Can you believe it’s the holiday season already??? Are you at a loss for a special dish to prepare to “WOW” your family with this year? I’ve seen a ton of delicious healthy, raw, vegetarian and vegan Thanksgiving recipes posted lately and figured it’s time to do another BLOG HOP Please share your blog and […] Read more…
Lita’s Full Blog
Overrated Perfection
I often find myself getting so very frustrated when the weekend winds to a close. Why? you ask. Because I never seem to get done all the things on my “to do” chore list. And, oftentimes, those I do get done, are done in a quick and hurried way – less than perfect. I have […] Read more…
Veterans Day 2011
A big thank you to all the Veterans who have served in the past, today and tomorrow. Happy Veteran’s Day. Read more…
Shutterfly Holiday Card Giveaway
Are you like me and do you wait until the last minute to prepare, print and send your holiday cards? Rushing around like a crazy person trying to get it all done? This year, I’m determined to start early – which means starting now! AND, this year, I’m going to be using Shutterfly to create […] Read more…
Wordless Wednesday – Butchart Garden
A Moment to Brag a Bit
Today I’m going to take a moment to brag a bit about my oldest daughter, Libby. A couple of weeks ago she mentions to us, “I’m getting an award at a ceremony in November 8th, would you guys like to come?”. Well, of course we do. She mentions it so casually – which is so […] Read more…
Meatless Mondays – Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes
Yes, I love “pumpkin” everything!! Especially at this time of year. So, of course, I made a vegan pumpkin treat – CUPCAKES! Because, who doesn’t love cupcakes?? (If you don’t, then let us prepare in intervention). This recipe makes 12 delicious fluffy cupcakes. Ingredients & Instructions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and […] Read more…
Sunday Sock Monkey Fun
Westly just received a birthday gift from his awesome Grandma Pat…this amazing SOCK MONKEY! The boys just love it…especially because it’s taller than Westly is. Taller now, that is. I’m sure we’ll watch him pass up the sock monkey (and us) over the coming years! Oh, why do they have to grow up?!?! […] Read more…
Vegan Fish?
Yes, though that doesn’t quite make sense – there is Vegan fish to be had from Sophie’s Kitchen. And the verdict you ask? DELISH! Not only do they have vegan fish, they have: and and vegan prawns – you can get them gluten free too! Truly, when I became primarily vegan, I thought my seafood […] Read more…
Halloween Thriller
I’m still in recovery mode….Halloween was AMAZING!! Our costume theme was Zombie High School. From left to right our team is Azi Afifi (Mean Girl), Nima Adelkhani (Nerd), Me (Cheerleader), Ray Klopp (Football Player), Don Fox (Prom King) and Kathy Koga (Prom Queen). I’ll post more photos and movie clips as I get them…for now here’s a […] Read more…
New Vegan Love – Sprouted Rye Bread
I really felt the need to share this delicious bread I recently tried. As you can see by the label, it’s vegan, and made with organic sprouted wheat. Also, there’s no added sugar, no added oil and the loaf contains no flour. Better than all of that though…. it’s DELICIOUS!! and my new all time […] Read more…
Friday Fun – Puppy Halloween
I love our little town of Los Gatos!! We have family friendly events for EVERYTHING! My favorite is the Halloween celebration for Dogs!! It is absolutely amazing how many people participate and how many stores and businesses support everyone who does. Here are some photos from last Saturday’s fun: The streets were packed with costumed […] Read more…
Meatless Monday – Vacation Foods
Happy Meatless Monday everyone!! I’m still (yes, still) getting organized at home after our vacation. Are you wondering what’s taking me so long?? Well, I decided that it was time to get organized…especially with my photographs. So, I loaded Lightroom (for the first time – btw, I also use Aperture) and ordered yet another external […] Read more…
Vancouver Chinatown & Chinese Gardens
When we were visiting and being tourists around Vancouver we couldn’t resist visiting Chinatown and Dr. Sun Yat-Sen’s Classical Chinese Garden. Upon entering Chinatown you first cross under a beautifully ornate gate. I just love all the bright and fabulous colors and details in this gate!!! Next stop…the gardens! I took so many photos here!! […] Read more…
Vancouver from Up High
Back from our amazing trip to Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia. I have lots to share, but today, I’ll simply start with these photos taken from the Vancouver Lookout Tower – one of our tourist stopping points. We enjoyed a 360 degree view of the city from the 430 foot high tower. lots […] Read more…
Happy Fall!
Oh the joy of Fall! I simply love this time of year. The chill in the air, the leaves changing color, the warmth of a toasty fire in the fireplace. I know Spring is supposed to be the season of re-birth, but to me I feel revived in Fall. I love the scents of Fall, […] Read more…
Giveaway – Riceworks!
Hi. I’m Jen…. and I’m a chip addict! That sounds kinda crazy, huh? Well, that’s my current snacking confession. No, I don’t eat them every single day and certainly not at every meal…though if someone invented healthy, nutritious breakfast chips, I’d probably be tempted to try them, but, like most people, I like to have […] Read more…
Meatless Monday – Zucchini Muffins
I’ve picked exactly 2 zucchinis from my garden this year. Yes, that’s them in the photo above. Given the cooler weather we’ve had this summer, it’s not surprising, but it is disappointing. Instead of getting too down about it, I decided zucchini muffins were in order – vegan ones at that. Here’s how I made […] Read more…
How to “Be”?
We’re away from home right now. Visiting one of our “happy” places the Ranch. Usually there are a lot more people here when we are here, and I’m busy socializing, visiting and catching up with them. Today, however, I found myself alone (except for Bubba) for quite a few hours. Free! When I never feel […] Read more…
Loving the Loving Hut
I’m not often out and about without a good plan for eating healthy meals, but a few weeks ago, I was up in San Francisco for an event with a friend of mine, and we found ourselves looking for a quick bite to eat before the evening began. She suggested the local mall’s food court. […] Read more…
Scenes from Monterey, CA
Oh how I love Monterey! Luckily, it’s less than an hours drive from my home. There are actually so many gorgeous places – all different and unique – within an hour or two of my home. I feel so lucky and also always wonder why I don’t visit them more often. I suspect that work […] Read more…
Inspiration Thoughts for your Week ahead
Here are some quotes that caught my eye from Terri Trespicio at Whole Living magazine this month. They’re just simple thoughts that, this week, fit in with what I needed to hear. By sharing, I hope they might inspire or motivate you too. “Changing the way you eat may be the most transformative action you […] Read more…
Wordless Wednesday – Garden Bounty
Ok, so one word….YUM! Read more…
Book Review – Faithful Place
How cool is this? I’ve written my first book review. It’s through BlogHer and for the fiction novel “Faithful Place” by Tana French. I’ve heard many fabulous reviews about the author Tana French, and am now motivated to read her other novels. My attraction to this book was it’s description on being murder/mystery/crime/drama (I kinda […] Read more…