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.

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. 

strawberry chia turnovers // tahini maple drizzle

Who wouldn't want to know how to make pastries in under 30 minutes? 

These are so stupid easy to make - simple ingredients with semi impressive results with little effort.

Perfect to make in a pinch for Brunch or Mothers Day.

They could be a lifesaver one day.

banana cacao nib smoothie // pb + chia

Hands down this is one of my favorite smoothies- simple ingredients that taste like dessert. Over the years I have found myself craving ingredients that I once turned my nose up on or just generally disliked. I remember the very first time I made Vegan Mac n' Cheese (before we even became vegan) with nooch and ended up throwing the entire batch away // we thought it was the worst thing ever. Now I put nooch in or on just about everything. The first time I tried Cacao Nibs I legit spit them out and Chia seeds looked too weird when re hydrated for me to even try them.

Now, I love them all // I actually crave them. 

So morale of the story, don't ever give up on an ingredient, you never know when that moment might be when you fall in love with a long hated ingredient for the first time.

vanilla almond smoothie // cinnamon + dates

I am keeping my smoothie game strong this year by switching it up with new to me combinations. This smoothie is super easy to make and is great after a workout or when you want a little something sweet after dinner, and of course you could totally enjoy this at breakfast.

greens + quinoa salad // chao cheese crisps

Oh my, it seems like forever since I last posted. Life has become so busy I can barely keep up, let alone keep track of myself. 

Have you ever bought + sold a house at the same time? Let me tell you, it is not fun - we are in the midst of doing just that and my stress level has never been higher. If you know me, I like to be in control and this process has proven to be one of unknowns and working on other peoples timelines - all of which is out of my direct control. Going through this process has also made me realize I am not a person cut out to move - seriously I hope I never have to do this again.

However, in the end it will be all worth the stress, worry and hopefully soon excitement.

cinnamon apple pecan pull apart bread

My inspiration and creativity comes and goes- ebbs + flows. I can pick out patterns throughout my years of blogging and see where my creativity was at its peak during certain months and at other times not. Not only was this Summer incredibly busy I just never felt fully inspired, it was to the point that Justin was wondering if I had given up on blogging all together.

My inspiration and creativity change with each passing season. 

This time of year is one of my favorites, it' just so happens to be the time of year I feel most creative.

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

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!

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.

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.

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. 

kiwi blackberry hemp smoothie {giveaway}

It is rare to see a giveaway or a sponsored review on this blog, come to think about it this is a first. Over the years I have had several companies reach out looking to sponsor a post or send along a product for review, however none of them ever felt like the right fit. A few weeks back Pacific Foods approached me looking to see if I would be interested in participating in their non dairy month during the month of June; I jumped at the chance! First I love Pacific's line of vegan products and have been a loyal customer for several years, secondly I love the fact that there is a whole month dedicated to promoting dairy alternatives. Each week I will be featuring a smoothie and recipe featuring the non dairy beverage of the week. This week let me introduce you to Hemp Milk, which just so happens to be one of my favorites!

hemp blueberry spinach smoothie

Lately I have been craving smoothies in the worst way - smoothies are incredibly easy to throw together and super versatile. The flavor combinations are really endless, yesterday morning I made Justin a Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie; Chocolate PB, bananas & h2o - that's it and it was delicious! Doesn't get any easier than 3 ingredients.

coconut chocolate chip banana bread {gf}

OMG whoever said gluten free baked goods are dry, crumbly and lack the amazing taste and texture that their traditional counterparts have, was so wrong. This gluten free banana bread is incredible; moist, flavorful and so freakin' good! Chocolate, banana's, flaked coconut make a drool & lust worthy gluten free banana bread. Once you have eaten the entire loaf you will be so very sad it is gone and wonder why you were so nice and shared a piece or two with your friends. Next time, you will be certain to make a loaf for you and a loaf for your friend.

cranberry ginger pull apart bread

This bread and so amazingly good and festive; the colors and flavor scream holiday! Which I totally need more of in my life right now. I am sad to say I have been hit with the bah humbug of the Holiday season for the first time ever...I mean ever. Typically I am the girl who at every chance she gets will sing aloud the praises of the holiday season - but not this year. I think it may be because Thanksgiving ran so late this year, I typically get a reprieve between Thanksgiving and the kick start of Christmas, which for me is the first of December. Or, it may be because I have a lot on my plate right now and the thought of lugging up all the Christmas decor just to lug it back down in three weeks puts me in a sour mood. So instead of focusing on the decorations this year I am focusing on the experience of the season- baking, cooking and creating meaningful gifts for friends and family. Maybe, just maybe (I am really hoping) that will finally put me in a jolly mood, if that fails I'll just bust out the Champagne and my all time favorite Holiday album from She & Him!

chocolate cake ~ salted "caramel" frosting

Oh man I am so sorry about the less than stellar photo- I had the best intentions of styling and photographing this cake in a more traditional manner, however time and the day got away from me. This cake was just too good not to share with you. I have made this cake on a few different occasions and it always comes out perfect- a no fail chocolate cake. We all need one of those in our lives.

coconut molasses cake // fresh figs

 On a few different occasions on the blog I mention that I am in a book club. For our last session I was the host which also meant that I got to select the book we would read & discuss. After much deliberation and researching, I settled on the Kitchen House as our group read. Towards the back of the book there was a recipe for Molasses Cake. A good portion of the book takes place in the Kitchen House along with several scenes depicting large celebratory feasts both inside the "Big House" and out in the field. Throughout the book you will find Belle baking molasses cakes, after writing the book the Author and her daughter perfected what they would like think as Belle's version of molasses cake that she would bake in the book. I would like to share with you my take on this simple & humble cake- not overly sweet but makes for a nice fall treat with a cup of coffee or tea.