I Love Lucy!

My roommate!

Over the past two months that I’ve been funemployed, I’ve gotten to spend a lot more time with my incredibly awesome roommate. We’ve become so much closer and am so grateful that she entered my life. We were fortunate enough to be two sane people who met over the internet. I’ve actually been really lucky with my internet friends (Hi Ben, XX!).

Lucy is the yin to my yang. She is calm, soothing, an excellent listener and advice giver and so sweet. And she is gorgeous! We are also very similar in some ways: we both gag at romantic movies and love healthy food, hula hoops, dirty rap music, hot men, neon colors, lip gloss, working out,  and Bethenny Frankel. A typical day off for us includes wearing bummy clothes, getting coffee, spending too much $ at Target, scoping out men at Whole Foods, then working out.

Lucy claims that before she lived with me she didn’t bake much. She’s been watching me and has been inspired to start baking too. Tonight, after juicing an apple, she wondered if there was anything she could do with the leftover apple pulp. All on her own, she researched and found a recipe for Carrot Apple Ginger Tea Cakes. She got everything together and successfully made them. I was so proud!

Aren’t they cute? She topped them with extra brown sugar to make them sweeter.

Being that she is vegan, I had always assumed her dessert options were so limited. Wrong! I pointed her in the direction of the blogs SpaBettie, by Kristina, and Healthy Diva Eats, by Katie. Any other blogs/sites with vegan recipes would be greatly appreciated by us both! Send ‘em over! :)

Today at the gym, Lucy was admiring a pair of Nikes a guy was wearing. We went over to ask him what style they were, and she actually said, “I’ve been perving on your sneakers. What are they?” Perving. And that is why I love her!

Luck of the Irish Cranberry Banana Oatmeal Cookies (Vegan!)

I feel like I’m either baking or thinking about what I’m baking next. This doesn’t seem to be a problem for anyone around me….except Lucy. My sweetheart roommate is allergic to dairy, so she can’t eat the majority of what I bake. I checked Bethenny Frankel’s website for  vegan recipes. I stumbled upon Cranberry Banana Oatmeal Cookies and immediately made them.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups oat flour
• 3/4 cup Irish steel oats
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1 tsp. canola oil
• 1/3 cup soy milk
• 1/2 cup banana puree (1 medium-size banana)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 °.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. Combine all the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together until well combined.
4. Use a medium-size ice cream scoop or a large spoon to scoop batter onto a cookie sheet covered with wax paper.
5. Bake for 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking, or bake until the edges of the cookies are light brown.

The batch made 16 small cookies, at around 112 calories each. The texture if very different than your typical cookie. It’s not a bad thing, just different. I think they’re muffin-like. Bethenny has a few other recipes I’d like to try, including her Wheat-Free Vegan Double Chocolate Chip Cookies and Boo Boo Banana Bread.

Speaking of banana bread, when I got home last night, Lucy told me that there was a brown bag at the door when she came home from the gym. Praying it wasn’t another love letter (true story), I approached the bag like it might be a bomb.

Obviously it wasn’t a bomb, or else I wouldn’t be typing this…but it was banana bread!! Joey had left a couple of slices of a recipe he made last night. This bread is ridiculous. If you’re interested in a loaf that contains enough sugar to give you diabetes in one slice but tastes like heaven, you should make this. Here is the recipe he emailed me:

“Glad you liked it. I actually just improvised with the walnuts, raisins, & blueberries, but here it is from memory.

Melt 1/3 cup butter

Combine with 3-4 mashed (ripened bananas)

Mix in 1 egg

1 tsp. Van Extract

1 tsp. Salt

1 Cup Sugar

Then, add 1.5 cups all purpose flour or whole wheat flour if you choose.

I then just added 2 oz. chopped walnuts, handful or raisins and a handful of blueberries.

Bake on 350 for an hour, and you should let it cool before you cut it. I didn’t which is why your piece wasn’t a perfect slice (impatient haha)”

I really appreciate the manly writing style of this recipe. So caveman like. “Melt this. Mix that.” Ha.

. . .

I just noticed that I have reached over 400 Google followers. I feel like it happened overnight! Thanks guys!!! I’m really curious though – I know all of you who comment, but the rest of you…where are you? Please leave a comment stating who you are, where you’re from, and if you have a blog. And click here to follow if you haven’t already. GRACIAS!

Hummingbird Cake Smoothie

…in a bowl.

Inspired by Stefanie, who posted about a Carrot Cake smoothie last Tuesday, I woke up this morning wanting cake. Alas, cake is inappropriate for a Tuesday morning breakfast, unless of course, you make it in smoothie form with plenty of milk, fruit, and protein powder.

Hummingbird Cake Smoothie

• 1 sliced, frozen banana
• 1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks
• 1/3 cup light vanilla soy milk
• 1 rounded scoop vanilla protein powder
• walnuts, for topping
• cinnamon, to taste

Process in blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.

This has the flavor of cake and the texture of ice cream – how can your day go wrong when you start it out with this!?

What’s your favorite cake? What are your favorite smoothie ingredients?

. . .

Last night I went to my friend Noah’s house to help him pick out an outfit for a first date he’s going on tonight. We picked out his clothes, a restaurant, and a time. I’d love to tell you his whereabouts, but he’s too cute and you guys might want to go crash his date. We talked about all the must-dos (pick her up, open doors, ask her what she wants to drink) and the no-no conversation topics. Noah was about to tell her how last week he picked up some deodorant and when he got home there was a black hair on it. I told him to not tell her that story over dinner.

. . .

Lastly, Britney Spears’ new c.d., Femme Fatale, came out today!

I pre-ordered it so it immediately started downloading when I turned on my computer today. I’m listening to it now, and so far it’s very clubby. Not sure how much I’ll like playing this in the kitchen, but it will be great for the gym. I’m currently loving the songs Selfish, I Wanna Go and Inside Out. Any Britney fans out there?

Sweet & Summery Chicken Salad

Despite the fact that it’s 46* and raining here in Charleston, I was feeling Summery. Maybe because I was just at the pool last weekend? There were a bit too many Coor’s lights and Peeps this weekend so I together an easy chicken salad with some ingredients I found in my kitchen. It came together quite nicely…and Summery.

Sweet & Summery Chicken Salad, serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shredded, cooked chicken (6 oz.)
• 1/2 cup pineapple tidbits
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup walnut pieces
• 2 tbsp. plain Greek yogurt (I love you, Fage!)
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
• s&p to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, toss together chicken, pineapple, carrots, and walnuts.
2. Add Greek yogurt, honey, mustard, cinnamon, and salt & pepper. Mix well. Serve atop a bed of lettuce or in a pita.

The Guzzini bowl and silverware pictured above were purchases from Eataly in NYC. This is my most recent green obsession purchase. The amount of green objects I have is obnoxious.

- my laptop

-my Blackberry cover (Matt was creeping on my text messages.)

- my Camelbak

- kitchen bowls

- one of my bedroom walls

-Longchamp bag

- mittens

– blankets

- dumbbells

–kitchen utensils

- and the unnecessary collection of Menchie’s spoons

I think everyone has an affinity for a particular color, but I probably need an intervention.  Yesterday when I was at Menchie’s, I noticed they now have hot pink spoons! I immediately texted Lucy, knowing she’d be psyched. She replied, “No freaking way! Take their spoon supplies!!!!!!! It’s you and me in spoons!”

Obviously I asked the girl at the counter if I could buy some. She smiled, handed me a bowl and said “Here. Have a nice day!”

SCORE!! But now Lucy and I are wondering what the heck we’ll do with 60 pink spoons.

What is YOUR color?

I Am In Love.

Not with a man, nope, no way.

I am loving these lately:

1. C.O. Bigelow lip products: Apple Rose Salve and Lemon Lip Cream. Both are so refreshing and Summery!

2. The fact that even at 26 years old, I still consult a Magic 8 ball for making life decisions. Ask8ball.net is the 8 ball of the 21st century.

3. Library books. I embrace my nerdiness.

4. Nerdiness would be an understatement.  This would explain why Ashley and I feel that it’s okay to “power up” with our matching rings.

5. PEEPS!! Justin reintroduced these into my life Thursday night. For the past 20-ish years, I’ve thought that I didn’t like them. Wrong. We ate these peeps in .2 seconds in the Target parking lot.

6. This sign from the tanning bed that I found in Ashley’s bedroom. It was on her desk, but I kindly placed it on her bed where it belongs.

7. The fact that we somehow managed to get half of the gym friends out on Friday night. Don’t ask me who the Bob Barker lookalike and his woman are. We just befriended them I guess.

8. Chick-fil-A. Did you think it wouldn’t be on this list? Ha.

What are yall up to today? I am off to the Vickery’s Oyster Roast with some gym friends. Sunday Funday!!

xo!

A to Z Survey

I am the last girl in the blogosphere to do this!

A. Age: 26
B. Bed size: Queen
C. Chore you dislike: I hate cleaning the bathroom.
D. Dogs: Poodles!! Or any white, fluffy thing that looks like this:

Yes, that is my creepy face to the left.

E. Essential start to your day: Food. Immediately. And this:

F. Favorite color: Lime Green! Orange! Purple! I’m so tacky.
G. Gold or silver: Silver. I need these:

 
H. Height: 5'1.75”
I. Instruments you play(ed): This is a joke, right? Can a fork be considered an instrument?
K. Kids: Maybe later.
L. Live: Charleston, SC
M. Mom’s name: Karen
N. Nicknames: X, Xtina, Leena, Chrissy (only allowed by my cousin)
O. Overnight hospital stays: No thanks.
P. Pet peeves: Loud chewing, gum smacking, slow talking, slow walking, slow anything really
Q. Quote from a movie: “There’s nothing worse in life than being ordinary.” –American Beauty
R. Righty or lefty: Lefty.
S. Siblings: 3 younger brothers. It’s no wonder why I have a lot of male friends.
T. Time you wake up: It varies, but once I’m up, I’m up. No naps allowed.
U. Underwear: They are part of my wardrobe.
V. Vegetables you don’t like: Mushrooms, green peppers, and collard greens.
W. What makes you run late: Uh, anything.
X. X-rays you’ve had: I had my first one on my foot in January.
Y. Yummy food you make: Cookies!
Z. Zoo animal favorites: Penguins!!! I want to hug one.

In other news, I’m officially obsessed with this song/video:

Sorry if you just had a seizure.

Grimy Wednesday!

This morning I woke up on a mission to make cookies. I made Peanut Butter Banana Oat with a peanut butter honey drizzle. Most people mash bananas with the back of a fork or potato masher, but I was feeling ferocious and used a meat pounder. And then I licked it.

I had a very typical Xtina moment with the icing. I got distracted by the oven timer and dripped it all over the counter. Oopsies!
The cookies came out wonderfully but the icing really made them. Amanda stopped by for a a couple during her study break and then I sent her home with 6. : ) I hope they help her get an A+ on her test!

I brought a bunch to the gym for my guinea pigs/gym boyfriends to test. Justin P, Mike, Phillip and Ashley loved them…

but NY Justin, Noah, and Dave didn’t love the texture. And I quote, “They need to be harder.” I kept my mouth shut, but thought, “TWSS.”

After about an hour of working out but mostly socializing, NY Justin, Mike, and I went to “Grimy Wednesday” spin class. “Grimy Wednesday” = spinning to dirty rap. I almost lost it when “Doe Boy Fresh” by Three 6 Mafia came on. If you haven’t heard that song, click here. GHETTO.

An hour of dirty dancing on a bike really worked up an appetite, so Justin and I went to Whole Foods for pizza. I called in a cheese pizza for Xtina. They took me seriously. I’ll forgive them for the unnecessary hyphen.
  They also had BEETZA!
This was our pizza. Large and in charge.
Justin folds his pizza to eat it. I eat mine crust first. How do YOU eat it?

This pizza was a celebration pizza!! More details to come

Counterproductive Gym Sessions

Sunday:
I was in a craptastic mood so I jumped on the treadmill, pressed start, and didn’t speak a word for 3.1 miles. Meanwhile, Lucy and Ashley were on the arctic climbers wondering why I wasn’t engaging in the “omg-listen-to-what-happened-last-night” session. About 25 minutes later, I ripped my shirt off and went straight for the foam roller. Yes, I had a tank on underneath. Lucy and Ashley joined me shortly after for a therapy session. Not physical therapy. Mental therapy at the gym.

In about 10 minutes, Lucy and Ashley successfully brought me out of my lunatic state right back into my usual chipper mood. God bless those ladies. I totally forgot to roll my shins, but I did find an interesting Redbook magazine:

I love Bethenny Frankel so much. I totally relate to her screwy family situation and complete lack of a verbal filter.

Monday:
The highlight of my day was creating a new cookie recipe. See the dough? Try and guess what that purple-y mess is. It’s heavenly, just heavenly.
 
I absolutely love baking, but I think what I enjoy more is giving them to people and watching their reactions. So I brought them to where a good chunk of my loved ones are: the gym.

Locker #14 containing my purse and 16 cookies.

The first person to consume one of my cookies was Mike. I told him he could have one now or on his way out. He dropped his dumbbells and said, “Well I might as well have one now.”  Thanks for giving in, sweaty Mike.

Beaming with a sense of success, I skipped over to my treadmill. I left the tupperware at the end of my treadmill so my friends could easily access them. Ashley, David, Melody, Justin, and Dave all ate cookies mid-workout. Ashley was convinced it made her work harder:

Later that evening, both Joey and Daniel stopped by for cookies. They came in, chatted for a few minutes, then got out. I hope my neighbors know that I’m only dealing cookies. :)