Spicy Stringy Beans

   This recipe will rock your taste buds, and your diet. My sister Niki has been most supportive of my Vegetarian kick, and made this delicious delicacy for me on several occasions. It's super easy, and cheap, to make and absolutely mouth watering. For those of you not too keen on spice, don't worry, you can always tame the fire, it isn't packed with that much punch anyway.

What you'll need:

1 bag of extra fine whole green beans (frozen and thawed)

1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

1 White onion

1 Tablespoon of garlic (minced or fresh)

Crushed red peppers

A dash of salt and pepper

Now lets get jiggy with it

1. Add tablespoon of olive oil and half of your onion, thinly chopped into small pieces, to skillet over medium heat. Skillet until onion becomes slightly transparent. 

2. Add your bag of thawed extra fine green beans to the mix and skillet for about 5 minutes. If it's not completely thawed, pop the bag in the microwave for a few, you want these bad boys thawed!

3. Add desired amount of crushed red peppers, 1 tablespoon of garlic, and a dash of salt and pepper.

4. Skillet everything together for about 15 min, or until your green beans start to loosin up. You don't want them falling apart, but you want them a little less on the crunchy side. Taste test are helpful in determining if you need more garlic or red peppers, so taste away.

5.Bon Appetit! :) 

Lets Boogy

   I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend with family and friends, munching on candy and goodies of the sort. Now lets take on this new week with a positive attitude and a hopeful heart. You know the drill, lets kick this monday off with some oldies, but goodies.


The Beatles- Here comes the sun

"Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
little darling,it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right."

   There really isn't much to this song, as far as lyrics go, but it's such a happy song. It's exciting after a long, cold winter, of jackets and shivering, for the sun to finally come out and warm the earth. It's the perfect introduction to summer, and this is of my favorite beatles songs.

Fleetwood Mac-The Chain 

"And if you don't love me now

You will never love me again

I can still hear you saying you would never break the chain."

   This band will forever have a special place in my heart. I'm appreciative for many things my parents have exposed me to, this introduction being one of my favorite. Stevie Nicks talent never ceases to amaze me, her lyrics and usage of a scarf on her microphone when she sings is so inspiring, i feel like a gypsy soul when I listen to them play. The rhythms and harmonies make my heart happy and reminds me of good times with my family.

Cracker-Low(Like being stoned)

You know, the song that goes "I'll be with you girl, 

like being low ,hey hey hey like being stoned."

 You don't have to partake, or have ever taken interest in drugs to know the feeling you get when being around certain people, that "friend high". I like how chill this song is, perfect for summer night bonfires.

Ryan Adams-Come Pick me up

"I wish you'd make up my bed 

so I could make up my mind. 

Try it for sleeping instead 

maybe you'll rest sometime 

I wish I could."

   I'm a sucker for harmonicas, but with that aside, Ryan Adams is a truly talented gentleman. His soulful lyrics and rock and roll voice box are very charming, as well as relatable and relaxing.

Alanis Morissette- One hand in my pocket

"What it all comes down to
Is that I haven't got it all figured out just yet
'cause I've got one hand in my pocket
and the other one is giving the peace sign."

   My absolute favorite female artist. I grew up listening to Alanis Morissette, and appreciated her lyrics so much more when I was older and could relate to them. Jagged little pill will forever be one of my all time favorite albums, i don't think there is a song on the album that I don't like, or have got tired of. She's still at it too, her most recent C.D., Flavors of Entanglement, is a different type of style for her, but just as wonderful in lyrics and soul.

Beck- Que Onda Guero

"Dirty borracho says 'que putas!'
Andale, Joto, your popsicle's melting
Run better run, da doo run run." (LOL)

   Beck really interest me. First off, the music is extremely catchy, the lyrics are out there, and crack me up, and the beats are funky, but fun. Some of my other favorite Beck songs are Lost Cause and Go it alone. Oldies but goodies for sure!

You don't have to be a hippy, to be groovy.

   In the light of Earth day coming up, April 22nd, and my lack of writing blogs lately, I thought I would enlighten you with a few earth friendly tips, or reminders. These lovely little pointers are intended to not only make your heart a little lighter, but your pocketbook as well. Walk outside, take a deep breath, and enjoy the view!

Earth day away!

Reusable grocery bags, oh my!

   You're not really that surprised about this concept, I'm sure, but I can't stress the importance of just a few reusable bags! Paper and plastic bags are not biodegradable, and are packed into landfills, which contaminate your water and vegetation. Contaminated water is bad for you by the way, as well as harmful to animals. In the scene of things,  landfills are very trashy looking and what happens when we run out of space?! Luckily, reusable bags come in all types of beautiful colors and patterns, which are completely affordable on every level of budget. You get to look fashionable and help the earth? WIN! Also, many stores have taken up the idea of reusable bags, located at the registers for dirt cheap, so why not? Fun fact, some grocery stores, the one is Brownsville, Texas particularly, shuns the idea of plastic bags, charging 25 cents a pop. (Crazy huh?)

If you do:

If you don't:

Some bags that rock:

BAGGU BAGS! 

$8.00 / 3+ $7.50 / 6+ $6.50

http://baggubag.com/#Shop

Pop-out bags: (I got mine at world market!)

Lets save some space, and bags!

$6-$10

Bathroom etiquette

Paper towels vs. Air dry

   

   Lets start out by saying that public restrooms make me cringe, people don't know how to flush, they tend to smell, there is paper all over the floor, complete and utter madness, oh, and germ city. Germs, flushing, and stench aside, (for now) lets focus on the mess, paper towels. Most restrooms are caught up with "the times" and have given you the lovely option of a hand dryer or paper towel, gotta love choices. Here's a helpful hand, paper towels run out, it's a less painful version of sandpaper, and there is always a line for one! Not only that, most trash cans get changed at the end of the day, so they are overflowing in no time, unpleasant, and one just might end up on your shoe on the way out! Embarrassing! Try the air dryer sometime, it takes about a minute more, basically burns the germs off your hand, and saves the earth one paper towel at a time. Back to germs, i use my elbow to push the button, foot to flush, and leg to open the door...but thats just me. :)

Drinkin' out of cups

   Getting down to the nitty gritty here, I'm talking to you Starbucks fans! (Guilty)

I love water, and I love coffee, and they just so happen to be sold fast and efficiently to me in plastic bottles or paper cups. In becoming more aware of the consequences,i started buying reusable cups, and reusable water bottles. I had no problem picking out one for cheap, and i felt so much better about my drinking addiction, some places even gave small discounts for bringing in your own cup. Now lets get real, it's a hard habit to break, and even harder to stay consistent with, most of us are constantly on the go and forget, but they make a world of difference. It is fun to pick out colors, sayings, patterns, and sizes that fit your drinking needs best.

Get involved!

   At the pace we humans run this day and age, it's very hard to find time do the things we love, especially the things we'd love to do to help. If you're really interested in getting involved, take baby steps. The best way to get involved for earth day is to plant something beautiful and fresh, whether it be a tree, or a single flower. People tend to back away from things of this sort, believing that one person, or one thing, won't make the difference. Believe it or not, every bit helps. The one tree you plant becomes another oxygen source,(we kinda need that to live) or it could become your shade on a sunny day. Stop, collaborate, and listen....or involve yourself :)

*Bring your own reusable cup into Starbucks on April 22 and get your coffee for free!

(Told you there were perks on the pocket book for getting a little more earth friendly) :)