Guess Who's Back, Back Again

st louis arch
texas sunrise
new mexico rocks
terrifying dinosaur attack
arizona can be surprisingly pretty!
after 3 days of desert, finally back in the forest in Flagstaff, Arizona
red rocks of Sedona, Arizona





7,000 foot high tree pose




draw!



in the vortex
then suddenly back to desert....
i really get a kick out of saguaro cacti!

and back to California! not so pretty right on the border....just a big pile of sand

its been a busy week! we drove from Indiana to California in 3 days, through Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico (the land of enchantment), and Arizona. we camped a night in Oklahoma, where we were the only campers in RV park, and the designated camping area was a patch of grass by the bathrooms....but we came out on top because we got there late and got up so early that no one was there to pay, so free camping woo! saw a nice texas sunrise and drove for so long in such flat places that i even missed the corn fields to look at. i really loved Sedona, it just seems to pop up out of nowhere. everything is deserty and brown and then you drive up a mountain and there's a beautiful forest and red rocks and it just feels so good there! supposedly there are a few spots there that are some sort of spiritual energy vortexes. so we went to those (they were depicted as a little swirly tornado looking doodle on the map), and saw stunning views, and perhaps got zapped by the vortex or something. i felt a little different i guess. definitely a little crazy and shook up, but in a good way. maybe that's just from the sudden complete flip in my life. i went from having a daily routine that i went through every day in Indiana, and now I'm all over the place! But its fun, I love change. It seems like things change so much each day, and i have no idea what is going to happen the next day. Like I was expecting to work at my old job, but when i got here they didn't put me on the schedule. But then my friend Bree who i'm staying with asked me to help her work at farmer's markets, so I've been doing that. So lots of things like that, where I feel like i can't even make plans for the next day, much less week, because things are changing all the time! It's a little overwhelming. Plus I am so tired from and unsettled feeling from traveling and then working the first 3 days i got here, getting up at 4 and 5am. Today is the first day i've been able to stop and sit still. I've definitely been having tons of fun seeing all my friends here, and I love working at the farmers markets and making good money with a friend. So things are good. I am stuffed with all the things we sell at work, nectarines, peaches, grapes, almonds and apples. I am happy to be in the sunshine at the beach. And I am so ready for a nap right now.

Am I Changing My Mind or Is My Mind Changing Me?

ok, here's the updated final plan:
i have decided to go back to san diego with luke and work for the next 2 weeks there and fly to portland from san diego. cheaper ticket, shorter direct flight, doesn't mess up luke's plans, we get to spend more time together, make more money for me, still get to see san diego friends, get to enjoy the beach another time, and eat some more Lotus Thai. its a win win situation! good thing i figured this all out last minute!
so suddenly i am packed and leaving indiana tomorrow morning. we will be in san diego in 3 days. i am just incredibly relieved that i finally figured everything out. its been a crazy week!
i am excited to get back to travel blogging! and excited to get to do it all, except go through colorado and utah :( , and also excited still to be moving somewhere new! i guess i really just get a huge kick out of moving to places i've never been before. at least i have come to terms with this fact.
so here we go again!

we are doing what we can to provide you with pictures of animals
spaghetti squash with kale and onion tomato sauce
banana grape nut salad
vegan pineapple upside down spice cake

so i have been feeling pretty crazy lately, as far as trying to decide where to go next, as i'm sure most of you know. we were planning on leaving for san diego tomorrow, and today i woke up and imagined leaving tomorrow, and i just thought, i can't do it! i don't want to go there! its not where i need to be! so finally, i have admitted this, although it would have been a lot more convenient if i'd decided this before. i have known since i left san diego, 6 months ago, that i wanted to move to oregon. i don't know why, i mean, its cold. everyone knows Kristens do not like cold things, but i just had a feeling that i am being called there, and i still feel it, and i have finally admitted it, despite however irrational it may seem. i'm Kristen. I seem irrational. this is how i live my life. its probably why i have a blog, so i can attempt to explain such things and inspire others to live seemingly irrational lives. i have come to the conclusion that nothing is irrational when it comes to listening to your heart!
so today is the day that i said ok, i will listen! and i felt so much better all day! sometimes the right thing to do might not seem like it is, but you sure can feel it! and when i told my family, they said "We know its right too! We've just been waiting for you to admit it so we could buy your plane ticket to Portland!"
wow! its amazing how things just fall into place without effort when you listen to your heart and stop fighting your mind!
i am however, definitely sad to not see all those i love in san diego. sorry i faked you out.....i must drive people crazy...but i love you all too and will of course see you again sometime!
i am so excited to start a new life in a new place i've never been to, and to be supported and loved!
with that being said, here's some exciting and new recipes to help you support and love yourself:

Spaghetti Squash with Kale and Onion Tomato Sauce
1 small spaghetti squash
1 can tomato sauce (or more if you got a bigger squash and want to feed more people)
4-5 cloves diced garlic
1/2 onion, chopped
5 leaves fresh kale
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried basil
sprinkle of salt and pepper
Prepare squash accordingly (it usually has a sticker that tells you how. this time i discovered you can cut it in half, put it face down in a dish with 1/2 cup of water and microwave it 8-10 minutes, which was great since i was hungry and didn't want to wait an hour to bake it!)
In oil, saute garlic and onion about 5 minutes, then add canned sauce and spices, simmering on low heat for about 10 minutes, or maybe until your squash is ready.
Use a fork to scrape out the spaghetti squash. Top with sauce, and maybe some fresh basil, parmesan, or nutritional yeast.

Banana Grape and Nut Salad
handful fresh greens
1/2 large carrot, sliced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 golden beet, red beet, or both, diced
handful grapes (i like to cut them in half for some reason, but you don't have to)
1/2 banana sliced
cashews
pecans
raisins
sprinkle of cinnamon and shredded coconut on top

You know what to do, throw it all in a bowl, salad style. I used a berry dressing.

Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Amaretto Spice Cake
1 1/2 cups flour (white, wheat, spelt, whatever)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup maple syrup, agave, honey, or a mix of sugar, molasses, and water
1/4 cup Amaretto Liquer
3/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup non dairy milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
On top:
1 can pineapple chunks or rings or whatever you got on hand
1/2 cup pecans

Preheat oven to 375. Find yourself a 9 inch round baking pan/dish.
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the rest and mix it all up. Dip finger in and taste.
Oil up your pan, then throw in the pecans and pineapple, and pour the batter on top. Lick spoon. Bake 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let sit a couple minutes, then flip it onto a plate. Now its not upside down!
You can heat up on the stove a can of cherry pie filling and amaretto and pour that on top! Yum!
You could also substitute or add other fruits or nuts on top, like cherries, sliced apple or pear, walnuts, etc.

Full Moon+Seasons Changing=Excessive Creative Energy

full moon rise

the past week or so i have had crazy excessive amounts of energy, so much that i can't even sleep (this is highly unusual for me)! my guess is that it has something to do with all the changes going on, with the seasons and our hitting the road again, and of course the full moon. so since all this has been going on i have been cooking like crazy, as you probably have noticed by now. hopefully you find reading all these recipes inspiring, and i would be oh so happy if it motivates you to try some!

Golden Grape Salad
handful of spring mix, spinach, kale, etc
1/2 golden beet, diced
1/2 red beet, diced
handful of grapes, cut in half (if you find this necessary, it kind of bothers me if they aren't...)
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 large carrot, sliced thin
1/4 onion, diced
1/2 avocado

Put in bowl and toss with favorite dressing (I used Bragg's raw apple cider vinegar berry dressing) and top with sunflower seeds, almonds, and raisins.

Pecan Chocolate Chai Coffee Cookies
1/2 cup pecans
1 banana
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
2 tbsp coffee grounds or instant coffee
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup almond milk (or water if you don't have milk)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp flour (any kind)
2 tbsp sugar or honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

So to make these Chai, i used a scoop of Chai protein powder. Obviously we don't always have things like this around, I just use things i find, so if you don't have this, its fine without it. You could also just throw in some extra spices, like ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and extra cinnamon and sugar.
Also, some of the tasters said they would like this to be sweeter. I am a fan of not very sweet things, and i like to eat things like this for breakfast. So it kind of tastes more like a muffin, but if you prefer sweeter, just add more sugar or honey. We did really enjoy spreading honey on them while they were hot out of the oven too....

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix oil, pecans, ground flax seeds, and banana in food processor.
Put in bowl and mix in other ingredients.
Scoop spoonfuls onto baking sheet, top with a pecan, and bake 12 minutes.

Ok, now i have to go obsess about how I am going to break the news to my yoga students that this is over.....its like breaking up! "It's not you, it's me, I can't do long distance, I'm sorry!"

Preparing for Take Off

Julie and i at Harry's Chocolate Shop
coooookies
today i told my coworkers i'd be leaving in about a week, and they all made sad faces, and i realized i have met some great people in unexpected places here in Indiana. from working at a random job i never thought i would have, to zumba and yoga class, there have been many interesting people. i would have never guessed i would ever be in indiana in my life, but i sure am happy to make some good friends while here!
today Julie and i did some Goodwill shopping (99 cent Sundays!) after work and i found some snuggly sweaters, but most of all just enjoyed shopping with another female! its been awhile, and every time i go shopping by myself i miss having a girlfriend with me to help me decide. then she took me to a place called Harry's Chocolate Shop by Purdue campus, which is a bar that has been here since the 1920's, and used to be a chocolate shop that was a speakeasy bar. gotta love a secret bar! so she introduced me to her favorite drink, Amaretto Stone Sour, and i must say i am definitely going to enjoy more of those in my future! so the top picture is us standing behind the bar (the bartender that took the picture wanted the sign behind us after i told the whole bar about taking pictures to go on my blog).
so i guess this week will be time for closure, teaching my last yoga classes and breaking the news to them (sad face), working the last big event at my job, and reaching the end of my love affair with my beloved gym here. yes, i suppose i can admit that in a way i am a little sad to go. but how lucky i have been to inspire others and be inspired by fabulous people!
so it's official, we will probably leave next Sundayish, and make our way to Colorado, Utah, and back to San Diego. i must say although i am certainly excited to see my old friends there, i do feel a twinge of...well i dont know what, to go back there. i did leave because i felt it wasn't where i needed to be anymore and i wanted to find somewhere new, but i'm feeling i need to go full circle and go back to where i came from to understand more about myself, and to try something new in an old place.
or maybe i will just tell Luke to leave me in Colorado........
anyways, here's another new recipe!
Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
2 bananas
3 cups oatmeal
1 cup shredded coconut
2/3 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tbsp honey
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a food processor, mix bananas, 1 cup oatmeal, and olive oil until blended. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in other ingredients.
Roll into balls and place on baking sheet. They didn't spread at all so you can put them close together. For an extra touch, i dipped the top of the balls in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.
Bake 12 minutes.

Food for Your Soul

a little somethin i've been working on
aerial dancers!
this i did not make....but i like it! in a bathroom at the Three Sister's Cafe
another somethin i made....Spicy Butternut Squash!

it suddenly feels like winter to me. i already busted out the furry boots, scarves, stockings, and the butternut squash. wasn't it like 100 degrees last week?? i'm coping for now though, with some food for my soul, which i thought i'd share. since i've run out of animals to take pictures of, i now seem to have a food and art blog! the first two pictures i drew (i've been inspired by aerial dancers and acrobats and such), and the third picture i found in a bathroom at a Food Network visited restaurant in Broadripple, Indiana. Broadripple is probably a place we would live, if we stayed here for some reason (for the corn mazes, apparently they are all the rage out here). so I enjoyed some delicious barbecue tempeh sloppy joe, and against the will of the waitress, who though it would be too messy, jazzed it up by my request to add Brie cheese, pineapple, spinach and tomato. i personally think they should update the menu to this new version. messy? yes. good? yesssssss
we then experienced the new flavors of coconut bliss from the the health food store, and i must say chocolate walnut brownie and ginger cookie caramel are tied for my new favorites. the ginger one taste like pumpkin pie! so happy....
this week i've been subbing the other yoga teacher's classes, and i am being very well received! its always a little daunting, teaching students who like their regular teacher, and having to live up to the standards and all. luckily, they really liked my classes, and even asked when i taught my class!
today i made some....

Spicy Butternut Squash

1 butternut squash

1 onion

5 cloves garlic

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp salt

1 tsp chipotle powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp curry powder

Dice butternut squash, keeping the skin on. Saute garlic in oil on low heat, add diced squash and other ingredients and cover with lid. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until squash is soft.

I ate it with some brown rice cooked with curry powder and cinnamon, on top of kale and spinach. Yummy!

Highlights of Indiana Life

secret brownie creation (recipe below)
one of my favorite indiana activities: the nap
while i like napping, luke prefers dressing up animals. this is kitty in her bandana (that rhymes with indiana...)
for Luke's brother's birthday i creatively decorated his cake with strawberries (it says HAPPY 23 B-DAY)
Luke's brother Jackson and their mom
Jackson and their dad
i'd like to reiterate the vast amounts of corn here
and we end the day with a lovely sunset over the fields

i'm really starting to get ancy! but luckily we have all the fabulous above mentioned ways to stay entertained. i'm also pretty happy to be subbing for the other yoga teacher at the gym this week, so i'm teaching 5 classes! i'm also pretty high on life still from the 3 day juice fast, and the 50% off everything at the Goodwill sale yesterday....its just so darn satisfying to not feel guilty about shopping addictions when all the clothes you by cost $1.50! so now i've got some warmer attire. i'm already saying its cold, and its like 70 degrees....
I'm also happy that its pumpkin beer time again, and bowling is 89 cents this weekend. luke and i both got our newest high scores, 180, which strangely we tied for. really, how does that happen??
today i had the urge to bake something, which for me means concocting something without a recipe. this time it got pretty creative, since post juice fast i didn't want any gluten, dairy, or processed sugar...so this is what happened. the measurements are just my guesses, i just sort of throw things in a bowl and taste it. it turned out pretty good, though i may have put too much coffee in mine, so i'm cutting it down in this recipe for you all.

Black Bean Brownies
1 can black beans
1 banana
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1/4-1/2 cup cup ground coffee (depends on how much you like coffee)
1/4 olive oil
1/2 cup maple syrup (or agave or honey)
1 tsp vanilla extract

optional for toppings: almond butter, peanut butter, coconut flakes, chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Blend in a food processor the black beans and banana. Pour into a bowl. Mix in other ingredients.
I couldn't find a pan other than a muffin pan, so I used that, but you could put it in a normal brownie pan and bake longer if you like, although i kind of liked the muffin pan because i could put different toppings on each one. I greased the pan up, filled the cups almost all the way with batter, and then on half i topped with a spoon of peanut butter and some chocolate chips, and the other half almond butter and coconut flakes.
Bake 20 minutes.
Let cool and remove from pan. They are pretty soft, and it turns out i like them better refrigerated.
You would never even know these have beans, banana, or flax seeds in them! Taste pretty much just like a chewy brownie, but it's secretly good for you! Lots of protein and good things from the beans, and omegas and healthy fats from the olive oil and flax seeds. Plus fiber! And of course, not gluten and dairy makes me happy and healthy too! AND an extra energy boost from the coffee. I think I'm going to like these for breakfast...Go ahead, try them!

For Shayshay!

i totally forgot to post this picture a few months ago when we were in harisonburg, virginia and i reunited with my shannon! so here it is, finally. i miss you!