{my pretty little poodle}
{craft workshop at my church that my mom taught and i did some designing for}
{sprinkles ice cream is now in newport!}
{takeout in the garden from this awesome restaurant}
{pretty boats on balboa island}
i finally found the time to scan in some of the polaroids i took in new zealand this past semester. one of my biggest regrets first semester was not bringing my polaroid camera so i made sure it tagged along with me when i went back again. as i looked through the pictures i had captured, all the amazing memories from the semester came rushing back. these are a few of my favorite polaroids that i will cherish forever.
1. lunching at mister d’s// 2. the tauranga shoreline// 3. my bedroom second semester// 4. the most lovely sunset i’ve ever seen// 5. boats in russell// 6. graduation dinner, one of the best nights of my life// 7. on the rotorua tarmac once last time
one of the odd things about going away is coming back to things completely different than how you left. new places open, favorite places close, new buildings are built and the old is torn down. its such a weird concept that life goes on even when i’m on the other side of the world but that’s life! i love re-discovering the place i’ve lived all my life with new awe and wonder. one place that i’m just now discovering is seventh tea at the oc mix mart. it’s owned by the same people who opened portola, which is in my opinion the best coffee in orange county so even before i tried it, i knew this place would be quality. i love the concept of tea on tap and my iced oolong was great! all i can say is i know where i’ll be spending my time this summer
- thursday morning bible studies
- girls night sleepovers
- finally finishing season 2 of revenge (so good)
- the great gatsby soundtrack
- crossing off books on my mile long reading list
- watermelon. lots and lots of watermelon
- flatforms (or flatstacks)
- finding my favorite watch after misplacing it for a month (thank you Jesus)
- morning green smoothies
- summer sunshine
happy monday everyone!
//image via pinterest//
for my birthday a few weeks ago, i made a raw vegan raspberry cheesecake from my favorite food blogger my new roots. yes i made my own birthday cake. i actually insisted because since i’ve been a raw vegan, i haven’t had many opportunities to bake and i was missing it from all the baking i did in new zealand. and the best part is i could actually eat this! so it was a win-win… anyways, though this cake was made with all natural, healthy ingredients, it was better than any cheesecake i’ve ever had. the secret ingredient is soaked cashews which makes it extra creamy without any animal products. so without further adieu, here’s the recipe for this delicious yumminess
raw cashew dreamcake
original recipe found here
Ingredients
Crust:
1/2 cup raw almonds (pecan or walnuts will also work)
1/2 cup soft Medjool dates
¼ tsp. sea salt
Filling:
1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 5 hours, overnight is best
juice of 2 lemons
the seeds of 1 whole vanilla bean
1/3 cup melted raw coconut oil
1/3 cup agave nectar
1 cup raspberries (thaw completely if using frozen)
Directions:
1. Place nuts and dates in a food processor with sea salt and pulse to chop until they are to your desired fineness (process a finer crust longer than a chunky one). Test the crust by spooning out a small amount of mixture and rolling it in your hands. If the ingredients hold together, your crust is perfect. Scoop out crust mixture in a 7” spring-form pan (if you don’t have a spring-form pan, use a pie plate lined with saran wrap), and press firmly, making sure that the edges are well packed and that the base is relatively even throughout. Rinse food processor well.
2. Warm coconut oil and honey in a small saucepan on low heat until liquid. Whisk to combine.
3. In the most powerful food processor / blender you own (you decide which one has the most torque) place all filling ingredients (except raspberries) and blend on high until very smooth (this make take a couple minutes so be patient). If you have a Vita-Mix, absolutely use it.
4. Pour about 2/3 (just eyeball it, you can’t make a mistake!) of the mixture out onto the crust and smooth with a spatula. Add the raspberries to the remaining filling and blend on high until smooth. Pour onto the first layer of filling. Place in freezer until solid.
5. To serve, remove from freezer 30 minutes prior to eating. Run a smooth, sharp knife under hot water and cut into slices. Serve on its own, or with fresh fruit. Store leftovers in the freezer.
bon appetit!
when i first started reading blogs, i would follow all my blogs through google reader. then i found bloglovin and never turned back. the interface feels more organized and the design was easier to understand. and bloglovin has an app for ipad and iphone which makes reading on the go all the easier! since google reader is closing down on july 1st, i think bloglovin is the way to go! here is a great tutorial on how to make the switch if you haven’t already and you can follow me on my bloglovin here. happy blog reading!
//this wasn’t a sponsored post, just my personal opinion//