{Photography} Winter Photo Shoot

When College Girl was home on her break we had a quick photo shoot in the snow.

It was just after a snowfall but I added some falling snow to this one.

We took a few in the back yard and then headed to a location nearby.

It was cold but it was worth it!

These were just a few of the images from our shoot and I need to edit some more!

 Happy Thursday! 

{Outfit Details}

Jumper: ModCloth

Turtleneck:  Costco

Sweater:  Old Navy

Boots:  LLBean

Beret: Amazon

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{Recipe} Very Vedgy "Meat"loaf

I've made  quite a few vegan meatloaves on this blog but I wanted to try a more traditional and 'meaty' version with the meat-free ground I found at The Grocery Outlet.  

I was inspired by this Bobby Flay recipe for Vegetable Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze.  It's got lots of veggies which made it very appealing to me.

Ingredients  

1 package of Meat Free Ground (I used The Meatless Farm Co. brand)

1 small onion, diced

2 small zucchini, diced

2 bell peppers, diced

4-5  cloves of garlic, minced

1 flax egg (1 TBS ground flax mixed with 3 TBS water)

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup nutritional  yeast

1 tsp dried thyme

1 TBS dried parsely

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

salt & pepper

3/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup plus 1 TBS  balsamic vinegar

1  TBS vegan Worcestershire sauce

1 dash liquid smoke (optional)

To make:

• Preheat oven to 425ºF.
• Make flax egg  by  combining 1 TBS of ground flax seed with 3 TBS water. Whisk and set aside to gel.

• Heat olive oil in large pan and add diced vegetables (onion, peppers &  zucchini).  Cook a  few minutes then add the minced garlic.   Season with 1/8 tsp of red pepper flakes.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  Cook until vegetables are almost soft (5-10 minutes). Set aside to cool.

• In a large bowl add flax egg and whisk in thyme and parsley.  Add meatless ground, bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, 1/2 cup of  ketchup and 1 TBS balsamic vinegar.  Add cooled vegetables and stir well.

• Pour mixture out onto a parchment lined baking sheet and form into a loaf shape.

• Mix up the glaze by adding 1/4 cup ketchup with 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar  in a small bowl.  Whisk together and add 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 1 TBS vegan Worcestershire sauce a dash of liquid smoke.
• Brush entire mixture over the loaf.
• Bake for 1-1 1/4 hours. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting it.

• Enjoy with some mashed potatoes or  however you like your meatloaf!

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January Daily Goodie Box

 {Disclaimer: I was given a Daily Goodie Box to review but all opinions are my own}. 

I just got January's Daily Goodie Box and I'm excited to see what's inside.

Daily Goodie Box- It's More Than Just Free Samples!   

Let's take a look, shall we?

Moon Cheese - White Chedda Black Peppa

https://mooncheese.com/products/white-chedda-black-peppa

The website says they are "savory, sharp, delightfully decadent" and that your tongue will be "crying  ears of joy"!

Rowdy Bar - Peanutty Dark Chocolate
https://rowdybars.com/collections/all/products/peanutty-dark-chocolate-bars

A prebiotic chocolate bar that is made from 9 simple ingredients and has 13 grams of protein.

Kuju Coffee - Pour over Coffee 
https://www.kujucoffee.com/collections
This convenient  pour-over coffee has notes of oak, chocolate and honey.  Sounds amazing!

Miracle Tree - Organic Moringa Tea - Rooibos
https://www.miracletree.org/products/moringa-tea-rooibos

Moringa is a nutrient dense superfood and the tea is said to be sweet, mild and smooth.

Manuka Guard - Sinus Cleanser

https://www.manukaguard.com/products/sinus-cleanser#

From their website:  Our strongest nasal spray, Sinus Cleanser uses Manuka Honey MGO 600 to clean out nasal cavity microbes. Seasonal bugs generate moisture in the sinuses, creating a swampy breeding ground for microbes to form a biofilm. Once a biofilm forms, modern medicine believes that such a biofilm is irreversibly attached, in other words, impossible to detach. Sinus cleanser is effective at mechanically detaching a biofilm and flushing it from the sinuses. If tissues are raw or sensitive Sinus Cleanser may sting at first. It is normal to sneeze one to three times after each use.  This is part of the cleansing effect, removing unwanted mucus and sinus junk caused by seasonal bugs.*

South of France - Hydrating Hand & Body Cream 
https://southoffrancebodycare.com/product-type/hydrating-hand-and-body-cream
These are formulated with nourishing oils and butters. The sweet scent of violets should transport you to a France. oo la la!
Green Goo - Love Sweet Love Bath Salts
https://greengoo.com/products/bath-salts-rose-hibiscus_

This combination of rose and hibiscus sounds so soothing and relaxing!

You can sign up for own Daily Goodie Box here, no credit card is ever needed!  Daily Goodie Boxes are 100% free!

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{Recipe} Vegan Andes Mints

I made my first batch of Andes-style candies ten years ago!  You can see the post here.

 It's been quite awhile so I revisited the recipe when I found some vegan white chocolate chips that actually tasted good. The Walmart Great Value Organic white  baking chips are delicious! 

They are also free of the 8 major food allergens and artificial colors and flavors. yay!

I remembered that the recipe made a lot so I cut it down a little.  

Ingredients:

12 oz chocolate chips, separated (dark or semi sweet)

6 oz white chocolate chips

Peppermint oil  (not extract)

Green food coloring (optional)

To make:

• Start by melting the chocolate in 3 separate oven safe bowls.   I warmed the oven to 300ºF and set the bowls in the oven to melt the chocolate. Once they've  melted, remove first  bowl of chocolate from the oven and turn off the oven, leaving the white  chocolate and second bowl of chocolate to keep warm.
• Use some melted chocolate to secure a piece of wax  paper to the dish you're using to make the mints. Mine is approximately 8 x 8 inches.

• Stir up the first batch of melted chocolate until smooth, dropping in 3-5 drops of peppermint oil depending upon how minty you want it.

• Add to prepared dish, spreading carefully. Gently tap the dish to remove air bubbles.  Put the dish in the freezer (I used my cold garage) to set.  It only takes a few minutes.

• The chocolate will lose its glossy sheen when it's ready for the next layer.  You want the layers to stick together so you don't want to let the chocolate get too firm but firm enough so that the layers don't run together.

• Repeat with the white chocolate layer, adding green food coloring to your liking (or skip the color).   I added more peppermint oil to this layer but it's  not necessary.  
• Quickly chill and then add the final chocolate mint layer, chilling again until matte, not glossy.

• Cut into squares with a sharp knife.  Some may break apart but they still taste great!

• Store in an air tight container.   I think they'd be fun for Valentine's Day with a red layer!

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