DIY + sustainable living: hazelnut milk

Did you know you can make a non-dairy milk from almost any nut? And that it's actually super simple? Well prepared to be shocked and awed!

summer reading

One goal this summer is to read all of the amazing books I've been collecting the past several months. These shown are only just a few. I know you'll recognize Ann Voskamp's books from last week's post. 

Do you have a particular taste in books? For instance, is there a certain genre that you could really care less about? Or maybe one that you love so much it seems that's all you ever read? Ever since leaving high school, I pulled away from the fiction as much as possible to try to expand my horizons into true accounts, real stories of real people and their experiences, non-fiction at its best. To me, this includes self-help books too - like Ann's "One Thousand Gifts". But every now and then I can slip a good fiction novel into the mix.... 

Here's my list, from the top:

*Stories of the Sea , curated by Diana Secker Tesdell

*One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

*One Thousand Gifts Devotional by Ann Voskamp

*A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

*A Dog's Journey by W. Bruce Cameron 

*Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson

Do you have any plans for summer reading? 

Have a lovely week!

culinary: peanut butter blossoms

Surprise Saturday Post! I'm always trying to find new ways to make classic desserts. I know you're all aware of my summer goal to utilize more gluten free, dairy free, better-for-you ingredients. Well, this recipe is somewhat up that alley! 

From Sweet & Savory Life, here is a peanut butter blossom recipe with only five ingredients! So simple and so tasty. Here ya go:

For 2 dozen cookies*

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1/3 c. flour

1 c. creamy peanut butter

24 Hershey kisses

AND here is how you can substitute different ingredients for this basic recipe... instead of both types of sugar, use coconut palm sugar or at least a raw, unrefined sugar. Substitute whole wheat pastry flour for regular all-purpose flour - or get even more daring and try including a bit of coconut flour. Use all natural creamy peanut butter instead of Jiffy or Skippy (beware, the original recipe warns against this, but mine turned out just fine!) and try Vegan chocolate chips. You could also use a different binding agent instead of the egg, perhaps mashed banana? Just note that your cookies will have a banana flavor! Anyways, this is a super simple base so play around with different ingredients until you find what you like.

diy: vegan chocolate

Trying my hand at creating my own dairy free, vegan chocolate. Did you know that most chocolate chips are not considered dairy-free? I did not know this, and was mistakenly claiming some of my "vegan friendly" desserts as such, only to be corrected thankfully! So I went out to search for a way to make my own chips - and I found an excellent source (thank you Go Dairy Free, care of my mother who sent this to us because Evan is lactose intolerant. *hint, Chelsea bake something the poor boy can eat*).

I was surprised at how easy this was and how well they turned out! Basically, you only need these simple ingredients:

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 to 3 tbsp agave nector (you can also use powdered sugar)

1/4 cup coconut oil or *food grade* cocoa butter

1/4 tsp vanilla extract (without alcohol)

pinch of salt

*bits of hazelnut for added flavor*

Essentially, you heat up your coconut oil, agave, vanilla and salt until just melted. If using powdered sugar, sift that instead and combine with sifted cocoa powder in a small bowl. Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder. Spoon the chocolate into a greased silicon mold or candy mold (I'm using a silicon ice cube tray from Ikea - thank you Jen!!). Place in freezer to harden. Beware, since this is made with coconut oil, these chunks may tend to melt faster at room temperature.

The powdered sugar instead of agave will make this chocolate sweeter. Mine, as according to the recipe, was more bittersweet. I used these in my favorite healthy cookie recipe just by cutting these "fish" into chunks and adding the usual amount.

Let me know how yours turn out! Happy baking, 

menagerie: words to live by

One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight

learning to live in the moment

I intended to post about this book for some time. After noticing another blogger's inspired posts and photos of this book and how it helped her find joy in all aspects of daily life, I knew I couldn't let this slip away from me without reading it.

One Thousand Gifts chronicles Ann Voskamp's life on her farm, and how she learns to find love, peace and happiness in every part of her day (eucharisteo) - in every aspect of her life - despite struggles and hardships. I know for me, this has always been hard to grasp. I know that God provides and I have always been thankful for my blessings, but I've never thought about the fact that those random thoughts of "oh I wish this were different" or "one day when I do this" or " I hope this will happen soon" is actually demonstrating some ungratefulness for the moments in "the now" that I've been granted. For instance, I never even think about the fact that when I wake up to go for a run in the morning, that my healthy body cares me the whole way and I should be thankful for that! It's true! I know you agree, right? That's a blessing from God, and I am so thankful for Ann's book to help me realize these simple, every day blessings. 

She encourages you to keep a journal to record these blessings. Write them down as soon as you realize them - that moment with the older woman in line with coffee, the "thanks" and the smile you received from the cab driver, the little boy who brings you your cellphone that you accidentally left at the park bench, etc.. See, those are just normal every day type of occurrences, but they are definitely blessings I think!

The book reads like a novel as you follow Ann in her recognition of how to live in the "now". Although I'm not a fan of her verbose writing and detailed imagery, I do like the structure of the book - it's easy to read and follow and very easy to see God working in her life which in turn helps you find all those same key notes. 

So I've put a little notebook in my purse. Whenever I come across a blessing, even in disguise, I jot it down. You can read some of mine above - they may seem like this little notes about things I like, but remember its the "in the moment" aspect that made these important. I find this particularly refreshing when I'm having a bad day - I use that instant of realization to turn around my mood and focus on the positive, which leads to the discovery of a simple blessing!

Are you interested in working through this book together? I'd love to hear your thoughts of this devotional too! Let me know if you purchase it because I would definitely be up for a discussion :) 

10 things: from my bag

Okay, I'll be starting a new little segment called "10 things" which will basically be just that -- 10 little things I've found, discovered recently, take with me always, etc. To start it off, I'll show you the 10 things I keep in my purse at all times.

1 \\ Keys to my office and Ichthyology Lab + Museum

2 \\ iPhone 

3 \\ Earbuds, which yes I've wrapped my own. You can have a pair too!

4 \\ CK wallet with only the important cards I use regularly 

5 \\ Vintage shades

6 \\ Pencil + Pen

7 \\ Menta chapstick

8 \\ Jump drive with everything from my recent lionfish project [everything, literally].

9 \\ Business card holder (with lionfish business cards. Did you ever see them here?)

10 \\ Journal to practice eucharisteo (see tomorrow's post!)

What 10 things can you not leave the house without? Do we have similar items?

Did you see the giveaway winners!? Are you perhaps one of them? Go look now! Congrats and thank you so much to Robin and Basha for sharing their story with us and their generous gifts!

Until tomorrow, 

photography: tiny sea things

The other day, I sold a beachcombing supply kit to lovely lady in California. She requested I hunt down as many tiny sea urchin tests as possible (*the test is the "exoskeleton" of the sea urchin. Urchins don't have bones, but this circular piece provides their bodies support and remains after they die). I found her 20 tiny urchin tests, and about 20 more that were even smaller than she requested. I put these extras in a jar with part of my sea glass collection (the west coast of PR hordes a ton of beautiful sea glass!). 

A few of the tests still had their spines in tact. So I carefully removed the spines and stored them in an old glitter tube. Although they hurt like everything if you step on one of these guys, the spines are pretty and collectable [to a naturalist] I suppose.

I love beachcombing. I find the most unique items - animals, plants, pieces of wood and other flotsam that has drifted to our coast from who knows where. There is something magical about wandering the shores and collecting long and forgotten items. I love to find old jars - especially those with encrusting algae or pieces of old coral grown up around the neck. I had a beautiful whiskey jar just like that, nestled on the deck of our back porch. We had a strong storm come through and the wind knocked the bottle to the patio tile. I was disappointed, but it has encouraged me to keep my eyes peeled while grazing the sand for unique little trivets.

Will you make it to the ocean this summer?

Don't forget about the giveaway from Basha - the women's organization in Bangladesh helping women-at-risk work in dignified roles and grow in Christ's love! Basha is giving away a scarf and pair of earrings to TWO of my readers!! Head there now, the giveaway ends tomorrow!

 

Have a lovely week,