About Roofresh

My name is Kelsey, not Roofresh, but Roo IS my nickname. I live in the Phoenix area with my husband and we are having fun being newlyweds and going on crazy adventures together. We like finding new hangouts, food, art, music and friends; so that's pretty much what my blog is about. You'll find a bit of fashion, design, nutrition and family sprinkled throughout my content, or anything else that catches my eye at the moment. My blog has changed a lot over the last year, but you'll see that it's really just a record of our lives together; our public journal.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Recipes from this week

I posted some pictures of our meals this week on Instagram and Twitter and had a request for recipes, so here it goes! Let me know if you try them, and if you have an Instagram or Twitter I’ve created the hashtag “#healthyfoodhashtag” so post a picture if you try them!

Summer Corn Relish
3 whole ears of corn
1 ½ cup cherry tomatoes
3 small avocados
Juice from half of a lime (or a whole one depending on how ‘juicy’ it is)
Cilantro (to your liking)
This is super simple; you pretty much dice everything up and throw it in a bowl. I cook the corn on the stove for about five minutes and rinse it in cold water then cut it off of the cob. I like the cherry tomatoes halved, but do your thing with it. Also, you can make it as flavorful as you want by adding extra lime juice and cilantro.



Spicy Black Bean Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ onion
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
2 cloves of garlic
4 cans of black beans (drained)
1 can stewed tomatoes (I like the Trader Joes organic stewed tomatoes with green chilies
½ teaspoon cumin
Dash or two of oregano (dried or fresh)
¼ teaspoon Sriracha
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon ground mustard powder (optional)
32 ounces vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to your liking
Fat free Greek yogurt and cilantro for a garnish (optional)

Pour olive oil in a large pot and turn on medium heat. When the oil is shimmering add onions, celery and carrots. When the vegetables are tender add the garlic. After a minute add 3 of the cans of black beans and the tomatoes. Simmer for about five minutes or until the beans and tomatoes have warmed through. Pour broth into pot and add the cumin, oregano, Sriracha, sesame oil, mustard powder, salt and pepper. Bring soup to a simmer.

For this part I used my blender, but you can use a food processor or hand immersion blender. You will probably want to blend it in batches, because the soup will be HOT, and will flood out the top of the blender if you do too much at once.  It took me about four batches to puree it, but I only blended for about 20 seconds a batch. For safety I covered the top of my blender with a dishtowel protect my hand from any overflow.

Return the soup to the pot and add the last can of black beans. Simmer until the black beans are tender and warm.  I garnished with a little Greek yogurt and cilantro which was AMAZING, but if you want to keep the dish vegan you can garnish with avocado instead of yogurt. ENJOY!

Keep it real!

Labels: , , ,

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Crappy + Happy Monday

{Jacket: Forever21, Shirt: ha ha really embarrassed to admit, my old tanning salon, Jeans: F21, Shoes: DSW, Steve Madden Girl, Necklace: Jewelmint}
There were just not enough hours in my week last week, so I had to resort to making my usual Crappy + Happy Friday post into a Crappy + Happy Monday post...but that just means that you'll get two in the same week. I hope that's a good thing for you, if not...why are you reading my blog?..like seriously, just stop reading now.

C: Saying hi to a complete stranger in Target last week..no really, she made HARD eye contact with me, hard, and if I hadn't seen the person I thought it was in the last six months I would have possibly ignored that. As we got closer to each other it was decision time, and I let out a very enthusiastic, I mean VERY cheery 'HI'...and seconds later I realized that this Target person was about 10 years older than my person...er the person in my head. SO TRAUMATIZED. So if I ignore you in public, don't take it personally, I'm just playing it safe.
H: Jim got a real good laugh out of it, for like five days. He's probably laughing right now as he reads this. Good for him, at least it's a 'happy' for one of us. Now I just wish he would give it a rest. 

H: Getting out garden started! It's looking so good!
C: The half day of shoveling Jim and our friend Brad endured to get our raised planters filled. Thanks guys!

H: Playing in Phoenix/Tempe with cousins all day Sunday, good times.
C: Can't really think of one here.

H: Got to attend the 'Building Healthy Lifestyles' conference at ASU this week.
C: Bye Bye Saturday.

H: Totally got hit on by a spiffy college student while at ASU. Confidence boost! Kelsey: 1, Fat day: 0.
C: I think my reaction may have hurt his feelings. If you're reading, sorry super cute random college student! No hard feelings, but he already put a ring on it. (Oh, and thank you for being a 'true gentleman' even if that was just your pickup line.) 

Welp, that about does it for me if I still want to have some material left for Friday. Hope you are all having a happy Monday, or at least a tolerable one!

Keep it real,
Roo

Labels: , ,

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

I love you just like any other day

Dear Jim Bob,

Today's a 'special' day for some, but I love you just like any other day...

When we started dating, I knew that you were special, different, unique. In the most un-cliche sense, you were unlike anyone I had ever met. I was so intrigued, so puzzled by you and your behavior. I couldn't figure you out, but I also couldn't wait to try. I couldn't put my finger on my feelings for you, but I knew that I would love you some day.


Then that day came, the day that I said 'I love you'. The day that I said it wasn't the day that I felt it, no that day was long before that, but it was so hard for me to admit. I was like a balloon with too much air; I was so full that the only option left was to burst. That was a happy day, but it was not the day that I knew I would love you forever.


My mind started reeling with the thoughts of our life together. Not just one day, but all days with you. You had proven to me that my worries, all of my irrational fears had no place in our relationship. I learned why you were different, and what trust really meant. Then came the day I found out that you felt the same way, the day I said yes.


Then there was planning for a big day. So much time spent on one day, when all I wanted were all of the days after. I wanted that day to be here, but I also wanted the days to slow down. When I think about that time, I know there was stress and tears, but only the best parts stick out in my mind. All of the moments leading up to our day add to our foundation, and the foundation days are some of the most important days.


Then there was the day. The quickest day of my life. The official start date. I had found something that I could never let go of and I had to make it permanent in my life. I couldn't go one step further without binding myself to you. We were already a team, the best team, this is the day that you became my family too. I already knew that I would love you forever by now, but I showed everyone on this day.


Now our days move forward. I hope that one day we can grow our family and fill our life with more to love. For now it's me and you, and I know that the hard days lead to a stronger team. I know that an argument is just that, an argument. I knew that I would love you forever, but I don't think I'll ever understand how that love changes so much from day to day. Just when I feel like I can't fit anymore love, respect and excitement for you in my heart...the next day comes.

That's what I've come to expect from us, each day being just as meaningful, surprising and exciting as the one before, if not more. So happy Valentine's day to my husband, teammate, family, lover, comforter, father-to-our-future-children and lover of my good and bad. To that man that tells me 'I love your ears, especially when they poke out of your hair' (which I HATE), 'I love your neck, it's so feminine and slender' (and I never even had to tell you that I always felt like a giraffe), 'you're so sweet and considerate, you're the best wife' (after I'm done having a melt down in the car), I owe all of my gratitude.


Jim Bob, I love you more today on Valentine's day, than I have on any other day, but that's because I love you just like any other day.

-Roo

Labels:

Saturday, February 11, 2012

I'm a 13-year-old girl again

Sigh. This is the part of my blog where I talk about my unhealthy obsession with tween dramas. I can say it with confidence though, because I know that I'm not the only grown women who feels her inner junior higher sneaking out. My husband will not let up about it either. He finds every opportunity to point out my childish behavior. If we're walking through a book store, he makes sure to point out where the teen romance section is (I think it's technically teen sci-fi), or if there's a young person in the room he points out that I can go talk to them because we have something in common.

It all started with the Twilight Saga. I was running on the treadmill at the gym one day and saw the first half of Twilight on one of the TVs and immediately had to go rent it to see what happened. Then I had to rent New Moon and Eclipse...obviously. It ended up being perfect timing because Breaking Dawn part I came out just in time for me to go see it in the theaters. Well of course I wanted to see what happened after that, so I read all of the books..in three weeks. I literally had no life. I didn't even shower on some days. I can't even describe the looks my husband would give me during that phase, there was some definite judging going on.
I chose this photo because I feel like it represents all of the books. Continual angst. 

After I finished the books I was so antsy! If you read them you know what I'm talking about. That can't be it! It wasn't enough, I'm pathetic addicted! So then I looked for the bootleg stuff. I was introduced to Midnight Sun. I then saw the intricisies of Stephanie Meyers' writing and it solidified my status on team Edward. I even read the Bri Tanner novela.

I read this issue of Entertainment Weekly. I'm not goint to say that I started to become obssessed with the actors, thinking that they were really the characters, but I will say this: both Jacob and Taylor Lautner are smoldering, Edward and Robert Pattinson are a little coy, and Bella and Kristin Stewart kind of annoy me...can we say attention whores?
(Oh and don't think that I am unaware of the level of acting going on here, but it doesn't matter after you get to where I'm at...others can attest.)

At this point if you are one of my more sophisticated, more mature readers, you may have lost all respect for me...but I don't care, because I'm so involved at this point.

When I met the end of my Twilight reading material (please tell me if I'm missing something) I had to turn my attention to something else before I took it to extremes-try googling 'twilight tattoo' it's awesome. You will be entertained for hours. 

This brings us to the Hunger Games. Got through all three in two weeks. Again with the no showering, PJ's all day, husband evil glare stage of my life. 
I won't take criticism for this one. EVERYONE who reads the Hunger Games likes them. I have not one shred of embarrassment about it. 

I'm now going to talk about my feelings about the casting for the new movie, because I am going beyond the 'no-shame I liked the books' phase and head first into the 'I take fictional characters way too seriously' phase. (I still have not said the phrase 'but it could really happen!' so don't worry too much about me).

So here it goes:
Katniss: Totally okay with Jennifer Lawrence.
Peeta: Josh Hutcherson...eh I think I was picturing more of an Alex Pattyfer, but maybe I'll change my mind after watching it.
Gale: Liam Hemsworth, uh yes.
Haymitch: ALL WRONG! I think I was picturing a curly-haired, drunk, Nathan Lane. Definitely NOT Woody Harrelson.
Cinna: uh, I think they should have gone with a no name for Cinna, Lenny Kravitz is well, Lenny Kravitz.
Effie: HOLY CRAP THAT'S ELIZABETH BANKS? Well I think they chose perfectly, because all I saw was Effie. 
Rue: Uh no. Cute actress, but not how she was described in the book AT ALL. She's supposed to be similar to Prim, and I think their ages are the only similarities. 
Prim: Yes.
Caesar Flickerman: Stanly Tucci?! NOOO. More like Regis Philbin...with powder blue hair, ahem.
Foxface: Eh, don't really see it. Maybe she should have been cast as the Avox girl.
President Snow: Even though I don't think Donald Sutherland is creepy enough, I think he was a good choice.

This is where I'm going to stop because the husband-greif is going to be outrageous now. I have throghouly disected the cast and spent far too much time on this post, but there you have it. 

My name is Kelsey Strothers and I'm addicted to teen sci-fi.

Keep it real.
Roo

Labels: , ,

Friday, February 10, 2012

Crappy + Happy Friday!

Happy Friday!!! I hope your Friday is treating you well. How's the weather out there? It's been, well, perfect here. Which means I'm slightly chilly all of the time, and everyone else keeps insisting that it's perfect; hence the jacket in my pictures (in 75 degree weather).
{Jacket; Target, Shirt; gift from my mom, Jeans; Forever 21, Shoes; DSW, Ring; Jewelmint, Glasses; Target}

H: After a month our heater is fixed!
C: Just in time for spring.

H: Planted the seedlings for our garden this spring!
C: Arizona pretty much only has two seasons, so if I screw this up, I have to wait a while to make it up.

H: New schedule at work! Instead of working 4-10's I went back to 5-8's so that I could be done by three and go to the gym...and hopefully not be so tired all of the time.
C: My first day on the new schedule I made it to McDonald's, not the gym. SOOO counter productive..and I never eat McDonald's..I don't even know where that came from. Weird.

H: Those weeds in the background of my photos. I've decided to just laugh at them, because they are so ridiculous. Seriously, they almost look intentional. It's so sad it's funny. 
C: Uhhh, I don't think I have to explain the crappy part of this.

H: Getting to go to sushi with my sister!

H: My hair getting long.
C: It's not on purpose anymore...I really need a new stylist. Any recs? 

H: Listening to Always Sunny which is on in the next room, it's the 'Day Man' episode. Best. Thing. Ever.
C: There is nothing crappy about Always Sunny, ever. Unless you're not watching it, that's crappy.

Happy weekend peeps! I hope you have great weather and get outside and have some fun! Go ride a bike!

Keep it real,
Roo

Labels: , ,