In honor of Pride Month, we bring you a Rainbow Mason Jar Salad recipe. I may have chosen the ingredients for their colors, but I am really enjoying the combination. It's so light and refreshing! And since the only preparation the ingredients require is some cutting, its very easy to prepare.
Prep time: 15 mins
Yield: 5
Serving Size: 1 16oz mason jar
Ingredients
- 4 cups mixed greens
- 1/4 cup feta cheese
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 cup mandarin oranges
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 1/2 cup grape tomatoes
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 5oz olive oil and vinegar dressing
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients: cut the tomatoes in half, chop the cucumber and the bell pepper.
- Layer the ingredients evenly across 5 mason jars in the order of a rainbow: dressing, tomatoes, carrots, oranges, bell pepper, cucumbers, blueberries, cheese, lettuce, walnuts.
- Replace mason jar lids and store upright in the fridge. Enjoy all week long!
I recently enjoyed roasted black-eyed peas at an 'intentionally inauthentic' Chinese restaurant with an awesome classic rock playlist (shout out Red's Chinese). Ever since then, I've wanted to make them the star of a mason jar salad.
Black-eyed peas, which are actually beans, are considered lucky- some cultures believe that eating them will lead to a prosperous and luck-filled year. They also have many health benefits. Since they are so high in fiber, they improve digestion. They are also high in iron, potassium and vitamin A.
Here's the recipe I came up with, and it's pretty tasty, if I must say so myself:
Prep time: 60 mins
Yield: 5
Serving Size: 1 16oz mason jar
Ingredients
- 2 cups of uncooked black-eyed peas
- 4 cups mixed greens
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1/4 red onion
- 1 1/2 cup grape tomatoes
- 1/2 cup dry couscous
- 1 bell pepper
- 1/2 cup of feta cheese
- 5oz olive oil and vinegar dressing
Directions
- Start by cooking the black-eyed peas: rinse the dry black-eyed peas and then place in a pot with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil for about 10 minutes. Then reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender (30-40 minutes).
- Roast the black-eyed peas: preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a baking sheet. Dry the black-eyed peas and drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Spread evenly on the backing sheet and then place in the oven and roast for about 40 minutes (stir halfway through).
- Cook the couscous: bring 1/2 cup water to a boil and then add in the couscous. Cover and remove from heat, let stand for about 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add some garlic powder or other seasoning if desired.
- Prep the other ingredients: chop the cucumber and pepper, cut the tomatoes in half.
- Layer the ingredients evenly across 5 mason jars in this order: dressing, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, couscous, feta cheese, black-eyed peas, lettuce.
- Replace mason jar lids and store upright in the fridge and enjoy all week long.
Caprese salads are one of my favorites. Here's my twist on the classic salad, in a mason jar, of course. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Prep time: 50 mins
Yield: 3
Serving Size: 1 16oz mason jar
Ingredients
- 3 small zucchinis
- 1 ball of mozzarella cheese
- 1 1/2 cup of grape tomatoes
- 2 cups of uncooked chickpeas
- 6oz pesto
- Garlic Powder
- Salt, Pepper
- Olive Oil
Directions
- Start by roasting the chickpeas: preheat the oven to 450 degrees; drain the chickpeas and blot dry; mix in a bowl with olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper; spread out on a baking pan; bake for 35-40 minutes until crispy and brown. Refrigerate until cool.
- Prep the other ingredients: cut the tomatoes in half, cut the mozzarella cheese into cubes, spiralize the zucchini.
- Layer the ingredients evenly across 3 mason jars in this order: pesto, tomatoes, cheese, chickpeas, zucchini.
- Replace mason jar lids and store upright in the fridge until you are ready to enjoy.
Zucchini noodles aka zoodles are one of my favorite ingredients. They're a great pasta alternative because they're low in calories and carbs. They're also gluten-free and contain more vitamins and minerals than traditional pasta. In this recipe, I used zoodles in place of lettuce and the results were delicious!
Ingredients
- 2 large zucchinis
- 1/2 cup of dry quinoa
- 1 1/2 cup of grape tomatoes
- 1 bell pepper
- 1/2 cup of shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup of feta cheese
- 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds
- 5oz olive oil and vinegar dressing
Directions
- Start by cooking the quinoa: bring the 1/2 cup of quinoa and 1 cup of water to a boil and then cover and let sit for 15 mins or until nice and fluffy. Refrigerate until cool.
- Prep the veggies: chop the bell pepper, cut the tomatoes in half, and spiralize the zucchini.
- Layer the ingredients evenly across 5 mason jars in this order: dressing tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, quinoa, feta cheese, zucchini noodles, sunflower seeds.
- Store upright in the fridge and enjoy all week long!
Every time I make a new mason jar salad recipe I think it's my favorite the entire week I enjoy it. This salad is no different. And it's packed with nutrients, especially from the two stars of the salad. Farro contains more fiber than other grains like rice and even quinoa, and it's high in protein. Chickpeas are also high in both protein and fiber and contain several essential vitamins and minerals. Here are the instructions:
Ingredients
- 4 cups of mixed greens
- 2 cups of uncooked chickpeas
- 1 cup of dried farro
- 1/2 of a cucumber
- 1 1/2 cup of grape tomatoes
- 1/4 of a red onion
- 1/2 cup of feta cheese
- 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds
- 5oz olive oil and vinegar dressing
Directions
- Start by cooking the farro: rinse 1 cup of farro then place in a pot and add 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain any excess liquid and then refrigerate.
- While the farro is cooking, start roasting the chickpeas: preheat the oven to 450 degrees; drain the chickpeas and blot dry; mix in a bowl with olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper; spread out on a baking pan; bake for 35-40 minutes until crispy and brown. Refrigerate until cool.
- Prep the other ingredients: cut the tomatoes in half and chop the cucumber and tomatoes.
- Layer the ingredients evenly among 5 mason jars in this order: dressing, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, farro, cheese, chickpeas, mixed greens, sunflower seeds.
- Store upright in the fridge and enjoy all week long!
I recently co-hosted a baby shower for my cousin and since I love a good craft project, I was in charge of decorations. I have a lot of mason jars laying around, so I decided to repurpose them into decorations. You can make DIY party favors out of 4oz mason jars with these easy steps.
Step 1: Gather materials
- 4oz mason jars
- Hemp twine
- Glue (I love E600)
- Scissors
- Gold spray paint
- Gold pen
- Small safari animals
- Small tags
- Candy
Step 1: Glue the mason jar lids to the bands
E600 is my favorite craft glue because it is so strong, but it takes about 24 hours to set fully, so keep that in mind. Put a few drops of glue around the bands and then place the lids inside.
Step 2: Write on the tags
Use the gold pen to write 'Thank you' on the tags. I had these tags in my craft bin, but could easily make your own using white card stock and a hole punch.
Step 3: Tie the tags on the jars
Cut the hemp twine into about 1.5 feet strands. String through the tags and wrap around the jars so the tag is in the middle. Tie a bow in the back of the jar. I placed a dab of glue in the front and back of the jar to hold the tag and bow in place.
Step 4: Glue the animals on the lids
Once the glue is dry enough on the lids and bands, glue 1 safari animal to the top center of each lid.
Step 5: Spray paint the lids
Once the glue is dry enough from step 4, spray paint the lids with the gold spray paint.
Step 6: Assemble
Fill each jar with a candy of your choosing (my cousin is having a boy, so I used blue and gold kisses) and screw on the gold lids.
The party favors are also a great decoration to place around the party, before handing to guests as they leave.
Lagniappe: elephant straws & mason jar straw holders
A few other quick craft projects: I dressed up these paper straws by using an elephant hole punch, gold card stock and a dab of hot glue. I made the straw holder using an 8oz mason jar, hemp twine, a giraffe die-cut and some hot glue.
Or, if you prefer to save time and buy them, they're for sale here!
Here are some other photos from the shower. :)
You can get the gold animals in the centerpieces here!
We bring you another twist on one of our favorite classic cocktails (remember our Pumpkin Spice Vegan White Russian?). This drink features black raspberry liqueur and fresh muddled raspberries in place of the traditional coffee liqueur.
Prep time: 10 mins (not including the ice cube freezing time)
Yield: 2
Serving Size: 1 8oz mason jar
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 1/4 cup Chambord
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup raspberries
- Ice
Directions
- The raspberry ice cubes really amp up this cocktail and they are so easy to make. The night before, fill a silicone ice cube tray 3/4 full of water and then drop a raspberry into each cube. Freeze overnight, until solid.
- Muddle 3 raspberries in each 8oz mason jar.
- Place a few raspberry ice cubes in each jar and then fill with 1 oz Chambord, 1 oz vodka and 1 oz almond milk.
- Stir well, garnish with raspberries and enjoy!
Pro tip: our 8oz mason jar koozies keep your drink cool longer and decrease the sweating!
Thanks Love & Olive Oil for the recipe idea!
I recently discovered my love of lentils, so I decided to make them the star of this mason jar salad. Lentils contain a variety of nutrients and minerals as well as protein and cholesterol-lowering fiber at a relatively low calorie count. You can buy them in a bulk bin at your grocery store (and bring your own jar for a zero waste, healthy lunch ingredient).
Prep time: 45 mins
Yield: 5 servings
Serving size: 1 16oz mason jar
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw green lentils
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 large cucumber
- 1.5 cup of grape tomatoes
- 1/4 cup feta cheese
- 1/4 red onion
- 5 cups of raw spinach
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 5 oz olive oil and vinegar
Directions
- Cook the lentils: rinse the lentils and then place into a saucepan with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool off.
- While the lentils are cooking, prep the other ingredients: cut the tomatoes in half, chop the cucumber and the onion, shred the carrots.
- Layer the ingredients evenly among 5 mason jars in this order: olive oil and vinegar, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, lentils, carrots, cheese, spinach, pumpkin seeds.
- Replace mason jar lids and store in the fridge, upright. Enjoy all week long!
Hot Buttered Rum is one of my favorite fall cocktails (It's also the name of one of my favorite bands- if you haven't heard of them, check them out!) I used my new favorite rum, Cane Land for this cocktail. This recipe is probably the least healthy thing I've included on this blog, but you have to treat yo self every once in awhile!
Prep time: 20 mins
Yield: 2
Serving Size: 1 8oz mason jar
Ingredients
- 1/8 cup unsalted butter
- 1/8 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/3 cup dark rum (I'd recommend Cane Land)
- 2 cups water
- Dash of salt
- Cinnamon sticks for garnish
Directions
- Bring the water, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to a boil in a small saucepan.
- Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.
- Pour the rum into 2 8oz mason jars and fill the rest with the mixture from step one and then stir.
- Garnish with cinnamon sticks and enjoy.
Pro tip: use a mason jar koozie so you don't burn your hands!
The holidays can be wasteful: many gifts are made of synthetic materials, from plastics to polyesters. Not to mention the piles of wrapping paper, which can’t be recycled. This holiday season, we challenge you to give sustainable gifts.
All of our koozies are made from 100% silicone (BPA free). Our koozies feel great, are eco-friendly, and let you and your kids drink from your mason jars with ease and class. They insulate hot & cold and are microwave & dishwasher safe.
Check out our new selection of eco-friendly, sustainable gift sets that are perfect for any holiday.
Save 40% with the code: THANKS40 through Monday, Nov. 27!
Or, if you prefer to save time and buy them, they're for sale 
You can get the gold animals in the centerpieces 
