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lunch ideas.


i purchased these radishes at the beginning of the farmer’s market season & looking back on these photos- i am amazed by their individual uniqueness & inspired by their quirkiness.
we are harvesting radishes & lettuce later on this afternoon. i was so excited to go to the market this morning & find that we were growing & harvesting the same produce as real farmers. i only purchased eggs!

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i’ve had a lot of ideas lately to spruce up our home, make it more functional & de-clutter. we are on a very limited budget {like twenty bucks?!}, but i have confidence that we can this space feel more like ‘home.’

also, i’ve been in a meal plan rut these past couple of months. i’ve lost the inspiration to make our meals both healthy & fun. lunch is by far the most difficult meal for me to plan. i always stick with hummus sandwiches & fruit. but- after flipping through my all-time favorite {cookbook}, i was amazed to come across page 50 & its lunch time potential!
we made this on monday morning & by 11:30, i couldn’t wait any longer! i had two bowls full of this delicious couscous goodness!

so, without delay- here’s the recipe with a bit of adaptions by us.

sesame chicken couscous salad
serves 4.

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1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil {olive oil works, too}
combine & bring to boil.

1 cup uncooked whole wheat couscous
place in large bowl & stir in boiling broth. cover & let stand for 5 minutes. fluff with a fork.

2 green onions {chopped}
1 large red or green pepper {chopped}
stir in. cover & refrigerate until chilled.

1 1/2 cups snow peas {sugar snap peas are a nice alternative}
1 cup broccoli florets
steam peas for 1 minute. add broccoli & steam for another 2 minutes. rinse in cold water & drain.

1/2 cup cooked free-range chicken {chopped}
add to couscous with broccoli & peas.

1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tblsp olive oil
2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp sesame oil
combine & mix into couscous mixture.

1/4 cup slivered almonds {toasted}
2 tblsp sesame seeds {toasted}
mix in immediately before serving. serve chilled or at room temperature.

{this recipe could also be made vegetarian. use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth & replace the chicken with other vegetables that are in your fridge.}

happy eating!

love,
natalie

taking a walk.


come along with me on a summertime walk around our neighborhood.


chives ready for the pickin‘ in the community garden.

an old home with lots of character.


flowers greeted with an afternoon shower… sparkling in the light.

a glow from the window.
the sun is setting.

it is time to go inside!

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leave a comment if you would like to participate. just take a walk around your neighborhood. i’d love to see what you see.

love,
natalie

{this moment}


last week’s {this moment}

love,
natalie