You know how when you go to the bulk bin section at the store and they state that they don’t want you sampling? Yeah, I’m a rebel and I don’t abide by that. Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing since I usually have Andrew with me, and I’m not sure…
I have this weird conflict with traditions. The thought of them makes me feel all warm inside but they also make me feel a little bit of anxiety. How cool would it be for 20 years from now to talk about all these family traditions we created and to see Andrew carry on these traditions…
Tis the season for Christmas things in October, the mad rush to buy materialistic things, and possibly gaining 10 pounds because of all the holiday festivities. Why does it seem like everything is so rush rush? Why can’t we enjoy Halloween without Christmas decorations right next to it? Why is it that we are so…
Now that I’m a mom, I can’t help but feel giddy when September rolls around. September means the start of holiday season which is super, extra fun when you have a little one to celebrate with. Everything is so new and exciting and it just makes me excited. The other day when Andrew and I…
Do you ever eat with the seasons? When I lived in California, I thought it was ridiculously easy to eat with each season and couldn’t understand how some people had a hard time doing it. Just go to the farmer’s market and buy what’s in season! I’d think. It was easy for me to think…
Hi, my name is Loriel and I have a massive sweet tooth. I love all things cake-like; vanilla-maple cupcakes, chocolate bliss bars, chewy chocolate chip einkorn brownies, and coconut birthday cake. When I’m not in the mood for cake, I enjoy a light creamy chocolate mousse that can be whipped up in less than 8…
You know that I know all about guilty pleasures. It’s pretty clear that good things are created from guilty pleasures because my iced maple chai tea latte evolved from one. And, since we’re on the topic of guilty pleasures, I thought I’d share another guilty pleasure of mine: chocolate mousse. I’m not talking about just…
Have you heard yet? We’re on a new food journey that requires no refined sugar, no dairy, no grains (except Einkorn), and a handful of other things. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. “So Loriel, what exactly can you eat and what are you going to do about the sweets?” Ah, yes, the sweets. Surely…
Nothing shouts spring and summer better than warm weather and homemade popsicles. We eat a lot of popsicles around here. Actually, let me rephrase, Andrew eats a lot of popsicles around here. I never get around to eating one because before I know it, Andrew has eaten them all! I confess that sometimes he will…
Pinterest has taught me one thing: I have a slight obsession with desserts. Cakes, cookies, brownies, you name it — except for the fruity stuff. Not a huge fan of fruit desserts (with an exception of these trifles) because I believe a dessert needs to have some sort of cake-like, cookie-like, mousse-like substance. With all…
Sometimes I’m a little too ambitious for my own good. I envision myself as this super kitchen woman who makes everything from scratch, has a stocked pantry of homemade goods and has a garden that self-sustains my family. Yeah, that’s just a dream. Although I do try and cook from scratch as often as possible,…
I don’t think I’d ever say this but… I think I’m over cupcakes and anything sweet for a while. In the past 7 days I’ve made a cake, chocolately pillow cake bliss bars and these moist vanilla cupcakes with vanilla-maple buttercream frosting (as a side note, the reason I’ve been baking so much is because…
Have you ever eaten something so dreamy and delicious that you just wanted to stay in that moment forever? Hopefully I’m not the only one that gets passionately intimate with food. Wait, what? I dubbed these “Chocolate Pillow Cake Bliss Bars” because they are somewhat of a souffle type dessert but have the consistency of…
Great things can be found in unexpected places. Sort of like how when you clean a room and you finally find that missing item you’ve been searching forever for. It’s a glorious feeling, right? Well, I consider these crumbly coconut cookies one of those great finds. As I was sitting in front of my pantry…
Once I understood the importance of specific nutrients needed for repairing bone, I was on a mission to concoct a bone-healing, anti-inflammatory smoothie. The key was finding ingredients that melded well together and was kid-approved! I found that turmeric is one of the most potent anti-inflammatory foods but because it is not readily bio-available, it…
You know those specific foods in your life that once they come in contact with any of your senses, it brings you back to your childhood? Well, rosemary and russian tea cakes do that for me. I know, I know, such a weird combo! When I was about 1.5-2ish (I know, super young! especially considering…
This 31 Days of Homemade Halloween series would not be complete without a good ol’ fashioned pumpkin pie. Well, except mine isn’t really old fashioned…. you could call it a “New Age” pumpkin pie. Originally I was going to bake this pie with a homemade lard crust but I got to looking around online and…
This real food version of a fudge sauce is not as thick as regular fudge sauce but it tastes just as good. With no refined sugars, GMO’s, artificial flavors or the such, this is a great alternative to drizzle over your favorite treats. Heck, you could even put it in a tall, cold glass of…
I’ve been craving ice cream lately but can not eat dairy due to a sensitivity I just found out I have. Bummer! I don’t have an ice cream maker either so I had to shoot for the next best thing… popsicles! I know, I’m sort of late getting on the popsicle bandwagon but lucky for…
I’ve been on this popsicle kick lately and have been experimenting with different flavors. I personally like to keep things as simple as possible, you know? It’s just much easier that way and it seems like most of the time, simple is better! I’ve also been on this coconut milk kick since I can not…