Fall Giveaway: $250 Gift Card to Gaia Conceptions!

I am not one of those people who starts up with the pumpkin spice in August. In fact, I don’t accept summer's end until the autumn equinox. But I do like thinking about fall fashion, and as I see the stores begin to fill their racks with autumn attire, I feel especially inspired to support small, women owned designers and clothing lines like our long time partner and friend Gaia Conceptions!

This month, I’m excited to be teaming up once again to offer one lucky Bubby and Bean follower a $250 gift card to grab some of Gaia Conceptions’ gorgeous, custom made, sustainable clothing for fall! (Scroll down to enter!)

Gaia Conceptions offers a wide variety of beautiful eco-friendly clothing and accessory items, all designed and made by hand in the USA. Ordering their clothing is a truly customized experience - you choose color, fabric, and size. They're the best!

Use the form below, and/or do the easy entry on on Instagram right here. There are several options for extra entries as well.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway will run through the end of this Saturday September 9th, 2023. It is open to Bubby and Bean readers worldwide. All entries from the Rafflecopter form above and Instagram will be combined. A winner will be randomly chosen and announced here by end of day the following Monday.

Thank you to our friends at Gaia Conceptions for giving Bubby and Bean followers a chance to own some of their gorgeous apparel!  

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Strawberry Lemonade Cocktail

First of all, I want to point out the obvious: that this blog has been severely neglected this summer. I've been active on Instagram (and even Facebook and TikTok and yes, Threads, here and there), but with blogs feeling a bit like dinosaurs in the modern world of social media, this admittedly falls to the wayside. 

I'm hoping this delicious summertime cocktail recipe with make up for it though! As summer winds down, I'm trying to squeeze in as much as I can, including this yummy drink. This uses my favorite organic mix to cut down on prep time, but you can replace the sweet and sour mix with fresh squeezed lemonade if you desire. 

Strawberry Lemonade Cocktail

INGREDIENTS:
4 oz Sweet & Sour Mix (I love Agalima Organic)
2 oz vodka
lemon (half for juice, half for garnish)
5-6 strawberries

Muddle 3-4 strawberries and place in a glass. Add ice. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, mix the juice of half a lemon, sweet and sour mix, and vodka. Pour over ice in glass. Add a few strawberry and lemon slices for garnish. (You can also omit the vodka for a delightful mocktail!)

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Spicy Black Bean Mini Tacos

Tacos are a first choice food for everyone in our house, and this version has been our favorite lately. I love a good soft corn shell, but we've been making these with crunch mini shells (think taco sliders). In addition to the seasoned black beans, the start ingredient is fresh jalapeños which gives these tacos a special kick.

Spicy Black Bean Mini Tacos

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

2 14 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium avocado

2 cups cherry tomatoes

Handful of romaine lettuce

2 fresh jalapeños

1 cup shredded cheese

1/2 lime

1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin 

Salt to taste
12 mini crunchy taco shells  

In a medium saucepan, heat black beans with spices. Slice avocado, cherry tomatoes, and jalepeno. Chop lettuce. In each shell, add a layer of black beans, shredded cheese, avocado, tomatoes, and jalapeño slices. If you like even more kick, top with hot sauce.

My kids loves these without the jalapeños, but I personally think they're very necessary. Enjoy! 

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Chickpea Pasta Salad

As the weather gets warmer, there is little I crave more than pasta salad. It can admittedly get old quickly though (simply because I eat it so often), so I like to change it up. This pasta salad made with chickpea pasta has an elevated flavor and texture and is full of plant-based protein.

Chickpea Pasta Salad

Serves 4-6

MAIN INGREDIENTS

1 box chickpea rotini  

1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes (halved)

1 cup canned chickpeas

1/2 cup canned black olives (sliced)

1/2 cucumber (sliced)

DRESSING INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Prepare chickpea rotini according to directions on package. While pasta is cooking, cut tomatoes in half, slice black olives, and thinly slice cucumbers. Drain and rinse chickpeas. Combine all dressing ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. Drain and rinse pasta, and allow to cool. Pour cooled pasta into a large bowl, add all ingredients, and mix well Add dressing and toss until thoroughly combined. Cover and refrigerate. Keeps for up to 5 days. (Tip: Double the recipe for larger gatherings.)

Try this with a glass of chilled white wine on a summer's night. Heaven.

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