Friday Favorites

Coco Baker's Beach

Happy Friday! Coco’s super pumped for the weekend. How about you guys? Do you have any special plans?

Listen to me, I sound like I work at Whole Foods.

I rarely have anything exciting to respond to that question with. Uh, cooking food in my kitchen then taking pictures of it…?

However, it just so happens that this weekend we actually do have something fun on the agenda. We’re attending our very first farm-to-table dinner! We didn’t get to do anything special for Brandon’s birthday last weekend since we both had to work so it’s kind of like a late celebration. I’m so excited I barely stand it! I’m just hoping it warms up a teensy bit. It has been unseasonably cold here over the past couple of weeks and I might have to wear my winter coat tomorrow if it keeps up.

Anyways, whether you have plans to do something fun or just chill at home, I hope you enjoy it! Until then, here’s a collection of my favorite recent finds:

 

Favorite Breakfast: Crispy Cinnamon Swirl Paleo Pancakes. Have you guys noticed that I’m obsessed with Julia’s blog yet? That girl is always cookin’ up something tasty and these pancakes are no exception. Just look at the golden crust on these babies! Mmm…

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Favorite Spot to Take a Nap: The 10 Most Beautiful Tree Houses. Man, what I wouldn’t give to have this in my backyard. I feel relaxed just looking at it.

10 Most Beautiful Tree Houses

Favorite Book: Big Little Lies. I started reading this last week and it took a few chapters for me to get into it but it’s turned out to be really entertaining. Have you read it yet? I’m excited to see how it ends…but don’t tell me! :)

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Favorite Drink: Lavender Lemonade. Isn’t this so pretty? It looks absolutely perfect for warm summer weather. And you would never guess how easy it is to make!

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Favorite Granola: Banana Walnut Granola. Ugh, those CLUSTERS. Be still my heart!

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Favorite Fries: Curry Garlic Sweet Potato Fries with Miso Gravy. Imagining all of these flavors together is making my taste buds do a little jig on my tongue. YUM.

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Favorite Easy Dinner: Green Chickpea Curry with Couscous. Healthy, delicious and less than 30 minutes to make. This one is definitely going on to the meal plan for an easy weeknight dinner!

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Favorite Healthy Treat: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars. Naturally sweetened vegan cookies bars that melt in your mouth like cookie dough? Um, yes PLEASE.

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Favorite Animal Friends: Kasi and Mtani. Brandon and I discovered a new show called Unlikely Animal Friends on National Geographic and it is the cutest show EVER. Some of the friendships are way out there (like a cat and an owl!) but a lot of them involve dogs like this one who befriended a baby cheetah. It’s a must see for animal lovers!

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Favorite Beauty Article: 12 Ingredients to Avoid in Natural Skincare Products. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m trying my best to move towards purchasing natural products but even those that are labeled natural can still have some unrecognizable ingredients. This article helps breaks it down so that you know which ones to keep an eye out for.

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Favorite Dream Escape: Four Seasons, Maldives. Being surrounded by nothing but miles and miles of clear blue water and white sand looks like the ultimate paradise. I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful place if I tried.

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Favorite Cheez: Vegan Chipotle Carrot Queso. I’m hesitant to get excited when it comes to vegan queso but this one looks good enough to make me a believer. It’s so smooth and silky!

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Favorite Pizza: Smashed Chickpea Taco Pizza. Healthy + Mexican + Pizza = Mind.Blown.

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Favorite Animal: Top Ten Fascinating Facts About Pigs. I listened to an NPR podcast during my commute last week that interviewed the author of the book Pig Tales: An Omnivore’s Quest for Sustainable Meat, and I was astounded by some of the facts that were mentioned. Like, did you know that pigs are smarter than dogs?

I thought it was an eye-opening listen and I really value the message the author is trying to send with his book. Hopefully more omnivores will jump on board with him!

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Favorite Candy: Crispy Peanut Butter Cups. And to end on a sweet note, these beautiful peanut butter cups have crispy quinoa inside which means you get a nice dose of plant-powered protein with dessert. That means we can have as many as we want, right? ;)

Homemade Crispy Peanut Butter Cups with Toasted Coconut Quinoa - edibleperspective