a veg life

(posted by Emily) 2014 is going to be a big travel year for the Barclays. I will unashamedly admit we have been bitten by the travel bug, and hard.  Here's what's on tap for us so far:  February - Trip to Houston to see the Stevens clan April - Heading to Maui for Spring Break via May - Trip to ATL for Lindsey's graduation and I am planning a trip to Indy to meet Baby Girl Fricke! July - EuroAdventure 2014! Living on Dad's canal boat in London for a whole month, with a train trip to the continent thrown in. Brussels, Paris, Nice, Rome, and Venice, here we come! Labor Day - First Anniversary trip to Portland via Thanksgiving - Home for the holiday via Winter Break - Two weeks in SE Asia, including Tokyo, Bangkok, Singapore and Bali via Pretty sure I want to spend all of my time planning and researching--too bad work gets in the way! :)  --E&R

(posted by Emily) For us, every weekend begins with meal planning. We hit up the local farmers market  on Saturday morning, and decide what to have for lunch the following week based on what looks good. One of the easiest lunches to make ahead of time is salad in a jar. They remind me of those old shaker salads McDonalds used to have  but better, because they are homemade! You can even make multiple salads at one time, because they will keep for up to a week in the fridge. There are infinite pins on Pinterest detailing how to build a jar salad, but here are my tips with some photo illustration.  1) Start with a wide mouth mason jar.  2) Add dressing/liquids first. I like olive oil, balsamic, hummus, and a little whole grain mustard in mine, and Rick usually has the same minus the vinegar.  3) Add veggies that won't get mushy in the liquids. Tomatoes marinate well, or celery can create a barrier for the other veggies.  4) Add o...

(posted by Emily) If you were at our wedding in September, you had a chance to sample some of the amazing food created by Jennie Cook and her Plant-Based Parties catering team. I feel so lucky to have met the inspiration that is Jennie, and am even more blessed to consider her my friend. Jennie loves food, and is passionate about every client she interacts with. We've taken a cooking class with her, hung out with her at our wedding, made pies with her , and are looking forward to a kraut party (yes, making sauerkraut) in February. I was flattered and totally surprised when she named me her Favorite Bride of the Year :) The most exciting thing about Jennie these days is her brand new cookbook, Who Wants Seconds? . Chapter Six is our favorite chapter, but the book contains recipes for all types of eaters, from "vegans to omnivores, and everyone in between." Rick loves Jennie's White Beans and Greens soup, so that is one of my most-used recipes from the book. ...

posted by Emily I've never been much of a New Years Resolutions person. For the most part, if I made a resolution, it would last about 3 weeks and then be forgotten. In my adult life, I've come to the realization that if I want to improve my well-being or make a change, it doesn't matter the time of year--I should just do it. Which leads us to this blog--I will be the first to admit that writing and posting has come in waves. But, by adapting our vision of what we want our site to be about, we will be able to document things that inspire us.  created with wordle I am looking forward to writing about things we are planning, enjoying, and doing right now. Of course food is a large part of our lives, but I think branching out will keep the blog fresh and interesting. Our scope and view is widening. Posts might be shorter, but hopefully all will be worthwhile.  So, in the spirit of new--I want to start creating Top Ten lists to share with you every now and then. He...