Author Archives: laurenkahan

Healthy Bake at Home Pizza

Some nights pizza just sounds good. Ok, most nights pizza sounds good haha, but that’s not going to happen… I love trying to make healthy options that our teenage boys will still like. Do they like it as good as our favorite delivery? No…but they still chow it down, and I feel good. Oh, and it’s pretty easy too!Ingredients

Pizza crust or ready made frozen cheese pizza of your choice (you can find gluten free options easily now!) I used Costco’s Frozen Cheese pizza-not greasy at ALL!
Aidell’s Chicken Sausage (I used apple), diced. Amount varies on how many you are feeding.
Red, Yellow, and Orange Bell Peppers (diced) Amound varies on how many you are feeding.
1 Avocado diced
Handful of BasilWhat to do
LOAD the pizza up with the chicken sausage and peppers. That way, everyone is filling up on healthy stuff! Cook as per directions.
Once cooked, top with avocado and basil and serve it up!

Enjoy!

Wide Leg Denim + Pastel Tops…for the both of us!!

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YES!! I found wide leg denim for the both of us!! Thrifting no less! (insert hands in the air emoticon!!)

Ok, but first… It’s really not that big of a feat to find wide leg denim for me. It’s out there. It’s popular. I love it. Some don’t, so yay for me! I thrifted this particular pair for $16, which (might shock you) is more than I would normally spend. BUT…wide leg, fun zipper pockets, and fit almost perfectly, except the length?! I was sold. I can’t blame my abnormally short legs too many times. They do a LOT for me… (fyi, I’m 5′ 8″ and am wearing 4″ heels wedges-GRRRR)Honestly, I had thought about pairing this top with a high waisted pair of wide legged jeans, but then said F it, and wore it with low rise. Yes, I’m over 40. Yes, my tummy is a few shades lighter than my arms. Yes, I kiiiiinda care. But…no time for all of the above-DONE! Maya’s like “Um….Mom?! Over here!!!” 🙂 Cannot get her out of my neighbors yards!!!! {sorry neighbors!!!}I mean…could you DIE over how cute wide legged jeans are on a toddler?? I thrifted hers last week for $9, which (again!) is more than I would normally spend, but…TODDLER FLARES?!??!Oh, and then…the dancing began. Because what else would make you want to dance than flared denim?? 🙂Seriously? LOVE!!On me…

Top- Zara (last year)

Jeans- 7 For All Mankind (thrifted, similar here and here)

Shoes- Banana Republic (old, love these here)

On Maya…

Top- Old Navy (thrifted, but similar here)

Jeans- Joe’s Jeans (thrifted)

Shoes- Zulily (search Eddie Marc Kids)

Keeping it Real…

Because I noticed that my lovely sports bra was showing and couldn’t adjust it in time for the self timer to go off (OOPS!), oh and there’s the MOON, AND…what happens when you try and set a toddler down…

(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

Summer Dresses…

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I say all the time that I’m not a “dress” girl, but over and over when I wear them, I think… “Why don’t I wear more dresses??!” This is one of my favorite summer dresses. I’ve been wearing it every summer for the past 8+ years (am I the only one that gauges time on occasions? I know I wore this on our honeymoon which was 6 years ago, and it wasn’t new… 🙂 ) It’s a convertible dress-meaning you can wear it a ton of different ways, depending on how you tie it. It’s a no brainer to take on vacation because of it’s versatility, comfort, oh and spray it a few times with a water bottle and wrinkles be GONE!

I love that I can wear it around my neighborhood with flip flops and it’s totally casual. Yet, if I throw on some fancier sandals-date night!! Let’s all just pretend that I don’t have a total farmer tan, ok? Great… Twirling. Cos, she makes it look so fun! 😉 Loooooove this next shot! Look at her face!! LOVE!!Hahaha!There was a ribbon hanging down from our neighbors tree. I’m assuming from a balloon? In any case, she was determined to grab it!Oh, and could I Photoshop that GINORMOUS bruise from Maya’s leg? Yes, faster than I can type this sentence. But…that’s toddler life. And, that’s what I want her and ME to remember. She basically looks like Child Protective Services should haul me in at any minute, but…she’s having fun!!!My favorite…And…there are still people in our neighborhood who water their lawns… Which is heaven for Maya. Preeeeeetty sure they wouldn’t be overly excited that she was running through their yard, but whatever. OOPS! And, truth be told, this happened at the BEGINNING of our walk, but I thought it looked better to have it at the end hahaha. Thankfully the sun dried her dress and hair out quickly!On me…

Dress- Rachel Pally “Mexico Dress” (old)

Flip Flops- Havaianas

On Maya…

Dress- Mignone (thrifted, but love this one here)

Shoes- Umi “Tamela” (thrifted)

Keeping it Real…

Obviously, Maya isn’t used to seeing me in dress either!! Oh, and “hide and seek” is her favorite game haha.

(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

Paleo Coconut Almond Butter Mug Cakes with Banana Ice Cream

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Do you ever have a craving for cake, but don’t want to make/have to restrain yourself from eating an entire cake? ME TOO! 🙂 Mug cakes are easy to make, SUPER easy to clean up from, and take a little over 5 minutes from start to finish-WIN!

I’d heard about mug cakes before, but had never really thought to try my hand at them until I saw Regina from Leelalicious post this recipe. Once I saw that you could make them relatively healthy, I was all in! I’m already thinking of different variations I want to try next!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coconut flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
2 tablespoons Almond Butter
1-½ tablespoons melted coconut oil
1-½ tablespoons raw honey
1 tablespoon almond milk (or any milk you’d like)
½ a vanilla bean (scrape out the inside, throw away the shell) or ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
4-5 dollops of Medjul Date Caramel Sauce (omit if strictly Paleo)
Other topping ideas- chocolate chips, coconut flakes, or berries (dried or fresh)!

Directions

In a separate bowl whisk together coconut flour, and baking powder.
Add egg, almond butter, coconut oil, honey, almond milk and vanilla bean and blend until creamy.

Maya loved doing this part, but of course just wanted to eat the batter 😉 Yes, I know…raw egg batter = a no no, but I did it as a kid all the time and turned out just fine! Instead of pouring the batter into one large mug, I greased up two ramicans to make two little cakes! Microwave for 2 minutes (depending on your microwave) and you magically have cake!! It turned out surprisingly moist, but I wanted to add a little something to it. You could do a healthy frosting, but I added some banana ice cream to go along with it. Only added 2-3 minutes to the process and was SO GOOD!

Take 2 frozen bananas (cut in 3rds before you freeze), add 1/3 cup almond milk or enough to get a creamy consistency. Blend in Cuisinart or high speed blender for a minute or two.Enjoy!!

Medjul Date Caramel Sauce

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I’ve seen/heard about people making caramel sauce out of dates, and have been wanting to try it out. I finally did last week, and YUM!! No refined sugar, just a few ingredients, and super easy. Pretty much a win in my book! Oh, and it’s yummy!Ingredients

8-10 Medjul Dates (pitted)
1/4-1/3 cup Almond Mild (or milk of your choice) Amount depends on the consistency you want and how many dates you used.
1/2 a vanilla bean (inside scraped out). Could also use pure vanilla extract
A few grinds of sea salt

Directions

Place all ingredients in a high speed blender or Cuisinart and blend until creamy. You’ll need to scrape the sides a few times. I started out in a Vitamix, but I don’t think I was making enough so it didn’t blend well. I dumped everything in my Cuisinart and it turned out great!

Maya loved helping me pit all the dates, and of course hitting the pulse button 😉You can dip apples in this, spread on toast, or put over ice cream (or banana ice cream!), or put dollops into a cake (THAT is coming on Wednesday-so good!!!)

Enjoy!

White Denim Addict…

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This was such a gorgeous night. The only problem was that the clouds kept going in and out. Bright warm sunshine and then chilly clouds…

Oh well! Of the things I could complain about…that’s not high on the list 😉Yes, I’m slightly obsessed with white jeans… Nose kisses! She started off with a jacket, but that came off quickly!There were two women there feeding the seagulls, so of course Maya wanted to do it too. They were nice enough to give her some bread.…and of course she had so much fun. I’m actually kind of scared of birds in general, so I reeeeeeeaaaaally didn’t like her being this close to them. SHE however, loved it!And then the sun started to set. SO PRETTY!!!On me…

Top- Michael Stars (eBay, similar here)

Jeans- Genetic Denim “the Shane” (eBay, similar here)

Shoes- Superga Silver Studded (eBay, without the studs here)

On Maya…

Top- Little Boogaweezin “Beautiful Hearts” Tee

Jeans- Joe’s Jeans (thrifted, but similar here)

Shoes- Vans (thrifted, but similar here)

Keeping it Real…

That big ol’ stick that Maya was waving around? Yeah, she threw it at my head right after that last shot. It wasn’t malicious. More her trying to do kung fu. BUT…instant gash and goose egg for me, and later a nice big black eye. Sweet…

And…this is what we look like right before the first shot when I haven’t moved the focusing stand out of the way haha.

WHOOPS!

(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

All white…day to night.

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I’ve found that lately on the rare evening I get dressed up and go out, I’m left scrambling. I usually am in a total rush to get out the door, and of course am like

“I have nothing to wear!!”

Well. We all know that is NOT true, but my brain can’t function when I’m in a hurry. I have all these outfits in mind during the week when I’m NOT going out, but my brain goes completely blank the minute I step out of the shower and the 30-45 countdown begins for when I’m supposed to head out the door. SO…I may try and incorporate more “if I weren’t chasing a toddler” looks in here and there, just to remind myself of outfits to throw on when the time arrives again 🙂

There’s something about heels with an outfit that doesn’t really look like it warrants heels. Like loose ripped jeans. Yet, I like it! These are actually skinny straight jeans that I bought to wear when I was pregnant with Maya. They are a size too big, but I like that they fit a little looser. Like a skinny boyfriend jean 🙂 These were the first pair of DL1961 Jeans I bought that started my obsession…Oh, and I’ve had these heels for…15+ years!! Betcha I’ll be able to find a link to a pair almost exactly like them. Classics never go out of style… I swear she wasn’t punching me, but it totally looks like she is! 🙂 And, then for the shoes I really wore during the day 😉 I got her this little parachute lady that you throw up in the air and it floats down. Well, her brilliant idea was that it would float really high if I threw her and she threw it. Got to be impressed with her logic. It worked… 🙂 Not as high without my throw haha. This face kills me!!! And then she couldn’t help but laugh. I took about 20, so really…these are the edited down ones 😉 And…she spied the playground. I really believe she might have hopped the fence if I hadn’t stopped her! On me…

Top- Fresh Laundry (old, similar here)

Jeans- DL1961 Kate (old, similar here)

Heels- Banana Republic (old, similar here and here)

Flip Flops- Havaianas

On Maya…

Top/Dress- GapKids (thrifted)

Jeans- Joe’s Jeans (thrifted, but similar here)

Shoes- Superga (thrifted, but similar here)

Keeping it Real…

Hey Maya, can you look at me? Ok….maybe just keep looking at the tree….

And that kissing shot that really would have been sweet if it had been from the right angle and if my mop of a hair hadn’t been in the way…

(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

Mango Avocado Chicken Salad

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Ok, ok. Just when you think I’ve posted enough mango avocado salad recipes…here’s another one haha. I just can’t help myself. The combination is just so good!! Maya chowed it down, and asked for 2nds!

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it right? 😉 Ingredients

2 Cups diced chicken (I used left over rotisserie chicken, but you could grill up a few breasts seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper)
1 ripe mango diced
1/2 cup diced tomatos
1 avocado diced
1 1/2 cups diced peppers (I used red, orange, and yellow)
1/4 Cup diced red onion (I omitted this, because Maya is weird about onions, but I think it would be a great addition!)
Dressing of choice. I cheated and used a pre-made poppyseed dressing, but you could use either of these paleo friendly recipes Esther has posted. Mango dressing here or Creamy Lemon Garlic Dressing here. Or the Avocado Dressing I posted here.
Serve over a bed of butter lettuce. Arugula or spinach would be great too!

Enjoy!

Topknots and thrifted clogs!

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I wore this over the weekend to a family shoot. Again, I probably should dress up more… However, I’m often laying/crawling on the ground trying to get a good angle and running around either chasing kids or trying to get to a different vantage point. All that said. I have to be comfortable, wear something that moves with me, and I almost always wear a light colored top to provide a natural reflector. Again, with the pretzel bribe 😉 It’s going to be a sad sad day for both of us when I can’t do this anymore… ;( I mean…I had to right??? I thrifted these for Maya last year for less than $5!! When I found a matching pair last week for me and they were less than $10??!! Done 🙂 “I’m going to wear this around me like a cape. Like Elsa…”And then…Roly Poly bug hunting again.On me…

Scarf- Vintage (thrifted)

Tee- StyleMint “Boyfriend Tee”

Jeans- DL1961 “Amanda Skinny” in Seville (eBay, similar here and not distressed here)

Clogs- Dansko (thrifted, similar here)

On Maya…

Top/Dress- Hanna Andersson (thrifted, but similar here)

Jeans- DL1961 “Harper” (C/O)

Shoes- Sanita (thrifted, but similar here)

Keeping it Real…

Diiiiiidn’t quite time this one right 🙂

(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

Little White Dress + Booties…yay summer!

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As soon as I saw the Coast to Coast Challenge for this week, I knew I wanted to do it! The only problems? A) Picking just one little white dress! B) White dresses + Toddlers…not exactly the best combination. C) Finding the time, because this week was crazy busy!!!

I actually wore this dress back in December layered over skinny jeans and under a sweater and jacket. It’s a liiiiiiittle short on me, but I’ve still been dying to be brave enough to wear it just as a dress. SO…I took the challenge and did it 🙂Please forgive my pale legs… Thankfully it’s longer in the back, so no flashing anyone (I hope!!) This was Maya’s last day of preschool, and it was also her turn for show and tell/snacks. She brought a few “My Little Pony” dolls (OBSESSED!)They had a little celebration outside for the last 30 minutes of school. It was sooooo cute!!!On me…