#GlutenFree Monthly Favorites: Vegan Pizza, Opening a Time Capsule & More!

We made it! (Okay, maybe I'm only saying that to celebrate the fact that I survived March...but congrats on y'all for making it to April too!). It seems like ages ago when January rolled around and I knew I'd have three months of grad school craziness to get through.

But guess what? As crazy as they were, those three months flew by...including March. What was I eating - from all the beans to popcorn evvverything - and doing (the newest fashion trend: one Ugg and one flip-flop) this month? And what exciting plans do I have for April? (And, I promise - there is some actual excitement this time).

Let's dig on in (food pun intended) and find out!

What I'm Eating

Popcorn on everything. I always made fun of my college roommates for living off of popcorn (or, at the very least, creating a batch or two almost every night), but apparently the last laugh's on me since I've been devouring The Little Kernel ever since they sent me some bags. Who knew karma could taste this good?

Refried beans from the Whole Foods hot bar. One of the biggest cuisines I miss since my celiac diagnosis is Mexican food. It's hard to find safe enchiladas or refried beans where flour isn't added in...so when I saw that the refried beans at the Whole Foods hot bar were dairy and gluten free, I loaded up! Add crunchy turmeric quinoa, juicy roasted veggies and creamy avocado for one heck of a flavorful fiesta...

#GlutenFree Monthly Favorites: Vegan Pizza, Opening a Time Capsule & More!

Because there were too many yummy eats for just one photo...

Vegan pizza with my fave homemade buckwheat crust. Thanks to my last semester of college, 11 grad school apps, graduation and a full-time job, I actually hadn't made a "true" homemade pizza in over a year! (Insert shocked emoji face here). Happy to say I deliciously corrected that problem this month.

Magicthree bean chili. As much as I love cooking, I love a fast dinner, and my pre-made chili from Kathleen's always hits the spot. Besides being gluten free, it has simple ingredients (pinto, black and red beans + corn starch + spices) and all you need to do is add water and microwave. Now, it's always pretty magical in taste...but this time, when it overflowed in the microwave and I lifted it off the paper plate, I found a PERFECT heart underneath. I think God (or whatever you believe in) was trying to send me a sign after I'd been rejected from another grad school and was starting to lose hope.

What I'm Doing

Feeling very thankful that I no longer have to rock the awkward one flip-flop, one Ugg boot look! As those who read my Day in the Life post know, I had to have part of my right big (perpetually ingrown) toenail permanently removed a few weeks ago. I couldn't wear a closed shoe on that foot for 10 days...hence my super fashionable look during walks.

I'm sure my neighbors were quite confused...

Enjoying Colorado Spring's short heat wave...which is why I was able to wear a flip-flop without freezing (for the first 8 days, at least. I was on flip-flop house arrest for the last two when winter decided to come back). But, seriously. It got up to 80 degrees Fahrenheit one day. Ridiculous!

Opening my time capsule. I was actually supposed to open it on my 21st birthday, but since I was in San Diego for school and my folks were in Colorado Springs, we didn't get around to it until last week. I'll write up a more detailed post this next month, but I'll just say that I definitely want to do the same thing for my future kids. It was so cool to find magazines, pins and toys from 1995 (my birth year)...and the letters my parents wrote to my future self 10/10 made me cry.

Stuffed to the brim!

Celebrating the fact that I'M GOING TO GRAD SCHOOL! As I wrote inthis post last week, I'm officially going to be attending Minnesota State University Mankato...and my schooling will be paid for through a teacher's assistantship. I'm 100% terrified, 100% excited and 100% sure that I'll be freezing in Minnesota...but I'm also 100% sure that I have plenty of adventures coming my way! (And yes, that doesn't make mathematical sense. But I'm getting a master's in writing, not math, so I'm rolling with it).

What I'm Planning

Preparing for my grad school adventure. My next big challenge is to find an apartment (please send some prayers my way for finding an affordable apartment near campus!). I also need to majorly load up on winter clothes (because just looking up the average temps of Minnesota makes me shiver). I'll be moving to Mankato, Minnesota (!!!) sometime mid-July. I have teacher training from July 31 to August 11, and then classes officially start around a week later. So...let the fun begin!

Learning how to relax...which, as my friends and family know, is not a natural strength of mine. I'm actually taking two (much-needed) weeks off of my work with Entity Magazine. While everything worked out in the end, grad schoolstress has definitely taken a toll on my body and I'm looking forward to getting some extra rest and sleep. Along with my grad school prep, of course!

Partnering up with some epic brands and experimenting in the kitchen. I know I say to expect product reviews every month because, well, they happen. But this time you can look out for some new products from Aloha (chocolate fudge vegan protein bars? Yes please!), a roundup of plant based products for Earth Day (including Setton Farm's chewy pistachio bites) and a couple other surprises. And, with my extra free time, I'm hoping to break out of my food rut and try out some new recipes, like this creamy curry chickpea soup and a gluten free version of coco puffs cereal. Watch my Instagram to see what culinary shenanigans I end up getting into!