Emily’s 25th Birthday Party!

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Mark and I had a great time at our friend Emily’s 25th Birthday party this past weekend. I’m so glad Emily invited us to set up her Birthday Photo Booth, they are always so much fun. Here are some of my favorites.

Party time!

Karaoke with Rick!

Connie gives Emily a Birthday hug!

Chris Sauter challenges the edges of the Photo Booth

I contemplate Emily’s Birthday

Joseph and Connie!

Connie & Joseph’s puppy is so cute! He’s wearing a tiny t-shirt!

Rick arrives via tricycle

Group Photo!

“Hey Mark, give me that camera!”

Group shot with my hubby!

Time to blow out the candles, I see a little someone who is excited for cake!

These pictures are super cute! Thanks to Joseph and Connie for hosting, your home is lovely! Thanks also to everyone who came and shared yummy food, great conversation, and fun times. I appreciated how much everyone seemed to enjoy the Vegan Buckeyes I made for the party. Mark had bookmarked the recipe for us to try from Chloe’s Kitchen. They came out delicious and I will be sharing the recipe here soon!

Happy Birthday Emily!

xo angie

My Mother’s Wedding Day

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I’ve been looking forward to sharing a collection of photographs Mark and I captured at my Mother’s Wedding. It was such a beautiful day. As you can see in the photos, my mom was just glowing the whole time!

My Mom gets ready for her big day

A lovely hair brooch

My sisters Sarah and Nadia help my Mom into her beautiful dress

My sister Sarah made such a pretty bouquet!

Getting a little anxious for the ceremony to begin

The lovely Bride

The Ring Bearer – My handsome little nephew Dylan with his father Eugene by his side

The Wedding Ceremony

They wrote their own vows, so cute!

The Happy Married Couple!

The Bridesmaids – My sisters Nadia, Sarah, and I

Mom and Neil with Dylan

Their first dance as husband and wife, how romantic!

Grandma and Dylan on the dance floor

Grandma with my baby niece Lillian

Time to cut the cake!

The party lasted into the night

The Wedding was held at a charming Italian restaurant in Castroville. Mark and I were grateful for such a lovely backdrop, both inside for when my Mom was getting ready, and outside during the ceremony and reception. Congrats again to my Mom and Neil. I hope you two are enjoying your Honeymoon vacation!

xo angie

Vegan Stuffed Shells

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My sister Sarah Lee invited Mark and I over for dinner earlier this month to share her new recipe for Vegan Stuffed Shells. I love how she has always been interested in making her recipes vegan-friendly and delicious! I’m going to make this recipe for lunch today, yum! Check out her recipe below:

Vegan Stuffed Shells, by Chef Sarah Lee

Ingredients: Filling
Hard Tofu, drained
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh parsley
3 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/3 cup olive oil

Directions:
Boil Jumbo Shells as directed. In a large bowl add a splash of olive oil and pinch of salt to the drained shells. Mix and set shells aside to cool. Combine filling ingredients in food processor, adding the olive oil last as you pulse. Spread your favorite marinara sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Fill the cooled shells with the tofu mixture and place in baking dish. Pour additional marinara sauce over shells and bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees to warm, look for the edges to start bubbling. Optional: Serve with a fresh salad, or add sautéed mushrooms to the marinara. Enjoy!

I’ve got so much to work on this week – photographs from my Mom’s wedding, a set of Birthday Photo Booth pictures, projects around the house, and helping Mark finalize a new short documentary film. Looking forward to sharing that all with you soon!

xo angie

Motherhood

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My Mom with her adorable daughter (me!)

My Grandmother Soledad with my Mom

My Grandmother Petra with my Dad

My sister Nadia with her son Dylan

My sister Sarah with her daughter Lillian

My sister-in-law Roberta with her son Jackson

My friend Frances with her sons Vonnegut and Reuben

Nadia, Sarah, Roberta, and Frances, thank you so much for bringing your children into my life. They have brought me so much joy and I’m so grateful to have such wonderful Moms as my sisters and friends. I also want to send love to my Mother-in-Law Vilma. It means a lot to me to be part of the Walley Family and I loved spending time with you today. Lots of love also to my Grandmothers Soledad and Petra, and all my aunt’s, cousins, and friends who have raised little ones. Thank you to all the women in my life who have been such amazing examples of motherhood.

xo angie

A Letter to My Mom on Mother’s Day

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Dear Mom,
Thank you for being the sweet, generous, caring person that you are. You’ve always been there for Mark and I and supported our freelance filmmaking dreams. I never imagined saying these words to you, but you make the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen. I love you more than words can say. It hasn’t been easy letting you go, but I know that you’ll always be there when I need you. I’ll always be here for you too. Congratulations, I wish you and Neil the very best on your Wedding Day tomorrow and as your start your lives together.

Happy Mother’s Day!

xo angie

p.s. Special thanks to my wonderful hubby for taking this portrait of my Mom in her beautiful dress!

Veganized It! Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Vegan Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ah, finally time for a new sweet recipe. I’ve been really enjoying these yummy Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies since Frances and the boys baked them during our visit last week, meaning I’ve baked this recipe twice since then and eaten nearly all of the resulting cookies. This post is my second installment of my series Veganized It!, a series inspired by a collection of recipes on my Veganize This Pinterest board I’m veganizing for the hubby and I to enjoy. This isn’t just for us though! I hope you will enjoy vegan versions of these recipes as well! (Thanks again to Cara from Chickpea Magazine for the Pinterest board inspiration!)

Now for today’s recipe:
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies from the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
View the original recipe here

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookie Batter

Thanks to my sister Sarah for the new cookie scoop!

All ready for the oven!

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup agave
1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup unbleached white whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 cup finely shredded zucchini
1 cup vegan chocolate chips (Enjoy Life Brand)

Directions:
Combine wet ingredients in a large bowl or mixer. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl and slowly blend into the wet mixture. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips last, mix well. Drop by spoonful (or 1 inch cookie scoop) onto prepared baking sheet and flatten with the back of a spoon. Bake at 350° for 10 to 15 minutes.

Out of the oven and ready to eat!

Yummy goodness!

Enough to share, if you’re so inclined…

They are perfect little mouthfuls of deliciousness. In my second batch I left out the nutmeg, which I thought was a little strong. Feel free to play with the recipe and share your results with me! Thanks to Frances and the boys for baking these for us when we visited, they are a wonderful addition to my recipe box!

xo angie