summer sadness

I apologize for being neglectful for so long.  I've been neglectful of a few things in my life lately, and I'm finding that I'm terribly antsy to get back on track.  Anything that will keep me busy and distracted is a good thing right now...which brings me to the reason why I need as much active time as possible.  TB, my boyfriend, left two weeks ago for his first leg of grad school abroad.  He'll be gone for a year, and it's looking like this December will be the soonest that I can see him.  Needless to say, I'm more than a bit torn up about it, but I'm trying to be positive and supportive of him.  We're looking at a tough year, but with love and honesty, we can do it.

That being said, this blog will be a major component of the "Keep Ashley Busy" plan.  I have a few things up my sleeve.  Stay tuned.

positive thoughts

Things have been a bit topsy-turvy in these parts lately, but I wanted to quickly post some positive vibes.  So simple, and so true.

Speak soon.

meatless monday

It's time for my first post concerning a topic that I take extremely seriously...FOOD.

I will admit to you, here and now, that I seriously love any and all foods that are sugary, doughy, sticky, gooey, creamy, and all-around-awful for me.  If I could have my way, I would eat cake for breakfast, brownies for lunch, and fudge for dinner.  There isn't an ice cream I haven't screamed for; a cookie I haven't crumbled.  Chocolate? Fah-get-about-it.

As much as I crave sweet treats, and however much I believe that occasionally indulging in our favorite foods is healthy and very necessary, I've turned over a new leaf over the past year.  Literally!  Although I've been a vegetarian for almost four years now, my New Year's Resolution to become (mostly) vegan  introduced me to a whole bunch of new leaves, and then some.

With the transition into a vegan lifestyle came the farewell to many of my former favorite foods.  Admittedly, I still nick small bites of ice cream or milk chocolate every once and a great while.  Luckily these moments of weakness are few and far between, and I've been finding lots of vegan alternatives to these sugary darlings that taste just as delicious as their originals.

Contrary to what this post has made you believe so far, I enjoy the main course just as much as dessert!  Over the past few months I've stumbled across and dabbled in lots of vegan recipes.  My culinary escapades have led me to some successes, some disasters, and a few rare edible gems.  Along the way I've sparked a love for cooking within myself, and I can't wait to see where that love will take me next.

Okay, now down to the important thing; the food itself.  Even though all of my days are meatless, I thought it would be fun to start writing "meatless monday" posts here on 'have heart.'  Regardless of your dietary beliefs, values, and practices, I think we can all agree that it certainly doesn't hurt to prepare and eat animal-free dishes.  Many of them are healthy and delicious, and ALL of them are cruelty-free.  Give it a whirl!

Without further adieu or rambling, here is the very first 'meatless monday' dish!

Tofu Lettuce Wraps

  {recipe here}

Not to toot my own horn...but toot toot.  These were very good and pretty fool-proof.  I only made three changes from the original recipe:

1) Swap the vegetable oil for coconut oil

2) Use light or low-fat tofu instead of extra-firm

3) Vegans: watch out for the hot sauce.  Many of them are made with fish extract, so be careful what you buy!  I accidentally bought a brand that had anchovy extract in it, so I left it out, making for a sweeter but still delicious wrap.

Happy cooking and, more importantly, eating!

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may.

After being trapped indoors and under heavy blankets for eternity the past several months of winter, us New Englanders were given the special (and well-deserved) treat of a brilliant first day of May.  I saturated myself entirely in the seventy-degree sunshine-y gloriousness of the day: putting the car windows down, drinking large iced coffees, and, of course, rocking some spring florals to work.

Confession: When I took these shots, I was much more focused on the shoes and did not do much justice to the rest of my ensemble.  To be fair, these little killers are screaming to be noticed, admired, and obviously adored.  I thought that the red added the perfect little pop of color to compliment my gothic floral pants (purchased at H&M) which I paired with a black v-neck top.  I'll admit, I was skeptical when I bought them, the pants that is, because I wasn't entirely sure that they suited my curvy-ish self.  I'm entirely happy with my decision to indulge however; this season's rock n' roll twist on floral was just too good to pass up.  All I needed were a few kick-ass weeks at the gym and the promise of a beautiful day to finally get the confidence to pull this outfit out of the closet.

Not to justify another shopping trip, but I'd like to pair these pants with another bright heel.  My heart will always belong to my reds, but I think a nice pink, yellow, or even mint shoe would make the outfit feel more like spring.

What do you think?  

Wishing you a happy May, wherever you may be!

good heart.

Day one of the new and improved 'have heart' blog.  There's nothing quite like a clean slate.

(And yes, this picture is very much from Pinterest.)