Coconut Oatmeal Bars!!!

Okay- I mostly stick to thoughts on writing, but hey, a writer’s gotta eat!!! I choose what I do eat very carefully. I buy organic, make the majority of what I eat from scratch, and enjoy every tasty minute!!!

One thing I’ve always justified buying, rather than making at home, were bars. Larabars, especially. They’re so good! They have simple ingredients! I love them. However, they aren’t necessarily organic and they can be a bit pricey if you rely on them almost daily for a quick snack. (I eat between each meal, a few times.)

SO! I decided to make my own bars. Yay! If you enjoy peanut butter, coconut, honey, oats, a little sweetness, and some raisins, keep reading :)

Coconut Oatmeal Bar Recipe (gluten free, vegan)

ingredients!

1) 1 c oats

2) 3 T ground flax

3) 1 c shredded coconut

4) 1/4 c + 1 T peanut butter

5) 3/4 c honey (local!!)

6) 1/2 c raisins

7) 1/2 c carob chips (vegan!)

8) Add these together, in this order, into a bowl. Mix it up. Keep blending and stirring until it’s all stuck together.

yum!

9) Next, lay wax paper into an 8×8 tray (or any size, really… just add a little more ingredients or a little less to make due… super easy, guys!)

just makes it easier to get the bars out….

10) Put it all into the tray, flatten it out, and place in the fridge. (eh, 20 minutes should do it.) (I added some extra coconut on top!!)

flattened out

11) Cut up into whatever size “bar” you want!

couldn’t get a clear shot!

12) Enjoy!!!!!!!!!! (If the bars are too soft and don’t stay together, just put it in yogurt and have an awesome snack, roll it all into balls, or simply eat right out of the bowl. You could also try adding less honey. When I kept mine in the fridge long enough, they stayed bars!)

I love these. I am so excited to make them over and over. Everything I used was organic, except for the carob chips. YAY!!!! Next time I’ll probably add banana and walnuts. Tell me if you tried them or any yummy changes you made! Thanks for stopping by Hey Lou!!!!!!!!!!!

Coconut Oatmeal Bars… Hubby Lou Approved!

<3

 

***coming back to this, the next day, I think I would have also sprinkled coconut flakes on the wax paper before laying down the bars. Also, they stayed together as bars much better after an overnight fridge sleepover haha let me know what works for you!

Happy Birthday, Lou

Yesterday we celebrated Greg’s birthday. He turned 27, and I am simply trying to wrap my head around the fact that when we started dating, he was 21. In a lot of ways, I still picture us as that couple, me 17, Greg 21, but in many ways, we’re not the same people at all.

Since we’re, ahem, less than rich (but rich in love! yes, it’s true!), I decided that I’d write a blog and post some pictures of my very favorite moments with Greg. It’s my gift to him. I figured, after he proposed on my 19th birthday, there was no one-upping him on gifts. Besides, even if this is a day late, it’s something. I’m not an organized person at all, so I had to scramble around facebook and my in-law’s computer to locate some good pictures.

Here they are. I would also call this list (after “The Happy Birthday Lou Photo Album”), quite simply, “How to be a happy couple.” It’s pretty darn easy, if you find the right person!

Take your very first picture together, the very first day you ever hang out alone, and then don’t stop hanging out. (this is that age I was telling you about… 17 and 21!)

First Picture of the Lous

Go to some weddings, drink too much, and have fun in a photobooth!

drunky?

Always ask him to dance, even if he really doesn’t want to. He will have fun, even if he doesn’t quite know it at the time!

Me, so happy!

On your very first lake trip, make up even after a sleepless night spent trying to fold one tiny blanket over both of you (think, like a taco…).

the lake

Eat a giant hotdog together, no matter how unhealthy/gross you know it is. He will rub your back when you throw it up later that day. (um, and get some matching sweatshirts.)

ugh

Go to New York and attempt to get a good picture in front of the Statue of Liberty. :)

I’m trying to get him to pose…

Always support his facial hair. 

the beard

Take some great pictures at sunset. (especially if you are doing long distance- for two years-… it will help you remember those good times!)

hugs!

Never take yourself too seriously. Ever.

pool time

Hang out with your friend’s cool Great Dane, and don’t get one of your own if neither of you is quite responsible enough for a dog…. 

our dream dog

However, if you do wind up getting a dog, take him on hikes. Then, when it just isn’t working in your small apartment, send the dog to family in Minnesota who will take him on long runs every day!

Aksel, he was a good dog.

Go camping, hunting, or simply rough it together for a few days in the outdoors. It will bring you closer together. (no one likes doing anything alone and in the dark in the middle of the woods… you know what I mean.)

don’t we look tough?

Always get a very nice dessert and share it. And try to go on dates. Our first real date only happened thanks to Greg’s older brother, Chris, who gave us a gift certificate. I am pretty sure we were already engaged. haha

my 21st

Wake him up from naps just to take a picture, just to get a good picture onto your blog. :) Hey, I only had so much time to put this together before his parents took us out for dinner….

today!

Most importantly, love every day! Say the words, appreciate who your significant other is, and smile when they look at you. Be forgiving and understanding. Work through anything. When you wake up and find that you’ve been together for more than six years, it’s a good feeling. Nothing can quite compare.

Happy Birthday, Lou!!!! 

It’s The Little Things In Life

It’s the little, everyday things, that make life good. Today was such a good day. Nothing exceptionally exciting or amazing happened, but absolutely nothing bad happened, and a few nice things happened. My morning consisted of making breakfast and coffee with Greg, finishing up our spring cleaning, and listening to great music. I then joined Greg for his lunch at work, took some stuff to Goodwill, and returned back home to do a little more cleaning. Next Alex and Meredith came over, we had dinner, and that was pretty much it.

Amazing day. I can’t help but smile. Here are a few images I captured:

My new boots made me happy. They were affordable and comfy… keeping me warm all day long!

Yay, boots!!

Our beautiful backyard! I came home, hung some clothes up on the line (how cool!!) and enjoyed the weather. Birds were flying above me… I just love being home <3

My backyard… I’m so lucky!

This tree is in my backyard. It’s crazy… it’s so picturesque!!!!!!!!!!

The coolest tree ever

Yes, it’s the wild west here in Albuquerque. We have tumbleweeds! I saw this one on my way home an snagged a pic. I’m glad it didn’t blow in the wind and stick to the front of my car!

huge tumbleweed!

Meredith and Alex made me laugh as we sat around and ate dinner!! Love it!! BFFL (best friends for life!) (I just made that up…. I think)

alex and mer

My husband, Greg, sittin’ by my side and looking great! Could life get any better?

Lou

I submit that it cannot!!

Can you see why it was an awesome day? I had a lovely scenery to gaze upon, fun friends and family at my table, and a tumbleweed blowing in the wind! It truly is the small things in life.

I hope you enjoyed your day, too!!

<3

The other Lou

Confidence, Truly

There have been times in my life when I felt anything but confident. I have felt, just like any gal, that I was less than pretty, less then talented, or just plain unwanted. Thankfully, those moments have been few and far between. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t exactly walk around thinking I have it all or anything, but I have had some great moments of confidence. It started at a very young age.

Case in point:

confidence, truly

Please notice: I wrote,

Today and yesterday I figured out that I am good at drawing. (age 7!!)

The teacher must have chuckled as she wrote, “You certainly are!” But then secretly worried about me…

I don’t think anything phased me. I sat there and drew this face and I was proud of it. I wish I could find that little girl and be there again without fail. I wonder what happened? What day came and went where all of a sudden I doubted whether or not I was good at drawing?

I’d like to think that every kid starts out this way. They can do anything. It isn’t until someone tells them they can’t or someone laughs at something they do that they begin to doubt. I wish, so badly, that everyone could be as confident as I was at the age of 7.

And then stay that way.

Another great moment I had as a 7 year old was writing a story titled “The Floppy Bunny.” I really did a horrible, half-assed job at the drawings for that book. But I was so, so proud of the story.

It’s the story of a bunny who has no hair. He’s a bald, naked bunny. He goes around to all these animals, asking them if they have any hair to spare… could he have some? Of course, everyone says no. It isn’t until the Floppy Bunny meets a sheep, who has wool to spare, that he can finally have some hair. They make an entire suit made of wool and the Floppy Bunny wears it, finally feeling comfortable and covered up.

Yes. It was a gripping tale.

I’d like to think that my writing abilities have gotten better ;)

Obviously, if you are here on this blog, you can see that I never did give up on the whole writing thing. I have my short stories, my poetry, and three books I’m working on daily, trying to get published. I am trying to hard to keep that 7 year old version of myself close at heart. I want to be her… unafraid and entirely confident in my abilities.

I hope you can find your own version of her, too!!!

<3

Fun fact: I think I did get a little better at drawing. Wildewood even let me do their cover art…. !!!!

confidence, later ;)

It Was Life

{I found this in an old notebook from college. I wrote it on 12/07/10 during an astronomy class! I hope you enjoy it :) }

It Was Life

By Melinda Williams

I am either

taken to a cafe in Europe

looking great- all women there do

smoking, taking a sip, smoking

my lipstick stain on both

the cigarette and the cup

The conversation is enlightened

yet

I have a subtle

I don’t give a f—

attitude.

Men pass by

One wants to buy me my next

This is the true potential

This is where

one can go

OR

I am stepping inside a gas station

I can smell the bathroom

which is right next to

where I fill up my mug

unfortunately

The smell is cheap

Cheap- unlike the

massive amounts of oil outside

The two, dark liquids

our country runs on

Back in Europe

it wasn’t fuel

It was life

Honey Almond Truffle Goodness <3

Okay! I finally made them!!!

Bee Raw Honey, Almonds, chocolate… yummmmmm

Honey Almond Salted Chocolate Truffles

They’re gluten free!!! They’re vegan!! (If you’re the kind of vegan who eats honey… I know there’s controversy there!)

Best of all… they’re tasty!!

This is what a plate of them looks like (they kind of look like spiders. it’s just the picture!):

Plate of Truffles!

Another view (with ingredients!):

Bee Raw Honey! Almonds! Could life get any better?

Here is how I did this:

1. I used a coffee grinder to grind the almonds. -1 cup almonds

2. I put ground almonds into a bowl. Then I added the Maine Wild Raspberry Bee Raw Honey! ~2 Tbsp honey

3. I mixed it up with a spoon (honestly, I added a little more grounds, a little more honey…. just until it was a consistency that I could manipulate into a ball! It’s super easy! :) …)

4. Place on a plate! Drizzle with chocolate, sprinkle with a small amount of salt, or roll in coconut. I think any of these options would be great!! I used the Whole Foods 365 vegan chocolate chips and did the “double boil” method to heat up the chocolate… and then used a ziploc bag to drizzle, cutting a small hole in the corner!

5. Eat

This took me no more than five minutes to prepare. They were eaten in even less time!!!

Greg and I had my sister Meredith and the other member of Wildewood, Alex, over for dinner. Greg cooked something pretty gourmet and I was in charge of the dessert. It worked out!

I don’t know what Greg is doing!!

Enjoy!

:)

Do It Yourself …the art of being a catalyst

It’s the only way :)

I was recently told by someone I know this: “You were a catalyst for me.”

I looked up the word. It’s actually pretty scientific.

Catalyst-

1: a substance that enables a chemical reaction to proceed at a usually faster rate or under different conditions (as at a lower temperature) than otherwise possible

2: an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action

Therefore… this person thinks that something I did changed something in their life at a faster rate than it might have, had I not done something. Or I provoked a significant change.

At first I was a little bit taken aback. After all, I’d rather be, say, important to someone, or a part of their life, than simply a catalyst for whatever the heck happened or is happening. I felt like I had the word stamped across my forehead. Like I had become this thing, this symbol for someone else’s life. (On a good note, I think the person meant it as a compliment.)

I’ve been thinking lately about my own life. If I’m going to be a catalyst for something, I’d rather it be my own goals. I want to do something that sparks a fast change in my own life. I want to provoke something new and good to happen. I have to keep doing things to make life interesting, because as the saying goes, “God doesn’t move a parked car.” We have to set our own goals and work toward them.

Here is one quote I’ve been in love with lately:

No Exceptions

I have a magnet of this quote up on my fridge. It really does remind me each and every day to live life to the fullest. There are certain changes I DO want to make, and they aren’t going to happen unless I simply change my actions.

SO!

Think positively.

Visualize your goals. 

Sit down and do the work! (I spend hours a day writing. I’m not perfect, I’m just working really hard!!!)

Choose to support the things you LOVE… don’t spend so much time (and wasted energy)  hating the things you don’t approve of or dislike.

Be patient! 

Don’t let your self be a catalyst for someone else. Be your own!!!

I’ll leave you with yet another great quote:

“To be a catalyst is the ambition most appropriate for those who see the world as being in constant change, and who, without thinking that they can control it, wish to influence its direction.” -Theodore Zeldin, Historian and Author

Because I don’t ever want to feel the word burning into my forehead again… I’d rather it be written on my own heart for my own reasons.

:)

Hair: Attempting to be Stylin’

Most days I simply wear my hair down and wavy. It’s so thick that it hurts to wear a ponytail all day and I have done the bun-on-top-of-the-head look… but honestly, I feel a little bit silly that way. There are so many hairstyles that are pretty, though. Most of them I’ve seen on Pinterest.

My attempt at doing something “Pinterest.”

Here is the original hair:

I think this is so elegant and classy!

Here is what I wound up with:

My own take…

I’m not that good at doing my own hair. This took me many tries and a very log time. I have no idea what the girl in the original picture did with the hair that wound up in the bun in mine… it’s like magic!!

But I’m here to say that (inspired by another blog, where she took Pinterest ideas with clothing and style and made them her own) sometimes it’s fun to try something, even if it doesn’t turn out perfectly.

Another style attempt I’ve made lately (one I swore I would never do… check out #5) is to get bangs. As any girl knows, it’s a big commitment to make! This picture of Reese Witherspoon was one I saw a few days before I went in to get the chop.

bangs, bangs, bangs

One day I felt pretty good about the decision I’d made. Here is a pic from that day!!

me own bangs! and my knock-off sunglasses ;)

So, the point here is not that I want to copy everything I see. My point is that sometimes getting a little inspiration here and there can help. In a weird way, seeing something like bangs in a different context gave me that extra little boost to just go for it. Same with the updo… I never would have thought to do it if I hadn’t seen it done by someone else.

If you see something that inspires you, don’t be afraid to try it!!! You might just love your new look or attitude!!

:)

You can follow me on Pinterest here!