Now that the weather is getting a little warmer and summer is right around the corner, I’ve been thinking more about warm-weather meals and snacks. Okay, it’s still rainy and chilly in Minnesota, but I’m anticipating summer weather soon! For me, that means drinking lots of smoothies and eating lots of chilled snacks, like chia pudding. A few weeks ago I picked up a new-to-me vegan protein powder and was really turned off by the flavor of the powder. Usually, … Read More
{Reading Right Now} I Quit Sugar
Hello from vacation! I suppose blogging on vacation is looked down upon because, well, it’s vacation. But the truth is, life is so crazy during the everyday normal weeks that I love having a little extra time to sit down and blog. If I could have one extra day every week devoted to blogging (recipe development, writing, brain storming) uninterrupted I would be a very happy camper. So here I am, blogging from Austin, sitting by the pool. You can … Read More
Quick and Easy Bacon-Tomato Penne
Before I share this recipe with you, I should clarify that while a lot of my recipes are on the healthier side, this recipe isn’t winning any awards for being health conscious. However, when I threw this meal together last week for Joe after a trip to the gym, he raved about how delicious it was and demanded that I blog about it. Usually Joe isn’t one to demand I blog about anything, so when he insisted I obliged. In … Read More
Spiritual Encouragement After Miscarriage
Image Source I wish there was a manual on moving forward after a miscarriage. Sure, there’s a lot of information out there on what to do and what not to do, and the pamphlet they send you home with at the hospital talks about doing lots of nice things for yourself, like buying yourself small things and getting regular massages. (Really? I mean, it would be nice, but it seems like you’re milking it, rather than processing through your feelings.) … Read More
Celebrating Easter 2014
Joe and I returned last night from celebrating Easter with both our families in Iowa and what a weekend it was! Although the forecast for the weekend was cloudy and rainy, the weather decided to cooperate with the most beautiful, warm and sunny Sunday, and a pretty nice Saturday as well. Let me tell you, when winter feels like it might never end, a sunny 80 degree day feels about as good as it gets. We celebrated with Joe’s side … Read More
Physical Recovery After Miscarriage
After today, I plan to write one more post about miscarriage before I resume to a more normal posting schedule. I realize that not all of you are interested in reading about this topic, but I hope that someday you might be able to send links to these posts along to someone who is recovering from a miscarriage. Or perhaps you may, down the road, come back and re-read them yourself. I wish there wasn’t a need for such posts, … Read More
First Birthday Smash Cake and DIY Bunting
A few weeks ago my dear friend Laura asked me if I would be interested in making her son, Eli’s, first birthday smash cake. Laura and I have been friends for years and she has the most amazing blog about life as a stay-at-home mom and DIY/craft expert. Seriously, some day I hope to do half the projects she completes around her house. Joe and I both agree on the fact that Laura and Mike’s son, Eli, is one of … Read More
Cheesy Farro-Broccoli Bake
Let’s be honest, the amount of cooking that’s been going on in our house lately has been minimal. But as life slowly transitions back to “normal” (and no, it still doesn’t feel normal if you really want to know) it feels good to do things that come naturally, to create something out of raw ingredients and nourish the body. Plus, eating take-out and snack-y type foods can only keep you going for a certain amount of time. Sometimes you just … Read More
Supporting a Friend Through Miscarraige
I’ve mentioned this before, but the way our community has loved and supported us this last week has blown me away. It’s been so healing to be able to walk through this with support and to talk about our experience instead of keeping it silent. Since miscarriage is such a personal thing and not everyone has experienced it, I’ve found that a lot of people are at a loss as to how to respond in the wake of such an event. … Read More
Super Simple Sugar Cookies and A Surprise Shower for Stephanie!
First off, thank you so much for your kind words about our recent miscarriage. I plan on responding to each and every comment and have done my best to stay up-to-date with e-mails. I so greatly appreciate each word you’ve said to me and cherish each one. This post, a baby shower for my friend Stephanie, was planned months ago. Although the timing feels a bit forced in light of our recent news, I want to be able to celebrate … Read More
The Sting of Multiple Miscarriages
Although I may not be one for planning ahead, I’ve had this day marked on my calendar for the last 10 weeks. Ever since we found out just a few days before Valentine’s Day that we were expecting a baby due in October, I’ve had this day circled on my planner as the day I would publish a blog post announcing our good news. But as you may have already guessed, I won’t be sharing that happy news today. Instead, … Read More
Bran Snack Cake
I know, I know. The whole “bran cake” probably doesn’t have you dashing to the kitchen to make this recipe, does it? Hang with me for a moment and let me explain. I’ve undoubtedly mentioned before how much I love hearty, healthier, one-bowl cake that doesn’t require a lot of fuss. This cake is all that and more. Growing up I remember buying the most amazing bran muffins at the local grocery store. They were made by the local Dutch … Read More