stuff 'n things {no. 4}

// my new favorite lunch- dark rye crackers, smashed avocado, sea salt, and hard boiled egg. AMEN. 

// I'm a total rain-freak. Unlike some people who think it's depressing, rain only feeds my energy. Considering the fact that we hardly had a rainy season last year {darn you, desert.}, I got so excited when I heard rain outside. And then it ended likeeeee 5 minutes later. I felt so let down. 

// Ya know what's the worst? Having the serious URGE to bake, but then you don't have the ingredients to make what you want. I want to shoot something. 

// these easy stick buns with bacon… What theeeeeeeeee.
// Apple pie pancakes. Because there's no such thing as too many pancakes. 
// these fig orange and almond scones. YERRRM. I wish I could find figs here, goshdanggit.
// caramel chocolate slices… The fact that they're good for you makes me want them like 10098888x more.
// coconut angel food cake with greek yogurt frosting. LOOKS SO GOOD and floooooofy.
// OMGAWWWWSH- the cuteness.
// more pancakes. Ahhh, mehh lyyyyfe. 
// Literally was drooling over these pretzels. Like full on, drool forming little pools in the cheeks. Gross, sorry.
// ultimate raw vegan ice cream sandwiches. HOW ARE THESE HEALTHY, WHAT?
// Homemade peanut butter chips? BOOM! That was my mind. Being buhhh-looown. 
// Must we sift this flour? Loving this Baking 101 series from Joy!
// this post all on eating well and in moderation. Spot on. PLUS… A chocolate chip cookie recipe. Moderation, guyzzzz.
// brownie belgian waffles. WUHHHHHT.

stuff 'n things {no. 3}

// Coconut oil. Finally. Found it. EEEEEEEEEYYYOO.

// I'm so weird. On Mondays, I typically ease into the week {my excuse for doing hardly any school.} and then jam on Fridays. It makes me feel good. 

// Made healthy brownies last night. Ate three this morning. Living the life. 

// You're gonna think I'm crazy- which may or may not be true- when I say this… I stayed up late last night, for three freaking hours untangling yarn. YES. THREE HOURS. That's one 8th of my day. Spent untangling yarn because goshdangit, knots are not okay with me. It was during those strenuous hours that I started questioning my sanity or my lack there of. Told you. Crazy. 

// Due to the yarn-untangling extravaganza, I woke up this morning really under-slept. Exhibit A) I grabbed my sunglasses instead of my prescription glasses and then nearly ran into a wall. Whoa, that was weird. 

//  I'd like to strongly suggest making pancakes in your sweatpants and chowing down while watching Friends tomorrow morn. Happy weekend! 

Links 'n stuff. 

// whole wheat apple & orange marmalade cake.
// galette with berries- GOR.GEOUS.
// brown butter baked doughnuts.
// mini strawberry galettes.
// maple walnut steel cut oatmeal with yogurt, peaches, and chia seeds. Love oatmeal!
// chocolate chip layer cake.
// pumpkin chocolate ice cream sandwiches for the awkward transition from summer to fall. .
// chocolate baked doughnuts. 
// these double dark chocolate cookies look perfect for coffee-dunking. AMEN.
// strawberry pistachio no bake tarts. So beautiful!

stuff 'n things {no.2}

// I was super duper shmooper excited when I saw a sign in town a couple weeks ago advertising a farmers market the first Friday of every month. This morning, I decided to walk into town and check it out, only to find about 5 tents selling biltong and pastries that didn't look all too appetizing… Honestly, I'm not surprised one iota. No fresh produce. So on the way home, I meandered my way into the grocery store to pick up some fruit. So happy strawberries are in season now!!!

// Ok, so I may or may not have forgotten to add to this post throughout the week. Hence why this week's is so short. My apologies. {P.S. Do you guys even like the idea of these weekly posts? Let me know, puhhleeeeeezzeeeee.}

// Oh, so here's a weird little factoid fooo yooo noggin. While I was listening to the radio in the kitchen the other day {American radio!! There's an app ferr dat.}, they were doing a little thing, asking callers if all these name brands in food were actually real people or made up for marketing. DID YOU KNOW BETTY CROCKER ISN'T A REAL PERSON? How sad is that! Maybe not sad to you, but when I hear of Betty Crocker, I think of a cute little old grandma in the kitchen, wearing a vintage apron, and baking up a pecan pie. Turns out… SHE DOESN'T EXIST. This is a sad, sad world we're living in.

// I probably eat salads in some way, shape, or form for at least one meal a day. This week, I noticed the veggie drawer was overflowing with the good stuff. I made a salad that would last me a couple meals out of shredded red cabbage, shredded carrot and cucumber, spinach, green bell peppers, and avocado. I took out the big tub and ate leftovers for lunch mixed with homemade hummus and chicken. SO GOOD. My brother stared at me with enlarged eyeballs and said "You're eating ALL of that?" Why yes, little brother. This girl loves her veggies.

// the other day, I was just thinking how thankful I am that I can run here. Pretty sure if we lived in almost any other country in Africa, it wouldn't be safe enough for a white chick to go prancing around on her own. Running is my therapy {aside from baking and eating. funny how they balance each other out… ha.}, and it's my thing I do to get out of the house and have some "me time". Some days I'd lose my mind without it.

Around the interwebs… 
// these brownie ice cream sandwiches. I couldn't tear eyeballs away from the computer screen. 

// chocolate almond butter cups. Hubba hubba. 

// Well whoa. These cookie dough millionaire bars.

// 'Sup brown butter lobster bacon crispy kale fontina pasta. 'Nuff said.

// brown butter cream cheese apple cake. Every single word of that makes me drool a little more.

// these banana nut waffles are calling me. I can hear it.

// skinny gluten free double chocolate fudge banana muffins. They're healthy which obviously means you can eat the whole batch! *happy dance*

// Cherry Buttermilk Pancakes with Chocolate Drizzle and Sea Salt… All I want in this life is pancakes. Amen.

// sweet potato, ginger, and chocolate chip muffins. YERRRRM.

// I need these homemade chocolate fudge poptarts in my face. Now. 

stuff 'n things {no. 1}

Hi friends! I've decided to hop on the "weekly list blog post" train, albeit quite late {as per usual.}, but better late than never. Ya know how I be. This is obviously a really trendy week for me because I also just painted my little toesies pink ombre. Feeling ready to conquer the world. So there's that.

The idea for stuff 'n things was born out of my scattered-all-over-the-place-girl-brain, a mad love of making lists, and because I totally adore reading posts like this from other bloggers. Maybe you feel the same way about little 'ol me, I don't know. Or maybe you just care about brownies.

I'm hoping to have these little posts going up on a semi-regular basis {or probably when I feel the instant need to list of things of little significance.} and filled to the brim with whatever I think you need to know A-S-A-PLEEASE {Uncle Si. Anybody get that?} - photos, snippets of my life, and links to things that caught my eye across the interwebs. So here goes!

// Stay strong. Love this promise! ^^^

// This week was the first week of school for most of you earthlings, but since I'm not sticking to any particular school schedule {the one and only positive side of having no life. ha.}, this week is no different than any other. Everyone is talking about back-to-school shopping, and when I started tenth in July, my back-to-school shopping consisted of getting a shiny new pack of pencils and a couple of green spiral notebooks from the grocery store.

// And that's all I have to say. 'Cuz school, ick.

// Summer is revving its engines over here, and the temperatures are getting hoooot. My friend and I went out on Monday for the first ice cream of the season. It was satisfying despite the typical play-dough-ey undertones going on. Oh 'Frica, how you perplex me.

// I ate popcorn for lunch today. It's a good day; the sun's a-shining and the corn's a-popping.

// Umm, I'm never limiting myself in the diet department ever again as long as I shall live. Because thanks to that raw dealio, all I want is CARBS. Carbs carbs carbs carboooooos. Holy moly backfire, much?

// As far as my workouts go, I'm kinda all over the place. One week all I wanna do is yoga. One week pilates. One week running. I'd be lying if I said I don't get bored super fast. This also explains the fact that I change my music approximately every 46 seconds. I've been running so much the last two weeks and it's felt so great! I used to go early in the morning before school, but lately I prefer evening.

// Now that pumpkin season is sneaking upon us {not here. but in the blogosphere}, I'm trying to think of a few recipes to make with the few cans of pumpkin we have stashed in the deep abyss of our "american cupboard." My mom likes to keep them all to herself, so I have to be wise with the can or two I'm allotted. Pancakes? Cookies? Muffins? Bars? Pie? OATMEAL? Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out.

// When we were in the States, I used to go biking ALL the time. You better believe I had a pink and white Schwinn, basket and all. I miss that thing and haven't biked in the last year and a half. My brothers got bikes, so I've totally been taking them for rides. I don't care if they're like half the size I need. It feels good to move. And my buns are 'a burnnin'. Glamorous.

In case you've missed some goings-on around here… 

// Loaded multigrain muffins.  // Fudgey double chocolate brownies with peanut butter cookies 'n cream frosting. // Raw banana & toasted coconut brownie pie.  // wholewheat banana zucchini muffins. 

Around the interwebs… 

// this CAKE. Gorgeous. Not to mention BROWNED BUTTER.

// I'm totally digging this pumpkin pie spice white chocolate caramel corn. Just yes. 

// Ice cream cakes remind me of summer pool parties with family when I was younger. Love this Cookie 'N Cream version!

// I love how she thinks. CAKE FOR BREAKFAAAAAHST. 

// These PB&J granola bars! Totally wanting one or five. 

// Coconut English Muffins- HEYOOOOO. 

// Basically adoring these brownies. Such puuuuurdy colaaaaarrrs.

// This warm lentil salad with cherries, pistachios, and goat cheese. MMM. 

// Homemade cookie crisp cereal! And it's gluten-free and dairy-free! SCORE!

// Summer cobb salad with green goddess dressing. 

// I'm super duper wanting cake. 

// 13 Food & Drink Pinterest Users You Should Follow… As if I don't follow enough already. HA. 

// Pink. Ruffle. Cake. AHH, the cuteness!

// This is one lemony cake. And I lemony love it. 

// Just discovered this fantastic blog. 

// chocolate peanut butter nutella oreo cookies. PUHHLEEEASE.

// Hi, my name is Sophie and I have a mad addiction to granola. Thanks for listening.

// Hello, apple cinnamon sheet cake with cream cheese frosting. I don't care if this African sun is a million trillion degrees. I wan this in meh bellehhh.

// These chewy chocolate chunk oatmeal cookies made with coconut oil. Good gracious, LOOK AT THE OOEY GOOEY GREATNESS.

// So far, I've loved every single post Ashley has shared since she started breakfast Fridays. This week's summer fruit with lime sugar + mint? AMAZAAAZING. 

// Seriously salivating. 

// Dying over these oatmeal chocolate chip cookie pancakes. I love you, Izy.

// Oh my lanta. Peanut butter cup heath bar browned butter cookies. No words- just drool.

{I apologize for the bonk-a-tonk amount of links. Couldn't help myself.}