A Recipe and Good Wishes

I think it is pretty safe to say I have mastered the one(two) skillet meal. Since becoming a partial vegan, it seems to be the easiest and quickest way to get all the vegetables I am constantly craving into my mouth. This is just a little something I stirred up on a whim the other night and it turned out pretty fantastic. 

Two-Pot Veggie Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

lentils

vegetable stock

tbsp coconut oil

2 cloves garlic

1 vidalia onion

1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes

1 can whole kernel corn

1 cup broccoli florets

Directions:

Cook lentils according to package using the vegetable stock in one pot, meanwhile sauteing the chopped garlic and onions in coconut oil in a large saute pan. Once the lentils are almost finished, add broccoli and cook until fork tender. Drain lentils and broccoli. Add corn and tomatoes to the saute pan and heat through, allowing them to get a little color from the pan. Once you are satisfied with them add the broccoli and lentils to the large saute pan to combine all the flavors. Allow them to cook together for about 5 minutes before serving. This could be served with rice, toast, or how I had it... all by itself. It makes enough for 2-3 portions depending on how much of each ingredient you add and can be made in advance. Pretty sure my leftovers were even better for lunch the next day.

This meal is all kinds of healthy. Lentils give you great protein, while the coconut oil is a great fat for you to substitute in. You are getting lots of nutrients from the variety of vegetables along with a healthy starch from the corn. It is full of flavor, but you can always add a little sriracha or red pepper flakes for a more spiced up version.

I would love to know if you tried it out. Email me a picture or show me using the hashtag #findinglavana.

Happy Thursday happy people. Smile today. Tell a stranger hello. Live in a good mood. 

a frank look at my eating this weekend

Okay, so here is the real truth about this weekend. I ate. A lot. I ate all the things I shouldn't, I drank all the things I shouldn't, but you know what? I am totally okay with it.

And you know why? Because sometimes you just have to give yourself a break, not be so hard on yourself, because this is your life, and even though we all want to be healthy, we all want to have a good long life, we all want to feel our best, sometimes we just want to eat. That is where I was this weekend.

This diet has been hard, one that I still can't believe I have stuck to as well as I have. Sure I have a nibble every now and then, but for the most part I am really strict throughout the week. It surprises me when I feel bad about taking a nibble, because I want to be proud of myself, proud of how far I have come and how much different I feel since starting yoga and this journey of teacher training. I came home Sunday, and got right back on track, eating great all day yesterday, and starting this Monday off good as well. This week will be a tough one, with tailgating at the Braves game tomorrow and a NASCAR camping weekend coming up, but I have already come up with some great ideas and can't wait to share my healthy eating plans with you all later this week!

So moral of this story is... LIVE! Be okay with a couple choices away from your diet, it will help you stay on track in the long run. Be okay with where you are right now. 

Be in the moment, because these moments are beautiful. 

ps: I am so proud of these guys and all their hard work! Be on the lookout for the next BBQ champions!

a vegan dessert

recipe adapted from Oh She Glows

Chilled Double Chocolate Torte

Crust ingredients:

1 cup + 6 tbsp whole grain spelt flour

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

 1/2 cup sugar + 1/3 cup stevia

1 tbsp flour

1 tsp kosher salt

4 tbsp + 2 tsp canola oil

1/2 cup almond milk

3 tbsp pure agave syrup

Filling:

2 cups avocado flesh (approx 4 medium avocados), pitted and scooped out

1/3 cup almond milk (revised amount)
2/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup + 2 tbsp chocolate chips, melted
1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted

Directions: Preheat oven to 375F. In a large bowl, sift together the dry crust ingredients (spelt, cocoa powder, baking powder, arrowroot powder, sugar and salt). In a medium bowl, whisk the wet crust ingredients (oil, maple syrup, milk). Add wet to dry and stir well.

In a 10 inch springform cake pan, scoop on the crust batter and spread out with a wet spoon or wet hands. The batter will be very sticky so you will have to keep wetting your spoon/hands. Spread out as evenly as possible and bake for 25 minutes at 375F.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling by placing all filling ingredients (except chocolate chips) into food processor. Process until smooth.

Once the crust is done baking, remove from oven to slightly cool off for about 5-10 mins. Now melt your chocolate chips in a small bowl and place melted chocolate into food processor mixture. Process until smooth. Scoop this filling into cake pan on top of crust. Smooth out as much as possible and then place in the freezer for 1.5-2 hours to firm up.

Remove from freezer and allow to sit on the counter for about 10-15 minutes before serving chilled. Serves 10-12. Place leftover torte in the freezer wrapped and placed in a seal container. I’m not sure how long it lasts in the freezer, but I would guess 1-3 weeks if sealed properly.

I highlighted the things I changed, substituting arrowroot powder for flour, sugar for stevia, maple syrup for agave. All together it turned out pretty well.

This was my first actual attempt at making an all vegan dessert. My diet is also pretty restrictive on the amount of sugar I can have so I probably broke a few rules, but the amount of sugar in this recipe is pretty low, especially depending on the amount you eat. This torte is rich and best served almost frozen. I love cooking and baking when I have had a stressful day and this was just perfect for that. The avocado works wonderful here, creating a creamy filling that is both delicious and good for you. Believe me, I will be looking for and trying out more of these kinds of recipes soon. Can't wait to share! 
Much love to you all! 

eat your vegetables!

Those were the words we always heard at the dinner table. I have always been a big fruit and veggie eater, growing up my grandparents had a produce stand, and there was nothing I loved more than chowing down on a tomato like it was an apple or having fried okra with our dinners. Now that I am out on my own I love finding new ways to eat my vegetables and getting on board with these vegan diet has expanded my love for food even more! Below are some simple ways to make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck and eating all the green stuff you can!

1) I stock up on veggies once a week, this ensures they stay fresh and are much better eaten when you can plan ahead. I always pick up tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, broccoli, lettuce, avocado. Most of these can be turned into any kind of meal, my go-to is usually something with a little spice, or a Mexican flavor.

2) If I have a few meals in mind, I will add to that corn, a frozen gumbo mix, brussel sprouts, carrots, squash and zucchini (if they look good and are in season), etc.

3) I love a good salad, especially for a quick and easy lunch. I am still working on planning out salads to bring from home during the week, but it has become so easy to run to the grocery store and fix a salad from their amazing salad bar. Mine usually includes the darkest greens available, tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, carrots, black beans, almonds, dried cranberries, and some type of vinaigrette. 

4) I try to always buy the tri-colored pasta that has veggies in it. I am not to sure if this is a full serving of vegetables, but I am starting to like it just as much as regular pasta, and it is particularly good if it is cooked in vegetable broth.

5) Pile your veggies on a pizza, I have learned to enjoy them all on there. Sometimes we saute them before to make sure they are cooked, but you just can't beat the taste of vegetables with tomato sauce.

6) I am a one pot wonder kind of girl. I love to just put different veggies together, saute them with a little oil, and then add some type of starch (lentils, pasta, rice). I always add something


These are just a few of the ways I love to add veggies to everything I am cooking! Easy dinners have always been my go-to and I enjoy cooking even if it is just for me! Making an effort to make a home cooked meal always pays off in the long run! Take care of your body now, it will thank you later!

How do you eat your veggies??

Eating: Veggie Nachos

The following is another super simple recipe that I pretty much made up last night. I am loving all the veggies available right now but had a craving for a mexican type dinner. I have gotten pretty good at making something out of not much and this is just everything thrown together. I probably could have made it healthier without the cheese, but figured my TWO classes at the gym yesterday would allow for a little cheese.

Veggie Nachos:

vidalia onion

squash

zucchini 

tomatoes

salsa

pepper jack cheese

jalapenos

lettuce (herb mix)

tortilla chips

avocado

Saute onions until they are soft and translucent or a little browned (which is how I like mine). Add zucchini and squash to the pan and cook until softened a little but still have a good amount of bite to them.

That's it. Now it is time to assemble the nachos. 

I layer the items the following way  (from bottom up) chips, lettuce, squash/zucchini/onion mixture, tomatoes cheese, salsa, jalapenos, avocado.  

Are you enjoying my recipe posts? I am not very good at taking pictures throughout the process, but make sure to get an end product picture. 

games, a stabbing, and a BEAUTIFUL mantle.

Here is a little bit of random for your Wednesday. I promise to be back to Crockpot Wednesday next week, I haven't used one until today for a little bit. But expect a full report and a recipe next week. Can't wait til then?? Check out these for now.

I cannot, I REPEAT, cannot stop playing Bejeweled on my phone. It is seriously a problem. Who knew that matching up different colors could be so fun. I try everything I can to just play the occasional game every now and then, but once I start I. MUST. PLAY. MORE. Does anyone else have this issue??

I finally ordered something different at the Mexican restaurant the other night. For anyone that knows me, I always get a Mini Taco Salad. Every time. I always want to mix it up, and I am pretty good about branching out and trying new foods, but don't mess with my Mexican. Don't tell anyone, but I ate there 4 times last week. Shhhh...










Last night, while working on a Christmas order. I finally sewed through my finger. That's right. That darn needle on my sewing machine stabbed right through the side of my finger. It bled some, but I think it was more the shock of it than anything. I kinda have been waiting on it to happen. A year and half that I have had my machine, I made it a long time I think.







My Mothers fall mantle, yes, I know Christmas is coming but this was our mantle for Fall and I just can't get enough. Those colors go perfect with the picture and I can't wait to have a house that I love enough to decorate. Renting puts so many limits on your decorating and I really want to paint my entire wood paneled house. Until then, I will have to just lust over my childhood home.








Until next time folks... Have a perfect Wednesday!!

Linking up today:
also with Jamie.

its the small things...

This weekend was a full one, but one where I got to stay at home at least.
It was full of small things, but the BEST things.

At work Friday (and Thursday) we made homemade peach ice cream. It was beyond amazing.



Friday night, I cooked some lasagna, made a salad, and enjoyed watching Andy wrestled with my bottle of wine. And he really did wrestle.


We both spent literally 20 minutes trying to get it open. But in the end, Andy persevered.
And I got my wine.

Saturday was spent with my sweet friend, Kelsey.
We spent the day with the rest of her vet school class at the coolest pond. It had a trampoline, zip lines, and giant diving boards. It was so much fun to spend some time in the sun with a good friend.

Saturday night, Andy and I ate at a friends house for dinner. They cooked a HUGE amount of ribs and more homemade ice cream.

Sunday morning was spent at church followed by eating Mexican, being lazy, finding the worlds smallest carrots, and cooking for HA's parents. We even made more homemade ice cream.



So you might notice from this post, that I LOVE ICE CREAM.
Seriously. I am addicted.
So here is the super easy recipe, it is so much better than store-bought and really simple.

Easy Ice Cream

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 cans evaporated milk
1 Tbls vanilla
1/2 gallon milk
fruit 

Now just puree your fruit (I used strawberries and peaches), add the fruit, sugar, evaporated milk, and vanilla to your mixer. Fill to "fill line" with milk.

I made this recipe in a large mixer, the one that you fill with ice on the sides. Churn until the mixer stops on its own. This makes soft-serve like ice cream. You can freeze in the freezer to get it to be more like store-bought, I don't wait that long. I just jump in.

NOTE: I used non-fat evaporated milk, and 1% milk and it turned out great. Some may turn there nose up at this, and say GO FULL FAT. However, I try to cut it back where I can, and I seriously couldn't tell the difference.

What was super fun about your weekend??



Linking up today with Alli, Sami, and Carly!

PS- I have changed my blog email in order to keep things a little separate.
Trying to contact me? Try this!
saramontanasays@gmail.com

oh sweet monday.

It's Monday again. Really? 

How can this day happen every week? Seriously. No fun.

However, today is gonna be made better by this amazing supper I plan on cooking for HA and I tonight.

This is a super easy recipe that I found on Pinterest. Yes, you could have guessed it.

Anyway, its pretty amazing and super easy.

Source: whataboutpie.blogspot.com via Montana on Pinterest

You can go here to see it.

I usually use green peppers and pepperonis in mine, but the toppings are endless!

I plan on making a salad to go with it too, and I will be sure to post my pics soon!

Happy Monday!

Thankful Thursday once again...

It is time again to be THANKFUL!

My 5 things come easy this week!

1. I am thankful for the time I recently spent with my family, I love getting to see them and we always have the best time laughing and carrying on
2. I am thankful that our tomato plant finally decided to produce. We now have one tomato!
3. I am thankful for my creativity, everyday I learn more and more about myself and the things that I want to do with my life. I don't have it all figured out yet, but everyday one small thing becomes a little more clear. That is enough for now.
4. I am thankful for past relationships, whether it was friends, boyfriends, family members, etc. I truly believe you learn something from each and every person that you meet, and I am thankful for those things I have learned.
5. I am thankful that I decided to go away from home for school in Texas. Making the decision at the time seemed a little difficult, but I know now that I would not be the same person had I not left my small town. I miss my friends and all the memories from WTAMU daily.

What are you thankful for this Thursday??

just peachy...

This past Sunday, I made dessert.

and we ate dessert. 

I am the biggest fan of peaches and all other fresh fruit right now, and this super easy recipe incorporates them all. Remember those peaches?? I decided to put them to use and make a cobbler!

This recipe literally takes 30 minutes from start to finish and then it is ready to eat!!
(this is a recipe courtesy of Mama Ginny, she calls it a "dump cobbler")

Ingredients:

• 2 cups peaches (or any other fresh fruit) sliced 
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup milk

Process:

• Preheat the oven to 350. Melt the stick of butter in a 9x9 baking dish until bubbly hot. 
• Mix together flour, sugar, and milk in a separate bowl.
• Take butter out of the oven carefully and add the flour, sugar, milk mixture. Then add the peaches on top.
• Pop back into the oven for 15-20 minutes until the top is golden brown.
• Serve with vanilla ice cream, cool whip, or my fav (vanilla frozen yogurt)

Here is mine!! It was so GOOD!! and super easy!!

Yay for easy desserts, the only downside is that I eat to much of them...

i will worry about that tomorrow...

I'm a little late...

I'm a little late today...
This post should have been made yesterday on my "Thankful Thursday", however, I made a promise to myself to say 5 things I am thankful for each week. So Friday it is.

• I am thankful today is Friday. This week seems unbelievably long and work each day has felt like it never ends. I am not quite sure why this is, but maybe it's because...
• My sister and mama are coming this weekend!!! I am so excited!! I love spending time with Audrey and Mama Ginny! We are going to the Mart in the ATL on Monday, so I get a day off work. HipHipHooray.
• the RAIN!!! Goodness, we have needed it!! Working for a feed company, I hear everyday the amount of moisture in the ground, and lately its only been the lack of. This rain has helped us greatly. Keep it coming Lord, we are so grateful.
• I am thankful for my small town this week. I got to see a deer on one of my afternoon runs, and one of my sweet customers brought me a bag of peaches. I love knowing at least a couple people everywhere you go and it never gets old being close to animals while out on a jog.

• And finally, I am thankful for my daddy. Today is his birthday and I am thankful today for the things he has taught me, the horse lessons I have learned, and the life lessons I learned from those. He means so much to me and I am thankful for him each and everyday. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY FRANK!!!

That's my thankfulness... even if it is a day late.

Happy Friday everyone!!

food, drinks, and shoes.

This weekend was filled with food, drinks, and shoes. 

The end. 

Just kidding, but it really was full of those things. Here is a recap via Instagram.
follow me please @saramontanas
i will follow back.
promise.

gift from a co-worker! perfect for a beer festival!

my clutches in Southern Pharmacy! Go check them out!

or on my Etsy page

fried peach pie from a customer. amazing.

new nails and bangles from LINDSEY!

New blog post about these coming soon!

homemade skinny MARGARITA!! yum!

my friend, Brittany made these for a 30th Birthday party Saturday night!

They were so good!! Thanks pinterest!

HA doing some farm work Sunday afternoon. "Haying" the cows.

I am good at watching.

My new cutoffs!! Bleach DIY ombre! Can't wait to wear them!!

and finally... SHOE LOVE!! Got these from Target!

They are perfect!

food, drinks and shoes= a wonderful weekend!

hope ya'lls was just as lovely!!

<3

another link up...

think i am getting the hang of it

patriotic sweet tooth

Every year I make some variation of this dessert for the 4th, and this year I decided that cupcakes would be appropriate.  I am obsessed with fresh fruit this time of year, strawberries and blueberries being perfect for this easy dessert!

I use a box cake mix to make it even simpler. Add cream cheese and powdered sugar to some Cool Whip, and voila!! Yummy icing! The red, white, and blue of this dessert is so great and looks completely fresh.

What is your favorite dessert for the 4th?

Are you loving the fresh colors of red, white, and blue?