Weekend Adventures

      This past weekend was wonderful. It’s been a while since Ryan and I had a proper night out, so Friday night we went out on a date. He took me to dinner at Mexicali Cantina, a delicious Mexican restaurant here in Studio City. Then we went downtown to see God of Carnage, which was absolutely amazing. We were cracking up the whole time – the cast was so so good. Then yesterday we decided to go check out the Melrose Trading Post flea market, which was super fun. Lots of cute vintage clothes, books, and knick-knacks. We will definitely be going again soon!

Hope you have a fun & inspiring week! ♥ 

Quinoa

Maintaining a healthy and balanced diet is really important to me. One thing I usually do not get enough of is protein. Quinoa [pronounced KEEN-WA] is an excellent source of complete protein [contains all nine essential amino acids], and is also vegan friendly [for you vegans out there]. You can read more about it here.

I usually cook it in a saucepan following the directions on the label, and then add grilled veggies and seasoning. I’ve also made it before with sautéed peas and onion, which was really good. Serve with a salad and some warm bread for a complete meal!

Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles

I used to eat popsicles all the time growing up. They remind me of hot summer days as a kid – swimming & playing outside in the Florida heat. Now that I’m older I rarely eat them, but decided to make a healthy homemade version for a special treat. All I did was blend together a couple handfuls of sliced strawberries, fresh lemon juice [about half a lemon], and a few teaspoons of extra fine granulated sugar. Then I just poured the mixture into my popsicle molds and let them freeze for a few hours. The end result was delicious & refreshing. I cannot wait to experiment with different flavors!

Banana Nut Bread

Mmmm…. Banana nut bread. Classic. It pairs great with a cup of tea or coffee, and is so warm & comforting. I stumbled upon this recipe and decided to try it out. And I’m so happy that I did. This will be a recipe that I add to my family cookbook so that I can enjoy it for years to come.

On another note: I love giving baked goods as gifts, so I made an extra loaf to give to a friend for mother’s day. To dress it up a bit I wrapped it in plastic wrap and added ribbon and a charm. I already had these items in my craft drawer, and just used a small bit of hot glue to put it all together.

Hope your week is off to a great start!

♥,

Monika

Kale Chips

I’ve heard a lot about Kale Chips, but had never tried them before. I decided to whip up a quick batch yesterday for an afternoon snack. I was surprised at how crunchy and delicious they were! They are a great healthy alternative to potato chips. AND super easy to make too. Needless to say, I think these will be a staple here in the Kirkland household.

What you’ll need:

1 Bunch of Kale
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper [Or other seasoning… experimenting is fun!]
Parchment Paper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Wash Kale thoroughly. Tear off the leaves from the thick stems. Place on baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes [ovens may vary]. Then sit back and enjoy their crunchy goodness!