TACO NIGHT, VEGAN STYLE

so i promised a recipe for the beer-battered avocado tacos we enjoyed for dinner & as tired as i was, i stayed up to until the recipe was posted and ready to go for you to enjoy this weekend. trust me, even if you aren't vegetarian, these are a hit with both vegans & carnivores alike. 

my sister and her boyfriend came out & i knew we wanted to eat in, but didn't know what to make. i feel like when you have guests, you always go to the same two or three dishes to really showcase your best chef's hand. tacos are a favorite around here, and while we usually go half-ass and cook up some pre made trader joe's soyrizo, i decided to try and imitate a recipe from one of our favorite restaurants in orange county. i would say they were a total success, based on the lack of leftovers. 

my sister, carlie, and i got busy in the kitchen while the boys played in lu's teepee. it was so nice to have an extra set of hands for once! now, don't be intimidated, even though there are quite a few ingredients, the recipe is a cinch to prepare, but tastes like you slaved away for hours.

 quick notes: if you are new to the frying world, make sure you use vegetable or canola oil. 

this recipe is for 4 servings. if you need more than four tacos, just double up on the avocados (you won't need to make any extra beer batter or cilantro sauce, you'll have plenty).

ingredients:

1 hass avocado

1 cup panko bread crumbs

beer batter (recipe follows below)

cilantro lime sauce (recipe follows below)

8 corn tortillas

shredded green cabbage

diced red onion

fresh lime wedges for garnish

beer batter:
2 cups of mexican beer (i like to use carona brand)
2 cups of all-purpose flour (i use unbleached)
2 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons of Siracha
combine all of these ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. you may need to take a spatula to scrape the sides and get all the flour blended in. place in a bowl when finished.

cilantro lime sauce:
1 jar of veganaise (i like to use the purple colored jar/the grapeseed kind, but the original will do fine)
1 large handful of fresh cilantro
2 jalapeños (seeded)
pinch of salt
4 cloves of garlic (peeled)
juice of 2 limes
combine all ingredients, with the exception of the veganaise into a food processor and process until combined. next, add veganaise and pulse until your sauce comes together. pour about half into a jar & into the refrigerator to save for another day, and pour the other half into a bowl and place on the table with a spoon to allow guests to ladle their own sauce over their tacos. 

• fill a medium sized pan with 3-4 inches of oil and heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches a temperature of 375 degrees.
• cut your avocado into sixths.
• toss your avocado pieces in the panko breadcrumbs.
• dip your coated avocado into the beer batter and (carefully!) drop into hot oil. fry your avocado pieces in batches, for about 4 minutes. you'll know they're done when they turn golden brown in color. use a slotted spoon to remove them from the oil and drain them on a paper towel lined plate. 
• preheat your oven on its broil setting and wrap up your corn tortillas in tin foil. two tortillas per foil wrap. then place your foil wrapped tortillas in the oven to warm them (so they are pliable) until you are ready to assemble your tacos. 
• lastly, assemble your tacos. layer two warm tortillas per taco and place two to three pieces of fried avocado on your tortillas. sprinkle with shredded cabbage and diced red onion & drizzle your cilantro lime sauce all over (I personally like a lot of sauce, so be as conservative or liberal with it as you'd like, that's the beauty of these tacos). plate two to three tacos per person and garnish each plate with a few fresh lime wedges. serve your tacos immediately and enjoy!

UNDER THE WEATHER

it's been a craaazy week! i've been on spring break (from my job), and all it has done is made me realize how much i want to be home with lu. we've been hanging really mellow starting before easter break because lu was recovering from a cold, and little naive mom me didn't think babies were contagious. i thought we all had super mom immunity (which i was totally wrong about) & kissing all over little L gave me a crazy cold. i lost my voice completely & i'm finally starting to feel like myself again other than the hoarse man voice i'm still sporting. then to top things off, tuesday night luca was just rolling around like he couldn't get comfortable, and in the midst of me rubbing his back, he sat up and started projectile vomiting. i'm usually the biggest baby when it comes to these types of situations, but it's so true what they say, when it comes to your own children your motherly nurturing instincts kick in & all you care about is making sure your little one is ok. luckily it was just something he had eaten, and all was fine yesterday, even though i still kept him on a bland diet & we hung low around the house. i'm happy to announce he's back to his perky ol' self today and we are ready to take on the last few days of this vaca starting with beer battered avocado tacos tonight (recipe to follow) and fun in the sun for the weekend. i'm happy my only plans for spring break were to have no plans, and that is what we've stuck to. i needed this r&r more than i knew & i'm really proud of myself for actually taking it (of course, by default, i had a little guilt, but nothing i couldn't get over). hope your spring break was, is, or will be fabulous, and i promise to get our easter photos out by this weekend! i wish you each a wonderful rest of your week! & if you live in southern california, slather on that spf, you're gonna need it! 

xx

A LITTLE EASTER FILM

here's a little film i threw together of our easter yesterday! i'll post more photos soon, but until then, we hope you enjoy!

hope each and every one of you had a blessed easter filled with lots of love, family, & of course a boat load of chocolate eggs! 

love and hugs,

The Wood Family

date night, snow cones & why i love my husband.

hello friends! it's been some time, but last week was filled with a plethora of non ideal events and i was totally consumed by what was happening. i'll get into a little bit of that next time, but i don't entirely feel like reliving it, so i hope you'll understand my brevity. also, i apologize for the quality of the photos, the lighting, although romantic, was not ideal for the iPhone and i had forgotten my good camera at home (bad blogger! i know). anyhow, miles and i went on a long overdue date with a few friends of ours, jake and abby. we decided to try a restaurant in west hollywood i had heard about on the local news called gracias madre. if we're being honest here, i really wanted to go because i heard they had adult snow cones. i don't even drink, but i made an exception for this occasion because, well, i love snow cones. if you are ever in the L.A. area, you must try "the quinceañera" at gracias madre. my theory on why it's called "the quinceañera" is because you it makes you giggle like a fifteen year old and it calls for a celebration. even if you aren't celebrating, a few of these and you'll be celebrating something. a boozy snow cone, i mean, come on! it just doesn't get better than that, especially when you've had the week i've had. i had only about one and a half (so a quinceñera and a quince), but that was about all i needed to drift away, just ask my husband, i was floating on cloud nine for the rest of the night. alcohol isn't really my thing--i don't judge anyone who likes to drink, it's just something i've let go over the years. while, for me, alcohol is a habit of the past, sometimes you have to let loose a little, especially with all the chaos and calamity in this crazy life, and if there is ever an excuse to let loose, let a boozy snow cone be your cause. plain and simple. 

anyway, to wrap up this extremely long post about a snow cone, dinner and the food was amazing (it's vegan mexican food) so you know my veggie-self loved every bite. miles (who didn't order the waitresses suggestion like i did), said he liked our other vegan hang out (seabird's in orange county) better, but i'd say they are two different restaurants, but equally delicious. maybe the snow cones helped?! miles and i have both been running around like chickens with our heads cut off, and when there is stress like that in your life,  it tends to spill into your relationship. the best analogy i can think of is marriage being like a garden. you have to water your plants or they will slowly start to shrivel up-- overwater them, and they will drown. there has to be a happy medium, with lots of sunlight and, of course, lots and lots of love. marriage, like a garden, requires a lot of attention as well as continuous work. you have to manicure your hedges and pull out all the weeds. the work you put in, determines what you will get out of it.

 miles read an article the other day which explained why so many marriages fail. and to my surprise, it was because each party becomes self-consumed and no longer yearns to learn  about and become involved in the interests of the other. it's true what they say, "the family that ________ together stays together" (insert interest in blank). when one person feels as though they aren't being heard or tended to, they begin to feel insignificant. their interests feel boring and that seems to be when people begin to grow apart or look for what they're lacking elsewhere. this was so eye opening for me. when i sat and really reflected on what interests of miles i've really taken part in lately, my list was looking grim & that made me sad. miles likes to birdwatch (oh yes, you read that right. he likes to birdwatch. he bird watches like that old man at the park staring out into the abyss--the one you think is a total lurker/weirdo--yeah, that's my husband). anyway, he gets all into buying special feed to reel in some exotic species & gets a total kick out of watching them eat. he's the peeping tom of birds. he once named a couple of the regulars neiman & markus. i'll walk into the kitchen and catch him staring through a crack in the blinds, not blinking, with a huge grin draped across his face. then, i'll go in for a peep and the sucker flies off, and i'm left with my husband totally annoyed at my lack of disguise. to be honest with you, i couldn't care less about birds and the watching of them, but my husband loves birds and the entirety of the bird watching experience, and so i'm taking an oath in which i will do my absolute best to be a little more engaged (with the watching & the birds & being more incognito) and i'll be more mindful in showing some interest in his interests.

i love that miles longs to learn, and i love that he shares these things with me--that he cares enough to read articles about how relationships thrive, and i love that i chose to make this intelligent man my husband. anyway, since miles' reading & my reflection of the article, i've felt like both of us are really taking it upon ourselves to really try and engage in each others enjoyments. it feels good to feel heard, and even better to feel like something you love is being appreciated by someone you admire. whatever it is that's been happening, it's been working. and i think marriage is that way. I think it is a constant ebb and flow of ups and downs. and in this great companionship, you'll find yourself falling in love over and over and over again, for different reasons, at different times...and in this season of our lives, i'm falling in love all over again. this candid photo of us, reminds me of that. this is what survival looks like, what hard work and an abundance of love look like. and i like it. 

sonnet james x the little sprig

i have such exciting news! the little sprig has teamed up alongside sonnet james and we're over the moon about it! now, if you're sitting there in your chair thinking, who on earth is sonnet james? well friends, you are in for a real treat today. you know that "aha" moment when you fall in love with a product and you wonder how on earth you ever got by without it? uh huh. yep. that's about to happen, right here, right now. 

when the fabulous jen over at sonnet james told me sonnet james would love to work with me, i squirmed in my seat. and to think that was only the beginning! sonnet james has launched their spring 2015 line for pre-orders & all dresses will ship out next week, and i'm telling you this dress doesn't fall in the "want"  category, this is a need, must-have, can't live without, staple kind of piece. the splurge is minimal when you consider cost-per-use. so if you must know what all the hype is about, i'll share with you my experience. when i first slipped on my pricilla pink marni dress (which gives back to mothers in Uganda who suffer from birth injuries, just see here--warning: completely heart-wrenching), i took in the smell of its fresh fabric, and as the material clung to me in all the right places--i, in that moment, knew what a game-changer this would be. 

my motto since motherhood (or since my pants felt far too snug to button during pregnancy) has always been: i want to look mod & sophisticated, but i want to feel like i'm wearing pajamas, so much so that i've coined this desire into term (read on). is that so much to ask for?! apparently so, because until now, nothing, other than a solid pair of leggings, had me feeling like i could keep up with luca & actually exhale (all the way). the struggle was beginning to get real, people! until this sweet package was delivered to my doorstep, i was honestly debating with myself whether or not leggings were a plausible form of clothing to wear daily if i dressed them up enough. i was weeble-wobbling somewhere in between yes & absolutely, but there, in this dress, i had found my "sophistajamas!" sophisticated clothing fitted like your favorite pair of pjs. 

i understand, full-heartedly, the struggles of a mama trying to hold onto her identity, yet desperately wanting to be in something comfortable & durable. i've been that woman, and i'd find myself wondering, why is it so difficult for comfort and style to intersect?! that question must have been exactly what whitney, mama & founder of sonnet james, had in mind when she thought up this delightful little company. she found a void in the market & decided, not only to patch up the hole, but to do so with elegance & love. i was already planning on purchasing a few sonnet james dresses, and after working with the brand, i feel privileged to be representing and supporting such a smart mother & her company. i love the feeling of being feminine, free, and unrestricted to get right on the floor with my lulu, no stitches or threads holding me back. i'm wearing one of sonnet's more simplistic pieces, but with a bright pop of color, it's subtle yet eclectic. a playful mama doesn't have to be a boring mama, am i right?

 i'm just smitten over their spring line. it's beautiful, colorful, and well, spring-y! with the warm sun out keeping us company all week long, it makes me long for the near days of tulips & sticky popsicle hands. lord knows those sticky hands will find their way onto my dress like i'm a dishcloth. this might sound silly, but i'll be lu's napkin anytime, if only i could keep those tiny dimpled hands little forever...

i want to give a huge thank you & congratulations to whitney, jen, and the whole crew over at sonnet james. thank you for allowing my family and i to be a small part of your beautiful story. here's to a successful spring line & more success than you could ever wish for in the future!

happy monday & happy shopping! 

comforably playful,

this post is brought to you c/o sonnet james. all words, thoughts, and opinions, are my own.

TODDLER TALK // LU LATELY

i haven't done a recent luca stat post in some time & i just have to share with you some of the funny things that have been coming out of this little man's mouth lately. it's so astonishing to me what a world of difference six short months make for. i dropped lu off at the gym's childcare the other day & as i was signing him in i spotted the cutest little boy wobbling around trying to steady his sea legs. he must have been about one year old. he was so squishy and itty bitty. i couldn't help but reminisce to the days when L was that small. little L looks nothing like a baby anymore, and with a heavy heart i confess we have officially entered the toddler phase. please hold for a moment as i grab myself a tissue to wipe my tears. motherhood is so so bittersweet.

i've collected myself, ok deep breath, back to the point...

lu and all his new unique little mannerisms rule the roost over here. if it's ok with you, i thought i would compile a list of some of our best moments lately. i'll try to keep it short and sweet, but this is a mom talking about her child, so i'm not making any promises.

the latest stats of luca lennox wood:
age: 19 months
height: in the 97th percentile, at 37 inches (aka 3'1")
weight: in the 97th percentile, at 29 lbs
favorite toy: bouncy balls and cars/trains
favorite book: "little blue truck leads the way" by Alice Schertle
favorite shows: mickey mouse clubhouse, tickety tock, jake & the neverland pirates, and zou
favorite movies: the grinch (original cartoon), any of the "wee sing" collection, but his favorites are the marvelous musical mansion, the big rock candy mountains, and wee sing together. these are older films from when i was a kid, but i assure you they stand the test of time. if your little loves music & loves to dance, i highly recommend them. and bonus, they are embedded with tons of good lessons for your baby with themes like sharing, friendship, and kindness!
favorite activity: dancing
favorite food: cheese (this is a wood family thing)
favorite songs: the itsy bitsy spider, "hot dog" from mickey mouse clubhouse and "snuggle puppy" by eric stoltz
favorite word: more! or "mo!!!!!" with mouth in the shape of an "o"
favorite ipad app (yep, went there): Peekaboo Barn (i'll do a post on our favorite apps soon)

the many quirks and peculiarities of mr. luca lennox:

we have a mini decision maker in the house, although miles and i often question the democracy over here.
the inevitable "no" has made its way into lu's vocabulary...
me: "lu, do you want to eat dinner?"
luca: "NO!"
me: "do you need a diaper change?"
luca: "NO!"
me: "want to read this book?"
luca: "NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!"
sometimes theres an "uhhhh...(long pause)....no!" which makes me feel slightly better knowing that at least he gave it some thought, right?

we also know "yes," although this word is used more sparingly.
me: want to watch mickey mouse clubhouse?
luca: "yaaaaaa!"
me: "want some snacks?"
luca: "yaaaaaa!"
me: "want to go to granny's house?"
luca: "ya ya ya yaaaaa!"
are you seeing the trend of what he answers yes to?

i always swore i wouldn't be a mother to bargain with her children. well, this mama recants. it's a continuous barter system over here at casa de wood. when lu becomes upset because of a diaper change or whatever, i'll say, "bath time?!" to which L  screams "baaaaa!" (bath!)  in approval as he starts shedding clothes and running to the tub. & when he's livid about bath time coming to an end, i'll come in with "how about we read "little blue truck!" & just like that, the pout concludes.

lu can now count up to four, although his favorite number is "theee!"

while watching one of his favorite shows, 'jake and the neverland pirates,' lu sings along with the theme song (the best to his ability). you'll hear him humming along and nodding his head with approval, and then he'll chime in right at the end. the end of the song sings, "jake and the neverland pirates and me!" he'll bounce around with anticipation, and then finally he'll hop in & scream at the top of his lungs, "and meeeeeeeeeee!" and of course he knows the pirate password, do you? well i'll let you in on a little secret it's, "yo ho ho!"

lu's favorite thing in the world is skateboarding. he loves watching skateboarding, any apparel with skateboards on it, going to the skatepark with "daaa," i could go on and on. but the cutest thing is how he says skateboard.  "duboard."

while holding lu in my arms he'll point to me "mama" and then point to himself "bee bee." and then he'll come in with puckered lips for a big smooch. my heart melts away and everything is right in the world.

lu is really into mickey "mouuuu," not mouse. and he loves his mickey stuffed doll. he tucks him into bed, he tosses him in the air like we do to him.  he hugs him and loves on him, and since lu was never into stuffed animals before, this is the cutest thing i've ever seen. when i think about having another baby in the future, this just confirms to my heart how great of a big brother lu will be.

manners are a must & thankfully luca is polite as can be, always asking for things with a "peas" and upon his receiving, he'll sign thank you (which looks like he's blowing you a kiss) and he'll hum the sound of thank you in a "hmm hm."

miles taught lu to say "peace!" with the coordinating peace sign. it's so freakin' adorable, i cannot stand it. luca will throw up two fingers into peace and with squinted eyes and a smile overtaking his face, he'll utter "peeeeaaaaaas!" not to be confused with "please" aka "peas."

lu knows every animal sound in the book, and loves to yell "wuff wuff" at any dog we see, but miles and i agree that our favorite is his imitation of a kitty cat which is a squeal in some form of meow. i'll upload a video soon, so we can share in this hilariousness.

this is where i'll end (for now) because, like any other mother, i could go on & on. i'll share more soon, but hope you enjoyed a small snapshot of lu lately.

FRIDAY FAVORITES

hooray, hooray! it's finally friday! 

"you're off to great places. today is your day! your mountain is waiting...so get on your way!" 

- dr. seuss

i thought it was more than appropriate to end the birthday week of dr. seuss with a quote from one of his beloved books. he was such a wonderful writer who wrote so many wonderful things, and "oh, the places you'll go," like many, is one of my absolute favorite books of his. luca and i have been reading "hand, hand, fingers, thumb" nightly, and i love discovering some of the less popular books of seuss (if there exist such a thing). i never read "hand, hand..." as a kid, and in essence it's a short, sweet book with fun rhymes, lots of onomatopoeias, and adorable, crazy monkeys! lu recently learned what the monkey says, so he loves watching the monkeys drumming along singing "dum ditty, dum ditty, dum dum dum!" do you have any book recommendations for little ones? we've mainly been sticking to board books because, well, you know what toddlers are capable of doing to to paper pages...although, luca loves the paperback, "tap the magic tree," and we don't have any rips or tears as of yet, just a couple of cheese snack finger stains. 

with easter just around the corner, i've been searching for some fun crafts L and i can do together and i've fallen in love with this easter bunny & chick fingerpaint craft from the chickabug blog. i also cannot wait to try this coconut cupcake recipe with rave reviews from ina garten. ina always has good eats, so i doubt these will disappoint. 

photo from food network.com

my heart goes out to those in colder weather. i seem to always be reading about how gloomy and blue-ridden all my east coast friends and family are feeling. groundhog day usually doesn't mean much to us here in southern california, but i know when the groundhog predicted a longer winter, he wasn't greeted with excitement to put it nicely. we, here in california, were probably the only ones who jumped for joy. it's been beautiful over here, not too hot, not too cold, just right, but we've been desperate for rain. we did get some long overdue rainfall recently, and everyone was giddy with excitement. i'm hoping april will bring us her notorious showers because the drought is becoming a huge issue, and we need water! we, in the wood home, are trying to be as mindful as we can with our water usage, although many california residents aren't taking it seriously, which is posing a huge problem. in this instance, ignorance is not bliss, and i found the funniest article about the new law enforcement tactic of "water school." it's the equivalent of traffic school, but it teaches those in violation how to conserve water. so hysterically smart! i give law enforcement a high-five on this one. 

here are some of the things we've been doing as a family to conserve water in our home, maybe this will help you or a neighbor too: we're watering our grass only at night & in the early morning, taking shorter showers, turning off the water while we wash our hair, bathing lu every other day--and sponge bathing him in between if needed, planting more drought resistant plants (such as succulents), not allowing the water to run while brushing teeth or washing dishes, and were contemplating installing an instant water heater. what types of things are you doing to conserve our water? 

and speaking of water, i'm loving this new trend of infusing your water with fruit! miles calls it "spa water" haha. it does feel like you are at a spa especially if you put it in a fancy glass, and garnish the rim. get fancy at home, because why not?! you deserve it! the honest company has a great article about infusing water & they provide a handful of fun recipes to try! check it out, you may just find something you'll love and therefore end up drinking more water, double win! 

photo via honest blog

wishing you all a fun-filled, water mindful weekend!

peace, love & big hugs,

WAY TO GO CHELS, WAY TO GO.

i ask that you give me a nice slow clap once i finish sketching out, for you, the following story. why, you may be wondering? well, let me tell ya. if you were suffering from the typical monday blues, i assure you this will make you feel a little bit better. ok, it's 6:00 am and i finally decide i'll get out of bed. this is fifteen minutes past the usual time i rise, so take into account i'm feeling extra tired. i brush my teeth, i brush my hair, i put a light coat of foundation on. i've decided it's a mascara only type of day, so i totally surpass all eyeshadow. i reach for my eyelash curler and curl my right eyelashes. I go to curl my left side and as i'm holding my clamp, my hand totally slips and suddenly my curler isn't attached to my eyelashes any longer. and my eyelashes are no longer attached to my face. yep, you read it right, i tiredly ripped off half of my beautiful, long, lush eyelashes. that's right, slow clap it out. the funny thing is i didn't react like i thought i would. normally, i would have cried my poor bald eye out. i didn't shed a tear. i just kind of stared in the mirror for a good chunk of time thinking to myself "oh my lord." i then proceeded to see if i still had the pair of fake lashes i used on my wedding day two years ago (can you tell i was tired?). i then googled "do eyelashes grow back?" from what i read, i think i'll be ok. after that mini heart attack passed, i took my brown liner and quickly filled in the hairless gap. i for certain styled my bangs today, and also thanked my lucky stars i currently have bangs. i hope this little ridiculous story of mine adds some light and laughter to your monday! it's definitely safe to say i will be purchasing a pair of fake lashes. so, if you are wondering in my future photos why i've taken on a new habit of wearing falsies, please pardon me and my poor lashes. also spare me if you are some false lash expert, my experience is totally lacking. here's to a fast-paced work week and an even faster, fuller, longer, and thicker paced eyelash growing session.

think of me next time you're applying mascara, maybe even double-coat because you can,

until next time,