Honey, I'm Good

There's a lot of bad happening. No matter how big or small, we are all facing something. But there's also a lot of good happening, and sometimes we overlook all the good things around us and get swept up in the bad, so today, I'm going to focus on only the good, and I encourage you to do the same. 

XO – Courtney

top [urban outfitters] // tank [h&m] // shorts [forever XXI] // 

hat [urban outfitters] // shoes [old]

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[photo credit: zack hardy]

Salad Daze

Do I have any vegetarian friends out there? Do I have any meat loving friends out there? Then this recipe is for the both of you because it is 100% meatless for all you vegetarians, but it will make you meat eaters completely forget that detail. A healthy dish that can stand on its own or be served as a side or starter, AND you can whip it together in about 10 minutes. This Chickpea & Edamame Salad will fill you up without weighing you down. Cook the chickpeas on a skillet (or bake if you prefer, although it will take a little longer), boil the shelled edamame, slice up a couple apples, and top with ginger dressing. 

Things have been picking up at the office recently as we enter our busy season, so this dish was perfect to come home too. After fighting my way through evening traffic and going for a short run, I was ready to relax and binge watch the new Netflix series, Daredevil (seriously, Marvel fans, this show is excellent and the fight scenes are something else), so being able to whip this meal up so quickly was & is a huge plus in my book.

If you're looking for a fast & healthy recipe to try this week, scroll down for the recipe. If you're looking for a new show to burn through, check out Daredevil. Whatever you choose, be sure to let me know what you think!

XO – Courtney

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Chickpea & Edamame Salad

INGREDIENTS

· 15 oz Can of Chickpeas, drained & rinsed

· 1 Cup Edamame, shelled & cooked

· 1/2 T Olive Oil

· 1/4 t Cumin

· 1/4 t Salt

· 1/8 t Cayenne Pepper

· 1/8 t Ginger

· 1-2 Small Apples, chopped

· 1/2 Cup Pecans (or other nut)
· Salt & Pepper for taste
· 1 T Fresh Basil, chopped for garnish
· Makoto Ginger Dressing

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook the chickpeas in a skillet for 5-8 minutes on high heat then add oil, salt, cumin, cayenne pepper, & ginger and mix thoroughly. Add nuts. Simultaneously cook edamame if not already prepared.

2. Combine chickpeas, edamame, & apples in a bowl. Add salt & pepper for taste and top with freshly chopped basil and ginger dressing. Serve warm.

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DIY: Easter Eggs

I refuse to ever become too old for holiday traditions, so today I'm bringing you not one but two Easter crafts. First things first: decorating eggs. A dye kit from the store is all you need to create some colorful eggs in solids, multi-colors, or even ombre. Generally, you mix the dye in a water/vinegar solution, but this year, Zack and I painted the dye straight on the egg. The brush strokes created an unevenness to the paint that gave almost a marbled look when it dried. The kit we bought came with a gold finishing paint that we mixed in with some of the dye to add a golden hue. After the eggs were dry, I even took a sharpie and doodled on a few.

Another fun Easter tradition: Easter egg hunts. My mom used to hide plastic eggs in our back yard every year all the way through high school and even college (seriously), and even though it was silly, my brother and I never argued because as we got older, she started hiding money in them. What college kid is gonna say no to free money? Last year, I put together a little egg hunt for Zack and filled plastic eggs with candies and mini bottles of alcohol. This year I've decided to plan another egg hunt, but create my own paper eggs. Free reign to decorate the eggs however you want, whatever size you want, filled with whatever goodies you want. I used plain white paper and colored pens to decorate, but scrapbook paper in fun prints would be another option. I could see these being really fun for kids to decorate or a cute gift for friends or co-workers. Just hide them, hunt them, and tear them open!

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 

1 Peter 1:3 

Happy Easter! 

XO – Courtney

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