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Thinking Out Loud

Posted on December 19, 2013 by kissmybroccoli

~~Hidy Ho Broccoli fans!~~

~~What’s up my peeps?!~~

Hey you guyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyys! 😀

Um yeah, so obviously I’m having a bit of a hard time in the intro department…or more specifically, the writing department! Have you noticed I’ve been a little “missing” from blog world lately? Truth be told, I just haven’t been feeling it for the last few weeks. No worries…I don’t plan on going anywhere any time soon (unless I win the lottery and in that case, I’ll be on the FIRST plane to Hawaii or another destination with a ridiculously warm climate), but I may only be popping in and out over the next couple of weeks.

But today, I’m popping IN with some OUT loud thinking!

Okay, so that segue was a bit of a stretch, but go with it. I got behind in my blog reading last week and totally missed Amanda’s very first link party. And well, since I’ve had a girl-crush on her for YEARS now, I’m here today to join in on the fun! Plus it gives me a reason to share a bunch of randomness with you…

1. Like the fact that I believe Amanda has single-handedly created a ~~monster~~ diva! This past summer, I ventured into Sephora for the very FIRST time and now? Now I’m shrieking like a prepubescent girl at a Bieber concert after getting the latest update on makeup inventory! For the record…totally worth it!

2. I wasn’t sure if I liked the hoop my sister got me for my birthday, but after a couple of weeks, it’s really grown on me. I can’t wear it to work, but that just makes me feel like it comes a new persona…the weekend REBEL Heather! 😉

3. Speaking of weekend, last weekend, the man-friend and I met some friends at Istanbul Cafe. After we polished off a bowl of the creamiest of hummuses (hummi?) and some incredible lentil soup, he and I shared the House Combo which was DELICIOUS…also, I want to bathe in their house-made ranch and tzatziki!

4. I have been SO much more relaxed about food lately. Before Istanbul was mentioned, there was talk of going to Logan’s, Rafferty’s, or a little Italian place down the road and I was completely fine with anything…yeah, the old me would have had to check the online menu first to be sure there were items that I “could” eat without having a freakin’ meltdown.

5. I want to clarify something. I’m afraid that I might have come across a little dramatic in my post last Thursday. While I KNOW it was just a virus and things could have been a LOT worse, I just want you guys to know that what I felt in those hours really reached deep within me…and forced me to come face-to-face with a lot feelings I’ve been suppressing. So I guess what I mean to say is that it was MY rock bottom.

6. Since then, I swear I’ve been a completely different person! I’m making my food choices based on what I want and not thinking twice about it…even if I have had cereal for breakfast every.single.day for the last week. I don’t care; I love it! 😉

7. I prefer hardbacks to paperbacks but I ALWAYS removed the cover before reading so it doesn’t get messed up. Am I the only one who does this? Also, am I the only one who thinks Veronica Roth is a total babe? Oh and by the way, I’m 100 pages in and totally hooked!

8. The last cookie dough Quest bar I ate was the DOUGHIEST most wonderful thing EVER and perhaps even the best thing I’ve eaten this week…since that platter of Turkish deliciousness.

9. Even though I hate clutter and love the cathartic feeling of throwing things away, sometimes I hold on to stuff and I have no idea why, but last week, I couldn’t have been happier that I decided to keep my “souvenir” plastic beer mug from last year’s Oktoberfest because…

10. I used it to catch a frickin’ MOUSE!!!

Holy mother of (*^*%&@^$@! <- My EXACT reaction when I caught the poor little ~~bastard~~ thing! After the whole traumatizing situation was over, I couldn’t help but laugh at myself for getting all screamy and weak in the knees. And actually, he’s kinda cute! Lol!

What randomness is on YOUR mind today?

Posted in Randomness, Restaurant Review, Shopping, Thinking Out Loud | Tagged books, cereal, makeup, Quest bar | 49 Comments

Movie Monday

Posted on December 16, 2013 by kissmybroccoli

I swear I had no intention of skipping Arman’s link-up yesterday and posting today JUST so I could make better use of alliteration…I swear!

Popcorn

Actually, his latest Spill It Sunday theme just happens to be perfect since I’ve been wanting to tell you guys about some flicks I’ve seen recently! With the temperatures around here having been in the 30’s lately (yee-ouch!), the man-friend and I have taken to hibernating our weekends away and honestly, the lack of activity doesn’t bother me a bit…as long as I have a.) a seat close to the restroom and b.) the man-friend’s popcorn!

Confession: Whenever the man-friend asks me if I want popcorn at the movie theater, I always say no and then I almost always end up eating nearly half of it! 😉

This past weekend, we met up with some friends and saw the Hobbit!

I’ll be honest, I didn’t LOVE it. You could definitely tell that it was a “filler” type movie, just biding time until the next one, but it was cool to ~~drool over~~ see Orlando Bloom rock out some pretty sweet fight scenes!

Last weekend, we saw Catching Fire!

And coming from someone who had really REALLY low expectations for this one (I didn’t like Hunger Games), believe me when I say that you NEED to see this movie! Maybe it’s because I’m further removed from the books now, but I thought they did a great job depicting the arena and the overall mood in this one!

To be sure that we don’t offer up too many vital organs for the price of movie tickets, we’ve also been running through quite a bit of Netflix…here are some of the most recent ones we’ve watched:

Movie 43…OMG! Seriously, just oh…my…GOD! I’ll admit, I thought the first part was hilarious, but the last half went a little too far at times.

Cloud Atlas…I kept having to get the man-friend to pause it and explain what was going on, but for some reason, I think I kinda liked it?

Super…Dwight from the Office turns super hero and Juno is his sidekick! It had some funny parts, it had some weird parts, and it had some SUPER gross parts.

The East…Another movie with Juno! It’s about an anarchist group that targets shady corporations and I swear it’s enough to convert you to their side. We both thought it was GREAT! Oh and hello, you get to see Alexander Skarsgard’s booty! 😀

And now for Arman’s link-up questions…and of course, the obligatory selfie:

Confession: Every time I go to the movies, I take a selfie in the full-length mirror in the restroom.
Confession: My scarf turned into a wrap/skirt upon arrival at the movie theater…once the man-friend kindly informed me that my brand new leggings were in fact SEE THROUGH! 😯
Confession: I swear I realize that it’s not Sunday even though I keep littering this post with my broccoli-kissing sins!

What is your favorite genre of film?
I’m actually not too picky when it comes to genre, I’ll watch just about anything (even if it takes a little convincing from the man-friend to get me to watch action films), but my first choice is ALWAYS comedy. And sorry Arman, but I LOVE parodies!

What is your favorite ever movie?
I’ve always said that 10 Things I Hate About You is my favorite movie, but honestly, I’d have to say that if you were to gauge my favorite film based on the number of times I quote it, it would be Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

[source]

What movie do you think never should have been made?
Pretty much anything with Will Ferrell in it after The Producers with the exception of Stranger Than Fiction (most specifically, Talladega Nights)!

What movie should be considered a legal sleeping pill?
Fantasia…seriously, better than Benedryl! I have NEVER been able to stay awake during the whole thing!

If you made a movie, what would it be about?
Me…duh! 😉

What is your favorite movie genre?

What movie do you think should never have been made?

Posted in Spill it Sundays | Tagged movies, popcorn, selfie | 32 Comments

Carrot Cake Protein Pancakes (Gluten-Free)

Posted on December 15, 2013 by kissmybroccoli

Happy PANCAKE Sunday, lovelies!

I know, it’s been a few weeks since we’ve celebrated, but with so much going on this month, it’s been hard to find the time to make pancakes AND have photographic evidence of them. Maybe I should move to Alaska? You think the never-ending daylight would make up for the fact that it’s so damn cold all the time? Yeah, who am I kidding? I’m too thin-skinned for that!

Confession: Even though I made these back in SEPTEMBER, I decided I wasn’t going to share them until closer to spring.

But then you guys took me by surprise…I couldn’t believe how many of you picked carrot to be your favorite kind of cake…OBVIOUSLY, it was a sign! 😉

They may not be covered in cream cheese frosting, but with a little help from my friends at Yoplait, I was still pretty smitten with them!*

And seriously, would ya get a load of these insides!?

Fluffy, spicy, carrot-y deliciousness! 😀

Truth be told, I already have a carrot cake pancake recipe in the KMB archives, but I’ve been thinking about ~~pimping~~ pumping them up with a bit of protein for a while now. And well, since this little plate was practically licked clean less than 5 minutes after taking the pictures, I think it’s safe to say we have a winner!

I know what you’re thinking…just shut up and get to the recipe already!

Ok, just one more pic! 😉

Carrot Cake Protein Pancakes (GF)

By: Heather @ Kiss My Broccoli

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

Keywords: breakfast pancakes gluten-free high protein carrots Pancake Sunday

Ingredients (Serves 1)

1/4 cup buckwheat flour (ground from groats)
1 Tablespoon coconut flour
1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein (30g scoop)
1/2 teaspoon sodium-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 large egg white
2 Tablespoons pineapple-flavored Greek yogurt
1/3 cup water (or milk)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup grated carrots
Toppings: Pineapple-flavored Greek yogurt thinned with water, toasted walnuts, shredded coconut, and raisins

Instructions

1. Preheat non-stick skillet or griddle to medium-low heat and coat with cooking spray.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, stir with a wire whisk to break up any lumps.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk egg white until frothy.
4. To egg white, add yogurt, water (or milk), and extract and stir well.
5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir to combine.
6. Fold in grated carrot.
7. Allow batter to rest for at least 5 minutes.
8. Spoon batter onto skillet surface, forming 3 small-medium sized pancakes.
9. Cook for 6-7 minutes before flipping and cooking an additional 3-4 minutes on the other side.
10. Transfer to a plate and top with thinned yogurt, toasted walnuts, shredded coconut, and raisins.

Of course, if you just HAVE to get a cream cheese fix, feel free to whisk up a simple sauce of cream cheese, milk, and your favorite sweetener!

*Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post and I was not compensated in any way. While Yoplait has sent me free product in the past, all the above opinions are my own.

What are you guys up to this weekend?

Can you believe there are only TEN more days until Christmas?!