Wednesday, February 28, 2018

What I Ate Wednesday (A Day of Vegan Eats)


Happy Wednesday lovely people! Be prepared for some deliciousness ahead. I don't mean to sound braggy, but - in looking back at food highlights from the past week - I spotted several meals that I recall being extremely tasty. And I think I'm just really hungry right now. I'll write this up as fast as I can because I want to get to eatin'!

One bit of deliciousness this week were these Gardein mandarin orange crispy chick'n nuggets, above. I have to say the photo is making my mouth water right now. On that particular day there were no leftovers available for lunch, but fortunately I had a packet of this yummy vegan chicken in the freezer. I served it with rice and roasted asparagus. The nice thing is asparagus roasts in about as much time as it takes to bake the chick'n and toss it with the orange sauce!

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Oscar Party Decor Ideas (with Cricut)


The 90th annual Academy Awards are just about here! This March 4th, Jimmy Kimmel returns as host and anybody who is anybody in Hollywood will be in attendance. I, on the other hand, will be watching it on the television, wearing pajamas and holding a cup of tea and a large chunk of chocolate.

We did recently hold our own Oscars party, though. And by recently, I mean in the fall. It was actually my daughter's 13th birthday party and she wanted an Oscars theme. I turned to my trusty Cricut Explore Air™ for Oscar-inspired black and gold party decor. I thought I would share the party decor details with you today in the hopes that you can use a project or two (or three) for your upcoming Oscar fĂȘte. All of the projects can be found ready-made in Cricut Design Space.

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

5 Healthy Foods To (Easily) Add To Your Diet and What I Ate Wednesday (A Day of Vegan Eats)



As I said in this post about starting a vegan diet, I recommend approaching the change to a more plant-based diet with the mindset that you are enriching your eating experience. In fact, I really don't like the word "diet," associated as it has been with deprivation and calorie counting. I'm using diet here as "the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats." Think about any change towards more healthful eating patterns as "adding on" rather than limiting what you eat.

Even if you currently eat a plant-based, whole foods diet, you can fall into a rut, eating the same meals and snacks regularly. And even vegans sometimes don't eat enough vegetables. To increase my intake of fruits, vegetables and other health-promoting foods, my recent strategy has been to buy loads of them and build my meals around them. I peruse the local flyers before I go to the grocery store, looking for deals on strawberries, watermelon and broccoli so I can price match at my chosen store. (I know, there's an app for that, but I love me some paper.)

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

What I Ate Wednesday (A Day of Vegan Eats)


Happy Valentine's Day friends! Whether you are celebrating solo, as a pair, in a group or not marking Valentine's Day at all, I hope you treat yourself well today. Do something you enjoy doing and give yourself a little treat. Because it's What I Ate Wednesday, I'm thinking it should be food. Preferably chocolate. But you do you (as they say).

Scones are always a nice choice too. Like this vegan raisin scone, above, that I enjoyed with a nice cup of decaf green tea in my husband's Jimi Hendrix mug. Because sometimes I get bored with my usual mugs. You too?

Friday, February 9, 2018

Valentine's Day Pink and Gold Table Decor with Gold Flatware


There's a pretty good (approximately 100%) chance we'll get takeout food for Valentine's Day. Because one of my favourite gifts is not having to cook. I'm not sure if it will be vegan sushi or Chinese food, but I do know that we'll serve up our takeout at a pretty pink and gold Valentine's Day table. Because even takeout deserves a lovely setting, especially on Valentine's Day. For this Valentine's Day tablescape, I primarily gathered up dishes and decorative items I already had in my home. But the real showstopper is my new gold flatware from Amara, sellers of luxury home fashions.

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

What I Ate Wednesday (A Day of Vegan Eats)


If you hang out with me on Instagram, you know that I'm pretending it's spring. Even though today is a snow day and the kids are home from school. Shhh... I mention this because a spring breakfast calls for something different from a winter breakfast. Like a smoothie bowl. (Which is not to say I've given up on oatmeal.) This particular smoothie bowl is made from frozen mixed berries, a fresh banana, soy milk, ground flax and peanut butter. Of course, the toppings are the best part. On this day, my smoothie bowl toppings were banana slices, strawberries, blueberries and granola.

Thursday, February 1, 2018

DIY Iron-On Mini Tote Bags for Galentine's Day (Free "I Got You Bae" SVG File)


As long as we're spreading the love around in February, why not celebrate your best friends, the women who offer you a shoulder to cry on, who send you those silly GIFs that perfectly capture your relationship and who understand what it's like to be the only person in the house who can see an empty toilet paper roll? Galentine's Day is celebrated on February 13th. It's a party just for the ladies. I think it would be fun to get together over a couple of bottles of wine and a selection of chocolate goodies and share little gifts that nurture your favourite gals.

These DIY iron-on mini tote bags are ideal for filling up with small treats for your besties. Of course, these totes can also be used for Valentine's Day proper. They would be great to hold gifts for a kids' Valentine's Day party or for your child to give to special friends at school. Better yet, why not make these mini totes together with friends at a crafting party? Read on to see how they're made.