Recipes, projects & products that don’t suck.

Ahhh – SUNSHINE!!!! Finally. Nice weather can do wonders for my ambition level. It’s like the sun is beaming down all this energy into my body. Over the weekend, Hubs and I managed to get a whole lot of work done and continued right into Monday and Tuesday. Now we can barely move. We replaced the carpet in our living room with hardwood maple. There are just a few rows left to install, then onto sanding, staining and coating. If you want to test your marriage, this is a good way to do it. It doesn’t help that I might be the pickiest person on the planet. It DOES help that I married the most patient person on the planet. Joking aside, we’re actually a…

Two posts in one day? Yup. I’m on a roll. Must be all the fruits and veggies I’ve been eating this week. After two not-so-healthy recipe posts in a row (first Carrot Cake, then Mushroom Stroganoff), I promised to get back on track this week. And that I have. I can really tell a difference in my energy level. I know I’ve said it before, but it’s amazing what good fuel can do for your body. I get more magazines than I have time to read. Mostly because I have friends with kids whose schools raise funds via magazine subscription sales. Really, that’s just a good excuse for me to subscribe to one more magazine that I think I need. It’s a good cause, right?…

Hubs gets home from work, walks in the door. I’m in the kitchen, which is a disaster zone and I am very irritated… Hubs:  What’s wrong? Me:  Oh I just wasted all this time making this stupid recipe and it tastes like crap. Hubs:  Oh no. What is it? Me:  Mini chocolate tarts. They’re raw, you won’t like it. Hubs:  It looks really good. Me:  Yeah, and I think my photos turned out great, but now I can’t even use ‘em. Hubs:  (takes a bite) What’s the problem? It’s great! I love it! Me:  You’re lying. You’re just trying to make me feel better. Hubs:  (takes another bite) No I’m not – I think it’s really good! Me:  Really? I hate it. I think it’s…

Mom! Are you out there?! Are you reading this? Cuz this one’s for you. My mom makes a mean Spicy Rice & Beans dish that my dad absolutely loves (I think he could probably live on it for the rest of his life). Today, I’ve got a new twist on an old favorite for her and for all of you, too. I discovered this recipe from an old post on Naturally Ella, a blog written by a lovely, über talented gal named Erin. I don’t know what’s better, her recipes or her photography. Both are outstanding. In fact, just browsing her site makes me both depressed (by my lack of photography skills) and motivated (by my lack of photography skills). I know my photos aren’t…

I get so bored with the same old salads, don’t you? I decided that maybe a new dressing would fix my salad rut. My search led me to not only a delicious new dressing, but a clever new salad, too. The recipe is from Chloe Coscarelli’s (vegan) cookbook called Chloe’s Kitchen. I have to admit, I’m a sucker for any dish with “California” in the title. That usually means it has avocado – can’t go wrong there. This salad also has spiced black beans, protein-packed quinoa and plenty of flavor. It would be great as a wrap, too. SERVES 6 AS A SIDE SALAD, 4 AS A MEAL *** AGAVE-LIME VINAIGRETTE INGREDIENTS: 3 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tbsp. apple-cider vinegar 2 Tbsp. agave ¼ cup…