Drink of the Week #13: Green Moss

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day I give you a delicious green drink.  No, it's not green beer, or a margarita, or even a mojito, it's a healthy breakfast smoothie. 

The hubs and I enjoy a little bit of moss every morning for breakfast.  A refreshing blend of fruit, green vegetables, almond milk, and some heart-healthy seeds is a way to start the day feeling great.

The base for Green Moss is Spinach; we tried Kale a few times but it yields a grittier-vegetable character that we aren't a fan of in our moss.  The addition of banana gives the moss a creamy character while the peaches, my favorite ingredient, give a vibrant acidity and fill-out the moss.  Any fruit can be used of course, but after trying different variations of berries, pineapple, and more, peaches win everytime.  

To add a boost of health to the moss we add flax seeds and chia seeds.  Not only do the seeds add protein, fiber, and omega-3s to the drink, but they are also heart-healthy (just make sure you have a quality blender or the seeds won't breakdown).  

The last component is some liquid.  You could simply use water, but water takes away flavor, so we add almond milk and fresh-squeezed 100% orange juice.  Any milk works, soy and cashew also add a great flavor component. 

 A quick, easy, deliciously healthy green breakfast, or even afternoon pick-me-up.  Green Moss is my favorite green beverage hands-down. 

Baby Bumpdate

We are officially entering the third trimester and have just 13 weeks to go before we meet our little boy.  January was my best month by far; the only month where I did not experience terrible pregnancy symptoms.  As I am entering my third trimester new symptoms are beginning to show and I am starting to become tired and out of breath much more.  The most difficult part has been sleeping, I don't really do it.  I am constantly uncomfortable and toss like a turtle on its back all night; plus the acid reflux forces me to sleep sitting-up some nights.

Symptoms aside we are getting very excited to meet our little man and have finally found the time to start planning for his arrival. 

We officially completed our registries and have baby showers on the books.  While the nursery is nowhere near ready, we at least can say, as of yesterday, that it has been started.  My hubby and father-in-law built the crib and changing table yesterday, so I guess it is official now, we are having a baby.  Haha. 

We have so much more to do, like paint the walls, get more furniture, decorate, and actually prepare.  I have a feeling a lot of it won't happen until April, but it is still plenty of time before our May due date.

The most exciting news by far is that our little man has a name...

Gender Reveal

It feels like it took a century to find out the gender of our sweet baby, including having a sonogram to see what our baby actually LOOKS like.   When we finally got to experience both we were blow-away to see toes, fingers, and the baby moving all around.  It was worth the wait and the best way to start 2015.  

We had an amazing sonogram tech for our gender reveal.  Before she told us what we were having,  she gave us a good 10 minutes to just watch the baby moving on the screen.  It was such a wonderful experience for the hubby and myself.  

When she finally told us the sex I screamed, accidentally, the baby is exactly what we thought it was, and what we were hoping it would be (besides being healthy of course).  

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Immediately I wanted to get our gender reveal photos done.  I wanted to do a series of photos holding two different bundles of balloons, one pink and one blue, and then slowly release one of the bundles into the air; to be left holding the balloons that would reveal the gender.  They were going to be the cutest photos of the hubby and myself since our wedding day.  

I set-out getting my hair done the morning of, stopped and bought two bundles of balloons, picked out outfits for the hubs and myself, enlisted the help of a friend to take our photos, and found a location to have the photo shoot.  Everything was set-up to be perfect.  Until....the photo shoot went terribly wrong...

It was INCREDIBLY windy everywhere we tried to go.  The balloons were hitting us in the face and trying to fly away; not to mention my hair was attacking me.  Our photographer had to be quick to take a shot whenever the wind would stop for a brief second, therefore not giving it enough time to adjust, so 95% of the photos were a blurry mess.  Then, the hubby got excited thinking the photos were looking good and released the balloons before we were ready to release them.  Typical luck right? 

All that aside, we are beyond thrilled to announce that....

It's a BOY! 

A cute, button-nosed, long-limbed, precious baby boy.

With nothing but the turquoise balloons in hand we had no choice but to move the photo shoot inside and change our photo plans. 

We decided to take pictures inside our brewery.  The place that we spend most of our days and nights, the place that we have devoted our lives to creating for nearly three years now, the place that our sweet baby boy will grow-up in, and the place that will hopefully one day provide us with the means to give our baby all the worldly experiences he deserves.  While I was upset that my photo shoot plans did not go as planned, it seems meant to be that we took the photos where we did.  

Your daddy and mommy love you baby boy!  

Looking Forward to 2015

With the crazy busy year of 2014 behind me I am looking forward to all the wonderful things that 2015 holds, as well as its possibilities. 

First, lets take a look back at this past year:  

• In 2014 I decided to close my five year blog, The Sassy Writer, and went to work on creating a blog that I could be proud of and love, Gin and Pearls.  I worked for two months creating a look that I loved and Voila!  While I don't get a chance to blog as much as I want to, I love my new endeavor in the writing world.  
• I started the year by closing my Sunday Champagne fashion boutique and took a big financial bite because of the risks I took opening it.  It was a somber, depressing moment for me.  
• We went on a wonderful three-day vacation to Durango, Colorado to spend time in the mountains with family.  It was peaceful, relaxing, and the perfect excuse to spend time with my husband.  
• Our brewery, The Collective Brewing Project, finally opened its doors in Fort Worth and is a success. 
• My wonderful hubs and myself announced that we would be adding a baby to our little family come May. 

My 2015 Goals:

• Quit my job (and find a new one).
• Have a successful birth, healthy baby, and be a good mommy/wife. 
• Take a long vacation outside of Texas for my 30th birthday. 
• Lose the baby weight I put on (join a group workout class).
• Pay off debt and move to a new home in our ideal location.  

While I only met one of the six goals I made for 2014,  it was a busy year for us and I know that 2015 holds more.  With the brewery open and a baby on the way, it should be an amazing year, one of our best yet. 

 

Drink of the Week #12: Holiday Fig n' Whiskey

It feels good to write a Drink of the Week post again; since it has been since September.  Sadly I can't drink at the moment, being that I am 16 weeks preggo, but I loved making this cocktail for my husband one chilly evening. 

I have been wanting to use fig in a cocktail for some time now, and the holiday season seemed to be the perfect time.  Don't children dream of figgy pudding or something this time of year? 

Regardless, figs with whiskey pair together like milk and cookies. 

A little bit of Fig Preserves (Central Market & Sprouts) stirred with the juice of half an orange is the base flavor component, plus it adds the sweetness.  Followed by the addition of Rye Whiskey and a few drops of Habanero Bitters; the cocktail is complete with ice and a splash of soda water.  Now it just needs a side of chestnuts roasting on an open fire.  

The Kitchn Cookbook

If you are looking for a gift for a food lover The Kitchn Cookbook is a great choice.  

The cookbook was released in October, so the hubby and myself made a trip to the Dallas West Elm to pick-up a copy, and get it signed by one of the authors, Faith Durand.  I wasn't feeling well that day, pregnancy nausea, but I wasn't going to pass-up the opportunity.  

Not only was the trip worth it, because I got a personally signed book and got to meet one of the authors, but also because of the free slice of pie from our FAVORITE pie shop, Emporium Pies, and some sweet lemonade.  Oh, and an adorable 'Sweet as Pie' reusable shopping bag that I use quite often. 

The Kitchn Cookbook first grabs your attention with the beautifully photographed recipes.  From my food blogging experience the past five years I can tell you that food photography is not easy, and when done right, can make the difference between wanting to make a recipe, and not.

The book is divided into two sections.  Part 1: The Kitchn walks you through the perfect kitchen set-up including essential tools to own and maintenance.  Part 2: How to Cook Well dives into meal planning and of course the recipes.

The recipes are wonderfully simple, yet not too simple.  Nothing too esoteric to meet the needs of every type of cook out there.  From breakfast (Fig and Almond Quinoa Breakfast Porridge) to Small Bites (Roasted Garlic and Lemon Hummus) to Drinks (Sparkling Peach Sangria) to Main Dishes & One-Bowl Meals (Black Bean Edamame Burgers) to Sides & Salads (Fennel and Radicchio Salad with Farro and Pecans) to Desserts (Jam Hand Pies). 

Happy Cooking Food Lovers!

The Summer to Fall Transition

About a month ago the hubs and myself went out on a date night for the first time in a while.  It was a museum night, Modern til' Midnight 80's Edition. If you recall we went to a museum night over the Summer in Dallas, this was at The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

A relaxing evening dining on the lawn, while listening to 80's music, called for a comfortable outfit.  So what do you wear in the transition time of the year?   When it's hot while the sun is shining, but chilly once it sets? 

How about some cutoff jeans shorts with a simple white t-shirt, an over-sized cardigan, and ankle boots?  It was such a comfortable outfit.  A bit of edginess for 80's night with some classic style mixed-in.  My legs were incredibly pale, being that it is fall, but I didn't care, I felt cute in my outfit.

The very in-style oversized cardigan was my favorite component.  Casual for a laid-back evening, during the summer to fall transition.