i think i figured out my stomach issues!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
it had been pretty good the last few days - no major upsets, as i had been laying off the nuts, dairy, and wheat (just try that for long with my appetite! ....yikes).

this morning, i ate some yogurt, and INSTANTLY it was cramping and hurting, so i took a lactase pill. my little brother is severly lactose intolerant, and has had to take a lactase pill anytime he eats dairy almost all his life. we already had them on the kitchen table, so i thought "why not?" it was just a shot in the dark, but magically - the cramps went away probably 2 or 3 minutes later! i'm so excited! i can't wait to get frozen yogurt.


and finally - i'm headed out to dinner tonight with the boy at probably my favorite restaurant of all time - ipanema cafe. ipanema is a vegetarian restaurant in downtown richmond that i first went to last year for my birthday dinner. their menu is awesome, seasonal, and mostly local produce. "i'm not anti-meat, i'm pro-veg!" that's their motto. awesome. i'll try to actually remember to take pictures tonight! t
he boy is so supportive of me eating meat-free... it's really incredible. he pretty much always caters to what and where i want to eat. i'm lucky!

help me out with what to use this coconut in, ladies!
katie? jess? kate? any of my other coconut experts?
-r

giveaway!

check out katie's awesome giveaway, guys!
this girl is awesome... love her foods! thanks girl!
-r