Old Navy Beachwear: great summer finds at great prices!

I was fortunate enough to do another sample and share from Crowdtap, and it was again for Old Navy (which are my favorites!)

After our last Old Navy sample and share the girls kept asking when we would get to do it again! Lucky for us we got to do a beach accessory sample, and it was fun! Old Navy seriously has the best basics. Swimwear, flip flops, beach towels, sunglasses.. and beach bags!

And man, if you haven't seen their newest jewelry collection, you need to get in there. It's seriously beautiful, so many different styles. There's boho, chic, romantic, gypsy and more styles of jewelry. I loaded up on earrings the last time I stopped in so this time I was tempted with hair clips and necklaces! All at Old Navy's traditional great prices. (Get in there and get some!)

Here's a sneak peek of our summer Sample & Share courtesy of #Old Navy & #Crowdtap

 Amanda (top) has a cruise to Cabo coming up in July, so she was shopping for goodies for that. She tried on this cute black jersey knit dress with her adorable Old Navy bag that was part of the sample. (I got a matching one! I'm a sucker for blue.)

 Above, the lovely Adrianne grabbed the bag Amanda and I have in a red. We love these, they are the PERFECT pool or beach tote. They fit our flip flops, towel, and more in them!

Amanda in front of the Flip Flop display.. to many colors to choose from! Good thing they are 2 for $5.. these are great beach flip flops or pool ones. I always get my good sandals dirty at the beach, but alas, no more! Thanks Old Navy :) 

I'm a sucker for turquoise anything, so I was drawn to the turquoise flip flops! They match my sweet pool bag. 

Adrianne had quite a few garments to try on, she left with some great dresses and beachwear!

Adrianne in front of the more subdued flip flop colors. I'm telling you there is every color under the sun! The girls each bought an extra pair, they are so afordable!

A & A comparing garments. I love these shots.. their expressions are so cute! I love the pink hoodie, too. That's an Old Navy goodie and I think I need one myself. (Adrienne was not taking that flower out of her hair.. that's Old Navy too, and she added that to her bag! so cute on her.) 

 A was kind enough to let me borrow it for a shot with her. (Check out how much swag she has.. this is on the way to the check out line. That girl can shop!) She ended up with a red, orange, and black beach towel. 

A & A in front of the flip flops. I can't get over how many there are! 

This was the perfect time to have this awesome Sample & Share. I needed pool flip flops badly (and a beach towel.. I don't own any. Which is embarassing coming from a beach town!) Adrienne is heading to a lake house for 4th of July so her sunglasses, towel and flip flops were perfect. 

Amanda is heading to Cabo so she picked up a comfy skirt to wear on the plane, and some cute tank tops to wear in Mexico. And she can take her flip flops, sunglasses, bag and towel with her!

 She's such a star ;) We tried to convince her to get these, but no go. 

Adrianne ended up with these, we kept calling them Lady Gaga glasses. They are so chic on her though! 

And I myself am heading on a cruise soon, so all this swag is the perfect summer accessory. Thanks #Old Navy and # Crowd Tap for outfitting us Austin gals for summer! (The triple A's.. in case you didn't catch that!) 

Thrifting!

picked up this sweet little school desk while out thrifting today.

Vegan "Carne" Guisada recipe

One of the biggest challenges I have with cooking is recreating traditional Mexican food dishes. My husband is hispanic and grew up on enchilada's, carne guisada, spanish rice, and home made beans. So I'm always setting out to try and recreate them in a healthier way.

Well imagine how much harder that gets when you give up meat. I've made some pretty great black bean & corn enchilada's recently, but we had been craving Carne Guisada. If you don't know what Carne Guisada is, or haven't ever eaten it, it's a traditional Mexican dish of beef tips stewed in a savory gravy. It's delish with avocado on top of a flour tortilla. I scoured the internet for a "vegan carne guisada" recipe, but couldn't find anything I was enthusiastic about. I mainly was faced with the question of what do I use as a meat replacement?

So that came first, I used Isa Chandra's simple Italian sausages as my meat base. (Picture below) I steamed them in my rice cooker for about an hour, and was pretty pleased with them. Sausage is one of the things I have had the most cravings for after giving up meat (weird when you think about what a disgusting product sausage really is..) But a lot of the Vegan sausages on the grocery store shelves have disappointed me.

source: theppk.com

So I tweaked a Carne Guisada recipe I had used when I was a carnivore (hehe) and came out with a pretty great result. The husband was thrilled, (like really excited) even though it was missing meat! These sausages can be used in stews, soups, and even Carne Guisada. Read below for the recipe. 

*Note: you should be comfortable with the flavor of Seitan and meat substitutes to enjoy this dish. Or at least open to trying it!

Vegan "Carne" Guisada (adapted from a recipe in Everyday Food mag)

ingredients:

-2 of Isa Chandra's Vegan Sausages, or store bought vegan sausages/Gardein Beefless beeftips

-1/8 tsp of salt, and more to taste

-pepper to taste

-2 tablespoons oil of your choice (I used canola)

-1/2 medium white onion, diced

-1 medium green bell pepper, seeded, top removed, and diced

-1 large jalepeno, seeded and diced small

-5 garlic cloves, minced

-1.5 tsp ground cumin (comino)

-1 tsp chili powder

-3/4 tsp dried oregano

-3 tbs all purpose flour

-1 & 1/4 cups "no chicken" chicken broth, (or vegetable broth if you can't find it)

-1 14oz cans diced tomatoes, (onion & garlic flavor if you can find it.)

-2 bay leaves

-flour tortilla's, warmed up (or whole wheat if you wanna be healthy!)

-avocado for topping

Instructions:

1. Dice all vegetables

2. Using oil, saute bell pepper, jalepeno, onion, and garlic until soft. About 5 mins

3. Add spices and flour, and simmer for one minute. (It will not blend in right away, it's normal for the flour to be a bit stiff.)

4. Slowly pour broth into skillet, scraping bits off the bottom of the pan. Add tomatoes and bay leaves, along with salt and pepper to taste. 

5. Cover and cook for 1 hour on low to medium heat.

6. Serve in tortilla's with avocado on top (if that's your thing.) 

Enjoy! We served ours up with home made rice and beans, and fresh avocado on the side. Yum!

-

I feel good knowing that one of the tougher Mexican dishes can be made Vegan. I am thinking of making this with potatoes instead of the vegan sausages. It would be "papa's guisada" I suppose :) More Vegetarian Mexican food to come!

XoXo

Ash 

Vegetarian eggplant parm

delicious meatless alternative. Baked so it's healthy and pretty easy!

I used this recipe (but honestly it was waaaayyy too much food. One eggplant could have fed both my husband and I. Only use two if you are feeding 4 or more)

Eating Well Eggplant Parm

I used whole wheat bread crumbs, and Beth's marinara sauce recipe (which is so worth the effort.) And fresh basil from my garden. I froze some for later hoping it will be good!

An Ode to beans.. and Parsley hummus.

Ah beans, I've always loved them. Super healthy for you (talk about protein).. and so versatile. It was a match made in heaven when I gave up meat that I could eat beans all day, every day.

Beans & Spanish rice were my favorite part of eating at a Mexican restaurant (other than the cheese.. mm..) I would joke that I could live off of rice and beans all day. And now, I basically do.

I thought I'd talk a bit about beans & hummus here, and how EASY hummus is to make. You have to splurge on the Tahina / Tahini to make hummus, but I bought a pretty decent size bottle at my HEB for about $5. You can make Hummus tons of times after that, while if you bought hummus at a store once it would be around $5.

First things first, I try to no longer used canned beans. Beth over at Budget Bytes has a great article on "kicking the can.." but I must say that I now make almost all my beans at home, in the crock pot. It's such a better value. A bag of black beasns (1lb) is about .99 cents, and it makes enough for me to freeze. (I usually use 2lbs if I can..) Which is at least two cans of beans.

So easy. To make home made beans in the crock pot (I've done this with Black beans, garbanzo beans/chickpeas, and navy beans. all a success.. ) follow these easy peasy steps. Of course, this can be done in a pot on the stove as well, but I love the "forget about me" aspect of a crock pot.

Dump out your beans on a cookie sheet or flat surface. Sort through them, tossing any broken or bad beans and rocks. (I've only ever found maybe one or two rocks in my time.. but worth the extra step.)

Rinse the beans well in a colander. Get rid of all that dirt & yuck! I don't soak my beans unless they are pinto, personally.

Dump them in your crock pot, and pour in enough water to where there is about two inches of water above the beans. Cook on low 6-7 hours or high 4-5 hours. If you are planning on leaving these to cook while you head to work, give yourself plenty of water in the crock pot for them to soak up, maybe an extra cup or two. You can always get rid of it later, so it's better to use more water than you think you need. I don't add anything else, but you could add salt if you like. 

And that's it! I didn't take an after pic, but let the beans cool, then sort them into tupperware and leave some liquid in the tupperware with them. (For example, like a can of beans has liquid.) I freeze a big batch and then portion them out into dinner sized portions. Viola! No preservatives, no BPA from the can (eew..) and no crap in your food. Plus, you made them!

So now, let's talk about Hummus. I. love. hummus. And honestly, my new favorite hummus is white bean hummus. Hummus is basically bean dip, when you think about it. So you can make it with any kind of bean. I usually make it with whatever beans I have left over, and white beans are my new favorite. 

I like to add hot sauce. I used Frank's Red Hot that I had left over, and wasn't all that thrilled. I prefer my signature Tapatio, or Valentina. Beth likes Siracha. Hummus is so customizable! It's great :) 

So here's the skinny. My favorite white bean hummus recipe:

1 cup cooked white (or navy) beans (you can use almost any bean on hand.)

2 tbs tahini

Fresh squeezed 1/2 lemon

1 small garlic clove, minced

1/8 teaspoon salt, more to taste

Handfull of parsely (optional, but I LOVE the flavor it gave this batch. Fresh parsley is fairly cheap)

Generous amount of hot sauce (I probably used 1/2 tbs or so.) Taste as you go!

Paprika, for garnish

Throw everything into the food processor, and pulse 4-5 times until it is the consistency you like. Taste, and add salt or hot sauce until hummus is the consistency you like. Sprinkle paprika and/or olive oil on top, if desired.

I keep this in the fridge for a week to two weeks, and snack on it with everything!

I am on a Buffalo kick right now, and so I like to eat my hummus with these yummy buffalo wing pretzel crips. Pita chips are delish as well. I hope you get the chance to make some delicious hummus of your own! And experiment until you find your own liking.

Xoxo,
Ash

Old Navy - shopping within your budget!

So I was fortunate enough via Crowdtap to sample Old Navy's bottom's & shoes recently for an in-store party. I already am in love with the color Capri's (I have the coral and LOVE them..) so I went in expecting to snag the blue pair. But then I was torn. There was so much great stuff!

I've always felt that way about Old Navy.. like I can never make a decision. I loved a pair of jeans (the Diva), I loved the blue capri's, but I was also itching for a pair of (non skimpy) shorts for my summer excursion. Decisions, decisions.. they seriously had so much great stuff. I took my gals Adrienne & Amanda along and we were able to each take home a free pair of bottom's and a free pair of shoes. Here's the scoop:

Too funny, Amanda and Adrienne both walked out with this outfit as their first one to try on. They couldn't stop laughing! But they both look awesome in this shirt. 

Amanda really liked the Boyfriend jeans (on the left) and ended up with them, Adrienne ended up with those White linen pants (in the middle. which I am so jealous of, because they did not look great on me..) and here I am testing out the blue capri's. I LOVE them.. but alas I did not take them home to hang with the Coral ones in my closet. 

Amanda looks great in anything, but these skirts were a hit. She's a teacher so she likes to be comfy & professional. I, on the other hand, was obsessed with this top (and the shoes.) The jeans weren't flattering on me for some reason (I have a larger behind than most!)

 Adrienne was all about the dresses, and she has such a cute figure, she should be! 

 I love these comfy tops from Old Navy. To me, that's what they are known for. Comfy, affordable clothing.  I joked that I looked like I was going on a safari (minus the shoes)..but then I thought "hey! This is a great outdoor outfit!" I definitely left with the khaki shorts and brown wedges. I'd been looking for a great pair to go with all my summer dresses, and these were it! (Don't mind my pasty legs!)

Adrienne was also lovin' these comfy T's that Old Navy has goin' on. Bright spring colors! She also tried on the boyfriend jean and looked super cute. 

And lastly, here's Amanda trying to pick out shoes (you can see how tough it would be, all the options!) She went with a sandal that had a little starfish on it, cute! Adrienne went with a wedge heel. 

I am dying for those red flats to Amanda's right, I bought the turquoise ones, for only $22 I had to have them. Everything we tried on was so reasonably priced. Old Navy's jeans usually range from $20-$30 bucks, and the shorts are about the same. I love a good, comfy flat, and Old Navy has some at great prices. I was so excited to get wedges, that I went back a week later and bought them in black, also. 

I tend to do that, when I love something, I buy it in multiple colors if I can! So for spring, I highly recommend Old Navy for your fashion needs. Affordable, fashionable, and fun!

We had so much fun shopping at this little swaray, all the employee's were like "wow, how do you get free stuff?" And I told them, Crowdtap :) My friends were like, "wow, when is the next one of these?!" Haha. 

Thanks for reading, Happy Spring!

-Ash

Vegetarian/Pescetarian, who needs labels, right?

So I have recently made a (fairly) large life changing decision lately to not eat meat. (Most meat, that is.) I decided upon myself that I can have fish and shrimp until I can cut that out completely as well.

I remember a year ago or so my husband and I would laugh at how we could never become vegetarians. "We would be protein deficient!" we would say. But little did we know that a plant based diet can offer much more protein, and in a healthier matter.

If you haven't already, I highly encourage you to watch "Food Inc". and "Food Matters", two extremely informative documentaries on our "FDA" approved meat in this country and the benefits of adding plants to your diet as your main source of food. (both are on Netflix.)

http://www.takepart.com/foodinc
http://www.foodmatters.tv/

It's not saying "you have to be a vegetarian" and it's not one of those graphic Peta videos where you never want to eat again, it's informative and will get you thinking. It will help you to realize why you should buy organic when you can, why you want grass fed beef and hormone free/ free range eggs & chicken. It's full of the important things that this country won't tell you. And that is the scariest part, we as Americans have no idea what is going into our food anymore. Sad, but true.

I made the decision to eat less meat (and eventually cut it out) because of Food Matters. It's an excellent documentary that talks about super foods, what vegetables are great for you, how to cook them to retain the most nutrients, and how we can reverse and even eliminate a lot of common disease in this country if we switch to a plant based diet and exclude meat. But let's get real, we as American's want a quick fix, a cure all pill, that will let us eat how we please and still keep going with heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and more. And that's how the world has us programmed to think, we can do what we want and take a pill to make us keep living. What kind of a mind frame is that? Think about if we all ate better, didn't have preventable disease, and were healthy Americans. You know who would lose? Pharmaceutical companies. And quite frankly, I'm ok with that.

I highly encourage these documentaries, as they will open your eyes on what we are eating and what we should be eating. I personally am keeping fish and seafood in my diet, and will be buying from trusted sources. Be careful about being a vegetarian, as you can still eat tons of cheese, butter, and dairy.. and that is enough to make you gain weight on a veg. diet.

Here's a great article about truth's on eating a vegetarian diet: http://www.udlnewhaven.com/?p=626

I believe everyone's diet is their preference, and I will never judge someone for eating meat. So I hope that I don't face criticism for not eating meat. I've already faced it a bit, but most people in my life have been really supportive (including my husband.. who before watching "Food Matters" wasn't entirely on board."

I'll end this post with the idea of labeling how we eat. I'm not entirely sure why it matters. Like I said, diets are an individual preference. I prefer to include seafood but take out all other meat. One day I plan to go Vegan. But there are so many kinds of "vegetarian" diets out there, that you don't have to succumb to one way of eating. Do what is healthy and best for you personally, and stick by what you choose. (Did you know there are "fruitarians" out there? Me neither until recently!)

Cutting out meat is hard at first. At least for me it was. But I'm learning and experimenting and now I view it as a lot of fun and a challenge. I plan to make all kinds of meals (and already have) that are delicious and meat free. I couldn't have made this decision at a better time, with the spawn of Pinterest to help me find recipes.

These black bean burgers were easy & yum!

I hope all of you out there will sit down and watch a documentary or two on nutrition and food in this country. At least know what happens to your food before you eat it.. (I think we have all seen the pink slime video..). Be in the know. Make smart decisions. You only get one body and one life, so choose wisely what you put into it.

Mad love,
Ash