saturday bloggin' aka photo vomit

i don't normally blog on saturdays

but yesterday we got together with friends

and made tie dye shirts

then we had to wait 24 hours to unveil the final product

and i went a little camera happy

because tie dye

and toddlers

let's just say, i think this will be the first of many tie dye adventures

now on to the photo vomit part...

p.s. if this has inspired you to do some tie dying with your littles, 

here are some "resources" / what we used:

* how to & inspiration courtesy of sheena's first and second tie dye extravaganzas

* this tulip brand tie dye kit 

(except i hit up my local michaels store and used a 40% coupon so it only cost me $10ish)

* $3 t-shirts from good ol' walmart

* dollar store tablecloths left over from the girlies' birthday party:  

...one to do all the dyeing on, so that once we were all done, we could wrap up all the bits and pieces in it and chuck it

...and one more to lay our (still pretty wet) shirts on when we unwrapped them, once again so that we could contain the mess then wrap up and get rid of it easily

the girls still haven't tried them on yet (you have to wash them before you wear them), 

but they're pretty stoked about them, and it was a super fun process!

overnight pumpkin pie n'oatmeal - welcome, fall!

yesterday was all about firsts

first day of fall

first day of school (if you live in BC anyway)

first episode of the season for The Blacklist*

and first my first pumpkin-y meal of the season, 

the recipe for which i am sharing with you today!

overnight pumpkin pie n'oatmeal
grain free / dairy free / egg free / vegan

adapted from this recipe

ingredients:

1/2 cup mashed roasted pumpkin

1/2 cup coconut milk 

(i use the light can from Trader Joe's - no additives!)

2 tbsp coconut flour

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1-2 tbsp walnuts, roughly chopped

1 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut

maple syrup, to taste

instructions:

- combine all ingredients except for coconut and maple syrup in a jar or other container.  cover and place in your fridge overnight

- when ready to eat, heat through (if desired) on stovetop...or just eat it cold like i did

- top with coconut and a drizzle of maple syrup (if desired...i used the tiniest little bit and it was perfect!) oh, and a splash of extra coconut milk before serving doesn't hurt either ;)

*my husband likes to follow tv shows that cause me to turn into a giant stress ball, but at the same time capture my undying attention.  he did this when we were in college with the first season of 24, now he's done it with The Blacklist - so intense, but i just can't stop watching!!

what we've been up to + a quick healthy lunch idea

hi friends!

since i last posted on here 

we've gone on vacation,

we got the never ending cold

(seriously, went strong for two weeks!)

we've moved
we've spent lots of time with my in-laws who are in town
(hooray!)

and i second shot my first wedding

(more on that later)

it's safe to say we've felt overwhelmingly busy
but, busy or not, a gal's got to eat!
and despite caving to take-out more than i'd like to admit
i did manage to throw together this salad last week
it was so quick and so easy to make, i just had to share! 

Quick Pad Thai Salad

gluten free / dairy free / vegan / paleo

serves 1

salad:

- 1 small zucchini, julienned 

- 3 broccoli florets, chopped tiny
(my trick:  start at the stem and chop towards the top of the "tree". as you move up, the florets get smaller. stop when you've reached a size you like)

- a handful of baby carrots, julienned 

(or just regular carrots, those are just what i hand on hand)

dressing:

- 1 tbsp almond butter

- garlic powder, to taste

- ground ginger, to taste

- 1 tsp fresh lime juice

- himalayan pink salt, to taste

- 1 drop honey (seriously, it makes a difference!)

- 1/4 tsp almond meal (optional, for "grit"...i'm a texture eater!)

directions:

- prep salad veggies and place into a bowl

- whisk dressing ingredients together

- pour dressing over veggies and top with a handful of crushed walnuts

my current favorite green smoothie

i buy a big tub of organic baby spinach every week

partly to force me to eat my greens (true story!),

but also partly because spinach is super versatile:

i can throw it in a salad,

stuff it into an omelette, 

wilt it with some spices for a super easy side dish,

...or, one of my favorite it's-3pm-and-i-still-haven't-had-lunch "meals," 

blend it into a green smoothie!

i've posted a couple green smoothie (or "green monster") recipes here before

(here and here), 

but this is the one i've been going back to over and over lately

and even though i have it so often, i still find the flavor really interesting

plus it's dairy-free / sugar free (date sweetened) / perfectly paleo

and it's got a boost of hemp protein in it!

yes, it's that good

the kids even love it*

you're welcome.

*(bear in mind, these same kids chose a thai broccoli salad and a kale superfood salad for lunch the other day...i've been told those aren't your typical two year old choices!)

at any rate, here's the recipe

try it for yourself - let me know what you think!

ingredients:

2-4 ounces coconut milk

(i use trader joe's light coconut milk because it's free of additives)

 1 heaping tbsp vanilla flavored organic hemp protein powder

(i sometimes just sub raw shelled hemp seeds)

1-2 medjool dates

1 cup (packed) organic baby spinach

1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups ice

instructions:

- place ingredients in a blender or mini food prep

- blend until well combined

- drink up

(it turns out pretty thick so i often start with a spoon then switch to a straw)

like i mentioned earlier, i often have this as a late lunch to get me to dinner without filling up too much

it works great as a light breakfast, a snack any time of day or even an add-on to a meal!

st patrick's day green x2

yesterday was st. patrick's day

which has always seemed to be an interesting 'holiday' to me

some people seem to go all out - green hair, green clothes, big green themed party...

and others...not so much

my family never really celebrated it growing up

in fact, i remember going to school those first couple years after moving to the states

and thinking what a coincidence it was that nearly every once in my class wore green on the same day 

what are the odds? i would think to myself

and why are these green-clad classmates of mine pinching those of us who didn't get the memo?

i eventually figured out what was going on

and started wearing something green on the day, just for fun

but that's about as much as i participate...and my family thinks i'm strange for even doing that!

ironically, i had a green smoothie for breakfast today

and thought to myself: 

darn - shoulda thought of this yesterday, then i could have put a st. patty's day post on the blog!

but then i figured, why not share it a day late - it's what all the cool kids are doing, right?

...ok, maybe not, but it's what i'm doing

i should note that i was feeling pretty lazy when i made this

which means this recipe is as simple as it gets:

3 ingredients, 1 step - easy, peasy

lazy day hemp protein green smoothie

ingredients:

- 1/2 to 3/4 cup mighty mango naked juice

(maybe this is cheating, but it was in my fridge so i used it!)

- 1 big fistful of organic baby spinach

- 2 tbsp raw shelled hemp seeds

(you could probably bump this up to 3 if you want, i only did 2 because i had some coconut coffee already and i figured the fat from that would fill me up a little bit)

directions:

- blend ingredients together and pour into a glass

oh, and if you want to see even more green, 

check out this picture from a recent newborn session i did with my sweet niece:

(more images here, if you're interested)

early mornings deserve good coffee

being a mom means lots of early mornings

which, in turn, means more coffee than i had in my pre-baby life

don't get me wrong, i've always loved a good cup o' joe

usually black

sometimes with a splash of cream or whole milk

but with so many more cups of coffee in my day-to-day now,

 i have that many more opportunities to try something new with my coffee

i've had mochas, lattes, macchiatos, flat out espresso...and the list goes on

i'm a creature of habit though, so most of the time it's still just black

that first cup of the day is definitely the most important, though

and my current favorite way to drink it is with coconut oil

weird, right?

i thought so when i first read about it

but after mulling it over for a while, i came up with a couple reasons to give it a shot:

1) it would start my day off with healthy fats

(which sends your brain happy, satisfied vibes and helps ward off sugar cravings)

2) i would get to enjoy the flavor of coconut in my coffee, 

without the addition of an unhealthy sugar-based syrup

3) it would help stabilize my wacko blood sugars (this was especially important since sometimes breakfast has to wait till the girlies are fed...and i am prone to getting hangry)

4) sort of related to the first benefit, but i wanted to incorporate more good fats in my diet, since it reduces inflammation in the body, helps your body absorb fat-soluble nutrients and does wonders for your hair and skin...among other benefits (i'm speaking from experience here!)

and if those reasons aren't enough to convince you to try it, this last one has to:

5) if i didn't like it, i could just pour my coffee down the drain and make a fresh cup

so, what are you waiting for?  go give it a try!

 ingredients:

- hot, freshly brewed coffee (enough for 1 cup)

- 1 tbsp organic virgin coconut oil 

special equipment:  
a milk frother 
OR 
a magic bullet / comparable single serve blender 

directions (frother method):

- pour coffee in your mug so that it is 1/3 - 1/2 full

- add coconut oil

- use frother to blend oil and coffee until it reaches a latte-like color and consistency*

- top with remaining coffee

- enjoy!

*this step helps avoid coffee and oil splatter everywhere...trust me, i speak from experience!

***

directions (magic bullet / single serve blender method):

- dump all ingredients into your blender

- blend until it reaches a latte-like color and consistency

- enjoy!

one thing i should note is that if you take too long to drink your coffee you might have to re-blend
just because after some time, the oil can separate from the liquid and form a layer on the top
which, as you can imagine, is not exactly appetizing
most people drink their coffee faster than it takes for the oil to separate
but i thought it was worth pointing out just in case!  :)

signs that my life is in compete chaos

#1

i haven't blogged in over a month

(oops!)

#2

i STILL haven't looked through pictures from the girlies' birthday party

#3

things are getting crossed off my to do list because they're no longer relevant,

not because they're actually getting done

#4

valentines day included dinner out for my best friend's birthday 

followed by attending the home / water birth of my first niece

...all in the span of 3 hours (dinner, labor, delivery and all)!

#5
my on-again, off-again relationship with my espresso machine is very much back ON
she's temperamental and practically vintage,
but she makes a mean americano when she works
plus i got her for $2 at an estate sale...don't judge!

#6

i've done four photography sessions in just about four weeks:

one maternity, one Tiny Footprints,  one (my first!) birth and one newborn

plus i've got another session penciled in pretty soon

(so much for choosing to be very part time during this season of my life...!)

it's all good though - this was just a random busy stint, 

plus i'm thankful to be busy doing something that fires me up!  :)

#7

i can't remember the last time i went to bed before midnight

#8

we almost put in an offer on a house

...aaaand didn't, since we still had a few more numbers to crunch

i was in tears, but knew it was the wise thing to do

and now that we have taken a look at all the numbers, 

i'm super grateful to the Lord for giving me a wise (and number-savvy!) husband
so we're back to the drawing board for now
where the Lord continues to whisper to my fretful heart:  trust in me, I've got a plan

#9

i keep forgetting to eat breakfast,

and when i do finally get around to it, 

i'm finding i prefer to drink it, because it's that much quicker to "eat"

lucky for you, i actually remember what i threw into my most recent shake, 

and I carved out time to share it...you can thank me later!  ;)

a couple notes before i share the recipe:
- it has a really strong almond flavor, so if that's not your thing, you might want to pass on this one
- you don't really taste the banana in the shake, which is a BIG plus in my books since i don't like drinking bananas.  weird, i know.  when i order a smoothie on the go, i always ask for the banana on the side, for reals...talk about getting funny looks!
- the ingredient list looks long, but gathering them is the hardest part so don't let that keep you from trying it!

ingredients:

1/2 - 3/4 cup chilled coffee or espresso shots
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tsp pure almond extract
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsps hemp seeds
1 [heaping] tbsp cocoa powder
1 frozen banana
1-2 tbsp almond butter

dump everything into a blender and blend until smooth
presto, change-o
your mid-morning / afternoon pick me up is ready!

fact: peppermint hot chocolate makes being sick better

it's cold season x2 around here

as in, it's cold outside + it seems like everyone is catching a cold

and our family is no exception, unfortunately

we've been fighting a nasty cold for just over a week now

i keep thinking that we've got to be near the end of it, 

and yet, it lingers

the girlies are too young for cold meds

and i can't have them, since i'm still nursing the kiddos

(random nursing tip:  meds that dry up runny noses also dry up your milk supply!)

...yep, we're that strange family

anyway, one thing that has helped, 

is my homemade version of a peppermint hot chocolate

it's easy to make, very lightly sweetened and uses ingredients you probably already have on hand

because, let's be honest, nobody with a cold wants to get out of their bathrobe,

let alone their house 

just to pick up random ingredients

all you need is:

* 1 heaping tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

* hot water

* 1 peppermint tea bag

* maple syrup, to taste (i probably used 1/2 a tsp or so - the peppermint helps sweeten it up naturally)

* unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice), optional  

instructions:

- place the cocoa powder in your favorite mug

- add a tiny bit of water and stir to make a paste and stir until smooth 

(this is the trick to getting non-clumpy homemade hot chocolate, by the way!)

- once smooth, add the rest of your hot water then steep the teabag in your cocoa-water

- add maple syrup, to taste

- top with some almond milk (or whatever milk you prefer) if you'd like a creamier hot cocoa

(i added a small splash)

- drink up!

on going paleo / primal + a handful of recipes (part 2)

hello friends,
happy friday!
what are you up to today?
i spent a couple hours on the phone this morning
tracking down wayward Christmas deliveries,
got creative trying to feed my suddenly-uninterested-in-food toddlers
(anyone else deal with this?  i'd love any ideas / suggestions!)
and spent the entire morning ignoring the to-do list / chores in order to read and play and snuggle
since i gotta make up for all i'm gonna miss tonight
when we leave the girlies with grandma in order to go to Daniel's work party

speaking of which, i have to be ready pretty soon,
and instead i'm sitting on the couch in my jams
hair up in a bun
and not even a hint of makeup on

but yesterday, i listed some grain / gluten free and nutritious meal ideas
and promised to come back with more today,
so this will be short and to the point
(i didn't want to let you down!)

anyway, i hope you give some of them a try - let me know if you do, i'd love to hear your thoughts!

turkey-wich + raw veg

looking for a quick paleo-ish snack / light lunch?  look no further!  i had some cooked and sliced turkey breast in the fridge so i made a cheese "sandwich" using my turkey slices as bread (you could sub the cheese out for some other filling if you don't do dairy) then chopped up some cucumber on the side (carrots or other veggies that don't require cooking would be an easy add-on too)

blueberry scuffins... 'nuff said! 

homemade paleo granola (lots of recipes online...i'm still perfecting mine, but when i do, i'll be sure to share it!) + coconut milk + frozen wild / organic berries (since mid-december isn't really berry season around here)

gluten free "mac n cheese" 

baked spaghetti squash topped with a parmesan and romano blend...it's even the same color as KD, (but way healthier, obviously)!

thanksgiving leftover bowl

another "empty out the fridge" dish - chopped up cooked ham (nitrite free) and peas over a bed of baked spaghetti squash then topped with a guac "sauce" (you can add some parm/romano blend for extra zest)

and that's a wrap!

hope you all have an awesome weekend