with all of our recent travels, it’s been a while since my last dinner ideas post so i’ve been excited to finally get back in the kitchen! above are the meals that nourished us this week, what’s been on your plate?

monday: fake out mac-n-cheese served with a big seasonal salad and sauteed kale
tuesday: peanut udon noodles
wednesday: hearty yam and white bean hash (yum!)
thursday: golden beet salad with homemade bread and a salad
friday: vegan spinach spanakopita with roasted asparagus

i hope you each have a beautiful weekend! see you back here on monday. xo, bonnie

we follow a whole foods, plant based diet. the dinner ideas posts are a way for me to log our dinners, how we make eating this way easy, and hopefully inspire you to try some new things as well. they are always meat free, dairy free and often gluten free. you can follow the posts here, and i encourage you to share your favorite recipes with us as well!

wrap up: {dinner} {plant based} {simple} {vegan} {vegetarian}

pictured above: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

my choice of accessory lately has been the stud earring. there’s just something so simple and sweet about them, don’t you think? i think they say you want to look nice, but you’re not overdoing it. i also usually end up wearing my hair in a top knot, so little studs seam to balance the look out, without dragging me down like a pair of dangles wood. they make for a great addition to daytime outfits and are so comfortable i usually forget i have them in until i lay my head down at night!

what’s been your accessory of choice lately?

wrap up: {daytime} {earrings} {handmade} {simple} {stud}

friends, today i leave you with four videos that have inspired me deeply this week. they have given me so much inspiration and helped me refocus my energy on living simply. the urge to homestead overwhelms me, and my hope is to return to it soon. see you all on monday! love, bonnie

honey harvest featuring sarah and david

garden by tiger jar

visiting trelawney farm

the art of making bread

wrap up: {bread} {farm} {garden} {harvest} {homestead} {honey} {living} {simple}

image sources: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

sometimes i can find myself all wrapped up in the ‘go go go’ of this world, forgetting about my mission to lead a simpler way of life. just taking some time to soak in some images of simple moments can help me recenter myself, my goals and my priorities. i hope a few of these pictures will help you do the same!

do you find yourself getting caught up in the fast pace of this world? if so, how do you return to living a simpler life?

wrap up: {food} {inspiration} {living} {photography} {simple}

the naturalist loves to explore the forest, is careful to use organics and can frequently be found in her garden. she finds great pleasure in the simplicities of life and has a sweet, gentle spirit about her. she is a lover of earth tones, greenery and cozy things.

1) cream knit blanket – $95 | 2) teardrop terrarium – $60 | 3) moth brooch – $10 | 4) natural washcloth – $6 | 5) fingerless mittens – $29 | 6) butterfly flip necklace – $44 | 7) gold rattan balls – $16.50 | 8) planted with love garden market – $12 | 9) amethyst crystal soap – $7 | 10) porcelain bird bath – $95 | 11) vase no. 1 – $42 | 12) birch tree coasters – $10

wrap up: {earth tones} {gift guide} {naturalist} {nature} {simple} {woodsy}

hey friends! i’m so excited that it’s finally fig season and i wanted to share with you my all time favorite fig recipe. i posted this recipe last year around this same time, and it is still one of my all time favorite recipes. i’ve been waiting all year to make them again! hope you enjoy. :)

oh my you guys, i have a new favorite recipe!! our neighbor has three beautiful fig trees and so many figs that they ask us to come over and pick them any time we like (thank you!!). i knew we liked figs, but i really haven’t ever cooked with them very much.. until this year, that is! i’ve eaten them plain, made fig pizza, added them to a squash roast and more, but now i have finally found the fig recipe that will stick with me forever. these rosemary stuffed figs (adapted from a recipe in color me vegan) make for the perfect appetizer and are deliciously balanced with sweet and salty. (*hint! you can make this feeling a few days ahead of time, which makes getting this dish in the oven a cinch).

ingredients

- 12 figs
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ½ yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tsp miso paste
- 1 tbs lemon juice
- ¼ cup raw walnuts
- 1 tbs nutritional yeast
- 1 tbs fresh rosemary, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
- rosemary sprigs, for garnish

directions:

1) soak the cashews in water overnight (or for at least 6 hours). drain and rinse.

2) preheat oven to 450°F. sauté the chopped onion in the olive oil over medium heat until translucent (5-7 minutes).

3) place the soaked cashews, sautéed onion, miso, lemon juice, and 1 tbs of water in a blender and process until smooth. add the walnuts, nutritional yeast, and rosemary into the cashew mixture and blend until very smooth. season with salt and pepper.

4) take each fig and barely slice the bottom as to help them sit up straight in a pan. then, make a small cut crosswise across the top of each fig, making sure not to cut them all the way in half- you just want to ‘open’ them up enough to pipe filling in the middle.

5) spoon cashew mixture into a ziplock back and seal. snip the end of one corner to make yourself a piping bag. fill the cavity of each fig and place on a lightly greased baking pan.

6) brush or lightly spray the figs with a little oil, and roast for about 12 minutes or until the figs are soft. garnish with rosemary and serve!

wrap up: {fig} {gluten free} {recipe} {seasonal} {simple} {vegan}

i adore this sweet packaging concept that belinda shih designed. it’s only for a hypothetical tea company, but i hope it becomes a reality, because i can taste it already! belinda says that the design is focused on the concept of afternoon tea – a time to unwind, re-energize, and relax after a long day of work. the package is therefore minimalist, calm in color and simple in shape, with a hint of the soothing elegance of steam swirls and tea drops. i think it’s brilliantly beautiful.

wrap up: {belinda shih} {design} {illustration} {packaging} {relax} {simple} {tea}

one: lunch bag – $47
two: don’t forget me lunch bag – $20
three: eco-friendly lunch bag – $11.99
four: insulated lunch bag – $26
five: organic insulated lunch bag set – $60
six: waxed canvas lunch bag – $48
seven: screen printed snack bag – $7
eight: organic snack bags – $18

and if you’re up for making one yourself, be sure to check out this tutorial!

*update! thankfully, it has been brought to my attention that oilcloth is not the safest alternative! you may want to consider choosing a different food safe (or organic) fabric, especially if you refer to the tutorial above. :)

wrap up: {back to school} {handmade} {living} {lunch box} {safe} {school} {simple} {toxic}