for lunch: chickpea salad with broccoli and tomatoes.

does anyone else feel like putting together a good lunch can get tricky? lunch is one of those things if you are going to be eating "in", it can be challenging to be eating something that is actually tasty and not just a crusty sandwich.  over the past few months i have begun to get really creative with our lunch meals, i just crave an actual good meal.  i have found the key to a good lunch is... prepping the night or sunday before. lunch is usually not good when you are rushing to do it in the morning.

so one solution i have found is making lunch salads and grabbing them on the go in the morning. let me tell you... its great.  i have started doing more and more sunday "meal prep" by getting some lunch and dinner prepped on sundays to lead to non-stressful weekday meals. i have found that i eat much more healthier by doing this. so i can't really complain. also i have found that chad and i both have started to save a lot of money by my meal prepping too. it leads to less impromptu spending and random lunch expenses.

i try to have my lunches pretty vegetable heavy (basically so i can eat whatever i want that evening, and that usually means ice cream- if i am being honest ;) ) so i get creative. my ultimate go to lunch is a sweet potato, or oatmeal. but if i have been a little more prepared (which i am trying to do more and more) i usually have some type of soup and salad. lately it's been chickpea salads... my favorite being  chickpeas with broccoli and tomatoes. its a great combination of protein (chickpeas, otherwise known as garbanzo beans) to help fill you right up.. with a heavy side of vegetables... and a little bit of Dijon. num, num, num. (and if you didn't know broccoli is in season so go take it all in!)


chickpea salad with broccoli and tomatoes.

1 pound broccoli, separated
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed


1. steam broccoli (i used a stove top steamer insert) until tender, 5-7 minutes.
2. in a large bowl, whisk mustard, vinegar, olive oil, and onion. add salt and pepper to taste. then add tomatoes, chickpeas, and broccoli.
3. once the dressing is evenly mixed with the vegetables, enjoy!


 because i have been on a lunch kick, i will continue to share some of my other lunch favorites over the net few weeks, because who doesn't need more ideas of what to eat for lunch?

recipe adapted from: food

the month of travel continues.. our trip to the windy city!

ooh hey chicago. you were quite fun.for our third weekend away chad and i headed down to the windy city to spend some time walking around and hanging out with family. chicago is one of my favorite towns around. i love the midwest feel in the big ol' city. i think i could live there( while chad doesn't think he could) but i just love the big city that still feels home-y.

**you always got to go see the bean right? this is one of my favorite sights in the town. it may be one of my favorite sights purely because it is filled with tourist and you see everyone snapping photos of the bean. it is pretty comical! also, our hockey team team,the wild, was playing against the chicago blackhawks the saturday we were there. it was so fun seeing some minnesotans cheering on our team!**

**after exploring the city chad and i ventured out to some of the neighborhoods. we had never done this before but i loved it. and actually i didn't feel like we got enough time seeing the neighborhoods so we are planning on going back soon to do some more exploring. the photo above was at a cute coffee/ bicycle shop called heritage cycles. we had heard so much about this place and we loved it. if you know anything about us, we are big fans of coffee.. and bicycles.**

we ended our trip with visiting a vintage shop called midnorth mercantile where i picked up the cutest vintage scarf. after our day in the city we headed up to the chicago suburbs to hang out and spend some quality time with extended family. the weekend was a busy one (as all of the weekends in october have been) but i am feeling so blessed by all of the travel and exploring i have been able to do. you learn so much by getting out of your routine and looking for something new..

chicago, we will be back for you soon! next up.. denver!

just call me crazy...

sweater: old navy leggings: lulu lemon boots: frye scarf: crochet me this belt: aerie 

disclaimer: after this post you may think i am a little crazy. its okay, i am feeling a little crazy. ;)

so, i had been wanting to go somewhere for months, and then october hits and BAM, i get to fulfil my travel bug a whole lot. and by a whole like i mean i am in a different state each weekend in october. craziness.  it started out with a  nice and calm with the first weekend in october here in minnesota... then the next weekend was spent camping in wisconsin.. then chad and i decided to do a slightly last minute trip to nashville... then this weekend we are heading to chicago, and to end the month of travels, i just booked a trip fifteen minutes ago for my sister rosie and i to go visit my sister laurel in denver. travel bug, i hope that you are fulfilled for a bit after this month. at least for a few weekends at home. ;)

because of all of my traveling i have been opting out for comfy clothes. leggings and sweaters have been my friend. and the look above has been worn at least 6 times this month. especially this sweater because it basically feels like a big blanket, but still is socially acceptable to wear in public. its awesome.