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Obviously as a pregnant person, a huge concern is chemical in the home and body. Once you start to look at labels, you start to realize some of the cleaning and care items you've been using probably need to go. We're pretty good about using natural ingredients regularly, bit sometimes those products lack the same efficacy of the more chemical-heavy products.
I was excited when Formulary 55 offered to send me some products to try because they are kind of a rad company. Based in Southern Colorado, every product they make - branding from home care to skin care and candles - is vegan, cruelty-free, SLS-free, and paraben-free. Plus, unlike most bigger home care their products are individually handmade with natural ingredients every time, ensuring more care and quality into every product they make! I was excited to try the products and have to say - I LOVED them. I was sent the Natural Home Care Collection in the Ginger Blossom scent to try, as well as the Gardenia Blossoms Glass Candle. I have been especially loving the hand soap and laundry powder. They smell SO good and work really well, too! The room spray has made a lovely addition to our home as well, and smells AMAZING; so does the candle - Gardenia is one of my favorite scents! I would highly recommend trying Formulary 55 products if you are looking for a cleaner home care brand alternative, especially right now when supporting small businesses is SO important. Formulary 55 has agreed to join me in a giveaway for one lucky reader. Scroll down for enter details!
Giveaway details! We're teaming up to send a bottle of the All-Purpose Cleaner and Natural Laundry Powder in the Ginger Blossom Scent to one lucky winner! To enter, head over to my instagram and follow the simple tag and follow instructions. We'll announce the winner there at the end of the week!
In the meantime, stay safe and wear a mask out there, cuties. Back soon with my first trimester pregnancy recap. Be well! FORMULARY 55 HOME CARE COLLECTION REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!
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'Pantry to Plate' Cookbook Recipe + GIVEAWAY!
Chances are, you've been to Heather's beautifully designed website YumUniverse. If you haven't yet, drop everything and GO NOW! Everything she does is gorgeous - including her website layout. So clean and user-friendly, which makes it a perfect extension of her cookbook as a useful tool for creating delicious meals! Her plant-powerful, gluten-free, whole food recipes are always thoughtfully presented and beautifully photographed, and definitely drool-worthy. Her website is a treasure trove of over 500 recipes, meal plans, do-it-yourself projects, and brilliant e-books. Heather is NAILING it! Her new cookbook, Pantry to Plate, is a testament to her skills as a chef and her creativity in creating delicious, exciting new recipes...this time with foods you already have in your kitchen! This book is teeming with 30 flexible recipe templates plus over 100 recipes that show the templates in action and keep a focus on whole foods and flavor. The book is as much a guide as it is a cookbook, with thoughtful substitutions and pairings laid out amongst gorgeous, hand-painted art and beautifully shot photos. With sections like Breakfast Cookies, Bites & Tots, Tacos & Wraps, and Hand Pies there's something for everyone in this book. I made the Sriracha Mac recipe Heather's shared with us below just before we left on our honeymoon and it was PHENOMENAL! Spicy, tangy, cheezy - perfect.
Heather began her journey into healthy cooking and eating as a way to help heal her body of health issues that started in her early 20's. As someone with a lot of unexplained sickness, I totally understand- that's why I went plant-based, too! Heather keeps it real and is super relatable in her writing and her simple approach to creating meals that appeal to everyone. These are meals I feel like I could confidently cook for my meat-eating family with no complaints. Pantry to Plate is more than a cookbook- its a must-have for anyone with a desire to get more of the food in their pantry, and to stay healthy while doing it. Scroll all the way down for Heather's Sriracha Mac recipe AND a chance to WIN her new cookbook! 
Sriracha Mac
Serves 4+ Ingredients
Instructions Get a large pot of water boiling and prepare the macaroni noodles according to the package instructions. While the noodles cook, combine the squash, water, cashews, garlic, lemon juice, coconut oil, nutritional yeast, salt, Sriracha, and ginger in the blender and purée until ultra-smooth. Taste and add more Sriracha if you like. Transfer to a large pot heated to low. Drain the noodles and dump into the pot of sauce; add the scallions. Stir together, seasoning with more salt if necessary. Drizzle with toasted sesame oil if you like and serve warm. (Recipe from YumUniverse Pantry to Plate © Heather Crosby, 2017. Photographs copyright © Heather Crosby, 2017. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold. theexperimentpublishing.com) 
Vanilla Corn Cake from The First Mess Cookbook + a GIVEAWAY!
Hey guys! Back today with an amazing cookbook that I've recently had the pleasure of reviewing. If you haven't heard of Laura and her gorgeous, super popular blog The First Mess, you're missing out. Her culinary training-backed recipes and photography are next level, and I wish I could both learn to use light the way she does and have half the food styling talent. She's a mega babe and total girl boss and I am constantly enjoying her updates both on her beautifully designed blog and ever growing instagram! Follow Laura if you aren't already for a stream of gorgeous, beautifully-lit photos that feel real and make you feel like you're in the kitchen right alongside her.
I was gifted this book when it came out over a month ago but didn't have a chance to really explore it last week. Wedding planning, ya know? Although I did finally pick out my flowers for the big day, so that feels like a win. As soon as I cracked this book open I got lost in the gorgeous, glossy photos and well designed text. The book is clean, minimalist, and full of recipes that will make you want to hit your nearest farmers market lickety split. I went straight to the Mega Clump Granola (pictured below) after seeing it on several IG feeds this month - and I was so not disappointed. Even my sugar-free version (made with alternative sweeteners from Lakanto) turned out super clumpy and perfect for smoothie bowls, snacking, and even in place of cereal. I have about 15 other recipes from the book flagged, including Laura's Cozy Lentil Soup, Crispy Avocado Tacos and Earl Grey Tiramisu. They all look incredible! Congrats to Laura on creating such a must-have-cookbook. You (and your recipes) rock girl! Lucky for us, we get to share one of her recipes - for Vanilla Corn Cake with Roasted Strawberries - with you all! Scroll down for the recipe and to enter to WIN your very own copy of The First Mess Cookbook!
Before we get to the recipe, a note about the giveaway: the randomly chosen giveaway winner will be notified via email, so please make sure the email you enter below is valid and checked regularly. US + Canadian entrants only. Please scroll all the way to the bottom of the page to enter the giveaway. Good luck!
Now, a few words from the cookbook author, Laura, about this recipe: I had a corn-based cookie from a wildly popular bakery in New York one weekend, and on the way to the airport to fly home, I had to stop at that bakery and buy up a bunch of those golden cookies to take with me. That trip started my love affair with corn-based desserts. It made so much sense because I had always preferred cornbread with a noticeable sweet edge. I love the slightly crumbly texture that cornmeal brings to this cake. It tastes perfect with the jammy, roasted strawberries, but I imagine you could do this with plenty of other summer fruits. 
Vanilla Corn Cake with Roasted Strawberries
Makes one 9-inch (23 cm) cake ¾ cup (175 mL) full-fat coconut milk 1 teaspoon (5 mL) fresh lemon juice 1 cup (250 mL) cornmeal (not coarse) 1 cup (250 mL) whole spelt flour 1 teaspoon (5 mL) lemon zest 1 tablespoon (15 mL) aluminum-free baking powder ¼ teaspoon (1 mL) baking soda 1 teaspoon (5 mL) fine sea salt ½ teaspoon (2 mL) ground turmeric (optional) ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (125 mL + 30 mL) pure maple syrup ½ cup (125 mL) sunflower oil, plus extra to grease pan 1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla bean paste OR pure vanilla extract roughly 1 quart (4 cups/1 L) whole strawberries (smaller berries are preferable) Whipped Coconut Cream (page 271), for serving (optional) 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan with sunflower oil. Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the pan and press it in. Lightly grease the parchment, and set aside. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut milk and lemon juice. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes so that the milk can curdle slightly. 3. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, spelt flour, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, and turmeric, if using. 4. Make a well in the center of the cornmeal mixture. Add the maple syrup, sunflower oil, vanilla, and coconut milk mixture. With a spatula, gently mix until you have a smooth and unified batter. Avoid overmixing. 5. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and slide the pan into the oven. Bake the cake for 25 to 28 minutes or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely. Raise the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C). 6. Cut the strawberries into halves or quarters (depending on size), and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Slide the baking sheet into the oven and roast the strawberries until they become juicy and jammy, about 20 minutes. 7. Serve slices of the corn cake with a few roasted strawberries and some Whipped Coconut Cream (page 271) if you like. Reprinted from The First Mess Cookbook by arrangement with Avery Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2017, Laura Wright Brentwood Home - $275 Sleep Wellness GIVEAWAY!
Brentwood Home is a Los Angeles-based team of artisans and fabricators making some really healthy, comfortable, ethically-sourced products. I fell in love with them originally when I stumbled upon their meditation pillow and then got it for Christmas. It's filled with buckwheat husks and is seriously the most comfortable thing - it totally aligns my spine and has made me meditation practice something I actually look forward to! When they reached out about trying their all-natural pillows, I was SO down! Brentwood Home has been making home and bedding essentials in Los Angeles for over 30 years. From design to development to manufacturing, they handle it all. From natural latex to organic cotton, they make sure your home is taken care of. Think about it, friends – we spend about 1/3 of our lives in our BEDS! To me, it’s important that they’re as natural as possible. Many mattress and bedding companies use chemical fire retardants, phthalates, and heavy metals when manufacturing and processing their products. Those can’t be good to breathe in through the night, right? The good news is Brentwood Home doesn’t use any of them, and that makes me feel like I can sleep safe and sound. Even better? Their products have a 120-night sleep guarantee and a 25-year warranty! That's why I've teamed up with the folks at Brentwood Home for this awesome $275 Sleep Wellness bundle giveaway, with bedroom essentials that’ll change the way you sleep. Read on to win!
We all know that getting a good night's sleep is a necessity for boosting your mood and banishing under-eye circles, but did you know it can also improve your memory, help curb inflammation, keep a healthy weight, and can even help you live longer? Most of us aren't getting enough, and the sleep we get is disjointed and full of tossing and turning. If your pillows and mattress suck - and more often they do than don't - then it's time to upgrade! In this sleep wellness bundle, you’ll receive four pillows that will have you more excited than ever to jump into bed! Two Latex/ Kapok pillows are filled with all-natural latex ribbons that have a responsive feel that provides uplifting support, combined with a silky-smooth plant fiber called kapok. They’ll be the perfect fit for people who switch between multiple sleeping positions, as they easily mold to your neck and head. The cover is made of organic cotton, grown without toxic pesticides or fertilizers, so you can sleep safe and sound. The winner will also receive two Molded Latex Pillows that are bouncy, resilient, and molded to perfectly contour your head and neck. They’re made with healthy materials for your sleep, like a 100% organic cotton cover, and they’re certified free of synthetic materials by the Eco-institute. While Alex prefers the latex/ kapok combo, I've been seriously loving the next support of the molded latex version. It's so nice to have pillows we can BOTH finally enjoy!
Plus, I love that Brentwood Home keeps their production process as close to their home in California as possible. They operate their own factory, which gives them complete control over the production process. From design to development to manufacturing, everything they do is in-house and up to their own standards. By eliminating middlemen and shipping directly from their factory to the customer, they’re able to cut manufacturing costs and pass the savings on to you and me. I also love how much California inspires the actual design of their products. It’s clear in the neutral colors, modern design, and eco-friendly materials, plus almost everything is named after a West Coast staple or landmark. California has always been first in line when it comes to environmental regulation, implementing policies that are eventually followed by the rest of the country - nothing says California living like being green!
So, want to WIN these awesome pillows for yourself? You can enter by simply entering your email below! We'll choose a winner and email a winner on Wednesday, 2/8 - so be sure to check the email you provide! International entrants welcome. Good luck! Whether you win or not, be sure to use Brentwood Home Discount Code OURHOME on your next purchase for 10% OFF! At Home Water Test Kit Review + GIVEAWAY!
I grew up in Maine, where the water was clean, plentiful, and well-drawn. I was never afraid to take too long of showers, or tasted a weird aftertaste in my drinking water - I was blessed in childhood with a gift I didn't understand was a gift at all. As an adult living in a rapidly growing city, I am acutely aware of the facts surrounding water. There is not a ton of it, especially here, and what there is isn't always great for drinking. Glossing over the fact that many, many people do not have access to clean drinking water here, clearly. That being said, even those of us who can afford to pay for city water to get pumped in don't always get a great product - sometimes, it's not even something you recognize as water. Luckily, where we live now the city is pretty diligent and the water isn't TOO atrocious. Of course, you can still usually taste the contaminants and cleaners in the water, but at least that means they're trying to clean it. Right? It can be scary relying on the city or state to inform you of what's going on - remember Flint, MI? (Yeah, that's still happening. ) So be a conscientious citizen and check your drinking water for yourself!
We were sent the ultimate at-home water testing kit to try out from TestAssured, which includes 10 different water contaminant tests that are easy to administer and gives you results within 10 minutes for every test included - except bacteria, which takes 48 hours for full results. This one test kit includes all of the following water tests:
And guys- it couldn't have been easier. You just add a little water here, do a little shake there and BAM - the clear, color-coded charts will let you know what's in your drinking water! It works with well water, city/municipal water, tap, well water, residential drinking water, groundwater and spring water sources, and all of the tests are made right here in the USA. Plus, all of their products come with a 100% money back guarantee and they have GREAT customer service - they're been a joy to work with, and judging by the reviews on their website, they always are!
So how'd my city tap water fare? Actually - pretty okay! Better than I expected, for sure. The tests didn't look for fluoride, though I know our city water is definitely flouridated, but otherwise they showed that we were pretty good! Our alkalinity and pH are pretty out of whack, but otherwise I was pleased to see that our water isn't totally contaminant ridden. As you can see in the tests above, we were well within normal levels for things like chlorine, nitrogen and copper. Its actually a huge relief knowing that we've tested and seen for ourselves that the water isn't so icky. You can order a test for yourself here OR scroll down and enter your email to be entered to WIN a test for yourself! We'll pick a winner Friday, January 20th. International entrants welcome - because EVERYBODY deserves clean water. Good luck!
Homestyle Vegan Cookbook - Sneak Peek + Giveaway!
GUYS. I finally got my official copy of my new cookbook, Homestyle Vegan yesterday and OH MAN. I love it. I had to share it with you guys, even if it's not technically out for two more weeks. But don't let that discourage you, you can PRE-ORDER it now and have it delivered to you ON November 1st. Perfect timing for holiday gifts!
This cookbook was a serious labor of love. I quit my job to dedicate myself full-time to testing, re-testing, editing, styling and photographing all 80 original recipes inside. And it was all worth it, because now I have compiled some of my FAVORITE recipes, veganized them, and have them all in one place - and I can share it with you guys! The dishes inside are broken up into sections like 'Cook Up Some Comfort Food', 'Meals That'll Stick To Your Ribs', and 'Bake-Sale Worthy Baked Goods' you'll be able to easily find exactly what kind of recipe you're looking for. If you still can't find it you can head all the way to our detailed index in the back. Each recipes is served up with a full-page color photo, detailed instructions, and helpful recipe tips + tricks. Oh and did we mention? NO TOFU or FAUX MEAT in the whole damn book! And most recipes include soy-free and gluten-free substitutions as well. 
I was inspired with this book to re-create favorites from my childhood in Maine, along with dishes I had learned to love as an adult, but as healthfully reimagined as possible - without using any trendy superfoods or hard-to-find ingredients. In fact, every ingredient in the book is one you'll be able to find at your local grocery store - I promise. (Unless you live in like rural Alaska - I can't help you there!)
In Homestyle Vegan, you’ll have access to creative vegan remakes of old favorites, such as:
Here's a little video sneal-peek: |
