5-ingredient vegan walnut pesto over zucchini noodles (vegan, gluten free, paleo)
Yep, it’s been waaay too long since I posted, but there’s a good reason for that. If you saw my last post, you’ll know that I started on something new earlier this year. The name change of this online space was just the first hint of that! Since enrolling in my health coach training program, I’ve become even more excited by the possibilities for transformation that I can bring to my clients…and to you! This online space will take a little catching up to what’s been happening “behind the scenes” since March. For now, I’m content not to rush it. In the end, it will mean better content for you…
vegan seven layer dip
Stick around here long enough, and you’ll see that dips are one of my favorite recipes to make and eat. I think they need official status as their own food group. This vegan seven layer is I’ve been making for several years and is a perennial crowd pleaser. It’s probably the first appetizer recipe that inspired me to include dips on a regular basis into our meal plan. Here’s why. I have four kids who all have very different ideas of what tastes good and have varying degrees of pickiness. They also love meat and cheese so I need to work hard to come up with all veggie recipes that…
raw fruit crisp (vegan, no sugar)
(Printable version of this recipe are near the end of the post. This post contains affiliate links which help fund this blog but at no cost to you.) Last week, I shared one of my favorite go to recipes: raw granola. This week, I’m sharing one of my favorite ways to eat it, especially as a snack. When you first “give up” eating certain foods, it can be hard not to lament all the foods you loved to eat B.D.C. (before the diet change). Like traditional fruit crisp. While I’ve never been much of a pie person, I always adored crisp because of the topping. With added sugars (mostly)…
low carb crispbread (vegan, oil free)
(this post contains affiliate links which help fund this blog but at no cost to you) I’m absolutely crackers over this low carb crispbread! When I grabbed a package of crispbread from Trader Joe’s a couple of months ago, it was love at first bite and I knew I had to try and re-create it at home. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I could do it, but was ecstatic with the results the first time I tried it. Why all the excitement? When I cleaned up my diet by going plant-based, one of the interesting “side effects” was a desire to cutting back on my bread consumption.…
warming indian mulligatawny soup (vegan, dairy free, oil free, no added sugar, gluten free)
As someone who prefers to use medication as an absolute last resort, I’m always on the lookout for food and recipes that give the body a fighting chance against infection before medication is needed. And this warming Indian mulligatawny soup is just what the homeopathic doctor ordered. Chock full of spices, vegetables and a kick of plant-based protein from red lentils, this soup comes together easily even if the ingredient list looks intimidating. Actually, it’s exactly because of all these ingredients (which are mostly spices) that makes this soup an excellent meal especially during cold and flu season. For example: Ginger strengthens the immune system, helps with digestion and helps…
my favorite hot drinks for cold weather + fighting viruses naturally
Cold weather and “cold” weather call for hot drinks, don’t they? So far, we’ve managed to avoid the worst of the flu bug that’s going around and I’m praying it stays that way – or at least doesn’t happen around the time I’m supposed to head to the Dominican Republic on a mission trip with two of my children. Today I’m sharing three of my favorite hot drinks that are frequently in rotation plus at the end of the post, two of my favorite ways of fighting cold and flu viruses naturally. Hot Lemon Ginger Cleansing Tea For upset stomach or to help with detox, this lemon…
his ‘n hers secret ingredient vegan black bean chili
Before I adopted a plant-based diet, there were some dishes that I never made with meat. Like pasta sauce (here’s my go to recipe). And chili. Not sure why, but for some reason, I never liked the addition of meat in these dishes. However, once I went all in on the vegan eating, I knew I had to pay more attention to my protein sources. Let’s pause a minute on this while I clear up the myth that you can’t get “enough” protein on a plant-based diet… First, all plants have protein, though some have more than others (think nuts, legumes, beans, lentils). Secondly, our bodies don’t store…
green kiwi smoothie and holiday talk (vegan, dairy free, no added sugar, nut free)
One of the things I love about eating a low added sugar, plant-based diet is how much lighter it makes me feel on the inside. I can’t remember the last time I walked away from a meal feeling sluggish and…blah. About the only time that happens is if I step outside my nutrition plan. While I do make occasional exceptions for this, after several years of eating a plant-based, diet I’m naturally motivated to stay on track because my body lets me know it is not. happy. when I don’t. (If you haven’t reached that sweet spot yet and want to, contact me here and we can talk…
mini pumpkin pie-lets …updated (vegan, dairy free)
As I was cooking for Thanksgiving last week, I discovered a bit of an oops in this recipe for mini pumpkin pie-lets. Originally, I posted that the recipe made 12 pie-lets, when really, it makes about 36. I have no idea what I was thinking when I wrote up the original. Total face palm. Hint: if you want more than a little pastry leftover to make these, then make two dozen mini pumpkin pie-lets and eat the leftover filling like pumpkin mousse. I updated the recipe in the original post plus made a slight tweak to the spices because I can’t help it…I’m always experimenting! I found that I liked…
jam roll (vegan, added sugar free, nut free)
Growing up, I always knew pie meant one thing…jam roll. I’m not sure where the tradition started, but I remember my English grandmother and my mom making them – often using strawberry or raspberry jam as the filling. It’s a completely genius way to use up scraps of pastry left over from pastry making and there’s something so right about warm jam between a crispy layer of pastry. Here’s how it’s done. 1. Reform your pastry scraps into a ball and roll out to 1/8″-1/4″ thick. 2. Spread a thin layer of jam over the pastry bringing it almost to the edges. To keep it added sugar…