Engagement Party Bliss

In the locket around my neck were pictures of my honey.

This past weekend was our official engagement party at Lammer's sister's home in Garden City, Long Island.  We were blessed with beautiful weather along with amazing friends and family.  We are so excited to celebrate our love with the people we love and the fun is only beginning!

Lammer & Lauren

After our gorgeous party we all huddled around a warm fire.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies (gluten free/dairy free)

I've got it bad for sweets.  Cookies in particular are my weakness.  I dream about them at some point of every day, without a doubt.  After years of playing with different recipes for the perfect cookie...I can pretty confidently say this is it, baby!!!!!!!  These suckers are gluten free, dairy free, and totally delicious.  Hallelujah!  

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 whole egg

2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup maple syrup 

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I prefer Enjoy Life)

Directions:

In a bowl, mix together your almond flour, baking soda, and sea salt. In a separate bowl mix together your melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and egg. Incorporate your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients, then stir in your chocolate chips.

Preheat your oven to 350F and refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes.

Once the 30 minutes are up and your oven is heated, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and roll your dough into balls. Bake for about 8 minutes, then take them out, and slightly flatten them with the back of a spatula. Put them back in the oven for about 10-15  more minutes or until golden brown (time depends on your oven). 

Remove from the oven, set on the counter to cool, and attempt to wait a few minutes before eating.  They're soft, chewy, a little crisp in some spots...to die for good!!!

Fun-fact:  Baking with parchment paper makes your life so much easier.  It means cookies that slide right off the sheet and NO clean up because you just crumble up the paper and discard.  Whoo-hoo!

Simple Spaghetti Squash Supper

Need a yummy fall meal?  Click on the spaghetti squash above for directions on how to cook one of these big suckers up in a pinch.  I love tossing mine with a tablespoon of grass-fed butter, sea salt & pepper.  

Figs & Fall

Our neighbors have a gorgeous fig tree in their front yard that they've offered to share with us this season.  Holy heaven!  I've been spoiled with fresh, plump figs all fall and have gotten so creative with them.  Throwing them into my shakes, tossing them into salads, sauteing them up with my greens, or just eating them for a sweet treat.  The other day I sliced them super thin and arranged them onto a gluten free wrap with a nice swipe of almond butter.  I folded it up and cut into wedges.  Party in my mouth!!!

Have you been gettin' your fig on this season?

First day of fall, on the beach!

The Jersey shore locals know how to celebrate the first day of fall...relaxed out on their beach chair on the beach!  Lammer and I spent the day on Ocean Grove's beach today.  He was in and out of the water surfing with his friends while I was soaking up every last ray of sunlight before it gets too cold!  

On the way to Ocean Grove we spotted a woman selling sliced fresh fruits in a cup...papaya, watermelon, mango, coconut, cucumbers and jicama.  Even though it looked divine only a few of the fruits were palatable...it's no longer their season!  

I packed a jar full of water with a splash of apply cider vinegar, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice.  Zing!

Presentation is everything.

 I didn't even want to touch this plate as it came to me the other Saturday afternoon for lunch, but I did and enjoyed every last bite of it.   Presentation is everything and just the look of this made the whole lunch that much more enjoyable because it's not only delicious food, but a work of art!

Get Your Sunshine

Have you gotten your daily dose of sunshine (vitamin D) today?  

Expose your skin to direct sunshine for at least 10-15 minutes each day.  Your body will thank you on so many levels and your mood will totally improve!