Food & Drink

Hearty Vegan Quinoa Bowl

It is time to get serious about loosing this baby weight! As some of you may know I’m a huge fan of Weight Watchers and I just started using the program again about a month ago to shed this 30 extra pounds of chubbiness. The recipe below is one of my favorite meals of the moment. It’s super easy to make and can be customized to your liking. It’s also very Weight Watchers friendly. The whole bowl is 6 smart points depending on how much dressing you use and how much quinoa and sweet potatoes you put on your plate. Please let me know if you try this at home!

Ingredients:
Cooked Quinoa
Chopped Apples
Massages Kale
Roasted Sweet Potatoes or Yams
Dressing:
1 Tbsp Miso Paste
Approximately 1 Ounce of Water
.5-1Tbsp Sesame Oil
Juice of a lime
Ginger to taste
Splash of Stevia (If you like sweeter dressings)
Salt to Taste

*Photos by Rica Blue

Leave a Comment

Road Trippin: Wyoming to Montana

From Wyoming to Montana; here are pics and details from the final leg of my American Road Trip! (Not totally sure why I felt the need to capitalize the R and the T- but let’s just go with it). Click on the links for part 1 and part 2 of this trip. After shooting a show with my friends from The Mom’s View in Idaho my fam and I piled in the car and headed east for Jackson, Wyoming. The drive was beautiful from the start with no stretch of boring scenery. Jackson had been on my list of places to visit for YEARS and I was so happy I got to experience it-even if just for a night. (One night was not nearly enough btw). I loved everything about Jackson and I can’t wait to go back and stay longer.

In Jackson we stayed at the Huff House Inn and Cabins. It was located about a block from the center of town and was just as charming as can be. It was the number one ranked B&B in Jackson on Trip Advisor and I can totally see why. The breakfast was beyond delish. I can’t remember exactly what I ate- but I do remember thinking it was amazing and wishing I could eat it everyday. The service was great, except for one woman who told me I looked HUGE. Granted, I was pregnant, but no one EVER EVER EVER wants to hear they’re huge… well, unless you’re a guy. Ok, now I’m getting way off track. Back to my FAMILY road trip. On the night of our arrival the town square was putting on a show complete with Western outfits, cowboys, hookers and a gun fight. YeeHaw! Idris got so into the show that he started “shooting” people with his bottle. I’m pretty sure everyone enjoyed his performance even more than the others- but don’t tell them that.

The next day’s agenda consisted of taking a leisurely drive through Yellowstone (another bucketlist spot) as we made our way to Montana. How does one even begin to describe the incredible beauty that is Yellowstone? There aren’t enough words. It was magical. I felt like we were on another planet. We were even lucky enough to see Old Faithful erupt. Yellowstone is another spot that I cannot wait to go back to. Idris also had a blast. Every couple minutes we’d drive to new geyser, hop out of the car and explore. Eventually we made it to our ranch near Big Sky, Montana where we were staying for the next few nights.

The ranch was called the 320 Guest Ranch. This was such a unique experience. I’ve never stayed on a ranch before and I freakin loved it. If you are traveling with kids this is the place to be. They have a giant TeePee and a playground on the property. It was so fun for Idris to play every morning and night while Michael and I had a cup of coffee or wine and soaked in the stunning scenery. The ranch drew one of the most diverse groups of people I have ever seen. I probably heard about 8 different languages being spoken from Italian to Mandarin and many more in between. One of the days on the ranch we decided the family should take a fishing lesson. None of us had ever fished before and we figured a ranch on Montana was the perfect place to learn. We told our instructor we were rookies- but I don’t think she anticipated just how green we actually were. On my first attempt I caught myself a…. wait for it… a Sharzad! Yup. I hooked my own neck with the fishing rod. It was easily one of the funniest things thats ever happened to me. I only wish it was on camera. I was standing there with a rod stuck in my neck while Michael and the instructor were trying not to loose their shit laughing. (I was totally fine in case you’re wondering.)

When I booked the ranch I was told about a BBQ on the river that would be perfect for families. I couldn’t have said yes fast enough. They even offered a vegetarian option. Meatless in Montana!?!? Yup. It’s possible. That dinner was one for the books. We were taken to a beautiful meadow on a horse drawn carriage where we dined next to a pristine river with live music, great food and absolutely breathtaking scenery. After dinner we went down to the shallow part of the river, threw rocks in the water and explored in the nature. Idris thought that was the greatest thing ever. When I planned the trip I remember thinking it would either be a complete fail or a total win. I knew nothing about the places we were visiting and I hadn’t done such a long road trip with a toddler. I’m happy to report that it couldn’t have worked out better. We kept Idris constantly entertained with parks, playgrounds, nature and snacks (ok, and lots of iPad time). I can honestly say he loved this trip and so did we. We got little tastes of such cool spots around this beautiful country and we can wait to go back to them all again!

Leave a Comment

American Road Trip

From Portland, OR to Bozeman, MT and so many places in between. My family and I explored four states, drove over 900 miles, played at 9 different playgrounds, made new friends, saw old ones and ate lots of french fries and ice cream! Here are some of the highlights from the Pacific Northwest to the West? Is Montana considered the West? Cuz it’s pretty far east from Cali. Anyway, the first leg kicked off in Portland, Oregon. You can read all about that by clicking here. Below are some of the highlights from the second leg of the trip.

Pendelton, Oregon

From Portland we made our way east on the 84 towards Pendelton. When I told Michael we were going to the home of the iconic wool blankets he got very excited and went a little crazy. He did some serious damage at the Pendelton outlet and we now have a massive collection of wool blankets. Picnic anyone? Driving next to the Hood River was fabulous. We stopped several times along the way to explore places like the beautiful Multnomah Falls. I need to go back when I’m not trekking around with a human stuffed inside my body.

Pictured below: Pendelton House Historic Inn B&B If you find yourself in Pendelton, this is the best place to stay. It was charming with a wonderful host and an insanely good breakfast. The other pic is from the Pendelton factory.

Boise, Idaho
The drive from Pendelton to Boise to Idaho Falls was uneventful. (I know there are beautiful places in Idaho- we just didn’t have time on this trip to see ’em). We broke up the long haul by stopping in Boise for a few hours. We went paddle boarding and played at the playground in Julia Davis park. By the time we made it to Idaho Falls we just crashed in our room. The next day was a busy one, so we got an early start and headed east again. This time our first stop was to visit my friends from The Mom’s View. Can’t drive through Idaho without shooting an episode of TMV! It was such a treat to catch up with some of my favorite mamas.

Stay tuned for the third leg of the trip!

Leave a Comment

Thanksgiving Sides

I know Thanksgiving came and I went- but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy these delicious sides now that T-day is over! I would’ve gotten this post up earlier but I promise I have a really good excuse- I HAD A BABY. See, I told you it was a good excuse. More on the baby in a later post. Both these recipes are perfect for Fall- they involve brussel sprouts and some insane flavor. Check out the video and recipes below. Big thanks to my friend Theodore Leaf for inviting me into his fabulous kitchen and showing me these tasty dishes.

Recipes:
Warm Salad:
1 Pound of fresh Brussels sprouts
1 medium butternut squash
Olive oil
1/4c balsamic vinegar
1/4c honey
1/4 c sliced almonds

Cold Salad:
1 pound Brussels sprouts, shredded
3 apples, chopped
1/4c pine nuts, toasted
1/4c pomegranate seeds
Dressing:
3t Dijon mustard
4T apple cider vinegar
4T cider reduction (see below)
3/4c canola oil
salt & pepper
Reduction:
50oz apple cider
1/2c mulling spices
10 peppercorns

*Images provided by Theodore Leaf

Leave a Comment

Roku

Every now and then I get a really fun date night with my hubby. Since my mother in law happened to be in town for my hubby’s bday I put her to work to watch our son while we went to dinner at Roku. Yay for adult time! Roku is located on Sunset on the Beverly Hills and West Hollywood border. It’s new and trendy and fun and filled with lots of pretty people and great food. We were lucky enough to be invited to try the new menu items they just launched. (I have a terrible job- I know) We had some exceptional dishes that were unique and bursting with flavor. Just take a look at the drool worthy photos below. This is great place to go when you want to get dressed up for a date whether it’s with your honey or your besties. We’re looking forward to bringing our son back to experience the Teppanyaki bar- which I’m told is a fancier version of Benihana and that kids LOVE it.

*Images provided by restaurant PR

Leave a Comment

Portland, OR

My family and I hadn’t been on a proper trip together at all this year. (Going home to the Bay Area or Chicago where my hubby is from doesn’t count in my book!) There are a few American cities left that I’ve been dying to visit and Portland was one of them. We decided to fly from LA to Portland and spend a week driving through an area of the country none of us had explored- the North West. Our final destination was Bozeman, MT and we had tons of ground to cover in between. For starters, Portland is SO GREEN. As a Californian I’ve been deprived of grass for such a long and I didn’t realize it until I saw how lush Portland was. The vibe was so chill and I felt like the people were totally laid back and super cool. Below are some of the highlights from our trip. Keep in mind I was almost 7 months pregnant on this trip and traveling with a two year old. I can’t wait to hit up Portland when I can drink and do some fancy dinners, but even in my current “condition” I had a freakin blast and so did the fam.
Sharzad Kiadeh

STAY:

We chose the River Place Hotel for a few reasons. It was historic and beautiful, had great reviews online and was along the river with easy access to everything. Every time we travel to a new city we check to see if our American Express offers rewards or perks at properties we’re interested in- sure enough River Place was one of them. I’ve mentioned my love for Amex perks several times in the past, but just to remind you, I love it because you can get room upgrades, food credits and sometimes spa credits (my personal fav).

EAT:

When I posted on my Instagram account that I was in Portland I got a ton of recommendations on where to eat. There was one particular spot that EVERYONE agreed on: Voodoo Doughnuts. I’d heard of this place before and I knew I had to go. I’m not a donut person, but hot damn these were delish! Like SO SO good. Luckily the line was only about 20 people deep, so it wasn’t a nightmare trying to get our grub on. I was pleasantly surprised to see their huge variety of vegan donuts as well. A+ Voodoo Doughnuts. Totally worth the hype! Also, how do you actually spell donuts? Or is it doughnuts?

Homegrown Smoker Vegan BBQ: Umm. Wow. Just wow. I had a life changing burrito at their little food cart. It was definitely a trek from where we were staying, but so worth it. I got the “Buff Burrito” (thanks Margaret!) I was in heaven after the first bite. It had freakin mac and cheese in it!? Say what!?! Yup, and totally vegan. You guys may know I’m actually pescatarian, (a fish eating vegetarian- not a religion) but I can certainly appreciate when something is 100% plant based.

VISIT:

As I mentioned above I was traveling with my two year old son who, like many two year olds has an obscene amount of energy and it is of the utmost importance that he get’s his wiggles out. We headed to the International Rose Garden that was equipped with the most breathtaking roses I’ve ever seen AND a playground. Win win. Definitely pay this place a visit whether you’re rolling with a toddler or not.

Splash pads: This has been the summer of the splash pad for my family. From LA to Chicago and now Portland. After a hot day of exploring the city is was time once again for Idris to get his wiggles out in the water. Enter: splash pad on the river. Perfect!