peanut butter waffles with banana and almonds

i've barely seen taylor at all this week

poor guy, he's on a crazy deadline at work and has been working ridiculous hours

by the time he comes home, im deep in my REM cycle!

monday he worked until 11:30 at night

and tuesday he worked until 1:00 am! yeah, no joke!

and he has two more long nights, tonight and tomorrow.

i admire his patience and calmness about everything

trust me, if the tables were turned and it were me coming home that late, oh boy you'd hear an earful

but he takes it for what it is and greats me in bed with a smile and a kiss to the forehead.

we say our good nights and i love yous (we never go to bed without saying both)

and pass out

that said, i felt waffles with his favourites was well warranted 

so i made him peanut butter waffles with banana and almonds

i conjured up the waffle batter and added 2 heaping tablespoons of creamy, organic peanut butter

then, i let it cook in the waffle iron for about 3 mins 

and topped it off with half a banana and chopped almonds.

i brought him breakfast in bed because it was well deserved

...waffles, a glass of milk, maple syrup and his vitamins

a good way to start a long day if you ask me!

taylor's furniture progress

if you haven't already, you should mosey on over to taylor's blog to get an update on his furniture design business. its really taken off in the past year.

he just finished up an outdoor set for a client out in the san fernando valley.

a concrete sofa with a concrete table and steel base...

i mean this in the best way possible, but i am shocked that he put this all together.

he's never worked with concrete before and i personally think his work looks amazing

he is so methodical in every stage of development and execution

he's precise and has an artistic eye for the clean and simple.

i know i shouldn't be surprised, but sometimes i'm amazed by his talent(s).

another reason why i'm so lucky 

taylordonsker.tumblr.com

saturday bbq in the sun

this past saturday

a bunch of old friends got together to celebrate davana's 24th birhday.

we ate, drank, played "apples to apples", soccer, football, listened to music

all day long and enjoyed each other's company and the sun.

 we all had a little something to celebrate. april - getting her new apartment approved all on her own, davana - her birthday, me - getting my cast off and getting a raise at work, lisa - newly single and happy, ashley - 3 yr anniversary with her beau comin up AND moving in with him soon, anna - getting into nursing school

...and lil' molly got to meet all her new friends at the park

she was so good and was as happy as a lark!

all in all life is grand

oh to be 24 years young forever!

i have more party pictures on my facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150237405301179.323281.558466178

hope you all had a happy weekend

xoxo

the cast has "casted away"

in other news,

i got my cast off yesterday

and what a joyous event it was

...well sort of

here's the story:

from the moment i woke up i was so excited that today... well yesterday... was the big day

luckily work was pretty busy in the morning to keep me distracted

otherwise the waiting game probably would have gotten the best of me

when i got to kaiser i was seen right away.

the nurse took out this big machine.

i laughed because it was called

"the cast vac"

he started sawing away and i flinched

it seems so violent! i thought he'd for sure saw too far and cut my skin

but he didn't. it just tickled a lot with the vibration

the cast was off within minutes.

my arm felt so light, but the skin was so gross

 it was discolored and flakey - i had about 3 layers of dead skin under there

and the weirdest thing - my hand was kinda hairy! (ew i'm so embarrassed!)

the nurse said it will all rub off, even the hairs, and be fine after a couple of days.

once the cast was off, i was taken to the x-ray room across the hall

when the doc came in to see me, with the new x-rays things didn't seem so good

i was convinced he was going to slap that cast right back on

if you see above, my hand is still broken in two places. its healing, but i'm not completely healed as you can see.  so he looked at me, looked at the x-rays... looked at me

we did this back and forth for about a minute, but i felt like 20 minutes

he finally broke the silence and said, "it would be so cruel to put you back in a cast..."

i sighed and said, "oh man, yes it would"

he explained that if he were to put it back on, it would be for at least another three weeks

my heart dropped

he decided not to as my hand would only get stiffer, making the rehabilitation process that much longer.

he warned me to be very careful in the next weeks and to wear a splint (which he provided) as often as possible for a month.

i have to go to physical therapy weekly, which is a bummer

but hey! i don't have a cast and life is almost normal again

and what was the first thing i did, you ask?

...put my computer mouse back to right side of my keyboard.

hah! i would have expected something a little more exciting too

gettin' a pup!

ok ok ok, its friday, i know

and i should post about french toast

but it didnt happen today...

so how about this

what if i post, "french bull dog friday"?

does that work for ya?

i'm gettin a new pup!

uh huh, thats right, you heard it....

look at this face!

last night taylor and i went to the montana ave. art walk in santa monica

we almost didn't go because it was getting late, but boy am i happy we did

we were walking near 11th street when i saw a lady holding the cutest little frenchie, "mimi", in front of a boutique pet shop "to wag for"

mimi ran to me and i ran to her

the lady said that someone had just come by the store and dropped her off

the previous owner was "psychotic" (her words, not mine) and decided she didn't like the mimi

the lady told taylor and i that if we knew of anyone looking for a new pet to have them come to the store.

i said, "oh no, pleeease don't tell me that"

as most of you know, i've been wanting a french bull dog for a long time now

but i believe in rescuing dogs, not buying them, and french bull dogs are hard to find as rescues.

mimi and i had an instant connection that i can't even begin to explain.

the poor girl is so skinny you can see her ribs,

but she is a lover and i'll be sure to restore her back to perfect health

as we walked away, my heart was melting - like it literally hurt!

my stomach was in knots because i knew taylor didn't want a dog

i told him we had to go back, and we did, and my heart melted some more

after a long sleepless night, taylor and i talked this morning

long story short, he gave me the okay, so you know what i did?

i waited for him to get in the shower, ran outside, and started screaming with excitement

then i called my mom and told her the good news

.... and then she screamed with excitement

i emailed my work that i'd be a little late, hopped in my mini and drove to the little pet shop on montana and waited for them to open

with jitters, i filled out the application as fast as i could. then i went to the back to see my little mimi.

i couldn't leave. i took so many pictures and this little girl knows how to pose!

we're perfect for each other and i hope hope hope hope that my application is approved and i can take her home.

this was her little face when i left

she was whimpering

ugh the face!!

and by the way, i'm changing her name to "molly may" 

she's too precious to be named mimi!

happy healthy waffles.

happy hump day!

this week taylor has been trying to eliminate sweets (as much as possible) 

and try for some more healthy choices.

so today, i made waffles cooked with chopped walnuts in the batter

with fresh strawberries, blueberries and apricots all from the farmers market.

i must say, the fruit from the farmers market is 100 times better than any grocery store.

the strawberries were as sweet as cotton candy, the blueberries were plump and juicy, and the baked apricots had a burst of honeyed sensation with each bite

it is worth the extra cash to buy fruits and vegetables from a local farmer.

i baked the apricots as i did a few weeks ago with the candied peach waffles

(10 mins at 350 degrees in brown sugar)

it was delicious

and the plate was licked clean

happy day my friends

i hope its a good one

today is the last day i have my cast! 

meet taylor.

 i decided to start a new section on my blog called 

"meet the characters"

there are many colorful characters in my life that i want to introduce to you

some friends, some family, some complete strangers

but nonetheless they all influence me in some way and i feel they are all worthy of an introduction

today, i want you to meet taylor

my best pal, my comic relief, my love...

(see on the right side panel under 'labels' for upcoming characters)

guest post: yellow tail salad by taylor

yellow tail salad

by: taylor donsker

ingredients:

sashimi grade yellow tail

sliced red onion

baby greens

herbs (cilantro, rosemary)

low sodium soy sauce

juice from half a lemon

olive oil

sea salt or course salt

slices of half an avocado

recipe:

1. with a slicer knife, disgard the skin and thinly slice the fish against the grain

2. add juice from lemon, about a teaspoon of soy sauce, and a couple pinches of salt

3. in a non-stick pan, saute fish for about 30 seconds on each side in a tablespoon of olive oil

(for a more well done fish, you can cook longer)

4. plate your baby greens with the herbs and lightly toss

5. thinly slice the red onion (as much as you desire)

6. add yellow tail and top off with avocado slices

7. sprinkle a tiny bit of salt, lemon juice and soy sauce to taste

inspired by master sushi chef, goro, at brother's sushi



sunday and farmers market

as we do every sunday,

taylor and i went to the brentwood farmer's market to stock up on our produce for the week. we went to our favorite lady that sells organic blueberries (she even looks like a blueberry!), bought strawberries that literally taste better than candy, picked up some organic eggs (the yolks are a beautiful orange), asparagus (thin like we like it), sashimi grade yellow tail (uh, yeah enough said), apricots, tomatoes, cucumber, pluots, sweet corn, wow... we did alright today! and some how kept it all within 40 bucks.

heres a little taste of what we brought home.

nothing gives me better joy than to fill up our fruit and veggie basket on a sunday afternoon.

i was happy to see everyone out at the local market, despite "carmagedon"...

which ended up being uneventful, but thats okay with me!

arugula pesto

seems, lately, this has turned into a food blog!

but if you don't mind it, i don't mind it...

because i'm such a foodie at heart

last night i made arugula pesto pasta with chicken and garlic sautéed mushrooms

the recipe is adapted from one of my favorite blogs food coma

okay, so here's the recipe...

ingredients:

2/3 cup toasted walnuts

4 oz arugula

1/3 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

3/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup spaghetti or linguine noodles

1 cup portobello mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped onion

3 garlic cloves

arugula pesto:

1) in a food processor, puree the walnuts, arugula, parmesan cheese and half of the olive oil.

2) once it is well mixed, turn off your food processor and scrap down the sides of the bowl.

3) turn on the processor on its lowest setting and slowly pour in the remaining olive oil

4) add salt and pepper to taste

pasta:

1) cook noodles according to package

2) while the noodles are cooking, saute mushrooms with garlic, chopped onions, and a dash of olive oil.

(i used a small amount of the pesto and cooked in that)

3) once the mushrooms are well cooked (after about 5 mins) add in the rinsed noodles, pesto and stir together for about 2 mins

4) add in chicken, shrimp, etc. if you're craving a little protein.

and voila!

bon appetit!

xo

french toast friday

 ♪ ♫ french toast friii-day ♪ ♫

thats me saying it in a sing-songy tone.

i am so happy its friday, you have no idea

work has been a little ridiculous this week and i'm so happy its coming to an end

and the icing on the [french toast]? a paycheck!

this morning i made taylor french toast bites 

cooked with rolled oats, cut up organic red apple, craisins, and crushed walnuts

topped off with maple syrup, of course

i dont know what to call it.

oatmeal, fruit and nut french toast?

yes, i like it

happy friday folks

bastille day

bonjour!

today is the french national holiday, bastille day

for a little history lesson:

bastille day commemorates the storming of bastille which took play july 14, 1789 and marked the beginning of the french revolution.

so go out and enjoy a macaroon, a croissant or baguette; watch your favourite french film,  listen to your favorite french tune... or enjoy a bottle of champagne

le jour heureux de bastille

photo from here 

one week

exactly one week and i will be free of this pesky cast!

my hand feels so much better

i can make a fist, i can wiggle my fingers, i can even open drawers again

here are a few things that i've missed and look forward to in a week:

1) showering instead of having to wash my hair in a bathtub

2)...showering with two hands and being able to hold the shampoo/conditioner bottles

3) using a knife properly to cut fruit, etc.

4) DRIVING!!

5) washing my own dishes

6) being able to write

7) going to the beach 

8) going back to the gym

9) sleeping comfortably

10) being able to hold my camera properly

11) brushing my teeth

12) washing my face at night without worrying about getting my cast wet

...gosh, i could probably come up with 50+ reasons, but i'll stop here.

i guess you take for granted the simple everyday tasks we can do so effortlessly with two hands.

be grateful for the little things

lazy days

sunday taylor and i had a a nice, relaxing day

we woke up late, went the the brentwood farmers market, cooked a seafood inspired lunch, caught up on some true blood, went to this parents for dinner, and got back in time to walk around the venice canals at sun-down.

all in all, it was perfect!

taylor made an amazing chipotle salmon burger with fruit and vegetables we got from the farmers market

and i had a to die for pan-fried sea bass salad also with fruits and veggies from the local market. 

sunday was a "go with the flow" kind of day

none of it was planned and i aways say, no plan is the best plan

i know its a little late to say this, as its now past the middle of the week...

but i hope you all had a wonderful weekend

xx

chocolate chip and walnut waffles with strawberry jam

its wednesday and that means waffles!! 

this morning we made waffles with chopped walnuts, chocolate chips and added our favorite strawberry jam on top.

we are OBSESSED with mclaren's jam from the farmer's market. its good on almost anything.

needless to say, the waffles were divine... as always

and made up for the lack of waffles last week

if you're ever in calabasas on a saturday, you must check out mr. mclaren's jam booth

he sells an array of local, homemade jams and shortbread that you can't live without

check out his site here

a bull doggy dog world

had dinner with taylor's family last night just for the heck of it

it was HOT in the valley, but it was nice to see tay have fun with his first true love - his english bulldog, winston.

i'm in love with luna, the little french bulldog. she's a little "b" but i just think she's terribly misunderstood.

more weekend fun to come.

happy monday!

honey cures

a few days ago, i stumbled upon an article that suggested a couple teaspoons of local, raw honey a day can help prevent and even get rid of those pesky springtime allergies.

taylor has a plethora of allergies that he suffers from daily. from eczema to hay fever, the poor guy has gone through about 10 boxes of tissues and has tried all the special lotions you could imagine just to relieve his vexing allergy symptoms.

the theory suggests that two to three teaspoons of honey a day works similar to a vaccination. daily exposure to a small amount of an allergen can desensitize the body allowing you to better resist it. so it makes sense, right? the bees collect pollen from the local plants, and small amounts of it are transferred to their honey. when you ingest this honey in small amounts, it works like a series of allergy shots, by slowly building up your tolerance to the allergen, and decreasing your allergy symptoms. 

after researching online, i found tons of positive testimonies,

so today tay and i picked up some local, raw honey and put are putting this theory to the test.

crossing our fingers it actually works!

kitten update

wide-eyed and "monkey'n" around

these little tikes are simply irresistable if you ask me.

i spent the afternoon home in the valley doing laundry and seeing the "kits"

they are 4 weeks old now, and they're as cute as can be

they paw at anything, love explore and climb, and they have a lot to meow about

taylor still won't budge on bringing one of these little critters home

i'm fighting a battle that i know i have no chance at winning

but a girl can dream, right?

there really are no words to explain how adorable these six kittens are

so let just have these pictures speak for themselves, shall we?