Raw Fudge Recipe and Interview with Nature's Knockout * 25 Days of Christmas

Today we have Laurie and Tiffany from Nature's Knockout. This sweet mother daughter duo share some amazing secrets to being beautiful naturally. 

Tell us little about yourself and your blog? 

Laurie Vukich & Tiffany Correa, are a mother daughter Makeup & Hair team with a long list of celebrity clients. They blog at naturesknockout.com, on Healthy Beauty-Inside & Out, sharing secrets, recipes, tutorials, reviews and more. They provide FUN and simple inspiration, so you can be a knockout naturally!


Where do you go for inspiration?

Nature, garage sales, makeup, fashion, & hair shows, and of course, the kitchen! We also get the opportunity to travel with our work a lot and love to watch people from all walks of life-that is truly inspiring to us!

What are 3 of your favorite posts?

Caramel Sticky Buns: We LOVE this post and use it all the time to make these delicious treats ourselves! AND for our viewers, it is a delicious introduction into eating healthy and loving it (and realizing how easy it is!)
Makeup & Hair: This is where it all started for us, as working makeup, hair & wardrobe stylists. As we realized the importance of what we put ON our skin, we ventured into the natural and organic world, not really sure we could find great replacements. In these videos, we demonstrate that you CAN use natural, organic, and SAFE products without giving up a thing (and be better off at the same time!)
Raw Porridge: This recipe is one we live by, almost every day, and it's also a delicious way to improve the skin, hair, nails, and of course the body (size and all!) It includes chia seeds, which are a super food, and 3 different plant source ingredients loaded with omega 3 fatty acids. We've heard from viewers who've tried this out, and were amazed to see a difference right away! We love this post as it's a simple introduction into a very exciting and fulfilling new way of life (AND we share a video so they can see how easy it is to make their own almond milk as well!

{Caramel Sticky Buns}

Tell us your wildest dream something you would love to do, have or be...

We would love to work together on a film in Italy-a place where we've never worked yet that we know is absolutely magical!
Another wild dream is to travel to every country that we haven't been to yet!!!! Someday!

What is your favorite family holiday tradition?

We started a tradition years ago of feeding the homeless on Christmas morning. We knew our kids already thought we were crazy, and we didn't know how they would handle it. But It really changed the focus of Christmas and made it so much more meaningful for every one of us. We were relieved that we didn't even need to ask for forgiveness! In fact, this tradition soon became one of our kids' most loved traditions of all.

A delicious and EASY Raw Chocolate Fudge Recipe from Nature's Knockout

Walnut Fudge

• 1 Cup Raw Cold Press Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
• 1 Cup Pitted Dates or 3/4 Cup Raw Honey
• 1 Cup Unsweetened Coconut 
• 1/3 Cup Raw Cacao 
• 3 Tablespoons Carob Powder
• 1 Cup of Raw Almonds or Walnuts

Mix all ingredients except the nuts together in a food processor. Plus in the nuts and then pour into 8 x 8 inch glass baking dish. Place in refrigerator for about an hour. Cut into 2 inch squares and serve. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Natures Knockout is social:
youtube
facebook
twitter
pinterest
instagram
google+ 

Washi Tape Christmas Trees and Family Traditions with Linda of Craftaholics Anonymous * 25 Days of Christmas

Today we have Linda the lovely crafting, DIY decorating, sewing, and holiday crafting blogger from Craftaholics Anonymous® sharing a little bit about her, her blog, a Christmas tradition and a sweet Christmas decoration using washi tape.

Tell us little about yourself and your blog?

I am a craft addict with a blog....because its cheaper than therapy! I started Craftaholics Anonymous® 4 years ago when I became a stay at home mom. I fill my blog with craft tutorials, free printables, holiday ideas, and DIY decor to inspire everyday creativity.


Where do you go for inspiration?

I love cruising the mall and watching what people are wearing and shopping for. Helps me stay on trend and see what people are into right now. And like millions of others, I am guilty of perusing Pinterest.

What are 3 of your favorite projects?

My corner door shelf, baby food jar snow globes, and my craft room.

Tell us your wildest dream something you would love to do, have or be...

I always thought it would be super cool to be a DJ. And someday, I will go to Italy and stay in a villa. Someday.

What is your favorite family holiday tradition?

Playing games and eating finger foods and just being with my little family on Christmas Eve. The laughter and joy that fills the home is my favorite!

A Sweet Christmas Craft from Linda of Craftaholics Anonymous for your Holiday Entertaining.

Washi Tape Christmas Trees Tutorial

1. Supplies:

• washi tape {of course!}
• 3 paper mache cones in 3 sizes {mine are 7″, 10.5″ and 13.5″ tall}
• white paint {I used spray paint}
• scissors {optional}

  

2. Paint your paper mache cones white. It took about 2 coats of spray paint for mine. Make sure they dry thoroughly.

3. Then apply your washi tape starting at the top point of the cone and go straight down. Then you can tear or rip your washi tape. If there is any excess, you can wrap it around and press it to the inside of the cone.

 

 

4. Continue applying the washi tape until your cone is completely covered.

Pinterest: Pinterest.com/CraftaholicAnon
Facebook: Facebook.com/CraftaholicsAnonymous
Twitter: twitter.com/CraftaholicAnon
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+LindaGardner/posts

A Christmas Tradition and Interview with Heather Bailey * 25 Days of Christmas

Today we are talking to Heather Bailey. She is a sweet inspiration of joy, beauty and fun. 

Tell us little about yourself and your blog?

I've been blogging since 2006 about my creative journey, motherhood and my business designing fabric, home decor, sewing patterns and more. Like a serial novel, readers have followed me through set-backs and successes. And the relationships we've developed have been a great support and great fun. The success of my blog has brought me many incredible opportunities—in truth, more opportunities than I can say yes to. Choosing where to go next is my greatest luxury and my greatest challenge.


Where do you go for inspiration?

I go to bed. Sleep makes all the difference to creativity. And many of my top ideas and inventions have sprung from a semi-dream state. I keep a sketchbook near my bed just in case. Beyond that, I don’t really seek out inspiration with intent. Creativity is an intuitive, back-of-the-brain thing for me. I love color, fashion, print design, home decor and so forth. I love antiques and vintage graphics. I absorb my world, then let my subconscious computer formulate what’s next.

What are 3 of your favorite projects?

I am super excited about my new embroidery patterns. I love to keep my hands busy and embroidery is a great grab-n-go hobby I can take anywhere. In addition to yummy new quilting-weight cottons, I have a line of fashion fabrics coming out next year.

I’m re-discovering my Apparel-Design degree right now as I plan garments to make with the fabrics. And, I’m finally taking the time to put my own design aesthetic to work in the heart of our home. We’re remodeling our family room. Once the wainscoting is finished, we’re installing new floors, then I’m designing original prints for the wallpaper and furnishings. I can’t wait to reupholster my vintage Henredon wood-frame couch, then snuggle up to my kids, watch a movie and embroider. I’ll post my progress on the blog and Instagram if you want to follow along.

Tell us your wildest dream something you would love to do, have or be...

I would love to live on a farm, grow food and keep horses, a pony and other small animals. Pretty quaint for my ‘wildest dream,’ right? To take it further, I would add a small village of stylized guest homes where I would host design retreats and craft parties.

What is your favorite family holiday tradition?

We love to make ornaments as a family. I’m all about the funky, homemade kitchy-kiddy ones. You know, the pinecone with eyeballs and a random piece of yarn glued to the side. Or the paper-plate wreath with a school photo of my daughter at the center. My all-time favorite homemade ornament is my son’s “Hamburger Angel.” I’ll let the photo describe that one. “I bring you peace, love — and good food.”

On Ornament Night, we set out a smattering of craft supplies and photos and let our imaginations run wild. Anything goes. We not only get a new batch of family ornaments to enjoy, but we get to remember the fun we had making them together. I highly recommend Ornament Night.

Party Idea: Ornament Night (with family or friends)

With paper and pipe cleaners, glitter and glue, baubles and brads, create ornaments with your loved ones—and fun memories while you’re at it.

You can see more of Heather Bailey's amazing work and blog here:
www.HeatherBailey.com
www.HeatherBaileyStore.com
Blog www.HELLOmynameisHeather.com
Instagram @HeatherBailey
Twitter @_HeatherBailey
Pinterest _HeatherBailey
Facebook Heather Bailey

Blogs We Love * Zoe from Zoe Bakes

{photo by Stephen Gross}

What a privilege to welcome Zoe, from Zoe Bakes, to Simply the Sweet Life. Her site is filled with inspiration and appetite. Her mission to “play with sugar and take the mystery out of baking”, will inspire you head to the kitchen. Zoe’s third cook book, Artisan Pizza and Flatbreads in 5 Minutes a Day, just hit book stores and is filled with recipes for every one's favorite, pizza. This is one girl who knows her way around food. We are so excited to have Zoe here today.
Merci,
Heather
p.s. Don’t miss her fun pizza video. It will make you smile, and make you hungry.

Tell us a little about yourself. How did you start cooking/baking?

Long before I started ZoëBakes.com or wrote the Bread in 5 cookbooks, and while studying art at the University of Vermont, I started a cookie company as a way to earn extra money. I baked outrageous gourmet cookies in my tiny apartment oven, sold them from a beautiful vending cart on the street and managed to established a few wholesale accounts.

I ended up working in a couple of professional kitchens, but decided I needed more formal training and headed off to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York. My first boss out of school was Andrew Zimmern (before he started eating crazy things on the Travel Channel) and it has been a wild ride of pastry and baking since then.


Where do you get your inspiration for cooking.

Inspiration can come from the farmer's market, eating at restaurants, requests from my kids, gorgeous websites, magazines, my collection of over 300 cookbooks or even a painting. I am constantly thinking of sweets, so everything is inspiring to me.


What are your three must have kitchen tools?

A Danish Dough Whisk, Parchment Paper and a pizza stone. That's a random list, but I use those almost every day for something. The dough whisk is the coolest tool I own and the best thing for mixing our doughs.


When it comes to food, what is your weakness. What is your favorite thing to eat.

Pizza! That is why I was so excited to do this new book. While I was researching, testing and writing the book, I think my family ate pizza at least three times a day and I never got tired of it. They begged me for sushi on occasion, but we spent 2 years eating pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And then there is chocolate.

Tell us a little about your new book, ARTISAN PIZZA AND FLATBREADS...what inspired you to write it?

I adore pizza and I don't think I'm alone in that. My co-author, Jeff Hertzberg, and I spend 24/7 on our website breadin5.com talking to people about our books, answering questions and getting requests for recipes. This is how we got the idea for the Healthy Bread book. Then there was an overwhelming theme to the requests, everyone wanted to make more pizza. It is fast, it is easy and it is a meal. These are my kind of folks. Thin crust, thick crust, stuffed, healthy, decadent, you name it and we make it. The book was really just an excuse for us to eat pizza all the time.

Blogs We Love * Cannelle Et Vanille

I had the pleasure of interviewing one of Our Favorite Food Bloggers Aran of Cannelle et Vanille. Aran is freelance food writer, stylist and photographer. Her stunning blog is full of some of the most beautiful photography I have ever seen accompanied by some tasty recipes. Aran is also in the process of getting her first cookbook ready, Cannelle Et Vanille cookbook, published by Little, Brown and Company coming in the fall of 2012. 

xo

April editor-in-chief 

Tell us little about yourself and your blog? 

I am originally from Bilbao in the Spanish side of the Basque Country. I moved to the US following love when I was 24. I worked as a professional pastry chef for years before I stopped to take care of my first child. Soon after that, I started Cannelle Et Vanille as a way to keep me busy and journal my recipes and interest in the kitchen.

{all photos by Aran Goyoaga}

Where do you go for inspiration?

I love photography books, Scandinavian design, Elle a Table, fashion magazines, nature, farmers markets... Inspiration is everywhere.

What are 3 of your favorite food projects? 

I am currently working on my first cookbook. I get to work on all the recipes, styling, photography and writing. Although very challenging at times, it is the most creative project of my life. I also loved cooking on a television show last summer and working with Amy Atlas was also one of my highlights.

Tell us 3 of your must have kitchen tools-

Good knives, not expensive ones necessarily, but sharp and sturdy ones. A stand mixer and baking sheets. I have a million baking sheets.

Tell us your wildest dream something you would love to do, have or be etc - 

So many! I would love to be able to build an enormous kitchen at my son's school and make cooking classes mandatory. I would love to take my whole family around the world with no worries of time or money. I would love to open a really nice photography studio where I can collaborate with my favorite food stylists and photographers. And many more.