I had a very sick two year old on my hands all of last week. High fevers, a cold, a touch of a stomach bug. It was also sub zero temperatures most of the week, with wind chills hitting -30 far more than once. It was a long week, for sure. The kind of long week that always seem to fall during the darkness of winter when you’re resisting the need to take down your holiday decor and already longing for spring. One of those. Basically, it was a “warm bowl of soup and all the wool blankets” kind of week, a week that practically begs for my favorite homemade veggie soup with vegan dumplings. This is the very best “chicken soup” recipe for those of us who don’t eat chicken, but still need that warm, yummy hug of a dish to make you feel better on crappy winter days when your kid’s fever won’t break and the air outside hurts to breathe.
Winter
In the little village nestled in a valley where I went to college, there was a coffee shop where we used to flock on crisp fall nights for big cups of steamy, creamy chai tea latte. In truth it was probably the first “real” coffee shop I ever frequented and it smelled of good coffee beans and freshly made espresso in a way that makes me nostalgic just thinking of the place. Not a fall season has gone by since where I haven’t longed to be there with a big mug in hand. Today I’m once again teaming up with the folks at Truvia, this time to bring you the most delicious homemade chai tea latte recipe you’re ever going to try. After a few years of attempting it, I think I’ve finally settled on the right mix of spices and tea and milk to make a seriously solid cup of chai. Because it’s sweetened with Truvia Natural Sweetener it also has delightfully less sugar and fewer calories than the chai you pick up at the drive-thru and is far more delicious.
An alternative title to this post could easily be, “Best Ever Vegan Tomato Soup.” Because it is indeed the best ever and it is indeed vegan. It’s also about the easiest thing to make that there ever was, even if you wanted to make a big pot on a weeknight. The basis is a bunch of roasted tomatoes, onions and garlic. Drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper and bursting with flavor. I like a variety of tomatoes (such as tomatoes on the vine, cherry tomatoes and little heirloom tomatoes) for little extra depth of flavor, but truly you can use whichever kind of tomatoes you have on hand or that look good in the grocery store. A big bowl topped with French bread croutons makes a meal unto itself or the perfect accompaniment to a grilled cheese sandwich. (I’ll be sharing one of my favorite grilled cheese recipes next week! Yum!)
I started taking French in fifth grade, and I’m fairly certain it was right around that same time I first heard tales of le chocolat chaud from my French teacher. Hyped as a thick, decadent mug of melted chocolate, it was when I was sixteen and sitting at a little café in Paris that I first truly understood …
As I sit down to write this post, I’m thinking long and hard this morning about how much I hate complaining about the cold. I try really hard not to do it, because obviously my complaining is not going to make it any better. Whining doesn’t miraculously make spring arrive! That said, when I woke …
Much of the country is facing bitterly cold temperatures this week so we need to talk about getting and staying warm! Currently we are sitting at -8 degrees with a windchill approaching -30 degrees. That’s real life and it’s bitterly cold. It’s walk outside and your nose hairs freeze kind of cold. (If you know …
Just a week out from Valentines Day, I am officially in love with everything red and pink. For me, I like to strip the commercialism out of Valentines Day and focus on sweet, handmade tokens of affection for the loved ones in my life, which might explain why I love this vintage inspired Valentines Day …
Originally featured on Green Wedding Shoes, I am loving the pretty country details throughout this winter wedding inspiration shoot. I am a touch obsessed with the idyllic romance of a snowy winter wedding with big mugs of steamy hot cocoa and portraits in front of a flickering fireplace. This outdoor dessert setup would be perfect …
While spring and summer weddings are incredibly popular, I find the romance of a winter wedding completely irresistible. Originally featured on Southern Weddings, I find this winter wedding shoot to be simply stunning. A regal purple and gold color palette paired with warm winter details like vanilla chai and a cocoa bar are the perfect …
Hello hello and happy Monday, friends! I know the Monday after a long holiday weekend is never especially fun so I thought I’d start the week with some truly lovely winter wedding inspiration to get us all in the spirit of the holiday season. Think lots of sparkle, hot cocoa, a pine cone cake topper, …
We’re gearing up for a hot and humid weekend here so this winter-inspired tablescape for the Inspired Creations Contest feels pleasantly unique today. It’s the work of Custom Paper Works, GoIzzy and Dziekonski Photography and is inspired by the notion that winter weddings don’t need to involve holiday motifs or snowflakes in order to feel …
For those of you out there who, like me, are a product of the 80s, the thought of long white evening gloves might bring to mind images of shiny synthetic fabrics and tacky dresses to match. Today I am here to challenge that association and even go so far as to nominate lady-like gloves as …