Insta-Recipes

I love to cook and have been trying lots of new recipes lately.  I post some of them on my Instagram account, recipes I come up with and some from other people.  My account is private to family and close friends.  With so much of my life out there for all to see (here, twitter, etc.), it's the one place I've decided to keep private right now.

Every once in awhile I'll share a few pics from my account.  Here are some now!

My take on Tropical Smoothie's veggie hummus wrap

• Sabra roasted red pepper hummus all over tortilla of choice
• Sliced purple/red onion
• Sliced tomato
• Sliced cucumber
• 1/4 avocado, sliced and drizzled with lemon and lime juice
• Shredded carrots
• Salsa (optional-- put it on my husband's but not on mine)
• Cilantro

Sweet & Tart Smoothie

• Frozen mango
• Frozen raspberries
• Unsweetened original cashew milk

Avocado Tuna

I never like tuna and couldn't make myself eat it no matter how hard I tried.  One day my sister-in-law told me to try it with avocado, and now I eat tuna all the time!

• 1 can of white albacore tuna
• 1/2 avocado
• salt, cajun seasoning (optional)
• Dash of lemon juice and lime juice

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Stuffed Strawberry Shake

• Chocolate almond milk
• Unsweetened original cashew milk
• Peanut butter
• Frozen strawberries

Warm Brussels Sprout Salad with Homemade Dressing

This recipe is from A Beautiful Mess.  Colin LOVED it!  We heard a report that you could lose a pound a week eating brussels sprouts-- bring on the sprouts!

I made two changes:

• Double the dressing recipe and cook 3 lbs. of sprouts (instead of 1 lb.)
• Stick the cooked sprouts/berries under broil for a few minutes in the oven, stir every minute or so

What recipes do you love?

Graze: FREE Snack Box

As a new mommy, I now carry a diaper bag like it's my purse.  Keeping up with a diaper bag and a separate purse was just too much, so I found a way to carry what I needed in Harlow's bag.  I have a wallet and small makeup bag (with a compact, lipgloss, and a pen) that I throw in along with her diapers, wipes, burp cloths, and every other item she needs.

I'm also breastfeeding Harlow and find that I need to eat more often.  After I nurse Harlow, I get hungry.  Sometimes I even have to snack beforehand to have the energy to feed her!  On several occasions we've been away from home when I've needed to nurse her, and I haven't had anything handy to eat.  Anything that I can quickly pick up away from home tends to be very unhealthy.

In comes Graze!

I received a coupon for Graze in a pack of baby coupons that I received at some point of the pregnancy.  I redeemed it a few months after Harlow was born.  I had no idea what to expect.  I hadn't seen Graze in person.  I got online, ordered a box, and waited.  It came in a cute cardboard box with four snacks.  They were the perfect size to throw in the diaper bag!

You can customize what snacks you would like to try (hello, chocolate and fruit!) and what you would hate to get (ew to anything with cherries).

The snacks are small and perfect for tucking in the diaper bag for an emergency snack that's guilt-free and yummy.

If you'd like to give Graze a try, but aren't sure whether or not it's for you-- no fear-- you can try it for free!  Go to graze.com and enter code MARLAS2LB to get your 1st and 5th boxes for FREE!

Let the snacking begin!

Recipe: 3 Ingredient Bean Soup

A few years ago I did a bean soup that had mainly three ingredients plus a few more and could cook in the crockpot.  I did a little video showing how to make the soup on the stove, using those same three ingredients and just a little water. It's so fast and easy and cheap!

ModCloth Gift Guide

"This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links."

Christmas is coming up, which means time to buy gifts!  One of my favorite online stores is ModCloth. I usually find at least one thing I want for Christmas (like the wallet I carry) and send the link to my husband so he has some gift ideas :).  My shower curtain is from ModCloth, and there's even a rug in Harlow's room that I bought from ModCloth.  I love how unique all the items are.

Here are three items that I think would be great gifts this Christmas (gifts I'd love to get!):

The Portlandia Cookbook

Colin and I love the show Portlandia.  My favorite Portlandia clip takes place in a restaurant (about a chicken named Colin), so it's hilarious that they've come out with a cookbook.

More in Store Jewelry Box

This jewelry box would be great for guys or gals.  After all, guys have watches, exercise bands, collar stays, and little things they need to organize just like us girls.  I like that this is an affordable gift that just about anyone could use.

Winterberry Tart Coat in Burgundy

This coat, unlike the previous two items, would be a total splurge.  It's a reasonable price for a coat, but it's a pricier gift item for someone on a tight budget like me (but it is beautiful!).  Who cares what you're wearing underneath when you have this coat on?!  This is a total statement piece that I think will be in style for years and years to come.

One thing I really like about ModCloth is their sale section-- that's usually where I find my quirky buys!

What items do you think would make great gifts?

Birth Announcement!

Harlow was a little skeleton for Halloween :)

Our little girl is here!  Harlow Jude made her grand entrance into the world on October 21.  I went into labor on the night of her due date (October 20), and after laboring for about 17 hours and then having an emergency c-section, Colin and I finally got to meet our baby!

We are overjoyed, in love, and a little sleep deprived :).  We think she's the most beautiful person we've ever seen, and we're just so happy to be her parents.

Here are a few photos I snapped of her when she was around 10 days old.  

[You may notice a bruise on Harlow's hand.  She had some breathing issues when she was born and had to stay in the hospital nursery a few extra days.  The bruise is from an IV.  I didn't photoshop the bruise, because I know that one day she'll want to know the story of how she came into the world, and that little bruise is part of the story.]

Cocoon and headband from Yarn Over Little Rock