Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes

My mom had a (self-imposed) daunting task: use up all the poppy seeds. How many poppy seeds could she possibly have? A cup or two? No, more like 10 cups of poppy seeds. As such, Rob and I were the recipients of many, many poppy seed infused desserts this summer. In particular, everyone enjoyed these vegan lemon poppy seed cupcakes.

Garlic Sauteed Beet Greens

I hope you believe me. I had seen it multiple times but never believed it myself: beet greens taste great. I assumed they would be bitter or taste like dirt. But nope, they are as silky as sauteed Swiss chard and not nearly a strong flavour, almost sweet. Blanching them then tossing with seared garlic was an easy way to make them delicious and an easy way to eat lots of greens.

Slow Cooker Creamy Sweet Potato & Peanut Stew + Plant Pure Nation Cookbook giveaway

I always loved eating peanut butter, but I ate even more of it while pregnant. Breastfeeding brought a whole new level of hunger as I build a new human and possibly even higher levels of consumption. It is usually limited to breakfasts and desserts, and even though I had stirred it into stews before (hello, African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew), this version is easily made in a slow cooker, simplifies the spices with curry powder, swaps chickpeas for kidney beans and I love how effortless the frozen spinach brings another layer of goodness. The coconut milk and peanut butter make for a creamy base that is deliciously paired with the sweet potatoes and carrots. I added some peanuts for garnish, but the crunch was a fun treat when they were immersed in the stew, too.

Orange Wakame Cucumber Salad + The Organic Cook’s Bible giveaway

Is it still salad season? I am loving the lingering warm weather, especially since it is no longer sweltering. I try to make it a daily goal to go for a walk with my baby every day. At least every weekday. At first, he was content with the stroller, but it can be hit-or-miss and result in a crying fit, so we’ve gravitated to wrapping. I never thought I’d be into hardcore babywearing. I knew I’d want to do some babywearing since skin-to-skin is so important, but my guy is a snuggle monster and loves to be wrapped. Or as Rob says, he demands to be snuggled. For now, I am delighted to oblige as I can still walk around and do simple things around the house.