Finding Simplicity in Vegan Picnics & Nature-inspired Art

The beauty that summer captures makes everyone gather with sheer happiness, especially the individuals who have an appreciation for nature and the settled beauty it has to offer. The cottagecore lifestyle resonates with such raw beauty and elements that bring certain activities to life. Picnics are one of the main scenes that the cottagecore lifestyle is able to encompass. Sustainability and healthy living is vital and can be incorporated with picnic activities for the summer to keep the lifestyle maintained. There are simple vegan recipes to know for the certain festivities that nature can bring.

Edible Flower Cookies

Vegan Botanical cookies are one of the few simple recipes that I have enjoyed endovering when I came across with discovering new efficient ways to incorporate life into cooking. There are many ways to be able to find natural edible flowers to use and the best part is the simplicity that makes it viable for anybody to use and try !

Ingredients

• Vegan Butter
• Sugar
• Pastry flour
• Edible flowers ( I particularly enjoy pansies)

Instructions

1. Put sugar and butter in a bowl and then mix until it creates a cream like substance. Begin to add the pastry flour into this bowl.
2. When you have dough-like consistency, begin to flatten it with a roller until it reaches circular shape.
3. Put a plastic wrap over and let it sit in the fridge until it is firm (this is only if your dough is not firm).
4. Use cookie cutters to create shapes you want and begin to garnish the cookies with the edible flowers of your choosing.
5. Use the roller to make sure the flowers have clinged on to the cookies.
6. Pre-heat the oven and Bake for 10-15 minutes and enjoy the beauty!

Cinnamon Apple and Blueberries Porridge

During the summer one of the most aesthetically pleasing recipes I have come to grow appreciation for is the vegan cinnamon apple and blueberries oatmeal. This delicacy is something that has made such a rich taste into a unique snack for any activities especially outdoors.

Ingredients

• Apples
• Blueberries
• Banana
• Syrup
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Dairy free milk
• Brown sugar
• Oats

Instructions

1. For the apples you can chop and make it into smaller pieces to make into a topping. In a saucepan add the oats, dairy free milk, salt, cinnamon, sugar and syrup and mix. Cook this mixture for 10-15 minutes. This is what I have always preferred and continue to mix until you like the consistency.
2. Add apples, bananas, blueberries and continue to mix with your oatmeal. I prefer the apple with skin and I choose to mix after because the freshness compliments the hot oatmeal in my experience!

Nature-inspired art

Picnics are not all about food! As much as we all love the uniqueness food is able to bring one of the most enjoyable parts is the crafts. Picnic activities have added just the right flavor that not only leaves you wanting more but craving more. Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy the scenery in a special way!

Painting Plant Pots

The sentiments that art brings have been especially helpful with being in the outdoors and brings gratitude with such picnic activities. Painting plant pots is a reward on its own with how the inclusivity it brings with allowing to combine the beauty of plants with the art of self expression. The most gratifying moments with painting these pots is the way the simplicity is able to create such fun events in your picnic sustainable lifestyle. The best thing about this is how affordable and easy this is with being able to use pots you may already have and bring them to life with whatever your mind desires your next canvas to be.

Spore Print Art

What is a better way to create art? Through what nature has to offer us. I have always had a strong connection with how spore print art creates such beautiful masterpieces. The basis of spore print art is the use of mushrooms and cutting the stems off them then placing the remaining mushrooms on a paper. Whilst covering them with a container but make sure there is some room by putting an object under the container. This process can take a little for the final creation to show with leaving the product for a couple of hours to overnight whenever the spores become prominent. There are many reasons spore art exists whether its comparing the spores of the mushroom for a more scientific purpose or simply figuring out a sustainable creative picnic activity!

Cottagecore lifestyle comes in all aspects with such diverse ideas, but one of the most enchanting sequences is the beauty of the simplicity it has to bring with what we are already given. Sustainability and being able to keep a healthy lifestyle can be helpful in so many aspects with giving back to mother nature and giving back to our bodies. It can be intimidating at first glance for people who are just getting an interest and want to get an idea of some ideas to work with, but it is the journey that especially makes it worth it. It is key to remember that this is simple and not to over complicate it and just to breathe and have fun while you are experimenting with these ideas. You will definitely find ease with your environment and being able to either make some unique pots for your plant babies or making some yummy vegan nature cookies.

Enjoy and relax!