Happy Sunday everyone! This has been a great weekend so far, and I’m just sad that it’s going to be over at the end of today 🙁 I love that all of you are so interested in a review of French Women Don’t Get Fat and the “rules” that I’ve garnered from it, but this morning I’m in a bit of a hurry and I want to be able to spend some quality time on that one. My plan is to do that tonight and post it tomorrow morning!
Let’s backtrack a bit to Friday night. Nate was playing poker with a bunch of friends, so I took that opportunity to start cleaning the house. I don’t know why, but it’s just been a wreck lately! As soon as I cleaned the kitchen I decided on making some homemade granola using this jar of deliciousness that Tropical Traditions was so kind to send to me:
This was my first go-round with coconut oil, and it was definitely different, but fun! It solidifies at room temperature, so I had to kind of melt it like butter before using it. The granola recipe is SUPER simple and so good!
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/8 cup molasses
- 1/8 cup brown sugar
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolls oats
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
- 1/4 cup milled flax seed
- 1/4 cup coconut flakes
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 2/3 cup dried cranberries
Combine the melted coconut oil, molasses, and brown sugar in a pot over low heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, then add the oats, pecans, and flax seed. Stir to coat and pour onto a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake at 300 for 30-45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so to ensure even baking. Make sure you watch it towards the end so it doesn’t burn. Cool completely, then add the coconut flakes, chia seeds, and cranberries. This makes quite a bit of granola, but if you’re anything like us it’ll be gone in a couple of days!
Saturday morning I decided to make a parfait out of my granola and some Oikos heaven:
Topped with about 1 Tbsp of cherry preserves:
The creamy-crunchy combo just can’t be beat! The rest of the morning I finished cleaning the house (which looks amazing now I might add) and read some blogs to catch up. We were inspired by Ashley’s frisbee date at Wash Park in Denver, so rather than hiking (we just didn’t have enough time once I was done cleaning) we decided to play frisbee with the dogs at a local park instead! First we had lunch at Fazoli’s, where I had a small plate of spaghetti with meatballs:
AND GUESS WHAT?!?! My car, Rolly (she’s a Corolla) hit 100,000 miles!!! I’m so weird, I kind of teared up when this happened…don’t ask. It’s probably hormones. But still, I’ve had this car since I was a senior in high school and it’s just crazy that it happened!
We were at the park for about an hour, where Nate and I played frisbee and the dogs ran around like banshees under the sun. They were pretty exhausted when we got home! I decided to do a muscle endurance workout that I taped on FitTV and some yoga. Good news is I still have the ability to do strength training on my legs, but the bad news is that even though I’ve been practicing yoga frequently and stretching all the time, I’ve lost a lot of flexibility in the injured knee. Not cool. I’m definitely making that doctor’s appointment on Monday!
So last night Nate and I went to the Boulder Indoor Cycling facility to photograph a benefit for starting the Trips for Kids Boulder chapter. Lots of bikes!!!
They had some races with the kids that have already started the program in Boulder, two guys from RipStoke who performed some amazing tricks on their bikes, and LOTS of food! We did all of the photography and then they welcomed us to eat with everyone else 🙂 We had spring rolls with peanut sauce:
Some crostini:
A bruschetta with fresh mozzarella and zucchini:
Tortellin pasta salad (we didn’t eat this, but I still thought it was pretty!)
A fruit and cheese tray:
Some amazing tomato basil pizza:
And the dessert tray had lemon bars, raspberry squares, and brownies. You better believe I went straight fat kid on those lemon bars!
Nate stuck around a little longer to shoot the raffle they were holding while I went down the street to Barnes & Noble to stalk the Pioneer Woman cookbook. I’m constantly amazed at how fabulous this woman is! When we got home I basically went straight to bed…it was a long, action-packed day! So far this morning I haven’t had any breakfast. Just not hungry yet, and I don’t really feel the need to eat if I’m not hungry! I’m sure it’ll happen soon though 🙂
Have you ever had a car that hit 100K miles? Did you react at all like I did? ALSO, out of those three decadent desserts, which one would you have picked? My first car was a 1986 Toyota Camry that already had over 100K miles when I started driving it. It was SO much fun to drive, and I would still rock that car today if I could! And I think my answer to the second question is pretty obvious 🙂
So random that you posted about coconut oil. I bought some this weekend – was freakishly excited to find it! The plan is to make granola too. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Hope you had fun w/the frisbee…we sure did!!! =)
Yep, mine hit 100k last year. I just paid it off too! I hope it doesn’t die anytime soon. The food from that benefit looks soooo good. I’m getting hungry!
My first car was the only one that hit 100K miles because I think it had like 50K when I got it. But I got the same way when my car hit like 40K recently. Who knows why.
Raspberry for me please! Makes you feel better about dessert.
My car hit 100 k a few months ago… I bought it when it only had 17k on it.
Lemon squares please 😉
I love seeig my car hit cool numbers. On the last car I drove I got to see I hit 123,456. I also appreciate numbers that are palindromes. My family has always bought a car for long term so I’ve seen three different cars cross 250,000 throughout my life.
My all time favorite dream car is a Volvo station wagon – that’s rght, I want a station wagon. heck in high school I wanted a mini-van because it would hold more people & hockey gear. Now when we lik at cars my requirement is that you can easily put a babyseat in the back ( even though that’s awhile from now)..
all the food looks fabulous!
did you know they’re making a movie out of “pioneer woman?” starring reese witherspoon?
I heard that too! how cool is that?!
CONGRATS GIRL!!
ahh that food looks awesome- SO incredibly fresh! love spring rolls!
My car and I were created in the same year. I get offended when people say it’s a classic haha No clue how many miles, though; it’s great you pay attention to things like that!
Katherine
Your so cute!!
Most of my cars when I was younger were already close to 100Km when I purchased them….but my most recent car I purchased new 4 years ago and it is getting close…..we drive alot! Thank goodness for good quality German built cars!
I would love to eat every stinking dessert there!
XXOO
I want those lemon bars SO bad!!!!!!!!! Yum. That tray looks fabulous. Congrats on your 100,000 miles. I hit 140,000 in my Honda before it really started shitting the bed. Looks like a great weekend. Cute that you and Nate played frisby while the pups played.
My story of my car hitting 100,000 miles is kinda funny. I was driving one day to work and noticed that I was about 10 miles from the big 100k. About a minute later I got a phone call and got into an in depth conversation. Next thing I know I look down and it read 100,001. I was so ticked that I missed it!
I just traded in my old Explorer, it had hit 140K. It was a tough call because she was not having too many problems but I wanted to trade her in before she broke down. You never know, some vehicles go 200K pretty easily now, you can just never predict it. I was sad when I traded her in : (
My high school Saab (which was my parents before it was mine) hit 200K my senior year so we actually threw it a party!
I love PW too! Those lemon bars were calling out to me too, so yum!
I have a new-ish car so it hasn’t hit that mark yet. I will cry. I love my car… er, jeep. I’m INCREDIBLY protective, it’s quite pathetic.
And i’d go for the brownies just because I’m a chocolate freak!
Um…can I have all of those desserts? 🙂
Yum – fresh springs rolls are sooo good. I think I would have gone for the brownie…but who are we kidding… I would probably eat all three ; )
Yup, my car hit 100,000 just recently. I was all excited to photograph the moment, but I was driving home from work with lots on my mind, and didn’t look down until 100,008! Sheesh. I was a little sad to miss the moment. 🙂
My last car has about 129k on it before I donated it to my parents. It is still truckin’ along, too!
All that food looks amazing!!
Wow, MILES eh? crazy! that’s like over 160 000 km. insane!
No I totally understand the car thing…….within this last year I sold my baby…..”Black Beauty”…..the car that I had drove since highschool. It went with me through highschool, college, grad school and into the first year of married life! The day I sold it, I gave her a good clean and one last cruise around the block for old timesake!! 🙂 PS…..your parfait looks delicious, I think you just inspired my morning eats!!!!
haha Stallion hasn’t hit 100,000 yet but he is getting pretty close…and you know my first car…the 91 camry stick shift…yeah buddy, I rocked that thing! I really miss driving standard!
And I totally would’ve gone straight for the lemon bars too….haha its a Schoenecke thing I’m pretty sure
Congrats on hitting the 100k mark, girl – it´s a big number 😉
Delicious eats and pics – that parfait looked amazing!
Have a terrific Sunday!
Brazilian XOXO´s,
Gabriela
Wow, that granola sounds fantastic! I love the use of coconut oil 🙂
Did you get the PW cookbook?! I had preordered it because I’m a stalker as well. 🙂 It’s one of my faves!
No, I didn’t but I really can’t wait to get it! Just gotta make it past this month in property taxes and I’m home free 🙂