Vega Bars

     I have received this product for my review. All opinions are my own. 

For the entire month of April I have been trying out being Vegan (more on that later), so I was really excited to be picked by Vega to try out their new line of bars! But, I was a bit nervous to try out the products for a few reasons: 1. I generally don't care for protein bars of any sort and 2. Most packaged vegan stuff is lacking a little flavor. Vega is a company that focuses on plant based diet and nutrition. They have everything from protein powder to supplements!

I tried 4 different products in eight different flavors:

• Snack Bars - They were by far my favorite! The bars are great for on the go snacking or when I was in the middle of work and needed something fast. The bars were mostly nuts and really yummy! They are gluten free, non GMO, and packed with super foods!
• Meal Replacement Bars - These bars were ok, they were extremely filling and satisfied me while I was at a baseball game. Since they are meal replacement bars they do have almost 300 calories. My favorite flavor was Chocolate Peanut Butter!
• Energy Bars - I used these bars for my morning runs. I am guilty of never eating before I run, so these bars were the perfect amount of food to get me going. The taste was good too! 
• Protein Bars - Posible one of the best protein bars I have ever had! They are a little high in sugar, but the taste is well work it. I ate these bars after a hard workout at the gym, they have 15 grams of protein and are chocolate! It was like having a treat for my workout. 

Overall, I was impressed by the bars and will be ordering some more! I even saved 2 for my upcoming spartan race this weekend! You don't have to be vegan to eat these. They have great flavor, but can be a bit high in sugar. They are great for on the go and really easy to carry with you. They are all natural and totally worth the price!

How I enjoyed my Vega Bars!

What is your favorite protein bar?

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Chia Berry Lemonade

Happy Earth Day! Summer is just around the corner and I have been getting into the summer spirit with the most refreshing drink, a chia berry lemonade! It is so easy to make and is great anytime of the day.

To make the Lemonade you will need the following:

• 2 Lemons
• 1/2 Cup of Berries, I used raspberries and strawberries
• 1 Cup of Coconut Water
• 2 Teaspoons of Chia Seeds
• 1 Teaspoon of honey

Mix all of the ingredients into a cup, chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour, then enjoy!

This drink is even better because, chia seeds will expand when they are added to a liquid, so you feel fuller longer. Chia has been linked to help you fight belly fat! Not only are they gluten/grain free naturally, but one tablespoon of Chia Seeds has more calcium than a glass of milk, more Omega-3s than Salmon, and more antioxidants than blueberries.

Do you have a favorite summer drink?
Do you use chia seeds? If so, what do you add them too?

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A Perfect Quinoa Salad

One of the things I wanted to do in 2014 was actually use my Pinterest. I have been on Pinterest for a long time now and have a ton of things pins. But I have never really tried to duplicate what I have pinned on Pinterest. I finally did it!! I made an amazing quinoa salad that I found on Pinterest. The original pin can be found on my food board. This salad was really easy to make and is a healthy meal. The portions made enough for me to eat it for a few days.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Quinoa
• 1 Cucumber 
• 1 Bell Pepper
• 1/2 Shallot 
• Cilantro
• 3 Limes 
• 1 Avocado
• Garlic
• 1 Jalapeño  
• Salt

Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil and fully cook 1 cup of quinoa. I cooked the quinoa according to the package. 
2. In a small bowl mix a garlic paste ( I watched this YouTube Video to learn how to make garlic paste), diced jalapeño, and diced shallot, and lime juice into a bowl. This mixture will be your dressing. 
   
3. While quinoa is cooking start to cut the cucumber, bell pepper, and cilantro. 
4. Once the quinoa is fully cooked place it on a cookie sheet to cool.
   
5.  Once the quinoa is cooled mix the quinoa with the cut cucumber, bell pepper, and cilantro. Add 1/2 of your dressing. Make sure everything is mixed well. Add salt to taste. 
   
6. When you are ready to serve the salad, add slices of avocado to it wand top it off with some of the dressing. 

This recipe was the perfect first attempt for me. It was so easy to make and had everything in it that I really enjoy. I have already made this a few times and I can't wait to try some more of the recipes that I have pinned.

Have you ever made anything from your Pinterest?

Follow me on Pinterest and I'll be sure to follow you back! 

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Chocolate Covered Strawberries and a Dinner

Joe and I invited Mal and DLW over for Valentine's Day and my birthday! Between DLW's allergies to everything and Joe's pickiness, I decided that we would do a "Make Your Own Pizza Night"! This way, I wouldn't have to cook and it would be really easy to prepare (Like always, I waited really late to invite them over).  I must admit, I was a horrible blogger and didn't take very many pictures. 

The Drinks

Due to Mallory's very exciting news, I felt as though Shirley Temples where in order! They are a perfect go to non-alicohlic drink. 

What you need:

• Sprite
• Grenadine 
• Cherries
• Cute paper straws (not needed, but much more fun! 

The Pizza

DLW and Joe just watched as Mal and I tried our best to make the pizzas! It was a lot of fun and really easy to make. 

Ingredients: 

• Pizza Dough - I bought mine from Safeway for only $1.50, it was in the cooler area. I know Pubix also sells the homemade dough. Mal also suggested the whole wheat Pillsbury Doughboy dough. 
• Pizza Sauce - I bought a few small jars that I found near the spaghetti sauce.
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Toppings - I did pepperoni, bell pepper, and onion. 

Once the pizza has been put together we put them in the oven on 425 degrees for 15 minutes. 

Only photo that Joe took of us making pizza. 

The Dessert 

Mal brought some amazing mini cakes and I made some chocolate covered strawberries! I actually took a ton of photos of making the strawberries, because this was done before Mal and Dan came over. :)

Chocolate Covered Strawberries:

• Strawberries 
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate - I used Ghirardelli Chocolate
• Small Pot
• Microwave safe bowl 

I never realized how easy it was to make chocolate covered strawberries and I will be making some again in the future. 

1. Wash Strawberries

2. Bring water to a boil in a small pot

3. Place a microwaveable bowl on top of the small pot and add chocolate

4. Once the chocolate is melted dip the strawberries into the chocolate 

5. Place the chocolate covered strawberries on to parchment paper 

6. Let sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until hard

It's always nice to have friends over and really nice when you don't have to prepare to much!

What is your go-to meal when inviting people over?

How was your Valentine's Day?

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Easy Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I will be the first to admit that I am not much of a cook. So, I take pride when I can actually make something good. I am going to share with you a super easy, crock pot, pulled pork recipe.

• 3-5 lbs of pork shoulder 
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1/2 head of garlic 
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon 
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of chili powder
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• Barbecue sauce

Instructions 

1. In a small bowl mix all spices (cinnamon, cumin, brown sugar, chili powder, and salt) together. 

2. Slice the onions and garlic into thin slices and add to the bottom of the crock pot. Pour the chicken stock over the onions and garlic. 

3. Pat pork shoulder dry with a paper towel, place on top of onions and garlic,  and add the spices to the  pork. I treated it like a rub. 

4. Cook the pork on high for 6-8 hours. I checked mine at 7 hours and it was perfect! 

5. Remove the pork shoulder from the crock pot and on to a cutting board and strain the remaining onion mixture and keep the juice and throw out the onions (you can keep the onions if you would like). Shred the pork with 2 forks and add the shredded pork back to the crock pot. Add the stained juice and barbecue sauce to the crock pot at cook for another hour on low. 

6. Once the pork is done add it to buns with more barbecue sauce to taste and enjoy! 

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Easy Green Drink

I am really a true fan of juices, even though I have never owned a juicer. I have always juiced with a blender. I have shared Green Drinks in the past but this one is an easy So, yesterday I headed over to Costco to buy a new juicer! I have shared green drinks before on the blog, but this time I wanted to share with you how to make an easy green juice. This juice can be  made with both a juicer and a blender. But a juicer will give you a much smoother drink. 

Ingredients (for 16oz of Juice):

• 2 Cups of Kale 
• 1/2 Cucumber 
• 1/2 of a small Pineapple
• 2 Celery Stalks  

1. Cut all of the fruit into small pieces
2. Add Pineapple to the Juicer
3. Add Cucumber to the Juicer
4. Add Celery to the Juicer
5. Add Kale to the Juicer
6. Mix the juice and place through a strainer

This green juice is amazing. It is so yummy and smooth. 

Do you have Juicer?

Do you have a favorite Green Drink?

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Things I am Missing!

I have been here in Colorado for just over 2 months and time is flying. I am really enjoying my time here in Colorado, I have met new friends (some bloggy friends turned real life friends; Mallory, Kaitlyn, and Hannah!), started a new dream job, put our new house together, and am trying to get back on a running schedule. Life here has been very busy and fulfilling. But I would be lying if I told you that I didn't think about life in LA every single day!

Here are a few things that I am missing about California:
My Family- I miss having someone to always go to the store with me, go to a movie, or just hang out with.

My old job and co-workers- I loved working at the airport on the field. I miss the tight group of friends that I gained from my job, both inside and outside of the work place. I always had Ana to work out with and be my bestie, Brenda to talk about aviation stuff, and Mereca to remind me what it means to be young and have fun! I worked with so many amazing people and I miss those days! I also miss seeing celebrities every day (Josh Duhmel, Justin Timberlake, and Adam Levine I am talking about you).

I miss Disneyland! - I am really missing just getting up and going to Disneyland. It was always an option, even if it was just a few hours! I spend countless hours with my family making memories. I loved every minute of it. I miss trying to get all of the character signatures, I miss training for the Disneyland Marathon with my sister, I miss late nights watching fireworks. I miss it all. 

I miss the Food! - Food Truck Friday was my favorite day of the week! There is nothing better then just heading to the food trucks to try all kinds of fun and different types of food all out of a truck! There was also a really great breakfast joint near my house that I am really craving! I also miss the amazing farmers markets. I loved all of the fresh from the field produce, it made my green drinks so good. 

The list really could go on, I miss home. 

What have you been missing lately?

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