So, I’ve seen chocolate avocado pudding on lots of my favorite blogs over the last few months, + while it always looks delicious, I’ve been reluctant to try it. I love avocados (in guacamole, in pasta, etc.) + I love chocolate, but together? I had my doubts. But, when I had a few avocados quickly getting ripe + was craving something sweet the other day, I decided to (finally!) give this intriguing pudding recipe a try.
So, how was it? Pretty flippin’ delicious! I’m not going to say that you can’t taste the avocado at all, because in this version at least, I could taste a subtle avocado flavor. As an avocado fan, I actually liked that. But would I try to sneak this by an avocado hater? (like I did with my beet-hating husband + this awesome chocolate beet cake?) – nope. That being said, it was delicious – wonderfully rich, chocolatey, smooth + creamy, with just a hint of awesome avocado flavor. And, because of the ingredients, it’s vegan, gluten-free, + has lots of heart-healthy benefits. Win!
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While some people only use their slow-cooker in cold weather, I’m a fan of using it all year long. In fact, sometimes I like it even better on warm, humid days – you still get the benefits of a delicious, home-cooked meal without having to heat up your kitchen by using the oven – WIN!
I stumbled across this particular meal in my Real Simple magazine a couple months ago, but only got around to making it recently. Let me tell you, I am SO glad I finally made it. It was absolutely delicious – tender, juicy chicken, healthy lentils, + hearty potatoes, all in a flavorful, full-of-depth gingery curry sauce. It makes quite a bit of food, but I was happy about that, as the leftovers only got tastier + more complex after a day or two. Served with hot, buttered rice + some toasted naan, it was wonderful. Healthy, hearty, + simple-to-make all at once? You just can’t beat that!
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We’re in the home stretch – only about a month until our little one is due to arrive! I’ve been lucky to have a (mostly) easy pregnancy. The first trimester was the hardest, with intense morning sickness, headaches + fatigue. But since then, I’ve felt pretty great – I have a good amount of energy, am able to workout/do prenatal yoga/walk quite a bit, + am still cooking/blogging/socializing/working per usual. Sure, I get tired earlier + have some aches + pains, but that’s to be expected.
Recently, we’ve had a ton of fun stuff happening – within a 7-day stretch, my husband + I celebrated our two-year (surprise!) wedding anniversary, i celebrated my birthday, + we had an awesome shower. Two of my most wonderful friends, Alexandra + Tabitha (both bloggers!) threw us a fabulous couples shower to celebrate the arrival of Fearless Baby. We’re lucky to have the love + support of such amazing friends + family during this exciting time, + so much to celebrate!
How will I be occupying myself for the next few weeks? I’m putting the final touches on the nursery (look for a nursery post with lots of pics soon!), getting my hospital bag packed, getting the freezer stocked with meals for after baby arrives, + enjoying the last weeks as a family of two before baby arrives. Thanks for all the kind words + well wishes throughout my pregnancy, friends!
This giveaway is now CLOSED + the winner was selected using random.org. Congratulations to commenter #2, Alexandra – I’ll email you with details! For those who didn’t win, you can still buy tickets in advance for $40/person online, or at the door for $50/person. Click here to buy tickets!
Get excited – one of my favorite Nashville events, Generous Helpings, is Thursday, May 16 + one lucky reader will win two tickets (a $100 value)! I try to attend every year (+ I’ll be there this year, 8.5 months pregnant!), as it’s amazingly delicious AND benefits a great cause – the Second Harvest Food Bank. 30+ local restaurants bring a huge array of appetizers, entrees + desserts (as well as beer + wine) to the Nashville Farmer’s Market, + you get to sample every last scrumptious bite. Sounds fab, doesn’t it?
Feast your eyes on the amazing list of restaurants participating this year:
Amerigo Italian Restaurant
Bella Nashville
Caffe Nonna
Chappy’s Seafood Restaurant
fido
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
Kickin’ Coffee and Tea
Kohana Japanese Restaurant
Kroger Chef Shoppes
Legato Gelato
Marche Artisan Foods
Margot Café & Bar
Mason’s
Midtown Café
Miel Restaurant
Mirko Pasta
Nashville State Community College
Nothing Bundt Cakes
perl Catering
Pied Piper Creamery
Porta Via Italian Kitchen
Porter Road Butcher
{PUB}licity
Red Pony
Riff’s Fine Street Food
Riviera Provencial Grill
Second Harvest Food Bank Culinary Arts Center
Sol
Something Special
Soy Bistro
Sunset Grill
Soy Bistro
The Bloomy Rind
The Mad Platter
The Turnip Truck
Urban Grub
Yellow Porch
and more!
So, how can you win two tickets to this awesome event?
1. MANDATORY entry: join Second Harvest’s email list at secondharvestmidtn.org + leave a comment saying you did.
2. optional additional entry: ‘like’ Second Harvest on Facebook and/or follow Second Harvest on Twitter + leave a comment saying which you did.
3. optional additional entry: ‘like’ fearless homemaker on facebook + leave a comment saying you did. or, if you already do, let me know!
4. optional additional entry: tweet: I want to win tickets to Generous Helpings, featuring some of Nashville’s best food + drink, from @amy_donovan! http://ow.ly/kDAM9 (feel free to word it differently – i love seeing your creative tweets!) + leave a comment saying you did.
The contest ends on Wednesday, May 8, 2013 at 5 PM CST. 1 winner will be selected randomly, emailed + has 48 hours to respond. If there is no response after 48 hours, another winner will be selected. Contest is open to anyone who can be in Nashville on May 16, 2013 for the event!
Today, i’m participating in a fun blogger event — the Secret Recipe Club. How does it work? Every blogger is secretly assigned another blog + chooses a recipe from that blog to make. On reveal day (today!), all of our posts go up at the same time, + everyone gets to see who was assigned to their blog, which recipe they chose, + how it turned out. Fun, huh?
I was assigned The Healthy Beehive, a wonderful blog full of healthy recipes featuring whole/real ingredients. Amongst the tons of fab recipes, the warm, sunny weather in Nashville made me gravitate towards her awesome-sounding Watermelon Lemonade! I made a few changes, omitting the mint (my husband isn’t a huge fan) + using simple syrup to sweeten it rather than honey. And oh my, it was SO good! Refreshing + crisp, with a perfect balance of sweet/tart flavors. While fantastic as-is, it would also make a great cocktail by adding a splash of vodka or sparkling wine!
Thank you to Jane for introducing me to this fabulous lemonade, + to the Secret Recipe Club for connecting me, yet again, with fantastic bloggers + amazing recipes!
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