Mosaic Mondays {1}

Sometimes I feel like I have so many random tidbits to tell you at once, there’s no way I could fit everything into one cohesive post.

So I decided to start something new.

Each Monday I’ll be featuring a Mosaic Mondays post where I share a few current happenings, favorite finds, and exciting announcements. It’ll be a post where we can just dish without having to make a dish, although I will always still include food (who am I kidding…these posts will mostly likely be centered around food). I’m excited about this, especially since the idea has been a while coming! Without further delay, here is the scoop for this week…

Homemade Peach-Vanilla Soft Serve

1. Lately I’ve been staying cool with homemade fruit soft serve, which goes far beyond just banana. Peach-vanilla is my new favorite flavor and it’s super easy to whip up: wash, chop, and flash-freeze 1 medium-large peach; process it in a food processor with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1 pinch sea salt, and enough peach nectar (or other liquid) until it’s smooth like soft serve ice cream (I used about 5 tablespoons of peach nectar); serve immediately.

2. I know a lot of people who eat vegetarian and/or gluten-free and are always looking for new healthy recipe ideas. If this sounds familiar, then you are in for a treat. Calvin (from The Gluten-Free Chef blog) released an e-book called Cooking with Fibromyalgia: A Young Man’s Guide to Simply & Delicious Vegetarian, Gluten, and Dairy-Free Meals, which is chock full of lovely recipes. I’d even go as far as to say that this book is for anyone, vegetarian or not, gluten-free or not, and dairy-free or not. No matter what you’re used to eating, if you enjoy nourishing your body with wholesome foods, this book is for you. And even though the title says it’s a young man’s guide, I think young (or older!) ladies out there will adore it too…really, who would refuse a beautiful bowl of Honey Vanilla Granola, Spicy Black Bean Soup, Parmesan Pasta Salad, or Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse?

Cinnamon-Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding

3. Has anyone else been using chia seeds like it’s going out of style lately? Chia pudding is always a favorite, but I’m dying to try something new (to me), like Chia Seed Jam (mmm, blueberry!) on Going Home to Roost or Lemon Chia Seed Pancakes on Peachy Palate. And P.S., I have been thoroughly enjoying Health Warrior’s Coconut Chia Bars!

Coconut Flour Cake Donuts

4. Raise your hand if you’ve been dabbling in (or are curious about dabbling in) paleo! I have, and I’ve been loving it. Treats like Coconut Flour Cake Donuts take my breath away.

5. Do you have the perfect peach pie recipe? Mike requested a peach pie…I want it to be fabulous and since it’s something I’ve never made before, I could use a little help. (Please leave a recipe link in the comments below if you know of a good one; otherwise, I will probably go with this stunning Peach Pie recipe from Wives with Knives.)

Fried Eggplant with Garlic and Parsley Dressing

6. Any idea what you’ll be making for Labor Day next week? Not that I have given it much thought (haha!), but I’m thinking about beef kebabs; zucchini feta cheese chopped salad; bulgur wheat salad with cucumber, red pepper, chickpeas, lemon, and dill; fried eggplant with garlic and parsley dressing; and pomegranate spritzers.

Kuwait Towers

7. Last but not least, I moved across the world. Approximately 6,500 miles. To Kuwait. I will be bringing you more details on that soon, but for now, suffice to say that the hubs and I are starting a whole new chapter of our lives. We are excited to explore our new home (check out my Instagram photos of the Kuwait Towers and the view of the Persian Gulf from our balcony), and make the most of being much more centrally located to places in Europe and Asia where we want to travel. I can’t wait to share more with you as we explore!