Lazy Sunday

Ahhh. I love a lazy, rainy sunday.

This morning I went to Sprouts (love that place!) and came home to make lunch and bake cookies. I've been reading the Eat Live Run blog and in some of her earlier posts Jenna talks about these Super Charge Me Cookies. They sounded so good, and I really needed a new (healthy) cookie recipe that wasn't the same-old oatmeal raisin.

The recipe if from the Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan cookbook, but can be found here as well. I adapted it by using oat flour instead of spelt flour because that is what I had on hand.

 I love that this recipe uses almond butter and maple syrup. And chocolate of course!

Almost ready to eat!

Yum. Excited to pack one of these for lunch at work tomorrow.They came out deliciously sweet and very nutty. 

I'm off to a yoga class and will be back later to make a yummy new recipe for dinner, so stay tuned!

xx,

Pretty Penny

Bridal Shower Tea

I have something very pretty to share with you all...

This past April I was lucky enough to have two amazing bridal showers, one here in Denver, and one in San Diego. The latter was a tea-themed shower put together for me by my mom, my auntie Denise, my cousin Myrice, and Marlene (my best friend Giuliette's mom).

The shower was held at Claudia's Tea House, a charming and elegant tea room located in a private home in Del Mar, California. Claudia not only has a tea room and little gift shop, but has also created a life-sized doll house on her property as well. Claudia has fulfilled every little girl's dream, including mine, and it was so fun to celebrate my bridal shower here.

The room was decorated with pinks and florals, and a shabby chic banner that read "Penny & Ben"

Our engagement pictures were placed around the room in frames. It felt like my dream shabby chic dollhouse. There is even a little room for dress up, filled with big hats and feather boas.

Claudia printed an excerpt from my blog and placed a copy on each place setting. I was so excited to see Pretty Penny featured at my shower.

Claudia served delectable tea sandwiches and scones with jam and cream. There was plenty of tea, of course :)

Can you guys you believe this cake!!?? Cucpakes, rosette, and little monogrammed toppers--my life is complete. Did I mention this perfect treat was a carrot cake with pink cream cheese frosting? These women know the way to my heart.

Too pretty to eat, but too good not to!

Mama Bear and I. She is the true tea-drinker. No coffee for her, just black tea with lot's of milk. And maybe a square of chocolate with nuts :) I am so definitely her daughter.

There was also had a scrapbook station, where guests were able decorate a page. I used to love scrapbooking when I was younger. I feel like this blog is my grown-up version of a life scrapbook.

My sister, dad, and I. He came to visit right at the end. I'm holding flowers that Ben brought for me. He brought some for Mom too.

My groom and his wonderful parents. I am so lucky to have the best in-laws. Seriously, I actually LOVE them! And Ben is a carbon copy of his Dad. Crazy!

 We gave out little measuring spoons as favors.

I love the detailed labels. Anyone who knows me know that I LOVE a pretty label. 

Or any label really :)

The bride and groom.

Thank you mommy, Denise, Myrice, and Marlene for throwing me the most memorable shower a princess could ask for. I will never forget the sweet scones with jam, the fragrant tea, and the immense love in the room. What a special day.

xo,

Pretty Penny

A Good Day

It's almost Friday!!! Tomorrow we have a half-day at work because of Yom Kippur so it will be a super quick work day for me. I had a few less kids today and it was so wonderful. We read to them, sponge painted, and glued paper raindrops onto construction paper. They love to watch the rain through the windows :) They are all starting to talk now too! Our new words are "please", "my turn", "doggy", and "crocodile".

This rain is getting a little crazy. They have shut down a bunch of schools and there are floods everywhere. So thankful my drive home was pretty easy. I was starving when I got home so I made this quick snack. It was soo delicious and sweet--it felt like I was eating dessert.

I just took some non-fat plain greek yogurt and added 1/2 Tbsp. of honey, 1 Tbsp. unsweetened coconut, and chopped up 3 dates.

Yum! Hope you all have a relaxing evening, and to all my Colorado readers, stay dry!

xx,

Pretty Penny

Grocery Store Favorites

Day 2 of some very high energy toddlers! They all slept like angels for almost two hours today while it rained outside so I really can't complain. They all looked very cute and cozy :)

After work I ran a few errands and now I'm home drinking a cup of tea and snuggling with the doggies. I am really loving this weather.

This past weekend we were able to do our grocery shop at Whole Foods, which is a real treat because it can be pretty expensive and has a huge variety of organic and non-processed foods, so I don't have to search as many aisles or read as many labels.

Ben and I started to eat more organic food at home a few months ago, and we have slowly incorporated it into our lifestyle. We feel pretty strongly about the use of pesticides in produce and how it affects your health, and we like to read the ingredients in our food and actually understand what goes in it!

Pretty much all the food we have in our home is organic, but we try to do everything in moderation. I would be a very unhappy girl if I couldn't go out for my favorite sushi, italian food, or frozen yogurt. There are some weeks when we are strapped for time and may not be able to go to a market with the biggest organic selection, so we shoot for anything non-processed and as natural as possible. The bottom line is, we do our best and don't obsess :)

So that's my rant on organic food! Now on to some of my favorite grocery store items.

Unsweetened Coconut

This stuff is soo yummy, and so much better for you than the sweetened kind. I love putting it in my yogurt or baking with it. I use these for my coconut macaroons, Ben's favorite recipe.

Steel Cut Oatmeal

You all know from my previous post how much I am loooving oatmeal right now. It provides a filling breakfast with a ton of fiber that offers many health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease. And it tastes amazing! I prefer steel cut, as it has a nuttier and chewier texture.

Dr. Praeger's Spinach Pancakes

I love bringing these to work. They are a good way to get in some veggies if I don't have time to make a salad, and they are quick and easy to prepare. They also have a kids version in cute veggie shapes.

So Delicious Coconut Milk Ice-Cream Sandwiches

These mini sandwiches are only 100 calories each, and the coconut milk gives them a sweet and creamy texture. They are perfect for my nightly sweet cravings!

Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

I heart almond milk! I use this for everything: In my coffee and tea, in my oatmeal, and whenever I make waffles or pancakes. I like the subtle hints of vanilla it adds to anything I use it for.

Try these items the next time you go to the store, and please let me know what you think!

xo,

Pretty Penny

It's Raining, It's Pouring

 I don't know why, but whenever it rains or snows, the kids start bouncing off the walls. They have some weird internal clock that screams "cabin fever!!" as soon as the weather begins to change.

I love rainy afternoons. It makes me want to bake something yummy, enjoy a cup of tea, and curl up with a book. It rarely rains in Denver because it is so dry, but the smell of the rain on the pavement today made it feel like fall. I can't wait for chunky sweaters and everything pumpkin!

I had an amazing acupuncture session after work, and really want to share this amazing tool with you guys because it really changed my life. A few months ago (right before our wedding) I started getting really bad upper back/shoulder/neck pain. It was so bad that I couldn't move my neck at all, and NOTHING helped. I went to tons of doctors and did physical therapy, but everything was so temporary. Weeks turned into months, and before I knew it I was back from my honeymoon and still in pain.

A doctor asked if I had tried acupuncture, and my reply was of course "No--I really don't like needles". She felt very strongly that I was a really good candidate for it because of my very high stress levels, and I was willing to do anything at that point!

I found a wonderful acupuncturist named Joanna, who put me right at ease. The needles felt like a little tap, and she did a mixture of cupping, acupressure, massage, and meditation with me. I felt like a new person afterwards, and the pain went away immediately. I have been going for a few weeks now and my overall stress levels have decreased significantly, and my pain is almost fully gone. I am so thankful for Joanna, and plan on exploring chinese medicine more.

Have a good night everyone!

-Pretty Penny

I Love You a Latte

I know. Such a corny title.

But I am having such a love affair with coffee. Iced, blended, or piping hot. It always makes me happy.

I've been making vanilla lattes every morning before work to get me back into the swing of things after so many days off. I have a pretty long day with work, acupuncture (more about that later), and a mat pilates class so I need my coffee today! I take 1-2 shots of espresso, steamed & frothed almond milk, and a teaspoon of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's vanilla powder. It is absolute HEAVEN!

You can also make your own ice blended or hot vanilla with this stuff. Amazing for me because we don't have coffee bean in Colorado. Sorry I have no pictures of my actual latte, but it is already in my travel mug so you can't really see what it looks like. I made the espresso and steamed milk with our new Nespresso Machine. 

If you are getting married you need to register for this! It will change your life. Or splurge a little and buy one for yourself. You will save later because you will never buy another Starbucks coffee again--this is so much better.

Have a great day and see you all later!!

-Pretty Penny

Back To The Grind

Rise and Shine Pretties!

Just had the yummiest breakfast so I had to share. I woke up super sleepy and this warm bowl of oatmeal woke me right up. I am going to have a busy morning with the toddlers today, so I need a super filling breakfast.

The secret ingredient is maple almond butter. Have I told you about this? It is 12 million times better than peanut butter, and is a great natural protein source. Yes I said 12 million. I do not exaggerate.

Just make a few servings of steel cut oatmeal the night before and stick in the refrigerator. Then warm up the next morning and add toppings. Yum!

Rise and Shine Oatmeal

Ingredients:
1. 1-2 serving of steel cut oats, made the night before (depending on how active you are during the day)
2. 1/4 cup of almond milk
3. 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
4. 1 banana, cut into pieces
5. 1/2 Tbsp maple almond butter
6. 1 tsp. flax seed

Directions:
1. Warm up oatmeal in the microwave with almond milk. Use more milk for a creamier oatmeal
2. Stir in brown sugar and almond butter
3. Add banana and flax
4. Enjoy with a steaming mug of coffee or green tea

Time for preschool! Hope you have an awesome Monday.

xx,
Pretty Penny