Author Archive | Jennie Lyon

The Secret to Our Coziest Meals, Even on the Busiest Nights

Let’s be honest, nourishing yourself well sounds simple until real life shows up hungry.

One minute, the house smells like garlic and onions sizzling, and Mr. Sweet Greens is happily moving around the kitchen, totally in his element. The next, it’s colder than expected, Olive is underfoot hoping something drops, and I’m asking, “How is dinner already smelling this good?”

The answer, more often than not, is Aneto Broth.

Mr. Sweet Greens does all of the cooking in our house, and he’s particular about ingredients. If something is bland, overly processed, or pretending to be “healthy,” it doesn’t make it into the rotation. Aneto is one of those rare finds he immediately approved of, slow-simmered, real ingredients, and flavor that actually shows up in the final dish.

Made traditionally in Spain with fresh vegetables, olive oil, sea salt, and responsibly sourced proteins, Aneto broths taste like someone spent all day in the kitchen, even when dinner came together in under 30 minutes.

Basically, it’s the quiet hero behind many of our coziest meals.

🌿 Why We Love Aneto Broth

💚 Slow-simmered with real ingredients
Fresh vegetables, olive oil, and sea salt, cooked the way broth is supposed to be cooked.

🍲 No shortcuts, no fillers
No concentrates, preservatives, or artificial flavors, just honest, nourishing flavor.

👨‍🍳 Chef-approved (and husband-approved)
If it passes Mr. Sweet Greens’ standards, you know it’s good.

⏱️ Perfect for busy evenings
Deep flavor without hours on the stove.

🇪🇸 Rooted in traditional Spanish cooking
Every carton reflects care, craft, and respect for food.

7 Ways Mr. Sweet Greens Uses Aneto in Our Kitchen

Because great cooking starts with great ingredients.

1. Weeknight Chicken + Rice 🍗

When we want comfort without heaviness, he sautés onion, carrot, and celery, adds shredded chicken and cooked rice, then lets everything simmer in Aneto Chicken Broth. Finished with lemon and fresh herbs, it’s simple and grounding.

2. Lemony Spinach Orzo Soup 🍋

Aneto Vegetable Broth gives this soup its depth. Orzo simmers gently, spinach wilts in at the end, and a squeeze of lemon brightens everything up.

3. Creamy Cod Chowder (No Heavy Cream Needed) 🐟

Using Aneto Fish Broth, he simmers potatoes, leeks, and garlic before adding cod and just a splash of coconut milk or cream. Cozy without being heavy.

4. Paella Nights That Feel Special 🥘

Aneto’s Paella Bases make it possible to have a beautiful paella on a weeknight. Add rice, vegetables, and seafood or chicken, and dinner feels like a small celebration.

5. Flavorful Grains for Bowls 🌾

Quinoa, farro, or rice cooked in Aneto Vegetable Broth becomes the foundation for salads and grain bowls that actually taste good on their own.

6. Simple Braised Greens 🥬

Kale or chard simmered with garlic and a splash of broth turns silky and savory, perfect alongside roasted veggies or fish.

7. Chilled Gazpacho on Warmer Days 🍅

Even cold soups benefit from real broth. Aneto adds depth without overpowering the fresh vegetables.

💚 Why Aneto Fits the Sweet Greens Way

What I love most is how intentional Aneto feels. It supports the way we actually eat, seasonal, nourishing, and unfussy. It lets Mr. Sweet Greens cook the way he loves to cook, with quality ingredients that don’t need much else.

Living in the mountains means we crave food that warms us, fuels us, and feels good to come home to. Aneto fits naturally into that rhythm.

If you’ve ever wanted meals that taste homemade without starting from absolute scratch, this is one pantry staple worth keeping on hand.

🛒 Where to Find It
You can explore Aneto’s full line of broths and paella bases at anetobroth.com.

Light a candle, let someone else take over the stove, and enjoy the comfort of a really good meal. 🌿

Last Minute Holiday Gift: DIY Vegan Brownies In A Mason Jar

Hello, Friends! The holiday countdown is here! Have you finished your holiday shopping? Don’t forget your children’s teachers and the neighbors. You can still put together organic succulents in recycled paint-dipped cans or miniature Christmas Trees made using recycled wine corks. If you are going to be baking this weekend, you can throw together a few simple, vegan brownies in mason jars.

What you will need:

  • 2 cups organic flour
  • 1 cup organic carob chips
  • 1 tbsp organic baking powder
  • 1/2 cup organic brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

You can either layer all of the ingredients separately in the jar or to save time mix all of the dry ingredients and top with the chocolate chips.

Attach a tag with the instructions to add:

  • 1/3 cup of your favorite neutral oil
  • 1 3/4 cup organic almond milk.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

How to Make an Eco-Friendly Gift Card Snow Globe as a Holiday Gift

If you are giving a gift card this holiday season, don’t just slip it into a card – make it into a snow globe. It will take giving a gift card this holiday to a whole new level – especially if you are giving it to  a child. Eben and I decided to do this project for a Secret Santa party that he will be going to – it was a super fun gift to make, read on to learn how. These are perfect for last minute gifts too!

What you will need:

  • glass mason jar
  • water
  • eco-glitter
  • glue gun
  • gift card
  • tiny ornaments

This is actually a super easy do-it-yourself project that only takes a few minutes to complete. Secure the gift card to the lid of the mason jar with hot glue. Fill the mason jar with water, add eco-glitter and a couple of tiny ornaments, screw the lid on super tight – you now have the perfect way to give a gift card!

Give the Gift of Experience This Holiday Season + 5 Ideas

Give the Gift of Experience This Holiday Season + 5 Ideas

Hello, Friends! Can you believe Christmas is right around the corner? If you’re anything like me, hitting the mall this holiday season isn’t going to happen! No worries, you can still surprise everyone on your holiday list and those gifts can be eco-friendly too! Read on to discover five of my favorite holiday gifts that don’t require you to even leave the comfort of your sofa.

1. Give the Gift of Experience
One of my favorite gifts to give is the gift of experience. A few years ago I gave the mister scuba diving lessons and this year part of Eben’s holiday gift is art lessons. I have given the gift of annual memberships to botanic gardens and science museums. The possibilities are endless, just consider what your recipient enjoys and go from there.

2. Give a Gift that Helps Someone Else
Have a do-gooder on your holiday list? Consider giving a gift certificate to Kiva – your recipient will go through a list of loan applicants and pick a hard-working borrower to give a micro-loan too. This is a great way to help entrepreneurs in other countries who need a little help, the best part when the entrepreneur pays the loan back, you get to re-loan the funds to another entrepreneur!

3. Give the Gift of Your Time
I was telling the mister the other day that the best gift that I could ever receive is the gift of someone offering to take Eben for the weekend. Since we live very far away from most of Eben’s grandparents, we have never left him for a long weekend. Wouldn’t a romantic long weekend with your loved one be the perfect gift! The possibilities here are endless as well, just think of something that you can do for someone else and wrap that up as a gift.

4. Give the Gift of Nature
I love to receive a gift in the form of a living plant or something that can be planted in the yard. Even better when the plant is of edible variety. Eben and I gave the mister a lemon tree one year as a birthday gift – and it is a gift that he seriously enjoys every day. He is always watering, pruning and checking for lemons – and seeing how much the tree has grown is a delight. Plus, giving him lemonade all year long has been a sweet gift that he really enjoys.

5. Give the Gift of Your Expertise
Are you a fantastic chef? Can you sew a mean pair of pajamas? Are you great at web design? A beautiful photographer? Whatever it is that you are an expert at consider giving that as a gift this holiday season. If you are a fantastic cook, arrive at your recipients home with all of the ingredients necessary to cook a fabulous meal for them. Spend the time teaching your recipient how to prepare and cook the meal and then enjoy it together!

Do you give the gift of experience during the holidays? I would love to hear about the gifts you are giving this holiday season.

Eco-Friendly Holiday Decor: How to Sustainably Deck the Halls This Season

The holiday season can be downright magical — but it can also be pretty darn wasteful. Despite the fact that 81% of global consumers feel strongly that companies should protect the environment, many of us forsake sustainability for tradition during this time of year.

The reality is, though, that you don’t necessarily have to choose between the two. There are plenty of ways to deck your halls in a way that doesn’t hurt the planet. Here are just a few ideas to provide you with some holiday decor inspiration that’s a little bit greener.

Collect Your Own Greenery

American homeowners (who move every five to seven years, on average) really love their green space. Being surrounded by natural elements will come in handy when you want to decorate your home this year. Take yourself on a little nature walk to gather up some greenery. Branches, berries, pinecones, and other natural materials can easily be turned into garlands, wreaths, centerpieces, swags, and other decor elements. You might pay a pretty penny for imitation versions at the store that are made from plastic, but you can make use of what you already have in your own backyard and save money. Best of all, you can probably compost them after the holidays are over!

Consider a Real Christmas Tree

There’s a lot of debate when it comes to real vs. fake trees. Although it might seem rather wasteful to get a real Christmas tree every year, there’s actually a good argument for this option. Although fake trees can last for years and reduce waste on an annual basis, most artificial trees are made in factories that require the use of raw materials and potentially harmful chemicals before they’re transported long distances. Artificial trees don’t decompose once they’re thrown into landfills, either. Real trees are usually grown locally and on area farms and are carbon-neutral. New trees are planted every year and real trees can also be made into compost. You can even “rent” a Christmas tree in some areas, which allows the farm to actually reuse Christmas trees from year to year. As long as you’re being thoughtful about where your tree goes after the fact, this is a surprisingly sustainable tradition you can keep.

Use LED Lights

When it comes to decorating the tree, ornaments get a lot of the glory — but it’s the lights that keep everything together. Of course, you may be using more electricity during this time of year anyway, given that there are fewer daylight hours available. Instead of relying on incandescent lights, consider switching to LEDs this year. They tend to last longer, will use less electricity, and will emit less heat. When you aren’t celebrating, however, you should unplug the festive lights. Since appliances use electricity even they’re switched off (with a desktop computer using around 80 watts even when it isn’t in use), you can save even more energy by unplugging completely.

DIY, Thrift, or Get Hand-Me-Downs

If your mantle or tree are looking a bit sparse, don’t be so quick to run out to the store for new stockings and ornaments. You can probably DIY some homemade alternatives that will be a lot more meaningful. For stockings, you can use an old sweater to make your own. There are also a number of DIY ornament tutorials that use items like scrap ribbon, sticks, salt dough, recycled paper, or dried citrus to create beautiful baubles. And if you aren’t much of a craft queen, don’t fret. You can probably ask your relatives for some hand-me-downs they aren’t using, especially if their decor style has changed or they have pieces from their own parents hanging around the attic. If all else fails, head to a local thrift store in your area. You may be able to score a bargain and support your local community, all while keeping unwanted items out of landfills.

Because this time of year has become so commercialized, it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing you need all new decor for the holiday season. But if you make use of what you already have and employ a little bit of creativity, you can make your home look perfectly festive while saving money and the environment.