A Honey Bee Birthday for a Most Bee-utiful Little Miss....EPIC

Ah, would the phrase, "Better late than never" be appropriate here? Indeed! A full week + a HALF after the little princess's "bee-day" soiree I am finally getting the post on this lovely event, well...posted! Hence the EPIC-NESS warning...I've got lots to catch up on people! But read on, because it's worth it...and there are many a link for all of my shopping adventures for said party. So with that, we will begin at the begining; what could be a more lovely way for a little girl to begin her birthday than with flowers from her daddy?... I'm not sure exactly what the deal is, but it seems that when it comes to throwing a party, no matter how much time I think I have, I always end up running a bit behind! I was left to defer to my Mister to be the photographer...only to realize now that he missed one or two shots from the party that I would have liked to have shared with you! One such photo would have been a still life of the entire kitchen/ great room area; the island decor made complete with sheer sparkle material {in pale yellow from Jo-Ann Fabrics} for a table cloth + center piece doctored up from last year's fairie party. It really was quite lovely. But moving on to what we were able to capture, let's begin with the Buzzy Bee Headbands! I have found that headbands make wonderful "costuming" for at home parties + excellent party favors for guests to take home! Let's say that I have a WHOLE NEW APPRECIATION for the clay work done by geniuses like Tim Burton after making all of these bees from crayola molding clay { which is super light when dry, so it was perfect for the headbands}. The wings were made from bits of faux flowers hot glued to jewelry wire...the same wire, incidentally, that we used to secure the suspended bee to the headband {After, I wrapped the wire with floral tape}. Headbands were purchases here on Etsy.I think special lollipops are such a nice alternative to favor bags filled with random sugary candy...so I made these! Just google chocolate/ candy/ lollipop mold and loads of options should pop up! Yeah, I know. My Mum just shook her head and said, "oh, to be SO OCD", while she watched as I painted each color of chocolate into the molds so that my bees looked like bees...slightly demented, but SO PRETTY!And what was on the menu you ask? Champagne Sangria {MAKE THIS!!...you can thank me later!}, mini quiche + an endive, artichoke + edamame salad for the grown up folk. For the bee-utiful little girls...strawberries + blueberries with pistachio dip and a variety of finger sandwiches: P-Nut Butter, Cheese + Cream Cheese with Lemon Conserve. They were quite the hit...and I'm guessing that using these Bee Hive + Honey Bee cookie cutters {Amazon.com} didn't hurt!What would a party be without balloons and plenty of treats? Since I went a little egg + cheese happy with the food, I kept the dessert on the Vegan side: Lemon Bee Hive Cake {Mold + Little Sugar Bees}, Banana Mini Muffins with Vegan Chocolate drizzle and these Coconut Lime Mini Cupcakes. {Cards, letter stamps, bee stickers + cupcake wrappers courtesy of Michael's Crafts}.And a party should have an activity, correct? So this year we made little bracelets! Here was the one I made the day before the party as a reference for the kiddos. My Mum + I had presorted the beads into these adorable paper dishes {from Michael's- found in the baking section! These were the most similar they offered online, still very cute!} When it was time to get our craft on, each child was given a dish of beads {purchased from Michael's}, a honey bee charm, a bee hive charm found here and the pre measured wire with toggle clasp already attached. All of this prep made the craft run rather smoothly, allowing us to move right along to cake eating!Oh, it is so unfair how quickly those little knuckle dimples start to disappear... and what a heart-breakingly beautiful little lady she has become! I might say that I am slightly relieved that she has 2 brothers + a daddy with many a tattoo to keep any boy suiters in check when she is older...but no need, she is as tough as she is beautiful...that's my girl!Brining us to the end of the party... it seems a rather smart custom that rather than attempting to have a group of very small children sit patiently + watch the birthday little open their gifts; that now, gift opening is saved for after the party has ended...leaving much more time for chatting + PLAYING!! On behalf of the Fif, I have to thank everyone for comming over to celebrate her special day with us + for giving her such thoughtful gifts! Here are just a couple that kept with the bee theme that I wanted to post the links for: The bee backpack from my Mum was a huge hit: perfect for carrying around all of the Fif's new art supplies, Littlest Petshop + Calico Critter toys her friends gave her! And the Bee Wheely Bug was actually a 1st Bee-Day gift! We now have 2 of these Wheely Bugs in both the large + small sizes and I can;t tell you how much all 3 of my littles enjoy riding them around! And this last gift {photo above} was for me! Ok, the lovely little Anthro cupcake apron was for the Fif, but the gardening journal was for Mama from a fellow gardening enthusiast girlfriend of mine! I think this is tradition we should all encourage: that the mama's should get the presents on the kids birthdays! What a wonderful idea! Don't you agree? I've been spending lots of time thinking about + watching our front yard farm grow like crazy these last few weeks, so this book will be put to good use as I have a good amount to journal...and many a photo to share here as well! Thanks for being patient with me until I pulled my act together...or rather, tied-myself-to-one-place-long-enough to get this post written! It can be hard to find a still moment when the weather warms up + you have 3 little folk on the move! I'm glad I was finally able to steal a moment...I DO hope you have all been as busy enjoying the spring season as we have!
xo.

My Mister is on vacation this week...I'm thinking a random tuesday sounds like an exceptionally perfect day for a Champagne Sangria!

Vegan Coconut Lime Cupcakes...

A friend of ours owns a bakery in town + {among other ridiculously delicious confections} makes the most AMAZING Key Lime Pie...surely not vegan. I splurged on a sliver of this lime-y goodness when I bought the pie for my Mum's birthday celebration last month and I've not been able to get it out of my mind since! So for Easter, I thought I would whip up some Key Lime Cupcakes...Vegan style. I looked through my copy of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and came across their recipe for Coconut Lime Cupcakes. I had kind of already broke the bank on the rest of the groceries I had purchased to host the Easter holiday at our house, so needless to say, I wasn't looking to buy some of the extra ingredients that this particular recipe called for {such as coconut milk + coconut oil.}

*************

Instead, I made the Golden Vanilla Cupcakes {Recipe Here} , only I added 1/2 tsp. of Coconut Extract {in place of the 1/4 tsp. of almond or caramel extract the standard recipe calls for}. I used this Lime Buttercream Frosting Recipe:

1/2 Cup Nonhydrogenated shortening

1/2 Cup nonhydrogenated margarine {Earth Balance Rocks!}

3 1/2 Cups Confectioner's Sugar
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract {Clear works nicely + keeps the icing white!}

1/4 Cup Lime Juice

1 Tsp. finely grated lime zest

******

Mix Shortening + Margarine till fluffy, add sugar; beat about 3 min. Then add Vanilla + Lime juice; beat another 5-7 min. Add zest, mix, chill until ready to serve.

{Recipe by Isa Chandra Moskowitz + Terry Hope Romero} I iced the cupcakes, rolled the tops in a plate of shredded coconut flakes, then finished off with a slice of lime. Heaven I tell you, just Heaven!

This mama is still winding down from all of the Easter festivities + preparations, so I will bid you all a super-sweet weekend and take my leave until Monday!
xo.

Easter Bread...Vegan-esque Style

Sometime last year, I won my first blog give away: a subscription to Living Crafts Magazine! The magazine features lots of knitting that I can only dream of actually being able to do, but now + then, something jumps out at me...like this recipe for Italian Easter Bread. Or as we used to call it growing up, Dolly Bread.

I thought this would be such a fun Spring something to do with my kiddos, with Easter being just around the corner. I'm calling this a Vegan-esque recipe, because obviously, I am not entirely opposed to using eggs on occassion. However, I did substitute Earth Balance Margarine for the butter...and used Soy Milk instead of cow milk. We halved the dough recipe {since we only had 4 boiled eggs on hand to braid into our bread}, however next time I make the bread, I am going to try using some Egg Replacer in the dough, since this recipe calls for more eggs than I'd like! I also substituted Almond extract instead of using Vanilla for the icing...as long as there aren't any allergy issues, I highly recommend it!I kind of felt like Super Mama; comming home from teaching at the college yesterday afternoon, setting off to bake bread with my little folk. Well, maybe not entirely Super, as I did have my Mum here to help me! We opted to make these individual little bread baskets instead of the longer braided loaves of bread I remember from when I was small. We all had a great time with this baking project and the Monks + the Fif were just smitten with the Turtle we made from the left over dough! Delish! Ahem, really. We ate almost all of what we had made this morning!

Happy Baking!

xo.

An Easter Tradition of Giving...

The Monks began his first year of CCD this year...

{Backtrack: John + I were raised attending Catholic schools all of our lives, making all of our sacraments, etcetera. My in-laws are devout Polish Catholics + attend Mass every morning at 7:30am. As for my family: my father's side {Italian Catholic} these days, only set foot in Church on holidays + for baptisms. At the other extreme, my mother {raised Irish Catholic}, is now a Deacon in the Lutheran Church...not feeling "the love" 100% from the Catholic Church for having been divorced. Yeah, there is alot to like + dislike when it comes to religion and over the years those feelings + questions motivated John + I to explore Buddhism... Then we were Hare Krishna Devotees...and in more recent years, came to adopt some of the teachings of the Unitarian Universalist Church. I think our families had some expectations that we would give our children religious {ahem: Catholic...or atleast Christian} education...and so we are. However, as I recently mentioned, we consider ourselves to be sort of Religious Citizens of the Universe; with the plan being that we would buffer bits + pieces of our little folks' catechism lessons along the way when we felt it necessary...}Phew!...That just about brings us up to speed. And brings us to the present: our first opportunity to supplement CCD, as it pertains to Lent. The Monks came home from CCD a few weeks back, telling me about what he was going to "give up" for Lent. Mimi {my Mum, the Deacon} happened to be here + she immediately jumped at the opportunity to explain that Lent; well, it is not about what we don't do...it is about the good we do. The expectation that during Lent, one should sacrifice because Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for all people...well, I think that is one way to approach it. However, I alos believe that tributes can be made by living compassionately; in a spirit of love, sharing, friendship + understanding...as many a religion inspire + instruct people to do. And from a Unitarian Universalist POV, I feel that Spring is the perfect season for acknowledging all things fresh + new...the rebirth of ourselves as the best "US" we can be.

*************

My Mum's church has been working with an organization called Heifer for many years...and through a Lenten church fundraiser, my littles are enjoying collecting funds in their little cardboard barns {similar to UNICEF boxes} towards this effort. What is Heifer you ask?

** Heifer's mission is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and care for the earth. By giving families a hand-up, not just a hand-out, we empower them to turn lives of hunger and poverty into self-reliance and hope. With gifts of livestock and training, we help families improve their nutrition and generate income in sustainable ways. We refer to the animals as "living loans" because in exchange for their livestock and training, families agree to give one of its animal's offspring to another family in need. It's called Passing on the Gift – a cornerstone of our mission that creates an ever-expanding network of hope and peace. **
I am an atypical Vegan in that I do think that animals can live in harmony with humans; that we can provide them with love, safety, care + respect and that they can provide us with certain milks, eggs + wool in addition to work services. I thought a wonderful Easter tradition to begin this year would be to donate monies to this organization to purchase an animal through Heifer for a family in need in another country. I had been planning on a lower end donation that we could afford, like 20 chicks {for $20!}...however, my Mum was so ecstatic about the idea, she offered to help us so that we could donte a LAMB! I have placed a link to Heifer on the sidebar aswell as this link {I LOVE!} to Farm Sanctuary...either of these organizations would be so very happy to have any donation to help them continue their good works by helping end hunger, teaching people how to provide for themselves, how to love, respect + care for the animals who help us, treating these living beings with the dignity they deserve until the end of their days. While there won't be any meat of any kind on my Easter dinner table, we are planning to wait until Easter Day to tell the littles about the Lamb we donated to a family in need. We purchased a couple of t-shirts + books from Heifer for the little folk as well {much better than loads of candy, agreed?} to help explain the process of giving {...and so the Monk's can sport the T-shirt + tell the tale when he returns to school next week.} I am so super excited about this idea, the begining of this tradition + think that others of you might be too! So if you were not quite sure where or how a donation should be made... here it is! What Easter Traditions do you + your family practice this time of the year?

All the best as we approach this holiday + the spring season of all things new.
xo.

Guess what I'm getting.....

Your eyes do not decieve you friends...this is my new chicken coop that was purchased this past weekend + should be arriving this week! Why would a person want such a thing? And how was such a feat accomplished {getting the Mister to agree to said coop}? Well, last monday, my Mister decided it was time for him to have all of his wisdom teeth removed. He was hoping to have them extracted on the spot, since by the time he went to the dentist a couple were already in and they were pretty sore. But alas, he was referred to an oral surgeon + was to be given anethesia.I personally, have a horrible reaction to anesthesia and I have to confess that after being poked + prodded at through pregnancy after pregnancy...well, I got such satisfaction that for once, it wasn't ME who was about to undergo a "procedure". Here is where the chicken coop comes in. While my Mister's tooth extraction was a success, once we got home the combination of not eating, his minimal experience with having been "put under" and perhaps too much anesthesia...well, he got up from a nap, his blood pressure dropped and passed out he did hitting the back of his head on the kitchen island. This kitten lost a couple of her 9 lives when I found him fumbling amongst the pools of blood on the floor {sorry for the TMI}. Thank God my neighbor just happened to drop by and having been an intensive care nurse, she took over.

*************

My Mister later admitted that he really had no business even being out of bed at that point...but you know men, they think they are invincible...or sometimes, they just don't think at all! His little episode resulted in 8 staples to the head, but luckily {post CAT SCAN} no concussion. Thick headed bleepity bleep. Oh, I was SO angry with him...but it was because I was just so scared! And upset! And completely out of my element! {My flitting about in semi shock earned me the nickname Butterfly MCQueen from Gone With the Wind} It was all pretty terrifying...not knowing what to do first or next, with 3 littles to manage aswell... Some "Spring Break" from teaching at the college I had this past week, eh?

So I'm getting my chicken coop...and chickens! I had been wanting them for a while but I think my Mister felt so bad about what happened with the head thing, he just caved in. Actually, he jumped to say yes, knowing that it would make me so happy! Traditionally, a Vegan doesn't eat or use ANY product that comes from an animal...but as I had written before, I do indulge in the occassional egg and I do not raise my littles on a stict vegetarian diet. I am so excited that #1, when I do have an egg, it will be my own, organic-fed/ pesticide + antibiotic free egg. #2, my littles will be able to bond with the chicks and help raise them, care for them + collect eggs, etcetera. And #3, that my littles will have the experience of seeing + developing a respect for the food that we eat, where it comes from and the animals who provide it. For not living on a farm, I think it is a pretty awesome experience. I'll be sure to post more on this new adventure of ours soon!!

xo.

A Shameless Plug for Herbivore{s}

I have a bit of a softspot for canvas bags + really cool t-shirts. Indeed, a staple of my "everyday- mama wardrobe" includes a good many {some vintage, some newer} slogan, tattoo shop + band {type} t-shirts. Skinny ones, with the necks cut off, ofcourse. {Never underestimate the slimming power or the collarbone I say!} I like to think these t's are quite flattering + that they pair very nicely with great jeans and a cardigan...slightly fashionable + very functional! And please, who can't use another canvas bags for carrying all of your gear, knitting, or for a trip to the grocery store?

*************

And with that, I'll direct to my favorite shops for some of said T's, canvas bags, buttons, stickers and other this's + that's.... DundaDunDaAAA!.... The Hebivore Clothing Co. is located in Portland, OR...but their online shop selection is awesome. Even if your not a Herbivore...well, you might be inspired to become one {atleast 1 day a week, maybe?} I'm also putting a link button on my sidebar featuring one of their slogans that I love...Only Kale, baby!

Happy Shopping!

xxoo.

me taking photos of me making cauliflower...

That title sounds uber geeky...and IT IS! Here is me making my all time, new, most favorite food! Roasted Cauliflower! Huzzah! Throw some cauliflower on a baking sheet with parchment paper, drizzle with EVOOil, and DOSE with some Goya Adobo. Then sprinkle with Chipotle Chili Pepper {to taste, depending on how hot you like it!} Then bake at 350 for about 35 minutes. {Another tip: Don't skimp on the EVOOil and roast a bit longer to make softer, ends up a fantabulous tapenade that goes great with some hummus + cucumber!}

This yummi-ness is a favorite mama snack for playgroups. And this little herbivore bunny t is a new favorite clothing item again, especially when paired with this ruffled cardigan top...a random find from the Marshalls.

Hope everyone had a GREAT weekend...Happy Monday!

xo.

Coned

I was going through some photos and I came across this fun little something sweet that I made for a playgroup last week. I know I have mentioned my "little ward" {the 11 yr old little neighbor girl of mine who I watch during the week when her mom is working?} Well, last week it was her "Gotcha Day"; she was adopted from Russia and the "Gotcha Day" is the adoptive date which many families will celebrate almost like a birthday. So I decided to try out these cupcakes- in- a- cone. There are lots of different ways to make them, but I just made the cake batter, poured it directly into the upright cones + baked for about 20 min. They turned out to be such a fun playgroup treat because of how self contained they were without all of the messy crumbs typical of regular cupcakes.

This post is kind of bittersweet because last week was my "little ward's" last week of being with us. Her mother had been let go from her job and no longer needed her to be with us. It is a scary economy to be unemployed in, but the mother was quite unhappy where she was, so in a way I am happy {?} for her + hopeful that she finds something better.

*************

I have to admit though, that there were some times since September when I thought I might have bitten off more than I could chew, having another older {often kind of needy} child in my home every day {in addition to my 3 littles}. However, since her mom worked such long hours in the city, she was with us each morning before school + each afternoon until past dinner; she had become part of the family! In the end, I did feel bad about how everything ended {emotionally...and when it came to finances, as I was paid for my "little ward's" care}. But mostly because the change was so abrupt! Life has carried on in usual whirlwind style for us since Tuesday when this all went down {...although in many ways, life has also been much calmer too!} But every now + then I can't help but think that this all must have been quite hard on this little girl, who went from being a part of a big family with a mom+dad, pseudo siblings...even a dog to, well, not. I know it seems perhaps a bit more dramatic when I say it like that, afterall, this little girl + her mom only live right across the street form us. However it is the drastic + sudden change in routine her routine, that has me hoping that this transition goes smoothly for her.
*************
Change can throw you off balance a bit, especially when it is sudden...especially for someone like me who is SO routine oriented. But I do believe {and have experienced time and again} that everything happens for a reason {even if we don't realize it right away} AND that when one window closes, there is usually another that opens. And that is most certainly the case now! However that is another post for another time...

xo.

Nutella IN Bread; Anything This Good Must Be A Crime.

From Let's Bring Back: a new favortie book I am currently enjoying...

Blume writes of Bread..."Ever since trend diets declared bread the enemy, eating it has become akin to visiting a beloved friend in prison. I eagerly await bread's parole."

*************

I must admit, it is a pretty rare occassion that I eat sandwich bread these days. Aside from eating a solid vegan diet {generally, a really healthy way to eat when done correctly}...I wouldn't say that I really have NOT been "dieting"...except when it comes to laying off the bread/heavy carbs. Which is not to say that I wouldn't eat bread...it's more that I have become picky about what kind of bread I am going to splurge on. Fair enough, right? Well, this bread just happens to be a little slice of heaven! It is made from the same basic Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day recipe we usually use...and we roll out our portion of dough similarly to when we made the Olive + Rosemary Rolls. Only this time, instead of savory, we opted for adding a sweet Nutella filling...and instead of cutting the dough into little rolls...we shaped it into...well, a little halo. Very apropos, don't you agree?

*************

We finished this bread off with a bit of a sugar water wash {could use the more traditional egg whited if one is not opposed} and then sprinkeled the bread with coarse raw sugar. If you have tried none of the other breads I've posted...THIS is the one to make! This weekend infact! I INSIST! You will not be disappointed!

Happy Friday!
xo.

Olive Rosemary Rolls

Last week, I think I had mentioned that my Mister was going to try out a new bread recipe...and I was going to whip up some lemon hummus in my new Valentine's Day food processor!

While I have used my new kitchen toy for a few other meals in the last week...the lemon hummus wasn't actually something I got around to making! {The hummus was on sale in the store, so I was pretty stocked up}. However, we DID make the Olive + Rosemary Rolls...

We used the same Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes recipe whose praise I have been singing for some time now. It is unbelievably good...and easy...and consistent! We used the basic recipe + rolled the portion of dough out in a thin oval shape. Next, brush inside with E.V. Olive Oil, add olives + sprinkle with rosemary. Finally, we just rolled the dough up, cut it into pieces + allowed it to sit a little while. When it was baking time, we placed the little rolls on the "pizza stone" seperately, swirl side up {like mini cinnamon buns}.
**************

These were just amazing! Bread is something fun that everyone can get involved in making, however these little beauties came out so exceptionally "professional looking", don't you agree that they would be perfect for serving or bringing to a dinner party?!

So I leave you with a couple of quotes:
“If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens.” --Robert Browning. And even better... "Acorns were good until bread was found." --Francis Bacon
Happy Baking

xo.

Vegan Sloppy Joes... BAM!

So the end of last week, my children {well, all besides the Fif who was couchbound with the fever from breathing this damn airplane air for the last few months of winter} spent 2 days running out- of -doors in their shirt sleeves. {Haha Mum} Even though we are starting to feel the chilly temps again so far this week, well, those couple of days had me ready for spring!

However, before we move on to the delicious menu of vegan yummy foods available in the warm months, lets visit a quick meal that is so good on a cold day when you have NO TIME. Vegan Sloppy Joes. Ok, whatever, they are good in all 4 seasons! I know I've mentioned how much I LOVE this Fantastic Brand mix {available on Amazon.com} when I used it for my Vegan Chili...well, the Sloppy Joes are just as good if not better!

All the box calls for is a small can of tomato paste...and I add in the red beans, just to be the annoying mama/ wife that I am. And really, what Sloppy Joe is complete without being served on a paper plate with a side of potato chips? Terrible on multiple levels, I know.

*************

Hey, we can't be perfect all the time...but we can sure as h*ll eat some fabulous {...and VEGAN} food!
xo.

Even the tiniest of piggies

While I know that I had promised to never get all preachy on the vegan eating thing or on the subject of animal rights, well, I came accross this story {with these photos!} while reading and thought I would share it. The story of Petunia here reminds me of another famous piggy who had jumped off of a moving truck which was going to be taking her and others to a slaughter house. That piggy was then adopted and went on to live a nice piggy life!To look at these abdorable pictures {especially of said little piglet snuggling a stuffed animal!}, one can't help but be overjoyed at the outcome of this little piggy's story, as well as hope for her continued health + well being. Isn't that the kind of empathy + compassion we should feel for all creatures; especially mammals who are not so very different from ourselves? While our family may have missed the boat on making any donations or the like for Valentine's Day, well perhaps we will make an Easter time tradition of donating? {Perhaps your clan might investigate donating to this organization as well... instead of other Easter time "traditions" which involve pig.} Thanks for tolerating my shameless plugg for Farm Sanctuary this morning!

Wishing you all a wonderful day.

xo.

A First Birthday...+ the incredible meal which was had!

Guess what? We got more SNOW again today!! Not enough for the kid's school to be cancelled this morning... However, it was enough for the class I had to teach over at the college to be cancelled {gifting me some much wished for time to type this post!}

*************

Last weekend was a very special little man's first birthday! After the Monks' birthday bash in November, then all of the holidays...well, I thought it might be easier {scoff!} to just have seperate "little" get togethers with family + friends rather that put together a big party...?

In the end, not having a big party was probably the best plan, since for the little Liam-b's first birthday, the universe decided to let him begin cutting his very first tooth...+ gave him a cold to boot! My poor little man has been drooling, gooping + dripping like it is his job. He has been such a champ about it though, still the sweetest, happiest, most loving little babe there ever was! So while I will spare you my own blubbering about how unbelievably much I love this sweetest pea of mine + how I just cannot believe that it has already been a year since the most wonderful day when he was born, I will say that 3+ weeks sprinkled with several birthday meals, cakes, gifts + singing {rather than just one} seems only fitting for my little miracle baby boy.

With all the napping that was taking place due to teething + running noses, my Mister + I were afforded the time to try out an amazing new recipe to serve at one {of 4} of the "family" birthday get togethers we've had planned. A Vegan Eggplant- Potato Moussaka with Pine Nut Cream complete with homemade bread, a simple Eddie's Scetties + a Tomato Cucumber salad with a Mediterranean Olive Oil + Lemon Vinaigrette...

Birthdays always seem to be a wake up call for me; of how fast time flies by! They make me appreciate life in a different way. Instead of cursing the snow, I'll think about how beautiful it is; how in a month or so it will be gone until next winter. Instead of thinking about how the kids will be bonkers when they get home from school this afternoon, I'll embrace it, have a playdate + spend time with good friends. Instead of feeling helpless while my little birthday boy is teething, I'll soak up those moments where even though there is nothing I can REALLY do to take his pain away, all he REALLY wants is for me to hold + snuggle him...that is enough. For all that I have to be so grateful for as I celebrate the first birthday of my smallest guy, I am most grateful for the fresh perspective his birthday brought me...and {hopefully} the ability to live in this carpe diem kind of mentality...making the most of each day, doing the things I enjoy + being with the ones I love most.

xo.

Vegan Mexican Lasagna

Ok, I told you I'd be a busy bee this week getting back to teaching at the college {TODAY!!!, just sayin'}...but here is a delicious post that I've had up my sleeve, just a waitin' to be shared....

**************

Yes, you most certainly DID read that header correctly. My Mister is a huge fan of Mexican food, tacos + all things spicy. I like a little spice + Mexican myself...but the whole "taco production" I can do without! Too much work for a little bit of food, if you ask me! So here enters the influence of my Italian heritage: Vegan Mexican Lasagna.

I treat the soft {whole wheat} tortillas like they were lasagna noodles {begining + ending with them} and just layer my filling. Here I used vegan baked beans and then a layer of taco flavored tvp, corn + black beans. The top layer of tortilla always looks kind of naked to me, so I usually make a sauce, or just dump a jar of salsa on top if I'm in a pinch.

I'm a big fan of the Tofutti Sour Cream, but decided that I was in more of a guac mood, so that's how we finished off this delicious-ness. As much as I love inhaling it, the BEST part about this meal is that it is super easy to make + always big enough for a big group {OR, so there are LEFTOVERS!} And when it comes to this meal, it is almost better the second time around!

Make this...you'll be so glad that you did + will wonder how you ever lived without it?!



xo.