Play with your vegetables.

Check out these awesome temporary vegetable tattoos by Tattly.  Mom friends, don't you think these would be a great way to get kids interested in vegetables?  I think they are just the cutest.  It's not weird for a grown woman to wear fake vegetable tattoos, right??  Right???

-♥ J

(Via Swiss Miss)

P.S. Speaking of cute....look what Shelley brought me back from her latest comedy gig:

I'm pretty sure they are meant to be Christmas ornaments, but you better believe they will be hanging in my house all year long.  Thanks again, Shelley!!  So sweet of you!!!

Because some days need a little of this...

You rule, Louis C.K.!!

-♥ J :)

"How to" have a good weekend

 DIY wine charm and cupcake tower from Charli's wedding.

One of my favorite summers was the summer before Charli's wedding.  Since Char is a arsty, craft goddess, her wedding was super DIY and I got to help craft everything from wine charms, to cupcake towers and white decorative orbs.  (Orbs got nixed in the end due to time constraints…each one took an hour to make!)  Something about summer makes me want to get my craft on.  Maybe it was all those years at summer camp trolling the art room for lanyard and beads.  In honor of your summer craft god or goddess, here are some "How to's " to get you started.  Have a fun weekend!!

-♥ J :)

• How to make a necklace.
• How to pack 10 days in one carry on.
• How to get unstuck.
• How to drink an orange.
• How to apply your makeup.
• How to fight inflammation.
• How to wear a men's shirt.
• How to love one another.

Brain Freeze

photo 1 & 2

photo 3

photo 4

photo 5

Remember last summer when I wanted to make popsicles out of this recipe??  Well, I've got popsicles on the brain once again.  Check out some of these fantastically creative popsicle ideas.  Not all of these recipes are vegan…but they will be when I get done with them. ;)

-♥ J :)

• Photo 1: Avocado popsicles and Blackberry Yogurt popsicles
• Photo 2: Cherry Apple Whiskey Sour popsicles
• Photo 3: Blue Bottle Macchiato popsicles
• Photo 4: Fun popsicle molds
• Photo 5: Root Beer Float popsicles

P.S.  Might have to get THIS popsicle recipe book.  Or maybe THIS ONE.

Tone it Up! on the Beach

Happy first day of summer!!  I would love to celebrate this most glorious of seasons by heading to the beach for a workout followed by a swim and a few of these.  However, that plan might be totally slightly unrealistic for a Wednesday afternoon.  At least with this COWABUNGA! Total Body Toning workout from the Tone it Up! girls I can pretend I'm at the beach.

The girls perform this workout on surfboards, but my living room floor will have to do for today.  Only ten minutes long, this is a great video when you are pressed for time.  You can also repeat it three times for a full body workout.  Sadly, a follow up swim and cocktails are not included. (sigh)

-♥ J

P.S. If on the off chance you are headed surf side this afternoon (lucky you!), here is a printable version of the workout for you to take with you.  

P.P.S. For more fun (and free) Tone it Up! workouts, check out their YouTube channel.

Because some days need a little of this...

You rule, Jessica!!

-♥ J :)

Have a colorful weekend!!!

In college, I had a dance teacher who when asked if she followed any particular diet replied: "Colors.  I eat colors.  Colors are key."  This advice was lost on my 18 year old self.  "What a weirdo," I joked with my friends.  "Next she is going to tell us to eat unicorn fur!!  Ha Ha!!  She doesn't know what she is talking abou….hey is that fat-free pound cake??  Pass that over here!!"  Turns out, in a time before juice cleanses and raw-vegan-gluten-free everything, my teacher was doling out some pretty sage advice.  If I could go back in time, I would tell young, clueless me to put down the bagel (and the frozen yogurt and the NoDoz) and listen to Regina.  I would also tell myself to stop cutting bangs.

-♥ J :)

P.S. A little weekend reading…

• Wow.  Need to get me some coconut oil.
• 20 ways to create a fit environment.
• Finally a use for the leftover pulp from juicing.
• Subway going vegan??
• Oooh…this could be dangerous.
• The last diet you'll ever need.
• 10 habits to quit if you want to be happy.

Restaurant Spotlight: Mendocino Farms

Early in the week, John and I stopped by Mendocino Farms for quick bite before some grocery shopping. 

The new restaurant on Fairfax and Third calls itself a "sandwich market" but they have some pretty awesome salads, too.

I got the Market Roasted Vegetable Salad: no cheese sub avocado.

 John got the Save Drake Farm Salad: no beets.

Not only does Mendocino Farms promote eating seasonally and locally, but they have so many fun vegan options to choose from; things like Vegan Shawarma and Vegan BBQ Torta.  The staff is also super nice: friendly, helpful and very generous with samples of the daily specials.  I heart you Mendocino Farms.

-♥ J

P.S. Mendocino Farms is right next store to a brand new Trader Joe's (perfect for all you multitaskers out there).

How to Taco a Problem...

photo via Oh She Glows

Yesterday, my friend Sara posted this on Facebook:

"Recipes please: healthy main courses that are heavy on the vegetables, preferably vegetarian and easy. I'm getting bored of basic stir-fry with soy sauce."

At first I suggested Cara's Vegan Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese, but Sara wanted something  that "has more veggies and doesn't require a trip to Whole Foods."  After a bit of detective work, I stumbled upon this recipe for Layered Raw Taco Salad from Oh She Glows.  However, since Angela's salad recipe (printable version HERE) still requires some specialty items, I tweaked it so that it would only include foods that are available in any supermarket.

-♥ J :)

P.S. If you are ever looking for fun, innovative vegan recipes, Oh She Glows is where it's at.  Angela has recipes for everything under sun!


Easy-Peasy Taco Salad
Ingredients:

mixed greens

guacamole (Trader Joe's sells a ready made version.  You could also substitute avocado slices if you prefer.)

salsa

1 can black beans

2 cups quinoa

1/2 cup chopped tomato

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup green onion

lemon

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
2. Mix black beans, chopped tomato, red and green onion in with quinoa.
3. Fold in the juice of one lemon and set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, layer guacamole over mixed greens.
5. Add scoop of quinoa mixture on top of guacamole.
6. Drizzle w/ salsa and garnish w/ organic tortilla chips.

Pobody's Nerfect

photo via Burn and Build Body blog

When I first saw the photo above, I thought it was a "before and after" for a new 90 day fitness program or some fad diet.  Imagine my surprise when I realized this "transformation" was actually the handiwork of makeup artist Gina Brooks.  In the article Beautiful Illusions, Gina explains how she was asked by a photographer to create the illusion of a "very fit and muscular body." Gina accomplished this task entirely with the use of makeup.  "We strive for beauty and to be beautiful often using the models in magazines as our ideal vision of beauty," Gina writes.  "It's good to take a 'behind the scenes' look at how that perfect beauty is often created."  In a world inundated with images of physical perfection, it is important to remember that more often than not these images are simply the work of smoke and mirrors.  Or in this case, makeup and a sharp razor.

-♥ J :)

P.S. Remember this ad???

It's funny 'cause it's true...

Have a great weekend, Veggies!!!

-♥ J :)

P.S. A little weekend reading...

• Which cities have the healthiest eaters??
• No excuses.
• This guy went from fit to fat to fit.  On purpose.
• Good tips on summer snacking.
• Post pregnancy bellies.
• Is sugar toxic??
• Lessons for your younger self.
• Have you seen this show??  It's wonderful!  Check out a full episode HERE.

The Sweet Fry

Inspired by this video from Weelicious, I decided to make sweet potato fries last night.  I guess technically they would be called  "sweet potato bakes" since I didn't actually fry them.  Not only are these faux-fries surprisingly easy to make, but they are also way healthier than their fast food counterparts.  I think they taste better, too.  Gotta love it when that happens.

-♥ J :)

Sweet and Easy Un-fried Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 2-3 organic sweet potatoes
• olive oil
• cinnamon
• salt

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wash and peel potatoes.
3. Chop potatoes into desired shape. ( I prefer skinny fries or cubes.)
4. Lay on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
5. Toss potatoes until they are lightly coated with oil.
6. Sprinkle with cinnamon and salt. (optional)
7. Bake in oven for 45 minutes to 1hour (depending on potato thickness and desired crispness).
8. Eat and enjoy!!

French Kids Eat Everything

photos via A Cup of Jo

Have you heard of the new book French Kids Eat Everything??  Apparently, it is one Canadian mother's exploration into the "food rules" she and her family encountered while living in France for a year.  After reading Joanna's post about it on Monday, it occurred to me that these "rules" for children would make fantastic guidelines for adults as well (especially numbers 2, 5, 7 and 9…)  What do you think??  Would you train your kids to eat like the French??  Do we think it is weird that I don't have any kids, but still want to by this book??  I suppose it is no weirder than me buying Tracy Anderson's Post Pregnancy workout…having never been pregnant.

-♥ J

P.S. For French stuff on A Cup of Jo click HERE and HERE.

Meditation: Before and After

photos via Mind Body Green

Remember when I was wondering if meditation "did anything"???  These photos by Peter Seidler sure make a case for "yes."  In this article on Mind Body Green, Seidler talks about his photo project Contemplatives, "a visual exploration of the physiological qualities of meditation practice."  For the project, the subjects had their pictures taken before and after a month long meditation retreat.  Before each photo they were asked to consider what they were looking for from their practice.  They sure do look glow-y and zen in the afters.  What do you think???  

-♥ J :)

P.S. You can check out the whole article HERE.