Author Archives: laurenkahan

Paleo Warm Peach Salad with Apple Cider Dressing

I used the dressing from the Warm Butternut Squash Salad recipe, and basically just threw some perfectly ripe peaches in there instead of the butternut squash. It was easy and delicious!

Ingredients

1-2 Ripe Peaches (depending on their size and how many people you need to feed)
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
3/4 C Pure no sugar added Apple Cider
2 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Diced Shallots or I’ve also used 1/3 C diced red onion
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4-5 cups (or really, you choose depending on how many mouths you have to feed!) of spinach or arugula. I personally LOVE arugula, but our boys don’t. When I make this for friends, it’s arugula. When I make it for the family-spinach. It wilts down a little when you pour the warm dressing over it, so put in more than you think you need.

Directions

Combine cider, vinegar, onions/or shallots, and a little salt and pepper in a small sauce pan. Bring that to a boil and stir for about 6-7 minutes so that it reduces. Take off heat and whisk in mustard. (original recipe calls for adding a 1/2 a cup of olive oil now, but I forgot to do that once. It tasted fine, so I’ve left it out ever since :)) You choose!
Place salad greens in a large bowl. Toss in peaches and dressing. Pepper to taste.
You can also toss in nuts of your choice and sprinkle with a cheese of your choosing.

Zara Sale aka…Happy Birthday to ME! :)

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I’d had my eye on a few things at Zara for their sale, but felt guilty pulling the trigger. Then…they went down a little more in price, and I totally justified it as a birthday present to myself!! Btw, if you ever need help justifying just about anything…I’m your gal 🙂

Um, is it bad to be in love with a pair of shoes?? Because, I LOVE THESE!!! Shh, don’t tell the Huz. “Mom, you jump too!!?” I swear I caught WAY more air than what’s shown haha 🙂And then she’s off! Goffrey2 sadly got broken in half, but a little Gorilla tape and a band aid, and he’s good as new! 🙂

Maya was so funny about it. Her friend accidentally broke him, and at first we all waited in shock of how she would react. She said “Oooooh, no! He’s broken. Mommy, take him to the Dr and fix him?? He needs a band aid.” And there you go. All better 🙂 On me…

Top- Zara (on sale now!)

Jeans- J Brand “the skinny leg” in Karma (thrifted)

Shoes- Zara (on sale now)

On Maya…

Dress- Sweet Girl

Shoes- Old Navy (thrifted)

Keeping it Real…

I remember thinking 40 sounded so old. Like it was this major dreaded age. Honestly, it’s no big deal. I don’t really feel that old, minus the aches and pains haha. I’ve been gray since high school, so I’m kinda used to that… Life really couldn’t be any better right now. I’m super lucky.

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

Baked Orange Rosemary Chicken with Sweet Potatos // Paleo and Whole30

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Ok, so….I may or may not have forgotten to write the recipe down after I made this, but it really was so easy that I’m fairly certain this is it haha. :}

The Huz introduced me to bone in chicken. I mean, I’d had it before, but I think I thought it was harder or not as good-what was I thinking?? When you cook things with the bone in, they are so much moister and more delicious!! I personally don’t eat the skin, but I was told it pretty darn tasty too! AND…because it’s so moist and delicious all on it’s own, you really don’t have to do much to it-WIN!Ingredients

4 bone in chicken breasts
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 Tsp garlic
6 clementines or mandarin oranges
1 medium sized onion
2 sweet potatoes (there is some debate on whether sweet potatoes are “paleo”, but since some websites say they are, I’m going with them 🙂 )
4 sprigs of rosemary
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste.

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Peel and cube the sweet potatoes. ( I asked the Huz to get them, and he came back with the “white” ones. I always get confused on what the orange ones are (yams), and I do believe it’s different depending on what part of the country you live in… Anywho, the ones in the picture look like regular potatoes, but they are sweet 😉 )
Dice the onion
Melt the coconut oil
Peel 3 of the oranges, and squeeze the juice from them into the melted oil
Add garlic to the above liquid
Toss the potatoes and onions in the above liquid.
Place the chicken breasts in a 9×13 baking pan and spread potatoes and onions around them, letting them get coated with the oil/garlic/orange juice liquid.
Grind a little salt and pepper over the entire dish-I don’t use much.
Peel the last 3 oranges and place pieces as well as the rosemary sprigs around the dish.
Bake uncovered for an hour, or until potatoes and chicken are fully cooked (time will vary depending on the size of the breasts you get).

Enjoy!!

Living in Levi’s cut offs…

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These are a pair of cut offs that I’ve had since college. 20+ years I’ve had them. So, basically, they feel like pajamas. 🙂There was an amazing fog layer over the city today. It gave us a brief reprieve from the heat we’ve been having, and looked super cool too 🙂

On me…

Top- Michael Stars

Jeans- Vintage Levi’s (thrifted)

Shoes- Converse (thrifted)

On Maya…

Top- Peek (thrifted)

Jeans- Levi’s (thrifted, and cut off by me)

Shoes- Converse (thrifted)

Keeping it Real…

Sorry, not doing links today. Again, not sure if anyone really cares 🙂 Knee deep in wedding edits while Maya naps! We had a great day today though! Went for our morning run, back down to the beach to enjoy the fog, and then swimming. Kind of wish I could take a nap… 🙂

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

Crop Tops + Vintage Levi’s 501

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I had so many pairs of Levi’s both in high school (pegged and rolled!!), and then in college (cut offs, still have them/wearing them 20 years later…) They are classic. Funny that when the low rise trend first came out, I thought I’d NEVER wear Levi’s again unless it was to work to do house projects (sadly most of my old cut offs have paint on them now :() On me…

Top- Free People (ThredUp, similar here)

Jeans- Levi’s (thrifted)

Sandals- Mystique (old)

On Maya…

Top/Dress- M&S (thrifted)

Bloomerss- Peek (thrifted)

Boots- (thrifted)

Keeping it Real…

I’m in my peek season with work, which is great, but exhausting-both physically and mentally. I’ve been feeling a tad overwhelmed. This blog has been such a fun creative outlet for me to do, but the posts might be a little shorter for the next 5 months or not have links to clothing (does anyone even care??). I did a little revaluation of life over the weekend, and reminded myself what’s important. Spending quality time with my family. That will always come first…

Happy Monday!

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

Leather + Silk in the summer? Yes…day to night!

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I have had these leather shorts since last year?? I’ve wanted to wear them, but just couldn’t bring myself to find the occasion. I mean…leather shorts?? When? Where? I see other people wearing them, and I LOVE them every single time I see them! When I bought them, I kidded myself that they could be worn anywhere! But…I rarely wear shorts. Unless they are cut offs… So, they’ve been sitting in my closet.

And then…WhoWhatWear put out another Summer style challenge. I did all 30 days last time, but I’m not sure I’ll have the time to do them all this time. One of the days though, was Day 13 try wearing a leather and silk combination… They showed a leather jacket with a silk dress, but I already did that here. Seemed the perfect time to work in my shorts I’ve been dying to wear! And, really, it seemed the perfect day to night post too!

Starting with the night, because these heels weren’t going to be worn for long on our walk haha. I always see other people wearing heels with shorts, and I think it looks amazing. I always feel self conscious… Probably because I’m 6 feet tall when I wear them! Ps-can you spot Maya? 🙂The nice thing about these is the platform. Makes them actually pretty comfy, and not that high. And then into what is more comfy 🙂

On me…

Top-BCBGMaxAzria (old, similar here)

Jeans- Blank NYC (old, similar here)

Shoes- Did a day to night, so…

Day- Steve Madden “Genevva Ankle Cuff Thong” (sold out, similar here)

Night- Ash (eBay, similar here)

On Maya…

Dress- Vintage (thrifted)

Boots- No Brand that I can see (thrifted)

Keeping it Real…

When we try and take pictures on our nightly walk, a lot of it looks like this…Maya running off while the Huz tries to take a few pics of me. Me running after her and bringing her back closer to us. I’ll be honest, I almost threw in the towel a few times, and started to get frustrated with a lot of things that happened last night. Mainly, it’s my need to be in control of everything. That’s one of the biggest reasons I like taking pictures myself with the self timer and tripod. I may not always get the shots I want to get, but at least I can control it. I usually feed Maya while I take 5 minutes to grab 5-10 pics of myself. I get 5+ of us, and then we are done. The entire process takes me about 15 minutes, but we are limited on where I can take the tripod…

This morning, I had to remind myself of a blog post that I read from another fellow mommy blogger, Joey and the Owl. In it, she talks about her husband giving her this advice…”Amy, people have families, jobs and lives, they aren’t sitting around all day and thinking about your blog. You’re not that important”. haha, so true. I have to keep reminding myself that the main reason I’m doing this is to have a creative outlet for myself to ENJOY. To get pics of me with Maya that make me smile, that I will treasure for always. THAT IS IT. Yes, I want others to enjoy what I post and possibly get inspired, but I cannot get stressed over a silly blog. I cannot let it get in the way/take away from my already overpacked life. My family is way more important.

In any case. Thank you for reading 🙂

Blog BCBGMaxAzria Silk Top Blank NYC Leather Suede Shorts Steve Madden Ash Sandals-23

(all pictures of me and me with Maya taken by the Huz :))

Mango Avocado Salsa

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Just a warning. I will be posting a few recipes using this/variations of this. It is THAT good!! I made this big bowl thinking we’d have leftovers (it was just me, the Huz, and Maya). Well…we polished off the entire bowl haha 🙂 Ingredients

2 Mangos cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
1 1/2 medium avocados
20 Cherry tomatoes diced
1/4 cup Walla Walla sweet onions diced
Juice from 1/2 a lime
5 leaves of fresh Basil diced
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Cut everything up and toss in a bowl!
Or….if you are short on time, toss everything into a Cuisinart and pulse a few times.
Serve over fish, chicken, or as a dip with chips or pitas!

Easy Swing Tank + Cut offs = Summer Uniform

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While I like to experiment, and have fun trying new things to wear…chances are, most days I’m wearing a swing tank and cut offs. Now that I’ve gone scissor crazy on a few pairs for Maya, she will too! Of course on the days I can talk her out of wearing a “Princess Dress” aka…all dresses 🙂

It’s also been pretty hot here. I am going to try and not complain, but there’s a reason I have lived in the Pacific Northwest for most of my life. I like the cooler temperatures. I actually like the rain! And…can we talk about the chore of slathering up in sunscreen?? I really can’t wait for someone to invent a pill or drink that provides all over sunscreen!! All that said, I LOOOOVE warm nights, and taking walks after dinner!! The Huz has been home the last few nights, so we were lucky enough to have him come with us and snap our pics vs the usual tripod and self timer!

Me watching Maya roll down our neighbors hill… 🙂

Can I just say how much I love swing tops? They hide things you don’t want to show (I wore this through out my pregnancy and after!), yet they drape well and are flattering on almost every body type!And…there she goes again! 🙂 Love that I caught her mid air!!“RRRROAR!!!” Trying to scare Daddy 🙂Hahaha. Love this one!The whole purpose of this walk was to go retrieve Goffrey2. He had been dropped on our morning walk. I kept trying to pick him up, but Maya insisted that he stay there and sleep. Then, was asking where he was all day…On me…

Top- Splendid (old, similar here)

Jeans- Citizens of Humanity (old DIY cut offs, similar here)

Shoes- Birkenstocks (thrifted, similar here)

On Maya…

Top- (thrifted, but similar here)

Jeans- Levi’s (thrifted, and DIY cut off, but similar here)

Shoes- Old Navy (thrifted, but similar here)

(all pictures of me and me with Maya taken by the Huz :))

Denver Chocolate Sheet Cake

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This was probably the most requested dessert of my childhood (ok, behind my request for cherry chip cake with cherry icing every year for my birthday haha :)), and it is hands down the most requested dessert in my family now. It is in no way healthy or paleo, but it is worth every caloric bite! I don’t even like chocolate (I know, right?!), but this cake is so ooey goey and almost fudgelike, that I’ve honestly never met someone who didn’t love it! How’s that for an endorsement? The ONLY downside to it, is that it doesn’t “look” that pretty… The frosting is almost liquid like when you pour it on, but then it solidifies (hence it being easiest as a sheet cake). As I was wishing that it looked better, I had the idea to refridgerate half the frosting, do it as a layer cake, and then drizzle the other half over. I seriously, wanted to remake another one as soon as I thought about it!! But…need a little break before I can handle all the temptation again 🙂 I’ll “edit to add” when I try it the other way! Little helper 🙂 Ingredients

Cake

2 1/3 Cup Flour
2 Cups Sugar
1 1/4 Cups Water
4 Tablespoons Cocoa
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Buttermilk
2 Eggs Beaten

Frosting

1/2 Cup Butter
6 Tablespoons Buttermilk
1 pound powder sugar
4 Tablespoons Cocoa
1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Directions

Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix flour, sugar, and baking soda in a bowl.
Bring butter, water, and Cocoa to boil in a saucepan, and then pour over dry ingredients.
Mix thoroughly.
Add Buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and beat well.
Pour into 9×13 inch pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until center is not sticky to the touch.

Frosting

When cake is done or almost done heat butter, cocoa, and buttermilk to a boil (I use the same pan that I used for the cake-win!)
Remove from the heat and mix in vanilla and sugar (you can add walnuts, but I’m not a big fan :))
Frosting will be very runny, but pour over the cake before it cools. The frosting will harden to a soft fudgelike consistency, and it traps in moisture of the cake! Takes a few hours to harden, so keep in mind when you are baking. I usually make it the morning of, or you can make it the day before. It stays so moist, that it’s just as good the next day!

Great with Ice cream, or all by itself.

ENJOY!

Once again…thrifting for the win! :)

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I honestly didn’t even plan on making this an all thrifted outfit for both me and Maya, but chances are…that’s going to happen more often than not 🙂 I’m sure it’s pretty obvious by now that I’m not really a dress person. In my mind, I feel way more comfortable in jeans and a tee, but whenever I actually wear a dress…I love it! The Huz loved this dress the minute I tried it on for him. It’s totally fitted (hence the Huz loving it!), so I threw on a denim shirt to make me feel a little less self conscious. The material is ridiculously soft and comfortable, and I love how the Converse make it more casual. Perfect for our night time walk around the neighborhood…

Total outfit= less than $15 🙂 Meet the new Goffrey. The old Goffrey broke in half. He’s still on our front porch, but she only takes him on the occasional walk now 🙂 So, Maya asked to “Fly, up in the air?”, which she often does. Bad thing is that she now kicks her feet out and often times clocks me in the face… :{ “UP IN THE AIR!!” That’ll show her 😉 On me…

Top- Gap (thrifted, similar here)

Dress- Saint Grace (thrifted, similar here)

Shoes- Converse (thrifted)

On Maya…

Dress- Gap (thrifted)

Boots- Petite Navire (thrifted)

Keeping it real…

Not much to keep real. It was really nice to have a long weekend with the Huz home, and I didn’t have any shoots!! I had done two newborn shoots during the week, so it was really nice to just relax and spend time with the family 🙂

(all pictures of me and me with Maya taken by the Huz :))

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