May 2018 Favorites

Hello, friends!!! Happy JUNE! As always, last month flew by way too fast…but it was a great month. I won’t bore you with too many rambles, but I will say that the highlight of May (and the year so far) was getting to finally meet one of my favorite friends in real life!!!!! I met Julie through Instagram four years ago and we became fast friends. Our almost daily chats via text and videos were great, but to sit down face to face and really talk was priceless. It was like catching up with an old friend…like I’ve known her for all my life. Whether laughing or crying, chowing on vegan food or walking around, we had a really amazing time together and I am SO grateful to have this beautiful human in my life! I can’t put into words how incredible it is/was to feel completely understood and accepted without having to explain anything. Huge thank you to her husband, Jay, for sending her out here to stay with us!

Another May highlight…getting closer to our yard makeover AND starting a small garden! Willow was super excited to plant seeds this year and I am determined to become a person with a green thumb! The only thing I’ve managed to keep alive these last few years is lavender, so I’m trying to stay positive 😉 Together Willow and I planted (started from seed):

• Mammoth Russian Sunflowers
• Dwarf Sunflowers
• Lettuce
• Chives
• Holy Basil
• Cilantro
• Zinnias
• Helichrysum
• Foxglove

And then we have tomato and strawberry plants!

I’ll try to post some updates. Growing season here in the high desert is super tricky and short, so I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed!

OK, shall we dive in??

MAY FAVORITES…

Chocolate Chip Vegan Buckwheat Pancakes >> Feasting on Fruit

Pancakes are made regularly in our house…at least once a week and I’m always looking for new recipes to change up our routine! These were delicious!!! They are similar to my buckwheat pancake recipe here on the blog, but I needed to try them! One bowl, fluffy perfection, AND chocolate chips…you can’t go wrong! I highly recommend! Sadly, I don’t have a photo to accompany this mini review because they got devoured as soon as they hit the cooling rack!

Roasted Salsa Ranchera Cream >> The Vegan 8

If you love spicy things, you will LOVE this!!! The flavor is intense and addictive…and you’ll want to put it on everything! We used jalapeños because that’s what we had on hand at the time, but I plan to make it again, as written very soon. Below is a quick photo I snapped of a super comforting bowl of mashed potatoes with this amazing salsa ranchera cream on top! Josh tried it with noodles and gave it a huge thumbs up.

Grain-Free Chocolate Coconut Cookies >> The Vegan 8

It’s been a while since I’ve made a cookie recipe from Brandi…mostly because I struggle with making treats that I can’t eat 😉 so you can probably imagine how fast I jumped on this recipe! She warns you not to try the dough because you won’t be able to stop eating it….please listen to that warning. Willow and I made the mistake of stealing a bite and ended up eating more than I’d like to admit. But baked…these cookies are amazing!!! Rich, fudgy, and SO wonderfully chocolate-y! These were a hit with all of my family.

Easy Creamy Lentil Tomato Soup >> The Vegan 8

Did you hear that Brandi’s cookbook is available for preorder?????!!! If you preorder, you get an eBook with five new recipes (can’t find them anywhere else) and this is where I got the recipe for this comforting, hearty soup! Really quick though…this little eBook has a photo to accompany each recipe – I LOVE photos! OK, but back to this soup. Since lentils are my friend, I jumped on this recipe immediately! It really is simple to make (almost ridiculously easy) and full of intense flavor. Very reminiscent of chili – which is something I have missed these last couple of years!

HYDRATE >> LAIRD Superfood

I had been eyeing up this product for a while now, but just recently found a small packet to try out before buying a larger bag…which I ended up buying a bigger bag not long after. This specific single packet gets mixed with 16oz of water….I had to fight Willow for it! Super refreshing, subtly sweet without any added sweetener, and local to us!! {{Out of Sisters, OR.}} It’s just pure freeze dried coconut water + Aquamin (which is a sea algae). With the hotter months upon us, and more time outdoors, this will be perfect when you want something other than just water. It will also be great to pack along for our upcoming road trip and camping/hiking adventures! We’ve seen this in Natural Grocers and Market of Choice (8oz bag for just under $12)…next time I want to give the turmeric hydrate a try!

Jalapeño Lime Almond Dip >> Trader Joe’s

Have you seen this in your local Trader Joe’s??? If so, try it!! Just the right amount of spice with a thick, creamy texture. I enjoyed it with carrot sticks and cassava chips! But I could see adding it to a salad or in a wrap as well.

Cybele’s Green Lentil Kale Broccoli & Spinach Rotini >>

Willow has declared that this is her favorite pasta ever and I need to keep buying it! We stumbled upon this while browsing around at Market of Choice…I had heard great things about this brand, but haven’t found it anywhere local to us until now. They offer a few different flavors (using lentils with various veggies, such as butternut squash, cauliflower, parsnips, beets, peppers) and I look forward to trying them all!

I feel like a Favorites post wouldn’t be complete without kombucha! Euphoria was a new to me flavor and I really enjoyed it! The cayenne brings a good bit of heat, but there’s some sweetness in this bottle to balance it out. The GT’S summer edition is just dangerously sweet and delicious!

B O O K S

I read quite a few books last month (I believe 12), but these are the ones worth recommending!

Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J. Maas

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni

Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orïsha #1) by Tomi Adeyemi

Girl, wash your face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be by Rachel Hollis

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

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Please share any new finds, favorite books, binge-worthy shows, delicious recipes, or just let me know how you’re doing! I’d love to hear from you!

Thanks for stopping by!

❤