Three Beautiful Things Thursday!

I've missed a couple of Tuesdays, but I thought it was about time for another Three Beautiful Things post!

*Three Beautiful Things Tuesdays is a series I was inspired to create after reading Clare's blog: Three Beautiful Things, and she invites everyone to join. The idea is that you post three beautiful things about your day, life, the world, whatever. Please join the fun and post your own Three Beautiful Things (3BT) in the comments (or on your own blog and post a link in the comments so that I can follow along)!*

1) I received two free 10 minute massages this week! Because my work is awesome and invited some massage therapists to give out massages at our Health and Benefits Fairs.

2) I finally talked to my mom on the phone today. We've been playing phone tag for a few days now, and we don't talk often. I invited her out to come stay with us for Christmas. Fingers crossed. They might not do it, but I pulled the grandma also lives out here, and she hates flying at Christmas card. Also, the my husband's family comes to visit all the time, and you've never seen our apartment cards! Maybe I will guilt trip them into coming. Haha!

3) Halloween is tomorrow, and I have a sweet costume to wear this year: The Bride (aka Beatrix Kiddo) from Kill Bill. If you don't know who that is, you need to watch Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2 ASAP. They're both on Netflix. Also, here's a picture:
(I have the sword, and I'll be wearing the same jumpsuit, minus the blood splatters.)


source

Easy Weeknight Dinner

Today, I have a super simple recipe to share with you all: Vegan Burritos. These are very quick and easy to make and great when you're hungry now! For example, tonight, I went to a kettlebell class after work and got home about an hour and a half later than usual. So by the time I got home, I was definitely ready to eat something quick! They're also easily customizable to whatever produce you happen to have in your fridge.

Easy Weeknight Burritos

Ingredients:

*All starred ingredients are optional*
1 15 oz. can black beans
1/2 bag frozen corn (or about 1 cup of fresh corn)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp nutritional yeast*
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp dried cilantro*
1/8 tsp garlic powder*
1/8 tsp onion powder (or you can use diced onion as noted below)
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp cayenne*
1/3 diced red pepper*
1/4 cup diced onion*(Bonus points if you use a purple onion)
red pepper slices*
chopped tomatoes or salsa*
avocado slivers*
romaine lettuce*
a dollop of Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream* (or your favorite brand or homemade variety)
1 burrito-size tortilla (I prefer whole-wheat.)

Instructions:

Drain and rinse your can of beans and add to a medium-sized pot. Mix in frozen corn and a little bit of water, enough to line the bottom of the pan. You can also add some olive oil if you prefer. Turn heat on low. Add all of your spices and mix well. I'm not too particular about the measurements when I make this, so feel free to add more or less of each spice to your taste. At this point dice up your onion and red pepper if you have them. Add them when you're done chopping and make sure to stir periodically. Add a splash more water if needed to keep from burning the beans. Cook for a minute, give it a taste and add more spices if needed. Cook and stir frequently for about 2 more minutes or until warmed throughout.

 

Turn off the heat and scoop your bean-corn mixture onto the middle of the tortilla. Chop and pile on your remaining vegetables and feel free to add a dollop of sour cream, salsa, and/or your favorite vegan shredded cheese. Roll it up and fold one end. Woila- burrito!  



Super quick and simple, no planning, and super delicious!

Meal Plan Update: Vegan Orange-Glazed Tempeh

Today's review is of Wednesday night's meal plan recipe: Vegan Orange-Glazed Tempeh from Odd Little Vegan's blog. Check out the recipe on her site: http://www.oddlittlevegan.com

 





This recipe was freaking delicious! I like tempeh, but I only have one sauce that I know how to make. Well, now I've found a new way to make tempeh. It's super quick and easy to prepare. I rounded this dish out with some brown rice and edamame. I recommend that you hop on over to Odd Little Vegan's blog immediately and try it out. Or try any of the other yummy recipes she's posted.

This week, I 've only been able to make the Clean, Mean Burritos from The Kind Diet By: Alicia Silverstone (which were awesome, as expected) and the Orange-Glazed Tempeh, but I hope to make a few more this weekend. I plan to carry over the ones I don't have time to make this week into next week's meal plan because I just really want to try them all eventually.

Also, I have a question for my vegan readers: What cruelty-free make-up brands do you recommend? I'm having a hard time finding products that I like and some of them are expensive. So it'd be nice to get some reviews or recommendations before I invest another $16 in sub-par, clumpy vegan mascara. Also, if you know of any reliable sites that review vegan beauty products, feel free to let me know about them in the comments.

Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend everyone!