our life in a click: March 2018

Friday, March 30, 2018

Four On Friday

Here's what I've been....

Wearing...when your bracelets match your yoga pants.

The story behind these bracelets is here. We miss our dear friend Nick so much!

Decorating with...lemons! I love how they add a little springtime vibe to the kitchen.

Enjoying...my letter board. This quote is from Notes From The Universe. I like the emails I receive from them every day.

Listening to...hubby's band had a gig last night (after a long hiatus). So much fun!

Enjoy your weekend!

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Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Wordless Wednesday 03.28.18

May all of your lemons turn into lemonade today!

Linking up:

Wordless Wednesday

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Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Dollar Tree Finds/Updates

It's been awhile since I've done a Dollar Tree post and I thought I'd share some things I've found there and give an update on some past purchases. Let's go!

These copper and silver metallic votive holders caught my eye. I have some very similar ones from Crate and Barrel and those were not a dollar!

This Oatmeal & Coconut Soap looks so fancy and would be nice in a gift basket or hostess gift set.

I purchased one of these moisture eliminators, stuck it in our basement and promptly forgot about it. That was, until I found it and checked to see if it was collecting moisture a few weeks later and it was! These work like the product Damp Rid if you've ever used that before. The charcoal version was new to me and I'm testing that out now.

I love these larger sized fabric bins and have used them in our linen closet makeover and my nemesis drawer organization.

Organized Master Bedroom Linen Closet

My Nemesis Drawer

The dark grey was a new color for me and I picked three up for our basement shelves.

See how they fit perfectly?

These potato sticks seemed like a fairly healthy snack, they only contained potatoes, salt and oil. They were tasty!

Speaking of snacks, Dollar Tree has a growing selection of more natural snacks. Yay Dollar Tree!

Did you know you could find Magic Erasers (they're called Quick Erasers here) at the Dollar Tree? They work just like the name brand erasers.

Do you remember when I was scouring every thrift store to get enough of these chargers for my Thanksgiving table? Well now they have them here for just a dollar!

Thanksgiving 2014

These microfiber scrubbers have been one of my favorite purchases!

They have a "scrubby" side that is great for cleaning up tough spots on the countertop or stovetop. I use them all over my kitchen, from the granite to the stainless steel, to my induction cooktop!

New Cooktop

Finally, here are the placemats that I used to make my fridge coasters. I still like my pattern best (the grey/white geometric).

Refrigerator Coasters

Do you ever shop at The Dollar Tree? What's your favorite purchase?

Linking up:

Wordless Wednesday

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Monday, March 26, 2018

{Recipe} Cauliflower Stuffed Shells

Who's in the mood for creamy, dreamy stuffed shells that are vegan, oil free and packed full of plant based goodness? I was! I used this recipe as my starting off point. In my version I cut down the amount of nuts and increased the cauliflower. The results were delicious!

Ingredients:

24 jumbo shells

2 cups raw cauliflower, cut into small enough pieces to fit in the measuring cup

1/4 cup raw cashews

1/4 cup raw almonds

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or dairy free milk of choice)

1/2 cup veggie broth

2-4 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 10 oz package frozen spinach, defrosted & squeezed of excess moisture

1 26 oz jar oil free marinara sauce(or make your own)

Vegan Parmesan for top (optional)

To make:

Preheat oven to 350F. Cook shells to al dente (about 6 minutes). Drain and rinse with cold water when done and set aside.
Make ricotta filling. Blend cauliflower, cashews, almonds, almond milk, veggie broth, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor or high speed blender. Blend until you got a ricotta like texture.
Add spinach and pulse a few more times to incorporate.
Stuff shells: Add 1 cup of sauce to a 9x12 baking dish and spread around to cover the bottom. Stuff each shell with 1 1/2-2 TBS of filling. Place shells in baking dish side by side in single layer.
Pour remaining sauce over shells, sprinkle vegan parmesan over top (optional). Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes covered and 10 minutes uncovered. Let sit for 5-10 minutes after baking.

Serve and enjoy!

I could go for some right now!

Linking up:

Creative Mondays

Cooking and Crafting with J & J

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Friday, March 23, 2018

Four On Friday

Happy Friday! Here's what I've been....

1)Listening to...

I love this soundtrack and having Spotify to listen to it whenever I want. I'm excited about the live version coming to NBC on Easter.

I've also been listening to the new 21 day meditation series from Oprah and Deepak Chopra. Whenever they offer the free sessions, I participate. I'm pretty sure you can still sign up for it if you're interested.

2)Dreaming about....

Spring and crocuses.

But 24 hours later it looked like this. So ready for Spring!

3) Making....

We didn't host Irish Night this year but I still made shepherd's pie and

Irish soda bread. Here's a recipe I've used in the past for the bread. I just realized I don't have a recipe for shepherd's pie on the blog. I will have to post one!

4)Decorating....

I put up a few Easter decorations (and made a fire during our snow day).

Here's to a great weekend!

Linking up:

Welcome To The Weekend
Cooking and Crafting with J & J

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Wednesday, March 21, 2018

{Shopping} Trader Joe's Finds

Who doesn't love a good TJ's run? I'm constantly finding new (to me) products and searching for recommended products when I'm there.

This water was new to me and sounded refreshing. The flavors are not overpowering and the hint of ginger gets you with a nice tingle as you sip it down.

I love the seasonal products at TJ's but it's best to grab them when you see them because they probably won't be there when you go back. I didn't try this one but my family said it was awesome. How clever is the name too?

This one was recommended by a vegan vlogger as a must try from TJ's. It's a tasty, sweet marinade that I use when I make pineapple stir fry. It's a blend of soy sauce, pineapple juice, garlic and ginger (and some other spices).

These are such a steal, I grab them whenever I'm there. You get a really generous amount of green onions for $1.29 or thereabouts. The onions are always fresh and crunchy. Such a deal!

Dipping carrots in hummus is delish, but sometimes I just want a cracker. They give you a lot of bang for the calorie buck. (17 crackers = 130 calories/2.5 grams of fat). They are gluten free but do contain soy. Sorry, Tamar!

I'm always looking for healthy snacks for Miss High School's lunch and the last dried apples I found had a ton of sugar so they were no bueno. These tart apples are unsweetened and unsulfured. #winwin
What's your favorite TJ's find lately?

Linking up:

Wordless Wednesday
Cooking and Crafting with J & J

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Tuesday, March 20, 2018

{Review} CanvasPop Photo Pillow

I was thrilled when CanvasPop.com reached out to me to review one of their new Photo Pillows. These new American made high quality pillows help solve the problem of what to do with all our favorite photos.

It's a nice alternative to a framed photo and it's easy to move it from room to room. Photo pillows are a novel way to print out your best shots of family, memories and milestones.

The hardest part for me was deciding which photo I wanted to use. The website makes it easy to design your perfect pillow in 3 simple steps.

1)Select your favorite photo from your phone, tablet or computer.

2)Upload your photo and perfect it with the pillow customizer. You'll get a live preview so you'll see exactly how your pillow will look.

3)Sit back and wait for your pillow to arrive (very quick shipping!).

I decided on this shot from our trip to Aruba in 2015. I love the colors and seeing this serene tropical scene takes me away from the cold and dreary weather we're experiencing (hello N'oreasters 4 & 5!#goaway). Every pillow comes with a removable cover and is made in America with 100% spun polyester. They are easy to clean and will keep their form.

I was impressed with the quality of the pillow and its cover. I've purchased many pillow covers and this one is super thick and easy to zipper. I also love that the design is on both sides of the pillow!

CanvasPop guarantees you will love everything thing about your pillow. If you don't, they'll re-make it or refund your money.

Disclaimer: I received product from the company to review but all opinions are my own.

Linking up:

Wordless Wednesday

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Monday, March 19, 2018

{Recipe} Vegan Jambalaya

I used to make jambalaya but it's been awhile and since I no longer eat sausage or shrimp, I had to come up with a new recipe to satisfy my craving.

I had some Yves veggie breakfast patties that needed to be used up and that was the start of this recipe!

Vegan Jambalaya

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, diced

3-4 stalks celery diced

2-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 bell pepper, diced

1 package veggie sausage (like Yves), cut up into bite sized pieces

1 can beans of your choice (I used pinto), rinsed and drained

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes

1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (more or less to taste)

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

salt & pepper to taste

scallions for garnish (optional)

To make:

Sauté onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic over medium heat with a little water.
Once onion is translucent, add veggie sausage pieces and cook to warm through, adding more water to keep from sticking if necessary.
Add cooked rice, both cans of tomatoes, beans and seasonings. Stir to combine and bring to a low boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Serve with scallions on top and some hot sauce if you like it hotter.