But y’all- I scoured the internet for this month’s recipe round up and was BLOWN AWAY by the creativity of all of these fabulous food bloggers below! Check out some of the most fun recipes I found:
MAJOR avocado inspiration about to head your way! Watch out, because huge avocados with pits could potentially take out your eyeballs.
I KID!
No, instead of dodging actual avocados, it’s time for this month’s recipe round up of all of the fantastic and delicious avocado recipes I found on the internet. And yes, my mouth did water as I was looking these up and I was overcome with avocado-inspired, voracious hunger.
And speaking of cooking with avocados, how do you actually pick out the best avocados? Check out this week’s video to learn some great tips and tricks (and watch Bigsby feign exhaustion):
Here we go, drumroll, THESE PEOPLE ARE AVOCADO BRILLIANT AKA MY FAVE AVOCADO RECIPES THIS MONTH!
Avocado Bacon and Eggs by Lil’ Luna Please someone make this for my breakfast tomorrow?
Honey Mustard Chicken, Avocado + Bacon Salad by Cafe Delights The dressing is also the marinade, GENIUS!
Cucumber and Avocado Sandwich by Two Peas & Their Pod Avocado + cucumber + sprouts + HERBED GOAT CHEESE OH MY GRACIOUS!
Paleo Chocolate Pudding by Wicked Spatula My husband can tell you that I can NOT get enough of avocado pudding and will eat every drop of it if you get close I promise I will stab you with. my spoon.
Avocado Coconut Truffles with Dark Chocolate by Wild Blend Umm, this chick is INCREDIBLE and her food brain is so, so smart. Well done Wonder Woman, well done.
Blueberry Avocado Muffins by Gimme Some Oven Genius!! Using avocado as the oil in these muffins totally ups the blueberry muffin game into the baking stratosphere. Genius! Wait, how many times have I said genius?
Avocado Salsa Verde by Joyful Healthy Eats This is one of my FAVORITE ways to eat avocado. Plus a homemade salsa verde oh my GEEZ LOUISE!
And finally, the Tuna Poke Bowl by bon appetit This is one of those recipes you see, your mouth waters, and you think “I’d be willing to spend $100 on tuna right now.” Then you look in your bank account and realize that yes, dreaming about avocados IS a positive, yet not so lucrative, past time.
Here’s to a weekend full of avocado-inspired joy and great food!
The Food Charlatan’s dreamy raspberry sweet rolls with coconut cream cheese frosting.
Praise praise hallelujah for America!
With all that is taking place in our 2017 world (largely of which I don’t know about because I purposely avoid watching the news), I’ve grown increasingly more grateful for the opportunity and privilege I have to live, and be, an American. Now that my husband and I own a home and seem to be thinking more and more about the generations after us- it’s become much more important to show gratitude to the ones we love.
It especially inspires a gratitude for the military names I don’t know. The ones who served in our military, put their own needs aside, and gave their lives- so people like me could live in freedom.
So this week, in honor of our wonderful country, and our wonderful military members and their families, let’s take this weekend to love people with some of the most tasty, patriotic Memorial Day recipes out there. Drum roll pleeeasee…
Berries and Cream Tye Dye Fruit Smoothie– This is one of the most beautiful layered smoothie recipes I’ve ever seen. Hot Beauty Health is a fab lifestyle blog and this smoothie does not disappoint! Layers of raspberry pureed with banana, yogurt + milk, and cranberry juice +blue berries + black berries pile high in a cold glass. I wish this was in my hand now. Except I couldn’t type. But I think I could manage with one hand if I got to drink this.
Blueberry-Coconut Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal– Helllooooo oatmeal! I am a huge steel cut oats fan, and this recipe is perfect for a long Memorial Day weekend. MarlaMeridith cooks the oatmeal in the oven ahead of time so the texture becomes even more fantastic as it sits in the fridge overnight. Plus, it’s covered with toasted pecans and extra blueberry sauce. You had me at blueberry sauce.
Raspberry Sweet Rolls with Coconut Cream Cheese FrostingThere truly are no words for The Food Charlatan’s take on a classic sweet roll. She stuffs these beautiful, homemade dough babies with a little bit of sugar and raspberries, then whips up a homemade coconut cream cheese frosting to slather on them once they are hot out of the oven. I can’t imagine a sweeter Memorial Day treat to wake up to.
Ok and of course, a few Luv Cooks favorites:
Gluten Free Mixed Berry Crumble: This gluten-free take on a classic berry crumble would be PERFECT for a Memorial Day breakfast- or picnic! Top it with cold Greek yogurt and you have yourself a breakfast of champions.
Coconut Chai Latte Do your friends love chai tea? Then you have to try to make it homemade. This coconut chai tea latte is a fantastic way to drink chai- and continues to remind me of how much I love coconut milk.
Strawberry Frozen YogurtI am 100% for eating fro-yo for breakfast, and this incredibly easy recipe has only four ingredients. Count ’em- FOUR!
Plus, not to leave you hanging, the original instructional video!!
So grab your sparklers, tell someone you love ’em, and cook up a sweet breakfast this weekend. From my patriotic heart to yours- Luv Cooks!
That’s right, this week’s recipe is fantastic. As in, so fantastic, that when I served it at a party recently my girlfriends could NOT get enough. Then my husband started eating it, I jumped in, and before we knew it our fingers were orange, popcorn crumbs were all over the floor and the bag was, sadly, almost empty.
You see, I have a lifelong love of cheddar cheese popcorn. It all started with cheddar cheese balls. Do you know the kind I am talking about? They came (maybe still come?) in a blue can that you have to peel back the metal can opener layer to access (it’s very hazardous, but I believe preserves the freshness).
I learned to be very careful at that stage- overzealousness as a seven year old can cause injury-in order to fully immerse myself in the glorious smell of pseudo cheddar cheese and the neon, powdery goo left all over my face.
It eventually escalated to the bagged version, of which I have a complete weakness for. Road trip snack? Cheddar popcorn. Movie night? I was that person who bought the microwavable popcorn, cheddar flavor. Youth group snacks? You guessed it.
Oh, but NOW, the beauty of SkinnyPop. Not only do they have a White Cheddar flavor (which is delicious, trust me, I’m an expert;) ) but the Original flavor transforms beautifully if you are looking for another non-dairy cheddar option. Plus, you don’t have to soak the raw cashews overnight to create that spicy cheesy flavor! In fact, I bet this cheese powder would also pair well with the white cheddar flavor- like a double hit of cheesy goodness!
For today’s version, I just made a few tweaks to her original recipe, mixed in SkinnyPop, and added my own hit of onion, garlic,and cayenne. It’s SO EASY, all you have to do is shake the homemade cheese powder up in the bag. Voila! Let the snacking begin…
This easy, weekday popcorn recipe is as simple as making the cheesy powder and tossing it in the SkinnyPop bag! Plus, NO overnight soaking of cashews to create a great, cheesy flavor!
Make the cheese powder! Put cashews, turmeric, nutritional yeast, corn starch, cumin, salt, onion and garlic powder, and cayenne in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until a fine powder forms- don’t pulse too long or you will start making nut butter!
Open popcorn bag, then toss about 3/4 of the powder into the SkinnyPop bag.
Dance like you mean it and shake that bag up! Taste, and add more powder if you like! ENJOY!
***PLUS This week’s Video: 5 Tips to STAY MOTIVATED!! Video points are outlined below for you A++ students who like to take notes and things of that nature.
Daily ritual-I have a ritual I do almost every morning: coffee+prayer. I meditate on my purpose for the day, think about what I want to accomplish, and talk to the Lord about my schedule. Taking time to center myself and focus on my purpose for the day really makes a difference! I’ve learned that my heart motivation actually matters more to me than the physical result of my labor. Granted, this mindset is still a work in progress, but a simple daily ritual helps me stay focused. Simply put: do something every day that centers you and reminds you of your purpose.
Beauty– Ingest beauty! I’m such a lover of beauty- magazines, flowers, art history books- all of them speak to me. Take in, feast, meditate on what it is that you want to project out into the world. I think Proverbs says that “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” I ponder on beauty because it makes me feel like I am coming alive. Whatever that is for you- do somethingevery day that makes you feel creatively alive.
Community & Friends– The best way I know to stay encouraged is to connect to my community. “No man is an island” rings true here. I want to be intentional about sharing what’s going on in my life, but also about hearing what matters to the people I love. Maybe there is someone on your heart today. Check in, say hello, ask them how they are! You are NEVER alone. Sometimes when you are in a freelance or solitary work position it can feel UBER insular, but I promise, that’s not the truth! You were made to be part of a bigger picture and bigger world- to impact the people around you.
Gratitude– I have to daily remind myself to stay grateful! I know when I am pursuing big dreams and passions (for me it’s food styling, the blog, having a family) sometimes I become so forward thinking that I forget to be grateful for the moments I have now. Comparison can enter our hearts when we are thinking about the big picture, too- but comparison is the thief of joy!! Let’s just forget comparing ourselves to other people because THESE are the moments we have; they are a GIFT and they are beautiful.
Lists– I know this sounds super simple, but list-making really makes a difference. I love checking things off of a list! Granted, I am more of a type A personality, but if you run your own business, or simply don’t have someone patting you on the back for productivity, a list holds you accountable and helps me feel accomplished. It’s your way to say “Way to go SELF! I see the progress I did make today.”
That’s right, it’s a brand new month, which means a brand new batch of POPCORN recipes are rolling out! This month, we’ll have a gluten-free (#darkchocolate), vegan (#cheezz), and Southern fabulousness version, all involving the delicious, oh-so-wonderful original flavor of SkinnyPop popcorn.
This week I’m also sharing 5 ways to love people well with food! (Clue- #caffeine and a potential fruit basket is involved in this video).
I mean, who knows what could happen on Luv Cooks this March? Nashville spring is in the air, one daffodil is blooming in our yard, AND Jake and I have been out back scraping plaster off surfaces to prepare brand new looks for y’all. Did I mention we used copper spray paint?
I know, impressive.
Going along with the wave of this fresh creativity, I briefly considered making each of these posts about reliving my popcorn memories. However, I realized these posts would be few and far between as they revolve around one of three topics: 1. My father’s passionate speech on the lack of actual lard in our movie theater popcorn; 2. My husbands fear of cracking his tooth on kernels at the bottom of the bag; 3. The time I almost caught our kitchen on fire (well, one of several times) trying to make kettle corn.
And instead of re-telling the horrific story of torching sugar in a paper thin, hand-me-down aluminum pan on a gas flame, all-the-while attempting to “SAVE THE CORN!” by shaking the pan vigorously, coughing on smoke and rushing the pan to our front porch in Alabama, I decided to forgo that story.**
This week’s recipe is way sweeter and WAY simpler than my kettle corn fiasco thanks to the beauty of SkinnyPop! Their popcorn is so tasty, and the brands they represent are delicious. Have y’all had Oatmega bars? They are ahhhmazing. Anyway, never one to shy away from passionate opinions on snack foods, I am oh-so-happy to turn this into a series of posts for you guys!
So, here we are with this month’s focus, and recipe. It’s party time, and, in true Luv Cooks fashion, I have already taste-tested each of this month’s variations on my friends. Every single one got a thumb’s up!
I also want to mention the inspiration for this chocolatey goodness, the UBER fun blog Salty Canary. I took Andrea’s chocolate and coconut popcorn recipe and tweaked it just a tad. Y’all- Andrea is precious and a genius attorney. Her site is so colorful, has all sorts of shades of pink, and I couldn’t help but stumble upon her cookie milkshake roundup. Those iced animal cookies, oh my gosh, surely those are Paleo? 😉
This is the easiest, girls night/Emmy night/date night popcorn I’ve ever done (thank you Andrea, you popcorn genius!!). All you need is a bag of SkinnyPop, dark chocolate with a bit of oil, a microwave, and bagged coconut. DONE.
Gluten Free Salted Chocolate and Coconut Popcorn (Recipe inspired by Salty Canary!)
This easy, quick weeknight-or special occasion- recipe is perfect for a girls night, family night, or just you-and-Netflix night. In fact, the only cooking step involves a microwave. Score!
What You Will Need:
1 bag SkinnyPop, original (4.4 ounces)
1 3.5 ounce Lindt 70% dark chocolate bar, broken into large pieces
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup toasted coconut chips*
A few pinches coarse sea salt
What You Will Do:
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Spread entire bag of SkinnyPop evenly across parchment.
Melt the dark chocolate and vegetable oil for 30 seconds in the microwave on high. Stir. Microwave again at 15 second intervals until smooth.
Drizzle chocolate on popcorn in an excitedly sporadic fashion. Top with sweetened coconut and coconut chips.
Sprinkle with sea salt and allow chocolate to harden at room temperature. Enjoy!!
*You can either sprinkle the coconut right out of the bag onto your popcorn, or toast it to your liking in a small sauté pan on medium heat. Just watch the coconut so it doesn’t burn! Like kettle corn, it can turn on you in an instant. #flashbacks
**I believe that there is actual footage of this wreckage in the recesses of ancient Instagram posts. If you do go on this search, please be aware that I had no idea what I was doing with Instagram back in the day. Actually I still don’t. Hah!
Today is a fantastic day. You know why? Because, BROWNIE RECIPES! As you know, I share a deep, deep love for brownies, wish they were a part of the food pyramid (*awkward! I realized this no longer exists, hah, as you can see in my Luv Cooks video for the week) and I have a unique ability (some say it could be considered an athletic ability) to relentlessly daydream about recipes. Caramel, pecan, peanut butter, spicy chili, coconut, dark chocolate, cookie dough- name the add-in, I’ll eat it. Well, unless it contains cricket flour. But that’s for a whole other discussion.
Rest assured that none of this week’s recipes involve cricket flour-and oh my geez MY STOMACH IS GROWLING thinking about these!!
Coconut Almond Skillet Paleo Brownies– WHAT?!! Do you SEE these photos? I am seriously going to make a surface like that as soon as I can. Stunning! And how cute is Taylor?!
2. Bailey’s Brownies– I am a sucker for Bailey’s, and that cream layer on the top?! Dreamy! This recipe and photo from Spend with Pennies looks delicious!
3. Yammie’s Flourless Crunch Marshmallow Brownies I was literally so excited about these brownies that I clicked to open them three times from Pinterest. They have: peanut butter, Rice Krispies, chocolate, marshmallows, more marshmallows…
4. Salted Caramel Brownies– My mouth is now watering. Something Swanky is the cutest site! Full of so much color, fun, and mad dessert love. My kind of gal!
5. Tiramisu Brownies: You had me at COFFEE BROWNIES! These photos and recipe by Broma Bakery are so beautiful, so lovely, and so perfect for breakfast. And dessert. And a snack. And really anytime you feel you need a tiramisu brownie.
Also this week- The 5 Things I Keep in My Fridge!! Because who doesn’t like to spy in other people’s refrigerators? **
**Note: Cleary there is often MORE than five things in my fridge. Especially if I am prepping for a food shoot (normally I am banging my head against a shelf in my freezer during that time; Lord send us a double fridge!). But on a weekly basis, Jake and I have developed some staples that keep us going and on a (somewhat) healthy track. After all, what is a routine if you don’t have easy access to coffee bombs?:)
So, here’s our list in a non-video form:
Fruit is a fridge staple!
Almond milk: I love unsweetened vanilla almond milk! I drink it all the time with cookies; add it to my cereal, and smoothies, and to powdered peanut butter. I also sometimes substitute the unsweetened original flavor for dairy in soups! It’s a good swap if you need it. We buy ours in the three-pack from Costco.
Yogurt: Whole milk, plain yogurt has become a fridge staple for us. I love Stonyfield Organic whole milk yogurt and my current FAVE thing to do with yogurt is stir in some powdered or regular peanut butter, cocoa powder, a bit of stevia and cinnamon, and voila! It’s like a pseudo peanut butter cup.
Green apples: Green apples cold from the fridge are the best! I chop them up, toss them with cinnamon, add them to oatmeal, dip them in peanut butter- lots of fiber and possibilities there.
Eggs: We also get a 24 count flat of these from Costco! My favorite use is to soft-boil them. Just lower eggs into boiling water, cover, and then take your pot off the heat for about 8 minutes. Rinse the eggs under cold running water and peel. The centers are beautifully runny and fabulous on toast and in broth or with Asian food.
5. Coffee bombs: Y’all know how passionate I am about Ladybird Provisions and their coffee bombs. They are a part of my coffee routine on the daily and I try to always have stacks of them in the fridge! The smoothie above was made with a coffee bomb in it:)
Happy weekend everyone! May your tummies, and fridges, stay full!
As you know, I am a passionate foodie, sweet tooth, peanut butter lover. I am also a fan of all things beautiful. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of praying and thinking about the blog. What do you, my precious readers, want to see? What would bless you? What would fill you up- both literally and creatively?
I think you, like me, share a love of beauty. It’s part of what makes me who I am (my name is actually Greek for beauty, shout out to all my Greek sisters!), it’s a large part of why I feel so connected to my Maker, and it’s a huge part of why I got into this whole blogging thing in the first place. Plus, doing food and prop styling full time means I get to be surrounded by beauty a lot. It’s pretty amazing.
So, in an effort to try a few new things around the blog, here, my wonderful friends, are the beautiful things that inspired me both in and out of the kitchen this week.
The colors, textures, Italian grandmothers, pasta, and produce stand in this campaign are heavenly. My love for the look of Dolce and Gabbana’s ad campaigns runs deep. If I had $4,000 to spend on a dress and sunglasses, you better believe I’d be sporting the ones above. Oh, and have you seen the VIDEO?!
To say that I want to live in a kitchen with an open, airy view of the Grecian sea while gazing across my white marble countertops towards my Anthropologie cake stands and colorful cook book collection- understatement of the century. They do such beautiful work with cool, bright props and ceramics. #LUV
Recipe taken from Eater.com, a screen shot capture of the episode “Fire” (contributed by Netflix.com and Jigsaw productions)
I laughed, I cried, I was a tad grossed out, I wept for joy. You know, just a normal Tuesday night watching Cooked. Y’all- Michael Pollan not only is one of my favorite, down-to-earth food personalities/experts, his new show Cooked (on Netflix now) is my fave. As in, I am trying to focus on writing this right now and secretly wishing there was a way to watch the Water episode at the same time. Oh wait, you want to go to Morocco to run a grain mill now too? I knew you would!
I think gray wood is gorgeous, especially when it comes to bowls, countertops and furniture elements. It counterbalances color so well. Like these two shots, taken from MyDomaine.com:
Photo: Sharyn Cairns, design by Mim Design, taken from mydomaine.com Photo: Evan Lane, design by Amber Lancaster, taken from mydomaine.com
I want to go to live there with those pillows. And the eggs.
The color block, the artistry, the fierce photo of Alexa Chung. Fabulous. And it brings back such good memories of Jake and I’s honeymoon in Miami. Sigh.
I aspire to style something like this one day. The drips on the ice cream are purrrfeect. And the blue background is spot-on.
Alright, my Luv Cooks family- I hope you have a sweet, beauty-filled weekend. Enjoy these last remnants of winter and at some ice cream in front of a color block wall, while wearing a fabulous handbag with somebody you love. Peace!
