Author Archives: laurenkahan

No Bake Lemon Coconut Quinoa Balls // Gluten Free

Here’s my 2nd recipe using quinoa in “baking”. Btw, I’m totally making the Banana Quinoa Muffins again this week!! Maya’s been asking for them every day haha 🙂 They disappeared so fast!

The best part of this next recipe is that after you have made a batch of quinoa, the rest is no bake/aka easy!!

Ingredients (Made 15 Balls)

1 Cup cooked Quinoa
1/2 Cup Almonds
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
1/4 teaspoon shredded lemon rind
1 Cup Medjul Dates
2 Tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut (can get super cheap in the bulk section of a health food store)

Directions

You can do all of it in the Cuisinart. One dish-easy clean up-WIN!!

Pulse almonds until they are the size of half a grain of rice (or look like quinoa! :))
Add in Dates, lemon rind, and coconut oil and pulse until mixture clumps together.
Add in quinoa and pulse a few more times, just to mix it all together.
Take a heaping Tablespoon and form balls in your hand (mine were about 1.5 inches wide).
roll in unsweetened coconut and place in the freezer. You can eat them frozen, but they are best after warming up a few minutes.

ENJOY!

Nutritional Facts (I entered all the ingredients into Calorie Count)

Serves 15 // Calories per ball- 65 // Total Fat- 3.1g // Saturated Fat- 1.3g // Cholestererol- 0mg // Sodium- 0mg // Potassium- 43mg // Total Carbohydrates-10.8g // Dietary Fiber-1.3 // Sugars- 6g // Protein-1.3g

Father’s Day down at the beach…

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The weather called for on and off rain, but we decided to wing it and head down the the beach for some Father’s day Fun. We totally lucked out. It sprinkled for about 10 minutes right in the middle, but overall was totally nice. I think had it been sunny, the beach would have been ridiculously crowded. After I got a bunch of pics of the Huz and kids playing frisbee and catch, he got a few of me and Maya 🙂 This is her wanting to play frisbee haha 🙂“Wait for me!!”Not too bad!!!Yes, you should be impressed with her “splits”, except know that she really was trying to kick me 😦 The beach is rough… 😉 On me…

Sweater- The Oxford Trunk $5!! (sold, out, but love this one)

Sunglasses- thrifted for $2!!

Jeans- DL1961 “Emma” (ebay)

Shoes- Converse (thrifted)

On Maya…

Jacket- Circo (thrifted, but similar here)

Dress- Hanna Andersson (thrifted, but similar here)

Jeans- Gap (thrifted)

Shoes- Converse (thrifted)

(The Huz took all pictures of me and me with Maya 🙂 )

Banana Quinoa Muffins // Gluten Free and DELICIOUS

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I’ve been dying to try some recipes out using quinoa in baking. I am not sure why, except that I love quinoa (it’s a superfood!), and thus far, I’ve only used it in savory dishes. I cooked up a batch yesterday in my rice cooker and experimented with 3 different treats. No recipe, just throwing in things I thought would taste good. All three desserts got different votes for “favorite” from the 7 taste testers. Overall, a success I think! I’ll be posting the other recipes soon.

This one was my favorite. It’s super moist, delicious, and healthy too. It has no added sugar, but is plenty sweet due to the dates and bananas. Oh, and it is so incredibly easy to make! I will never make another banana bread again! Add a cream cheese frosting and it would be DECADENT!! Mmmmm….Ingredients (Made 6 muffins, or might make small loaf)

1 Cup cooked Quinoa
2 brown spotted bananas
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
2 Eggs
2 Medjul Dates
1/4 teaspoon pure Vanilla
3 grinds of Sea Salt (aka not very much :))
1 Tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut (can get super cheap in the bulk section of a health food store)

Directions

You can do all of it in the Cuisinart or mixing bowl. One dish-easy clean up-WIN!!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Throw everything into a Cuisinart/Mixer and blend until creamy.
Put into muffin tins, greased loaf, or greased ramicans (that’s what I used)
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until top is firm and lightly golden. I’m a firm believer in undercooking when baking. It will continue to bake after you take it out, so if you wait until it’s completely firm it’s too done. You can always do the toothpick test. Insert a toothpick and if it comes out clean, it’s done. If it has batter still on it, not yet done.
Sprinkle with unsweetened coconut flakes.
These are really moist. I’m not sure why. They don’t do well if you seal them up in a container, so just leave them out and they will not dry out.
ENJOY!

Nutritional Facts (I entered all the ingredients into Calorie Count)

Serves 6 // Calories per muffin- 120 // Total Fat- 4.1g // Saturated Fat- 2.5g // Cholestererol- 55mg // Sodium- 99mg // Potassium- 198mg // Total Carbohydrates-20.2g // Dietary Fiber-2.1 // Sugars- 9.6g // Protein- 3.4g

Comfy Summer Neutrals…

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I had a newborn shoot earlier in the day, so I had to be comfortable. These Joe’s Jeans are super stretchy, yet don’t stretch out-LOVE THAT!! Also love that I scooped them up at the thrift store for $15 (more than I’d usually pay, but I knew I’d get some good use out of them this summer!) Plus, they are a medium rise, so no flashing as you bend over 😉I know that Birkenstocks are all the rage right now (and yes, I have a few pairs…), but Havaianas will always be my go to comfortable summer shoe. I remember thinking it was ridiculous to pay $20 for rubber flip flops, but there is something about the rubber in these! They don’t rub your feet, and are so comfy!! On me…

Sweater- Design History (old, but similar here)

Top- H&M

Jeans- Joe’s Jeans “The Skinny” (thrifted, but similar here in blue, color here, less expensive here)

Flip Flops- Havaianas

On Maya…

Top/Dress- Gap (thrifted, but love this here)

Bloomers- B Nature (via Zulily)

Shoes- Converse (thrifted)

Keeping it Real…

Not going to lie. Sometimes it’s nice to get away during the week and work. Not only to get my creative juices flowing (and make money!), but also to have a little break from the Peanut. I love missing her and being so excited to go get her from my parents house! That is…until she throws a fit about leaving haha. I think it’s so hard to leave our little ones, but it’s also good for both Mama and babe!

Big thank you to my parents for playing with Maya for most of the day!!

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

Grilled Chicken Salad on a Portobello Mushroom // Paleo // Whole30

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I saw these gorgeous Portobello mushrooms at Costco and had to make something with them. The Huz was out of town, and we didn’t have the boys, so I had my parents over for a taste test. I’m posting the recipe “as is”, but am noting things at the end I might do/add differently next time 🙂 All that said, I thought it was really good. Maya chowed it down and asked for more 🙂

Ingredients (Serves 4)

4 Portobello Mushrooms
1 Large Sweet Onion (sliced into four 1″ thick slices)
4 Chicken Breasts
Handfull (about 8-10) cherry tomatoes
3-4 small sweet peppers or I used 1/3 of a yellow, red, and orange pepper
1 Shallot or thick slice of red onion diced
4 Bay leaves (or you could use cilantro)
1 large avocado
2-4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (basically whatever you need to marinate the chicken and drizzle on the onion and mushrooms)
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste (rosemary-optional)

Directions

You can do almost all of it in the Cuisinart if you are pressed for time (which I was). In my mind I did thicker chunks of everything, but I ran out of time and just threw it all in the food processor :{

Marinade the chicken in olive oil, salt and pepper, and dried rosemary (optional)
Drizzle a little olive oil on the onion and mushroom and salt/pepper
Grill the chicken for 8 minutes each side (can do it on BBQ or on a grill pan inside)
During the last 8 minutes of the chicken, put on the onion and the mushrooms-turning after 4 minutes.
Toss red onions/shallot, tomatoes, and peppers into a Cuisinart and pulse a few times (or cut into 1/4-1/2″ pieces if you want a more chunky salad)
Add in Avocado (salt and pepper to taste. I barely used any)
Once chicken is done, cut into 1/2″ cubes. Can toss them into the Cuisinart too (which is what I did), or fold into cubed mixture.
Layer one onion slice on top of each mushroom and then pile on the salad! I added Sriracha to mine for some added heat 🙂

What I might do/add next time…

I really liked it, but it was probably too healthy for the Huz and teenage boys… I think a few slices of diced bacon would be amazing!! Or some freshly grated Parmeson… Maybe some finely diced jalepenos (not in Maya’s though!)?

If anyone makes it, I’d love to hear what you did differently!

Enjoy!

Denim Moto Jacket

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Pretty sure I will be wearing this fun jacket a lot this summer. Love that it looks like a leather jacket, but in a neutral light denim. Um, could she have had any more fun? Nope! This is one of the biggest reasons I thrift most of her clothes. So, she can run around, and I don’t care! Ok, and I love the thrill of the hunt/score haha.On me…

Jacket- Rhyme & Echo (similar here, less expensive here and more expensive here)

Top- Banana Republic (old, similar here)

Jeans- J Brand Coated Agnes (ebay, sold out, but similar here and less expensive here)

Shoes- Converse (thrifted)

On Maya…

Sweater- Old Navy (thrifted, but similar here)

Top- Osh Kosh (thrifted, but similar here)

Jeans- Gap (thrifted, but similar here)

Shoes- Converse (thrifted, but similar here)

Keeping it Real…

I mentioned in an earlier post that Maya is totally into squeezing my cheeks. Not really sure where it came from, but usually she says “Awe, nice…” But a lot of times, it’s not so nice! This was after a particularly hard squeeze

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

A little leopard here, a little leopard there…

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I was feeling lazy and may or may not have overindulge on Saturday, so Sunday’s outfit was comfy and loose 🙂 Yup, shushing me… Practicing her “donkey kick” or…a new yoga move 🙂 Then the Huz drove by 🙂 Seriously, can we talk about how cute these boots are??! I got them for $3.99 at Value Village the other day. I came home to look them up…$60!! I love them!On me…

Top- H&M

Jeans- Blank NYC “The Shredded Wheat” (ebay, similar here, here and less expensive here)

Sandals- MIA (Funky Jane’s Consignment Store, similar here)

On Maya…

Top/Dress- Gap (thrifted)

Leggings- Zulily

Shoes- Gucio (thrifted, but can buy here)

Keeping it Real…

Nothing much to keep real here. The Huz was back this weekend after being gone for 6 days, so it was a great weekend 🙂

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

Blueberry Popsicles

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A friend of mine gave us some popsicle molds a few months ago, which was so cool because I’ve been meaning to make popsicles forever! Maya goes cuckoo for popsicles, and I love the idea of making some with her 🙂 Plus, you can totally control what you put into them, and they are so easy! Really, any fruit would work. Ingredients (Made 6)

1 carton of Yogurt (any kind-I used Greek Vanilla, but you could also use Almond or Coconut Milk Yogurt if you need to go Dairy/Soy Free/)
1 Cup unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (or whatever milk you want :))
1 Cup Frozen Blueberries

Directions

Pay very close attention, because this can get tricky… 😉
Toss everything into a blender, pour into popsicle molds, then freeze.
Any leftovers can be enjoyed as a smoothie!

These were the perfect texture. Hard enough that they didn’t melt too fast/drip, but the yogurt added a little soft/creaminess. I think she liked them 🙂 Enjoy!

A Little Boho to Work, a Little Boho to Play…

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I’m starting to get busier with work. I feel SO incredibly lucky to “work” doing something I love. Also lucky that I get to basically still stay home with Maya everyday, and usually just leave to work here and there on the weekends (editing while she naps). Lately, I’ve been doing more corporate shoots, which happen during the week (HUGE thank you to my parents for watching the Peanut!!). Corporate usually means I have to dress up a little more than I would if I were traipsing around a park with a couple or family.

Here’s what I wore the other day to go shoot the super fun people at Expedia (seriously, I’ve been out there 4 times and everyone is so fun!).

I LOVE this top. I got it on sale from Zara this past winter. It’s an XL, which is the only size they had left. I think it’s supposed to be more of a regular top, but I love it as a tunic!

And…yes, I’m wearing these boots again. They are so comfy!! On me…

Top- Zara (last winter, LOVE this here)

Jeans- Joe’s Jeans (thrifted, similar here, and less expensive here)

Boots- Nine West (thrifted, similar here)

On Maya…

Top- (thrifted, but similar here)

Dress- Sweet Girl Shop (Instagram Flash sale!)

Shoes- Old Navy (thrifted, but similar here)

Keeping it Real…

I may have had a big glass of wine before shooting these. Hey, it had been a long day 😉

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

Salmon Salad with Avocado Dressing

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I’ll reiterate that I am in no way consistent with the Paleo diet, but the idea totally intrigues me. Even more so since Esther eats mostly Paleo. If you have questions about Paleo eating, for sure check out her other blog post here. I don’t have any health issues, but I do love the idea of eating clean and obviously healthy. That said…with teenage boys that split their time between households…paleo eating is not going to happen full time. I’m already too healthy for their tastes 🙂Ingredients

Salmon (amount depends on how many people you have to feed) I may have cheated and used leftover salmon that my dad smoked, but I’m including a marinade and instructions for what I would have done had I not had that 😉
Tomatos (I used Costcos cherry variety pack-so colorful and delicious)
Yellow, Red, and Orange Bell Peppers
1 shallot or half a red onion
1 Large Avocado (if small use two, use half/one for the salad, half/the other one for the dressing)
I do a mix of organic greens and Costco’s Kale, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts Salad (hold the dressing, craisins, and seeds for this)

Salmon Marinade

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Pure Organic Maple Syrup (some debate if this is Paleo, but could use raw honey too)
1 lemon sliced
grind sea salt/pepper over

Salad Dressing

1/2 large avocado (or one small)
1 Tablespoon Pure Organic Maple Syrup (some debate if this is Paleo, but could use raw honey too)
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Aged Balsamic Vinegar (also some debate if this is Paleo-can skip and still be tasty!)
1/3 Cup Water
Freshed cracked pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 450
Marinate Salmon for at least 30 minutes, skin side down, and place sliced lemons on top.
Bake at 450
Cut all the veggies/avocado (I usually precut 3 peppers and keep them to toss in salads throughout the week)
Dump all the ingredients for the dressing in a blender and mix (the consistency will be thick, but it coats the salad pretty well)
Toss salad and dressing and then top with shredded bits of salmon.
We added Sriracha for some added heat, but not for Maya 😉

Enjoy!

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