ALY ALLEN | THE BLOG

if you follow me on instagram , you've seen this a few times: looks yummy, right? well those are sardines mixed with avocado and black bean, served on toast with spinach, tomato and mustard. seriously good. and crazy good for you. sardines are a superfood, basically. they pack a crazy amount of omega-3s that we barely get enough of in our american diet, but they don't have all that mercury that's a danger in pretty much every other fish. that's because they aren't alive long enough to soak it all up. add in the fact that they can be stored for years in those little tins, and you've got yourself an amazing food. now i know what everyone is thinking: sardines are gross. and sure, they look a little strange when you open up the tin. they might smell fishy, it's true. but it's really a mind-over-matter kinda thing, until you get everything mixed up. if it's your first time, just start small. use 1/3 of the tin with a whole avocado. ...

today was it. as far as fall days in southern california go, you know? no changing leaves to play in, or 35 degree weather to brave. but for me, and what i'm used to here in san diego, it was perfect. by 10am i was out of the house on time , to run errands: the bank: to withdraw our weekly cash allotment. walmart : paper plates, party decor, halloween candy, cute little pumpkin candy bucket for my little trick-or-treater. [she was sort of excited about that, can you tell?] trader joes: groceries then home: mac & cheese for R, and turkey chili for me then i finished up this wreath for a birthday gift. i love it and secretly wish i could keep it. luckily i know the gal who makes them so i could probably convince her to make another one ;) then it was nap time. and i worked [my "real job", which is tech support via email and online chat] . while making this: and this is where it got real, you guys. an already good, pro...

i guess you've noticed that i haven't been around much? well, i'm letting myself take a break [or at least slow down a little] and be okay with it. i've been on vacation and been catching up on laundry and taking lots of naps  [more on that later this week]. but, i managed to edit some really old photos, to show you a couple yummy ideas: first up, smoked salmon, bagels and cream cheese. [and capers and onions]. this is one of my all-time favorite meals. you have to like raw fish, of course, but honestly i could eat this every day. cut up some bagels, spread cream cheese, top with salmon and capers and onions if you like the extra pop of flavor. and then of course homemade microwaved popcorn. barely any calories, and so yummy. i love that i know all the ingredients that go into this. did you know that regular microwaved popcorn that you buy in the pouches is one of the worst foods you can possibly eat? true story. so here's a just-as-simple, but sooo-much-be...

my mother-in-law is probably the best cook [and baker] that i know. we lived with my in-laws for 9 months, so i benefited from her talents for awhile [no, i didn't cook one dinner those entire 9 months!] i took notes, though, and left with lots of wonderful tips and yummy recipes to add to my collection. by far thee best thing i learned: how to make her signature chocolate chip cookies . these took her about 15 years to perfect, and you'll see the secrets that make them so incredible. [she won't mind that i'm sharing with you :) she's the sweetest person on the face of the earth and loves nothing more than sharing her wisdom] forgive me, because i don't have photos of every single part of the process [and they're taken at night so they're not the greatest quality].  alright, enough excuses... here's what you need: preheat your oven to 375 degrees 1 & 1/4 cups light brown sugar. packed 3/4 cup  butter flavored crisco [this isn't pictured, bu...