This year Easter is going to be exceptionally low-key in my family. One person will be out of town at the NCAA basketball tournament, a few people just moved into a new house and are still getting settled, and yet a few others have to work. Some holidays are just like that, and this is one of them. I’ll still be dyeing eggs Saturday as usual and maybe even making a batch of hot cross buns for the first time ever! Love these twenty ideas for fun DIYs and egg decorating below.
Dolly and Oatmeal is a mainly plant based, gluten- and daily-free blog written by Lindsey Love. By cooking seasonally with fresh ingredients she promotes the natural timeline of nature’s bounty through her recipes.
Fix Feast Flair is the perfect mix of baking, cooking, and mixed drinks. Food blogger Alana focuses on coming together around the table, be it cooking, baking, dining, or nerding out on provisions.
Kitchen Konfidence was born out of blogger Brandon’s desire to cook outside of his comfort zone. Plenty of desserts, seasonal ingredients, and multicultural experiments will have you waiting for the next recipe he shares.
Love & Olive Oil is the culinary adventures of Lindsay and Taylor catalogued. The site’s pages overflow with flavorful dishes that won’t break the budget.
Yes to Yolks is where self-taught cook Molly shares healthy, well-balanced dishes with a dash of indulgence. And after years of cooking food for friends and family she decided to get it together and put all of her thoughts, recipes, and pictures in one place. We’re all benefitting immensely from it!
Have you ever made a dutch baby pancake or tried one? I attempted to bake one a few years ago and failed miserably, haven’t tried again since. The thing is they supposedly aren’t difficult to make and I think I need to try again. These twelve variations look like a great place to start.
Click on each image to go to the recipe. All photos copyright of their respective sites unless otherwise noted.
While the temperatures as of late can be described as nothing other than frigid, I’m starting to have spring on the brain in a big way. And nothing says the hope of spring quite like a bounty of florals and lighter cuisine to help pull us out of winter’s grasp. So last weekend I invited some friends over to take advantage of a cold, bright late Sunday morning.
I pulled together the table the day before to make Sunday morning as easy as possible, and the entire house felt instantly brighter! A pink and green striped runner, a dozen votive candles, and two big vases full of flowers were front and center. Then each place setting received a few blooms for a special touch, all tied up with a length of green and white baker’s twine. If you don’t own an affordable set of simple white dishes I couldn’t recommend doing so more – I use them for every single get together.
I’m thrilled with how simple yet put together everything felt, and my guests seemed to echo the sentiment as we first indulged and then sat talking over coffee through mid-afternoon.
Messy floral arrangements are some of my favorites, especially with a mix of varietals like I used here. I purchased two of these matching vases a few years back and love them because they’re the perfect height, no views across the table are blocked. I’ll even use them for shorter blooms to create a more artsy piece.
Whether you know me in person or on the web, you probably know how much I love my five pets. (Like, a lot.) I’m definitely guilty of spoiling and including them in festivities whenever possible. My youngest cat, Rainey, loves being around the table when it comes time to eat – you’d think she was one of the dogs the ways she sits patiently waiting. But the one way I don’t indulge my cats is by giving them table food. It was easy to keep those laser-like stares at bay by treating her to a can of Fancy Feast Medleys.
We were both excited when Fancy Feast introduced four varieties of pate to their Medleys line. Each can is full of inspired combinations of ingredients that Rainey couldn’t wait to devour. And because they have accents of vegetables, garden greens, or even cheese I can feel like I’m treating her to something special. Check out more information and get a free sample for your favorite feline companion at discovermedleys.com.
This post sponsored by Fancy Feast. I received compensation, though all words and opinions are my own as always. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Design Crush creating fresh content!
The most basic of candies – the lollipop – has been reimagined as a full on sensory experience thanks to Jollypop! Interesting shapes, textures, and flavors come together with natural colors to make a familiar thing brand new.
This roundup turned out to be a little haphazard. I’ve been bookmarking things here and there since early January and didn’t realize just how much I’d pulled together to share. So if you’re looking for the right gift for your sweetheart, a tasty cocktail or sweets recipe, free printables, or any number of other things… well, there are 80-some of them willing and waiting below!
I was first introduced to spaghetti squash back in the 90s when my mom was on a clean eating diet. Being a picky teenage vegetarian at that time, I fell hard for the weird squash that took on the form of one of my favorite foods. These days it’s everywhere, and in about a hundred more forms and recipes – here are twelve I’d love to try.
Click on each image to go to the recipe. All photos copyright of their respective sites unless otherwise noted.
It’s no secret that working from home can be a challenge some days. For every advantage (flexible schedule!) there’s a disadvantage (distractions!). As Design Crush has continued to grow as a business my approach has had to change, and the latest curve is one I can’t say I was expecting.
As a freelance or contract worker there’s always the fear that the current job I’m working on will be the last. It’s the nature of the beast, and in my case the anxiety – and I don’t like saying no because of it. In the past year I’ve said yes a few too many times, and found myself slogging through the last three months of 2015 with way too much on my shoulders. Namely, I was neglecting to make any time for myself.
I knew I had to change up my routine and focus on the times during the day when I felt most productive as for that hour or two that left me dragging. I used to end my day during chillier months with a cup of tea, and thought that maybe rescheduling what used to be my downtime as a time to refocus might help me out.
Then along came Pique Tea. Designed for excellence with every sip, Pique Tea has taken the tea world by storm with their new Tea Crystals. I love that even though my tea is ready in an instant the results aren’t compromised, the tea in my mug is pure and rich and tastes just as though I’d thoughtfully brewed it.
So just how does Pique Tea achieve this tea crystal sorcery? It’s relatively simple – they brew high quality organic loose tea leaves, then when the perfect brew is reached they distill it into pure tea crystals. Basically taking the guesswork out of making a great cup of tea, and helping me avoid over-brewing by walking out of the kitchen and letting my tea steep for too long. (So guilty.) The hope is that a great cup of tea made easy will cause a ripple effect of feeling well, doing well, and doing more.
But don’t take my word for it, try Pique Tea for yourself. Sign up for a free trial and receive all five flavors – Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Mint Sencha, Sencha, and Jasmine – to try on your own (that’s 14 sachets, or a week’s supply)! Now tell me, how do you make time for yourself during the weekdays?
This post sponsored by Pique Tea. All words and opinions are my own, as always. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Design Crush creating fresh content!
Gingerbread is one of my favorite flavors of the season, but I don’t relegate it to cookies alone. (Though I am making these sweets tomorrow!) Feast your eyes on the following twelve recipes that run the gamut from breakfast to side dish.
Click on each image to go to the recipe. All photos copyright of their respective sites unless otherwise noted.
I can hardly believe Christmas is a week from today! The holidays always seem to sneak up on me, but the unusually warm weather we’ve been experiencing here on the east coast has really thrown everyone for a loop. It’s been more of a challenge than usual to get into the spirit, but I’m doing my best. I’ve also been thinking about the brunch my family will be sitting down to Christmas Day and what it might include – and you’re invited.
