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Happy Tuesday Folks!

         Hope you had a great weekend! Mine was pretty chill but with lots of fun stuff mixed in:)

Friday night we opted to stay in and relax. I look forward to Friday nights where we aren't on a schedule and we don't have to worry about getting up early the next morning. Well at least for me as Ry has been working a lot of Saturdays lately. Friday night is also usually fun food night:)

I have been craving CRUNCH so I went with the ever-so-classic rice krispie treats. I love topping them with Averie's killer frosting

Here's an oldie pict that I took at Christmas time when I was re-introduced to these childhood favorites!!! I know Kris is big on the childhood faves right now too:)

Other Krispie treats I'm going to try eventually:

Kris's Crispy Rice Chocolate Raspberry Nests

Angela's Almond Butter Chews

Angela's No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Crispies with PB fudge

Pretty much everything that comes up when you search "Krispie" on Tastespotting

Meghan's Exploding Marshmallows and Crispy Rice Square

My mouth is watering!! Why do I always tempt myself so much on fasting days?

You know when you see those videos with dogs that sit there with a treat balanced on their nose and they don't eat it until the owner gives them the go-ahead. I feel like that dog hahaha!!

Good thing I still have half a box of cereal left:)

Then Saturday night it was Earth Hour. Did you turn your lights off for one hour?

I found my tealights...all 4 of them and tried to read using my cell phone light. Yes, I couldn't wait to continue reading..more on the book later.

Now to discuss a little topic called removing yourself. I used to go to every function with everyone no matter what. Fun or boring I would laugh (or suffer) through it. Now, I'm a little more choosy. I like to hang around people that are engaging, funny, and that add something to my life. And so when plans come up where I know I'll be putting on the fake smile and  fake conversation all night I usually opt out. That means sometimes I'm stuck at home. But to me it's okay because I'm not in a situation where I'm unhappy. It's difficult when you enter a relationship with someone as their friends become your friends. Most of the time it's great but sometimes you have to make a choice if a group is healthy for you or not. It's not always easy to do as there is a lot at play when it comes to friendships. Yet, this way it's healthier and you will be happier in the end:)

Anyone have experience with "friends by association" and removing yourself?

Now for some eats!! I did eat something besides krispie treats :)

With this veggie stash I made these....

I LOVE rice wraps! I found some small wraps in the back of pantry and these were perfect for a quick meal. Besides veggies some of these had chicken (for the hubby) and marinated tofu for moi. I marinated the tofu in apricot jam , a little rice vinegar, and a touch of soy sauce for around 20 minutes. Super tasty! And of course the fun part of this dinner is dunking these wraps in various sauces.

All are delish but hoisen is one of my top favorite dipping sauces:)

Freshly juiced apples with homemade kombucha:) Awesome!! Just the right amount of sweetness. Especially since this batch of kombucha was left out a bit longer and so it is quite tangy.

Then it was smoothie and book time! Katie was raving about this 4-book series by Scott Westerfeld that begins with the book called Uglies. Naturally I had to pick it up at the library (I'm not a book buyer generally). It's awesome! On-the-edge-of-your-seat-futuristic-yet-current thrill ride and I'm only on page 100!

The "beautifier" smoothie has a frozen banana, frozen organic plums, lucuma, chia seed, ground flax, almond milk, organic spinach, and a sprinkle of raw carob powder. Perfecto! 

What are you reading right now? Do you like reading certain genres? I'm not picky really. I love to read a lot of different types of books because that keeps it fresh and always exciting! I'm a suspense girl but not really a crime/murder reader as they tend to make me a little scared and paranoid. I've noticed that if I watch Criminal Minds (which I find super interesting), I'm super nervous the next day thinking something bad is going to happen to me. I guess I better stick to the Care Bears haha!

Weeeeeeee!!!

I've also been tempted by the Twins and all their socca recipes so I purchased some chickpea (AKA Besan or gram) flour and am going to give some of their recipes a try.



Anyone made socca? What's your favorite?

On the weekend I did something that I haven't done in probably 10 years...I rode a bike!!! I was the recipient of a mountain bike that someone didn't want anymore that's in great shape (who doesn't love free stuff:) and it was sitting in my garage for a couple of months. I don't know why I let it sit that long?? shame on me! Ry and I put both our bikes in my little car (don't have a bike rack yet) and went downtown to one of the most beautiful destinations in Vancouver called Stanley Park.

They have a walkers/joggers lane and a bike/rollerblade lane so you don't have to dodge a lot of people. It's one way too which is awesome! It was so much fun:)

Then last night we decided to get all hardcore and we rode to where I work and back..for a total of 30km. Downhill on the way there, uphill all the way back. It was a great workout!

We rode there for another reason besides a killer leg workout. Basically it was to see if it's doable for me to commute with my bike to work everyday. And guess what, it totally is!!! It took us 45 minutes to get to my workplace and that was with some doddling and sightseeing along the way.

 I'm going to try it tomorrow morning and see how it goes. I do have to ride in some high traffic areas in relative darkness for about 15 minutes of my trip which I'm a little nervous about but I'm taking all the precautions- helmet, reflective gear, bike lights etc.

I'm really excited at the possibility of not having to use my car. In fact, I may totally take it off the road completely. Not only would it be great for the environment and my waistline, I would be saving a significant amount of money every month if I didn't have to buy gas, insurance, oil etc. It's a win, win really!

Do you ride your bike to work? Have you tried it in the past? Any advice?

Last but not least....

The wonderful Nelly gave me an award. Such a sweet lady she is:)

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For the One Lovely Blog Award:



* thank and link the blogger who has given you the award.

* copy and paste the logo in your blog.

* share 7 things about yourself.

* nominate 15 other great bloggers.

* comment and let them know of the award
 
 
7 Things about myself....
 
1. I've never dyed my hair fully. I put streaks in once.
2. I'm very scared of snakes but I can handle spiders
3. I talk to myself often..sometimes aloud!
4. I recently picked up knitting and I love it!
5. I'm afraid to cook without a recipe
6. I love the pool but have to go to my happy place if I use the showers as they gross me out to the point I could gag.
7. I like a plan. I don't like to just show up at someone's house or go for a drive to find dinner.
 
I nominate anyone and everyone who reads my little blog!! Thank you!!
 
Phew, that was a long post!! Hope you have an awesome rest of your day!!