Avocado Sweet Potato “Toast” with a Fried Egg…

I’ve talked before about my love of avocado toast and…having it as breakfast for dinner.  Honestly, we eat a variation of avocado toast with eggs quite a lot for dinner.  Maya requests it all the time, and it’s such an easy thing to whip up, that I rarely say no haha.

We didn’t have any good bread the other night, but we did have a sweet potato.  SO, we unintentionally went the  healthier route haha.  And it was SO GOOD!!!! Blog Whole 30 Avocado Sweet Potato Toast Fried Egg-1 Blog Whole 30 Avocado Sweet Potato Toast Fried Egg-2 Blog Whole 30 Avocado Sweet Potato Toast Fried Egg-3Ingredients

  • 1 Medium size sweet potato
  • Avocado (amount varies on how many people you are going to feed)
  • Eggs (depends on how many people you want to feed)
  • Olive oil + Salt + Pepper to lightly coat the sweet potato

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Cut sweet potato in 1/2 inch slices
  • Lightly coat in olive oil (or oil of your choosing), and salt and pepper to taste
  • Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, flipping over half way through.
  • Once the sweet potatoes are crispy on the outside, take them out.
  • Fry up your eggs.  I like mine runny, so they only take a few minutes.  I cook Maya’s for a little bit longer, so her yolks aren’t runny.
  • Mash up the avocado on top of the layered sweet potatoes, then top with your egg.
  • Serve as is or with a yummy salad or slaw (check out Esther’s recipes here,  here,  and here.
  • I cheated and used Trader Joe’s Cruciferous Crunch Collection of Chopped Kale, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli and Green Cabbage & Red Cabbage, and added some bell peppers, tomatos, and avocado.  It was delicious!!!  And Maya chowed the whole thing down 🙂

Enjoy!dit-elle-Lauren

Papaya Avocado Smoothie

Here’s my latest smoothie crave. Papaya, avocado, coconut milk, and lime! It was rich, creamy and delicious. The only thing that wasn’t great was the color. As you might know from painting, that’s what you get when you mix red (papaya) with green (avocado)! But who cares right?

Happy Thursday! 🙂


Ingredients

  • 1/2 papaya
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup (or more) water
  • 1 tsp (or more) honey (optional)

Directions

  • Combine ingredients
  • Using a blender or inversion blender mix ingredients adding more water as needed
  • Enjoy!

dit-elle-Esther

DIY Beaded Bracelet…by your toddler (that you’ll actually wear!)

So I DO love the rainbow giant beaded bracelets and pasta necklaces that come home school and camps….I DO!  But…do I really wear them?  Um…no (horrible mom admittance!)

Maya had a friend’s birthday party to got to a bit ago, and I was talking with the mom about what to get her.  She really didn’t want more “stuff”, so she said if Maya wanted to make her something, that would be perfect.  Instantly I thought of a bracelet.  We asked what her favorite colors were.  I dug out my boxes of beads from storage (again…totally patting my pack rat self on the back right now!!), and…Maya made her a bracelet.  I helped with the clasp, but she did everything herself.  She picked what beads she wanted to use and strung them along.  Well…I didn’t take pictures of THAT bracelet ha!  But then Valentine’s Day rolled around.  What to give her teacher?  Oh, the box of beads were still sitting out (a week later-whoops!), so…Maya asked her teacher what her favorite color was, and we picked from my stash.  Thankfully, her favorite color was green (mine too!), so I had a few to pick from.  🙂

It’s a little hard to see, but these are an iridescent green “pearl” bead.  The bag that I had them in said $5.50, and we only used half.  So…while it looks like a really nice gift, it didn’t cost much, and it provided a fun activity.  Oh, and Maya had total pride in the fact that she made this for her teacher!!  And…her friend (that I didn’t take pictures of 🙂 )Blog DIY Toddler Beaded Bracelet-1 Such concentration!  I honestly wasn’t sure if it would be too hard for her to do, but she did it!Blog DIY Toddler Beaded Bracelet-2 Blog DIY Toddler Beaded Bracelet-3 Blog DIY Toddler Beaded Bracelet-5And obviously, had fun!  Which was the total point!!  Well…the end product was kind of the point, but her having fun making it was even better. Blog DIY Toddler Beaded Bracelet-4Blog DIY Toddler Beaded Bracelet-6So…don’t be afraid to have them make things out of real beads.  They aren’t that expensive, and they are totally wearable.  And…if you are like me and went through a total beading phase and KEPT all your beads…SCORE!! 😉dit-elle-Lauren

Hasty Pudding

My daughter Ava and I have been reading Little House in the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie. She LOVES the books, her first real “big girl chapter books” and loves hearing about the stories from that time that seems so long ago. We talk about the Ingalls family, and the Spartan living compared to our life today.  “Can we give Laura some of my toys?” asked Ava. Melt my heart!

In one of the chapters, Ma made Hasty Pudding. There are a bunch of recipes online and I’m sure there are many variations, but in the book they described it as a cornmeal porridge with some maple syrup and butter. So that’s what we made! Super fun kid experience to watch and learn and super yummy! 🙂

hasty pudding blog (2) hasty pudding blog (1)

Ingredients

  • Cornmeal
  • Water
  • Butter
  • Maple syrup

Directions

  • Corn meal package should have instructions for quantities and cook times. I usually make a larger batch, about 1 cup cornmeal + half a large pot of water. I realize that’s not very helpful, but it’s one of those things you’ll need to check based on how finely ground your cornmeal is.
  • You can adjust water to make it thicker or thinner
  • Serve with butter and some maple syrup
  • Enjoy! 🙂

dit-elle-Esther

All Black…is always a win ( Fringe Vest + Cropped Flares + Booties)

I’m on the hunt for crop flares.

 I’ll be honest.  I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect pair ever since I saw Carolyn Bessette in hers in the early 90’s.  For me, she was everything perfection when it came to fashion.  Such a tragedy in so many ways…

Alas… In my mind, crop flares = super long legs that can’t be bothered with our normal hems, so really…it’s my short legged dream haha.  Thankfully, the style is now totally becoming mainstream and you can find them everywhere!  Alas…when you thrift all your jeans, it’s a little harder, but…I WILL FIND THEM!  Or…I will rip them! 😉

I absolutely loooove this pair, but they are just a little too big on me.  I mean, they USED to be too big one me (whah whah!!)  I remember buying these at a major score, LOVING them, and then realizing they were too big and putting them in the “bin”.

Oh…but then enter a few weeks (ok, if I’m honest, months!) of stress eating and drinking…and I went digging to find them in my “to sell” pile haha.  Every once in a while I feel foolish for all the stock piling of denim in various sizes, but then…. I LOVE MYSELF!!  Ok, I totally rationalize every thrift purchase to the fullest (and 80% of the time my rationalizations come to fruition!)

All that to say.  In the weight I am now, even if it isn’t my norm…I’m SO glad these fit, because I LOVE THEM!!  And they are sooooo comfy!  Blog StyleMint Fringe Vest Mother Denim Rascal Crop 67 Booties-1 Blog StyleMint Fringe Vest Mother Denim Rascal Crop 67 Booties-2 Blog StyleMint Fringe Vest Mother Denim Rascal Crop 67 Booties-3 On me…

Sweater- StyleMint (old)
Top- Zara (old)
Jeans- Mother Denim “Rascal Crop” (thrifted, similar here)
Boots- SixtySeven “Blake” Bootie (Nordstom Rack, sold out, loving these)

Keeping it Real…

I would love to say that my hair is just full of thick curls, but…that is so not the case.  The reality is that is was SO WINDY!!!  And, you know…I’ll take it!   But in this case, not so prepared 😉  But, my 30 second Sally Hansen Nails look pretty good, huh?? 🙂

Ps-look behind me.  See those people walking their dog?  Yes, there is a reason there are only 3 images in this post 🙂  I saw this amazing wall near me, and got out while Maya was in school.  Oh, and then realized…everyone and their dog knew about it too!! 😉Blog Outtake(all pictures taken with a self timer/shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Cashmere + Jumpsuit + Clogs = comfy date night!

 The Huz was gone most of last weekend, but made it home just in time to grill up some salmon for us as our Valentine’s Day meal.  It was delicious, and SOOOO much better than sitting in an overcrowded restaurant!  And since we stayed home, I wanted to be comfortable, but still wanted to step it up a notch, since….duh, Valentine’s Day!

I’m totally on a jumpsuit kick.  First, the one from a few weeks ago, and now this one.  It’s the ease of only having to pick one thing vs separates, and…they are SO COMFY!!  Total win!Blog Inhabit Cashmere Cardigan Splendid Sandwash Jersey Jumpsuit Sven Mary Jane Clogs-1It actually stopped raining too, so I paired it with a super comfy cashmere cardigan and got to skip the coat! Blog Inhabit Cashmere Cardigan Splendid Sandwash Jersey Jumpsuit Sven Mary Jane Clogs-2 But…I HAD to show the back.  LOVE!!!  It’s the tease of an open back, but you can still wear a normal bra-yay!!Blog Inhabit Cashmere Cardigan Splendid Sandwash Jersey Jumpsuit Sven Mary Jane Clogs-3 Blog Inhabit Cashmere Cardigan Splendid Sandwash Jersey Jumpsuit Sven Mary Jane Clogs-4I wasn’t sure if Maya would even wear this jacket when I scored it thrifting, but she loves it!

“It’s soooo soft and fuzzy!  Like a bear!” 🙂 Blog Inhabit Cashmere Cardigan Splendid Sandwash Jersey Jumpsuit Sven Mary Jane Clogs-7 Blog Inhabit Cashmere Cardigan Splendid Sandwash Jersey Jumpsuit Sven Mary Jane Clogs-8 Blog Inhabit Cashmere Cardigan Splendid Sandwash Jersey Jumpsuit Sven Mary Jane Clogs-9 Blog Inhabit Cashmere Cardigan Splendid Sandwash Jersey Jumpsuit Sven Mary Jane Clogs-10 Blog Inhabit Cashmere Cardigan Splendid Sandwash Jersey Jumpsuit Sven Mary Jane Clogs-11-Her new thing…. 😉 Blog Inhabit Cashmere Cardigan Splendid Sandwash Jersey Jumpsuit Sven Mary Jane Clogs-11 Blog Inhabit Cashmere Cardigan Splendid Sandwash Jersey Jumpsuit Sven Mary Jane Clogs-12 Blog Toddler Faux Fur Jacket Tea Collection Pink Bubble Hem Dress Smoky Mountain Cowboy Boots-1I can’t even… 🙂 Blog Toddler Faux Fur Jacket Tea Collection Pink Bubble Hem Dress Smoky Mountain Cowboy Boots-2 Blog Toddler Faux Fur Jacket Tea Collection Pink Bubble Hem Dress Smoky Mountain Cowboy Boots-3On me…

Sweater- Inhabit (old, similar here)
On Maya…
Jacket- No label (thrifted)
Dress- Tea Collection  (thrifted, but other cute ones here)
Cowboy Boots- Smoky Mountain “Denver Boots” (thrifted)
Keeping it Real…
I’m LOVING my shutter release, especially now that I figured out how to have it go off on a delay and take consecutive shots.  The only downside is it keeps going off even when I don’t want it to.
NO idea what was going on in this one haha.Blog outtake-1Or, one of the many times someone walks by with their dog, and asks what the heck I’m doing haha.  AWKWARD! Blog outtake-2
(all pictures taken with a self timer/shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Blackfish Cafe Coleslaw‏

This coleslaw is not only colorful and beautiful, it is delicious! The fresh ginger, minced fresh garlic and sesame oil make this dressing totally yummy. Add some roasted chicken and mandarin oranges and call it a meal! 🙂

black fish cafe coleslaw blog

Salad:

  • 6 c. Napa cabbage (about one head, thinly sliced). (Used regular cabbage as could not find napa cabbage in season when I made this.)
  • 2 carrots, shredded
  • 1 c. radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1 c. green onions, thinly sliced
  • 4-6 ounces sugar snap pea pods (slice diagonally)  (I substituted green pepper.)
  • 1 c. cilantro, chopped
  • 1/2 c. slivered almonds, toasted (single layer at 350 degrees for 5-7 mins; good idea to stir; watch closely, they burn fast)
  • Optional: roast chicken for protein and satsuma or mandarin oranges
Dressing:
  • 3 T sugar (I used 1/2 that)
  • 3 T white wine vinegar
  • 1 T soy sauce
  • 1/2 t. grated fresh ginger
  • 1 clove garlic minced (I used more to taste; maybe triple)
  • 1/4 t. sesame oil
  • dash cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 c. mayonnaise (or substitute 1/2 c. yogurt)
 Directions
  • Prepare salad
  • Mix salad ingredients
  • Toss and serve and enjoy! 🙂
Serves 6
dit-elle-Esther

Hanna Andersson…it’s a play dress, it’s a day dress!

 For those of you with kids, I’m sure you’ve heard of Hanna Andersson.  I first got hooked on their pajamas.  I mean…the organic cotton and the prints are SO GOOD!  Super soft, and you can wash them a kazillion times, and they still look new!  Maya doesn’t know about brand names, but now that she dresses herself, she goes for what she loves.  And honestly…if I didn’t intervene with the occasional “Don’t you want to wear SOMETHING ELSE?!!“, she’d wear her same favorite Hanna Andersson dresses over, and over, and over.  Not that it’s a bad thing, but…I may have bought other items that just sit hanging… 😉

SO…imagine how thrilled I was when I was contacted by them and asked if I would want to test out their spring “It’s a playdress, it’s a daydress” (This was last fall!  Just want to make sure you know that I’m not torturing her now in the cold temps!!).

I’ve been DYING to share these images, and I’m so excited that I finally can!  Fair warning…this is a long post, but really…it could have been 3 times as long!  Put her in one of these dresses + a pair of their leggings on the beach, and she’s in heaven!  Sadly, the leggings got soaked about 5 minutes (typical…), and I took them off 😉Blog Hanna Andersson Forever Play Dress Navy Floral-1 Blog Hanna Andersson Forever Play Dress Navy Floral-2 Blog Hanna Andersson Forever Play Dress Navy Floral-4 Blog Hanna Andersson Forever Play Dress Navy Floral-5I love this next one.  It totally looks beautifully posed.  Clearly…it wasn’t 😉 Blog Hanna Andersson Forever Play Dress Navy Floral-6Of course, she had requested temporary tattoos on her a few days before.  I tried wiping them off, but is there anything more authentic on a 4 year old??! Blog Hanna Andersson Forever Play Dress Navy Floral-7 So her…jumping of anything and everything! Blog Hanna Andersson Forever Play Dress Navy Floral-8I seriously love Seattle on days like this… Blog Hanna Andersson Forever Play Dress Navy Floral-9 Blog Hanna Andersson Forever Play Dress Navy Floral-10Oddly, this next one is one of my favorites…Blog Hanna Andersson Forever Play Dress Navy Floral-11And that smile-DYING!! Blog Hanna Andersson Forever Play Dress Navy Floral-12 Blog Hanna Andersson Forever Play Dress Navy Floral-13 Blog Hanna Andersson Forever Play Dress Navy Floral-14 Blog Hanna Andersson Forever Play Dress Navy Floral-15 Blog Hanna Andersson Forever Play Dress Navy Floral-16 Blog Hanna Andersson Forever Play Dress Navy Floral-17Blog Hanna Andersson Forever Play Dress Navy Floral-18And then…whatever, I’ll just embrace the water. Blog Hanna Andersson Forever Play Dress Navy Floral-19And…I knew this would happen eventually!  I’m just glad it didn’t happen in the first 5 minutes, like it usually does ;} Blog Hanna Andersson Forever Play Dress Navy Floral-20 Blog Hanna Andersson Forever Play Dress Navy Floral-21If you don’t already get it, go get the Hanna Andersson Catalog!  So much goodness!!

And…you can get 20% off your first purchase by clicking here!Blog Maya Hanna Andersson Catalog

Ps- They make women’s clothes and bedding too!!!

On Maya…

Keeping it Real…
Probably not exactly the image they had in mind haha. 🙂
Blog Outtake-1 Um….or this 😉Blog Outtake-2 Although…I do love this.  Even if she’s rolling in a pile of weeds!  We’ll just call them wildflowers 😉  Seriously, I’m pretty sure Seattle is the only beach that has patches of “wildflowers” here and there-love it!Blog Outtake-3I asked my mom if she wanted to come with us.  A lot of times the minute Maya’s feet hit the sand, she’s OFF!!  And…into the water.  I wanted to try and get a few pictures before all that happened, so I brought my secret weapon-Meme!!  She never runs away from Meme 🙂Blog Outtake-4
(all pictures taken by me :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Munchery

People ask me, “How do you do it all”? First of all, everyone has a different definition of “all”, and second, I’m not trying to do anything extraordinary, just be a good mom when I’m with my kids. I work fulltime outside of the house and while it’s busy and tough sometimes, I wouldn’t change anything. I do love to cook, but very often and recently I’ve come to rely on my personal “chef” who makes delicious, healthy meals.. enter.. Munchery! 🙂

I need to clarify something here. Munchery did not sponsor this post and they actually don’t know I’m writing about them. But I will say this. When you’re at work and it’s 3pm and you have no idea how you’re going to get dinner ingredients gathered, put together and on the table at a reasonable time, Munchery pre-cooked meal delivery service is pretty amazing. It “saves me” several times a week! And yes, I call it my personal chef. 😉 They have gluten free options, and I’ve found a bunch of personal favorite dishes (e.g. Seared Salmon and Pine Nut relish, Shrimp Remoulade Salad, Roasted Poblano & Mushroom Tacos, and more). They also have great kid options.

Here’s a little coupon for you, and hopefully they deliver in your zip code. If not, hopefully coming soon!

Shown below is one of the kid options: chicken and mashed potatoes! Comes with some fruit and a toy. 🙂

munchery kids meal blog (3)munchery kids meal blog (1)munchery kids meal blog (2)dit-elle-Esther

Vintage Chunky Knit Cardigan + Boyfriend Jeans + Booties

 So, is there anything more comfy cozy than an oversized chunky cardigan and boyfriend jeans? Well, besides jammies or work out wear ;)?  I TRY and get out of those at some point during the day (it doesn’t always happen!!).Blog Vintage Handknit Cardigan J Brand Boyfriend Jeans Clyde Cafe Noire Booties-1 Blog Vintage Handknit Cardigan J Brand Boyfriend Jeans Clyde Cafe Noire Booties-2 Maya was totally cracking me up.  I finally figured out how to use my remote shutter and have it take consecutive shots on it’s own.  I have 10 shots of her showing her snacks to the camera 😉Blog Vintage Handknit Cardigan J Brand Boyfriend Jeans Clyde Cafe Noire Booties-3 Blog Vintage Handknit Cardigan J Brand Boyfriend Jeans Clyde Cafe Noire Booties-4 Blog Vintage Handknit Cardigan J Brand Boyfriend Jeans Clyde Cafe Noire Booties-5YES!!  I finally can take a bunch of these and not have to keep running back to the camera to push the self timer!  It’s almost sad how excited I was when I finally figured it out! Blog Vintage Handknit Cardigan J Brand Boyfriend Jeans Clyde Cafe Noire Booties-6That little tongue… Blog Vintage Handknit Cardigan J Brand Boyfriend Jeans Clyde Cafe Noire Booties-7 Blog Vintage Handknit Cardigan J Brand Boyfriend Jeans Clyde Cafe Noire Booties-8 The tongue again 🙂Blog Vintage Handknit Cardigan J Brand Boyfriend Jeans Clyde Cafe Noire Booties-9 Blog Vintage Handknit Cardigan J Brand Boyfriend Jeans Clyde Cafe Noire Booties-10This is one of the many times I wish I’d actually washed my hair.  I love this image, but the frizzy no shower top knot… ;{  Real life though!! Blog Vintage Handknit Cardigan J Brand Boyfriend Jeans Clyde Cafe Noire Booties-11

I was SOOOO excited when we stumbled upon low tide!  I’ve actually never been to this particular beach during low tide, so yay!  Is it weird that I totally love the algae covered wall?  Blog GapKids Cardigan Tea Collection Tango Dress Kamik Rain Boots-1 Blog GapKids Cardigan Tea Collection Tango Dress Kamik Rain Boots-2 Blog GapKids Cardigan Tea Collection Tango Dress Kamik Rain Boots-3 Blog GapKids Cardigan Tea Collection Tango Dress Kamik Rain Boots-4 Blog GapKids Cardigan Tea Collection Tango Dress Kamik Rain Boots-5On me…

Sweater- Vintage (thrifted)
Boots- Cafe Noir (thrifted, but similar here)
On Maya…
Sweater- Gapkids (thrifted)
Dress- Tea Collection (thrifted, but similar here)
Boots- (the purple ones ;)) Kamik Stomp Rain Boots (thrifted, similar here)
Keeping it Real…
Every once in a while I look at pictures and think…do I REALLY make that face?!!  Well…clearly, I do ;} Blog Outtake-1And…I happened to actually look at her face.  It was covered in crumbs haha. Blog Outtake-2Kiss?  I guess that’s a “No”? Blog Outtake-3
(all pictures taken with a self timer/shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren