life – Page 2 – Rooted Gracefully

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

Today was a very lazy day for me! I wrote an essay, read an entire book, baked cookies, took a nap, and watched the new Footloose movie with my college dance team.

I wanted to pop in quickly to share a delicious recipe that I tried out today for our movie night – Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies. I chose this recipe because it included all ingredients that I had on hand, and it took me less than 30 minutes to make 36 cookies! What more could you ask for? It took even less time than that for all of my teammates to devour them. 🙂

If you love peanut butter and you love easy recipes like I do – then this is definitely for you!

Pre-heat the oven to 375 F. Combine all of the listed ingredients in a large bowl and mix well until a dough forms. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. Press down on each ball with a fork in order to create the criss-cross design – you could also just flatten the cookies with your hand if preferred. Bake for approximately 7 minutes before removing from the oven and allowing to cool. These take a bit longer than regular cookies to completely cool, so wait a few extra minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.

While these may not be the prettiest looking cookies, they are definitely delicious.

Enjoy!

xo,

Jaclyn

Friday’s Fabulous Five

Thank God It’s Friday!! This week has been extremely long for me, so I truly mean that! This weekend won’t be very relaxing though as I have tons of homework to catch up on… but that’s okay. I least I can do it from the comfort of my warm apartment rather than trudging up to campus!

As usual, here are the five things that I am loving most this week. 🙂

1. Vigoss Skinny Jeans

I just love these! I bought myself a pair from Nordstrom Rack after Christmas using a gift card, and I couldn’t be happier with my purchase. I had read so many rave reviews about these jeans, but never tried them myself because of the price. When I saw them on sale at the Rack I couldn’t help but buy a pair and I’m so glad that I did. These are jeans that I can just tell will last forever due to their high quality and construction. They also have the perfect amount of stretch. My only complaint is that I ordered a size up based on reviews, and they are a little big. Next time I will get my normal size – and trust me, there will be a next time!

2. Brookside Dark Chocolate Acai Snacks

I am so addicted to these little chocolatey snacks it is not even funny. What I love most though is that they are pre-packaged into single serving sizes. What I hate most is that a single serving is only EIGHT TO NINE of these tiny pieces.

Thank God for these little bags or I would probably be eating at least 5 servings per sitting 😉

3. Bean Boots

When Cfab and I went away for our anniversary this year, we went to Freeport, ME – home to LL Bean. We both absolutely loved it and could not have asked for a better weekend. In the spur of the moment, we both bought a pair of Bean Boots for the winter!

He wears his constantly, but I have only recently begun wearing mine more. I had a hard time breaking them in, but now that I have they are one of my favorite shoes to wear. Especially with the gross weather that we have been having lately. The best part about these shoes is the lifetime guarantee that they come along with.

Not to mention that there are so many cute ways to wear Bean Boots!

4. Scandal

Do I even need to say more? I have watched every episode TWICE at this point and am so happy that it is back on TV this month! It never fails to leave me on the edge of my seat and counting down to the next episode. I may have gotten my mom and step-dad addicted to it too… If you don’t watch it, you should now!!

5. This quote…

For some reason this really resonated with me today. I think it speaks for itself.

Enjoy the rest of your Friday!

xo,

Jaclyn

Daily Inspiration

I am constantly inspired by Conor. Not just because he is my boyfriend, but because of the person that he is in general. He does not get overly anxious or stressed, he does not worry about people judging him, and he’s always willing to go out on a limb and try new things.

Yesterday, I couldn’t help but think about this when he re-joined his college lacrosse team. He mentioned to me a few weeks ago that he was thinking about playing again, but I didn’t take it very seriously. He used to play in high school, and was actually quite good, but when he went to college he played for only one season and then decided to take time to focus on his studies.

He wasn’t concerned that he no longer knew anybody on the team, that he hasn’t played in 3 years, that he previously quit that same team, or that he was using his 7 year old equipment. He just did it. He put himself out there, took a risk, and joined the team because he loves to play lacrosse.

Several months ago he did the same thing when he joined a local men’s hockey league. His brother convinced him to join, and Conor jumped in two feet forward. He easily made friends on the team, and never once let anything deter him.

I admire this quality in him. I know so many people, myself included, that would be beyond stressed out when put in these situations. He has a quiet confidence that is very admirable… though anybody who knows him knows that he is the furthest thing from quiet. 🙂

It’s so important to be with somebody who pushes you beyond your comfort zone, and inspires you to become better. I’m lucky to have somebody who does this on a daily basis in my life.

xo,

Jaclyn

The Best Advice I Ever Got

As a 20 year old college student, I often feel stressed about my future career path and how my life will turn out. I try to stifle these fears and have faith that everything will turn out exactly as it is meant to be – but this is easier said than done.

My type A personality leaves me always wanting to know the details, but as I get closer to graduating college there are only questions. Where will I work? Will I have to relocate? Will I be content with my job? Will I make enough money to pay back my loans? Did I make the right choices to lead me here? Where do I even want to live anyways?

I know – nobody has all of the answers. I have heard it 100 times from my family, but sometimes it is hard not to let these questions fill your mind. Instead of letting this anxiety take over, as it easily could, I have decided to trust in God and have faith. I know that I will end up where I am meant to be, leading the life that I am meant to live.

With this ongoing struggle in mind, I recently purchased and read The Best Advice I Ever Got by Katie Couric. It is a collection of short essays from successful people all over the world. Each person shares a valuable piece of advice that they were given along their journey. This was an ultimate feel good book – but also provided some very valuable advice.

Some of my favorite words of wisdom included:

1. “Figure out what you want. And then ask for it” – Gail Collins

2. “Be not afraid. It’s truly the secret of life. Fear is what stunts our growth, narrows our ambitions, kills our dreams. So fear not.” – Anna Quindlen

3. “Angels fly because they take themselves lightly.” – Arianna Huffington

4. “Self-Confidence – a quiet self confidence that is not cockiness, not conceit, not arrogance- is the key to excelling, no matter what you do in life.” – David L. Calhound

5. “Try to be more creative, more adventurous, and more open-minded as you go about your life. Try to notice more opportunities in disguise. Try to think more outside the box. In short? Be lucky.” – Tony Hsienh

There were so many more quotes I could share – but I encourage you to read the book for yourself. You will feel so confident and uplifted upon finishing it. This book reminded me that I have the entire world in the palm of my hand, and can complete any endeavors that I set my heart to. These words were exactly what I needed to hear at this point in my schooling and life.

xo,

Jaclyn

Crazy for Candles

Another snow day today! New England weather has been crazy lately. We got around 3 feet last week, and are expecting another foot today.

One thing that has helped me fight the winter blues is my newfound love for candles! Lately I have been obsessed with coming home after a long day and immediately lighting one. I love the ambiance it creates and how cozy it makes my room.

Living in a college apartment, I don’t have much opportunity to make it my own. Of course I have pictures and decorations everywhere, but there is only so much you can do. Lighting my candle makes me feel at home.

My grandmother always has the most delicious scents filling her house. All of the memories that I have in my grandparent’s house are accompanied by a delicious smell – making them that much sweeter. I hope my house is like that someday.

My favorite scent currently is Yankee Candle’s Red Velvet. It smells like a delicious dessert!

Right now I have Yankee Candle’s Gingerbread Candle going – one of my other winter favorites.

A few other favorites include Hot Buttered Rum (Made by my Grandmother’s craft business, The Pumpkin Patch), Vanilla Cupcake, and Luscious Plum.

I’m hoping that I can pick up a few Bath and Body Works candles during their next sale – I have heard great reviews about these. They also come in the cutest decorative jars. You can check out their selection here.

Enjoy this wonderful Monday!

xo,

Jaclyn