strawberry rhubarb banana baked oatmeal

So, Dan and I have been working on being better with meal planning.  Oftentimes we end up with the fridge open, staring into the void, trying to come up with something to make, and it feels like we're ending up spending more money scrapping meals together haphazardly.  Since there's only two of us, it makes a lot of sense to make bigger meals we can reheat, and make our food last longer.  I had made baked oatmeal once a few years ago, so when I thought about making things that would last for a few days and could be reheated, I knew that baked oatmeal would be perfect.  Since it's rhubarb season, I had to throw some rhubarb in, and I actually just made this recipe again with just rhubarb (2 cups), no strawberries or banana and it was still great!
Do you guys have any great meal planning resources?  Our basic plan is to make something big 3-4 times per week and then be able to use the leftovers to cover the other days, so I've been looking for stuff like soups, casseroles, pasta, etc.  We'll be getting more and more food in our CSA as the summer months kick in, so I'm sure I'll be doing tons of planning meals around whatever wacky produce we get.  Pinterest is a pretty great resource for me.  



(recipe adapted from inspired taste)

Ingredients

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup  packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup chopped rhubarb
2 cups milk
1 large egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large banana, sliced

Optional crumble topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
2  tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a  8 x 8 inch baking dish with and place on a baking sheet.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, sugar, baking powder, orange zest, cinnamon, salt, strawberries, and rhubarb.

3. In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, butter and vanilla extract. Then, pour over oats and fruit. Gently shake the baking dish to help the milk mixture go throughout the oats.

5. If you want to add the optional crumble topping, mix all those ingredients in a small bowl and use your hands to mush everything together into a crumbly consistency.  I like to add the crumble topping with 10-15 minutes left of bake time but you can add it now, too!

4. Bake oatmeal for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the milk mixture has set.  If you want your top to get nice and crispy, turn on the broiler at the end for like 30 seconds!

Serve hot!  I like to reheat the leftovers in a pan on the stove the next day.

summer swimsuit wishlist

This time of year is hard because I'm like so ready for summer to be here but we're stuck in that half amazing weather, half gross weather season.  After a friend mentioned looking for suggestions for cute swimsuits, it got me window shopping for a new suit.  I only wear a swim suit like once a year, but that doesn't keep me from wanting to buy all the swimsuits.  This polka dot bikini was seriously probably the best swimsuit buy I ever made.  I thought I lost the top last year and thought about buying another, but luckily I found it hiding in the Winne.  Phew!  I should probably buy another one just as a back-up, that's how much I love it.  I was going to try to pick a favorite suit from this list, but I just like them all for so many different reasons.  One that I did feel like needed to be on my body immediately, though, is the velvet leopard print one.  Also, that hat. 

I feel like most bikini/swimsuit posts tend to reference the simultaneous feeling that it's also time to start working out more to achieve a "beach body."  I think this is probably my favorite way to get a beach body.  Also, if you're wondering how to pick a swimsuit for your shape, this is a great guide.  

1/ modcloth :: 2/ free people :: 3/ modcloth :: 4/ free people

5/ asos :: 6/ pinup girl clothing :: 7/ modcloth :: 8/ free people

For a long time it seemed like two-piece suits reigned when it came to finding a cute swimsuit, but I think the one-piece has experience a resurgence these last few years.  There are just so many stylish, well designed options.  I'd even take the wacky tan lines to rock that crocheted suit.  I've wanted a crocheted swimsuit for years, but haven't found the perfect one yet.  That one is definitely on my radar, but I think I'd probably prefer the coverage of the other three.  That leopard suit, man, it speaks to me.  It probably doesn't help that I've wanted to be Micheline since I was like 16.  That gal is like hot sex on a stick, man.  Pin up inspiration for days.

It's supposed to get sunny today and then be in the 70's all week, so maybe I'll get inspired to snag a new suit for the summer!  It'll also be a great time to test out my homemade sunscreen, so maybe by the end up next week I'll have results to share!

 above bikini via ofabz

BACK TO BASICS // denim top three

I was watching a show the other day, I think it was Parenthood, where someone said that classic line, "senior year of high school!  It's gonna be the best year of our lives!" and I rolled my eyes and laughed.  I feel like the only time I ever hear that is in TV shows.  Because no year in high school is the best year of your life.  I mean, talk about peaking too soon.  Not to say that high school has to be the worst years of your life, though oftentimes it seems like it turns out that way.  I liked high school just fine, but I much prefer my mid 20's to high school.  Is anyone's best years of their lives really high school?  It's more likely that it's most everyone's most awkward years, trying to navigate social circles, romance, and education with a brain that is only partially developed and hormones holding your emotions captive.
Every stage in life has it's best and worst years.  There were "best" years in high school and "worst," just like there have been best and worst years in my 20s, and I'm sure there will be in the decades to come.  2009 was particularly rough, but 2010 kicked serious ass.  I'm pretty positive my hardest moments in life have yet to be lived, but also firmly believe that the most incredible also lay on the horizon as well.  

 

top(similar) + overalls(similar)/thrifted :: shoes(similar)/courtesy of modcloth
 

rhubarb crumble pie

Ugh, Rhubarb season, you guys.  Yes you may discuss how awesome it is.  In the past week I've talked to two people who are both as passionate about the superiority of rhubarb pie over strawberry-rhubarb and it makes my heart warm.  One shall not adulterate the tangy goodness of rhubarb pie with strawberries.  I love me some strawberries, but they have their own time and place.  A rhubarb pie is not one of them.  I've made rhubarb pie plenty of times in the past, but this time I wanted something different than my usual lattice top.  When I found a recipe for a crumble pie top I felt like it'd make a pie that had a rhubarb crisp alter-ego, which is basically perfection.  Considering the fact that this pie disappeared within one day, I'd say it was a success.  Pie is totally legit as a breakfast food right? While I was making the pie I was also sort of simultaneously making homemade salsa and chips and I had been cutting jalapeños right before I cut a slice of pie.  I licked the pie off the knife (because, obviously) and my taste buds had an epiphany.  A jalapeño-rhubarb epiphany.  I need to make something with that flavor combo now because it was super interesting.  Simple syrup?  Rhubarb jalapeño cocktail of some sort?  Salsa?  Brainstorming. 

INGREDIENTS
(recipe via Martha Stewart)
Pie:

Pie Dough (or your favorite recipe)

All-purpose flour, for dusting

1 3/4 pounds (about 6 cups) rhubarb, cut crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Pinch of salt

Crumble Topping:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)

1. Place the pie dough on a floured piece of parchment paper.  Roll out dough to a 14-inch round. Use the parchment to lift and wrap dough around rolling pin; carefully unroll over a 9-inch pie dish. Mold the dough gently into your pie dish.  Trim the excess dough to a 1-inch overhang; fold under, and press gently to seal. Give your pie a fancy edge, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. While the crust is refrigerating, make the crumble topping.  In a medium bowl, mix flour, light-brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt. With your hands, work in butter until large, moist clumps form. Chill, covered, until the pie crust is done refrigerating. 

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in lowest level. In a large bowl, toss rhubarb with sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Pour into your refrigerated pie shell and sprinkle with Crumble Topping. Place pie on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.

4. Place pie in oven and reduce the heat to 375 degrees. Bake until the topping is browned and crust is lightly browned, about 1 1/2 hours. (If topping or crust begins to brown too quickly, tent with foil.) Cool completely before serving or risk burned mouths.  It's hard to wait, I know.

bouldering in leavenworth

On Sunday Dan and I took a day trip up to Leavenworth to go bouldering with our friend Brandon.  We woke up at the ass-crack of dawn, piled our gear into the car and headed out as the sun began to rise.  Neither Dan or I had ever been to Leavenworth, so we were excited to see what the bouldering was like.  We'd actually never been bouldering outside, but Brandon was a seasoned veteran and had been to Leavenworth countless times, and showed us a bunch of great bouldering spots with routes at our skill level.  
The terrain was pretty mind blowing.  Giant boulders the size of houses littered the valley, a gorgeous river cut its way through the mountains, and huge pines rose up from the forest floor.  Just thinking about each one of those boulders barreling down the sides of the mountain to where they currently rest was awe inspiring.  
I'm so excited about how many times we've been able to get out and into nature this year so far.  I think we've gone out just about every weekend these past few weeks.  There's something that's so wonderful about getting into nature, getting away from technology, and resetting.  Fresh air, tromping on soft earth, my fingers touching something other than a key board.  It's so easy to get stuck in the rut of working constantly and forgetting that nature is what keeps me sane and inspired.


 

Bouldering outdoors is such a different animal than bouldering in the gym.  There's less of a sense of safety, gripping rock is much different than gripping plastic holds, and having a great spotter is way more important.  You really have to trust your spotter and when I'm in the gym I rarely even have someone spot me unless I know I'm going for a move that is inverted or feels like it could result in a sketchy fall.  Having crash pads is paramount, and thankfully Brandon had plenty because we haven't invested in any yet.  I love how climbing is such a friendly and communal sport.  There were tons of people around and were so friendly, letting you hop in on a route they were working on, sharing crash pads, offering beta and helpful suggestions.  Dusty was a fan of how many climbers brought their dogs.
There was a 60-80% chance of rain, so we made it about five hours before it started drizzling and forced us to quit.  Climbing in the rain on slippery rock isn't great, so we called it a day (my damn sprained toe was pretty spent anyway), and headed back into town to fill our empty tummies with beer and brats.  It's only the natural thing to do when you're in a Bavarian village, right?  Munchen Haus fulfilled our desires (sauerkraut FTW) and we hit the road back to Tacoma.  A day well spent, in my book.