This. Set. Is. So. GOOD.

My holiday shopping is basically done, y'all. Hallelujah! Ahead of the game. Now I can just enjoy the fall season with my loves.

These goodies are super for friends, family, teachers, stocking stuffers, co-workers, party hosts. I'll be using some for Ivy's dog sitter, our apartment complex office ladies, my Godson, and Brandon's favorite internship teachers.

And, of course, maybe keeping 1-2 things for myself ;)

I'll be breaking down each item here over the next few weeks. Thinking a give away might also be needed....STAY TUNED!

Message me if you want more info on any of these goodies. I'm sharing my discount on the entire line, and likely will have specials for the individual products when they become available this month! This is a pretty crappy photo, but I couldn't wait to post about these as soon as they arrived.....

Pretty much.

PS -- Get your own positive notes, delivered to your inbox daily, here!

WE GOT A PUPPY AND SHE IS AWESOME.

We rescued her about 2 hours outside of Columbus. She's mostly black lab, almost 11 weeks old now (we got her at 9), and her name is Iverson "Ivy" Fell.

I am very, very much in love with her. She has mastered "sit", "lay down", "wait" and "Deal!" aka shake/paw. Words do not do her joy-filled being justice, so I hung out behind the lense for a few days to snag a bit of happy Ivy to share with you :)

Come and meet her anytime!

For weeks I have promised to post my goodbye letter to San Francisco, and for weeks I have edited, added, deleted, fussed and mussed over it. It hit me yesterday that I was trying to squeeze all the feels of 8 years into a handful of paragraphs, and its scattered focus wasn’t getting the job done.

So I chose one aspect, based on a single, meaningful photo. Here’s where it took me...

Dear San Francisco,

I left my apartment the same way I first got her: seated on the floor, tears rolling down my cheeks, heart full of hope and gratitude.

In a quiet moment before climbing into our car to head east, I thanked her for being my refuge; from bad dates, jobs, friends. On some days, from myself.

She was my witness for 7 years. A keeper of secrets. A forgiving, sacred space to show up as Trish day after day. A place to happily pad around on a lazy Sunday, or collapse into after a long week.

I admired her magic ability to energetically expand 550 sq feet into so much more, making room for B, a 6ft 3" man who could barely fit under her crooked shower head.

I thanked her for turning 550 sq feet into enough for us. More than enough, really. I thanked her for showing us how much we could really live, even in a small space — for teaching us what is important, and what is just excess.

She held us tight through highs and lows, laughter and tears. In her I found that the brief loss of our connection is what showed me, like a shock of electricity, the absolute worth of us. Within her walls we clawed our way into more joy than we knew was possible.

"I have loved living here", I said. "More than I could possibly tell you now. You saved me 7 years ago, and I will always be grateful to you. Whomever comes to you next is so very lucky. May they find what they need in you, as I have. I will miss you." 

B secretly captured this moment for me, and the photo will remain a favorite for a long time.

​There are so many favorites when it comes to you, San Francisco. People, places, food (oh gosh, your food!), and adventures. But what strikes me as most valuable about our time together is that staring down everything that was important to me revealed a kind of truth -- humbling, expanding, grounding truth -- which will continue to guide all of my decisions from here on out. 

I can’t ever repay you for that gift, sweet city by the Bay. But I can strive to share it with others. (And I think that’s what you'd want, anyway.)

In Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love, there is a section in which she talks about having a “word”, both as people or places. For example, that Rome’s word would be “sex”, New York’s “achieve', and LA’s “succeed”. Eventually, she chooses her favorite Italian expression for her own word, which translates to “let’s cross over”.

Your word is Free, San Francisco. A tad ironic considering you are one pricey lady. But Free to Be, baby. And that is a value which resonates right to my core.
​

Thanks for being one hell of a healing partner.


Attraversiamo,


Trish

Holy moly, what a whirlwind month it has been! 

Here's what you missed in my absence from TGL:

* Trish and B said goodbye to San Francisco. I have an unfinished essay about this pending -- I promise to share it, soon! It's all the feels.

* Trish and B moved into their (sweet!) new apartment in Columbus, for B's fantastic dietetics internship at OSU. (Come visit?)

* Trish and B soaked up some real summer with family in New Jersey. Loved every moment of this; the heat, the walks, the friends, the summer nights that can't be beat.

* Trish and B traveled to Ecuador and THE GALAPAGOS on a small ship cruise (~ 40 guests) and had an absolute magical, incredible, heart- filling time surrounded by the sea, the sun, animals, and happy faces.

This trip has been on my "maybe someday..." bucket list for years, and I am still pinching myself that it happened FOR REALS.

​I had almost 500 photos on my schmancy camera alone (not counting the other hundreds on our iPhones) upon returning home, so it took a bit of time to weed through. I wanted to share a handful of favorites here, per tradition of my travels. I genuinely hope the images inspire you to love on nature just a little extra today.

What left me most in awe (other than being in close proximity to a variety of beautiful animal species) were the intense conservation efforts the islands put forth. By limiting the amount of tourists each year, as well as the kinds of ships permitted (with guidelines on how they must function), hiring locals, and dedicating numerous hours to studying habitats, they are ensuring that these precious lands can be enjoyed for generations to come. There is so much evidence on these islands of how climate change is not only real, but dangerous to the future of the species who call it home. It absolutely boggles my mind how people deny this truth, as well as the value in these kinds of conservation efforts. Human beings can be so awesome, and also stink to high heaven. We ruin everything!

​But I digress. 

The naturalist guides on board our ship were so full of interesting knowledge. As I told Dennis, the lead guide, "I have never cared about birds in my life, until I met you! Your enthusiasm has convinced me that birds are cool, Dennis. That is impressive."

Apparently, the process of becoming a naturalist there is no freaking joke, either. After several months of study, you take an exam, on which you must score a 100% ....100%!!!....to pass. No exceptions. And, you can only take the exam once. ONCE! After that, your naturalist dreams are essentially brought to fruition or crushed forever. I do not think I could take that kinda pressure! 

I hope you enjoy this (very out of order) collection of photos. Below you'll find sea lions + fur seals, blue footed AND red footed boobies (insert obvious yet necessary joke), penguins, tortoises, dolphins, pilot whales, iguanas, marine iguanas, and sea turtles. The sea turtle pics are just from a screenshot taken of a GoPro video, but please believe me when I tell you we were surrounded by them one afternoon during a snorkeling adventure. It was magic. I am especially pumped about the one with me floating above in my full wetsuit gear :)

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to send me a note or comment below! 

I love this earth so much.


Do Good, Be Well,

​Trish

It's time for my most favorite fruit to have it's official moment in the sun! I LOVE strawberries, y'all. These tasty beauties are high in antioxidants, and contain the superfood goodness of fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate and an extra dose of vitamin C. 

One of my most favorite fun fruit facts (the lamest sentence ever?) is that strawberries have less sugar, less calories, less carbs and HIGHER vitamin C levels than the same serving size of bananas. As a person who despises bananas, this makes me feel oddly smug. 

Take that, bogarting bananas.

Here's a delicious strawberry-balsamic dressing you should definitely try during the height of s-berry season:

1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup of EVOO
1/2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp fresh thyme or basil leaves
Salt + fresh pepper to taste

Blend all of the ingredients, minus S+P, in a high speed blender until smooth. Give it a taste, then add S+P to your taste.

Enjoy!

It is quite possible that this brekkie idea is/was only appealing to me, but hopefully you'll still give the main ingredient (pea burgers!) a try.

B tells me that my general rule of breakfast is this: If it will taste good with a fried egg on top, it's breakfast.

He is not incorrect.

The other week I woke up more hungry than usual, and was quite pleased with what I managed to create from random kitchen bits + pieces; A leftover pea burger on top of a hummus smeared rice cake, with a fried egg to affirm its breakfast status.

Here's the scoop on the burgers:

• 1 cup shelled green peas (from 1 pound in pods), or 1 cup frozen peas, thawed (i.e. just nuke those babies)
• Salt + pepper
• 1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped (we like red onion for the bite)
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (or dried, because you're more likely to already have them at home)
• 1 large egg, whisked
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of greek yogurt (or mayo, or veganaise, depending on your diet)

Blanch fresh peas in a medium pot of salted boiling water until bright green and just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to an ice-water bath and let cool completely. Drain. (If using frozen peas, skip this step.)

In a food processor, pulse peas and chickpeas until coarsely chopped. Stir in onion, parsley, egg, bread crumbs, yogurt. Season with salt + pepper. Form into 4 patties, each about 3/4 inch thick.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Cook burgers until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes a side.

Top with anything you like! Avocado, cucumber slices, greens, etc. 

Mangia Tutti,

​Trish

First off, you are welcome for this incredible image of B (because no one is looking at me, let's be real).

I love him so much. (The tubbie towel was a nice touch, I think).

Recently we've partnered together as Arbonne consultants, and have been having a blast while building a really wonderful team and business. They just released a brand new line of spa products, under the title Rescue + Renew. Naturally, we had to give some a whirl before recommending to friends and clients!

The timing of these goodies is pretty perfect, as Mother's Day will be here in the blink of an eye. I love the idea of sharing botanically based products with my favorite ladies, especially anything that mimics a spa experience in your own home. 

If you are still in need of a gift idea, drop us line!

Happy Spa-ing :)

T + B

PS -- DO NOT PAY FULL PRICE. We can help you with that. xo.
​

These cauliflower taco shells are so easy to make, and a healthier option to classic store bought varieties. Personally, I don't care for cauliflower much. I tell Brandon that it smells too much like someone has passed gas for me to get interested in tasting it, but these are for sure the exception to my rule!

•  Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

• For these I actually rice the cauliflower slightly more fine than typical cauliflower rice. Put about ¾ a head of raw cauliflower into a food processor or powerful blender, cut up with most of the stem removed, and pulse until you get a texture slightly finer than rice. (Once it’s riced, measure it to make sure you have 2 cups packed.) You can also cheat, and buy a bag of riced cauliflower from Trader Joe's, and pulse it a few extra times. That's typically what I do!

• Place in a bowl and microwave for 2 minutes, stir, then another two minutes, stir again then place in a dish towel or nut milk bag and squeeze excess water out as hard as you can. (You’re going to want to get out as much water as you can and be careful not to burn yourself because it’s going to be very hot.) I hate this part, and make Brandon do it. But you truly do not want water in the mix or it will be too soggy.

• Add salt + pepper to taste, along with either 2 eggs or an egg substitute like soaked, finely ground flax seeds​, etc

• Place in the oven for 10 minutes then carefully peel them off the parchment, flip them and place back in the oven for 5-7 more minutes.

• Once they’re done place them on a wire rack to cool slightly.

• ​Heat a medium sized pan over medium heat and place the tortillas into the pan pressing down slightly and brown them to your liking. 

Delicious!!

In Gratitude,

Trish

THESE SALMON BURGERS ARE SO GOOD!

High five, self!

Big hug, Trish the dish.

Victory lap around our studio apartment!....OK I'm back, it's a small space.

These really are tasty, though, and are dietician approved (thanks, Brandon!)...so essentially it is Doctor's orders.

Ingredients:

1 salmon fillet (12 ounces), skin and pin bones removed
2 tsp olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup diced red onion (we like the bite of red, but totally OK to use white)
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup of plain greek yogurt (or mayo if you are feeling a tad naughty)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp minced fresh thyme (or dried, because who the hell keeps fresh herbs in their house)
2 tsp snipped fresh chives (yep, dried works, too)
2 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup of gluten free bread crumbs
1 egg

Preheat oven to 250F. Place salmon in shallow baking dish, rubbed up on with olive, pepper (and salt, but don't tell B I said that). Bake until fish flakes slightly when pierced with a knife, about 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute (or don't, seriously, I sometimes pass on this step because I like a bit of crunch in my veggies and I'm so lazy) the onion, and peppers until just a bit soft. Add ground pepper. 

Mix together greek yogurt (or mayo), lemon juice, cayenne, thyme, chives, parsley. Flake the salmon into the bowl with a fork, being careful not to smoosh it. Use a spatula to then mix in the veggies (sauteed or raw, your choice), then the egg, and breadcrumbs.

Form into patties, about 6, and fry/brown in olive oil on a medium heat pan. Typically takes 3-4 minutes per side for me.

Top with anything you like!! Guacamole, coleslaw, aioli, etc.

Let me know how yours turn out!

In Gratitude,

Trish

​Another successful road trip in the books! Thank you for having us, Sedona + Phoenix. We so appreciate your sunshine, stunning views, and oodles of good vibes. 

I have always loved B's sense of loyalty to his longtime friends, and extra appreciate when those friends extend the same loyalty and commitment towards him, and us. It's 10x's better when those friends have wives so easy to love and adore -- so incredibly easy to be around, whose company I thoroughly enjoy. Icing on the cake? When they also have precious toddlers who make you giggle while they tickle your love's beard and he growls like a bear! Heart melting (ovaries stirring?), I know ;)

Spontaneity, travel, adventure. These are core values in my relationship. We drove 12 hours straight to get home on Friday evening, and I cannot lie -- it was not a miserable experience. Music, snacks, chatting about the next trip...about our future, our life, and yep...even our feelings on various topics (though just briefly, as I can't squeeze too much emo out of B at once or he'll shrivel up). Some of the hardest laughing I have done is in the car with B on a long drive. I used to *hate* being "stuck" in a vehicle. But now? It ain't half bad.

In Gratitude,

Trish