sunny vegan » food, photography, and fun

2.23.14

nutritious food on the go- Tree Top Apple Sauce

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tree Top.

I think I’m pretty lucky that my kids eat tons of fruits and veggies, but not all kids do. When I was given the opportunity to try the new Tree Top apple sauce pouches I was excited, but my girls freaked out when they saw them! Such a cute package and great flavor options made from wholesome simple ingredients made us all happy. There are times that you need nutritious food on the go, and these apple sauce pouches are made with 100% of the apples grown in the USA and uses locally sources ingredients.

Seriously, these flavor options are great. Cinnamon, mango and strawberry taste so good we couldn’t decide on a favorite. And while apples alone can be a good on the go snack options, when we went skiing, an apple was NOT going to travel well so we threw a few pouches in our pockets and hit the slopes. Here is the instagram photo I took of my girl with her skis and some sauce. Below are the details on how you can enter the instagram sweepstakes to win $500 and Tree Top apple sauce!

If you have a hard time getting your kids to eat enough fruits and veggies, these adorable pouches are a great way to get some great tasting nutrition into their diet. Have you tried them yet? What flavor would you like to try first?

#TreeTopMainSqueeze Sweepstakes

February is here and love is in the air! At Tree Top, they’ve got a main squeeze that makes our heart go pitter-patter this Valentine’s Day. Made with USA apples and nothing artificial, Tree Top Apple Sauce Pouches are tasty treats that are great on-the-go and the little ones love them! Plus, they’ll never break your heart with an unexpected mess.
Show Tree Top who you love the most (aka your main squeeze), and you could win $500, plus a supply of Tree Top Apple Sauce Pouches! To enter, Instagram a photo of your main squeeze using the hashtag #TreeTopMainSqueeze and tag@TreeTopInc.
Participants can follow along with the Sweepstakes on Instagram by searching the hashtag, #TreeTopMainSqueeze.
Terms & conditions for the promotion can be found here: http://on.fb.me/1bSeb0O.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tree Top. All opinions are my own

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February 25, 2014 - 8:13 am

Desiree Eaglin - my kids love those!

2.12.14

this Valentine’s Day is for the birds! diy bird-feeder

While so much of the country is buried in snow and we should be, it’s really summer-like here right now. Our cute birds are out early and hungry so we decided to do something about it and make them all natural diy bird-feeders to hang in the trees. With Valentine’s Day this week we made hearts and X and O’s, but the X’s cracked so we have hearts and O’s- ha ha I don’t think the birds will mind though.

Ingredients:

1 part coconut oil
2 parts bird seed – we used a wild birdseed mix that had nuts and fruit in it

Materials:

cookie cutters
tin foil
sauce pan
spoon
toothpick or skewer
hemp string or twine

Method:

over very low heat, melt coconut oil. remove from heat and stir in birdseed and allow to cool. wrap the outside of cookie cutters with tinfoil (to keep the oil in as it cools) then spoon mixture into cutters and press contents down slightly. insert toothpick or skewer and place in freezer for 5-10 minutes until hardened. remove from cookie cutter, add string and hang in tree.

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2.1.14

game day nachos

Not going to lie, I freaking love nachos! Especially the kind of nachos that are guilt free and use fresh healthy ingredients. Using fresh tomato, green onion, cilantro, lime and corn create a flavor explosion worthy to the be the center of your Super Bowl party spread.

Place additional topping into separate containers and allow guests to customize their plates. All anyone will notice is the great taste, they won’t miss the fat and cholesterol at all, I promise!

Ingredients:

10 ounce bag organic tortilla chips
1/2 cup Daiya cheddar shreds
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

additional topping choices:
black olives
green onion
tomato
guacamole
Sour supreme
jalapeno peppers
pico de gallo
cilantro
lime wedges or juice
Cholula or other hot sauce

Method:

layer first 4 ingredients on a large cookie sheet or casserole dish, place under low broiler for aproximately 10 minutes or just until diaya cheese melts and corn is lightly browned. top with toppings of choice and serve immediately.

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March 12, 2014 - 1:54 pm

Ashlee - I have never heard of Daiya and just went to explore their website! Oh. My. God. I’m in love! I’m about to spend way too much money on their fake cheese.

12.2.13

peppy peppermint mocha and a great giveaway!

Now what say’s the Holidays are here better then the tastes of peppermint, chocolate and coffee? Not much for me and this is one rich and delicious treat that takes about a minute to make. Just the scent of peppermint with the cocoa powder is an uplifting and holiday mood maker.

I found all natural candy canes in the grocery store, colored with vegetable juice which made my girls very happy =)

Ingredients: per serving

1 1/2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar
2-4 drops pure organic peppermint extract
1 Tablespoon warm water
1 cup strong fresh brewed coffee
3/4 cup soy or almond milk, warm

Method:

combine cocoa powder, sugar, peppermint and warm water in the bottom of a large mug and stir until combined. add coffee and warm vegan milk and stir again. top with additional cocoa powder as desired.

Now that you really want to make one of these, wouldn’t it be great if you had a brand new Keurig to brew that coffee with? I absolutely love this give-away!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The “Comforts of Home” giveaway begins Monday Dec 2 and ends at 12:00 AM on Monday, December 9, 2013.

Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Void where prohibited.

All entries are optional with the exception of leaving a blog comment. We will never sell, distribute, or spam your email.

Three winners will be chosen by Rafflecopter (powered by Random.org). The first person chosen will choose between a KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer, Keurig K65 Brewing System, or Kindle Paperwhite. The second person chosen will chose between the two remaining prizes. The third person chosen will receive the remaining prize.

This is a non-sponsored post. Prizes were purchased by a group of participating bloggers. KitchenAid, Keurig, and Kindle are not affiliated with this giveaway.

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to the owner of this Facebook page and not to Facebook.

This promotion is powered by Rafflecopter. Metric Feat LLC (“Rafflecopter”) does not sponsor, administer, or endorse this promotion. Participants must read and agree to Rafflecopter’s Privacy Policy before entering and participating in this promotion.

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December 2, 2013 - 12:27 pm

tiffany - I would love a kindle… its been on my wish list for a while!

December 2, 2013 - 4:29 pm

sarahc - I want the mixer!!!

December 2, 2013 - 9:22 pm

Becca F - I would love to see the keurig! I don’t really make coffee all that often but this might change that

December 3, 2013 - 10:42 am

Abby - The three of them are on my wish list! I would love any of them!!!

December 4, 2013 - 10:18 am

jessica price - I would LOVE a standing mixer! At their cost, I will never own one on my own & LOVE to cook for my family!

December 4, 2013 - 12:06 pm

amy b - oh hey gimme dat mixa.

December 4, 2013 - 12:21 pm

Julie Cruz - I’ve been wanting a mixer like that for AGES!! I would LOVE one!!! We just remodeled a teeny bit in our home, and in the process, ended up having to pay more than we had hoped for (first guy did a crappy job, so we had to pay another guy to come fix his screw ups). There went extra money….so dreams of this mixer are just that….a dream. It would be the perfect addition to our kitchen! Eeeeeek!

December 5, 2013 - 12:49 am

Maggie P - This recipe is wonderful! Thanks for sharing, and what a fun contest too

December 5, 2013 - 12:54 am

Maggie P - Oh, and I think a Kindle would be fantastic!

December 5, 2013 - 10:05 am

Maggie P - The mixer would be the best Christmas gift ever!

December 8, 2013 - 6:22 pm

Megan B. - I would LOVE a stand mixer…been dreaming about having one for years!

11.21.13

crostini and a diy chalk board serving tray #safewayholiday

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Cooking Light, Real Simple, and Sunset Magazines, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #SafewayHoliday http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.

Oh the Holidays. Such a magical time of year, but boy can it be stressful, overwhelming and aggravating if you aren’t prepared. I know that you usually go the the grocery store and buy a magazine on the way out, but I want you to try something different. Buy your magazines on the way IN!

Yup. Grab that cart, swing by the checkout counter and pick up those magazines first. Why? So that you can pick out your recipes right there on the spot and get all of your ingredients and gifts while you are there. Right now, there is a $1.00 off coupon at participating Safeway Stores ( including Vons, Pavillions, Randalls and Dominick’s) on Cooking Light, Sunset and Real Simple magazines. SCORE! *while supplies last

The truth is, I am a magazine junkie. I even have them on my nook so that I can have a bunch with me at all times. The December issues of Real Simple is not only full of the best gift ideas I have seen all season, it even plays Holiday music on my nook. I was inspired by the 50 gifts for $50 or less to add a personal touch to my normal stash of gifts. It’s great to have extra hostess or work gifts on hand and I try to keep nice bottles of wine of candles around for those last minute gift emergencies which is great! But in addition to a bottle of wine, this year I made these easy DIY chalkboard serving boards. For a few dollars a piece, I have a fun personal gift ready to go.

Materials:

12″ round plywood
chalkboard paint
paint brush
fine grit sandpaper

Method:

paint top of plywood with thin coat of chalkboard paint following the direction of the wood grain. allow to try and lightly sand. apply 2 additional coats of paint and allow to dry for 24 hours. season the chalkboard by lightly rubbing a piece of chalk across the surface.

Now that you have your awesome chalkboard trays ready to go, how about a little white bean crostini recipe to top it off. This also works great as a dip for crackers or veggies, you can make it ahead and keep it in the fridge for a few days for easy entertaining.

Ingredients:

1 15 ounce can white beans- rinsed and drained
2 Tablespoons assorted olives – I used kalamata and Spanish plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon finely chopped parsley plus more for garnish
2 Tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

1 bakery baguette, sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
3 Tablespoons olive oil

Method:

Combine all topping/dip ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a fork lightly smashing beans, then set aside.

heat grill pan and drizzle olive oil over both sides of bread slices. toast each side until lightly browned, about 1 minute each side. allow to cool and top with 1/2 Tablespoon of white bean mixture and garnish with parsley and sliced olives.

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