You may have noticed that recently I've been dipping my toes more and more in the vegan pool. As I continue to breastfeed Teddy (who has a dairy protein intolerance) I miss my old dairy-filled standbys more and more and find myself searching for a replacement. 

Just this week I finally discovered the beauty of homemade cashew cream and I am hooked! I've already used it in two recipes - one savory and one sweet. It couldn't be easier to make and tastes delightful! 

Although this recipe is not completely vegan (it has eggs in the cake batter) it is dairy free and absolutely delicious! The carrot cake is a recipe I have been tweaking for a few years now and I hope you'll love it as much as we do!

cake

1 c grated carrots

1 c all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 eggs at room temp

1/2 c honey

1/4 c canola oil

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 c applesauce

1/2 c chopped nuts of choice

vegan frosting*

1/2 c raw macadamia nuts (soaked, drained and rinsed)

1/2 c raw cashews (soaked, drained and rinsed)

1/4 c almond milk

1/4 c maple syrup

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two small loaf pans or two small cake pans.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer beat eggs on high until foamy (about 1 minute). Add honey and continue beating on medium-high for another three minutes. Lower speed and canola oil, vanilla and applesauce. 

Add the flower mixture to the wet ingredients a little bit at a time until fully incorporated. Finally, use a spatula to gently fold in the carrots and nuts. 

Divide the batter in half and pour into pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. 

For the frosting 

Before you start soak the cashews and macadamia nuts in equal parts water for 30 minutes to an hour (the longer they soak the creamier it will be). When you're ready drain the nuts and rinse them briefly. Then combine frosting ingredients into a high speed blender. Start the blender on low and gradually increase speed (the mixture will be very thick at first). You can add an extra tablespoon of almond milk if necessary to get your blade moving. Taste and add more sugar or lemon to make it more sweet and/or tangy. Blend until very smooth.

Once the cake has cooled frost it and enjoy with a glass of almond milk!

*Frosting recipe from the fantastic Love & Lemons blog!

You might be surprised to know that when Birdie was a baby I used to carry a lot more in my diaper bag. Since Teddy is my second baby I've learned a few things here and there and figured out how to pack as little as possible but at the same time how to have absolutely everything we may need. So in no particular order here are the things I would never be caught without:

I love these posts my friend Ashely does on thursdays and I think it's a nice way to organize the jumbled up things flying around in my head as of late. Happy tuesday folks!!

THINKING ABOUT: Honestly, social media. I feel like every few months I end up assessing how I use it and how I feel about it. When I took a break from the internet a few years ago I vowed to not re-introduce it to my life unless I was sure that I wouldn't need it as an ego boost. Even since then I try to avoid the usual land mines that can suck me back into that negative cycle of needing, needing, needing and ultimately feeling unsatisfied; but it's not always easy. It's especially hard when you see people in your circle doubling or tripling their numbers and being rather shameless about their new "fame." Taking a few days off and delving into a creative activity more often than not helps ground me again and remind me that for me it's not about the fame or the numbers, it's about relationships and I have been so blessed to build many amazing ones. 

FEELING: Like we're all about ready for summer vacation around here. Papa bear is worn out from dealing with many cases of senioritis at school (remember that?? lol). We're worn out from our routine that could use more sun, water and sand. I've begun to shop for swimsuits and sandals and Birdie is in desperate need of new summer hat. Speaking of which I love the idea of this one for her.

THANKFUL FOR: My parents coming this weekend. Papa bear has a work trip and I just had a total freak out over handling these two on my own for four days so my parents generously offered to come and help. I am so looking forward to my mum's cooking and to having someone else carrying these babies for me for a little while. I'm also hoping we can squeeze in some fun activities since I've been dying to show my parents around this wonderful city that we now call home and love so much. 

EATING: Sweet potatoes and chicken. A lot. We finally realized that if we want to avoid eating out constantly that prepping our meals on sunday is key. We've started baking a dozen sweet potatoes and grilling enough chicken breasts to last us all week almost every sunday now. It's perfect because that gives us oodles of easy meal options. We throw the chicken on salads or just eat it as is. And sweet potatoes are delicious reheated in the microwave with some butter and salt. Sometimes if I'm feeling fancy I'll throw on some sautéed kale on top and make it extra delicious!

LISTENING TO: The new Sufjan Stevens album Carrie & Lowell. We've always enjoyed his music around here but I think everyone can agree that this is his best album yet. Kevin was so blown away by it in fact that he sent me on a solo errand trip just so I could enjoy the album by myself. And I'm so glad I did. It was a rainy and stormy night and the perfect backdrop to Stevens' haunting lyrics and angelic voice. There's so much packed into these seemingly simple songs that I intend of listening to them any chance I get. 

WATCHING: Parenthood. All day. Every day. Well not all day (I wait until papa bear is home so we can watch it together) but definitely every day. We're in the middle of season five and I can't bear the thought of it being over. We were discussing how we have both now reached the point where we cannot disconnect from the fact that these are not real people. To me the Bravermans will always be alive and well somewhere in California. 

READING: Joan Didion's collection of essay's titled The White Album. I'm always itching for more of Didion's writing and I was so excited to order this collection. The timing of it couldn't be more perfect as I already find myself relating to so many of the struggles she discusses in these pages. I also find myself inevitably coveting her talent as I would give anything to be half the writer that she is. And with two littles ones always vying for my attention the fact that this book is divided into bite size essays makes it perfect for me!

LOVING: Spring and summer shopping! I've always inadvertently seemed to match my outfits with Teddy but lately I am really loving creating coordinating little sets for my little girl and I. Here's one that I'm dying to make happen one sunny day:

mama dress, baby dress, mama hat, baby hat, mama & baby shoes, baby bag