Sometimes

Sometimes life grabs ahold of you and steals you away. Inspiration temporarily subsides, but with time you gain new perspective and the drive returns. A lot has happened, the great and the insignificant. When the timing is right, I'll be back fir more sharing my family and friends.

Movie Love!

I have found my favorite movie. A love story, written and created in such a beautiful, magical, and hysterical way.  Ruby Sparks is a phenomenon. Watch it! Love it!

Love, Bianca.

Love where you live!

We were at Pleasure Point.  An amazing local surf spot in Santa Cruz, CA. It was a gorgeous day. I can't believe I live here now. My transition has been somewhat rocky, but getting to look at this everyday has made it all worth it. Do you love where you live? Feeling good  and loving your community plays a definite role in your overall happiness. Just keep that in mind, friends. 

Cheers! 

Love, Bianca.

Fall and Winter Nostalgia

I came home this weekend, and couldn't be more content. The air has cooled and the leaves have just barely begun to change from emerald to gold and scarlet. I feel like eating a Thanksgiving dinner on the floor of a wheat field, like hiking up to the hills to cut down the most perfect Christmas tree (preferably a douglas fir). I am yearning to sit beside a warm fire my father made while watching our favorite holiday movie. Peppermint tea in hand. These are my childhood wishes, imaginings, and pastimes that have all rushed back to me with my coming home this early November. I can't wait for the actual holidays to be here. This year they will feel the most special since I haven't been living at home. Thanksgiving at my grandmother's house, Christmas with the cousins, who feel like my long lost siblings. Drinking all the cider with them, getting mischievous with the wine, being silly at the dinner table, laughing with/at our drunken parents, exchanging gifts, waking up early after Christmas for Starbucks Holiday drinks... I just can't wait to see them. This year, I want to relive my wonderful memories of the holidays. I'm  so fond of them. 

Please enjoy your family, friends, or whoever you may be sharing this special time of year with. Appreciate one another, share your love and laughter with them! 

Cheers to the Season!

Love, Bianca.

Recipe Time!

Okay so I am so exited to share my newly perfected cookie recipe... BEHOLD: Egg Free, Dairy Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Spiced Cookies! These are dedicated to my best friend Kristi, and in spirit of her October birthday!

What you'll need: 

3/4 cup of Earth Balance Butter (can be found at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods)

1/3 cup of pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin 

1 cup of packed dark brown sugar

1 cup of flour 

2 cups of rolled oats (not instant)

1/2 teaspoon of of baking soda 

1 teaspoon of salt 

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract (alcohol free is best)

1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice  

Creating it:

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F. Combine room temperature EB butter and pumpkin puree in a glass bowl. Mix together with a whisk. Combine sugar, salt, vanilla extract, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Continue to stir mixture until completely smooth, no lumps. Next slowly add in flour and baking powder, whisk until smooth. Switch out the whisk for a large wooden spoon. Lastly, add oatmeal into batter by mixing it in a little at a time. Once all of the oatmeal has been completely mixed in, place entire bowl of cookie dough into the refrigerator to set. This last step will stiffen the dough so its easier to shape and isn't too sticky. You can either use the "scoop and drop" method or "roll and press" method. Both give you nice looking shaped cookies! 

Scoop and Drop: simply scoop up a walnut sized amount of cookie dough and drop onto a metal baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes to get rustic looking cookies, with an unpredictable shape.

Roll and Press: take a walnut sized amount of dough, roll between hands, and press down to form a flat circle. Bake for 10 minutes for uniform and share-worthy cookies.

Let them cool for 5-10 minutes so they can get their crisp! 

I hope this recipe is shared with good company, herbal tea, joy, love and happiness.  

Love, Bianca.

"An eye for and eye ends up making the whole world blind."  

Mahatma Gandhi 

DIY Face and Body Scrubs

Some of my favorite ways to treat my self (this one's for you Annie) is to lather up in the shower with yummy soaps and scrubs. Now if you like to treat yourself often, this could get expensive with all those fancy scrubs and things to indulge with. I'm going to share a simple and inexpensive way to get your body polish on, by just looking in your kitchen cupboard!

My favorite and most used homemade body scrub: Coconut and Brown Sugar 

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup of brown sugar or white cane sugar

1 Tablespoon of Coconut oil (Olive Oil is a wonderful substitute as well)

Dime-sized amount of gentle liquid face or body soap (to help with scrub consistency) 

Blend all ingredients together, scrub onto skin for a couple minutes and rinse off!  

Brightening face scrub/ mask: Baking Soda Polish

Ingredients: 

1 Tablespoon of baking soda 

Quarter sized amount of mild liquid face soap 

squirt of lemon juice 

Mix all ingredients to get a paste like consistency (add more baking soda if it is too fluid). Gently massage onto wet skin, and leave on face for 5 minutes. Rise off with warm water and pat skin dry. You will have soft, brightened skin all day! 

Feel well, so you can be well. 

Cheers and indulge on a budget! 

Love, Bianca.