Winter Kale Salad and Our Essential Dressing

Lately any of my semi-healthy tendencies have just gone out the window. Do I only eat Doritos and cookies anymore? I'll never tell. Heaven knows this is going to catch up with me all too soon, but it's just so hard to convince myself to change anything when that bag of chips fits so nicely when I'm laying in bed browsing Pinterest and swaddled in blankets.

Enter: maple balsamic dressing. This dressing is life changing. It's the only dressing I'll ever need ever again, and apparently the one dressing that can bring me back to choosing food that is slightly more beneficial than Doritos! It may just be what transformed me from the child I used to be, who when given a salad would wad it up into one big ball and stuff it in my mouth - no dressing, no nothing. I was strictly business when it came to those leafy greens. Anyways, this Maple Balsamic Dressing is absolutely perfect to top a kale salad, or really anything (to be honest). I've found that pecans are the perfect complement to kale, and never make a salad without them now. If you're feeling fancy, you can even toss them in a pan for a few minutes and toast them. Your taste buds will be astounded.



Here are some of my favorite toppings - you can really mix and match!

• apples
• blueberries
• pecans
• almonds
• craisins
• coconut flakes
• feta
• crumbled blue cheese
• red onion
• sunflower seeds
• pomegranate seeds

Then, for the dressing. Smother this on every salad you make, ever.

Maple Balsamic Dressing

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp dijon mustard

The amounts can be fudged, and adjusted to your own taste preferences. Just mix them all together! I usually make it in a mason jar and just shake it up after I add all the ingredients together.



What is your favorite salad combination?

-a clover & a bee

Lately any of my semi-healthy tendencies have just gone out the window. Do I only eat Doritos and cookies anymore? I'll never tell. Heaven knows this is going to catch up with me all too soon, but it's just so hard to convince myself to change anything when that bag of chips fits so nicely when I'm laying in bed browsing Pinterest and swaddled in blankets.

Enter: maple balsamic dressing. This dressing is life changing. It's the only dressing I'll ever need ever again, and apparently the one dressing that can bring me back to choosing food that is slightly more beneficial than Doritos! It may just be what transformed me from the child I used to be, who when given a salad would wad it up into one big ball and stuff it in my mouth - no dressing, no nothing. I was strictly business when it came to those leafy greens. Anyways, this Maple Balsamic Dressing is absolutely perfect to top a kale salad, or really anything (to be honest). I've found that pecans are the perfect complement to kale, and never make a salad without them now. If you're feeling fancy, you can even toss them in a pan for a few minutes and toast them. Your taste buds will be astounded.



Here are some of my favorite toppings - you can really mix and match!

• apples
• blueberries
• pecans
• almonds
• craisins
• coconut flakes
• feta
• crumbled blue cheese
• red onion
• sunflower seeds
• pomegranate seeds

Then, for the dressing. Smother this on every salad you make, ever.

Maple Balsamic Dressing

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp dijon mustard

The amounts can be fudged, and adjusted to your own taste preferences. Just mix them all together! I usually make it in a mason jar and just shake it up after I add all the ingredients together.



What is your favorite salad combination?

-a clover & a bee

heavenly cinnamon roll cake

Don't judge me for taking pictures on the floor. I followed the sun. It was getting late.

Now that we've moved in, I have gone a little crazy with the sweets. So far we have two different kinds of cookies in the freezer, snickerdoodle blondies, and now this amazing cake. I think I'll start saving our flour for breads instead of cakes, but I had to get all of the sugar out of my system first, apparently.

I found this recipe for Cinnamon Roll Cake on Pinterest and got so excited. It literally melts in your mouth. The best part is that for lazy bakers like me, you just have to mix everything up in a big bowl, so simple. Cinnamon rolls are a bit of a process, and this cake is easy to just throw together in a hurry.




Excuse me, while I go sleep off this cake. Nothing like a hefty slice of cake to put you to sleep.

- e plus l

Don't judge me for taking pictures on the floor. I followed the sun. It was getting late.

Now that we've moved in, I have gone a little crazy with the sweets. So far we have two different kinds of cookies in the freezer, snickerdoodle blondies, and now this amazing cake. I think I'll start saving our flour for breads instead of cakes, but I had to get all of the sugar out of my system first, apparently.

I found this recipe for Cinnamon Roll Cake on Pinterest and got so excited. It literally melts in your mouth. The best part is that for lazy bakers like me, you just have to mix everything up in a big bowl, so simple. Cinnamon rolls are a bit of a process, and this cake is easy to just throw together in a hurry.




Excuse me, while I go sleep off this cake. Nothing like a hefty slice of cake to put you to sleep.

- e plus l

pecan coconut oatmeal cookies

I am so excited about these cookies. Since Leah is still in California, I had to text her after I made them to tell her just how wonderful they are. If you like coconut and/or pecans, you must make these. I demand it. And you know what else? Cookies freeze perfectly fine so you can make a thousand of them, freeze them, and eat them every day for the rest of your life (assuming you have a microwave to thaw them out to a nice faux fresh-baked warm and gooey state).

They aren't too sweet, which helps the other delicious flavors shine through. I like cookies where you can actually taste the awesome flavors, rather than just being covered up by sweetness. I used raw sugar also, which gives nice texture, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.

Mix:
1 stick butter
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

---

Combine & Add:
2 cups flour
3 cups oatmeal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

---

Add:
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup pecans, in pieces

---

Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 340° for 18 minutes.





I hope you enjoy these as much as I am!

- e plus l

I am so excited about these cookies. Since Leah is still in California, I had to text her after I made them to tell her just how wonderful they are. If you like coconut and/or pecans, you must make these. I demand it. And you know what else? Cookies freeze perfectly fine so you can make a thousand of them, freeze them, and eat them every day for the rest of your life (assuming you have a microwave to thaw them out to a nice faux fresh-baked warm and gooey state).

They aren't too sweet, which helps the other delicious flavors shine through. I like cookies where you can actually taste the awesome flavors, rather than just being covered up by sweetness. I used raw sugar also, which gives nice texture, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.

Mix:
1 stick butter
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

---

Combine & Add:
2 cups flour
3 cups oatmeal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

---

Add:
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup pecans, in pieces

---

Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 340° for 18 minutes.





I hope you enjoy these as much as I am!

- e plus l

Over the Weekend: A spring picnic (a recipe too!)

(leah)

Over the weekend, while erin was hard at work, my roommate emma and I drove out to david's land to take pictures for one of my photography assignments. We figured while we were out in the country it was most definitely the perfect excuse to have a spring inspired picnic!




We had such a wonderful time. It was still a bit chilly and pretty windy, but emma and I were way past due on some one on one roommate bonding time so it was well worth it. We ended up getting some pretty awesome pictures for my assignment and our bellies were full of awesome food.

We ate...

Springtime tropical salad:
1 pineapple
2 red peppers
2 avocados
a bundle of green onions
greens from your garden (we got cale and spinach from emma's parents garden)
juice of two limes
olive oil & salt to taste

chop and mix your greens and veggies and throw in a large bowl. Then add lime juice, olive oil, and salt and stir!


Strawberry Avocado Baguette Bites:
1 wheat baguette
a box of strawberries
goat cheese
1 avocado

slice your baguette into one inch sections and spread a layer of goat cheese on to each. Then add a thin slice of strawberry and avocado to each one.

What a wonderful way to spend a saturday afternoon and unwind from the week! I hope you had a wonderful weekend as well!

love, (e plus ) l

(leah)

Over the weekend, while erin was hard at work, my roommate emma and I drove out to david's land to take pictures for one of my photography assignments. We figured while we were out in the country it was most definitely the perfect excuse to have a spring inspired picnic!




We had such a wonderful time. It was still a bit chilly and pretty windy, but emma and I were way past due on some one on one roommate bonding time so it was well worth it. We ended up getting some pretty awesome pictures for my assignment and our bellies were full of awesome food.

We ate...

Springtime tropical salad:
1 pineapple
2 red peppers
2 avocados
a bundle of green onions
greens from your garden (we got cale and spinach from emma's parents garden)
juice of two limes
olive oil & salt to taste

chop and mix your greens and veggies and throw in a large bowl. Then add lime juice, olive oil, and salt and stir!


Strawberry Avocado Baguette Bites:
1 wheat baguette
a box of strawberries
goat cheese
1 avocado

slice your baguette into one inch sections and spread a layer of goat cheese on to each. Then add a thin slice of strawberry and avocado to each one.

What a wonderful way to spend a saturday afternoon and unwind from the week! I hope you had a wonderful weekend as well!

love, (e plus ) l