mothers day gift guide

just in case ya know, you need some ideas ;) [hint hint, juanny d, hubby 'o mine]

1. checkered tea spoons, $24, anthropologie. [because drinking tea is relaxing and let's face it, all women, esp moms who take it where they can get it, need styled up accessories to enjoy it more. it's the little things]

2. ikat butterfly cover-up, $48, echo design. [with summer coming up, and lotso pool play dates in the plans, mamas need to look cute while we're chasing our toddlers around. plus pair w/ a cami and can be work as a tunic, bonus!]

3. monthly beauty treats, $10/month, birch box [who doesn't love getting mail, ahem hello amazon prime memberships, so why not treat your special lady to a monthly subscription of beauty treats, can be given as an annual subscription or one time monthly]

4. honey-do list pad, $6.50, knockknock [because we all make the inevitable honey-do list, why not make it easier for her to create said list in an organized fashion]

5. color block tote, $75, neiman marcus [because every mama needs a big bag, period.]

Day 21 – #30daysofGOODFOOD – Ravioli in Sweet Potato Sauce

So I’ve obviously been lacking as far as keeping up with a daily vegan recipe for this fun food challenge. The best part of this “challenge” is that it’s just for fun and low stress so ha I can take as long as needed to get 30 days in… ;) and with my motivation for searching out recipes/prepping/shopping/and even cooking lessens each day as this pregnancy moves towards the last stretch, I’m gonna go ahead and keep taking my time ;)

I did however make this last night for dinner [albeit, no photo was taken]. It was good…definitely felt like a better Fall meal though, than Spring…
<h1>Ravioli in Sweet Potato Sauce

grocery list, serves 4
2 packages vegan rising moon ravioli
1 TBS EVOO
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled + diced
water
1 C almond milk
1/2 tsp salt
2 red bell peppers, cut into strips
parsley for garnish

Heat olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic + onions, saute until tender (around 5 mins), add sweet potato + water until just covered. Raise heat until simmering, cover + keep at a simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, saute red bell peppers until cooked, but still w/ a bit of crunch. And start salted water to bring to a boil. Add milk + salt to a blender, once potato mixture is done simmering, add to blender + puree. Add raviolis to boiling water, gently + soft boil for 8 minutes. Remove raviolis, add to medium saucepan, add in saute’d peppers + drizzle w/ sauce. [you may have tons of extra sauce, depending on how you like it...we happened to have lots left over.] Reheat briefly, plate in shallow bowls + top with fresh chopped parsley garnish. Yum!

Rosemary Olive Oil Cake

Decided we needed some sort of bread to go with our family dinner tonight so last minute decided to make this rosemary olive oil cake I found on gojee…. Ummmm it’s effing delicious and I plan on consuming it weekly ;)
I think it’d be awesome for breakfast.

grocery list
4 large eggs
1/2C sugar
2/3C olive oil
2TBS minced fresh rosemary
1 1/2C flour
1TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat your oven to 325-and spray a loaf or pie pan. I used a 9″ pie pan.
Beat the eggs for 30 seconds, add in the sugar until foamy light mixture. While on a slow stir, add in the olive oil. Add in the rosemary. Use a spatula to make sure everything is mixed in.
In a dry bowl-mix flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly pour dry ingredients and beat until just fully mixed.
Pour into pan and bake 40-45 minutes, rotating half way through to get a consistent color.

AHHHHH-mazing ;)

Day 20, #30daysofGOODFOOD – spicy squash and lentil salad

Found this recipe via one of my favorite blogs – Domestic Reflections. [umm, hello - i want to be this woman and have her family (+ home, style, looks, blah blah blah) nope, not a stalker, not at all...] and just adapted it to make it vegan by switching out the goat cheese w/ this cashew/pine nut “goat cheese” sub I used in the beet raviolis

Spicy Squash and Lentil Salad

Grocery List
3/4C black or green lentils
3 butternut squashes, peeled + seeded, cut into 1″ cubes
3 TBS EVOO, divided
1 tsp yellow curry [supposed to be cumin, but i realized i'm out still]
1 tsp piment d’espelette [supposed to be a smokey paprika...this piment d'espelette has an amazing taste and is a nice mix between spicy yet sweet but still smokey paprika~didn't want it too spicy for our lil man]
1/2 tsp coarse salt
4C arugula
1C of the “goat cheese” [1/2C raw pine nuts, soaked - 1/2C raw cashews, soaked - 1/8C EVOO - 1/2 medium shallot, diced - 1 TBS lemon zest - 2 TBS lemon juice - 1 tsp nutritional yeast - S+P] or for a non-vegan version, 1C soft crumble goat cheese
1 pkg or 1/4C mint, thinly sliced
2 TBS red wine vinegar
1/4C toasted pepitas
1/4C dried cranberries

Make the goat cheese, following these directions *soaking your nuts ahead of time. (or to make it quicker but not vegan, sub in a soft goat cheese that can crumble, any chevre will do)
Pre-heat your oven to 400. Toss squash cubes w/ 2 TBS olive oil, cumin/curry, paprika, and salt. Keep bowl set-aside. Roast 20 minutes, toss and roast another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, soak lentils for 10 minutes in water, drain + rinse. Boil in salter water for 30 minutes until firm but soft. When squash is roasted, remove and allow to cool. When lentils are done, remove, drain, rinse and allow to cool.
While everything is cooking, mix arugula, red wine vinegar, mint and half of the cheese in the same bowl you mixed the squash in before roasting. Scooping up any extra oil and seasoning. Add an additional TBS olive oil. Once lentils + squash are cooled, add and toss gently.
Serve shallow bowls, top w/ extra cheese, pepitas and cranberries.

Serves 4.

Day 19, #30daysofGOODFOOD – Ravioli Salad

So since Cassandra (the chicka mastermind behind 30daysofGOODFOOD pointed out Rising Moon makes a vegan ravioli (I’ve been scouring for a non-dairy rav to keep for back up dinner in the freezer but ha obviously not hard enough! ;) geez!) I was super stoked to find it happily sitting in the freezer aisle right next to all the other raviolis.

Ravioli Salad

Grocery List
Frozen (or homemade) vegan raviolis
Bunch cilantro
1/3C toasted , + some for garnish
2 TBS lemon juice
2 tsp minced garlic
3/4C EVOO
1/3C almond cheese shreds
1/3C oil soaked blk olives (found mine just at the bulk olive bar at whole foods)

Cook raviolis according to package. Meanwhile, blend all other ingredients except olives to make into a pesto. Toss half pesto mix with raviolis-add more pesto if needed, reserve rest for left overs. Gentle toss with olives, top with extra toasted pepitas.

Quick and easy :)