LoveLee cards

3.21.2013

Butternut Squash with Kale and Lentils

I was home last week for break, and on the last night I was there, my mom made this butternut squash recipe. She found the recipe in the LA Times and adjusted it based on what was available at home. When I cooked it the other day, I created a variation of what she made.

Easy "Just Saying 'Hi'" Card

Earlier this month I mentioned some of the cards I made for friends and family. They weren't necessarily Valentine's themed, but just notes to say hi. Since then, I've been in more of a letter-writing mood. One of my favorite things to do is to customize cards for friends, but it can be quite time-consuming (this is the reason I will probably never get that Etsy shop off the ground). Often, I get in a creative slump and instead of simply buying a card, I end up not sending one at all. It is not ideal.

Since my friend Angie and I have been corresponding via letter (well we each sent one so far), I figured the only way I could keep this up is if I kept things really simple. Of course, really simply could just mean a plain white piece of paper, but I won't do that until at least letter #3.

Blueberry, Spinach, and Oat Smoothie

The weather has been awfully confusing lately. The past couple of weeks has seen tons of snow and even some crazy winds, followed by rain and snow again. But today it was unseasonably warm at nearly fifty degrees. It was also sort of sunny! I took advantage and spent some time outside. Since I spent most of the weekend studying in a windowless room (just realizing now there weren't any windows), it was nice to get some vitamin D.

I first made this spinach and oat smoothie a few weeks ago, but I made it again today. I figured I'd share it now, even though the warmth outside will be short-lived (it's supposed to snow some more this week). And even though much of the world is still in full-on winter mode, it's warm and sunny in some places.

Enjoy this smoothie with any fruit, really. The color is a little chocolate-y, so if that is unsettling or off-putting to you, I definitely suggest switching out the blueberries for some raspberries (I've made that before, and you can't go wrong). I like to sneak in spinach since it's pretty tasteless. With the oats, it's thick and filling, which makes it fit for a midday snack or even a replacement for breakfast.