Food Staple pt1

Josh & Maria from the food blog
Two Peas & Their Pod

A couple years ago we came across the food blog Two Peas and their Pod.  The blog consists of a super cute culinary duo: Maria and her husband Josh.  We literally spent hours looking through all the amazing mouth-watering recipes that were destined to be made in our kitchen.  From vegetable spring rolls with peanut sauce to strawberry dark chocolate hand pies, there are 100's of recipes to choose from.  They also have regular give-aways from brands like KitchenAid, Epiphanie, and Albion.  You can also follow them on FacebookPinterest, and/or Instagram!


Two of the recipes we've made the most, by far, is the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars and the Guacamole Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

For the most part, we've followed the recipes rather closely with delicious results.  We don't have a regular-sized oven nor a regular-sized baking pan, so we put the pumpkin chocolate chip bars in a 6-muffin tin in the toaster oven for twice the amount of time.  It takes a few hours to put that little 6-muffin tin in multiple times to use up all the batter, but its well worth the wait for the warm gooey-ness that results! YUM!

Yesterday during the 24th straight hour of intense rain and flooding, we experimented with the recipe of our long-standing diet staple: Guacamole Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.  We probably make this at least once a week.  It's quick to make, doesn't take a lot of dishes, and has a lot of fresh fruit & veggie content.  You can find the ingredients and instructions below.  I'm not much of a food photographer, so please bear with the crummy photos.

This recipe mades two whole sandwiches.

Hardware:
Panini Press
Fork (to mash and mix the fruit & veggies!)
Knife (to cut up fruit & veggies!)

Software:
4 - small slices of 100% Whole Wheat Bread
Thinly sliced Extra sharp cheddar cheese - enough to cover two of your bread slices
1 - ripe Hass Avocado
1 - plum tomato - chopped
1/2 - small sweet onion - finely diced
1 tbsp - Cholula Hot Sauce (or your favorite hot sauce)
1 tbsp - Light Sour Cream
1 tsp - Paprika
1 tsp - minced garlic
1 tbsp - Lime or Lemon Juice


1)  Cut avocado in half, remove seed, scoop out avocado from peel and put in a bowl.  
2)  Mash avocado with fork until creamy.


3)  Add sour cream, diced onion, chopped tomato, hot sauce, paprika, garlic and citrus juice.
4)  Stir until all ingredients are mixed evenly. Voila! Guacamole!


5)  Place cheese on bread
6)  Spread desired amount of guacamole onto two bread slices and cover with the remaining slices
7)  Heat panini press and place sandwiches inside.
8)  Wait about 1 minute or until bread is slightly browned.
9)  Serve warm

Let me know if you make this and what you think!  I'd love to hear about it!


Mindful Music Mix pt.1


Music has the incredible ability to communicate with us, no matter what mood or stage of life we are in.  Everyone has the ability to enjoy music at some level.  Music resonates beauty, enjoyment and gives us an emotional outlet for expression.  It can lift spirits and bring people together.  It can allow us to connect to something inside ourselves and gives us the courage to create through love and healing.

While designing for the Sailor's Omen summer collection during the past few months, I have been largely inspired by music.  I thought I would post the playlist I have been listening to:

Song 1:  "Tighten Up"
Artist: The Bluegrass Tribute to the Black Keys
Album: The Pickin' on Series

Song 2: "Here Comes the Sun"
Artist: Yuna
Album: Savages (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)


Song 3:  "Fortuna" 
Artist: Kaki King
Album: Everybody Loves You

Song 4: "Wolf Like Me"
Artist: Lera Lynn

Song 5: "Mission"
Artist: Beats Antique
Album: Contraption Vol. 1

Song 6: "From Here to Where"
Artist: Blktop Project
Album: Blktop Project

Song 7: "Tonight You Belong to Me"
Artist: Eddie Vedder
Album: Ukulele Songs

Song 8: "Even After All"
Artist: Finley Quaye
Album: Maverick A Strike

Song 9: "Dark Water & Stars"
Artist: Natural Calamity
Album: Peach Head

Song 10: "Rope & Summit"
Artist: Junip
Album: Fields

Song : "Crystallize"
Artist: Lindsey Stirling
Album: Lindsey Stirling


Song : "Bring Back the Sunshine"
Artist: Miss Li
Album: Proud to Be Woman Vol. 3

Song : "Remember My Name"
Artist: Yuna
Album: Yuna


Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything. -Plato