The best salad dressing EVER.

Ok so ever since getting into Weston a. Price and ordering food from the amish co-op (yes people think I am nuts....) I have been searching high and low for good recipes that include whole healthy ingredients and not processed junk. A lot of recipes I adapt and change but  my friend Katelyn is the queen of health everything and I ask her WAY too many questions about homeopathic remedies for Ily and for yummy recipes. She has always had a passion for cooking and food, even before she learned about how to eat traditionally, and always hands me down really amazing recipes.

This dressing will BLOW your mind, health nut or not, I promise you will love it. I could quite literally drink it. hahaha
I usually put it on a cobb like salad, Spinach, boiled eggs, red onion and amish bacon :) but you could put it on anything really.

 

Black Sesame Seed Dressing
-It will keep in the fridge for a while but it will thicken and get solid so maybe take it out and let it sit for a while before using it. Or it will last up to 2-2.5 weeks in the pantry...just smell it 

2 cups olive oil (I start out with the 2 cups, but sometimes add a little more at the end in case I added to much lemon or soy sauce--I'm bad at measuring stuff)
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar (Braggs is best)
1/3 c. unpasturized soy sauce (Shoya is best)
2-3 tbs. Lemon juice
1/2-1/3 c. black sesame seeds
1 tbs. or 2 nuggets of fresh ginger
5-6 cloves of garlic
I sometimes add a little salt and pepper after blending it through once and then blend it for like 3 seconds more...just depending on the taste.

So you can totally just put everything in the Vitamix and blend it up or you can do everything but the olive oil and add that slowly thru the little hole on top. A normal blender works too, but takes a little longer to blend up the seeds. It turns a dark green color once the seeds are all blended and the olive oil emulsifies.

Its super healthy for you so don't be chinsy 

My baby is 2?!

I cannot believe my baby girl is 2. It goes by so fast. Everyone I know tells me that but it really is true. I feel like just yesterday I was holding this little newborn, totally unsure about motherhood, and now I am potty-training and pregnant with a new little life.

For ily's 2nd birthday we decided to do a small party with just her friends and immediate family. We rented a bounce house (TOTAL hit) and did donuts, bagels and coffee. It was so fun to hear her talk about her party for weeks afterwards. She kept saying "party momma, I two." Makes it all worth it.

Enjoying her birthday donut :) 

remind me to NEVER make a pinata again. SO time consuming. 

playing in the pool with her new surfboard from Evy.

and her new princess outfits, if we are home, heels and skirt are required. 

Grammy made her a new fort under the coffee table. She will steal an iphone and sit under there like a teenager... scary. 

Back at it

After a long, long blogging silence, I decided to get back on the wagon..... better late than never right??
The main reason I have this blog as a way to keep in touch with all my college friends and to watch their blogs and families grow in pictures too. But I also have it as a way to look back and see all that has happened in our family and would love to have a spot where Ily can look back too. I am ashamed to say it will be a spotty memory book so far... but I am doin my best.

Bloem Hill has really taken off, probably faster than any of us realized and between that blog, this blog, being a momma, working for Panera Bread Corporate, and trying just to keep up on laundry... life has been crazy. This has most definitely been the hardest and best year of my life so far. God is stretching me through many tough tough trials but He is also blessing me so much along the way. Getting to watch Ily grow in front of my eyes is just over the top amazing... I recently had a miscarriage in February. One of the most difficult things to go through, but God is so faithful and good in all of it. He just continues to remind me to count my blessings one by one, and the minute I do, I can honestly say I have nothing to complain about. I just don't know how people do life without the Lord, I would be a druggie or a alcoholic or just plain mean. Ha.

Here is a picture update of My blessings :)

Found This old baby Carrier I had when I was little. She is a good little mommy!

Hanging with her BF Frankie 

Sneak at our table for The Cream Event in LA. 

She loves her shades. 

We had to go in 3 time outs while playing with baby brooklyn... She bit her! I was so embarrassed to say the least!!! 

catching a ride on the vacuum.

A-t-t-i-T-U-D-E!

The beach is why we will never move. 

The obsession with wearing other peoples shoes continues....

Poor Jack.

Going for it!

My sister Nicole, a friend Tayler and I are going for it and starting our own business  I know I am a crazy person to be starting a business with a toddler and an existing part-time job but I am so excited... Nicole has already taught me tons about how to arrange flowers and I am falling in love with working with them and with my hands for a change. There is nothing better than fresh beautiful flowers. They really do bring a smile to my face, even when I have to give them away :) 

Here is our Website if you wanna check us out. 

Wish us luck as we try and use our business to honor the Lord and bring him all the glory. 

Finally feeling like fall!

Thank the Lord above, it's finally fall around here. Summer in October is no fun for anyone! I have been dying to get a pumpkin spice latte and not have it ICED for pete's sake. The weather calmed down just in time for Halloween and It was so fun to watch Ily enjoy it this year.
We went to the harvest festival at a local church with some friends. It was crazy! They had a human cannonball, a hot air balloon, rides, a petting zoo, food trucks and LOTs and LOTs of candy. I think it was ily's version of heaven :) She loved watching the balloon go up and down and pet all the fun animals.  She was our little chicken this year and I found her costume made at re-sale. Someone went through all the effort to make it and I paid $12. Can't beat it! I am kinda a re-sale freak. Kids grow so stinkin fast that I can't really justify shopping sprees at nordstroms and baby gap every two months, but I could write a whole post on that. haha She was also a bear to another party we went to. Gotta love hand-me-downs from friends.

Taking a break from the heat! 

Ily kept saying "uh-oh mamma, uh-oh!" and I turned around to find her lolipop stuck in her feathers. haha 

Dan in a daze.

Neighborhood gang :)

At my cousin Luke's football game, can't believe he is in high school!

yep, you are growing too fast.

Loving on Cruz

She was a flower girl in Courtney's wedding but failed to walk the aisle... 

My sis and I are thinking of starting a floral business and did our cousins wedding at my parents house. I made the cakes and helped cole with flowers. Needless to say, we were so tired on Sunday. But so happy for Allie and Justin :) 

Floral mart. 

goofin. 

Her favorite thing is Jack. She calls for him daily even when we are home. 

my view while cooking dinner. 

crazy hair, her first boo-boo and sassy face.