Luna's new 'do

I was not pleased with her new look since I gave the groomer specific instructions and I never once mentioned the words 'shave her legs.' I also noticed Luna licking her belly a lot and when I looked at it I saw a tiny nick. Obviously, these things can happen, but I should have been told about it. This was her second grooming and she won't be going back to the same one. At least hair grows and she's still the cutest pup in the world!

Cutie paws

Angel says "You smell funny sis."

Welcome Fall!

I can't believe it's that time of the year again! The leaves will start changing and OMGosh the weather too! Yay!! I can remember what I was doing this time last year: wedding planning. It was up to my ears and my Bacheloretter/Bridal Shower was coming up. I think we may have already sent out the invites by this time. I'm soo glad that time is in the past and now we're married and getting to enjoy all these firsts! I'm also happy we chose December for our wedding because we started the new year together.

This past weekend we went apple picking since it's the season and the apple festival was going on too. We had already gone to that last year so this time we visited an orchard for the first time. It was about a 2 hour drive and Justin chose the orchard for us. It was called Sky Top Orchard. It's completely free to go and you can brings dogs! Lucky Luna got to go with us and she LOVED IT! She was jumping and running all over the place and meeting new friends (and people).

At the orchard they give you a basket and we asked for a small one. Then you basically go out and pick away. The rows are labeled by names of apple varieties. We asked where we could find red apples since unfortunately Red Delicious were not in season yet. We weren't given clear directions so we tried our best and we came upon some red ones so we figured these must be it.

We stopped to take pictures and I was a sweating maniac. My hair was down and I wore jeans, not smart. We had a lot of fun and paid just $9 for I don't know how many lbs. So worth it! We also relaxed and drank an apple cider slushie and ate some apple cider donuts.

Can't wait to go again!

40 acres!

only ones wearing jeans!

official basket carrier

first taste

gimme some!

yummies!

Add caption

Playing catch up

Another perfect weekend is winding down. Justin and I have spent nearly every second of it together and I'm loving it so much because during the week he's been working in the garage on his race car and I hardly see him. So we've made dinner together, slept in late(noon!!), took a walk, watched a movie, and just enjoyed each others company. I loooove my husband!! God gave me such an incredible man!
Here are some pictures that cover the week/weekend:

I was watering my plants when I caught sight of 3 deer about 100 yards away. I only saw this one by the time I got down there to take her picture.

This is what became of my patty pan squash along with other squash and carrots.

so summery and light

Thanks for leaving your pillow daddy!

Now last night we ate Spanish style and by this I mean super late. Justin found a couple recipes from Guy Fieri. We were making hamburgers with their very own ketchup and Szechuan green beans. We set out to 3 different grocery stores to buy what we needed. We didn't intend to stop at 3 it just turned out that way. By the time we started making everything it was 8ish I believe. We started on the homemade ketchup.

Roma tomatoes with several kinds of spices. Smelled so yummy!

The tomatoes had to be boiled and then peeled before cooking! After they simmered for 20 min I pureed them till smooth. Justin started on the meat stuff.

chorizo and bacon

eeek!

the bacon and chorizo

DON'T miss this at all :)

I forgot to take pictures of the beans in action but they were fried for 45 seconds before being tossed in with their very own spicy sauce. I did eat those and they were amazing!

We felt that after everything was done it was too much work. I personally would make the green beans again and in fact loved the spicy sauce so much I would try it on other veggies. I didn't taste the ketchup but I think Justin was happy with his burger. He ended up eating close to 10, LOL.

Vitamin B12

I'm still trying to figure this one out by looking at the foods I eat and what is fortified with it. It's looking like I'm going to be buying a supplement because only my Rice milk is fortified with it.
B12 is the only vitamin that comes from animal products unless you take a supplement or buy foods that are fortified with it.
Without enough B12 you can become anemic and have nervous system failure. I remember in high school I became anemic after being a vegetarian for a few years but I doubt it was from a B12 deficiency since I was still consuming dairy. And another scary thing is that symptoms don't show up for a while, like years later.

The US recommended intake is 2.4 mcgs a day for ordinary adults rising to 2.8 mcgs for nursing mothers. Taking a B12 supplement containing 10 mcgs or more daily provides a similar absorbed amount to consuming 1 mcg on three occasions through the day. This may be the most economical method as a single high potency tablet can be consumed bit by bit. 2000 mcgs of B12 consumed once a week would also provide an adequate intake. Any B12 supplement tablet should be chewed or allowed to dissolve in the mouth to enhance absorption. Tablets should be kept in an opaque container. As with any supplement it is prudent not to take more than is required for maximum benefit, so intakes above 5000 mcg per week should be avoided despite lack of evidence for toxicity from higher amounts.

Source

I'm going to be looking for a tablet of 10mcg or more to take per day or a 2000 mcg tablet to take per week. I could've sworn I had some B vitamin supplement around here but I can't seem to find it. Oh well, off to the store I go :)

Tia Maria's 3 bean (or more!) delicious salad!

But first on Saturday we went to the farmer's market just to check out what they had and compare prices. I came away only buying one thing: a Patty Pan squash for a whopping $1.75!! I've only bought this once before and I don't remember how much I paid for it. But anyway it's so yummy and great cooked with some pasta.

Here's what it's loaded with:

Manganese
Vitamin C
Very good source of magnesium
Vitamin A (notably through its concentration of carotenoids, including beta-carotene)
Fiber
Potassium
Folate
Copper
Riboflavin
Phosphorus
Many of these nutrients have been shown in studies to be helpful for the prevention of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease. Summer squash's magnesium has been shown to be helpful for reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Together with the potassium in summer squash, magnesium is also helpful for reducing high blood pressure. The vitamin C and beta-carotene found in summer squash can help to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol. Since oxidized cholesterol is the type that builds up in blood vessel walls, these nutrients may help to reduce the progression of atherosclerosis. The vitamin folate found in summer squash are needed by the body to break down a dangerous metabolic byproduct called homocysteine, which can contribute to heart attack and stroke risk if levels get too high. Finally, summer squash's fiber has been shown to lower high cholesterol levels, which can help to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease. Source

The farmer's market is great to buy some items maybe but I realized it can be expensive. It doesn't seem the best way to save money right now.

Ok so the bean salad was first enjoyed years ago at my Tia Maria's house and I'd never had one before. Her salad has a kick of spice and I believe it's from the red onion.

First I start with 3 different kinds of beans and here's what I used

I'm sure you can use any beans you fancy. I rinsed out all the beans and placed them in my tupperware container. I added oregano, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, red onion, salt and pepper. I don't have measurements because well, I never got any so I taste as I go. I believe however that you don't want to add too much vinegar because the flavors will be stronger the next day.

Soooo good and I had it on top of a salad. I got my veggies and some protein!!

Today's after work-out meal

I was starving after today's gym time so here's what I came up with:

First a virgin green monster with a scoop of Chocolate Amazing Grass
And a sandwich of Grilled Basil and Vegan Mozzarella with some extra goodies

Trader Joe's whole wheat sourdough bread and basil from my garden (yay!)

Tiny bit of leftover hummus

So delicious and filling

Pump it!

Running is such a sweet release of stress! Today's run got me thinking of many things but especially how my playlist can really effect my stamina/energy. Here is what I listen to on a daily basis:

1. Rihanna- Don't Stop the Music (new!)
2. Pitbull- Hotel Room Service ( makes me laugh, don't ask )
3. The Black Eyed Peas- Pump It (new!)
4. The Black Eyed Peas- I Gotta Feeling (yup hasn't gotten old yet)
5. Rihanna- Disturbia
6. Pink- Just Like a Pill
7. Pink- So What
8. Chris Tomlin- Sing, Sing, Sing (something about this Christian song that gets me pumped!)
9 Britney Spears- Piece of Me, Radar, Womanizer (she's a must!)

Now for my cool down or when I'm doing weights/abs

1. Kari Jobe- My Beloved (played @ our wedding)
2. DMB & Kenny Chesney- I'm Alive
3. Zac Brown Band- Free
4. Kerli- Walking on Air

I'm definitely always wanting new songs to add because it's been a while since I changed my list.