We ate these as is but if you make larger versions, they’d make a great veggie burger option.

Grilled Beet Cakes:

Ingredients:

• 2 medium-sized beets, cleaned
• 2 eggs (These help hold the cakes together, if you want a vegan version, leave them out)
• 1 cup oatmeal or bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup ground flax seed (for an extra boost of fiber and nutrients!)
• 2 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• salt and pepper to taste
• Panko bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Clean the beets and chop into large chunks so they fit in a food processor. Using the shredding attachment, shred the beets.
2. Add them to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Mixture should stick together but not be too moist. If it’s too moist, add more oatmeal or  bread crumbs.
3. Form small patties for cakes or larger patties if you want to use them as burgers.
4. Sprinkle both sides with panko bread crumbs.
5. Grill on a hot grill, on medium heat for a few minutes. They can be REALLY sticky so try spraying your grill with cooking spray before it is turned on or spray the cakes themselves. You could also bake them or cook them on the stove top.
6. Serve immediately with basil goat cheese sauce

Creamy basil goat cheese sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 heaping tablespoons sour cream
• 2 teaspoons creamy goat cheese
• Handful of fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon honey

Directions:

1. Put all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until combined. You could also use a hand mixer or if you are really ambitious, stir it yourself!
2. Serve a dollop on each cake.

*This sauce tastes amazing on several things from chicken to fish so keep it handy if you want a tasty sauce to spice up a dish.

Healthy, easy, and tasty! What more could you want?

What are your favorite grilling recipes?

You can find a step by step tutorial on how this was made on SheKnows!

Happy Summer!

We’ve had a busy few months filled with weddings, foster dogs, fund raising events and all the normal stuff in daily life. We’ve had some family members encounter some health struggles and overall have just been plain busy. I’m thrilled to be busy and I hope you all have been doing well also. Someday when I get a few spare moments, I’d like to make some progress on the site redesign and actually start blogging again… hold me to it, will you?

Anyway, as if by fate, just when I needed a little pick me up, I got an email from Anjolee, an online jewelry retailer that lets you customize just about every aspect of your diamond jewelry. After fully admitting that my blog is on the back burner and that I didn’t think it was fair to accept sponsors at this time, she offered me the chance to review a product of theirs. I could hardly resist the opportunity to lay my eyes on a little sparkle so I agreed and requested something that would be fitting as a bridesmaid’s gift. Marla said she knew just the thing—a gorgeous pair of diamond stud earrings.

I made my way to their website to look at their selection of diamond studs and other options. I played around with stone options, metal options and setting options and truly felt that I could make something unique for any person I wanted to give a gift to, or perhaps anytime I wanted to treat myself!

Of course most brides, unless perhaps you are Kate Middleton, can afford to buy their bridesmaids one diamond stud, much less a pair of them! However there are many options available to fit any budget. As sweet as Anjolee is,  the earrings I received aren’t actually real diamonds. The nearly carat earrings that arrived at my door are in fact a good quality cubic zirconium but they are stunning either way and are the perfect accessory for any girl.  I haven’t taken mine off since they arrived.

If you are at a loss at what to get your best girl friends, jewelry could be a great option that lasts forever. And if you are a guy or gal who is planning to propose, Anjolee could be a great place to check out.

Thank you to Anjolee for the gorgeous earrings! You truly made my week.

Melissa Dunstan Photography sent over this cheery wedding and it seems perfectly fitting for a cold day like today! I know Melissa is even colder than I am as she lives in the area that got the 26 inches of fresh powder. Melissa actually served as a bridesmaid in this wedding and the couple are dear friends of hers. Kristen, Melissa’s assistant, was the photographer behind the lens for this beautiful wedding. Melissa has a beautiful post on her blog about this couple and the friendship they all have. Head on over to read it in her words, anything I could say wouldn’t compare!

It just so happens to be the bride’s, Carrie, birthday today! Happy Birthday to you Carrie!

How are you spending the first day of Spring?

Other vendors:

To add to the beauty of this wedding, this couple decided to donate to charity in lieu of favors. They told guests that they had selected 3 charities and listed various reason why they selected each group. Here is who they chose, from the couple themselves:

• The Denver Rescue Mission: The DRM serves over 200 meals, three times a day, to the homeless and hungry of Denver. They also offer transitional housing and rehabilitation programs for those wishing for a “fresh start”. The Denver Rescue Mission is also the site of our first date, where we bonded over serving others in need.
• The Alzheimer’s Association: The greatest mission of the Alzheimer’s Association is to eradicate the disease through the advancement of research. Known as the disease of the longest goodbye, Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease where symptoms of dementia worsen over a number of years. This organization was chosen in honor of Caitlin’s grandfather, John David Ferree, who lost his battle to Alzheimer’s in September of 2010.
• Push America: The mission of Push America is to build leaders of tomorrow by serving people with disabilities today. This organization was chosen by Chad, who participated in the 2007 Trans-America Journey of Hope bicycle ride for Push America. Chad firmly believes that Push America not only impacts the lives of the people it serves, but also the young men who volunteer their time to serve others.

That right there makes this wedding gorgeous, inside and out. Thanks to Bill of Kelli Nixon photography for capturing the gorgeous elements for us all to see.

Thanks again to Kelli Nixon Photography for sharing this lovely winter wedding with us!

Images submitted via Two Bright Lights.

With awareness on green issues ever-increasing, more and more of us are looking to lead more eco-friendly lives.

From recycling our household waste, to car pooling during our journey to work; every little change that we make goes towards helping the Earth.

While you may be tempted to forget about saving the world on your wedding day and letting your hair down, there are a few simple steps that you can take to make your special day as green as possible. In many instances these steps will even enhance the enjoyment for yourself and your guests.

Image by Fede Photography via Style Me Pretty

1.     Venue

When choosing a wedding venue most people will look to host their reception at a hotel.  The problem with hotels is that the high turnover of people means that there is a lot of scope for wastage. When looking for suitable hotels, spend a little time browsing the website to see what they do to combat their impact on the environment. This should include recycling, energy efficient lighting, temperature control and sourcing food and other goods from local suppliers, thus reducing their carbon footprint. The fact that the food comes from close by should mean that it is fresh and tasty; resulting in a fantastic wedding feast for everyone to enjoy.

Being green is becoming a weighty selling point for many companies.  So you can be sure that if a hotel is making the effort to help the environment that they will also be making potential customers aware of the fact via a page on their site.  Remember that there are going to be a lot of people traveling to your wedding; so do try to find a local venue that will minimize car emissions.

Image via Intimate Weddings

2.     Wedding stationery

Once you have made your venue choice and finalized the date, it is time to get your wedding stationery sorted. Your stationery package encompasses many different items, including wedding invitations, save the date cards, place cards, table numbers, programs and possibly favors. When multiplied by the number of guests, this soon adds up to a substantial amount of paper.

Before you start looking at all the different styles and colors, you should first take some time to find out where the design companies purchase their paper from. Again, any that are using paper that comes from sustainable forests should make you aware of the fact on their website.

Another option may be to use non-paper items for some of your stationery needs or skip things like programs all together.

Pre-owned dress for sale via Recycled Bride ($150)

3.     Dress

When trying to consider the environment while choosing your wedding dress, the most obvious choice is to buy one second hand. This of course avoids the need to consume a new garment and you can even sell it on afterwards, if you so choose.  However, we realize that choosing the dress is one of the most important parts of the wedding for many brides.

As such, finding the right second hand dress isn’t always viable.  If you do decide to purchase a dress that it is new, there are plenty of bridal designers that offer garments made from organic and natural materials that comply with fair-trade regulations. Such dresses are manufactured in a way that doesn’t involve the use of environmentally harmful chemicals.

Using local, in-season flowers is another great way to be green.

Image by Erin Hearts Court via Style Me Pretty

4.     Transport

Arriving at the site of the ceremony in style is an essential part of the day in terms of making the bride feel special and also securing some cherished photographs. In order to achieve both goals, many couples opt for large classic cars, such as a Rolls Royce or Bentley. The problem with these old cars is that they were not designed to be environmentally friendly and guzzle plenty of gas. There are of course more modern and fuel efficient cars available for rental, which run on bio-diesel or LPG.  But what could be greener and more romantic than an elaborately decorated horse drawn carriage?

Image via Style Me Pretty by Jen Lauren Grant styling by In the Now Weddings

5.     Local Suppliers

The final decision you can make to achieve a greener wedding is to opt for local suppliers for all of your other bits and pieces that you will need. This should go for your cake, flowers, suit rental, jewelry, catering service, photographer and anyone else that you can think of.

There will be a lot of traveling to and from food tasting, fittings and many other appointments before your big day arrives. By going for local providers you can greatly reduce the emissions that you and others produce in the weeks and months leading up to your wedding.

**This is a sponsored article from Paper Themes; suppliers of green wedding invitations and all other wedding stationery items. **

Confession: I don’t like jam. I never ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, because well I am not a fan of jam or jelly. But Kyle loves it so I ordered a jar during Jacin’s last fund raiser and I’m serious you guys, I could have eaten it with a spoon. We were putting it on everything from toast to turkey sandwiches. In fact, when no one was looking, I would just stick my finger in the jar and eat it just like that.

Head to her Etsy Shop to get yours!

Megan’s co-worker has a child who has cerebral palsy. The little girl suffered complications during birth which left her with cerebral palsy and her twin sister unfortunately did not survive. The Conductive Education Center has been extremely helpful for this family and for other families who have children with disabilities. The Gap is stepping in to help raise money for the center.

On February 25-26th (this weekend) for every $5 donation, you will get 25% off your purchase and The Gap will be donating additional money to the cause as well. So if you are in Florida, get shopping!!

To learn more about the event or the Conductive Education center see these flyers.

• CECS Flyer
• Event Flyer

Below are some photos of the children who are helped by Conductive Education Center.

*Fundraiser and associated discounts are only applicable at South Gate Gap in Sarasota, Fl.

My answer was this:

Love is….knowing that you can always be yourself and you’ll actually be loved more for it.

Head over to see what everyone else had to say, it is a very sweet post.

That’s the slogan for OneHope Wine. This wine company is no stranger to this blog, we’ve talked about them a few times before. If you know me you know I love giving back and I love wine so for me OneHope wine is pretty much perfection. Half of all proceeds from each bottle go to the corresponding charity and to date over $600,000 has been donated to partner charities. These are the varietals they offer and their corresponding causes.

ONEHOPE Chardonnay (Breast Cancer)
ONEHOPE Sauvignon Blanc (Environment)
ONEHOPE Cabernet Sauvignon (Autism)
ONEHOPE Merlot (AIDS)
ONEHOPE Zinfandel (Troops)
ONEHOPE Pinot Noir (Children’s Hospitals)

I bring them up again today because they have made it easier than ever for couples and wedding vendors to incorporate charity into their weddings through wine.

OneHope Weddings allows couples to find out all they need to know about buying this wine for their big day and you can even schedule a private tasting to determine which varietal would be best for your event.

They are now offering discount pricing for couples buying in bulk and later down the road they hope to offer some customizable options.

So whether you are planning a wedding and want to serve this wine, offer it as favors, or even if you are just like me and you love wine, definitely try it. Giving back has never been easier and it has certainly never tasted better. Cheers!