March Favorites & Setting the Mood for April
What I loved this month & what I'm looking forward to next month
Hi hi!
March felt like a blur - how is it about to be April?! This month was full of recipe testing, walks outside, and cozy nights in. It was the perfect mix of sunshine and rain here in California. Buuuut, I am looking forward to warmer days and all the fun produce the start of Spring offers.
Before we fully embrace spring though, here are a few of my March favorites that got me through the month—plus a little April mood board for inspiration. And tomorrow stay tuned for April’s produce guide!
Here are a few things I loved this month:
🌿 Recipe I Can’t Stop Making – I’ve been testing so much banana bread lately and have been repurposing some of the slices into banana bread french toast and it’s as tasty as it sounds!
Banana Bread French Toast:
3-4 1 inch slices of banana bread
1/2 cup non dairy milk
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
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1-2 tbsp vegan butter for frying
1. Whisk together the milk and corn starch until smooth, add in the cinnamon, vanilla, and maple syrup, whisk, and let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Heat a cast iron skillet on medium low and let heat for 2-3 minutes, add vegan butter and let melt.
3. Dip the banana bread in the batter for 10-15 seconds (30-45 seconds if it’s drier).
4. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown
5. Top with powdered sugar and enjoy!
*P.S for the blueberry compote I just tossed frozen blueberries in a bit of the leftover french toast batter and heated them up.
📖 What I’m Reading – I just finished The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin and now I’m on to The Wedding People by Alison Espach (and I’ve heard great things!).
🎧 On Repeat – Take Care by Beach House. I’m mildly obsessed with the New Girl soundtrack - bonus if you can name the scene with this song!
🌼 A Small Joy – Sourdough! I tried out a new recipe this month and love how it turned out. It was another recipe from my fav sourdough cookbook.
Another small joy has been taking a local pottery class and finally seeing some improvement!
🥨 Current Favorite Snack – A piece of sourdough topped with peanut butter, a sliced banana, and cinnamon. It just never gets old.
🥤 Current Favorite Drink – My daily matcha has been my go-to lately (because you can learn to love matcha if you make it right—more on that soon 👀).
Here’s what I’m manifesting for the month ahead:
Slow mornings – Keeping this intention from last month - I’m still working on getting up earlier, incorporating morning walks, and more journaling (I’ve been doing the 12 Week journaling workshop, The Artist’s Way and really enjoy it!).
Incorporating slow mornings has been one of my favorite parts of March so continuing them in April is a mustttt.
Farmers Markets – I need to take advantage of the farmers markets in LA this month! My goal is to get to at least 2-3.
Baking Projects – I have so many fun seasonal baking projects planned with April produce! Think carrot cake loaf, scones, and more…
Lighter, brighter meals – I just finished planning my April recipe calendar and this is definitely a theme for the meals I’m sharing.
See you tomorrow for the monthly produce guide!
xoxo, Natalie
That mood board is everything. 🌼