foliophoto {link-up} memories

it's a foliophoto day!

i hope you have been keeping up! if not, my last two contributions can be found here and here.

this week's prompt, memories, was pretty open to a lot of options. i chose something not so long ago, because it is one of my favorites.

camera: iphone3 | filter: orton via picmonkey

brock and i love love love camping. this was on our first trip camping just us two. i love camping with my family, and brock and i have been with some friends. but it was so great to go last fall, just us. we  drove up the mountain through all the fall-colored trees. we worked together to set up camp {in the dark}. we built a nice cozy fire and roast marshmallows. side-note: we wrapped them in a crescent roll sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and i loooved it. end side-note. and then we spent several hours just talking.

before the sun came up, we woke up and hiked to the edge of the site.mountain to watch the sunrise!

and then this picture took place. we drove down to the lake after a breakfast of fresh fruit and nuts and granola bars. and then we just took pictures. and this was my favorite. in case you can't tell, i took a sneak shot of brock taking photos.

next week is twins. oh buddy... i'm gonna have to get creative. 

bloglovin

hey friends.

i know, two posts in one day. what?? i just need to share my little bloglovin' link with you!

so if you are a fan, then keep up with all the fun!

click here to follow on bloglovin

xo

a little inspiration

today has just been lame.

i don't really have any other words for it. lots of homework to catch up on. it's been gloomy outside since we got home thursday afternoon {no sunshine!}. i'm not wearing any cute clothes.

it's just a debbie-downer day.

so i decided to award myself, give myself a little pick-me-up, for completing my homework with a project. listening to one of my favorites in the news world {glenn beck, don't judge me!}, i was inspired by his words. i was also inspired by some lovely color combos at one of my favorite color palette sites: design seeds.

this is oh, so true in all aspects of our lives! we can apply this to ourselves, our friends, our work, our children, those we work with, for, etc. in all areas, demand excellence.

see! don't you feel better? i do! now i'm gonna go demand an excellent snack. happy weekend!

inspiration: spring glow || design seeds

 

foliophoto {link-up} street

i'm back! bet you have missed me, eh? i've missed you, too. i will tell you about my adventures upon recuperation {please tell me i'm not the only one who needs a vacation after vacation to recoup before life is back!}. but until then, i have to link up for foliophoto with christie! i have to.

because on my trip, we took a great picture for it. though i am actually in the picture, and didn't take, it was my idea, so i get the credit... tehehe. ok not. thanks daddy, for taking this!

prompt: street

subjects: ave, myself, max, tan, and brock.

ave and tan are my brothers, max is my sissy, and you all know brock.

this was on our trip up the mountain for the day. this is just the best crosswalk ever. we had to take a beatles shot just for the sake of it. and i love it! though i think we need to work on our frozen walk stance skills. ...wink...

brb - it's spring break!

well, in case you weren't paying attention to my excitement blowing up twitter, and even my blog, i'm going home!

so i won't be around for a week unless we have like super down time and i steal my mama's iPad.

i will probably be blowing up twitter and instagram though, {maybe vine?} so if you want to keep up with my adventure, check it out!

xoxo

instagram | twitter | vine

{i can't figure out how to link vine since it's an app, so just search for me if you are interested: tasminskye}

i'm coming home

i leave in two days.

brock and i are driving three hours to an airport. to then take a three hour flight. to then drive another hour and half until i will finally be home with my family.

it will be so worth it!

i miss my family to pieces! of course, it won't be complete. my brother is serving a mission for the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints right now and won't be there. but i know he's doing important stuff so i will let it slide this time.

it just so happens {totally planned!} that my cousin/b.f.f. since b.l.o.e. {before life on earth} is getting married! i'm so glad to be there for her and share in the best day of her life.

i also have a very important date with the local eegee's. if you don't know what i'm talking about, go to tucson. then go to eegee's. then call me. {best slushy ever created. pina colada, here i come!}

we will also be venturing to my beautiful tucson mountians. arkansas is quite hilly. i miss mountains. that was inevitable, i knew that coming, out here. but what the heck? i miss other stuff, too. not dirt, not cactus, but i guess, as a whole, i do miss the desert. can't believe i said that. i miss adobes. tehehe. that just makes me giggle inside that i actually miss them.

i've created a little show of things that remind of tucson and my desert home.

sabino canyon. been there. love it. i love hiking!

 

la placita village: i always thought the freakin bright colors of downtown office buildings were ridiculous. but now... they just look so cute and inviting. right?

photo credit: carol woolverton

this is a sunset at sabino canyon. there is nothing like an arizona sunset! i will have to finagle my daddy into sending me some of his shots. they are gorgeous. i will share them if i can convince him.

desert rainbow pottery: i have always loved the navajo pots. there's a little hallway in the mall that is all about stuff like this: western art, cowboy hats, rugs, ponchos, cactus pots, and so much more. i've always loved it.

now you have a taste of my home. i can't wait to be there!

power-packed parfait {recipe}

it's been quite a busy weekend as i mentioned earlier. i think i went to my church building a total of four different times saturday.. and then of course again on sunday. but really. i was just running, running, running. in a good way. but whew!

so let's talk about a good way to start a crazy day like my saturday! how about with a delicious breakfast? this was going to be on my pinterest challenge, but i couldn't wait to try it, so i ended up eating it before i started the challenge and had to pick something else. the original recipe is called the 6-flavor slimming breakfast sundae, but i just call it....

power-packed parfait 

servings: 2
gluten-free

1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup ground flax seed {or wheat germ or anything like that!}
1/4 cup of sesame seeds or sunflower seeds
1 handful of chopped nuts {we used almonds}
pinch of salt and ginger {or nutmeg, or cloves, or cinnamon, any kind of sweety spice}
2 containers or about 1 1/2 cups of yogurt {we like brown cow greek yogurt! mmm)
1 banana, all sliced up
1 cup of berries, fresh or frozen, any kind

1. mix all of the dry ingredients.
2. in two small bowls, parfait glasses, something pretty that's see through {wink! gotta see the layers!}, layer the dry mix, bananas, berries and yogurt until the glasses are full.
3. bon apetit! make sure to get a glass of milk to wash this goodness down with!

this can also make a great summer time snack! and it's one of those recipes you can just substitute in all kinds of ways to end up with different flavors [i love that because i get bored with the same food over again sometimes].

what do you like to eat for breakfast to get a kick start on a busy day?

pixie reveal: why short is better than long

happy weekend! it's friday and tomorrow is going to be crazy. lots to do, but this week has been pretty good so far!

monday was the best day, my class was canceled so i decided to go get that haircut i've been wanting forever. remember that? well it's time to show you!

if you follow me on instagram, you may have seen, but if not, let's see what the before shots looked like, shall we?

 aaaaand now! for the final product!

i gotta say, i basically love it. i feel spunkier. and freer. and a little bit less busy in the mornings. no?

so you might be wondering why i decided to cut it. here are the reasons i think short hair is better than long:

• no long hair all over by bathroom floor, flannel pillow case, in my food, or hardwood floors. {yeah i shed like a dog, what?}
• more time in the morning. a quick blow dry and some product and bam! five minutes.
• no hair heating up my neck when it's getting warm, no problem if i forgot my hairtie
• no having to scrounge for hairties, clips, headbands and other annoying tools to tie my hair back when working out.
• i feel like tinkerbell.

so are you a long or short hair kind of person? i used to be long, but once you hack it, you don't back to it. {see what i did there! ...wink...}

foliophoto {link up} black & white

hello friends!

today i am linking up with christie from bedsidesign and sandra from raincoast cottage for a foliophoto fun day!

the prompt this week was black and white and i have to tell you, the thought for this hit me instantly. here's my photo:

camera: canon power shot SD780 IS

in the past couple of weeks, brock and i have hit some challenging times. lots of decisions to make and not really sure what to make of things. sometimes our paths are not black and white. sometimes we have to read between the lines, go against the grain, follow our hearts, and keep moving forward. not everyone has the same path to take, and no one can tell you where to go.

fortunately, i have brock and he has me. and we have a loving father in heaven who answers prayers. those answers aren't always black and white either, but some how, we all find the path we should take!

thanks christie and sandra for the prompt this week! can't wait for the next week! {artificial}

gluten-free crackers + black bean hummus {recipe}

hi i'm tasmin [hello, tasmin] and i'm a celiac.
on my honor i have been gluten-free for four days {totally had a tortilla on wednesday}.

ok, so i haven't been tested, but i definitely think i have a gluten sensitivity. i have noticed a huge change in my energy, joint pains, and other things since i have tried to refrain from wheat and gluten. you don't need the details, the point is, i am here to provide healthy, gluten-free, and yummy foods.

the first is probably like the best snack ever {at least this week}!

gluten-free "wheat" thins

original recipe
1 1/4 cups white or brown rice flour

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus extra for sprinkling on

1/4 teaspoon paprika

4 tablespoons of butter {used whipped, so it's probably a little less than 4}

1/4 cup + 3-4 tbsp water{4 is almost too much}

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

other seasonings for different flavors.

parchment paper

wax paper

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees, prepare baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. mix dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. 

3. Cut in butter. If you have a pastry cutter, awesome. if you don't use two forks. just don't mash the butter into the mixture. crumbly is what we are looking for, it will not all be crumbly though, some will still be dry, don't worry. 

4. mix water and vanilla and add to bowl. continue stirring with fork, then start using those pretty hands. it should all stick together in one big ball when you're done. it should not be sticky!

5. split ball in half. lay one part on the wax side of wax paper and put another sheet on top to roll out. a floured counter does not work with rice flour! {i already learned this} you want it about 1/16 of inch thin.  

5. sprinkle with salt and any other seasoning you want. use a pizza cutter or any other tool to cut into your shapes. i do 1in squares. i also squish the little edge pieces together lightly to make bigger pieces {they are not like pie crust, they actually stay together after you bake them}. use a spatula to remove from wax paper and place on tray. 

6. bake for 8-10 minutes for lightly cooked. i like mine a little brown on the edges, so i go for 11-12 minutes. just keep a close eye on them. 

notes: should take two different batches of baking. they don't get bigger, so you can place them closely together. store in air tight container. mine only last a week... only because i eat them that quickly. ...smile...

black bean hummus

1 can black beans, mooostly drained
1/4 cup {or a little less if you don't want that strong flavor... like me} tahini*
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp smoked chipotle pepper tabasco sauce {or another hot sauce if you like}
2 large cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp salt
a couple grinds of pepper

1. put all ingredients in a blender.mixer.magic bullet.ninja.food processor.whatever and mix til it's smooth. if it's very think, add a little water or a little more olive oil.
2. done. enjoy! i could eat it with a spoon!

notes: good with avocado by itself, crackers, in a burrito, heat it up and top with cheese, onions, and olives for some yummy bean dip. be creative.

*i never knew what tahini was til i found some in the peanut butter section at my grocery store. it's not there in every store, though. check the asian food section, or other ethnic food sections. it's sesame seed paste. it can be pricy, but lasts a long time considering it only takes 1/4 per recipe.