Pollan Signature Salad + Cookbook Giveaway

We had some wonderful friends over for dinner the other night and decided it would be the perfect time to try out a recipe from our new cookbook - The Pollan Family Table! {pssst...there is a giveaway at the bottom of this post!!}

We had picked up the ingredients at the store earlier in the day and were excited to try the new flavors from The Pollan Family Table Cookbook! We decided to make The Pollan Signature Salad which is available on their gorgeous website right now for free viewing, so you can get a peek at what their delicious cookbook has to offer HERE!

It was a great dish to start off our cookbooking because it is one of their trademark potluck dishes that friends request the Pollan Family to bring to gatherings!

The signature dressing was a perfect compliment to the greens, walnuts and Bosc pear! I always enjoy oil dressings, but usually just use basic vinegar and olive oil. The Pollan Family really took it to the next level, with grape-seed oil, dijon, and sherry vinegar. 

I reeeally apprecitated the tips for prepapring the carmelized walnuts. I had never made them before, and found the Pollan Family Table directions so clear and helpful! 

They even wrote that it would be easy to burn the walnuts, so I was well aware that I needed to keep stirring and when they were done, take them off the stove straight away! The directions had the timings all spelled out as well. I found that this cookbook proves to be a thoughtful friend in the kitchen with you, guiding and empowering you to culinary success!

While I was finishing up the walnuts, my friend Michaela prepared the Bosc pear by chopping it in small pieces! She did a stellar job, so I just had to take some pictures of her skills!

Josh was so surprised that he actually enjoyed the pear in the salad... he usually goes with the mantra that fruit does not belong in salad. He liked that the pear grabbed some of the dressing's flavor while adding it's own crunch and sweetness.

Here is the ending result before it was completely consumed by everyone at the table :) I loved the element of shredded parmesan on top. It is something that I always enjoy, but hardly ever purchase. It was so nice to have the recipe and to go ahead and add the delicious treat!

Our dinner was made complete with the company of our friends, and the yummy seasoned fish that Josh prepared and baked out of his own creative tastebuds :)

This little kid enjoyed the remainder of the caramelized walnuts the next day like candy :) since they kind of are! We used 1/2 a cup on the salad and added a bit more on our individual plates, to taste.

I think this salad was quite the hit! ----and now we have all of the oils and Dijon on hand to make the delicious dressing again! I think this will be one of our family favorites as well! I'm so glad we branched out and tried something new! View the full recipe HERE

Do you want to try more Pollan Family recipes? Enter to win the cookbook!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I received a cookbook to review and to giveaway in exchange for my honest review!

What do you love most about a new cookbook?

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Loving the 2nd Trimester in My eShakti Dress - Review

I'm coming up this weekend on the 22 week mark in pregnancy for this darling little baby #2! I love feeling the kicks and going on walks regularly now that it is cooling off a bit! I have to say, I really think this baby is super kind. I'm not sure what it is exactly but I keep telling Josh -- this is a sweet baby -- tell me I'm not crazy!

I was given an opportunity to choose and review a dress from eShakti -- Hopefully you'll get a good feel for what they have to offer! The opinions are totally mine and I got to keep the dress in exchange for this review! So fun :)

Straight off the bat I noticed that the eShakti.com site was very user friendly -- I love that you are able to customize and have your dress tailored to your exact measurements! I didn't feel like I had to apologize or feel embarrassed about my changing pregnancy body, I just handed my husband the tape measure and entered in the numbers! eShakti had images for the how-to on various measurements, which was perfect for my husband, who isn't much of a tailor himself :)

The dress I chose to clothe my currently almost 22-weeks-pregnant self was this lovely shirtdress from the eShakti site!

eShakti Women's Belted Stretch Cotton Poplin Shirtdress

I don't own any structured and tailored dresses, so this was a piece that caught my eye! There were so many customization options possible not only in regards to personal measurements, but also sleeve length, fabric color, overall length and keeping/removing pockets.

My multi-talented husband shot a few pictures for me to share this look with you! I hope you notice the Open Door Traders earrings made by my sister and her hubs -- I just love them so much! In regards to the dress, the coloration of the material was greener than I had thought it would be from the website's picture - thought it would have more of the blue hues in it. In different lights, you can catch different perspectives -- but all in all I do like the color!

I'm so not used to having a tailored dress! I could really tell when I put it on that it wasn't a one-size sort of dress, I knew that they used my measurements -- because they are unique right now, being in my second trimester of pregnancy! I actually scooted up my belt so that it would hit above my baby bump!

The buttons on this dress are really cool and seem durable! I like the sleek and architectural look. The dress came with two extras just in case.

I really love the concept of eShakti because so many times women become self-conscious about their body especially while shopping for clothes. When they don't fit in all of the predetermined "normals" of a particular size, it can become a discouraging experience. eShakti's customization and 0-36W size options are key and beneficial to women!

I don't usually buy many clothes new, but eShakti often runs special deals! Right now:
Get $25 OFF your first order!
FREE Customization on ALL first time orders. Your size, your style, your choice!
!!PLUS I am able to offer an exclusive 10% off discount code to my readers! Just type mitchaeljourney into the promotional code box! It is valid from 10/31/2014 –11/30/2014. FYI:: It can be used with other offers but not on clearance/sale/gift card purchases or overstock. 

Scroll around their site and social media [Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter] for a bit and look at all of the pretty dresses and outfits! I plan on updating you at some point to see how long this dress is wearable during my pregnancy! We shall see :)

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Comment below, because I'd love to know:: Have you heard of eShakti before? What are your favorites?

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My Honest Review: The Honest Company 4-in-1 Laundry Packs

Hi there friends -- I'm so thrilled to review my first product from the Honest Company -- their 4-in-1 laundry packs!

Photo courtesy of The Honest Company

First impressions: 

• darling floral packaging design - clean and fresh!
• simple and easy packs for quick laundry, with no miss measuring or spills
• 50 loads of laundry in one bag -- yay :) 1 pack = 1 load
• great label listing ALL ingredients and how-to use

What did I think?

• I watched the pod dissolve under the cold water stream right away, which I was really glad to see since I primarily have used liquid detergent (I've emptied my Honest Liquid Laundry Detergent) so I'm not super used to using pre-made little packs.
• Clothes and towels were clean. There aren't perfumes or scents added, so my clothes smelled like ... well ... nothing, but I knew they were clean because goodness knows they smelled like something before! I have no complaints :)
• Cloth diapers came out smelling like nothing as well and appear to be clean. I can't speak for poo stains, since my son's diapers are only pee from naps/bedtime (since we are potty training) -- but we have a little more time between washes now that he's not using as many diapers, and the urine smells were completely gone using the honest 4-in-1 packs (and impressive feat). I do a pre-rinse cycle first, and then started the actually wash load and ad the pack.
• I had confidence that the honest 4-in-1's wouldn't give us any weird rashes or skin irritation, I was at ease to use them on baby clothes!

All about the details:

• Mineral-based ingredients that (1) clean, (2) fight stains, (3) brighten and (4) soften
• VERSATILE -can be used in both HE and standard washers, hot and cold, all colors and fabrics
• Hypoallergenic + Biodegradable + Non-Toxic + Septic Safe + No Animal Testing or by-products
• FREE of SLS, fragrances, dyes, glycols, phosphates, 1,4-dioxane, chlorine, DEA, formaldehyde, caustics, & optical brighteners
• AWARDS:       

Final thoughts: 

• I would recommend exchanging your laundry detergent for something "free and clear", especially if you have ANY skin issues or sensitivities -- and would recommend honest 4-in-1 laundry packs without reservations.
• VALUE - In comparison, you don't get as many loads as theHonest Laundry Detergent (70 loads vs 50), but they are quick and convenient, and you don't have to risk spills, messes or mis-measuring. So it really depends on your preferences :)
• If you like fruity or flowery smelling detergent, or are at least used to it, this would be a change. If you want your clothes having a "yummy" smell, I would suggest adding an essential oil to the washer (or dryer) load -- my recommendation would be Young Living Lavender!

I hope this review has been helpful for you and your family! Have you tried any of the Honest products? Do you prefer powder, pods, or liquid detergent?

Interested in this natural and upright Honest company? You can Bundle & Save! by ordering online! 

Try out 1 or 2 or all 3 of their FREE trial offers -- just pay for shipping! The best way to go would be to get all 3, and only pay $5.95 for shipping the trials. 

FYI: If you only choose to only get 1 trial, it would still be $5.95 shipping. 

Honest Diaper Trial, Honest Essentials Trial, Honest Health & Wellness Trial. 

Special honest note: After you purchase the trials, you have 7 days (post purchase) to choose to enroll or cancel your membership/subscriptions to the 3 different bundles. Once you log-in and decide which bundles to continue, you will only be charged in the future for whichever monthly bundles you chose (diapers/wipes $79.95, essentials $39.95, health & wellness $39.95) plus shipping. You could choose to cancel all bundles within 7 days and not be further enrolled/charged. 

* I was given this product to review for free -- but was told to give my completely unbiased opinion in a review! I am an ambassador for Honest products and thank you for using my links to give my family a bit of compensation at no additional charge to you!

   

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