avocado black bean salad // white corn + cherry tomatoes

This salad has been a staple of ours for the past 2 summers. We take it camping, serve it alongside burger s + dogs or simply scoop it up with a bowl full of sweet potato tortilla chips (these chips are life changing from Food Should Taste Good!). 

 It also a must for Taco Tuesday. 

No cooking required and a mere 10 minutes of your time- it's a Summer win all around!

blueberry pie // shortbread crust + oat crumble

Blueberries are in Season- yeaaaaaaah! We have the sweetest little blueberry stand right down the the street from us - the blueberries are on the honor system and grown by a little old couple, the Murphys. We like to think the Murphy's eat Blueberries all day everyday. I know Justin and I would if we could. 

During the short month's the blueberries are in Season we load up. Not a day goes by that we don't stop at the stand. We freeze as many as we can fit in the freeze for the winter pancakes,  make blueberry jam for preserving and eat them by the handful.

I made this pie with the first of the season blueberries from the Murphy's - it didn't disappoint.

heirloom tomato tartines // handmade pesto

Swooooooshhhhhhh...that was August flying by - I mean really, August with all its beauty this year seemed not to want to stay very long. This Summer has absolutely flown by - this recipe today was actually suppose to be shared with you in August, as I type this I find myself suddenly thrown into the month of September- does anyone else feel this way?

Not to fear, at least in this part of the country, heirloom tomatoes are still gracing the tables of farmers markets and stands - in all of their glorious juicy goodness. You know you picked the bets of the best when you bite into a freshly salted heirloom tomato and you are covered in tomato juice with a bit running down your chin. So messy, but so good.

farmers market soup

My Mom and I dropped in to our local Thursday Market and veggies were aplenty along with fresh ciabatta bread and vegan cashew ice cream from Rock Salt Creamery; sooooo freakin' good.

 I absolutely adore this time of year (although Fall still has my heart) - aside from growing my own veggies which just didn't happen this year, local markets are the next best thing. This past Saturday was rainy and cold, but I was up and figured I would pop down to our Saturday Market to see who braved the weather, I wasn't dissapointed and came home with another overflowing bag of early summer goodness.

blueberry jam // preserving summer

The first preserving session of the season happened this past weekend and it was awesome. We have this little blueberry stand down the road from us, Murphy's Blueberries and we stock up anytime we see pints of blueberries displayed in the little blue cart on the side of the road. Mrs. Murphy is exactly how I pictured her to be, the cutest little old lady that sports a house dress and apron who goes to Church on Sunday's. with Mr. Murphy. They have the best blueberries and raspberries in town, and now that Justin and I are settled into our new home I actually have time for preserving this year! 

There is nothing better than opening up a jar of homemade jam in the dead of winter. 

one pot lemony garlic pasta // nooch + veggies

This dinner is so easy, it has been our go to dinner at least once a week on nights we have no inspiration to make anything else. It is the perfect dinner to use up an abundance of veggies staring back at you in the fridge or a great way to put your first CSA box to use. The easiest clean up too - one pan and your are done!

chao cheese pineapple chorizo queso

Let's end August with a spicy bang, this dip is the perfect way to end the Summer and begin the fall - totally Labor day party worthy and perfect with a Corona or two!

Justin and I are hoping to fit in some R + R this weekend with Friends and Family, our Summer completely blew by but we are excited for the Fall and nearing the end of our home reno (definitely by Christmas!). This dip is definitely on the menu for me this weekend with a round of tacos for good measure, I mean who doesn't love Tacos + Cheesy Dip?

chao cheeseburger // spicy slaw + bacon

Burgers! Need I say more?

For us, burgers are a must during the summer months - the first BBQ of the season, 4th of July and of course it is always one of our main courses at least one night while camping in the great outdoors.

I had never had a field roast burger until recently - they are quick, easy and delish!

pumpkin seed panzanella

I know what you must be thinking "Giiiirl you crazy, Summer's over, get yo'self some pumpkin"- hear me out, it haaaaas pumpkin seeds! Even though Summer is officially over my garden is still producing pints of cherry tomatoes, peppers and basil. So, it's not too late to get on the panzanella wagon, with a little fall flair that is. 

Come on, bread, basil + tomatoes, what's not to love?

diy: canning at home

For those who have never canned it can seem like a pretty scary undertaking. I won't lie, it definitely takes time, but scary...not in the least. I have been canning salsa, tomato sauce, jams and pickles for about 8 years- once you have a few of the basics down, canning can be fun and a pretty seamless process. 

You only get better and more efficient with experience. Believe me, I have had Jam over boil on the stove top (not fun), scalding hot water down my arm and leg and a few other disasters- but they never caused me to give up on canning.

You know why?  

Because there is nothing better than opening a can of jam or sauce in the dead of Winter that you put up yourself- you can almost taste Summer.

So today, I'd like to share with you a few helpful tips, tricks and resources that will make canning a little less scary for those looking to preserve the Summer harvest for the first time

lacinato kale & brown rice salad

Okay, did Summer absolutely fly by for everyone else as it did for me? This year has been one of the busiest seasons at work that I can ever remember- full of transition, added responsibilities and lots of weekends worked. I truly feel like summer slipped through my fingers. So, here we are, at the end of the Summer and I feel as if I haven't shared much of my summer goodness with you. I hate to admit, the blog this summer has been terribly neglected. Honestly, the days I had off were simply spent eating tomatoes and fresh basil by the bucket loads, soaking up the sun and reading long novels. I am however, gearing up for an amazing fall season filled with all the delicious food comforts of Fall. 

Along with copious amounts of tomatoes from the garden, I am drowning in bushels of kale. This has been one of my favorite ways to use up the never ending kale harvest- it is the green that keeps on giving Spring, Summer and Fall.

mango tarragon frappe

One of my all time indulgences is ice cream- prior to becoming vegan I use to make homemade ice cream at least once a week. I still have not perfected the ultimate homemade vegan ice cream recipe, so I resort to store bought. Growing up I always passed on the birthday cake opting for a double serving of ice cream, when I did have a small piece of cake I love mixing it with my melty ice cream. 

It was a total game changer once ice cream cakes became popular, quickly my yearly birthday cake was an ice cream cake. So when So Delicious contacted me to sample their new line of sugar free and gluten free ice cream I couldn't resist. So Delicious has been a staple in our home since becoming vegan- ice cream and coconut yogurt are favorites, oh and I can't leave out the chocolate coated vanilla ice cream bars!

sweet pea millet cakes

My garden is performing amazingly well this year, the tomato plants are taller than I, baby butternuts and cheese pumpkins are sprouting up everywhere I look and cukes, kale, carrots and peppers couldn't be happier. However this year I do have one garden bed that is refusing to cooperate and it just so happens to be the one I planted first in early spring without amending the soil ( I got a little too excited the first sign of warmish weather I couldn't be bothered to take 1 extra step and add a bit of compost- lesson learned!) So far, this bed has produced a 1/2 cup of spring peas, I have planted Swiss chard on 3 different occasions and for the life of me I cannot figure out where the seeds and or/seedlings are disappearing too. I also planted (after I gave up on the Swiss Chard) a section of green beans and not one has sprouted. At least my oregano and Borage is pretty happy in this bed so I'm not at a total loss.

pineapple express popsicles

It is hella hot this week- like 90 degree, hot & humid. The type of hot where even if your thighs don't rub together they are going to regardless of thigh gap. Working out is a hard, breathing is slowed and all I want to do is lay down in the middle of the yard with an ice cold sprinkler chasing over me with a Popsicle in hand. These Popsicles are pretty amazing- super quick and easy, make them in the morning and you will have a cold treat without even breaking sweat.

june garden

During the summer month's, if I am not in the kitchen you are surely able to find me out in the Garden. When buying a house one of the most important items on the must have list was space for a garden. Ever since living on my own I have always found a little patch of dirt to call my own whether it was a dilapidated pile of dirt that need to be brought back to life, containers on a porch or window boxes. My first garden at my very first apartment (I was around 19 or so) was small but produced tons that first year- I even had a little rabbit from next door that would frequently visit (and steal a bite of squash or two), I remember running out in the pitch dark after getting word about the first frost settling in that night to collect the tomatoes still ripe on the vine. 

chocolate pear hazelnut smoothie {giveaway}

Can you believe how quickly June is flying by? It feels like yesterday I was getting pumped for non dairy month, planning what to wear to Matt & Mitzie's wedding and gearing up for the 30 day ab challenge. Amazingly the wedding was this weekend & fabulous! I am heading towards the 100+ sit up mark in the challenge and this is my last smoothie post for non dairy month.

almond pear cake

Did you know...

My last name translates as "Pear" in french

My sister and I have  matching pear tattoos  

I love pears and cake- together they make my mouth water

I originally had another recipe planned for non dairy month- Peanut Butter Waffles to be exact. However I had a few pears in the fruit bowl just begging to be put to good use.  I wanted a super simple cake with big vanilla and almonds flavor- thus, this cake was born.

almond sea salt chocolate chunk cookies

There are few things in life that I love more than chocolate chip cookies. These are by far my favorite, the added oats give you a boost of fiber and the dark chocolate sea salt almond chocolate is a game changer – these are a must make on a Sunday afternoon!

When Justin bought me my Kitchen Aide Mixer our deal was I would make him chocolate chip cookies once a week...needless to say I don't make chocolate chip cookies once a week, maybe once a month if he is lucky - making them a little less often makes us appreciate them a little more plus I am still able to fit into my jeans- that is a very good thing .

cherry maca almond smoothie {giveaway!}

We are half way through Non Dairy Month- how crazy is that! 

This weeks smoothie features 3 of my favorite things: almond milk, cherries and maca- total goodness in a glass.

Almond Milk is our go to milk for everyday drinking and baking. Nearly every morning during the work week Justin has a couple bowls of cereal drowned in Almond Milk. My Mom, who isn't even vegan or vegetarian has replaced her coffee creamer with Almond Milk - this stuff is good, no lie.

triple berry tart & perfection

Puff Pastry can be a lifesaver in the dessert making department- easy to use, readily available & bakes up fast in a totally impressive way. Normally I have a few sheets of pastry in my freezer, you do need to think ahead a bit in order to defrost the pastry prior to using. I like to pop it in the fridge overnight so it is ready the next day.  I was in need of a quick dessert over Memorial Day Weekend; who doesn't love pastry and fresh fruit? This tart would also fit the bill nicely for 4th of July.