vegan nut Parmesan (vegan, dairy free, gluten free)
(this post contains affiliate links which help fund this blog but at no cost to you) I think one of the hardest things about going “all in” with a plant-based diet is giving up the dairy…especially cheese. It’s one of the foods I thought I could never live without and believed it would be easier for me to be a vegetarian than a vegan. Thankfully, we’ve entered an era where it’s easier than ever to give up our “could never live without” foods, especially when our health is at stake. So today I’m sharing with you one of my favorite “cheese hacks” for salads, soups, stews or where ever…
vegan nanaimo bars (no added sugar, no bake, paleo, gluten free)
Last week I shared with you a no-added sugar brownie recipe that is a certified crowd please. Today I’m sharing one of my childhood favorites at Christmas time – naniamo bars. They are a Canadian thing that should take the world by storm and are named after Nanaimo, British Columbia which is on Vancouver Island. BTW…Vancouver and Vancouver Island are two must see destinations if you like to travel. But I digress… These vegan nanaimo bars almost brought me to tears. The first time because I nailed the recipe which doesn’t always happen. The second time because I rushed the chilling process and they turned into a gooey mess…
cheesy kale chips (vegan, oil free, gluten free, soy free, paleo)
Aren’t snack foods made from good-for-you ingredients the best? Like kale chips! The first time I tried kale chips, it was love at first bite. Savory, salty, crunchy…yum! But the thing I wasn’t in love with was the price tag, especially for frequent snacking (keep in mind we have four hungry children to feed, three of which are boys). So I turned to my own kitchen to try and re-create the ideal snacking experience. Here are few things I’ve learned along the way: The key to a good kale chip is the seasoning. Since kale is strongly flavored itself, if you’re too light with the seasonings, you…
game, set, matcha coconut lime energy bites (vegan, no added sugar, gluten free, paleo)
As we’re learning, life in high school is busy…especially when you throw in sports. It usually makes for a long day and a late arrival home. To brighten up my daughter’s long day and making snacking on the run easier, I whipped up these matcha coconut lime energy bites – a nod to her chosen sport this season and because matcha naturally boosts energy. It also helps with mental alertness, has antioxidant powers (hello bright green powder!), boosts the immune system and cardiovascular health and can fight infections – which gives it an A+ in my books. This was my first time trying matcha after hearing of it…
5-ingredient key lime pie bites (vegan, sugar free)
One of the most frutrating things about changing your diet is relearning how to cook. The substitutes for the ingredients you used to rely on (sugar, white flour, eggs, dairy, meat etc.), don’t behave in the same way. In the first three months that I spent eating a plant-based diet, I was brought almost to tears several times because the kitchen suddenly felt like a foreign place. Which makes the victory all the (sugar-free) sweeter when I hit on the right mix of ingredients the first time I make up a recipe. And judging by how quickly these little bites disappeared with our small group from church, I’d say these…
