This is a sponsored post written on behalf of The Women Bloggers in association with @KendalKingGroup and #SoapboxInfluence; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own. As a vegetarian, hummus is my go-to food of choice for adding protein to meals and added flavor to sandwiches. It’s crazy how much hummus we go through in our house each week, and I’m the only one eating it! I’ve been all over the hummus board, making it myself from scratch, buying it … Read More
Weeknight Dinner // Baked Garlic Ham & Cheese Sliders
Nine times out of 10 I try my best to put a really wholesome dinner on the table. I love feeding my family and make every effort to fuel our bodies with food that not only tastes good but leaves you feeling good, too. But let’s be honest, sometimes hungry husbands and picky toddlers win out and you just want a recipe that’s going to be a weeknight winner. Am I right?! On nights like those, I know that I … Read More
Building Your Mommy Tribe
This is a sponsored post written on behalf of The Women Bloggers in association with @KendalKingGroup and #SoapboxInfluence; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own. When we moved back to Iowa last year I was a little nervous about finding new mom friends. Sure, I grew up in this small town, but I had no idea what to expect living here as an adult. Thankfully, we got plugged in fairly quickly and I’ve been working on building relationships with … Read More
Easy Weeknight Meal // Black Bean & Grain Enchiladas (Vegetarian + Non Veg Versions)
Easy weeknight meals. Gosh, isn’t everyone in search of more of those? Honestly, despite the fact that the kitchen is my happy place, I still get flustered and frustrated about weeknight dinnertime. We all know how rushed it can feel to get a meal on the table in the short two hours between 5 and 7. You know, after work and before the kiddos totally melt down and refuse to eat because they are tired? The rush to eat dinner, … Read More
Sweet Potato and Cranberry Muffins
Now that our family has gotten into a little bit more of a routine and Ainsley is eating more “real people” food, I’ve been trying to think ahead a bit more. Although I’ve never been huge on meal prep or advance planning, it’s become a new part of my weekend reality. Doing about an hour’s worth of prep each weekend prevents me from spending crazy amounts of money on fruit + veggie pouches or feeding Ainsley endless pb&j sandwiches – … Read More
Easy Baby Eats // Banana Date “Milkshake”
As promised, I have another recipe to share with you in my “Easy Baby Eats” series. I’m hoping to make this a more regular part of Espresso and Cream, because feeding a baby is, well, a challenge sometimes. I’m trying my very best to feed Ainsley healthy foods and encourage good eating habits as she gets older, and at the same time it can be so frustrating when you spend a lot of time making a healthy meal only to … Read More
Ainsley’s First Birthday Party!
Last Thursday Ainsley turned one! And we celebrated all weekend long with a party on Saturday, family in from out of town and a baby dedication at church on Sunday. It was a busy weekend filled with truly special memories that I’ll carry with me forever. I thought I would be much sappier, but honestly I was just so excited to celebrate one wonderful year with Ainsley and the fact that we survived a whole year as parents! Ainsley’s party … Read More
Easy Baby Eats // Cashew Cream
Yesterday, my baby turned 1! I’ll be back with a full post about the birthday festivities (we’re having a party this weekend!) but today I wanted to share with you a recipe that I’ve been making for little Ainsley. I’ve been posting some of Ainsley’s favorite recipes on my Instagram account and have had a lot of you asking for recipes. Well, I don’t really have any intention to turn this into a baby/toddler food blog, but I do want … Read More
Friday Favorites
Madewell Jeans // Belong Magazine // Nine West Booties (similar) Happy, happy Friday! We’re laying low this weekend with no real plans on the books, and I couldn’t be more excited. We have a handful of small house projects to work on, but other than that we’re laying low and taking it easy. Here are a few of my favorite finds from around the web this week! Have you seen a dress this perfect before? I die. A really amazing low-income housing … Read More
Baby Breakfast :: Oatmeal Edition
Ainsley has been stuck with just two little teeth for close to five months now. Today I just saw a tooth starting to poke out on top (!!) but feeding a hungry baby who is very interested in food but only has two teeth is a challenge! She chokes on food all the time if I don’t mash it up enough or make the bites small, and I alway feel so bad. The teeth situation has forced me to get … Read More
A Wine + Chocolate Girls NIght
*This post was sponsored by Ghirardelli. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make E&C possible. January is a long month in the Midwest. I mean, after New Year’s there is a long stretch filled with cold days without much to celebrate. So what’s a girl to do? My answer was to get the girls together for a wine and chocolate party. It was the perfect way to break up the weekday routine and host friends in … Read More
Slow Cooker Ranch Pot Roast
I’ll be the first to admit that roast wasn’t really in my cooking repertoire when I was first married. My husband grew up eating roast and potatoes every week, usually on Sundays, like most of the midwestern families I knew. Seeing as that my mom was never a huge fan of roast, we rarely ate it at our house. Although roast isn’t something this vegetarian eats anymore, it’s still one of my husbands favorite meals to eat, and one of … Read More