Is it just me or did Mother’s Day really creep up this year? It may have something to do with the fact that it has been freezing here and hasn’t felt like spring at all.… More
Why I Love Peloton
From the tragic Tread accident last year to the recent negative portrayals in popular TV shows to the seemingly endless headlines hinting that the business is in danger, it seemed poor Peloton couldn’t catch a break. I’m glad to see that the tide might be changing with a possible acquisition in the works. Acquisition or not, I’m a diehard Peloton fan always and forever, so I figured I’d show them a little love (No, this is not a Peloton ad. I just love them that much).
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Almond Flour Pumpkin Banana Bread
In all honesty, baking is not my strong suit. I much prefer cooking. I usually get good results with baking if I follow recipes to a T, but I like to experiment and make healthy modifications. Sometimes this leads to success but, more often than not, I’m left disappointed. This happened a couple of weeks ago when I attempted to make a healthified pumpkin bread with Jackson and it was a total flop. I ate a piece but wound up trashing the rest because it just wasn’t good at all. This past weekend, though, I discovered a winner! I decided to modify a banana bread recipe from Detoxinista (whose recipes I love!) and was pleasantly surprised at how good it turned out. The original recipe is already healthy so my modifications were mainly due to the ingredients I had on hand (or didn’t have, like arrowroot starch) and my desire to use up some leftover pumpkin. I didn’t have high hopes after my last baking fiasco, but the end result was a moist, flavorful banana bread (free of dairy and gluten!) that I couldn’t stop eating. David gave it two thumbs up too!
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Preschool Update! How Jackson is Doing
Almost three months ago, David and I were gearing up for Jackson’s first day of preschool. Now that we have all had time to get used to the new normal, I wanted to share an update about how things have been going. Truthfully, the start was rough. I knew Jackson was going to be resistant after the whole summer at home with me, but I didn’t expect him to be quite as resistant as he was. Given that he had been in two different daycares (both full and part-time) since he was six months old and transitioned relatively easily there, I figured this would be a similar situation, but it wound up being much harder than I had anticipated and caused a lot of anxiety for both of us.
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Mashed Sweet Potatoes (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
With Thanksgiving coming up in just a few weeks, I felt inspired this past weekend to whip up a batch of mashed sweet potatoes. I have no problem with white potatoes, although they often get a bad rap, but sweet potatoes pack a better nutritional punch and I find them equally delicious. They also tend to cook faster, which is always a plus in my book!
This recipe only calls for six basic ingredients: sweet potatoes, butter (I used a plant-based one), salt, cinnamon, allspice, and cayenne pepper. Because of the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes and the flavor of the spices, you can get away with using a small amount of butter without sacrificing taste. I find that while the dish is super healthy, it doesn’t taste like it. Something about the texture of the whipped potatoes and the combination of flavors makes them taste decadent and almost dessert-like.
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Books for Kids Starting Preschool
As I mentioned in my last post, Jackson is starting preschool this year, and it’s a big milestone! Although he has been in daycare in the past (full-time when I was working and part-time since I’ve been at home), preschool feels much different. It’s the step before starting legit school and it just makes Jackson seem so much more grown up! Not gonna lie, I’m freaking out a little bit. I know it’s going to be so great for both of us though. We just have to get through the transition!
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Jackson is Three!
Almost a month ago (on June 24th), Jackson turned three years old. The night before his birthday, I went down the rabbit hole of looking at old pictures and videos (anyone else do that?), which of course brought on all sorts of emotions. It’s amazing to me and also kind of scary how quickly you forget the earlier phases. All I can say is thank God for cameras!
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Summer Bean Salad
I live for fresh, flavorful salads in the summer. This bean-based salad is insanely easy to throw together and doesn’t require any heat or cooking. My mom made it for Emmy’s birthday party and I loved it, so I knew I had to share it here on the blog. It makes a perfect side dish to a BBQ or picnic, especially for those who don’t eat meat, and is great on top of greens or even by itself. Don’t let the short list of ingredients fool you. This is anything but bland! Although not necessary, I recommend making this salad the day before you plan to eat it because the longer the flavors marinate, the better it tastes, in my opinion.
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Emmy’s First Birthday
Emmy is ONE! Her birthday was on May 30th and we had a little family party the weekend before to celebrate the big day. Although the first few months after she was born were extremely challenging and felt like an eternity at the time (in case you missed it, you can read about that here), I look back now and can’t believe that was a full year ago. I feel like I blinked and all the sudden I have a one-year-old. I guess that’s how it goes, right?
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Why I Became a Beautycounter Consultant
I recently decided to join Beautycounter as a consultant and I want to share a bit as to why. First, what is Beautycounter? If you’re not familiar, Beautycounter is a brand with a simple mission: to get safer products into the hands of everyone. They sell high quality personal care products–from cosmetics to skin and hair care to sunscreen–that are free of questionable ingredients,1500 of them to be exact. Beyond simply selling products, part of their mission is to advocate for better laws within the personal care industry, and educate consumers about the need for safer products. You can read more about the company here, but that’s what they’re all about in a nutshell.
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Emmy Update: 11 Months
It’s hard to grasp that at this time next month, my baby girl will be one. How?? I really need to get my butt in gear and plan a little something for her birthday, but that requires acknowledging that she’s really turning one year old. I guess I better get a move on!
Wholesome Homebody 