lealou

Introducing Lealou Cooks!

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Wed, 26 Apr 2017 15:27:00 +0000

Over the past several months I've been working on another project: Lealou Cooks! If you like my posts about food, this is the place for you. I'll be writing about whole food, easy meal planning, lifestyle changes and I even have a few simple meal plans for you to get you started. (Psst. If you like what you see you can sign up to get a free meal plan!).

I'm going to keep this blog should I want to write about something non-food related. We bought a cottage for instance and I'd love to share our adventures with that over the summer.

Until then see you over at Lealou Cooks!

Stephanie

Gorgeous Blue Ceramic Mugs

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 01:19:00 +0000

There's something about finding the right mug. You know, the one that has the perfect handle to fit your hand. Or the one that's big enough to hold your tea for at least an hour without going cold... There are also the mugs that are so freaking cute you have to find room for them.

That's what I thought when I saw these mugs from Free Folding. I can see myself sitting by a camp fire drinking hot cocoa or coffee in the morning by the lake. The colour is perfect. Now I just need to make more room for yet another mug....

Warm Gatherings with Etsy

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 15:34:00 +0000

Love Birds Serving Board by Manual Arts DEpt

It's this time of year I really start to think about having everyone together in the house for some good old fashion fun and food over the holidays. I love having friends and family over and the idea of having the fire going while it's snowing outside makes me feel all warm inside. When you're looking for items to go along with this warm and cozy feeling, Etsy is the place to go. I tend to shift towards the warm grey and cream tones; beautiful pottery or twinkly metallics. Anything to help keep that feeling alive. Here are my top pics for warm gatherings on Etsy.

Fringe Linen Table Runner by Linen Space

Handmade Organic White Crackle Slab Side Plates by Leslie Freeman Designs

Modern Ceramic Vase by Yahalomis

Ceramic Baking Dish by 1220 Ceramics Studio

Wool Throw by BOTEH

Herb-Roasted Cremini Mushroom Tostadas + Hemp and Greens Power Pesto

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Fri, 04 Nov 2016 14:13:00 +0000

Our cooking assignments for The Academy of Culinary Nutrition focus on developing our own recipes now which I find a lot of fun, but also frightening. I don't like wasting food so I'm afraid of doing something that tastes awful only to throw it out! Putting that aside, I find it really fun to think about what tastes go well together and then develop something that resembles dinner.

I served this dish to my kids without the mushrooms (how can they not like mushrooms!) and they loved it. I developed this recipe for someone with Rheumatoid Arthritis for my assignment, so it's super nourishing for your joints, tasty, gluten-free and dairy-free.

Herb-Roasted Cremini Mushroom Tostadas + Hemp and Greens Power Pesto

Makes 7 tostadas*

Ingredients

Mushrooms

1 package of cremini mushrooms (227 g)

1 tbsp of dried thyme

2 tbsp of fresh parsley

1 tsp of dried rosemary

1/2 tsp of salt

1/2 tsp of pepper

4 tbsp olive oil

Tostadas

Adapted from Spiced Chickpea Pancakes, by Lindsey S. Love

1.5 cups of almond milk or dairy-free milk of choice

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 cup of chickpea flour

1/2 cup of brown rice flour

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tbsp of olive oil, plus more for the pan

2 organic eggs

1 cup of Hemp and Greens Power Pesto (recipe below)

Cashew cheese for drizzling. Optional (recipe below)

Directions

Make the pesto and cheese, if using, ahead of time so you can focus on the main dish.

Prepare the mushrooms
1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Wipe away debris from mushrooms and set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl whisk together oil, herbs, salt and pepper and add in mushrooms. Stir making sure all the mushrooms are coated in the oil/herb mixture.
4. Place the mushrooms evenly on the baking sheet.

5. Bake for 20 minutes.

Tostadas (Makes 7 Medium-sized tostadas)

While the mushrooms are roasting, make the tostadas

1. In a small bowl, mix milk and apple cider vinegar together and let sit until it bubbles a bit (5 minutes).

2. In large bowl, mix together flours, salt and pepper.

3. When it’s ready, add the milk mixture to the flour. Add the olive oil and eggs. WhisK together until everything is incorporated and no lumps remain.

4. Heat a skillet to medium and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

5. Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, pour batter into the skillet, trying to keep it in a nice circle and cook until small bubbles form in the batter. Flip and cook the other side. Keep warm. Repeat until you have used all of the batter.

6. When the mushrooms are done, slice and set aside.

7. Spread a heaping tablespoon of pesto on a tostada and top with 5 or 6 sliced mushrooms.

8. Drizzle cashew cheese on top and enjoy!

Notes

*This recipe makes 7 tostadas, but you will have some mushrooms and cashew cheese leftover (great toppings for eggs the next morning!)

**All of the elements to this meal can be made ahead of time then put together the day you need them. Everything will stay in the fridge for two days.

Additional recipes:

Cashew Cheese

Makes about 1 cup

1 cup of cashews, soaked overnight in water

1/4 cup of nutritional yeast

1.5 tsp salt

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup water +2 tbsp

1. Process all of the ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor, scraping down the sides as needed. Blend until smooth.

Hemp and Greens Power Pesto

Adapted from Protein-Packed Hemp Seed Pesto, by Oh My Veggies

Makes just under 1 cup

1 large clove of garlic or 2 small

2 large cups of greens (I used a baby kale, chard and spinach mix, but just kale will work fine), washed

1/4 cup of vegan parmesan
3 tbsp hemp seeds

1 tsp salt

3 tbs olive oil

2 tbs lemon juice

1. Put garlic in the food processor and chop until small, then add all of the other ingredients and process until smooth.

Vegan Parmesan

Makes about 1.5 cups

1 cup of cashews

1/4 cup of nutritional yeast

1 tsp of salt

1. Process all of the ingredients in a food processor until fine. Store in an air tight mason jar in the fridge.

The Awakened Leaf

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 11:30:00 +0000

I like the idea of wearing little things the kids would like but also that would match my style. I found these sweet little fox earrings on etsy from The Awakened Leaf and wear them every other day. They're comfortable and cute to look at. I like when people are staring at my ears and realize they're foxes!

I decided to get a couple other pairs and opted for some elephants (my grandmother loved elephants!) and some simple hexagon studs.

I also love these mountains! Perfect if you're a mountain lover.

Check out more creations from The Awakened Leaf here.

Date balls with coconut + walnuts

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 01:22:00 +0000

I've been bringing the kids an after-school snack since Leo began JK to help take a load off their hanger. You know it happens. My kids are exhausted and if you add hunger to that, watch out. I'm lucky to make it home. Most days I bring a smoothy, but Mila really isn't into smoothies so I change it up now and again. Last week I brought these date balls and they were a hit. Here's the rundown:

Date balls with coconut + walnuts
2 cups of organic medjool dates, pitted
2 tablespoons of camino cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 handful of walnuts (or nut or seed of choice)
1 tablespoon of chia seeds
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
2 tablespoons of shredded coconut

How to make them:
1. Put all of the ingredients except the shredded coconut into a food processor and process until everything is incorporated.
2. Put the shredded coconut into a bowl and put aside.
2. Take about a tablespoon of 'dough' at a time and roll into balls.
3. Roll each ball in the shredded coconut.
4. Enjoy!

What I've been cooking up

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Thu, 13 Oct 2016 15:45:00 +0000

This blog has certainly taken many turns over the several years it's been around! It started off as a sewing blog and has quickly morphed into a cooking blog. I'm sure it will change again.

I thought I'd share some photos of what I've been cooking up over the past several weeks as part of my school work with the Academy of Culinary Nutrition. It's so tough when you get to eat your school work, right?

Knife Skills Salad - I had to practice cutting veggies!

I made my first whole BBQ sauce. So yummy.

Who knew curry powder was so easy to make?

Delicious veggie rice wraps with almond dipping sauce. My favourite so far.

Look at that colour!

Sunflower Power Spread. Yum!

Super delicious date balls - get the recipe on my IG account here: @lealoulemonade

I've been making loads more but forgot to take photos! It's been a busy course but so great to learn about all the foods that can keep us healthy. More to come!

On a mission to make real food cool

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 00:41:00 +0000

The other day I made potato leek soup and after a bit of coercing (it was green) the kids lapped it up. I asked them if they wanted it for lunch the next day and they both said yes.

Fast forward to the next morning to when I mentioned the soup that I was going to put in their lunch they both instantly said no and when I asked why, they said they didn't want their friends to comment on how it looks.

Ugh.

So It's already starting. Did I mention my kids are 5.5 and 4? Are kids seriously making comments already about other kids lunches?

I told them then and there that I make food different and yes it's going to look different sometimes. It's going to be green. It's going to be hearty. There will be no goldfish crackers in their lunch unless I make them. Yeah, I'm that mom.

And guess what? I vow not to back down. I am not going to change what I feed my kids because other kids at school don't like how it looks or smells.

So right now I'm making this my mission: I want to make real food cool. If I have to make it look cute so be it.

Real food is cool people. Let's join together in this uphill battle. We'll get there.

This fall I've joined the Academy of Culinary Nutrition where I'll be learning the ins and outs of how to cook and eat for health. You can follow my culinary adventures here and on Instagram (@lealoulemonade).

Cheers. Here's to health.

Designer feature: GANTlights

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Sun, 31 Jul 2016 13:26:00 +0000

1 || Triangulated Hanging Lamp
2 || Cubic Hanging Lamp
3 || Triangulated Hanging Lamp - dark gray concrete
4 || Concrete Wall Lamp

"I have continuously handcrafted luminaries which playfully mix experimental forms and materials such as concrete and gold, resulting in a stunning aesthetic contrast." --Stefan Gant, GANTlights.

Born in Bavaria, Stefan Gant created GANTlights in 2012 after completing his Masters in Architecture in Munich after which he completed his Masters in Architecture in Berlin. Gant combines raw concrete with hits of metallics to create elegant lights for the home or studio.

I was immediately drawn to these pieces for their simplicity and beauty. I'm always amazed how designers can create gorgeous works of art with simple media like concrete.

Find GANTlights on Etsy here or visit the website here for more information. You can also follow GANTlights on Instagram for gorgeous photos!

Want to get to know my style better? Just ask Etsy. Or the Internet...

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 20:53:00 +0000

I know I write about Etsy a lot... well when I'm on here. But they've truly got me every time I go to the site. There's a section called Our picks for you that I love. It's like a bunch of little surprise gifts that are waiting just for me! How do they know me so well? And then I remember that the Internet has a weird and creepy algorithm following my every move.

Whatever, I'll take it!

Ok so here is what was waiting for me in my Our Picks for You list today so you can get to know me a bit better like the Internet does...

1 | Geometric Serving Dishes | Convivial Production

2 | Organic Cotton Bralette | econica

3 | Leather Pouch with Gold Dots | RARAMODO

4 | Cup Set | Yield Design Co.

5 | Shopper YUNA | eleven elephant

6 | Summer Berry Bowl | Urban Cartel

7 | Swiss Cross Pouch | Zana Products

Fun outdoor pillows

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 02:34:00 +0000

It's that time again... the time to be thinking of the outdoors. As I mentioned in my last post, I'm going to finally make a cushion for the couch on my porch and began my search for pillows to go with it. I found some pretty ones on Etsy of course. Outdoor fabric has come a long way and now you can find all sorts of fabric designs for outdoor cushions and pillows. Oh now what to choose? Secretly my favourite are the Tropical outdoor pillows from Anita's Casa. I love that pink cording! I'm eyeing the Tonga Weave in Grass or the Eaton, Deep Charcoal from Tonic Living for the main cushion. I'll have to see what works.

1 || Navy and Turquoise Outdoor Pillow from Cathy's Custom Pillows
2 || Gray Outdoor Pillow from Cathy's Custom Pillows
3 || Evil Eye Outdoor Cushion from GorgeousGD
4 || Blue Outdoor Pillow from The Pillow Toss
5 || Orange Lumbar Pillow Cover by Anita's Casa
6 || Tropical Outdoor Pillow from Anita's Casa
7 || Banana Leaf Pillow from Tonic Living

Spring according to my iphone

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 14:34:00 +0000

The weather here in Toronto is giving us a bit of a run for our money. It's warm. It's cold. It's warm. It's cold. But alas, I guess that's what spring is supposed to be like. I got a new computer last week which means more blogging for me! I've missed it... and haven't missed it at the same time so we'll see how this goes!

I'm trying to keep the kids outside more often than not so they can get the much-needed fresh air they need after the winter. We've checked out Corktown Common--a must-visit if you're in the that area of the city. I couldn't get the kids off the giant slide!

I bought new running shoes for the 10k I'm running in June and have started a bit of training for that. I'm using Mark's Garmin watch to track my running and decided to wear it to school drop off the kids the other day and found out that we walk almost exactly 1 kilometre every day to school which means that I'm walking 4 kilometres everyday back and forth. I was so happy to discover this! What a nice way to get some extra exercise into the daily routine without even realizing it.

We've been keeping up with the meal planning and one day the kids got all my cookbooks off the shelves to check out all the yummy things they could help to cook. We also decided to plant some veggies from seed this year and after two days we already saw something sprouting up... is that even possible??

I cleaned up the porch a couple weeks ago and I'm very excited to get moving on finally making a new cushion for our porch couch. I'm going to get some fun fabric from Tonic Living and make it myself. I've made cushions before, but never with piping so I'm determined to do it this year. I love sitting in that little nook with my book during the summer.

We also celebrated Mark's 40th birthday at Cellar Door--a local restaurant that we love. Finally Mark rode in the Paris to Ancaster race this past weekend and finished an hour sooner than he thought he would. I'm so proud of him and I'm in constant awe of his energy. We need to figure out how the can pass that on to me!

So that's a bit of our spring so far. I'm looking forward to the warmer months that's for sure.

ps: Yes Mila wants a dog after walking our neighbour's dog Oscar home from the park!

Five dinners to try this week

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Sun, 24 Apr 2016 15:06:00 +0000

The kids are outside playing on their bikes (and still in their pjs!) and I just finished meal planning for the week. I founds some yummy things to try and although I didn't choose all of these things for this week I wanted to share them with you in case you wanted to try them.

1 || The Ultimate Veggie Burger from The Awesome Green
2 || Easy Tuscan Bean Soup from The Wanderlust Kitchen
3 || Roasted Beet, Baby Kale and Brie Quiche from Half Baked Harvest
4 || Chipotle Sweet Potato Breakfast Skillet from Bloom and Nourish
5 || Very Green Vegan Flatbread Pizza from The Awesome Green

Let me know if you try one of these out! I have the first three on my list this week!

Have a yummy day!

Five things: For the Home from Etsy

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 11:00:00 +0000

Etsy has the best things for the home (and anywhere really!). Every time I go to the site, the little Etsy elves have curated the perfect items for me. More than ever I'm trying to keep my home full of things I love and that are useful (thanks Marie Kondo!). I also want to have things that will last me more than a year. These fit the bill. Gorgeous and useful.

One || Entry Wall Hooks from Loop Design Studio

Two || Salt and Pepper Shakers from Puik Art

Three || Ceramic French Press from Yield Design Co. (I can't get over how beautiful this is!)

Four || Hexagon Dishes from Convivial Production

Five || Tripod tables from Chouette Fabrique

(RED) gifts for mom

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 01:53:00 +0000

Some of you may remember the (RED) campaign from 2006 when Bono and Bobby Shriver founded the organization with a simple mission—to make it easy for people and businesses to join the fight against HIV/AIDS. Personally, I think it's a great campaign and right now the organization is focusing on mothers which of course is near and dear to my heart.

(RED) is offering stylish and affordable gifts that, when purchased, help to provide lifesaving medication to HIV+ pregnant women in need. Medication that will not only save their lives, but will also prevent them from passing the virus to their unborn babies. So this year if you want to buy something for a special mom in your life, why not buy something with meaning?

Here are few options:

For the Mom who likes to snuggle: The (aden + anais)RED Daydream Blanket

For the mom For the mom who loves jewelry:
the (ALEX AND ANI)RED Kindred Heart Cord Bracelet Collection

For the mom who likes to cook (me! me!): the (ALESSI)RED collection of designer kitchen items

For a full list of items to purchase during this year's campaign, visit the (RED) website here.

My favourite cookie recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Sun, 28 Feb 2016 16:38:00 +0000

I've been a cookie making machine lately and although I like the oozy, gooey buttery kind, I prefer to make cookies that pack a nutrition punch. I also want them to be easy.

Here is a list of my go-to cookie recipes:

Flourless Almond Butter Cookies from Janet and Greta

I made these with cashew butter and they were heavenly!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies from Joyous Health

I made these twice in one week they were so good!

Easy Almond Cookies via Oh She Glows and Ricki Heller

I've made these cookies several times and they're always a hit.

Two-ingredient Cookies via Pure Ella

These are super simple to put together an hour before friends come for a visit! Love this one.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies via Running with Spoons

Again another super quick one to make if you have the pumpkin on hand.

Grab and go breakfast cookies via How to Eat

My ultimate favourite breakfast cookie. So easy to make and packed full of goodness.

Ok clearly I love cookies and may have a problem :). I hope you get to enjoy one or more of these!

PS: When it calls for sugar I use coconut sugar.

Black + White

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Wed, 03 Feb 2016 16:55:00 +0000

Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture Trio | Yulia Tsukerman

Tube Shaped Mug with Spot Pattern | Wakako Senda

Succulent Print Set | Leah Duncan

White Marble Soy Wax Candle | Candle Col

Photography of Chicago Skyline | Tracey Capone

Mountain Range Photography | The Printable Studio

Buffalo Check Pillow | Tonic Living

A change in perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 15:10:00 +0000

Painting via Siiso

Well it's January 27 and this is my first post. The truth is that I have a few posts I'd like to write, but my computer seems to have different plans. When I try to work on a photo, my computer crashes. I'm finally getting it checked it out next week.

Until then I'm taking it as a sign. I found myself saying: Oh well a lot.

Oh well. I'll keep it slow.
Oh well. I'll open my eyes.
Oh well. I'll be with my family.
Oh well. I'll read my book.

I've been reading Hands Free Life and it's changing my perspective. I can feel it already. I felt it on page 36 after crying for the fourth time. The main premise is to be present. Stafford doesn't want you to get to your '40s and '50s and realize that your kids are gone and you never really got a chance to get to know them because you were too busy doing other things.

Like staring at your phone all the time.
Like sitting at your computer every chance you get while the kids play underfoot.
Like working all hours of the day.

Even though I'm a stay-at-home mom I struggle with being present. I like a clean house. I love Instagram. I love Netflix. But this book is making me realize that I really need to live life on the outside of those things.

I encourage everyone to read this book. It's helping me to figure out what's important to me.

Don't get me wrong... I'm still going to like Instagram, Netflix and a clean house, but I'm going to shift things in a way that will allow me to be present with my family when they need and want it.

I wish you all a Happy 2016 friends!

Blue + Gold

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Sat, 19 Dec 2015 19:34:00 +0000

Mila and I went for a walk this past Thursday and I couldn't help but be overcome with love for the colours of the water, sky and dried up grasses. The blues and golds were muted, but brilliant at the same time. When the sun hit them at just the right spot and at just the right time, they jumped out of nowhere and hit me in the face.

I had to lure Mila into continuing our walk so I could stay outside for a long as possible. I did not want to be inside.

It was warm and it was gorgeous.

Get more from me here:
IG: @lealoulemonade
Facebook: /lealoulemonade
Twitter: @lealou

Sewing pillows for a cause

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 12:00:00 +0000

There is no question that I live in a pretty cool neighbourhood, but it got even cooler recently when a group of people got together to form The Lakeshore Syrian Connection to sponsor a Syrian family. To help raise funds for the family sponsorship, The Lakeshore Syrian Connection created an online auction so I decided to do my part and I made some pillows for the auction!

I went to Designer Fabrics in Toronto and found this fun grey, cream and red plaid and added a soft cream backing to make them cozier for the winter months.

If you're looking to get some new pillows and you're in the area check out the auction to bid on these pillows and more.

Get more from me here:
IG: @lealoulemonade
Facebook: /lealoulemonade
Twitter: @lealou

Product Review | Prana Dry Roasted Coconut Chips

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 16:15:00 +0000

My mouth is on fire.

I set up these photos and then promptly after taking them I started mowing down on these super spicy coconut chips from Prana. I probably should have waited until I uploaded the photos to make sure they worked because I ate them all and wouldn't have been able to do any retakes.

Alas, a couple of weeks ago Prana sent me four flavours of coconut chips to try and it's taken a lot of will power not to eat them before writing this post 'cause they're that good. I even had to snatch them away from my husband! (He would have definitely eaten them!)

Prana Coconut Chips make you believe you're eating potato chips in a way. They have lots of flavour, a bit salty and a bit crunchy. But they're not chips and they're not deep fried so you don't have to worry about eating a million of them (right?).

As I mentioned there are four flavours:

JIVE – Spicy Chili
HULA – Sea Salt & Pepper
CHARLESTON – BBQ
CLASSIC – Coconut

My favourite were the BBQ.

Best of all these new coconut chips are vegan, organic, gluten-free and GMO-free. I think they'd be perfect to go along with your other appeys this Christmas! Pick 'em up here or get them at your local health food store.

(psst. I was provided the coconut chips, but the reviews are my own. I only want to tell you about things I love after all!)

Get more from me here:
IG: @lealoulemonade
Facebook: /lealoulemonade
Twitter: @lealou

How I got my kids to eat dinner without complaining for two weeks straight

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Tue, 24 Nov 2015 19:11:00 +0000

Tacos with walnut 'meat' - delish in my books!

Ya you read that right. I got my kids to eat dinner without whining, crying or complaining for two weeks.

Now if you know me, you know that I have been struggling with one picky eater since he was 7 months old. It's been one of the most frustrating parts of parenthood (if not the most frustrating). Nothing drives me more nuts than sitting down to a nice meal and having the kids say one of the following:

"BUT I DON'T LIKE THAT!"
"WAAAAAAAH I DON'T WANT CHILI!!!"
"THIS LOOKS LIKE CAT FOOD!!!" (A personal favourite.)

So two weeks ago on a beautiful and sunny Sunday morning I said to Leo: "Leo I'm making my meal plan for this week; what do you want to eat? You get to choose what we eat this week."

He looked at me like I'd fallen off my rocker, but quickly started listing off things that he wanted to eat:

Pasta (duh)
Burgers (that one surprised me because I make bean veggie burgers that aren't always popular)
Tacos (we came up with that one together)
Chicken fingers and fries (You want it? Ok I'll make it!)
Pizza (duh)

And then he picked fajitas for our Sunday dinner.

To be honest I thought the whole week would be pizza and pasta, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Here's the thing. I don't follow the I-don't-care-what-they-eat-as-long-as-they-eat-something! philosophy which is probably why my life has been a bit hellish for the past 4.5 years where dinner is concerned. But if they're going to be picky, I want them to eat something that is good for them. It has to have nutrients. But I do realize that it has to be fun too (it only took me 4.5 years to figure it out). So I took a stab at this let them choose thing, but then I made the food the way I wanted to make it.

So here was my version of what he picked:

Portobello mushroom 'steak' fajitas from Oh She Glows cookbook
Pasta with Kale/basil pesto
White bean burgers on sprouted buns
Tacos with walnut 'meat' (honestly they only eat tacos with cheese and yogurt anyway, but I want them to see all the fixin's that we eat)
I made a special trip to a meat market for free range chicken to make chicken fingers and made roasted potatoes for the fries
Gluten free pizza crust with the kale pesto and whatever I had left in the fridge

And that was it. That's all it took. If they did start to say something I'd say "That's what you picked!" And then they'd keep eating. Aside from the chicken fingers, these meals are pretty much what I make on a regular basis, but because I gave them a choice of what to eat they bought into it.

It was heaven. We laughed at dinner. We told stories. Mark and I talked about our day without much interruption. It was craziness!

So the following week I told Mila that she got to pick. She picked a few of the same things, and then Leo helped with some meals until we got another full week that they chose. And again it was another full week of bliss.

We'll see how week three goes!

Get more from me here:
IG: @lealoulemonade
Facebook: /lealoulemonade
Twitter: @lealou

Gift guide for someone who lives in the kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 15:32:00 +0000

I have this friend... we'll call her Bethany*... who spends all her time in the kitchen making food for her family. She cooks, cleans, bakes, chops, stirs, serves, sprinkles, wipes, and eats of course (rinse and repeat). I'm sure many of you can relate. Bethany doesn't mind doing all of this stuff on a daily basis, but wouldn't it be so much fun if the things she used were fun to look at? That's where Etsy comes in handy. Etsy has a Holiday Hub where you can find all these fun things and more.

I went through the Hub this week and made a list of fun things you can buy me... ahem... Bethany this year for Christmas.

French Butter Keeper from Sawyer Ceramics

Personalized Slate Serving Board from Healthy Inside Out

Writable (ART)issn Cheese Markers from Peppersprouts

Ceramic Salt Cellar from NoeMarin

Linen Napkins from Pillowlink

Bon Appetit Wall Art from Hampty Dampty Art

Personalized Knife Rack from Norden Designs

Gray Ceramic Plates from Bininaor

Peace on Earth Serving Spoon from Milk and Honey Luxuries

Find your own fun things at in the Etsy Holiday Hub here.

*For some reason some people hear Bethany when I say Stephanie.

Get more from me here:
IG: @lealoulemonade
Facebook: /lealoulemonade
Twitter: @lealou

Figuring out toy storage

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 12:00:00 +0000

I sold our train table a month or so ago which left me with some pretty unsightly areas of our toy area in the basement. Yes I know, they're toys and they're supposed to be messy, but I prefer things to be tidy at the end of the day so I'm looking for a nice solution.

I don't mind things being thrown into a basket so I'm on the hunt for some nice ones! I found the photo below from Land of Nod and it's kind of the look I'm going for: blocks in one basket, train stuff in another, legos in another, etc. I might tackle this project my self (#wintersewingproject??). We'll see.

Here are some other baskets I found for inspiration:

Half Tone Rattan Floor Basket | Land of Nod

Cream and Grey Storage Basket | Sampson and James

Round Storage Bin | Love Joy Create

Fabric Storage Basket | Empire Eco Designs

What do you think? Maybe I should just chuck it all instead a la The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up..... ;)

Get more from me here:
IG: @lealoulemonade
Facebook: /lealoulemonade
Twitter: @lealou

Dixie Orchards pumpkin patch

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Fazio (aka lealou)) — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 11:00:00 +0000

We took a little drive up to Caledon to visit Dixie Orchards. It's a quaint little farm north of Toronto that is kind of off the beaten path. Small crowds, coffee and apple cider, a small market, a few animals, tractor rides and of course pumpkins! I think Leo had the most fun playing with all those trucks more than anything. He was in heaven.

We got a few pumpkins and hopefully they last... the squirrels like to eat them around here. Little buggers.

Get more from me here:
IG: @lealoulemonade
Facebook: /lealoulemonade
Twitter: @lealou