the chocolate trifle - guest post from vegan fling!

for some of you this may be your second time reading this amazing post, it was so amazing that I just had to post it twice (not because I had a totally brain fart and accidentally posted this on Wednesday instead of today, the official unveiling). So let me introduce you to a sweet friend of mine, Melissa from Vegan Fling. Not only is Melissa the epitome of sweetness, her blog is too.  you may have read already how much I adore Melissa and her Blog on my guest post over at Vegan Fling, I know you will adore her just as much as I do.

foodie penpals!

this months foodie pen pal box was the best box yet - a home run for sure!

Serena put so much thought into what she sent it was so appreciated - being a non vegan herself she went out of her way to ensure that all the goodies packed up were 100% vegan - a HUGE thank you for that!

mexican quinoa stuffed green peppers

some nights quick and easy needs to be on the menu.

i wanted to share with you one of our go to summer meals, that is quick, easy & cheap.

this year has been a banner year in the garden for green peppers, even if you don't grow your own, green peppers can be had at the cheap - i am sure most of us already have a few hanging around in the fridge.

this recipe is one of the rare ones that i break out the pepper jack daiya for - justin, well he likes his plain.

late summer farro salad

i get a little worked up when i host parties - taking the whole day off the day of a get together is normal for me. i am thrown for a loop when i only have, say a half day to get it together.

over obsessing on the littlest details is one thing i am guilty of. details that more than likely i am the only one that would take notice of, unless of course you are a martha wannabee too.

a few weekends ago, i was hosting a birthday celebration for my sister which included her new beau and my gram that has yet to visit our new home. so in my mind the pressure was on to make this dinner extra special and perfect - not for me, but for my guests.

well, perfect doesn't happen in 6 hours, but it came pretty close. justin swooped in and saved the day with a quick vacuum and a rum punch that knocked our socks off. but we aren't here to talk about the rum punch ( maybe another day), we are here to talk about this amazing and nearly perfect salad.

coconut cinna ring

i have had the pleasure of meeting some really fantastic people through blogging.

amazing people, that along the way have become friends.

friends that share the same obsession passion for creating good, wholesome food as i do.

i want to introduce to you one of these people. melissa from vegan fling is one of the sweetest bloggers i have had the opportunity to befriend.

her blog and recipes are clean cut, simple & straight forward which is one of the things i love most about her space - her pictures are awesome and love her composition.

so head on over to vegan fling and check out my coconut cinna ring with maple glaze which is almost just as amazing as melissa is over at vegan fling - i hope you love her space as much as i do.

tabbouleh + one lovely blog award

one of my most favorite birthday traditions is going to the ocean with my mom, gram and sister.

this has been our tradition since my 24th birthday - it is one that i hope we continue for many years to come. instead of feasting on greasy boardwalk eats we like to pack a lunch to bring along - so much tastier and not to mention healthier.

there is nothing better than blue sky's, sun, family and jumping through the waves - well maybe this tabbouleh might rank in at a close second.

golden gazpacho

my first attempt at gazpacho was 8 years ago and it was disastrous.

i remember the day quite well. Justin and i had just moved into together and had invited my dad over for dinner. so excited to cook for both men that i love so much i got right to work "Creating" a menu that would be the end of all summer dinner menus. well needless to say, the only thing i remember about that dinner was copious amounts of wine and godawful gazpacho. i assured everyone that it was suppose to be that spicy and super chunky - my dad, the super hero he is plowed through the entire bowl, I am pretty sure all in one bite and without taking a breath - then he told me how mush he loved it (yeah right, okay dad - nice try). it tasted like super spicy cold salsa - i quiver just at the thought of it.

i was in love with the idea of gazpacho, it wasn't until i ordered a bowl of gazpacho from bus boys and poets last April while visiting my sister that i fell in love with gazpacho.

blackberry thyme peach cobbler + hope

this post is a little different.
different in a good way. starting up this blog has allowed me to meet so many wonderful people across the country as well as across the world.
my heart fills with happiness that i have the privilege of knowing these wonderful people, i know i have become a better person simply by reading their words of wisdom and encouragement on a daily basis. it is encouraging to know that there are still so many GOOD people in the world.
currently, there is a wonderful string of hope posts circulating within the blogging community. it has been amazing to read every one's perspective on hope. two wonderful ladies that i have gotten to know recently have asked me to join in ;Kristy from keepin' it kind & gabby from the veggie nook.
 i visual these words on hope a lot like virtual hand holding, lending support and encouragement with words, a long hand holding string of posts.

but don't worry, of course there's a recipe to go along with a little hope.

panzanella

well hello there sexy, I've missed you.

i missed your tomato, balsamic & olive oil soaked slightly toasted cubes of bread.

crisp cukes and oh so good & fragrant basil - tossed with a bit of salt i never want to be apart from you for the whole month of august.

quite frankly, you are at your best this month and this month alone.

oh panzanella, how i love you.

shop local, eat local: Laconia Farmers Markets

Living in New Hampshire allows me the opportunity to look forward to many wonderful happenings year round-snow covered mountains in the Winter, beautiful foliage & crisp New England air in the Fall, fresh local greens in the Spring, and an abundance of lakes to cool down in during the hottest months of Summer. Above all else, the thing I look forward to the most during the NH summer months are local farmers' markets. Check out the full article on a few of my favorite Farmers Markets at NH.com.

zucchini cherry bundt // date glaze

for those of you with a garden or a neighbor who grows zucchini and secretly leaves a few a week on your doorstep, there is always the challenge of finding new and creative ways of enjoying the quickly growing veggie. of course there is the classic zucchini bread with or without chocolate, sauteed zucchini and stuffed zucchini.

i was in the mood for a bundt cake and i just happened to have some local cherries on hand. i thought why not? zucchini and cherries, that sounded pretty good.

 topped off with a simple date glaze and i was in business .

farmers market tacos

i have a really bad habit of buying loads upon loads of beautiful vegetables, especially this time of year. between my CSA, the 2 farmers markets that i frequent each week and my garden we are bursting at the seems with amazing produce and fruits. so my goal each week is to see how many veggies i can cram into one meal. thus, the farmers market taco was born.

Vegan Foodie Swap

I have to say, this foodie swap box has been the best yet- I was awesomely paired up with Sandy who has been a vegan for over 20 years (amazing!) my box was filled was some pretty incredible items.