Teen Girl Gift Guide ~ 2025

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Stocking Stuffers for the whole family ~ 2025

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Salmon Sheet Pan

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Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

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Chili-Lime Halibut with Corn Saute

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Kale Salad

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Book Gifts 2019

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Gifts for Her 2019

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May 13th = International Hummus Day

photo credit: @girl.on.the.range

There seems to be a day for everything…and May 13th is International Hummus Day! I feel like I was late to the game in trying hummus but it quickly became a favorite! I also started as a “plain only” hummus lover but have branched out and enjoy mixing it up now! @girl.on.the.range shared four recipes today – roasted beet hummus, spicy black bean hummus, white bean hummus with toasted pine nuts and edamame-avocado hummus, all included below. Check out her blog for endless, delicious recipe ideas! Hummus is easy to make from scratch but if you don’t have the time, I’m also sharing some of my favorite store-bought options too!

Xx. Heather

Roasted Beet Hummus

-INGREDIENTS-

– 1 clove of garlic, chopped

– 3 T. tahini

– Juice from one lemon

– Salt

– Black pepper

– 1 roasted beet, chopped

– 2 C cooked chickpeas

– Extra virgin olive oil

-PREPARATION-

1. Place the garlic in the food processor and pulse until the garlic is broken down. 

2. Add the tahini, a squeeze of the lemon, salt and pepper to the processor and blend to combine. 

3. Add the beet and chickpeas and blend to combine (scrape as needed)

4. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture turns into a dip-able consistency.  Taste, and adjust seasonings/lemon as needed.m

Spicy Black Bean Hummus

-INGREDIENTS-

-1 Clove of garlic, chopped

-3 T. tahini

-Juice from one lemon

-Salt

-Black pepper

-1 t. Minced jalapeno pepper (seeds removed)

-2 C. cooked black beans

-Extra virgin olive oil

-PREPARATION-

1.Place the garlic in the food processor and pulse until the garlic is broken down.

2. Add the tahini, a squeeze of the lemon, salt and pepper to the processor and blend to combine.

3. Add the jalapeno pepper and black beans and blend to combine (scrape sides as needed)

4. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture turns into a dip-able consistency. Taste, and adjust seasonings/lemon as needed.

5. Top with 1/4 cup roasted and chopped red bell pepper mixed with 1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

White Bean Hummus

-INGREDIENTS-

-1 clove of garlic, chopped

-3 T. tahini

-Juice from one lemon

-Salt

-Black Pepper

-2 C. cooked white beans

-Extra virgin olive oil

-PREPARATION-

1.Place the garlic in the food processor and pulse until the garlic is broken down.

2.Add the tahini, a squeeze of the lemon, salt and pepper to the processor and blend to combine.

3.Add the white beans and blend to combine (scrape sides as needed) 

4.Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture turns into a dip-able consistency. Taste, and adjust seasonings/lemon as needed.

5. Top with 1/4 C. toasted pine nuts and mix with 1/4 t. curry powder.

Edamame-Avocado Hummus

-INGREDIENTS-

– 1 clove of garlic, chopped

– 3 T. tahini

– Juice from one lemon

– Salt

– Black pepper

– 1 medium sized avocado

– 2 cups cooked edamame

– Extra virgin olive oil

-PREPARATION-

1. Place the garlic in the food processor and pulse until the garlic is broken down.

2. Add the tahini, a squeeze of the lemon, salt and pepper to the processor and blend to combine.

3. Add the edamame and avocado flesh and blend to combine (scrape down as needed)

4. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture turns into a dip-able consistency. Taste, and adjust seasonings/lemon as needed.

5. Top with 1/4 C. furikake.


Tribe – Classic

Trader Joe’s Buffalo Style

Sabra – Roasted Pine Nut

Kodiak Cakes Double Dark Chocolate Muffins

While I love cooking I am also completely happy to pick up a quick fix, healthy option when I find one! Breakfasts can be tricky in our house as neither of my kids are huge egg fans so I’m constantly keeping my eyes open for different options. I recently stumbled upon the Kodiak Cakes brand (who uses 100% whole grains and focuses their products on being protein-packed) during a Target run and I grabbed the Blueberry Lemon Muffin Mix to test out with the kids. I forgot to take pictures of them but they were so good we decided we’d try the Kodiak Cakes Double Dark Chocolate Muffins next! Yum, they did not disappoint! Kodiak Cakes also makes Waffle/Flapjacks Mixes (in 11 flavors), Kodiak Cups (for a quick microwave and go option), Toaster Waffles & Flapjacks (saw these in the frozen section of Costco the other day) and several other Baking Mixes. So try them out next time you see them and let me know your thoughts!

Xx. Heather

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Mother’s Day is this Sunday and it’s a day that holds a lot of meaning in our house. The day always reminds me to slow down, to lean in and to hug our kids a little tighter.  After a long journey to motherhood I am incredibly grateful for our healthy son and daughter.  I try to remind myself of this on a daily basis but it can get lost in the day to day chaos!  I also try to remind myself that this holiday is different for everyone.  It may be filled with incredible joy for some and churn up deep sorrow in others.  I have a friend who’s about to celebrate her first mother’s day and one who just miscarried. One who just lost their mother unexpectedly and one whose starting to count the years her mom has been gone now. The different situations are endless but the common thread is that they are filled with lots of emotion.  So try to show grace and kindness today and in the coming days to all the women in your life because the reality is that we don’t always know the emotions they’re navigating.

Happy shopping for the women in your life that your call Mom!

Xx. Heather

Vietri Hibiscus Vase

This mouthblown glass vase is so elegant.

It’s beautiful alone or paired with another size.

Bud ($40),

Small ($70),

Medium ($108),

Large ($140)

Twine & Twig Clutch

I love layering Twine & Twig necklaces, stacking, rearranging and re-stacking their bracelets and I think this Cowrie Clutch ($90) would be the perfect addition to any closet. It can be used spring & summer and it’s easy to pack and bring on vacations too!

Farmhouse Fresh

I have yet to try a Farmhouse Fresh product that I didn’t like and this one is one of my favorites. One Fine Day Flawless Face Polish. ($26)

Yeti Tumbler

Summer is knocking at the door and this 10 oz. Yeti Wine Tumbler($24.99) is perfect for keeping Mom’s wine chilled on the beach or the backyard!

Caroline’s Cakes

This 7-layer caramel cake ($60) would be a perfect way to close out any Mother’s Day gathering. It’s thin, yellow cake layers that are filled with “melt-in-your-mouth” caramel icing making each bite delicious. Tip: it can also be frozen and refrozen for up to 6 months!

Initial Necklace

These are the sweetest, single initial charm necklaces ($42). Order one, two, three or four charms. Pick your chain length (16″, 18″, 20″, 24″, 30″) and your ceramic color (20 or so to choose from).

Lake Pajamas

The pima cotton Lake Pajamas are so incredibly soft! They come in all sorts of options from shorts sleeve/short sets, long sleeve/short sets, long sleeve/pant sets, nightgowns and more. This Horizon Day Dress ($84) is light enough to be worn as a nightgown or a cover up at the pool!

Pesto Salmon Packets

This Pesto Salmon Packet recipe has been a favorite of ours for years. It’s based off a recipe in Jamie Oliver’s cookbook, Jamie’s Ministry of Food (2008) and it delivers on so many levels. It’s simple, it’s healthy, it’s a full meal with protein + veggies in one packet and it’s delicious. I typically make it with green beans but I’m thinking next time I might switch it up and try it with asparagus.

Xx. Heather

– INGREDIENTS – 

2 handfuls of green beans 

1 dozen tomatoes

1 lemon 

2 – 6 oz. salmon fillets, skin off, bones removed 

2 T. pesto  

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (enough to drizzle)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepperT

– PREPARATION – 

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Trim your beans by cutting off the stalk ends but leave the wispy tips.
  3. Cut just under 3′ of aluminum foil and fold it in half to give you two layers.
  4. Put a handful of green beans in the middle of the foil, season with salt and pepper.
  5. Lay a salmon fillet across the beans and spoon over a heaping tablespoon of pesto. Spread over the salmon.
  6. Halve the tomoatoes and place half on top.
  7. Drizzle with olive oil and juice from half of the lemon and season with salt and pepper.
  8. Put the foil edges together and scrunch them up to seal the packet.
  9. Repeat these steps to make your second salmon fillet packet and place both on a baking sheet.
  10. Place the baking sheet into the oven and cook for 15-18 minutes.
  11. Remove from the oven and let stand for a minute or two before carefully unwrapping and checking that the salmon is cooked through.

Grilled Lamb Loin Chops


In early spring I love the prospect of grilling night after night. When I’m thinking through what I’m going to cook sometimes I just want an easy, sure thing. This is a perfect recipe if you’re having one of those “easy, sure thing” kind of days. Easter always reminds me of lamb and following it I always go back to one of my favorites, this recipe for lamb loin chops. They are like the porterhouse steak of a lamb. They are small, with a t-shaped bone down the middle separating a small fillet from the loin. Lamb is high in protein and a rich source of many vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin B12, iron, and zinc to name a few…so it’s great for us as well! This recipe is full of flavor and sure to be a hit. Enjoy!

Xx. H

GRILLED LAMB LOIN CHOPS

-INGREDIENTS-

6 garlic cloves

6 fresh sprigs of rosemary

6 fresh sprigs of thyme

1 1/4 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

Zest of 1 lemon

1/4 C extra virgin olive oil

~2 pounds lamb loin chops (1.5-2 inches thick)

-PREPARATION-

1.Combine garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, lemon zest, extra virgin olive oil and blend in a small food chopper. (If you don’t have one, you can chop the garlic and rosemary as fine as possible and mix with the other ingredients.)

2.Arrange the lamb loin chops in a dish to marinate with space on all sides.

3.Spoon the marinate onto the lamp loin chops to distribute evenly and then throughly spread to cover the top/bottom/sides of each chop. Cover and refridgerate for at least 3 hours.

4.Turn grill on and set one side to a high heat and one to medium – low heat.

5.For Medium Rare (130 degrees), grill on the medium – low heat for 4 minutes per side and then sear on high heat for 1 minute per side.