so easy.

sure, they call me miss environmentalist. 

but for someone who would rather eat dinner off of the floor than to use styrofoam, you would be appalled at how many post it's, note cards, notebooks, legal pads (need i go on) that i use...daily. i just like to jot things down. but as i am aware of this gross habit, i have been making a conscious effort to minimize my paper usage/paper waste by being more organized (but i will never give up my post it notes....i am just praying that 3M goes green someday). Yes, this has resulted in my buying more notebooks, but i promise, it is all for the cause.

this is my most recent attempt (the vegetable theme felt appropriate and it was green).

  i have bagillions of magazine clippings, index cards, post it's, probably a napkin and some other stuff that have recipes on them. but this here, green lovely, will allow me to write all of my recipes in one place. ...with the recipe book, my planner, my notepads, reading material, snacks and a 13 tubes of chapstick- i do require rather large handbags.

i learned an amazing treat dessert. you bet your buttons it's in the book.

one bowl. one spoon. one tablespoon. one minute. fifty calories. awesome.

dessert delights

2 T   dry cake mix (any kind)

1 1/3 T water

*mix it all up.

*put something yummy in the middle.

*microwave 1 minute.

(i chose chocolate cake and vanilla pudding even though it looks like melted provolone on mud...but everything is better in an anthropologie bowl!)

* eat it all up!

satisfying, super fast AND you can burn that thing off in 3 minutes of running. that's less than one jay z song.

spring time.

yesterday was the first day of the spring equinox for 2011.  and what a better way to welcome the beloved season than with cold, windy, rainy, gloomy weather??  i was sorely disappointed in mother nature's timing. but nonetheless, spring has come. and the greener, sunnier and happier days are well on their way!

yesterday we celebrated with an "indoor spring picnic".  it was amazing. we had a table full of add ins for chef salads (luckily half of our dinner group is vegetarian), pasta salad, treats (including a huge jar of cadbury mini eggs of course), deviled eggs, summer drinks, etc.  

ignore justin, he was just really getting excited to eat.

it was a splendid afternoon being stuffed on fresh, healthy salads, sweets from friends and good company.

yesterday's fun was just what i needed because it was the end of my spring break and i was not going anywhere fun this year. i was going to be in denver with my sisters and the babies, but things did not pan out. however, i managed to stay plenty occupied. 

my roommates (nicki and aubrei) from snow college came down to provo and we went on a group date...it was the first time that the trifecta has been back together in years and the best part- we picked up right where we were before. that is how good friendships work.

 i just love those women. they have both taught me so much and have been part of some of the best memories of my life. they were the first girls that i really ever became friends with.  it was an absolute treat to spend time with them.

the rest of the weekend was spent watching basketball, reading freakonomics (loved this book. just finished it and about to being supernomics- thank you literary buddy, andrew), the relief society birthday party and being rather lazy. the relaxation was exquisite (when we weren't hollering or stunned to silence over march madness upsets). 

this week it is back to work and school, that whole responsibility thing.  i am still undecided as to what classes to take but i have a little time left to figure that out. as of right now it is looking like physiology will be my main focus for the semester. 

i wish that i could have gone home to be with my sisters. i miss them a lot. but i will get back there again soon. and they could always come visit me... so for now i am leaching love off of my friends and just happy as can be.

i am excited for the spring season to make herself manifest through some greenery and sunshine...canyon bike rides, runs, walks, picnics, climbing - here i come.

i am so excited.

i am so stinking excited.  why?  because i have a new plant.  and according to research, even i cannot kill this one.

yes i just got back from running and doing yoga...
His name is Lloyd (all things of intrinsic value deserve to be named). He is in the beginning stages of germination and well on his way to full, beautiful vegetation! See, I even know the proper stages of plant growth.  My implementation is a bit sketchy when it comes to aiding the process, but I am learning.  No really- I have a book and everything.

he is just so happy and snug in there.
Why I named this plant Lloyd, you ask?  And what kind of plant is he??  Well I will tell you.

When my little sister was about 5 years old, she came home from school with a styrofoam cup (it was before i was aware of how awful that stuff is, of course) filled with soil and grass seeds.  She took such good care of this little cup of grass and named him Harry.  When we moved to St. Louis, my parents not realizing how much Hillary loved Harry, made her plant him the Wisconsin woods before leaving.  She was devastated. Cried. Broken.  Harry is still a sore spot.  Well.... I am not growing grass per say, but I am growing Wheatgrass!!  And it just seemed insenstive to name him Harry (or even Harry II).  Seeing as how Lloyd has always been Harry's better half, it was only appropriate.

you cannot really seem them, but they are sprouting, big time!
My green thumb of a friend, Arthur, came over last night with Lloyd and taught me the ropes.  We have a juicer, I have google (in case something goes wrong...murphy's law is my life when it comes to plants...), and my body is ready for it's daily intake of wheatgrass shots. Feng Shui would require some plant life in your house, so now I have it. And it is much more economical than spending $4 a day at Jamba for the stuff. It is right at my ready for pennies a day and a free bonding experience with mother nature. sweet.

This is A's. Hopefully Lloyd will grow just as beautifully. 

so. excited.

holy fake cow.

Thanks to Caroline's prompting, I tried some Morning Star stuff this week.

morning star garden veggie patties.

I melted some Italian blend shredded cheese on top with a ton of pepper and just ate it that way and oh my goodness, it was fabulous.  Apparently I like veggie and bean burgers much better than soy!

(and they had tons of coupons for Morning Star at Smith's. win.)

But I am finding myself in the preliminary veggie burgers or pasta rut. I need some ideas... I feel like everything that I make is some sort of pasta (well I guess I have always done that...) or something with a pattie.  Any ideas????

Tonight I have yoga, I scarfed that veggie pattie down for lunch and earlier I'd eaten oatmeal and fruit for breakfast after showering with this:

noah's naturals rejuvenating body wash.

I love Noah's Naturals.  Everything is eco friendly and makes my skin super smooth and it smells AMAZING (and when i am lucky, they have it at TJMaxx for about 75% off the retail price).

Gosh, I just feel so healthy today!

may or may not.

dear boca,

thank you for making this transistion a bit easier on me. 

but i may or may not still really miss wendy's snack wraps.

and spaghetti may or may not be the same with boca crumbles.

and red robbin's garden burger may or may not totally kick your butt.

but thanks for being so handy and yummy.

love,

determined to be a vegetarian beckie.