chocolate chip coconut waffles

The only waffles I ever knew growing up were of the frozen variety. A waffle iron, what's that?  

It  was  my other half , Justin that convinced me I needed a waffle iron in my life. Let me tell you, he was so right, I had no idea what I was missing out on all those years. There's just something about making your own waffles that is super satisfying. The  best part about making waffles at home is deciding what's going in the batter.  When I received my Pacific Foods Coconut Milk I absolutely knew I had to make something with chocolate (I mean coconut + chocolate together is heaven), chocolate and coconut in waffle form, now that's a winner!

DIY kitchen series: instant oatmeal // 3 ways

Lately, life has been crazy- in a good way. We are coming up on our busiest time of year at work, which means Summer is just around the corner. Our house will be going on the market towards the end of May, which is a scary and exciting time all rolled in one. Little side projects, both personal + professional have been popping up all over the place.

I like to save time anywhere I can, even if it's just shaving 5-10 minutes off of my morning routine. During my teenage years I was a breakfast skipper, actually, I was a terrible eater in general (hello Swedish fish, Pizza Hut bread sticks + Little Debbie snacks for lunch!). Growing up I have learned to appreciate and look forward to breakfast. During the work week I rely on quick and easy breakfasts, instead of buying pre - mixed instant oatmeal which can get a little pricey, I have learned to make my own. Today, I am going to share with you my three favorite mixes, they take very little effort and gives you a quick breakfast for the week.

sweet potato + black bean quesadillas

When Justin and I first started dating and throughout our vegetarian years quesadillas were a BIG part of our lives. It was Justin's go to anytime we went out with friends to a non veg friendly restaurant and it was my go to when I wanted a quick and easy meal on a busy weeknight. Sadly, when we went vegan quesadillas were kind of forgotten about. Justin is not a huge fan of vegan cheese, so finding a quesadilla filling that satisfied him just like the cheesy version was a challenge to say the least. That was until recently, this quesadilla blows the socks off its non vegan counterpart and way more satisfying.

mini grinders // maple chipotle veggie meatballs

I have had these maple chipotle veggie meatballs on my mind since I first saw the non vegan counterpart on Martha Stewart- I just knew I had to recreate a vegan version. 

They are sweet, savory and a bit spicy- a fusion of Asian and Mexican flavors, Justin and I couldn't get enough of this flavor combination.