Fall Themed Vegetarian/Vegan Recipes

Shepherd's Pie

Growing up this was one of my favorite meals, because it's comfort food and the idea of mixing so many kinds of food together in layers was really fascinating for a child. Here are two recipes my now-vegetarian family can enjoy.

Vegan Recipe

Vegetarian Recipe

Butternut Squash Soup

Squash may not be for everybody, but I personally love it. According to the blog I got the recipe from, even butternut squash hating husbands like this soup, so I think this one is a good call. 

Recipe

Substitutes for Veg/Vegan:

Half&Half --> almost 1 cup Soy Milk + 3 tbs Vegan Butter whisked together

Chicken Stock --> Vegetable Broth

Butter --> Vegan Butter (I use Earth Balance)

Butternut Squash Risotto

The only risotto I've ever had has been with cheese and mushrooms (and I don't usually like mushrooms), so I've been on the hunt for a risotto mixed with something else- and since I love butternut squash and it's very Fall-themed, why not!

Recipe (Vegetarian)

Maple Baked Beans

I always trust ohsheglows.com to give me healthy vegan substitutes for the food I love. Maple beans sound even better than normal baked beans and I can't wait to make a ton of this.

Recipe

(ohsheglows is one of my favorite health/vegan recipe blogs/instagrams!)

Glazed Lentil Walnut Apple Loaf ("Vegan Meatloaf")

Another recipe from ohsheglows, meatloaf is another comfort food that can be replaced by lentils.

Recipe

Vegan & Gluten Free Carrot Cake

I don't know why I've been craving carrot cake lately, but maybe I'm just being drawn to all things orange now that the leaves are changing. What better way to eat your treats (without the dreaded stomach ache after) than vegan & gluten free?

Recipe

Apple Cider Floats

This is just a great party drink, because cider is so traditional, and making it a float is not only delicious but also way more fun.

Recipe

To make vegan, replace the ice cream with vegan ice cream, such as all-coconut ice cream. Most large chain supermarkets should have something available, just make sure to read all of the ingredients!

Chai Tea

This is one of my all time favorite drinks. Not being able to drink coffee, this is my go-to drink when I go out to coffee shops or want something with more of a kick than normal tea. There are many ways to make it, and there are powders and tea bags you can buy at stores, but here are two simple recipes if you want to make your own.

Recipe 1

Recipe 2

Happy Fall!

Early Fall Blog Inspiration

mindtricks-.tumblr.com

Forts & Camping in the Backyard

I'm not sure how I skipped over this event, but I just found these photos from a few months ago and realized it was time to share them!

Hailee and I had been coming across a lot of photos of outdoor forts draped with beautiful Indian tapestries, and decided we should try our hands at one! We also felt it was time to go camping, back yard style.

When we ran out of the tapestries (most of which I got in Santa Barbara), we found some lace from the 70's and used those. And of course, we had string lights.

We hung rope from the trees and an old bed frame that I had in the yard, and used an old ladder as a fourth support, giving it some life with our newly potted succulents.

And, as every hipster gathering must have, we set up my record player on a little side table to play music as we drifted away under the stars. Dreamy, I know.

And just for the record (I swear I didn't plan that pun), the album Blue Mist by Sam (the man) Taylor & His Orchestra might be one of my favorite albums ever, and to think I found it in the $2 section at Amoeba.

If you've ever gone camping, you know that the morning dew isn't awesome, so to solve the dilemma of our blankets getting soaked we hid a tarp under our quilts and pillows.

As the sun began to set Ryan had gotten off work and stopped by to put his Eagle Scout training to use and build us our little bonfire, which was a hit later on in the night when people came for s'mores.

Hailee's boyfriend Luke drove a few hours down to us, and him and Ryan traded off serenading us.

Here is Luke's bandcamp (Flvke), and here is the facebook page for the band Ryan and I are in (Casual).

A special thanks to my darling Hailee for documenting the night!

I must say, although the ground is no Tempurpedic, there is something very cleansing about waking up with fresh air and in nature, even if it is just in your back yard.

Photoshoot: Bailey Clark with photographer Matt Grashaw

A few weeks ago I got the great opportunity to do a photoshoot with some wonderful people, Bailey Clark and Matt Grashaw. 

Matt, who I met through my boyfriend, is a beautiful photographer who specializes in wedding and family portraits and has a wonderfully clean product. We wanted to do a fun shoot that was 'bohemian' themed, with a Free People kind of lookbook in mind. 

Bailey, a good friend of mine from high school photography and art classes, was known for her incredible modeling skills and ease in front of the camera, and was a perfect fit for our vision.

I really wanted to give this shoot an ethereal look, combining natural lens flares with loosely photoshopped backgrounds that accentuated the emotions of the picture and the 'freeness' of this bohemia we were creating.

For most of the shoot Matt was the photographer and Bailey was the model, with the exception of a few photos and poses by me. My job was to create a concept and style the model and scenes.

We went to a few different locations, starting in a woodsy area where the ground was covered in leaves and the trees were twisted and there was a tire swing hung. She wore a vintage grey tshirt with a vintage red knee length cotton skirt, accented by brown boots, diamond and turquoise necklaces, and some tibetan bracelets and rings.

The next location was just across the road at an old town train station. Although no longer a stop for running trains any more, it had all of the charm.

I had recently found an old suitcase at my favorite antiques store Fishy Finds, and we used that as a prop. I styled her in a Victorian sheer white cropped blouse, a beaded vest I found at the Lennon Closet in Ojai, some cut offs, knee high boots, and my handmade jewelry.

Matt had the next location in mind, which was a 'river' of sorts in a park a few cities away.

We ended up finding an incredible spot underneath a bridge that had graffiti that reflected into the water and, my favorite prop of all, an old trash bin that had been vandalized on and thrown into the mud.

So, of course, we pulled it out further and had Bailey pose on it. The colors were fantastic.

I definitely had some fun with the editing. I didn't want it taken too seriously- it's supposed to be a world of its own, and I wanted it to be beautiful but almost scrap-booked together. 

Leather shorts, a floral shawl, and a Forever21 "Wild Love" tank added to the grunge-y city feel of the space we found, almost apocalyptic in a way.

Bailey was a trooper for trudging into the murky water and even laying on that mysterious can.

The last location we went to was Paramount Ranch, an old cowboy town off of Kanan Road. The buildings were an awesome mixture of old wood, dust, lace curtains, and faded paint.

I may post some more pictures later, but for now these are my favorites from the shoot. 

I am looking forward to being home again and planning more photoshoots like this!