Cranberry Pear Crisp
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…
Homemade French Onion Dip (Real Food Style)
I used to be able to eat a whole bowl of sour cream mixed with Lipton French Onion Dip in one sitting. Oh, yeah.. those were the days. Something about the crunch of the salty potato chip (you know I love me some crunchy foods) and that creamy, onion-ey flavor together, would basically make me…
Dairy-Free Pumpkin Milkshake
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…
Moist Maple Cornbread
“…But you ain’t never had my cornbread, little bit of heaven and a little bit of hell yeah, cut it down the middle, open wide, and jump right in…” That’s how you know you’re married to a southern guy who has a minor (okay, major) obsession with Dave Matthews Band… when you make cornbread and…
Chunky Apple Cinnamon Muffins
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…
How to Cook Collards
You would think that by now I’d be the master at cooking all things southern since I married a native Floridian and his family is a bit country (their roots lie in good ol’ Georgia). But I haven’t. My true roots lie in California and we don’t normally make things like cornbread, greens, and beans….
Vanilla Coconut Sugar
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…
Nighty-Night DIY Bath Salt Recipe
You know how when you’re pregnant with your first baby and everyone likes to give you their 2 cents of parenting advice, but you don’t really get it or listen because well, you’ve never had a baby before? I think the one thing out of all of the parenting advice I heard that really stuck…
Calming Lotion Bars + A Plant Therapy Giveaway!
I’m slightly dramatic which makes stressful instances a bit more, well, stressful. And I’m pretty sure if you asked my husband about my dramatic personality, he’d say I’m more than just slightly. I can’t help it. Sometimes I get into a mode where I feel like I’m on a movie scene and I need to…
20 Last Minute Gifts I Would Love.. Er.. I Mean, Every Foodie Would Love
This post is dedicated to all you last minute shoppers. I see you looking at the calendar and thinking, “How am I going to get all my Christmas shopping done before Christmas and what am I going to get that foodie in my life?” No worries. I’ve got you covered because I have compiled 20…
DIY Unbleached Tea Bags
DIY Unbeached Tea Bags are awesome because: They are portable and easy to take with you, even on an airplane! They are completely customizable to whatever your soul is desiring at the moment They make incredibly cute and unique gifts for someone celebrating a birthday, baby shower, or holiday (easy, handmade Christmas present anyone?) —…
DIY Seasoning & Herb Ornament Gifts (Plus 22 Seasoning Ideas)
Can you guess what the number 513 and this post have in common? Did you figure it out yet? Okay, okay, I’ll tell you. It took me a whopping 513 photos to come up with these seven photos that are presentable for this post! And actually, my dear friend Kristen from Rethink Simple actually helped…
23 Earth-Friendly Stocking Stuffer Ideas For the Kids (under $25)
By popular demand, I have created a somewhat crunchy stocking stuffer list for children. I haven’t quite figured out how kids can be crunchy (other than eating things like organ meats, raw milk, and fermented foods) so I decided to name this an “earth-friendly list.” Use this list of 23 earth-friendly stocking stuffer ideas for…
27 “Crunchy” Stocking Stuffer Ideas Under $25
Ok… am I the only one who would rather not receive stocking stuffer knick knacks? Most of the time, I just want to throw them away. I’m sorry that I’m not sorry, that I am telling the truth. I just think it is a complete waste of money and time if you buy the worthless knick…
10 Gift Ideas for the NEW Real Foodie Under $25
Can you remember the first time you woke up? You know, when you woke up from the conventional dream? Suddenly everything you have around you is not as “healthy” as you thought it once was. Do you remember the feeling? I do! I was completely overwhelmed because I had so much to replace and not…
31 Days of Homemade Halloween Roundup
Happy Halloween!!! Can you believe the month is already over!? It doesn’t really feel much like Halloween over here in sunny Florida (I’m definitely missing California’s cool weather) and I’m not too sure Andrew will even put on his costume (good thing I only paid $3.50 for it). If it weren’t for this series, I…
Pecan-Coconut Crusted Pumpkin Pie (Dairy-Free)
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…
Avoiding FrankenCandy & Better Finding Alternatives
If you’re somewhat like me, the thought of having my toddler go from door to door asking for GM-laden candy, makes me quiver just a little. I know I can’t shelter him forever and I know it’s healthier to not be so damn anal about certain things but let’s face it, I really don’t want…
5 Halloween Inspired Crafts & Activities to do With Your Toddler
If you have a toddler (or had) you will know what I mean when I say their brains need to be stimulated con-stant-ly. Lately I’ve been on a mission of finding things Andrew and I can do together that are both fun and educational. Since we’re in the month of Halloween, I decided to come…
Soaked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal (In Cute, Festive & Kid-Friendly Shapes)
There’s nothing more fun than getting breakfast shaped in cute, festive and kid-friendly Halloween cut outs - even for the big kids (aka hubby). I tested this theory out on my toddler and he loved it - especially the mini witch hat cut outs. I used the base for my baked and soaked apple cinnamon…