Acai Protein Bowl

One of the biggest challenges I've faced with new mamahood has been trying to find a balance between meeting the all-consuming needs of a baby with taking time to care for myself and my body. Taking a long shower or spending an hour preparing a healthy meal are straight up luxuries that I took for granted in my life before baby. I now consider a successful shower one in which I can rinse the shampoo from my hair before jumping out to pop a pacifier back into a crying babe's mouth. And a healthy meal now looks like microwaveable frozen vegetables and a whole avocado.

This is why I've been into smoothies in a big way lately. I'll just throw a bunch of superfoods into our Vitamix and then sip away. To switch it up a little bit, I tried an Acai bowl, which consists of a smoothie base with nutrient powerhouses like fresh fruit and chia, sunflower and hemp seeds sprinkled on top.

Acai Protein Power Bowl

Smoothie Base Recipe:

1 frozen acai berry pack or 1 Tbsp. acai powder
1 cup frozen fruit (I used a combination of organic strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries)
1/2 cup greek yogurt or cottage cheese
1 scoop protein powder (I used PlantFusion Chocolate)
1.5 cup milk (I used Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk)
Handful of ice

Toppings:

1/4 cup fresh fruit (I used kiwi and blueberries)
1 Tbsp. Chia seeds
1 Tbsp. Hemp hearts
1 Tbsp. Sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp. Desiccated Coconut
Handful of Dried fruit or Granola

Begin by adding the frozen fruit, acai powder or frozen acai, cottage cheese or yogurt, protein powder, and almond milk into a blender and blend until smooth. Add ice cubes and use your blender tamper/stick to force the mixture around the blender as it thickens. After all ice is blended it should be smooth but have a thick consistency. Remove smoothie from blender into bowl, sprinkle desired toppings (the ones listed above are nutritional powerhouse superfoods).

Winter Detox: Green Power Smoothie

I cannot get enough of smoothies lately. There is something so wonderful and simple about throwing a ton of fresh healthy ingredients into a blender, hitting a button, and gulping down something you know is nourishing and repairing your body from the inside out.

Being pregnant has made me even more conscious of my food choices and smoothies have been an easy way to get the large amounts of protein, fluids, amino acids, and healthy fats needed for a healthy pregnancy. Plus, drinking lemon, spinach, ginger, and celery on a regular basis has made a big difference in reducing the amount of inflammation I experience. Swollen feet be gone! Even more importantly, I've seen a marked improvement in the amount of sustained energy I have throughout the day.

Get the green power smoothie recipe after the jump!

Day 3: Pumpkin Pie Greek Yogurt

I couldn't, in my right mind, feature an autumn dessert recipe collection without a classic pumpkin pie. And believe me, I'm not one that goes crazy with pumpkin combinations (I'm looking at you, Pringles, you're just too much). But I couldn't pass on trying my hand at a Pumpkin Pie greek yogurt recipe. And this baby turned out very nicely. The addition of the crunchy granola gives that nice pie crust crunch and the pecans just took it over the top. Who's ready for Thanksgiving!?

Pumpkin Pie Greek Yogurt Breakfast Bowl

Ingredients:

6 oz. nonfat greek yogurt (I use Chobani Non-Fat Plain)
2 Tbsp. Canned Pumpkin
2 Tsp. Honey or Agave Nectar
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 Tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
Sprinkle of nuts
Handful of your favorite granola
Pinch of sea salt

Mix together and enjoy!

Day 2: Cookie Dough Greek Yogurt

It's Day 2 of Greek Yogurt Week and I have a GREAT combination to share with you today: Cookie Dough! And let me just tell you, this legitimately tastes like eating cookie dough straight off a spatula. But it's SO much healthier. Healthy enough, in fact, that it can still boast as a protein-packed breakfast option. So who's with me on cookie dough for breakfast?

Cookie Dough Greek Yogurt Breakfast Bowl

Ingredients:

6 oz. nonfat greek yogurt (I use Chobani Non-Fat Plain)
1 Tbsp. natural creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp. Honey or Agave Nectar
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 Tbsp. Mini Chocolate Chips
Pinch of sea salt

Mix together and enjoy!

Walnut Spice Cake + Cream Cheese Frosting

If you love autumn, spices, and beautiful cakes, this recipe is right up your alley. I've been trying to keep my excitement for fall to a minimum, because I really do love the summer and am trying to master the practice of enjoying the present (not successfully, mind you). I've really been in the mood for pumpkin pie spices, hot apple cider, leather boots and mums! So I stayed inside on Labor Day instead of roasting in the Pennsylvania humidity. I cranked the AC, threw on a sweater, and baked a cake. And let me tell you, this cake is amazing. It is so moist and flavorful and does not last long in my house.

Walnut Spice Cake + Cream Cheese Frosting

WALNUT SPICE CAKE RECIPE

1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup boiling water
2 1/2 cups flour, sifted
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 whole egg
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon lemon juice or lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grease two 8 inch cake pans. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix raisins and chopped walnuts in a bowl. Add baking soda and boiling water and stir. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the batter. Sift flour and cinnamon. Cream buter and sugar, a little at at time, scraping the sides often. Add the whole egg and yolks, beatin gwell after each. Add lemon and vanilla.

Beat in half of the flour mixture, and then the bowl of soaking raisins, walnuts, baking soda and water, and then incorporate the other half of the flour mix. Pour into pans.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on rack for five minutes and then remove from pan.

CREAM CHEESE ICING RECIPE

8oz. regular cream cheese
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 lb. powdered sugar

Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and incorporate, scraping the sides. Slowly, 1/2 cup at a time, add the powdered sugar until smooth, thick, and creamy. Refrigerate for at least a half hour before icing the cake.

Roasted Chickpea and Avocado Tacos with Lime Crema

See the recipe after the jump!

Breakfast Yogurt with Olive Oil, Blueberries, Banana + Chia Seeds

Do you love breakfast as much as I do? When I have buckwheat groats soaking overnight, or a particularly yummy and fresh granola waiting for me in the morning, I get excited just going to bed knowing I get to wake up to a delicious breakfast. That's how much I love it! I've been really digging full-fat yogurt lately, and Noosa's plain yoghurt is ridiculously good. I've been dressing it up with some healthy add-in's like fruit, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a sprinkle of sea salt to really take it over the edge. Try this tomorrow for breakfast and I promise you won't be disappointed, or hungry until lunch!

See the recipe after the jump!

STYLING INSPIRATION

Let's stop and talk for a minute about how STUNNING the food styling and photography of Gabriel at Artful Desperado is. I mean come on, that is just straight up art right there. Head on over and check out the rest of Gabriel's work for some serious recipe and photography inspiration. You better believe I'm making this chocolate meringue cake soon.

Images via Artful Desperado

Healthy Vegan Snacks + Balela Recipe

Oh man, we are in the midst of some serious summer heat! It is unbelievably hot here in Pittsburgh and it feels like the air is weighted with moisture when you walk outside. In the midst of humid heat, I gravitate towards a snack-based diet. Preparing a big hot meal when it's 90 degrees just doesn't appeal. These are my latest favorite healthy snacks, and they all happen to be vegan. And there's a recipe for a wonderful balela salad at the bottom.

AVOCADO + TOMATO SANDWICH (VEGAN)

Let's talk about this sandwich. Oh man, it is GOOD. So good, in fact, that I have been bringing it to work as lunch for a few weeks straight and have not grown tired of it yet. It seems simple, right? That's because it is! The thing I love the most about this sandwich is that it completely fills me up and leaves me satiated for the entire afternoon. I feel great about the fact that it's made from whole, healthy, and fresh ingredients. And I don't need to think about preparing a different lunch each day, worrying that I'll be hungry later. Ready to try it yet?

See the recipe after the jump!

Cold Brewed Iced Coffee + Cream

Cold brewed iced coffee has to be one of my favorite drinks on a humid summer day. It's refreshing and gives you the perfect kick of mid-afternoon caffeine. We've been having plenty hot humid summer days as of late (not that I'm complaining after the deep and dark never-ending winter we just had), so our fridge has been fully stocked with cooled beverage goodness.

The lovely thing about the cold brew method is the absence of acidity and bitterness usually accompanied with regular coffee. Instead, you're left with a smooth, dark and rich blend that can be enjoyed straight up black or with all the add-in's your heart desires.

Cold Brewed Iced Coffee

1 cup coarsely ground coffee beans

4 cups cold water

Half & half or creamer

Place the ground coffee in a large pitcher or container. Pour the cold water over the top. Stir slightly to make sure all the grounds are submerged. Let stand at room temperature, or in the refrigerator, for 12-15 hours to brew. After brewing, pour the coffee through a cheesecloth or coffee filter several times until the grounds are gone. Serve over ice and mix with cream or half & half and/or flavors of your choosing.

friday finds

1. the perfect corner utilizing wall knobs
2. white and wooden rolling pins
3. pillow love: this b&w one is so good
4. i can never resist big baskets on white walls
5. the coolest lookin' power cord
6. kimono sleeve top in white summery fabric
7. a natural cat eye makeup look
8. simple strawberry tart perfect for the fourth
9. the way all-wood walls work beautifully in a space

happiest of fridays! xo, erin

Almond Butters that will rock your world

The Science of Baking

I have always loved the scientific absoluteness of baking. You get exactly what you put in. No beginner's luck, intuition, or gut feeling involved. Measure twice, mix once.

The temperature of the fats, eggs, and flour matters. The precision of each teaspoon matters. Every aspect of the process matters. And if you love the process of baking, getting a recipe just right can be one of most rewarding feelings. Baking is the opportunity for mastery at it's most sweetest.

happiest

of days to my dear Richard!

Olive Oil Granola with Bing Cherries and Pistachios

I made my first batch of homemade granola a few years ago using a recipe I found on the New York Times. It was truly awesome. So awesome, in fact, that I thought it may be beginner's luck. So I made more and more batches, each as delicious as the last.

A Sprinter Chicken

Well, we haven't had much of a winter this year. It's been more of a Spring-Winter, or what I like to call, a Sprinter. But every once in a while, the air carries a chill and the clouds dominate the sky and you just want to hibernate.

For those days, this is your menu.

The Race to a New Chocolate Chip Cookie

It took ten years for me to master my mom's chocolate chip cookie recipe. The process taught me baking, chemistry, and the importance of precision and exploration in the kitchen. They were my first baking love. But I want to master new recipes this year and I'm on the hunt for a go-to chocolate chip cookie. I'll be experimenting and sharing over the next few weeks.

Winter Cure: the best banana bread

Ah yes, there it is. That crisp pure white snow we've been waiting, or bracing, for finally arrived.

Mixin' it up: Waffles and animation

It could be the arrival of the new year, but I've been craving newness lately. My go-to recipes, techniques, and even photography style feels a little stale. So I'm playing with animation instead of straight-up photography. And here's a new technique I just learned to make waffles.

I'm excited to see what 2012 brings, and I hope you'll come along on the journey with me.