Currently

Eating — leftovers from last night's dinner. I made another batch of the spring breakfast skillet (guess what, it can be eaten for dinner, too!)  and paired it with tempeh, which I marinated in soy sauce/rice vinegar/garlic/peanut oil for 20 minutes & sauteed. I dipped it in bbq sauce, which was pretty good! Today with my leftovers I am sans sauce, but I'm not suffering much. ;)

Loving — yoga, running, being healthy. Which is amusing because I have bronchitis -- but I've been working out all through it, and actually credit a yoga class with helping this illness move along. I can't wait to spend this weekend taking classes & running, along with the other activity we have planned (moving everything into the new fish tank Scott spent the last several months building -- oh boy!).

Missing — Oregon. I think about it a lot these days, especially now that all of my childhood friends are having their own kids. It keeps reminding me of how awesome it was to grow up in a place like Oregon. I really hope to end up there again someday in the future. If I could do it now I would, but it's not all about me and there are many other factors in play re: moving decisions. I'm capable of being happy pretty much anywhere, I think, but my heart is in Oregon.

Moving — well, not yet, but hopefully soon (in a year or something like that). Life is comfortable here. Too comfortable. It's probably years past when we should have shaken things up. As much as I will cry when we leave this place, I also want to move forward with our lives (and have a yard). How this will all happen (or where) has yet to be determined, but it must.

Taking — some time to stay in and sleep/recuperate tonight after having a bit too much fun last night at the Shout Out Louds concert I photographed (love them so much!). I had a great time, but I wasn't really recovered from this dumb bronchitis so I definitely felt worse this morning. I am supposed to go out and shoot another show that is very close to my heart tonight, but I just can't afford to get sicker as my half marathon approaches in just three freakin' weeks!

Breakfast Tacos // Spring Breakfast Skillet

Today I want to share a couple of really easy vegan breakfast recipes with you. Breakfast is often a tough meal for me for two reasons: one, most traditional "breakfast foods" aren't vegan in the slightest, and two, I've never been a fan of most traditional breakfast foods due to how sweet they are (I prefer savory). A lot of the time I eat dinner leftovers for breakfast or some other food that most of you would probably consider strictly lunch/dinner fare. I think cereal and fruit are pointless foods that don't interest me for the most part, so don't get me started on that ... and while I do love oatmeal, I burned out on it big time. Plus, neither of those foods are particularly fun to make!

Anyway -- in the last week I've been experimenting with new breakfast/brunch ideas that are easy to make, healthy for body & mind, and easy on the grocery bill. Here were two major successes.



Breakfast tacos are something I made up because I really really love tacos-- and really there are endless variations. But here's what I put in mine (spoiler alert: there is no salsa!) this time:

Ingredients:
----> Onion (I used a small spring onion bulb -- finely diced)
----> Carrots (1 should be fine -- finely diced)
----> Garlic (2-4 cloves -- finely diced)
----> Corn (I used frozen), about 1/4 package
----> Black beans (1 can)
----> Cumin, chili powder, salt & pepper
----> Lettuce or other greens
----> Tortillas (I used Mi Rancho "slider" size tortillas)
----> Olive oil (I used California Olive Ranch Miller's Blend)
----> Cholula or another hot sauce

Instructions:
----> Heat the skillet to medium high.
----> Add frozen corn and grill until it starts to turn brown (this is a way of enhancing the flavor that I read somewhere recently ... and it works great!).
----> Add olive oil, onions, carrots and garlic, and turn down heat to medium low. Allow everything to cook down until the vegetables start to caramelize, but make sure to stir to prevent burning the garlic & onions!
----> Now add drained & rinsed black beans, cumin/chili powder/salt/pepper to your liking.
----> Stir until heated through -- if you want to add a tiny bit of water to help the spices mix, then that's totally fine. Also, I had to cover the skillet and leave the room for a few minutes to allow the carrots to soften fully, so if your carrots are a bit more al dente than you'd prefer, that's what I recommend.
----> Meanwhile, spray tortillas with olive oil & fry in another pan on high for about 30 seconds on each side.
----> After tortillas are done, scoop a copious amount of filling onto each tortilla, top with shredded lettuce & your hot sauce of choice. Probably eat with a fork ;)   Delicious!


The recipe that actually got the gears turning for the breakfast tacos was this one for a Spring breakfast skillet, and I can't claim to have made it up myself. Rather, this recipe came from my CSA, Eatwell Farm, and I made it using only ingredients from my harvest share box last week.

Ingredients:
----> New potatoes (1lb), chopped, skin on
----> Olive oil
----> Carrots (2-3 small, chopped)
----> Onion (1 spring onion bulb / 1/2 regular onion, chopped)
----> Garlic (I used green garlic, about 4 cloves, chopped)
----> Greens (arugula or basil)
----> Salt (I used Thyme salt, but any salt will do) & pepper
----> Oregano (fresh)

Instructions:
----> Heat skillet to medium & add olive oil.
----> Add potatoes & cook, stirring regularly, until about halfway cooked.
----> Then add carrots, and continue to cook.
----> When the potatoes & carrots are just about done, add greens, salt, pepper & oregano.
----> ENJOY!

See? It's so easy. It's deceptively easy for how much flavor & health you get. You'll want it every morning!

So yes, that's what I've been up to in my kitchen these last few days. I love spring produce.

Currently.

OK OK ... I'm only wishing this is what I was doing "currently" but this was my Monday / "Introvert's Day Off"

Reading: Cooked by Michael Pollan. I'm trying to go through it as methodically as possible, so I've been reading slowly, but I love it so far. I'm having the same problem that I usually have with Michael Pollan books, though -- he always makes me crave meat.

Wondering: how our sweet new kitty is doing at home. As of this morning, Cinders was rubbing all over me in the bathroom as I dropped off his breakfast (which he didn't eat ... he's used to eating freshly killed animals, remember? We feed a raw-only diet but it's a little less fresh than that, I'm afraid...). What a sweetheart. Will tonight be the night we introduce him to Zeke and Mogli? I hope so, but at the same time we're really trying to be cautious, for everybody's sake.

Feeling thankful: for second chances, and for very good news from very good friends. <3  And yes, I'm being vague, but only because it's not my story to tell. But I am very thankful indeed!

Eating: a black bean burger from my favorite near-work establishment, Bongo Burger. It's definitely my favorite veggie burger on the planet (!) -- I should probably eat fewer of them. ;)  I'm trying to get back into my normal eating habits after four days without Scott left me eating out a lot and my stomach in a twist. I came away from all that takeout with the same, tired conclusion ... that most food sucks, and I can make it better. I should have just taken the time to begin with, but I was avoiding being at home.

Watching: tons of reruns of Full House and The Nanny. They're on in blocks every night on Nick at Nite, and I can't help myself. I watched both of these shows a lot when I was a kid and I think they were each important to my development, though in different ways (different eras!). I idolized DJ on Full House throughout my elementary years, even though I was way more of a Stephanie (much to my chagrin!). Going back and watching these shows again gives me a much sought after link to my childhood days, which now that I'm in my early 30s, I am desperately nostalgic for.

Working on: getting my work done, the house clean, my body in shape & my sleep deficit erased. You know, nothing special (ha)! Really I have been trying to make a dent in the things I've been putting off on my to-do list, the things that weigh on me every day when I don't get them done. It might be mundane, but it's a huge accomplishment/load off my shoulders when those things finally get done.

Loving: life, yoga, and the pursuit of happiness (and a clean house).


The Currently posts are inspired by the super lovely Danielle. Go visit her and join in!

I guess it's time I edit the "cats" page...

...because Scott is bringing home a cat from his mom's house today! Completely unexpected, very random, yet this is how cat adoptions tend to work in his family so I'm not sure why I'm surprised.

His name is Cinders, and he's been living in my mother-in-law's neighborhood for a couple of years, give or take. He is gorgeous and a skilled hunter (he's particularly into killing rabbits, and he even brought Scott a rat at 1am the other night). I'm afraid his rabbit & rat-killing days are over, though, because he's been given a clean bill of health from the vet, been vaccinated and de-wormed/de-flead (he was already neutered!), and he'll be coming home to live with us tonight.

So, as much as I've enjoyed the chaos-free lifestyle that comes with having two cats, and as much as I've been resisting editing the "cats" page on this blog since Jeffy died ... I am excited. Because my husband has fallen in love with this gorgeous thing, and because (let's face it) ultimately I thrive on chaos. And, if we're going to be really honest, there's been a feeling of something missing in our lives, and that thing is a large cat with enormous paws -- and Cinders certainly will fill that role.

More photos (taken by me) to come soon, but here's a couple from Scott's phone:

This was certainly unexpected. But a three-cat household we will be, again!

Head in the clouds...

I may be still at work, but my head has already left the building. I'm gearing up for an action-packed weekend, which will include all of this and more:

-- the opening reception for our sculpture show (tonight!) in Berkeley
--yoga first thing tomorrow
--a solo hike/photo walk in the Presidio on Saturday afternoon
--solo bar hopping Saturday evening
--running on Sunday morning
--brunch on Sunday at the best vegan restaurant ever, Millennium, with friends
--more yoga on Sunday, this time a restorative class at 6pm at a yoga studio I've wanted to go to for years

It's going to be a solo weekend, as Scott will be out of town ... but it's going to be a great weekend. Here's to taking life by the horns and not letting go! ♥

Random

• I decided that my hair is its own semi-sentient being now. It's enormous. It will soon have its own zip code & has thought about getting a Twitter account.
  
  
• I spent wasted an hour today yesterday trying to figure out the difference between a brothel and a bordello. From what I can tell, they are actually the same thing, but brothel comes from a German root word via English, and bordello has a French root.word. I do have this to say after going around in circles, though: dictionaries, by their very definition, should not be confusing. Shame on you, dictionary. And no, not the urban dictionary - a real one.
  
  
• A couple of weeks ago the bitchy manager at my local Walgreens told me there are "more than 30" Amber Gregorys in their database, so it's no surprise someone else's phone number got attache to my rewards card. I wanted to punch him in the mouth, but also WTF. How are there that many people with my exact name? I have major issues with having a common name (would never give my children common names ever), and thought I at least wasn't that common. That this is still bothering me two weeks later gives you an idea of the magnitude of my feelings. You see now why I'm so angry that my very favorite girls name (Olive, which runs in my family) has been co-opted by celebrities, right?
  
  
• I am obsessed with temporary tattoos. I want them all the time forever and it only took me 30 years to get to this point (random!). If that isn't random, I'm not sure what is! By the way, here's a plug for the place I'm getting all these from: Tattly. Temporary tattoos designed by designers!
  

I'm not naked. I promise. Really. RAINBOWS!

Tonight is the last night of ceramics class. I'm wearing sparkly nail polish 2.0 and it has already chipped. I am getting vegan bhan mi for lunch. I am planning out a crazy fun weekend and I am so ready for the work week to be over. Running, yoga, brunch, photos, hiking, gay bars & cooking are just a few of the things I have planned for this fancy solo weekend (Scott will be celebrating mothers day with his mom). Come on, weekend, with your temps in the 70s, let's do this already.

Six Things

I am wayyyyyy too busy at work today to blog -- so I took five minutes to upload a few snapshots to convey the last three days, days filled with running and sunshine and photos and not-sunshine & wine and even some good old fashioned accessorizing. Hopefully I will have more time for words tomorrow.

morning on Market Street

I went & did something feminine -- nail polish! Happens once a year.

Tattly on my upper arm

Shooting film this weekend

My beautiful city <3

photography with wedding clients up in Sonoma