Living La Vida Holoka


How to Make a Modern Pastel Fall Wreath

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Whether you’re anticipating all things fall or not ready to say good-bye to summer, this DIY Modern Pastel Fall Wreath will make that seasonal transition a little easier with its unconventional fall colors and florals!


Recently, I got to thinking about the first craft I ever made.  I think it was a wreath.  My mom used to make them all the time! I loved all of the little details she used to add into them like ribbons and fun, floral picks, so I used to get involved when she made a new one.  Since then, I’ve made plenty of wreaths for all sorts of occasions! Back in June, I made a Simple Floral Summer Wreath for our door.  So I figured I should probably make one for the Fall, too!  Okay, okay.  Maybe I just really wanted to get my hands on some of the gorgeous florals Michael’s has out right now! 

If you’ve taken a trip to Michael’s recently, then you’ve seen that there are such pretty pastels out for the fall season.  It’s not your typical rust oranges or mustard yellows.  We’re talking pretty corals, lavenders, and cream colors.  I even managed to find a few pastels in the Halloween aisle, like the purple hydrangea in this wreath!

So I thought it might be fun to go away from the normal fall color scheme and make a pretty pastel wreath for the door.  I spent way too much money on floral bunches (some ended up being unused and have since been returned – yeah, that many!).  But if you’ve been through those floral aisles, then you know they’ve been hard to resist!  I even managed to find some of last year’s fall florals in my craft stash to use for this project!


Now, I know that some people are still hanging onto summer as long as they can, but I’ve been dreaming of PSLs and sweaters ever since our first heatwave! So you’re lucky that this wreath isn’t still hanging up on our front door willing the cooler weather to come!  I’m basically over summer at this point.  This isn’t anything new, guys.  My anticipation for cooler temps always seems to kick in this time of year! 

While I’m still wrapping up a few summer posts this month (it ain’t over til it’s over, after all), I thought I would sneak an easy Fall DIY in-between – just in case I’m not the only one dreaming about all things Fall right now!  Then again, the pastel colors in this wreath might make it a little easier to make that seasonal transition when the first leaf drops.

SUPPLIES

STEPS

  1. Heat your hot glue gun.  While the glue gun is heating, plan your wreath.  Lay out all of your florals and decide where everything will go.
  2. Trim down the stem of the eucalyptus branches until there’s about an inch left.  Glue the stems down onto one side of the wreath, tucking the bottom of the stem into the grapevine branches.
  3.  Next, cut the ranunculus flowers off of the stems.  Glue them onto the wreath.
  4. Finally, add the air plants to fill in any gaps on the wreath.
  5. Allow the glue to dry completely, give the flowers a little fluff, and hang on your front door!


Even though I do love those golden yellows and rusty red and orange colors found in all of that breathtaking fall foliage, I like to break a rule or two every now and then.  This definitely isn’t your conventional fall wreath, but the pastel theme will be a nice, modern touch to your front door!

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Do you like to play around with color in the Fall?

Caprese Style Quinoa Salad

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This Caprese Style Quinoa Salad is a great way to use up garden tomatoes! It’s a healthy and delicious dish that’s full of traditional Caprese salad flavor!


Holy grape tomatoes, Batman!  Our grape tomato plant is popping like crazy right now and taking over our garden!  I’ve been dehydrating the majority of our tomatoes to make homemade sun-dried tomatoes and the rest have gone into salads.  It’s like we blink and all of a sudden there’s a whole new batch of tomatoes to pick!  I’m not actually complaining.  I love these sweet, little tomatoes!  They’re my “garden candy!”  But I had to think of another way to use them.

I’ve been slicing up our meaty beefsteak tomatoes in Caprese salads.  Caprese salad will forever be one of my favorite summer salads.  It’s so fresh, really easy to make, and best when made with tomatoes and basil straight from the garden.  This year, I’ve become a huge fan of quinoa salads, too.  Quinoa makes such an awesome base for salads.  It’s a superfood that’s high in protein and fiber, and works well in so many dishes!  So I figured, what better way to use up some our grape tomatoes than in a Caprese Style Quinoa Salad?!


This salad goes way beyond a basic Caprese salad.  Traditional Caprese Salad is sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil with a drizzle of good olive oil.  It’s a simple salad, but full of fresh flavor.  This quinoa salad recipe includes all of those ingredients, but we brought a few friends to the party, too! 

Even though quinoa is already high in protein and fiber, I love to add chickpeas to my quinoa salads.  They’re a match made in health food heaven! I also had some black olives in the fridge to use, so I sliced them up and tossed them in.  We have red onions growing in our garden, as well, so I diced one up and added it, too!  

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Caprese Style Quinoa Salad

Caprese Style Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rainbow quinoa
  • 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1 1/2 cups mini fresh mozzarella pearls
  • 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
  • 2/3 cup red onion, diced
  • 1/3 cup black olives, sliced
  • 2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 tbsp. prepared pesto
  • 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • Optional: red pepper flakes
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook quinoa according to package. Once cooked, spoon quinoa into a large bowl and set aside to cool.
  2. Add chickpeas, mozzarella, tomatoes, onion, olives, and basil to the bowl.
  3. In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice, peso, and olive oil. Add a pinch of red pepper, if desired.
  4. Pour pesto mixture into the quinoa bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Stir to combine and serve immediately.
  6. If not serving right away, cover bowl and store in fridge.
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Our grape tomatoes definitely aren’t slowing down anytime soon!  This quinoa salad was a delicious way to use a bunch of them up!  This is the kind of salad that gets better as it sits.  If you feel like it needs a little more dressing after a day or two, whip up another batch of the pesto, olive oil, and lemon juice dressing!  It’s even great with a drizzle of balsamic!  It’s also great for meal prepping!  Make it at the beginning of the week and enjoy it all week long! 

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Sriracha Shrimp and Summer Veggie Flatbread

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I received product from Cole & Mason in exchange for this post.  No other compensation has been received.  All opinions are 100% my own.

This Sriracha Shrimp and Summer Veggie Flatbread is packed with flavor, “summer heat,” and a ton of fresh, garden veggies!  It’s a delicious, light summer lunch!

 

When my father makes mussels in the summer, he always makes them with “summer heat.” That means that there’s just enough heat added to the dish without making you break into a sweat!  It’s summer.  You’re probably overheating already!  “Summer heat” is a nice heat that makes the tongue tingle, but doesn’t take away from any of the other flavors in the dish.  So when Cole & Mason sent me their Sriracha Spice Seasoning Mill Refill, I immediately thought about creating a recipe with a little of that “summer heat.” 

Mussels.  Been there, done that a few times.  I love them, but I’m giving shrimp the spotlight in this recipe.  I recently scored an awesome deal on shrimp from one of my favorite local fishmongers!  We’re talking enough shrimp to split into three or four plentiful two-serving portions!  So I decided to use some of our shrimp to make a Sriracha Shrimp and Summer Veggie Flatbread.  This flatbread has just the right amount of that “summer heat” and gives you a delicious reason to use up some of your garden bounty!


It was a slow start to gardening season this year, but our plants are really starting to burst now.  Especially the garden at my in-laws’ house!  It’s like having a free farmer’s market just a few minutes away!  Between our garden and their garden, I’ve been trying to add a ton of homegrown veggies into every meal. We definitely have enough eggplant, zucchini, onions, peppers, and tomatoes to do just that!

Another thing I tend to have stocked most of the time is flatbread.  I picked up a package of roasted garlic flatbread, just because, but wanted to use it for something more than just flatbread pizza. It was the perfect base for my summer veggies and adding Sriracha seasoned shrimp to the mix made it a tasty party!  This flatbread is definitely an excellent, light, summer lunch!

BRING THE HEAT WITH THIS SRIRACHA SHRIMP AND SUMMER VEGGIE FLATBREAD!

Sriracha Shrimp and Summer Veggie Flatbread
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Ingredients
  1. 8-10 large shrimp, peeled and cleaned
  2. 1/2 or more tbsps. Cole & Mason Sriracha Seasoning, ground
  3. 1 roasted garlic naan flatbread
  4. 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
  5. 1/4 cup grape tomatoes, cut into quarters
  6. 1 whole-1/2 small green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
  7. 1/2 cup small zucchini, cut into thin rounds
  8. Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp in a little olive oil and the Cole & Mason Sriracha Seasoning.
  3. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a medium-large skillet and heat over a medium flame.
  4. Then, add the prepped veggies and cook for about 6-8 minutes, or until the veggies just begin to soften.
  5. Add the seasoned shrimp to the skillet and cook until they're pink and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes.
  6. While the veggies and shrimp are cooking, place the flatbread in the oven to warm.
  7. When the veggies and shrimp are done cooking, remove the flatbread.
  8. Use tongs to add the veggie and shrimp mixture on top of the flatbread.
  9. Cut into pieces with a pizza cutter and enjoy!
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I have to admit that I wasn’t familiar with Cole & Mason’s seasonings before creating this post.  I’m glad so I was introduced to them!  I’m going to be putting this Sriracha Spice on a ton of dishes!  The seasonings are meant to be ground in a mill to release their natural flavors.  My mortar and pestle worked just as well!

Each of Cole & Mason’s spice blends are certified Kosher and made with quality ingredients.  Want to try one of these blends for yourself?  Enter this sweepstakes for your chance to win free product, housewares, or a grand prize worth $1000!

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What’s your favorite meal to spice up with Sriracha?

Air Fryer Zucchini Fries

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These Air Fryer Zucchini Fries are a healthier alternative to French fries.  They’re a crispy and delicious appetizer, side dish, or snack!


I’m on the struggle bus again, guys. I haven’t really gained any weight this summer (definitely not my struggle, so settle down), but I have eaten like total crap. I’m talking fried chicken, summer salads drenched with mayo, and ice cream – SO MUCH ICE CREAM!  I mean, I’ve basically had an all out affair with Ben & Jerry.  It’s been quite a summer romance with those two, but it’s time to move on.  So once my birthday hit and I, again, made the realization that I’m inching closer to the big 4-0, I decided to get myself in check. 

So I put the ice cream down and told myself I would go low carb again.  I even spent the majority of my birthday money this year stocking the house with healthy eats.  Such a boring, adult thing to do.  Right?  It seemed like I’d be able to go low carb without any problem.  Well, that’s until I remembered that we have an endless supply of zucchini from the in-laws’ garden and one that was sitting in the fridge!  It’s been too hot to bake, so no zucchini cakes or bread will be made anytime soon.  Zucchini Parm is pretty darn delicious, but there’s only so much of it you can eat at a time! It was time to break out the air fryer!


I’ve been meaning to make zucchini fries since…well, probably last summer or even the summer before! It’s been a long time coming, but now that we have our air fryer, there was no better time to try them out!  They were relatively easy to make.  A little time consuming, yes, since I was making them in batches.  But they come out of the air fryer so crunchy!  I’ve even reheated them in the oven and they didn’t lose any of that crunch! 

Sure.  They’re not exactly low carb.  I mean, I did start by dredging them in flour, dipping them in egg, and then finishing them off with bread crumbs.  Bread on bread.  I’m sure there’s a low carb alternative to these ingredients that I could have picked up them during my healthy shopping trip.  But I had good ol’ all-purpose flour and bread crumbs on hand.  Let’s face it – these zucchini fries are still better than a plate of greasy French fries!  

 
 
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Air Fryer Zucchini Fries

Air Fryer Zucchini Fries

Ingredients

  • 1 small-medium zucchini, peeled and cut into fry-sized sticks
  • 1-2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 eggs, beaten and seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
  • Optional: marinara sauce, Ranch dressing, for serving

Instructions

  1. Start by dredging zucchini sticks in flour.
  2. Then, dip into egg.
  3. Coat with bread crumbs and place in the air fryer basket.
  4. Cook zucchini fries at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown.
  5. Work in batches until all of the zucchini is cooked.
  6. Keep previous batches warm in the oven, if necessary.
  7. When the zucchini fries are done, serve with marinara sauce or Ranch dressing, if desired.

Notes

Pro tip: Boost the flavor of these fries with different seasoning blends or add chopped herbs from the garden!

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So let’s just go ahead and say “zucchini fries before guys,” or at least those two guys named Ben and Jerry!  This healthier alternative to French fries was definitely a fun and tasty way to use up some of our garden zucchini! 

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