Nocturnal Breakfast

Today I was craving breakfast for dinner. I am a huge breakfast/brunch person so having breakfast for dinner is one of my favorites. And when I cook this, I go BIG. 

All of the food I make for this meal is super simple but so satisfying at the same time. My family has chickens so we have fresh eggs everyday to eat. I don't particularly like eggs, so I decided to have egg substitute (I put cheddar cheese and hot sauce on mine) while my boyfriend had the real deal. Every breakfast meal should include hash browns. It's just a necessity, so of course we made though. They are super easy to make too, all you do is grate the potatoes (we leave the skin on), and put the spread out in a pan (medium high heat was used for everything) that has some olive oil in it. I leave them in the pan with a lid on top to cook for about 5 minutes, then flip it into the other side to cook. Next is the sausage, but since I am vegetarian we used the Morningstar breakfast sausage patties, which I happen to absolutely love. I would eat them everyday if I could. To cook those, all you do is put them in a pan with some olive oil, then put a lid on top so that they steam. It helps cook them all the way through so you don't have the middle still frozen. Lastly, we made French toast with a twist. Instead of using sliced bread, we decided to used a sliced baguette. For the drench, all it is, is an ratio of about 2:3 of mixed eggs and milk. You don't want it to be a completely even amount of both. So you want to make sure there is a little more egg than milk. I noticed that it makes them not soggy, but not too crispy. Once you soak both sides of each slice of bread, you just put them in a pan and cook! I leave them for about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. To top them we decided to put boysenberry jam and powdered sugar on them, which was a genius decision. We also had mimosas because every good breakfast has a mimosa included with it. 

Breakfast for dinner is a really good option when you don't know what to cook for dinner, or don't have much time to cook dinner. This took us about a half an hour to make and it's so simple! 

Bon appetite! 

 

Let's Dance

This past Sunday was the concert event I have been waiting months for. It was the big celebration after my recovery and it was exactly how I wanted to celebrate after being cured. 

When I listen to the radio, I typically only listen to 94.7fm because for the most part, they play all of the music I like. So when they announced they were doing a birthday concert to celebrate being on air for 20 years, I was in all the way. And once I heard the lineup, I bought my tickets immediately. That's not even an exaggeration because I really did buy them the minute after they went on sale. 

The morning of the concert, I was thinking of what to wear and since it was going to be hot, and the concert was 10 hours long, I knew that I needed to wear something comfortable and that I wouldn't overheat in. I absolutely love my scalloped shorts (LC Lauren Conrad) so those were an automatic choice. They are perfect for when it's hot because they are really lightweight and easy to move around in. For my top I knew that since I was going to be outside and I didn't want any tan lines, I needed to wear a sleeveless top. My mint colored tube top (Pacsun) was a good choice because it holds the girls up quite well and it won't give me any tan lines. Accessories wise, I wanted to do simple because it's an outdoor concert and I don't need to get my jewelry caught on anyone next to me. I went for a double strand necklace that has a basic gold bar on the shortest strand and a light pink stone on the longest strand (Janelle James). My shoes needed to be comfortable since I would be on my feet all day and in gravel. That being said, I wore my basic black sandals (Forever21) and they held up quite well for this event. 

As for the concert, the acts we saw were really good, but the venue was not the best choice. It was all gravel and dirt, with absolutely no shade. So everyone was standing in the direct sun all day. The lines for the food carts were ridiculously long as well. With one food cart, we stood in line for 40 minutes, only to get to the front and find out they had run out of all vegetarian options (I am vegetarian). Our saving grace was that they allowed re-entry so we were able to go and get food and drinks elsewhere. The drinks were cheaper at the other places we went to and the food was cheaper as well, plus without the huge lines. Overall it was a good day, but there were different things that they could improve on for the next event. 

Pain is Pain

So I have been pretty M.I.A lastly and there is a reason for that. 

For the last five years I have been dealing with my tonsils and have been having a lot of problems with them. I have tonsillitis at least once every three months, and it lasts for about a week at least. My health care will not let me have them removed until until I had enough cases of the tonsillitis recorded. This involved me paying to have a strep test everyte I was sick, to them hear back that they can't do anything and I just have to deal with it. I can't take any of the medicine that is typically given for tonsillitis because I am allergic to it and found out the hard way when I had allergic reactions to them. 

This year I was finally given the ok to have my tonsils and adenoids removed (they were both really bad and the doctor could see my tonsils when I opened my mouth without any effort. They were that big and infected.). I was told it would be a painful surgery and recovery since I am an adult now. I was not prepared for the pain I was about to face. 

Right after the surgery I had a bad reaction to the anesthesia and threw up 5 times within two hours of finishing the surgery. This was not good at all because I had just had throat surgery. Once I got home though, I slept quite a bit. Over the next few days I would endlessly cry (I never cry so this was bad) about how much pain I was in. I could not even swallow my own spit because it was so painful. I ended up having a bad reaction to the Oxy that I was prescribed for the pain so I stopped taking it a couple of days ago. Instead, I started doing a Tylenol and Motrin routine that the doctor told me I could do. With the Oxy I was constantly nauseous and dizzy, which then I would have to take another pill to help me not be dizzy. I couldn't walk anywhere on my own, so everyone had to help me get out of bed and even walk to the bathroom. Being off of the Oxy was beyond nice. 

A couple of nights ago, I woke up in the middle of the night with the taste of blood in my mouth. At first I though it was no big deal so I tried going back to sleep. Then woke up not much longer after with a heavy taste of blood in my mouth. So I went to the bathroom was was spitting out bright blood. I had spit out at least a fourth of a cup. My mom called the advise nurse and we were told to go to the emergency room. I have never been to the emergency room for myself before. 

Once we were in emergency, I was being checked by the doctor and threw up at least a cup and a half of just blood. Then things were concerning. I was put on a IV of fluids, and pain killers. Every doctor I saw that night said that this is the most painful surgery for an adult to have and tahat they would not recommend it to anyone. The end result was that one of my stitches in my throat had ripped and was then just gushing blood. 

Now that I am home, I am doing better, but can feel where the stitch ripped because it stings and is painful to swallow anything. But I should be healed in a few days and will be back to doing all of my fun post again! You guys have no idea how much I miss whole foods. I have been on a liquid only diet since the surgery last Tuesday. 

Be on the lookout in the next week for the fun posts to be back! 

Did Someone Say Tacos and Donuts?

As I am laying here in a lot of pain from my surgery yesterday morning, all I can think about one of my last meals I had before going under the knife. I can't eat solid foods for two weeks because the surgery was on my throat, which is the hardest thing ever. 

For this particular dinner, I went to ¿Por Qué No? on Mississippi Ave. I have been hearing rave reviews about it for a few years but never made it down there until a few days ago. We got there at the perfect time because the line was not long at all. 

It's not even a question that if guacamole is on the menu, I will be having it. Guacamole is one of the best things on earth and I could eat it with every meal if possible. The guacamole that they served, was amazing. It did not disappoint me at all. It was the right mix between creamy and chunky. The chips alone were very delicious, they had a medium thickness and were not too big in size. 

For drinks, I decided to go old school and simple with a Tecate beer. I have always loved beer, but beer with Mexican food is just excellent. 

The main dish was a hard one to choose. But tacos are the best thing on earth, so I went with those. I had the verduras tacos which had green beans, kale, corn, bell pepper and black beans inside, and topped off with cheese. I devoured these babies. I also have an obsession with Mexican rice, so I ordered that for the side. This rice had a special kick to it which is what I loved. The veggies in the tacos were roasted to perfection. You could taste the smokey flavor from them being roasted, but it wasn't overpowering. The tortillas tasted really fresh as well. Let's just say I will be going there a lot from now on. 

I always have to have dessert, and since Blue Star Donuts is down the street, we decided to head over there for a donut. I chose to have the blueberry bourbon basil donut. With every bite, I could taste each of the the individual flavors which amazes me. One moment you would taste the blueberry, and then a minute later the basil. The donut itself with light and fluffy, which I enjoyed. It didn't have me leaving feeling stuffed. My tummy was quite happy after this meal. 

I am already missing solid foods and this is only my second day of a two week recovery. But I'm glad I chose a perfect last meal before my surgery! 

Everything Rolled Into One

I have always loved pizza. I can look at a picture from when I was little and tell you where that pizza is from. So when I started dating my boyfriend, he kept telling me about this amazing pizza place that I needed to try. Last night I finally tried it. 

This pizza was honestly life changing. I was a bit skeptical because I mean I have had good pizza, but he was raving about it like it was pizza made by Jesus himself. So we were over on Division last night and we realized we were by Roman Candle Baking Co. Once we saw it we had to go in so I could finally try it. When something catches my eye, especially food, I will always be torn between multiple flavors of that item to get. Of course that was the case with this pizza. I ended up getting the mushroom pizza which was the best decision I could make in life. It had oyster mushrooms, ricotta and Rosemary on it to just name the main ingredients. That Rosemary was really what topped it off. It was such a fragrant smell but didn't over power the taste of the cheese and the mushrooms. I loved that the mushrooms still had their natural flavor instead of trying to change it like some places do. My boyfriend and I were talking about the crust most of the time though. We agreed that's what makes a good pizza is the crust. This particular crust was airy and just crunchy enough to add that extra something special to every bite. It also was not doughy where the main ingredients go, which was quite amazing to me. They also serve every slice of pizza with brass handled scissors that are straight from India. That is amazing in itself. Needless to say, everyone should be getting their pizza from here now. And the HUB beer was the perfect drink to have with this pizza. You can't go wrong with a local light beer. 

After dinner, we needed something sweet as always. Macarons are kind of our thing now, so we grabbed a few from St Honore just down the street. Since apricots are in season, that flavor was a must. The other two were kind of mystery flavors since there was no sign saying what they were. But regardless, they were pretty good macarons. 

For my outfit yesterday, I dug deep into the depths of my closet and found that I still had this yellow maxi dress (Target). It is still about 100 degrees in Portland so it was nice to wear this breathable dress out and about. I just paired it with a simple silver pendant and silver earrings. 

This morning we did our typical Saturday morning farmers market trip but had my mom tag along with us. We love going to farmers markets and seeing what is in season and sampling all of the goodies that they have to offer. We yet again, saw a bakery stand that had macarons for sale. After looking at this beautiful display, we just had to get a couple. My boyfriend got the passion fruit and I got the lemon lavender. I absolutely love lavender so it took me all of two seconds to pick which one I wanted. This was seriously the best macaron that I had ever had. Decadent Creation is the place to go for macarons. You can taste every flavor in them without having any flavors over power each other. It is also amazing to taste the flavor because in a lot of macarons, I am left wondering what flavor I just had. 

Today I am wearing my favorite dress. Ever since I got this dress (LC by Lauren Conrad) for my birthday, I have been obsessed. It is really breathable which is perfect for the current weather. It also has a fun open back. This dress would be flattering on any figure because of the shape. I am bustier, so not wearing a bra is usually never an option for me. But with this dress, you have to go bra less, and that is totally ok. It gives enough support that you don't feel like you are having to pick the girls up all day. Also the little Minnie Mouse faces on it just add a sweet touch. I seriously cannot get enough of this dress. I paired it with simple gold bangles (Mom's bracelets that I borrowed) and simple square gold earrings (ForLove21). There is so much that you could do jewelry wise with this dress. For shoes, I just wore my red sandals (Old Navy), which are the most comfortable sandals that I own. They also aren't like any others that I own, so they have quickly become a go to for my shoes. 

Well I am off to adventure some more because it's only 1:30 here and we aren't even halfway through the day! 

Sophisticated Bohemian

Shorts are seriously the hardest item of clothing for me to buy. I have always been thankful for having a big booty, but it has always caused me lots of trouble when trying to find shorts and jeans. 

That was all until I saw that Lauren Conrad had this pair of scalloped shorts for her line (LC by Lauren Conrad). Of course they didn't have my size at the store, so I resulted to ordering them online. I was so excited about them that I was checking the tracking on them everyday until they arrived at my house. Once that day came, I immediately ripped open the bag and slid those babies on. These shorts are heaven. They are a looser short, but are really flattering. I also love that they are easy to dress up and down. The shorts also have a second layer which I really appreciate because they don't feel too thin, but are still really breathable. 

Since it's hot again here, I had to wear a tank top (Forever21) today. This particular one has been sitting in my closet with the tag still on for about five months. So it was time to try and have it work with an outfit. This outfit just happened to be the perfect one for this tank. The tank gives these shorts a completely different look since the tank is very bohemian. Paired with the sandals (Forever21), the look was a sophisticated bohemian style. I added some basic gold earrings and a long, simple gold necklace to complete the outfit. 

I love these shorts seriously so much. There will be many more outfits that include them very soon. 

Southern Comfort

Last night was BBQ night for my boyfriend's family! I grew up with southern comfort food (biscuits and gravy is my absolute favorite food ever), so this was right up my alley. 

We were all going to The Russell Street BBQ for dinner. I always look at the menu before I go to a new restaurant because I am vegetarian and I like to make sure that there are things for me to eat. Once I saw this menu I just about freaked out because it was so incredible. So I was needless to say, pumped to go and eat here. 

For our starters we ordered their French fries that come with a Cajun mayo to dip them in. This is along with the BBQ sauce options that are at the table. The fries were amazing because they were crispy and deep fried to perfection. I love that they leave the skin on the fries too because it add that little extra crunch and taste. For my drink I got the no-po lemonade, which consists of whiskey, lemonade and soda. I love whiskey and lemonade so this was an automatic drink I would order. They make a strong drink here which I am not opposed to. 

For my main meal, once I saw that they had a smoked tofu sandwich that included pickles and cole slaw on it, I knew that was what I was eating. For my side I had to get the Mac and cheese of course. It was a carb heaven for me. The Mac and cheese was thick and creamy, with plenty of cheese and cracked black pepper. I put a ton of pepper on my Mac and cheese always, so I appreciated that they had already done that for me! As for that sandwich, the tofu had a crust on it so it was crispy and you definitely could taste that it was smoked to perfection. The coleslaw on it added that nice fresh crunch to it. My mouth is watering just from thinking about this meal. 

Of course I took a bite of my boyfriend's corn bread because it looked delicious and came with honey butter. It definitely did not disappoint. I asked everyone how their meat was (it looked delicious) and they all raved about it. Surprisingly enough, their salads are amazing too! My boyfriend's mom and uncle both got salads that looked fresh and I could tell they enjoyed them. If they didn't have meat in them, I would have been all over those salads. 

It was beyond generous for my boyfriend's mom and stepdad to treat us to dinner! I can't wait to do this again! 

 

For anyone looking for some incredible BBQ in Portland, The Russell Street BBQ is the best place for you to go! I will endlessly rave about this restaurant and will be going back soon.