Thank you Village Harvest for sponsoring this post. Every day Village Harvest is planting seeds of change and growing possibilities, one bag of goodness at a time.

I'm a big fan of poke bowls--when we first moved to California I think I ate at least one a week for a couple months. There's a place down the street from our house that makes great ones, but they can get expensive, especially if you make them a habit. I decided to make a few at home the other day because I hadn't had one in a while. Raw fish isn't exactly pregnancy-friendly, so I made mine with cooked crab (most of the ones I used to order had a mix of poke and crab, so it's not too much of a variation from what I normally would have ordered).

Recently Village Harvest was kind enough to send me a box of three of their Organic Benefit Blends to try, so I decided to take the Organic Antioxidant Blend for a spin instead of regular white rice. They also have an Organic Ancient Grains Blend and an Organic Protein Blend, but the antioxidant blend is made with black rice, black lentils, and black quinoa; so not only does it have a ton of nutrients, but it also looks really cool in your bowl. 

Ingredients (makes 2 bowls):

• 1 cup of rice--for this recipe I used the Antioxidant Blend from Village Harvest Organic Benefit Blends
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 1/4 pound of ahi tuna, diced
• 1/4 pound of snow crab leg meat, chopped
• 1/2 of a large cucumber, diced
• 1 large carrot, julienned or peeled into ribbons
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce
• 1/2 of an avocado
• Sesame seeds, for garnish
• Sliced green onion, for garnish
• A few tablespoons of pickled ginger on the side

Instructions: 

1. Prepare the rice according to package instructions. Allow to cool slightly.
2. In a large bowl, combine cucumber and carrots with diced tuna and chopped crab. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic chili sauce. Gently toss to combine.
3. Assemble bowls by spooning rice, then topping with veggies and seafood. Top with sesame seeds and sliced green onions and serve with pickled ginger.

And the best part? Village Harvest has pledged 1% of their profits to run programs that give back to the local communities from which they source their products. By the way, if your local grocery store or market doesn't carry Village Harvest, you can fill out this form to request it.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

My favorite thing to do in the kitchen lately is cook fruit down in a pot with a tiny bit of sugar or honey--it makes for the most delicious little treat and I can do all kinds of stuff with it. The other day we brought some peaches home from the grocery store, but they weren't very ripe, so I thought they would be perfect cooked--putting them over heat just really brings out the natural sweetness of the fruit. I love it on everything, but especially some creamy yogurt.

Ingredients: 

• About a cup of sliced or diced peaches
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons water

Instructions: 

1. Over medium-low heat, stir peaches together with sugar and water. Bring to a low simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until peaches are broken down and soft. Allow to cool and serve with whatever!

I've been incorporating more and more dairy into my diet over the past few months, so I was really excited with noosa recently sent me a bunch of their yoghurt in different flavors to try, and I have really enjoyed having them for breakfast, as a snack, or really any time throughout the day. Rob and I even enjoyed the coconut flavor for dessert the other night (we topped it with chocolate chips because YOLO).

It's delicious not only with chocolate chips but mostly on its own, although we've also been topping it with granola or my sweet sautéed peaches. noosa is the perfect combination of sweet and tart, plus it's made in small batches with all-natural whole milk and fresh fruit purees. So delicious. I think it's going to be my go-to summer snack all season long!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

This post is sponsored by Chesapeake Bay Candles.

I've spent a lot of time focusing on our living room, because that's the space in our house that we spend the most time in and also because it's the first thing you see when you walk in. I love greeting guests with a tidy and well-designed area to relax, but lately I've been feeling an itch to give our bedroom the same amount of love and attention that I've bestowed upon our living room.

It is, after all, where we begin and end each day, so shouldn't it be just as nice as the places in your house that everyone sees? That's always been my excuse--our bedroom can be busy because only Rob and I ever see it, but there's nothing worse than waking up to a cluttered bedroom.

When Rob and I got married and registered for gifts, we made a conscious decision to do all white linens for our bedroom and bathroom. Our furniture is all white, so I figured having a white bed and towels would make it easy to mix things up later with colorful details. We've actually stuck to a neutral pallet and I like it that way--it's very calming and a nice escape when you need to relax.

I was so excited when Chesapeake Bay Candle contacted me to work on a post with them because I've always loved incorporating candles into my decor, and these ones are really special. I thought I'd start the long process of decluttering and styling with a tiny little piece--my nightstand. Nothing says "home sweet home" to me more than a nice candle and some fresh flowers, so I cleaned off the surface that had been holding onto a collection of water glasses and phone/computer chargers and replaced them with Chesapeake Bay's Balance + Harmony candle (it smells like waterlilies and pear and has orange essential oil!) and a cocktail glass full of white roses, which I placed on top of a stack of books I pulled from my bookcase to match the lovely aqua jar of the candle.

Here are the other candles Chesapeake Bay sent me to infuse my home with little moments of stillness and tranquility!

• Focus + Patience: Has a fragrance of tobacco cedar. Any candle with tobacco notes is definitely a winner for me. This one is going on my desk for sure.

• Love + Passion: I’m a big fan of the color of this jar, and the grapefruit mango scent is perfect for the kitchen.

• Strength + Energy: This one is really nice, with notes of bergamot (one of my all-time favorite fragrances) and verbena. I’m going to put this one on my coffee table.

I love it when something as simple as a candle inspires me to put the finishing touches on the space around me. I love the minimalistic design and the not-too-powerful fragrances that come from the candles. All the scents come in different colored jars, but they’re frosted and on the lighter side, so they will fit into your home no matter your style. And, as I’m sure you can imagine from some of the images in this post, they are Ender Peterson approved.

Now I’m off to cuddle that dog of mine in bed with a book!