Blueberry Pomegranate Smoothie

It's officially winter, and we are certainly feeling the season with colder than normal temperatures, rain, and little sunshine. Although, I am so thankful the solstice has come, and the days are slowly but surely beginning to lengthen. Spring seed catalogs arrived in the mail this week, so I have been flipping through and marking page after page of seeds to order, listening to music, and spending time with my family in this lazy week between Christmas and the new year. Christmas gathering foods were so good, and we indulged happily! But this week, we have been in the kitchen preparing veggie and protein filled meals and fruit smoothies for simple snacks. I have been making this blueberry pomegranate smoothie for the last several days, and it has become a favorite! It's packed with lots of antioxidants and vitamin C and is anti-inflammatory for those of you whose bellies don't love holiday food as much as you do. I hope it makes you feel good. And cheers to the end of another year, friends. See you in the next.

Blueberry Pomegranate Smoothie

Ingredients:

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

seeds from 1/2 pomegranate

1 Meyer lemon quartered and peeled

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 teaspoons agave syrup 

Put all ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until smooth. 

Add a handful of ice and blend until consistency desired is reached. 

Enjoy!

Note: My favorite way to deseed a pomegranate is using the wooden spoon trick. 

Nourishing Winter Meals

I'm not even ashamed to say that this time of year has never been my favorite, and I know I'm not the only one. Give me all the long slow summer days please. A few years ago, I converted to Catholicism, and since that time I have come to appreciate this time of year so much more and use it to heal and nourish my heart. And as much as I look forward to holiday meals and drinks with friends and family, I try and keep the rest of our meals at home as simple and as nourishing as possible. The simple part mainly because it feels like 10PM when we get home from work and I'm starving! The meals listed below are some of our very favorites that we repeat over the winter months. I hope you are able to get lots of physical and spiritual nourishment this season, whether by religion or in any other peace and love filled way.

A Simple Carrot Soup

Chicken Pesto Zucchini Noodles

Quick Pho

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Tarragon and Mustard Cream Sauce (I usually roast whatever veggies I have on hand to go along with this, sweet potatoes are a favorite!)

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Blush Tank

I finished my first knit garment this weekend. It has a few rows of twisted stitches from frogging and placing the stitches back on the needle incorrectly, several loose stitches that look like holes, and the seaming and woven ends look quite messy despite the immense care that I put into finishing it. But I am so proud of it, mistakes and all.

The pattern is Breezy by Erika Knight made with Wool and the Gang's Shiny Happy Cotton yarn in the colorway Nude Pink. My gauge was a bit small, but I didn't want to go up a needle size, so I just made a size bigger than I normally would. I also lengthened the body a bit and shortened the length of the straps to have a higher neckline. I loved working with the soft cotton during our extreme southern heat, and I'm so happy to have finished it in time to get some wear out of it before our cool weather makes an appearance. Now onto finish my first knit sweater for whenever fall decides to show up!

Roasted Peaches with Coconut Cream

It's peach season ya'll. and I can't get enough. I actually prefer unripe peaches to the softer ripe peaches. My husband tells me I eat them wrong, ha! But, for roasting I prefer the ripest I can find. I have been using a coconut creamer for my tea and coffee from The Sprouted Kitchen that takes the cake when it comes to dairy free creamers. It's a bit thick, which makes it perfect for a cream topping. I decided to pair it some roasted peaches for a light quick dessert and the outcome was SO good. I hope you enjoy. 

Ingredients

A few spoonfuls of The Sprouted Kitchen's Coconut Creamer (Optional: make in advanced and store in the fridge. Remaining creamer can be used in your tea or coffee.)

1 ripe peach peeled and sliced

1/2 tablespoon of butter

1/2 tablespoon of light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 400°F. Melt the butter and mix in the peach slices. Add the brown sugar and toss to evenly coat the peach slices. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and plate with a spoonful or two of coconut cream. 

Buffalo River for Quince and Co.

Crochet week is back over at the lovely Quince and Co., and my contribution, Buffalo River, was released today. Buffalo River is a crocheted wrap filled with texture and warmth. I used Quince and Co.'s fingering wool yarn Finch in their beautiful heathers, Audouin and Caspian. Its rustic and cozy feel was inspired by the contentment felt while pouring yourself a cup of warm coffee in the comfort of your own home, enjoying a fire with loved ones on a crisp night, or overlooking a beautiful peaceful landscape. This wrap is meant to accompany you wherever your heart is full and content. I hope you enjoy the new design and give the other beautiful patterns from the Crochet 2017 Collection a look!