The Blessed Life

Meal Prep Monday: Spicy Chickpea Shakshuka

Happy first day of May, friends! Coming at you with a recipe that I’ve been curious to try for a while: a North African dish called shakshuka. Essentially, it’s eggs poached in a tomato sauce and is typically served for breakfast. I had a few leftover vegetables, half a jar of tomato sauce, and a can of chickpeas lying around, so I figured I’d go for it with this recipe from The Petite Cook! I…

DC Confidential: Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrors

Hi friends! I’ve been a little MIA in the blog world lately, but I promise I’m back, and with something that I couldn’t help writing about: after two months of painful waiting and attempting to get tickets, I had the honor of experiencing Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrors exhibit at the Hirshhorn Museum here in DC. I’m not an art historian by any means, so get the background on Kusama and her art…

Happy Friday! We’re skipping our way through spring and feeling good about it. This week has presented a lot of lessons in small and subtle ways. Here are a few highlights from the week… One. One bowl wonders are proof that the best things in life aren’t necessarily the prettiest. Recipe here. Two. April is Sexual Assault Awareness month. I shared my story on the RAINN website because it’s…

Did You See The Cathedral?

As many of you know who read this blog, I live in close proximity to the Washington National Cathedral. It almost makes up for the fact that I live in one of the tiniest apartments known to mankind. Almost. The best part of living next to the cathedral, aside from the bells on Sunday afternoon, is taking Winston for a walk every morning. It’s all I can do to hold on to him as he bounds in and out…

Meal Prep Monday: One Bowl Wonders

Hey everyone! I have to admit, I’m just a little bit food-obsessed. So when a new food trend comes out, I am one of the first people to try it, then try and recreate it. Enter the world of bowls. Basically, the idea is that if you put enough random good-tasting things in a bowl, you get an even better-tasting meal. Here in DC they call it fast-casual, with places like Sweetgreen, Cava, and…

DC Confidential: This Week In Washington.

Hi friends! Sorry I’ve been so on-again, off-again these past few weeks. If I can be honest here (can I be honest here?) I’ve approached the two month mark of living in DC and have been feeling a little unsure of myself. Maybe it’s feeling like there aren’t enough minutes of the day, or criticizing myself for talking too much, or criticizing myself because I didn’t say enough…I think whenever we…

Happy Friday, everyone! We are ever-so-slowly inching our way to spring! I put away my wool jacket in defiance (and shivered my way to work) but good weather is in the cards for this weekend. Here are a few things from around the world this week… One. Sometimes the best things in life are just slight upgrades to what we take for granted. Case in point: fruit-and-herb infused waters. Two. Guy at…

What I’ve Learned Wednesday: My Favorite Podcasts

True story: I love podcasts. I rarely have time to sit down and watch videos (unless it’s a total binge of House of Cards) but podcasts are one of those things that you can enjoy just about anywhere—on a run, during one’s morning commute, or (if you’re like me) while making dinner. Podcasts are a great way to sneak a little more knowledge or perspective into your day. I’m a big believer in…

Meal Prep Monday: Hydration Elevation!

Hey friends! Happy first day of spring! Now that winter is officially behind us, my thoughts are turning to warm weather pursuits: picnics, morning runs, and the like. It’s also when I’m prompted to swap my hot coffee for the iced variety, and my tea for fancy waters! I get really bored drinking plain water—but a few years ago, I found that throwing a few fresh finds into water makes it so much…

Happy Friday, world! I hope you’re still wearing green in defiance of the tundra that most of us are currently living in. We’re putting our foot down, winter! Next week is officially the beginning of spring, and I can’t wait for it to start feeling like it. Stuff from this week: One. First of all, I hope you did yourself and the world a favor by taking Mrs. Porter’s Second Grade Class Survey.…

Meal Prep Monday: Double Chocolate Banana Bread

Hey friends! Apparently winter has decided it isn’t finished yet here in D.C. We’re actually supposed to have a ~snow day~ tomorrow! This warm, chocolatey banana bread is the perfect thing to make while spending a day in.Winter weather may be on the forecast, but these pastel bowls are defiantly spring. Mash your bananas, whisk your dry ingredients, and cream together coconut oil and coconut…

DC Confidential: This Week In Washington

Today’s post is short because, in short, this week in Washington has been nuts. Maybe it’s the winter weather that’s killing all our cherry blossoms, or the fact that I thought running a half marathon in 25 degree weather after not having laced up my shoes in almost five months. Regardless, things are kind of wacko here. City Center | Downtown Washington Still, things were good. I had a delicious…

Good morning friends! I hope your coffee is strong and your spirits are high. Spring is right around the corner, y’all! We’ve *almost* made it. As we get ready to gear up for a new season of growth, take pride in who you are, how far you’ve come, and where you’re going. Following that AM pep talk, here are a few things from my neck of the woods… One. I’m trying to get in the habit of watching a…

My Teeny-Tiny Apartment Tour!

A little over a month ago, I moved to a 330 sq. foot apartment in Washington D.C., a place that’s now starting to look a little like home. Since many of y’all don’t live in D.C. and I probably couldn’t fit more than three of you in here at once, I wanted to give you a virtual tour of my apartment, as well as some tips for living and loving your own small space.I have to be honest, I was NOT ready…

Meal Prep Monday: Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Guys, I made pasta and I’m pumped about it!Specifically, I made fluffy pillows of the potato-based pasta known as gnocchi. It’s more of a dumpling than a noodle, but it’s all around delicious. This recipe was definitely inspired by the Brown Butter and Sage Sweet Potato Gnocchi at Trader Joe’s, but this version is gluten and dairy free (win!) We start this pasta with two bowls. In one, sweet…

DC Confidential: This Week In Washington

Hey friends. First of all, apologies for being MIA last week. This past month has been crazy for reasons I won’t choose to share at the moment, and I needed a little bit of breathing room to make it through the week. Fortunately, I did, and even gave myself some time to do a little recipe development (yay!) for the next few weeks. This post is going to be short and sweet because it’s Sunday and I…

DC Confidential: This Week In Washington

Hey pals. Sorry I missed ya on Friday. I thought about writing, I really did. But my body told me that what I really needed to do on Friday instead of writing was to make a pan of brownies and put on my comfy pajamas and watch Gilmore Girls until I fell asleep around 8PM. It’s not super glamorous or exciting, but if you’re anything like me sometimes the pressure to be cool and exciting is a…