~ pho to go ~

yes I know, it's pronounced 'fuh', but for the sake of humor, don't spoil it for me.

Lately I've been in a bit of a food rut.  Some variation of eggs and toast for breakfast, some variation of vegetables and a tortilla for lunch, and some variation of tofu, sweet potato, and salad for dinner.  Now not to say these are particularly bad meals to have every day, but some weeks just need a bit of spicing up.  So the day before yesterday, in an effort to be different, I went to Pho7 and discovered my undying love of Pho.  Bean sprouts, lime, tons of sriracha.  It's perfect for a cold day (or any day).

OH MY GOD.  It's SO good.

Besides the tall, handsome British guy conveniently living next door to me, and the perfect shade of red lipstick, Pho is the one thing that's been missing from my life.

It turns out, branching out every once in a while isn't all that bad.  Just like how wearing something other than black and white stripes isn't terrible and watching something other than Friends isn't always disappointing (but let's face it...it usually is).

xoxo,
Eliza

~ dinner with friends ~

Starting the New Year sick was hardly what I had in mind, but unfortunately my immune system had other plans.  Therefor, I've spent my few remaining days of vacation in bed with a bx of kleenex by my side.

Now.  When one is in such a predicament, there are two options: wallow in self pity and hatred of your sinuses, or wallow in self pity and hatred of your sinuses while eating spicy food and watching Friends on Netflix.  Though one is obviously superior because, honestly, who doesn't like to feel miserable and be grumpy, food always wins over no food.

Super Curry-y Curry:

1 can of cannellini beans,

1 large sweet potato (microwaved and cubed),

a handful of frozen green peas,

a half an onion,

a few tablespoons of diced tomatoes,

lots of curry powder, some cumin, some salt, and cayenne pepper to taste

First saute the onions in a little olive oil.  Add the beans and diced tomatoes and let it simmer for a few minutes.  Then add the green peas, sweet potatoes, and spices.  Cook for roughly ten minutes and serve over rice with some sauteed garlic spinach.  If you currently cannot taste anything, add LOTS of cayenne pepper and hope for the best.

Cabbage Spring Rolls with Sweet Potato Fries and Peanut Sauce:

Rolls: saute the following in a large pan with a little olive oil, then boil the outer leaves of a cabbage, and roll the filling up in the leaves.

two carrots, shredded,

thinly sliced broccoli,

half an onion, thinly sliced,

a handful of bean sprouts

four pieces of tofu, cubed and marinated in soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice, and a lot of black pepper

red pepper, thinly sliced

shredded green cabbage,

a little soy sauce and a pinch of cayenne pepper,

Sweet potato fries: peel two sweet potatoes, slice as thin as you like, lightly coat in olive oil, salt, and a lot of pepper.  Bake at 400 degrees on a piece of tin foil until crispy.

Peanut sauce: mix two tablespoons of peanut butter, two tablespoons of soy sauce, one tablespoon of honey, one clove of garlic, cayenne pepper, and a bit of lemon juice.

Tonight, since I'm still feeling pretty crappy and can't taste anything, I had black beans and rice with green olives and balsamic vinegar followed by hot tea with lemon and honey.  Now it's strawberry popsicles and Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Oh and just in case you didn't know, Ross kisses Rachael.

xoxo,

Eliza

~ thankful ~

There are many things I'm thankful for....chocolate, fleece-lined leggings, teachers who post their powerpoints online, etc., etc.  But this year, I'm thankful for some of the most basic things a human being can be thankful for, but that many people must go without on a daily basis.

• Food.  In a world where an apple can cost as much as a burger from McDonald's, I feel very lucky to have access to and be able to afford good, healthy, (often organic) food.  I feel very lucky to have the luxury of being able to customize my diet.  No meat, no dairy, lots of fruits and vegetables, very little sugar, whole wheat instead of white.  I fully understand how privileged I am and try to remind myself of this on a daily basis.

• My health.  Even though this time of year I have the immune system of a Jane Austen side character (I'm looking at you, Jane Bennet), for the most part, I'm a relatively healthy person.  I don't have any chronic illnesses, I haven't been bedridden for longer than a few days (except for when I had mono, but mono is the exception to everything), I'm not allergic to grass, or water, or wheat.  Sure, sometimes I'll go to the doctor with a complaint and she'll say "Yeah...never heard of anything like that in my entire career," or a WebMD search yields no results, but I'm lucky.  And I'm thankful.

• Education.  As much as I complain about the technical glitches, costs, and sexist idiots I run across on campus, I feel so fortunate to be on a campus.  With the ridiculous rises in tuition, among many, many other things, an unbelievable number of people simply cannot afford to receive an education.  That I am one of the lucky few is something that I am very thankful for.

• A home.  My house is something to behold.  Down a road lined with watermelon fields and cow pastures, canopied by enormous oak trees dripping with Spanish moss, and older than most of the lucky people living underneath their beautiful shade.  Then, turning onto our dirt road, it's like going back in time and all the while entering a new world.  White and wooden, like a farm house, big windows and lots of light, wooden floors and welcoming doorways.  I love my house and cherish the days and nights I've spent here.

• A family.  Though we may be spread out, stubborn, and often spend our time arguing about things that will mean nothing in a year - "Stop looking out MY WINDOW" (circa 2000) - we love each other.

We could all use a day to celebrate each other and give thanks for what we have.  So happy Thanksgiving, one and all.  

xoxo,

Eliza

~ cold weather cravings ~

In the summer I crave cucumbers, pasta salad, and mint ice cream.  In the fall I crave pumpkin-y things, halloween candy, and hot tea.  And when it barely hits 50 degrees all day, I crave hot, HOT soup and fruit.  A lot of fruit.

I've just discovered how awesome fresh pomegranate is and now nothing else will do!

And in this case, the soup in question is called Everything Soup (because I made it when I was in a bad mood and just grabbed everything from the vegetable drawer and dumped it in).  Green peas, onions, broccoli, carrots, tofu, pasta, some salt, lots of black pepper, cumin, and soy sauce.  First saute all the vegetables, then add the rest of the ingredients, about 4 cups of water, and let it simmer until the vegetables are soft enough.

Tonight for dinner it's butter beans, roasted vegetables, and a salad.  If the only physical activity I get this winter is going for a run every two weeks and speed walking around campus to avoid the cold, at least I know I'll be eating healthy.  (never mind the fact that I have a box of donuts on my counter right now)

xoxo,

Eliza

~ 19 ~

Since I spent my birthday weekend sick, I figured I deserved to spread out the celebrations over the whole week.  And that's just what I've done!

Multiple cups of tea, good food, lots of painting, watching Netflix, reading, hot baths, wearing pajamas until noon, and eating lots of chocolate.  Unfortunately life doesn't recognize my birthday week as a national holiday so I still have my classes, but as soon as I have time off for the holidays I'm going to finish my celebrations with some hiking and a beach trip!

Until then, it's been pancakes for breakfast...

wearing my new birthday shoes...

Wearing my new blazer (that's already become a staple in my closet)...

And watching lots of Doctor Who (like, an embarrassing amount of Doctor Who).

Until healthier times!

xoxo,

Eliza

~ small adventures ~

This week, in between studying for exams, losing my student ID (boohoo), and watching Gilmore Girls episodes back to back, I went on a series of mini adventures around town and took advantage of the rare quiet moments (many of which involved cupcakes and breaking into the Halloween candy).

Yesterday after getting out of class early I explored the latest exhibit at the TCC art gallery: The Figure as Vehicle.  It's a beautiful combination of watercolors and pieces of sculpture by Marsha De Broske and John Carollo

Then on the way home from classes I stopped by Lucy and Leo's for a vegan cupcake.

(oreo cupcakes are the bomb)

I obviously didn't have the patience to take a picture since I ate it the minute I got back in the car.

Today also involved art and enormous amounts of good food.  First stop: Voodoo Dog with my mama for veggie dogs, veggie burgers, and the best fries in town.  Then Bread and Roses for some shopping, and a stop at Utrecht (or Blick, or whatever it's being called these days) for canvases, oddball paint colors, and some charcoal.

 

Now I just have to get through my exams tomorrow and then the fun will begin!  Photoshoots, the New Leaf farm tour, an oceanography field trip, the Greek food festival, a play, and modeling on Sunday.  

xoxo,

Eliza

~ unplanned weekend ~

What I planned to do this weekend: Go to a beekeeper's picnic with my mom, go to a festival downtown, see a movie, bake cookies, go for a run.

What I did this weekend: get sick, watch Gilmore Girls on repeat, consume lots of tea and kale salad, do homework, and wear pajamas all day every day.

But I also ate a really good breakfast on Saturday:

Snuggled with kittens:

Found my weekend mantra:

And took several really good naps.

When I was little, getting sick meant feeling sorry for myself, eating buttered rice and toast with jam, sleeping all day, and watching Arthur during the hours I was awake.  But unfortunately, getting sick when you're an adult (yuck), means carrying on as normal - writing emails, doing homework, submitting assignments, cooking, etc. - but taking the occasional break to nap, use your inhaler, watch Masterpiece Mystery, and eat pancakes.

And to tell you the truth, as long as I've got pancakes and kittens, being sick on the weekend isn't so bad after all.

xoxo,

Eliza 

~ 12 days of summer ~

I don't want summer to end.  But unfortunately for me, I only have 12 full, uninterrupted days of summer vacation.  Because that number is depressing and the idea of going back to composition books,  note cards, highlighters, and massive amounts of caffeine is horrible, I'm cherishing every minute of free time and filling it with fun things!

12 days left.
After sleeping in, running errands, and eating good food, I baked a cake and watched Key Largo.

 

11 days left.

Spent the day lounging by the pool, drawing skeletons, going to an art show in the evening, and finished the day with a hot bath.

{gap top and shoes, old navy pants}

10 days left.

In the morning we left to make the drive to Thomasville where we met my sister who was making her way back home from Atlanta.  We shopped, we ate, and then we jammed to good music.  

Then after a quick nap and a quick dinner, I went to a movie with friends in the evening.

9 days left.

This morning I worked out with my mama and sister, ran errands, and caught up on all the news from Atlanta.  Then we all had an amazing lunch!  I think I'll head up to the pool for some swimming and a quick nap before catching a movie tonight (has anyone seen Boyhood yet?).

Hanging up my new map

Spicy southwestern vegetable soup and sweet kale salad with cabbage, brussels sprouts, roasted pumpkin seeds, cranberries, broccoli, and a poppyseed dressing.

Today I reluctantly bought notebooks, but I'm trying not to let it kill my vibe.  Besides, even though classes start soon, it'll be shorts weather until October.  

Nine days left of summer.

xoxo,

Eliza

~ little things ~

After last week being generally shitty, I figured the universe owed me a good week.  So far, so good!  (I know it's only monday....don't remind me)

01.  my friend Rachael and I made pizza, brownies, watched Sherlock, The Breakfast Club, and went swimming at 11 pm.

02. I ate brownies and pizza

03. I designed and published a website for my photography business!

{my sweet friend Allison and her lovely face}

elizasgphotography.wix.com/elizasgphotography

04. I impulse bought a pair of heels on Modcloth that I've had my eye on for a year now (is that still considered an impulse buy?)....never ignore a Modcloth sale!  You will ALWAYS find something amazing.

05. I finished my summer class today!  Six worksheets and a 9 page essay - DONE!

06. an insanely good dinner for a monday night

Now for some reading before bed, yoga in the morning, and then a trip to Lowes to get 65 white paint swatches.

xoxo,

Eliza

~ town hopping ~

Today my mama and I did one of my favorite things: town hopping!  And by town hopping, I mean driving to little towns in Florida and Georgia, looking through antique stores, eating, shopping, buying peaches and butter beans, photographing abandoned buildings, getting creeped out by the abandoned buildings, eating cinnamon buns, and shopping for books.

{the Thomasville farmer's market - best in the state!}

{I picked up a collection of Truman Capote's short stories from the bookstore}

{such an amazing old building.  I'll definitely be coming back to photograph this one in better light!}

Not a bad way to spend my day off!

xoxo,

Eliza

~ namaste ~

After a very, very stressful week, I decided to make this week all about relaxation.  Sometimes I get wrapped up in the daily chaos and think there's no way I could possibly have a relaxing week, but it really doesn't take much.  Appreciate the little things and don't pass up any opportunity to spend time with people you love.  So far so good!

Monday.
I went on a beach trip with my awesome friend Allison who I haven't seen since my NYC trip!

Tuesday.

I played guitar, had a tofu bahn mi for lunch/dinner, and snuggled with the kittens.

Wednesday.

After work I met up with Allison to eat pretzels and do a little shopping.  Later in the afternoon I went to yoga class...super relaxing!

Thursday.

This morning started out with a yoga class - my new routine.  Then after working on my essay and going to the pool, I worked out at the gym, had some homemade vegan pizza for dinner, caught up on the latest issue of Thom Magazine, and now I'm watching Sherlock.

Hmmm....what will tomorrow bring?

xoxo,

Eliza