CARROT CAKE AND ICING (from Love and Lemon Food Blog)

INGREDIENTS:

Cake:

2 ¼ Cups Flour (Half Whole Wheat, Half All Purpose)

3 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

3 Teaspoons Cinnamon

½ Teaspoon Nutmeg

1 Teaspoon Salt

½ Cup Applesauce

1 Cup Almond Milk or Oat Milk

2 Teaspoons Vanilla

1 Cup Sugar

½ Cup melted Coconut Oil or Canola Oil

2 Cups grated Carrots

Frosting:

½ Cup raw Macadamia Nuts (soaked 3 or 4 hours, preferably overnight, drained and rinsed)

½ Cup raw Cashews (soaked 3 or 4 hours, preferably overnight, drained and rinsed)

¼ Cup Almond Milk

¼ Cup Maple Syrup

2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

2 Teaspoons fresh Lemon Juice

½ Teaspoon Salt

INSTRUCTION:

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 baking pan
2. In large bowl, whisk together the Flours, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Spices and Salt
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the Applesauce, Almond Milk, Vanilla, Sugar and Oil
4. Mix the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients
5. Fold in the Carrots and stir until just combined
6. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7. Let cake cool complete before frosting
8. Make the frosting: combine all frosting ingredients into a high-speed blender. Blend until very smooth for 1 or 2 minutes or more, scraping down the sides occasionally. You can add an extra tablespoon of Almond Milk if necessary to get your blade moving.
9. Chill for at least 30 minutes before spreading. (It will firm up a bit.)
10. Store frosted cake in the refrigerator.

Sometimes you find something that is just too good to not share!

Here is a great video we found this weekend that had us tapping our feet and smiling.

We hope you love it as much as we do!

Happy Sunday to everyone.

And our love always,

Rose and Violet xxxxxx

Hello to all our October Birthday Friends and to all of you who are Libra babies, as well!

What a wonderful time of year to be born: In the Northern Hemisphere the glorious season of Autumn is well and truly underway, and for all our fellow Australians , Spring is in the air!

And your flowers are as special as you are! The main flower is the bright and cheerful marigold, along with the lovely Cosmos, always dancing daintily in the breeze. People born in October are passionate about fair play, justice in life, and they are also extremely creative.

Marigolds represent optimism and prosperity and these bright yellow and orange flowers are said to represent the warmth and beauty of the rising sun. They can also speak to secret affection, so if there’s someone out there who doesn’t know how much you care about them, send them a bunch of bright golden marigolds!

Cosmos are simple flowers on long, graceful stems that come in white and then all through the shades from palest pink to deep magenta. They represent peace and tranquility—the perfect balance to the energetic yellow and orange marigolds.

The flowers for Libras are large roses of any shade. Librans are known to be very fond of all things beautiful and balanced and just, which is why they can’t tolerate any kind of upheaval or injustice, and have a strong sense of right and wrong. The sturdy full- blown rose is the perfect flower for this sign.

And what a beautiful birthstone comes with the month of October: the unique and fiery Opal. And since some of the world’s finest Opals come from “the land down under,” we’re guessing that all our Australian friends already know how unique and stunning opals can be! This gemstone symbolizes faithfulness and confidence, and Opal necklaces were once worn to ward off evil and to protect eyesight. 

And if you could have a birthday party with some fellow October birthday babies, wouldn’t you love to invite Matt Damon and Kate Winslett? Or how about Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York and Ralph Lauren? Hillary Clinton and Hugh Jackman? Paul Simon and Ryan Reynolds? Bill Gates? This is going to be one great party? And you’re in good company with some very talented, unique and special people who were also born in October: Steve McQueen, Dwight Eisenhower, Pablo Picasso, Teddy Roosevelt, Oscar Wilde, Rita Hayworth, Jonas Salk and Carrie Fisher, to name just a few.

Of course, you’ll need some special October music for your party, so here are some suggestions for your play list. We bet that Paul Simon just might want to join in on some of these!

So, make it a FANTASTIC birthday, October babies! We’re wishing you a year ahead filled with all things bright and beautiful!

 Love Rose & Violet xxxxxxxxx

Could you guess that we are simply mad about all things floral - and unquestioningly love gardening. It's therefore no surprise that one of our favourite places in the world has always been a nursery.

We thought we'd take a trip down memory lane this afternoon and revisit one of our most loved nurseries - Petersham Nurseries in London!

Oh be still our beating hearts.... not only a place of gardening splendor... but also one with a gift store and cafe & tearoom. Could an afternoon out get any better?

We visited last year - and we simply can't wait to visit again when next in England. For now... lets all go for a stroll through some of our photos... and visit Petersham Nurseries together. Enjoy!

Much love from us, Rose & Violet xxxxxx

BUTTERCUP CAKE for SEPTEMBER

Dear September and Virgo Babies,

Here is a delicious Buttercup Cake recipe just for you!! Read below to learn that the Buttercup Flower is one of your special flowers for the month!

(This is a vintage recipe we found that looks delicious. We're going to make ours using plant based butter and egg replacement. We can't wait!)

Hello to all our good friends who made their first appearance in September and to those born under the sign of Virgo! Did you know that your own special September flower is the Aster? And the flower for Virgo is the Buttercup!

According to the Victorians, Asters are the symbol of daintiness and love, wisdom and faith. And the name Aster is Greek for “star.”

 They’re reminiscent of daisies, and who can forget Meg Ryan in “You’ve Got Mail” who says, “Don’t you just love daisies? They’re so friendly.” Tom Hanks agreed with her, and so do we!

 And lucky you, September babies, your birthstone is the spectacular Sapphire, a gemstone said to represent loyalty and trust, and also offers protection from harm.

 Asters can bloom all year, and oddly enough, although they are most vibrant in early autumn, they come predominately in shades of blue and pink, purple—colors usually associated with Spring. But maybe that’s why they pair so perfectly with those gorgeous blue sapphires!

 September babies and Virgos have lots of wonderful traits. They’re strong, cheerful, loyal and loving, which makes them ideal friends! They’re also sensitive, observant and analytical, and sometimes they can be a teeny bit of a perfectionist but who can blame them? They’re Big Foodies, so they want whatever is on their plate to be just right!

 Virgos have their very own flower, too, and it’s the cheerful, sunny yellow Buttercup! The Buttercups bring two more special traits to September babies: neatness and stability.

 We hope you have fun celebrating your special day, whenever it is in September, and what better way to add to the festivities than your very own “September Music?” Below are some songs you might want to add to your Party Playlist. Enjoy!

Love Rose and Violet xxxxx