Vegan Oreo Fruit Tarts
This easy vegan fruit tart recipe is perfect for summer. As you guys know, my husband is vegan but I’m not so everything I make has to be tasty for the both of us. This is perfect for anyone who can’t have dairy, but craves a sweet treat. You can find vegan butter and vegan cream cheese at most grocery stores and it’s amazing. I made 4 small tarts instead of one big one because let’s be honest, it’s just the two of us and we can’t eat a whole tart by ourselves. Feel free to double the recipe for a larger amount. I hope you guys enjoy!
Vegan Oreo Fruit Tarts
Makes 4 small tarts
INGREDIENTS:
Cookie Crust:
- 14 Oreos
- 2 Tbsp + 2tsp of vegan butter, melted
Vanilla Filling:
- 8oz vegan cream cheese
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk (use the solid part only)
- 1/3c powdered sugar
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- Berries and fruit of your choice for topping
To make crust:
Combine Oreos and butter in food processor until well combined. Press mixture into tart trays and place in fridge while you make the filling.
To make the filling:
Combine vegan cream cheese, the solids from the coconut milk can, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in food processor. Cover and cool in fridge for at least an hour.
Finish it off:
When both the crust and filling are chilled, add filling to the mini tart pans, and top with the fruit of your choice. Enjoy!
New House Interior Design Plan
Hi guys! I thought it would be fun to show you what is currently in my head and on my mood boards for each room of the new house. If you want to see ALL of my Pinterest boards, click here.
LIVING ROOM
The living room, kitchen, and dining room are all open concept and we are keeping the design in those three areas very modern. To the left of the fireplace area is a large 18’x18’ window so this area will get a lot of light.
I made this design to scale for the living room.
KITCHEN
I've already shared our full kitchen design on the blog, but here it is again.
DINING ROOM
I would love for the dining room to have a raw edge table, cool band posters nicely framed on the wall to show our personality, and a neon light in the space. I’m still undecided about a rug, light fixture, and chairs.
SUNROOM
The sunroom is one of my favorite rooms of the new build! I’ve had it planned since the beginning and I can’t wait to fill it with plants! The window are very similar to the photo below and the tile on the bottom right is what I’ve picked out!
MY OFFICE
I love pink and green together and I think this is the direction I’ll go in for my office. I prefer the pink shade in the middle photo and love the wall trim for an added sophisticated look.
MASTER BEDROOM
The rest of the house is so modern and/or bold that I thought making the master bedroom more calm and earthy would make for a relaxing space. I love the bali vibes, rattan furniture, pampas grass, neutral tones, and natural textures.
MASTER BATHROOM
The master bathroom is still undecided except I know I want the black grid shower, free standing bathtub, marble-look tile, and mirrors with lights around them. Everything else is still being decided on.
HALF BATHROOM
Who knew I could be so excited about a half bathroom? I love the idea of going REALLY bold in a small space because it’s low risk. I imagine a really bold wall paper, a funky mirror, and fun TP/hand towel holders.
Want to see even more? Check out my Pinterest where I have a board for each room of the house!
Our Modern Kitchen Design (Leicht)
Hi guys! Today I’m showing you our kitchen cabinet design - woohoo! We are working with Trey at German Kitchen Center here in Atlanta and our kitchen cabinets and handles are all from Leicht. I LOVE how sleek and modern the frameless cabinets are, the three tone design, and the diagonal cut on the waterfall island. We went with gold hardware on most of the cabinets and the rest are the handless design. The hood will be custom made by a metal fabricator since I can’t find a hood with the exact dimensions that we need for the stainless steel restaurant style hood that we want.
A few things will be different than the photos like the HUGE 36” sink, black Kohler faucet, and added gold Delta pot filler. We also think we might use either subway tile on the backsplash or hexagon tile if the cost of a matching stone backsplash is out of the budget. Lastly there will be lights installed on either side of the hood similar to what you see over the counter next to the fridge.
Our appliances are stainless steel and mostly from Samsung minus the dishwasher from Bosch that will have a custom panel over it. We almost went with all Bosch appliances but we currently have a Samsung refrigerator and I LOVE it. I know that sounds silly, but I need to have an external water filler and the flex drawer on the outside and Bosch doesn’t make that design. Because you get such a great deal when you bundle large appliances together we decided that Samsung was the way to go for everything minus the Bosch dishwasher since we need something that allows for a custom panel.
The door that you see mocked up leads into our pantry where we will put the microwave, food, another prep counter, more cabinets, etc. We don’t even have a pantry at our current house so this will be a whole new world for us!
Now we get to start looking for countertops, backsplash, barstools and lights to go over the island - yay!
WE ARE BUILDING A HOUSE
WE ARE BUILDING A HOUSE! I’m so excited to share this entire process with you guys! Although I will be showing the highlights on my normal Instagram account, I have also created a home Instagram account (@LutzGoHome) where I will share ALL of the details! The house is modern farmhouse on the outside and eclectic on the inside with a focus on modern design in the kitchen/living room/dining room. So far the house is framed and we should have windows in the next few weeks - woohoo! Below is the tour where I take you through each room and explain what my vision will be! Enjoy!
What's in my gym bag
I think we can all agree that 2020 has been a little crazy to say the least. We have all shifted life to accommodate our individual circumstances which means everyones day to day looks a little different. Welcome to my new normal! I went from teaching spin and having an unlimited yoga membership to being at home with my dogs where my fitness routine looks a lot different.
Thank you so much to shortyLOVE for sponsoring this post! These bags were created by the boss babe who was previously the design director for Marc Jacobs and she named her brand after her dog (a woman who speaks my language!).
In the spirit of normalcy let’s talk about what’s in my gym bag! First off, my gorgeous gym bag is from shortyLOVE and it’s the Boxer in black. It holds ALL of my gym essentials and I store all of my go-to’s in it even while at home. The bag converts from a backpack to a shoulder bag (see below) so you can wear it how you want! I’m going to walk you through how I use it when life is a little more normal so you know how I use it to it’s maximum awesome capacity.
Use code MAE10 to receive $10 off your first order.
Let’s start at the bottom where you’ll find a large zipper compartment for my shoes. This compartment is spacious and depending on how big your shoes are, you could probably fit more than just shoes - I recommend throwing your dirty clothes in here as well (once we are back to the gym of course)!
The side zipper holds my laptop, the two side pockets hold water bottles, and the middle front zipper is perfect for easy access to my phone. Moving on to the spacious interior! The main compartment is massive and holds my clean clothes, hairbrush, shower spray, and whatever else I’m carrying with me. The inside is also complete with an interior zipper pocket, interior red pockets (another place for phone/wallet), and a GREAT pop out bag where I keep things like headphones, deodorant, gum, extra mic covers, snacks, headache medicine, and iPhone dongle. I love this because in other bags, my essential smaller bag always gets buried in the bottom so I LOVE that this pops in the top.
If you’re into this shortyLOVE Boxer, I also recommend checking out the other bags they make:
The Wonder comes in camo (pictured), black and navy. For me, this bag is perfect for yoga when I don’t have extra shoes, but I still need enough space to carry my towel, waterbottle, and essentials.
The Amuse is a crossbody or top handle bag and also comes in camo, black, and navy. This is the perfect purse size which means it gets used for EVERYTHING.
Lastly is the Shorthand which is my choice for walking the dogs. It’s perfect when I want to be handsfree when all I need is my phone and some treats!
What are your must have gym essentials? Let me know below!
Check out the full shortyLOVE collection here! Use code MAE10 to receive $10 off your first order.
How to Incorporate Gratitude in to Your Daily Life
“Happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” ― Frederick Koenig.
Let’s talk about practicing gratitude. Maybe you’re familiar with it or maybe this is the first time you’ve really read about it. In a nutshell, practicing gratitude requires you to express deep appreciation and acknowledge the positive things around you. Although something you should still do, this is more than saying thank you to someone for doing something nice. This is taking a few moments a day to really recognize the great things, big or small, in your life. Studies have shown that people who consistently express gratitude are happier, less depressed, more optimistic, sleep better, and have stronger relationships.
Intrigued? It gets even better because multiple scientific studies have proven these benefits. In 2017 Berkely University completed a study with 300 people who were currently seeking mental health counseling for depression or anxiety. Group one wrote a letter of gratitude to another person each week for three weeks (but they didn’t have to send it), group two wrote emotionally about negative experiences, and group three did not do a writing activity. The group who wrote gratitude letters reported significantly better mental health four weeks after the exercise and even better results twelve weeks later than those who didn’t. What is even more fascinating is the fMRI scan conducted which revealed that the gratitude letter group demonstrated greater activation in the medial prefrontal cortex when experiencing gratitude than the other groups three months later!
So, how can we practice gratitude? There are various avenues you can take that range from simple and short to creative and tangible. I’ve listed a few below:
Let’s start with the one we already know, gratitude letters to specific people. We read above that these can make a massive impact by writing one a week and the choice is yours whether you send it or not.
Keep a gratitude journal that you write in every day. I always suggest at least three new things a day, but even one entry is better than nothing. These entries can be as simple as a bullet point list or you can let the pen fly!
Create a gratitude jar. This one is great for kids since they can decorate the jar however they want, but I’m all for adults doing it too! Each day write down on slips of paper what you’re grateful for and watch the jar fill up. If you’re ever feeling down you can grab a few out and remind yourself of all the great things, people, and experiences in your life.
Gratitude app. If pen and paper aren’t your thing, there are some great apps out there. Seriously, just type in “gratitude” in the search bar of your app store and you’ll find plenty to choose from. A few features I like about using an app is the ability to add photos to my bullet lists, push notifications reminding to put in an entry, and the ability to add a passcode to keep it personal.
Do you think you’ll add a gratitude practice to your life? If not, what’s stopping you? I truly believe (and science agrees) that it will only bring greatness to your life. Just as you take care of your body, you also need to take care of your mind.
I’ve also put an Instagram story template below. Please feel free to use it to help spread the habit of gratitude to others. <3
PLANT-BASED BREAKFAST, LUNCH, AND DINNER
Hi guys! Today I’m giving you three super easy plant-based recipes. For those of you who don’t know, my husband is vegan and has been for about five or so years, and I’ve been pescatarian for almost a year. We are no strangers to plant-based food, but I totally understand that it can be really intimidating when you’re first starting out. I’ll be honest, some plant-based options are YUCK, but that’s the case with ANY food, right? I mean even the meat-eaters out there can agree that you’ve had an amazing burger and you’ve also had a really terrible one. The good news is, plant-based brands have come a LONG way and some options out there are IDENTICAL to the “real” thing - it’s crazy!
I’m here to tell you about 3 recipes that you’ll love. Full disclosure, this blog post is NOT sponsored, but I did work with Kroger on some Instagram content. So if you’re in the south you can find all of these ingredients there. I genuinely just want these recipes to be easily available to you guys whether you’re dipping your toes into the plant-based world or just doing meatless Fridays because of lent.
PLANT-BASED BERRY SMOOTHIE:
Serving Size: 1 Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 banana
1 cup mixed frozen berries
3/4 cup oat milk
Hand full of spinach
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp PB2
Blend until smooth and serve with a reusable straw. :)
PLANT-BASED DELI SANDWICH
Serving Size: 1 Sandwich
Ingredients:
Whole wheat bread
Simple Truth Plant Based Ham Deli Slices
Field Roast Chao “cheese” slices
Hand full of spinach
Half an avocado
Cucumber slices
Mustard of your choice
Put it together and enjoy! This one is great for the kids lunches or in our case, we always take sandwiches when we go on the boat in the summer time. The deli “meat” and the “cheese” slices are A+ and if you don’t live in the south, I highly recommend anything you see from the brand “Field Roast” because it’s available all over the country.
Plant-Based Alfredo Pasta with Broccoli and Savory Smoky Crunchies
Serving Size: 2
Ingredients:
8 oz of pasta (we used rigatoni)
1 head of Broccoli
1 tbsp or less of Vegetable Oil or Olive Oil
1 cup Coconut
2 tsp Liquid Aminos (Tamari or soy sauce would work as well)
1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke
4 tsp Maple Syrup
Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Have large non-stick skillet on stand by.
Cut head of broccoli into bite size pieces. Toss in olive oil (or vegetable oil), salt, and pepper. Place on baking tray and bake for 8-10min or until lightly browned.
While broccoli is cooking, add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the directions on package. Most likely it will be around 8-10 minutes until al dente. When pasta is finished cooking, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and put to the side, drain the remaining pasta water, return pasta back to the large pot and keep off heat.
To make the savory crispy bits, place a large non-stick skillet over low heat. Add coconut flakes, Liquid Aminos, liquid smoke, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss consistently until the coconut is evenly coated and the coconut is cooked until slightly browned. This should take 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a plate or bowl when done.
Add the Alfredo sauce and 1/2 cup of pasta water to the cooked pasta. Reduce over low-medium heat.
Divide the saucy pasta into two dishes. Top with broccoli and crunchies. Salt and pepper if needed. Enjoy!
If you guys have any plant-based brands that you love, please drop them in the comments below. I also love the No Evil Pulled Pork, JUST egg, Miyoko’s Mozzarella, Earth Balance butter, Nasoya Kimcbhi, Field Roast Apple Sage Sausages, FIeld Road Choa slices (used in recipe above), and Treeline French-style nut cheese (SO GOOD with crackers) to name a few!
OUR WEDDING VIDEO
My Dress: Wedding Angels in Roswell, GA (if you get alterations make sure you request Karan)
Zachs Suit: Savvi Formalwear
Bridesmaids Dresses: Etsy
Groomsmen Grateful Dead Socks: Stance via Amazon
My Earrings: Etsy
My Ceremony Heels: Asos
My Reception Wedge Sneakers: Bebe Hi-Tops
Hair: My Hair: (Maxine from Arrow Salon) + Bridesmaids and Mothers Hair: Meg Me Beautiful
Makeup: Meg Me Beautiful
Hair Extensions: Laced Hair
Bouquet and Arch flowers: Venue’s personal florist
Formal Place Settings: Prissy Plate Company
Private Dinner Flowers: Heather with Stem’s Atlanta
Hand Lettered Place Cards and Tiles: Haley at Wilde Flower Paper Co
Pampas Grass: Sourced from Cut Flower Wholesale in Atlanta, GA
Venue: West Milford Farm in Cumming, GA
Photographer: Diamond Eyes
Photobooth: Smilebooth
Videographer: LT Photo + Film
Illustrator for coloring page: Etsy
Custom Koozies: Etsy
Catering: Penni with Flavorful Events
Cupcakes: Splat