March Favorites
Happy April everyone! I’m not even going to try to play a joke on you guys because I know it would fail miserably. I have a history of these things.
But seriously, can you believe it’s April? We’re already a quarter of the way through 2016 which is just plain craziness to me. And I’m a day late on sharing my March Favorites but I thought it was suiting to save them for today. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m not a fan of cooking on Fridays. I usually pick-up takeout from one of three places: Chipotle, Whole Foods, or Yalla. Because I’m wild like that.
So instead of thinking about cooking, let’s kick back and look at pretty (and delicious) things. I hope you find something you like and that you have a wonderful weekend!
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Favorite Kitchen Accessory: Refrigerator Chalkboard. I’ve wanted a place in my kitchen to jot down things that we run out of for as long as I can remember. Then I stumbled across this picture on Pinterest and loved how discreet the chalkboard looks on the side of the refrigerator. I just ordered this one for my fridge and the type A in me can’t wait for it to arrive!
Favorite Spring Veggie: Roasted Radishes. Have you ever tried roasting radishes? I usually eat them raw but apparently I’ve been missing out because I’ve never had them roasted. They’re on my to-make list for April!
Favorite Breakfast: Chia Pudding Breakfast Bowls with Kumquats, Berries, & Lavender Honey. Another thing I’ve never tried is kumquats. In fact, I didn’t even know what they were until I immersed myself in Food Blog Land <it’s a real thing. I’m going to try to pick up some before they’re out of season so that I can make these bowls. They look divine!
Favorite Drink: Health-Ade Powergreens Kombucha. I’ve turned Brandon into a kombucha addict (like myself) so I usually buy a couple every week for us to enjoy during lunch on the weekends. This flavor is currently my favorite. The light green tint is kind of weird at first but it tastes amazing and I like that it has boost of spirulina and wheat grass. But I have no clue what camu camu is.
Favorite Burger: Quinoa Beet Burgers with Mango & Sprouts. So many delicious nutrients shoved into one beautiful burger. I would totally DEVOUR this.
Favorite Pizza: Vegetarian Chili Cornbread Pizza. Raise your hand if you love Amy’s chili! Okay, really I love Amy’s everything, but I thought this pizza looked like an amazing way to use their chili. I mean, a cornbread crust? YUM.
Favorite Spring Destination: Portland, Oregon. We’re taking a road trip to Portland this month and I am beyond excited! We have plans to drive up the coast, stop in Willamette Valley for wine tasting, and eat ALL the things in Portland. I CANNOT WAIT. If you have any suggestions for us, please share them in the comments!
Favorite Boot: Hunter Original Tour. And because it’s spring, there’s a strong chance it will rain while we’re there so I decided to splurge on my first pair of Hunter boots. I went for the Original Tours (which is the lighter option/better for traveling purposes) and I was shocked at how comfortable and cute they are. Rain or shine, I’m ready to go!
Favorite Quick Workout: Tone It Up Ball Routine. I quit my gym membership again because I can’t seem to make it there anymore, which is strange considering that I’m working from home more often now. It’s just so much easier to knock it out whenever I have the time, as opposed to trying to make it to a class that doesn’t fit into my schedule. Instead I’ve been mixing it up with Les Mills On Demand and Tone It Up workouts, like this ball routine. They’re short enough to squeeze into a busy day but still make you feel like you’re accomplishing something!
Favorite Awww: Best Friends. I almost died when I first saw this. The one with the owl perched on the stick? Seriously, I’m dead.
Favorite DIY: Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Treats. Speaking of puppies, Miss Coco has been having some stomach issues and it seems like no matter what kind of treats I give her, they cause…stomach issues. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and make homemade treats using Chungah’s recipe, but I replaced the wheat flour with a mixture of oat flour and brown rice flour. They were easy to make, Coco loves them and she hasn’t had any issues since. Hallelujah!
Favorite Social Media: Snapchat. Are you guys on Snapchat yet? It’s so much fun! I love that it’s a behind the scenes of what’s really going on in everyone’s day rather than the perfect images you see curated on Instagram. Plus, the crazy filters are always a good way to procrastinate. ;)
If you’re on there you can find me at username makingthyme!
Favorite App: Skin Deep. Moving on from my ginormous contorted face, I recently discovered this app and I think it is super useful if you’re trying to avoid buying products with toxins in them. I downloaded it to test it out and it basically uses your camera as a scanner to determine what the product is and how safe the ingredients are. It’s definitely something I’ll use for future purchases!
Favorite Post: On Sex and ‘Girls’. Has anyone been watching ‘Girls’ this season? It’s always been a little out there but I feel like Lena Dunham is going off the deep end with this season. The most recent episode was startling to watch and I was thinking the exact same thoughts that Jo shares in her post.
Favorite Treat: The Colossal Healthy Chocolate Bar. These are all I need ever in life. K thanks, bye.
I love Portland! I’m sure you’ll have such a great time. I love their free public transportation to take you all over town. I went in 2009 but I remember really loving Mother’s Bistro for breakfast. Not sure how their vegetarian options are.
That’s the same reason I love Snapchat, too. People share anything without it having it follow them around “forever”.
You need to start brewing your own buch! It’s super easy! I know you could do it EASILY. :)
I’ll have to check out Mother’s Bistro. Thanks for the rec! :)
And I have tried brewing my own buch before! I made a blueberry mojito flavor:https://www.makingthymeforhealth.com/2015/06/08/blueberry-mojito-kombucha/ I let the scoby sit for too long so I had to throw it away. I also didn’t have enough room in my fridge to store all of it. I might try it again and do smaller batches at a time.
I’m excited to see what flavors you make with yours! :)
I am an avid follower of your blog and your recipes are some of my favorite, so thank you! I live in Portland and there is no shortage of good food here. Here would be my top recommendations.
Wine Country-make sure to stop at the Red Hills Market. Amazing food!
Portland:
Farm Spirit- a multi course, small plate vegan tasting menu. 14 seats all at the counter. This is the most amazing dining experience. We just ate there last week and I can’t wait to go back. Here is a link to the blog post I wrote about it. http://cardigansandcouture.blogspot.com/2016/03/farm-spirit.html
Mediterranean Exploration Company-one of my favorites…we go here monthly.
Ava Gene’s
Harlow and Prasad- vegetarian/vegan
Ken’s Artisan Pizza
Barista Coffee
St. Honore Boulangerie
Andina
Fish Sauce- service isn’t their strong suit, but they have an amazing salad with grilled tofu, and their curry, salad rolls, beef rolls and pork rolls are really delicious.
GreanLeaf Juice Company
Kure
Lardo (as unhealthy as it sounds)
Bunk Sandwiches-the most delicious breakfast sandwich
YOU ARE AMAZING. Thank you so much for this list and for your kind words! I’ll be sure to jot this down to take with me. Also, it’s so funny you mention Farm Spirit because I was just looking at their site a few nights ago and was considering making reservations! I couldn’t decide if it was worth the cost or not but you totally just sold me on it. :)
I realize that I posted about meat/pork in my last post…just in case you are dining with non vegetarians! :) Also, there is a new restaurant called Harvest at the Bindery that I have been wanting to try, but haven’t yet. http://harvestatthebindery.com/index.html
I haven’t seen that show, but I feel like I need to! Also, roasted radishes? I just bought radishes. This needs to happen!
My husband and I are vegans and we love dining in Portland. Our favorite place is Portobello Vegan Trattoria.
I was looking at that one and it sounds amazing. I’ll definitely check it out! Thanks Susan! :)
The German Shepherd and the oooooowl! Gaaaah I want to be friends with them! That kitchen needs to be mine – seriously lusting over bright, beautifully organized kitchens…sigh…one of these days. I’m so pscyhed to hear how your Portland trip goes – seriously such a cool city. I double dog dare us to make a triple batch of those colossal chocolate bars togezzah! Have a fun weekend!
Your post today was great, but I have to say the pictures of the German Shepherd and the owl are simply spectacular. I’ve looked at them over and over and they are so unique and special, they truly warm my heart. Thanks so much for including them in your MARCH FAVORITES. :)
I felt the same way when I saw those pictures, Jerilyn. I’m glad they brightened your day a little. I hope your week is off to a great start! :)
I live right outside of Portland. If you make it out to the west suburbs there is this amazing tiny vegan restaurant called La Vida Veggie – (http://www.lavidaveggie.com/story.html) in Beaverton.
It is literally a hole in the wall but absolutely fabulous. My favorite place.
I hope you have a wonderful time while you are visiting. There is so much to see and do.
Thank you so much for the recommendation, Rachel! La Vida Veggie definitely sounds like my kinda place. :)
So many awesome things here! Totally drooling over those homemade chocolate bars- also your dog is SO CUTE.
Aw, thanks! I think she is too but I might be biased. :)
Happy April Fool’s Day! I just picked up some kumquats and have been eating them like crazy — that chia seed pudding is calling my name! I’ve never tried roasted radishes, either, and really need to try that. This is such a fun list of faves and I hope you have a lovely weekend!
I need to get some kumquats too! Have a great weekend, Marcie! <3
Happy April, Sarah! Loving your faves. How cool you guys are roadtripping up to Portland. I’ve never been. Also, I love to hear that Les Mills On Demand will keep you moving at home. :) Happy weekend, friend!
It’s definitely not as fun as taking a class in-person but the class times at my gym just aren’t cutting it. I will still make it to one of your ATTACK classes! I promise. :)
So many awesome things in this post! First off, I discovered camu camu for the first time through a free sampling of a smoothie delivery company and the powder contains like a whole day’s worth of vitamin C. It’s crazy good for you!
Second, unconventional animal friends make me ridiculously happy. That cute little pair! Gaahhhh, I can’t even!
I knew it was something healthy, haha! Thanks for educating me! :)
OMG that cornbread pizza. I need it in my life!!!
And yay for Snapchat! that’s been my favorite social media lately, too :)
Kind of obsessed with that fridge chalkboard! Heck, kind of obsessed with basically everything from your post. I totally agree about Snapchat, and I seriously NEED to get that app in my life. Makeup and beauty products are definitely an area I struggle with when it comes to cleaning out the chemicals from my life, so that’d be perfect.
The app doesn’t recognize everything I’ve scanned but it has the more common products. I’m going to try it on everything during my next trip to Sephora, haha! ;)
I’m drinking kombucha right now! It’s GT’s gingerberry flavour. I don’t buy them often but they were on 2 for $7 at the store today, so I couldn’t resist!
I’ve heard great things about Portland. I can’t wait to read about your trip!
Oh my gosh, that dog and owl!! That is the cutest thing ever! I want to find an owl friend for Cheeto now! I tried so hard to think of good April Fools jokes for people but couldn’t think of any :( maybe next year! I also can’t believe it’s already April, time is going by too fast! I’ve never been to Portland but would love to go, I hope you guys have lots of fun!! Thanks so much for sharing my pizza! :)
Fun times coming in Portland! What a great city … two places I wouldn’t miss is the Japanese Gardens and Cacao: https://cacaodrinkchocolate.com/ You’ll have plenty of delicious dining options! The dog and the owl… I’d love to know the story behind it. EWG is the beeest! They are bold, in your face when needed and smart! That app is fabulous! Thank you for this, Sarah! PS – still not on snap.. but the pressure is real! hehe!
Thanks for recommendations, Traci! That chocolate place sounds amazing. :)
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