H.A. Larson's Blog, page 70

A Walk Through the Woods

Happy Sunday! I have to get ready to go to work soon, but I wanted to share some pictures from yesterday's hike. You all know how much I enjoy my hikes in the forest. There's nothing quite as calming, relaxing, therapeutic, or inspiring as being in the woods. It's always been a place for me to recharge my batteries, hit the reset button, and get my creative juices flowing (if you've read any of books, you know exactly what I'm talking about).
Earlier in the week, snow hit the western side of the state, and it had cooled off considerably. I was sure our Indian Summer was over, but then Saturday came bearing nice weather. The kids and I went out to one of our favorite places, Schramm State Recreation Area, and took our traditional hike there. We didn't need jackets, and I took one of the side paths I had always avoided before. 










I'm happy that we got to take in some of the last vestiges of Fall before Winter heralds it's arrival by taking away the color. It's gorgeous here again today, and if I didn't have to work, I'd be getting ready to get out there. Maybe tomorrow....

Have a great Sunday, and get outside today if you can! 

Ipsy's November Glam Bag

So, November's Glam Bag by Ipsy arrived this week! As you might remember, I started the impossibly easy $10/month (no taxes-free shipping) subscription to Ipsy. For that you get a small, usually-cool, makeup bag with a handful of samples of beauty products. It's easy, it's fun, and I love it! This is my second, and I'm sure I'll update you every month when my new ones arrive...at least until I get tired of sharing them.  lol  Anyway, the bag this month was a cool, colorful, celestial-themed bag.


Here are the contents.



First up, a Luxie eyeshadow pan, No. 290. It's a plum-type color, and it reminds me that I should really peruse Ebay for a palette to put my loose pots in.


Next is Jelly Pong Pong's Liquid Gossamer face luminizer. It's a shimmery kind-of copper color and would be great to lightly contour my face or just add a bit of warmth under my makeup.



This is a mini version of Smashbox's Full Exposure mascara. I can't wait to try this one out!



This is called a skin booster and is made by LeeAnni. The directions indicate to tap some on your face gently after toner but before moisturizer for an "extra boost". *shrug* I'll try it out and see what happens!



Last, but not least, is treStique's mini-matte lip crayon in Chile Red. I cannot wait to wear this! I'll wait until I go out some night, it's not a color I'd wear to work. ;)

So there you have it, my custom-tailored Ipsy Glam Bag for November.
-H.A.

Vegan Breakfast Burritos

I admit it. I've been so busy lately that I haven't been eating properly. On the plus side I've dropped more weight, and on the other side, I haven't eaten a proper meal in awhile. Today, tired of toast and Boca burgers, I decided it was high time for a decent, hearty breakfast, and, man, I did not disappoint myself! I made a pretty typical tofu scramble, made up some crispy tempeh bacun pieces, stuffed it all into a tortilla, and added some crumbled up chunks of Daiya cheddar. It was heartily delicious, so much so that I ate it for lunch and dinner as well. I have enough leftovers for tomorrow too, but I'll probably give a break until Saturday morning.
Pair this with a cup of tea, coffee, or a cold cup of almond milk, and you got a pure winner. Enjoy!

Vegan Breakfast Burritos

Ingredients:
1 block of tofu, drained and pressed1 large potato, rinsed and cut up into bite-sized chunks1/2 c. chopped onion1/2 c. chopped peppers, any kind will do2 t. chopped garlic1/2 c. sliced mushrooms1/3 c. chopped black olives, optional1/4 c. coconut oil1.5 t. turmeric1 T. steak seasoning2 t. red pepper flakes1 t. salt and pepper2 t. smoked paprikatempeh bacon (recipe from an older post of mine here)1/2 c. crumbled vegan cheese, I used Daiya cheddar8-10 tortillas

Instructions:

1. In a dutch oven, heat the coconut oil over med-high heat until the oil is melted and rippling. Add the potatoes and brown lightly on both sides. 2. Add the onion, peppers, garlic, mushrooms, olives, and seasonings.3. Crumble up the tofu and add. Stir well to incorporate. 4. Cover the pot and let cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and tofu are cooked through.5. Add some of the cooked scramble, cooked bacun,and cheese to a tortilla and roll it up.*6. Eat!


*If you're anything like me, you go big or go home. I fill these babies up so full that they barely close, hence the unsuredness of how many burritos this recipes makes. ;) You can add salsa or whatever else you want: it's delicious no matter how you add it up!

Small Makeup Haul

This last weekend I stopped by the drugstore and grabbed a few beauty items. Here's what I got. (P.S. Don't mind the background I chose for this, I thought it would look much cuter and it really doesn't. I didn't want to start all over though, so I'll remember for next time!)




I've been going through different kinds of moisturizer/regenerating serum items for awhile. I haven't been able to find the best item, or combination thereof, so I decided to give this a try. It's the Walmart version of Olay Regenerist Serum, which is a combination of moisturizer/regenerating serum, and not quite as expensive so I thought I'd give it a try. I've been using it for a few days now, and I really like it so far. Time will tell if it's a keeper, but so far so good.





I've watched enough beauty vloggers at this point to have noticed that several of them use a face primer after their moisturizer. I use primer on my eyes before putting on eye shadow, so it makes sense right? I have to say, there's definitely an improvement in my makeup's overall appearance since I've added L'Oreal's Magic Perfecting Base face primer to my makeup routine.





Oh the quest for the perfect mascara. Seems like I always get the dry ones, or the ones that clump way too easily. I actually did some research on this one, and this Butterfly Intenza mascara by L'Oreal seemed like a good mascara to buy. Another so far so good. It elongates nice and no clumping! It's a good thing.





I've been a fan of NYC's eyeshadows for years. I saw this interesting set of colors and knew I had to get it. The colors are great, especially for an evening look, and if you look at my picture here on the site, you'll see me wearing all the makeup you see here in this haul!





I've had my eye on a few makeup items by Hard Candy, but had yet to purchase any. I am a fan of liquid eyeliner pens as they make putting on precision eyeliner so much easier than any other way (and more quickly too). When I saw this one by Hard Candy, I knew I had to try it.





Look at that point!

Reflection

"The Station" is now two days old and I hope you're enjoying it! If you haven't already purchased it, there's a link on the sidebar that will take you right to it on Amazon. It's only $2.99 and if you like a good paranormal thriller, or anything in-between, than you really should read it! Not that I'm biased or anything. ;) Also on the sidebar, you can find links to my social media pages so go check them out and give them a like or a follow to show your support. It means so much to me!

The last couple of months have been sort of harrowing for me. Dealing with crazy hormones, helping my kids through some tough times, and trying to finish my book--all while working and freelancing--has taken a toll on me. I went out on Saturday night, my first time out since the beginning of the summer, and that helped shake off some of the stress. I also got a few nights in a row of well-needed, restful sleep, so now that I've finished the book and everything else is back to normal, I'm feeling reflective.

For me, being reflective typically means looking back on recent events and thinking about them with fresh eyes. It's a way to look at what has happened and determine what, if anything, could have been different and, if so, in what way? How could I improve the way things played out? Did they need to be improved? I've definitely done plenty of this kind of reflection over the past few months as I waded through stressful times.

Today, I'm indulging in a different kind of reflection. One where I look deep within my soul and decide some truths about myself and my life. I don't reflect in this manner nearly as much as I do in the other, but it's needed just the same. As we move in and through certain periods of our life, and manage to come out alive at the other end of these periods, we need this kind of reflection in order to grow.

I started a new path a year ago and I thought that this period of time would take me through next year when my life will change. Little did I know at the time, nor did I think, that I would go through other, smaller periods in my life between then and the future. I can chuckle about it now, because I can be naive sometimes about how I think things are. The truth is: life is constantly throwing things at you, whether changes, stress, good things, or hardships, and you're going to have to deal with it.

It's when these things happen that I don't always deal with things in the best of manners. I could chalk it up to being imperfectly human, but if I don't acknowledge and deal with my shortcomings sometimes, how can I grow into the person I wish to be? I definitely have an idea of the person I'd like to evolve into, but will I ever get there? Or will I constantly ride the ebb and flow of life's ever-changing presence in my life?

I'm hoping that if I deal with the tide in a direct, honest manner that I will become who I want to be, but that I will be able better to handle the stressful times. That folks, is my inner reflection. I can see the person I want to be staring back at me, but the person on my side of that reflection has some growing to do.

I hope you have a great day, a fantastic week, and that you're having a stress-free, easy period in your life.

Always,

H.A.

The Station is Published!

Good afternoon everyone! I'm so very excited to announce the publication of my third book The Station ! It's available right now on Amazon--exclusively for Kindle--for $2.99. Find it here! I hope you enjoy it as much as I think you will. If you like a good creepy, ghost story, then this book is for you.

A personal thank you too to you, my family, friends, fans, and readers. I appreciate each and every one of you so much for all your support.
-H.A.



NOW SHARE THIS LINK! TELL YOUR FRIENDS! BUY IT FOR YOUR MOM! (She'll like it.)  ;) 

A Free Book!

Good morning! Today only, you can pick up a copy of my book "Cold" for free! I'm giving it away today for free in honor of my third book, "The Station", which will be out this weekend. Head over here on Amazon to grab your copy.

Chipotle Ranch Dressing - Vegan Style!

Back in my former life as an omnivore, one of my cannot-live-without condiments was Ranch dressing. I put that stuff on everything: french fries, salads, burgers, pizza, etc. After going vegan, giving up Ranch was hard, but I put it out of my mind and tried to forget about it! Mostly I did, but the desire for a good Ranch every once in awhile persisted.

The other night, I positively decided that I wanted a Ranch dressing, and remembered that I had a bottle of Hampton Creek's Chipotle Just Mayo. Now, if you haven't heard of Hampton Creek, they are an amazing company that has figured out how to make vegan versions of products that actually taste like the "real" deal. Their mayo tastes like omni mayo, and they make flavored versions that are to die for! Anyway, I digress.



Here is the Ranch right after I made it. Yum!



Here it is slathered on a wedge salad with a side of vegan mac 'n cheese. How good does that look? Okay, okay! Here's the recipe.

Chipotle* Vegan Ranch Dressing
1/2 c. Just Mayo chipotle-flavored mayo1/8 c. unsweetened vegan milk (I used almond)2 T. vegan sour cream (I used Tofutti)2 t. each parsley and chives1 t. each granulated garlic and granulated onion1 t. saltdash of pepper

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Allow it to sit for about 10 minutes to let the flavors meld. 

*If you would prefer the non-chipotle version, just use regular unflavored vegan mayo. Also, if you don't have chipotle mayo and want chipotle flavor, you can use chipotle powder (to taste, start with 1/2 t. and work your way up) or some chipotle-in-adobo sauce. 

And that's it! Perfect vegan ranch. BTW, it was just awesome on that wedge salad!

"The Station" Trailer!

Ok folks, here it is! The trailer for my upcoming release, "The Station". Out next weekend!

The Station is Finished!

Yes! I have great news (if you haven't already guessed from the title) and I'm very excited! I have finished my third book "The Station", well, except for that pesky editing job, but you know!

I will spend the rest of the week during my downtime, and then again this weekend, wrapping up the editing process and getting a trailer made for it. I will send it off to a few people to review for me, and then I anticipate a release date of one week from Saturday. Don't worry, I will keep you posted.

Cheers!

H.A.