Happy 2015!

I started off 2015 trying to be more organized and healthy! I don't really believe in New Year Resolutions but I'm always trying to stay healthy and keep my life in order (which I am terrible at by the way).

For Christmas, Branden got me a bike basket so I would be more likely to ride to work. Well I haven't ridden to work yet but I did ride my bike to the store twice over the weekend instead of driving. If I'm not in a rush and am just going to pick up an item or two, I see no excuse to not ride my bike. Our town is even putting in a new bike lane on my street which I loved being able to use. It was actually a really nice ride and I even got to make use of my bike lights the second day.

In addition to riding my bike, I also organized my closet! Our apartment has these built-in closets from Ikea which I love, but it turned out to be a place for me to pile all of my makeup and other random stuff. I decided to go to Target and buy some organizational drawers and let me say, it made a huge difference. I think I want one more bin, but for a start I think I did a pretty good job! The top is before and the bottom is after:

I did a bit of cooking this weekend along with organization. We had a friend over to watch football and the UFC fights and figured it would be the perfect time to try a somewhat healthy appetizer I saw and let me tell you, it was delicious! I made some Spinach and Brie Topped Artichoke Hearts! Here is the recipe:

Spinach and Brie Topped Artichoke Hearts

Ingredients:
- 9 oz. box frozen artichoke hearts
- 2/3 cup chopped and cooked spinach
- thin slices of brie (enough to top all the hearts)
- lemon juice
- parsley
- salt
- pepper
- minced garlic

Directions:
1. Preheat broiler
2. Prepare artichoke hearts according to package
3. Saute spinach until wilted
4. Mix spinach, about 1 tsp lemon juice, about 1 clove garlic, and salt, pepper, and parsley to taste.
5. Place spinach mixture on top of artichoke hearts
5. Top artichoke hearts with brie
6. Place in broiler until cheese is melted, about 1-2 minutes

Both Branden and our friend loved them as well!

I know I said I was trying to be healthier, but Branden did make some homemade pizza. It was so amazing! I'm sure it's healthier than from a pizza place though. We bought the vegan Trader Joe's dough along with their organic pasta sauce. My mouth is watering just thinking about how good it tasted.

So far 2015 has been great and I can't wait to see what the rest has in store! I've got a few more posts planned for the near future so check back every so often!