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Home » Recipes

Kathy's Matcha Guide! Free Download

November 30, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 3 Comments

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My matcha guide is here! I am excited to bring you guys this PDF guide, based on one of my favorite healthy habits: matcha green tea. Kathy's Matcha Guide is a 28-page free downloadable PDF booklet on everything you ever wanted to know about matcha green tea - and more. Ahead, download the guide, learn more about my coffee -> matcha story and preview some of the content..

Inside my guide you will find:

* A few of my favorite matcha recipes - hot and cold recipes, plus a dessert!
* 7-day "Go Matcha" Guide - transition from coffee to matcha. Start a matcha habit!
* Shopping Tips - shop for matcha like a pro! Then check out my matcha brand reviews to shop online.
* Matcha 101 - everything about matcha.
* My coffee -> matcha story - how I transitioned away from my unhealthy coffee habit.
* Interview with a matcha expert.
* Loads of photos.

DOWNLOAD KATHY'S MATCHA GUIDE!

I am such a fan of matcha green tea, as many of you already know. So this guide is my way to share everything I have learned about matcha with you guys.

I have been studying matcha for a few years now - ever since my big matcha brand review on my blog..

Coffee Lover? If you are worried that I am suggesting that you quit coffee 100% in order to embrace matcha, don't worry! There are so many ways to embrace matcha. You can alternate between coffee and matcha, have coffee once a week or less (like me) or you can quit coffee completely and replace it with matcha green tea. Or at the very least, add 1-2 matcha lattes to your week and see how you feel! Give those green tea antioxidants and a Zenergized mood a try.

Coffee As a Treat. As for me, I still drink espresso beverages because I love the flavor and aroma of coffee. My frequency of a soy or almond espresso latte is about once every 1-2 weeks. But the best part now is that coffee is a treat, rather than an addiction. I enjoy my coffee beverages so much more now, and never feel like I "need" them. I drink them because I enjoy the flavor, cultural experience and beauty of them.

And my body actually seems to react much better to coffee when I have it just once in a while as opposed to every day.

When Traveling. I just returned back from a European vacay to London and Belfast, where is was tricky to find matcha lattes. Though I did find a few, hooray! But when faced with traveler's jet lag and fatigue, combined with the cold, rainy late fall weather, I craved a warm beverage several times each day. And there were espresso beverages everywhere. At our hotels, served at cute corner cafes and of course Starbucks! (And fun fact, the Starbucks in London do not serve matcha like here in the USA.)

..So, what did I do? Did I give in to the allure of downing several espresso latte beverages each day? Nope. Instead of guzzling coffee every chance I had, like I would have done five years ago, I actually chose to order herbal teas with lemon, peppermint or a few chai lattes. Or I reached for water, fresh juices, coconut water, fresh fruit, soups or other hydrating beverages and foods that I knew would nourish my wellness. Most of the time, when matcha was not an option, I actually chose to skip coffee. I can thank my matcha habit for allowing me to feel like I was in control over my caffeine intake. And feeling like I actually didn't need it to function.

So if you want to learn more about matcha and check out the coffee -> matcha challenge in the PDF, download my free matcha guide today!

Encha Organic Matcha Ambassador. I was so happy to collaborate with Encha Organic Matcha on this guide. All the content was written by me, with some expert tips and information about matcha provided by Encha's founder Li Gong. He is a wealth of information about matcha and I was lucky to have him as a resource for this guide. Encha is one of my "top pick" matcha brands, more are listed in the guide. I am loving the opportunity to work with them as a matcha ambassador. Working with my favorite brands is my goal for my blog, so what a thrill to be able to do that here.

A mini sneak peek look at some the booklet content!..

Why Drink Matcha?

1. Zen-ergy. Most matcha drinkers find that matcha gives them a unique “Zen-energized” feeling that lasts for hours. Zenergy can be described as a calm and focused mood and mind - combined with an alert and energized physical state.

2. Energy Boost. Matcha’s “Zenergy” is jitter-free, and lasts for many hours, as opposed to coffee beverages that may jolt you through a roller coaster ride of energy spikes and crashes. (details in the guide)

3. Antioxidant Boost. 1 serving of matcha contains 240mg catechins (a super antioxidant!)

..more reasons in the guide.

Questions that are answered in the guide:

* What are some of the possible benefits of regular consumption of matcha?
* Why should consumers choose organic matcha?
* Why does quality vary so greatly among matcha brands?
* How should I store matcha? (fridge or countertop, etc)

Recipes in the guide:
* My favorite matcha lattes
* My favorite matcha shake, aka matcha blender ice cream
* My favorite matcha-infused raw dessert (cheesecake!)
* Traditionally prepared matcha tea

My Matcha Shopping Guide gives you insider tips for choosing the best possible matcha for you.

* Organic? I only buy organic matcha. (more details in the guide)
* Storage? Keep matcha away from light, moisture and heat... (more details in the guide)
* Price? You get what you pay for, in most cases. Matcha that is super inexpensive and seems too good to be true, probably is. In general, expect to pay $20-40 for 30g of highest quality matcha. You may need to think of matcha as a “splurge” item. Nothing is worse than buying a tin of “bad” matcha to save a few bucks, then hating it altogether.... (more details in the guide)
* Quality? Ceremonial matcha is the highest quality of matcha. "Culinary" is a lower quality, meaning it may have a more bitter, dull flavor and less bright green, muddy color. However, check out my review for discrepancies. (More details in the guide)
* Origin? I strictly only buy matcha from Japan. I do not buy matcha from China.
* Color is an important indicator of quality. Spring green is what you are looking for...
* Top Pick Brands (Get my top pick brands and more matcha shopping tips in the guide.)

More Matcha Links here on HealthyHappyLife:

* Mint Chocolate Matcha Cups
* Frosty Cantaloupe Matcha Shake
* Lemon Cheesecake with Matcha
* Mint Matcha Chis Seed Pudding with chocolate
* Matcha Smoothie Bowls
* Vanilla-Matcha Granola
* Watermelon Ice Cream with matcha option
* Secret Ingredient Matcha Shake
* 7 Tips for the Best Matcha Latte
* Spring Fling Scones
* Matcha Buying Guide - Brand Reviews

disclosure: This guide is part of my 2015 Encha Organic Matcha Cultural Ambassadorship - all guide content is created by me, all opinions are my own. Thank you to Encha for making this matcha guide possible!

Healthy Happy Gift Guide 2015

November 29, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 3 Comments

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Well since everyone loves a good gift guide this time of year, I decided to join in the fun and share my fave gift ideas. So here is my Healthy Happy Gift Guide 2015! Picks including food, fashion, kitchen, kid, beauty and more goodies.

I hate focusing on gifts during the holiday season, but I do admit that I find the gift browsing and giving parts quite enjoyable. Even if I don't buY the items on these "gift lists" for Christmas, I do love coming back to those "finds" for future birthdays, weddings, showers, etc. So bring on the gift lists! (Even if you don't buy a single thing.)

But I have to confess, as a kid I was pretty obsessed with Christmas lists. In our humble household of four, I considered myself the queen of the Christmas list. I had a very systematic way of figuring out what would make my list..

Flashback to my childhood. First, I would rip through the giant Sunday newspaper and pull out stacks of thick, glossy gift guides. Toys-R-Us would always have one, hundreds of pages of ideas for a wide-eyed kid. Then there were more humble brands like Macy's (because even a kid needs fuzzy socks and cool Garfield pajamas), and even Radio Shack. Yes, Radio Shack was actually really cool in the 80's and 90's. I mean, where else could you find the remote control cars, double cassette playing boom boxes and Walkman headsets to pair with your Paula Abdul and Color Me Bad tapes? Hello 1989.

But back to my list. I would flip through every single page of those gift guides and circle everything that looked appealing to my eight, nine or ten year old eyes. I remember one year I was convinced that I needed a robot toy that played games with you. It had a mini basketball hoop and several electronic games built into its robot body. I guess this was the 80's version of iPhone's Siri. I never did get that darn robot. Good call mom.

Once I had all my items circled, I would create a master list that spanned for pages. Then through careful consideration, I narrowed down my list and carefully hand the final draft, beautifully penned, "Kathy's Christmas List" to my mother. Who I knew from experience had some sort of close ties with Santa Claus, because every year she had dozens of his presents carefully tucked away in the back of her closet, on the far side, behind the rows of hanging work suits, sometimes under a giant blanket or towel.

Christmas day would come and go and the truth is, I usually only got one or two items from my actual list. Mostly because my parents knew that most of the toys that made it there were not really things I wanted or needed, but rather things that were well marketed. Things the toy companies told me I wanted.

I think my toy-choosing holiday behavior stopped once I hit junior high school and I realized that there was more to the holidays than the newest Care Bear, Barbie Doll Dream House (I never did get one of those) or fancy video game. By high school I just wanted a stack of gift certificates for the mall, new clothes, Wet and Wild lipstick and a new CD by some new teen singer named Britney Spears.

Today, as a mature adult, Christmas is usually a few little items, carefully wrapped just for the joy of opening presents - along with maybe one larger item or trip/experience or fancy dinner or something nice to celebrate the holiday season. Then of course gifts for my niece and nephew.

Today I like to focus on embracing the values of the holiday season, being compassionate, reflecting on your life and family and just spending some quality time with people I love.

And when I do buy gifts, I like to spend money on brands and products that I respect. Brands that bring health and happiness (wellness) to the people I buy them for. I love introducing people to some of MY favorite vegan, wellness brands via gift giving. So with that, here is my gift guide this year!

Healthy Happy Gift Guide 2015

categories:
Kitchen + Cafe Goodies
Go Big or Go Home
For the Kiddos
Food Items
Fashion
Inspired Moods
Beauty
Cookbooks

Kitchen + Cafe Goodies

* Encha Organic Matcha: This 5-piece matcha gift set is the PERFECT way to start a healthy matcha habit. Also download my FREE 28-page Kathy's Matcha Guide. It includes recipes, tips and everything about matcha!

* Dishes and Mugs from Bambeco: I recently gave my kitchen goodies a makeover by buying TONS of products from Bambeco. Including all these goodies.. (Stoneware salad plate, Cafe Au Lait mug set, Recycled Pint Glass in Aqua, Stoneware Oval Bakers, Potter's Craft Mug.

Go Big Or Go Home Gifts
These are investment purchase gifts! Big price tags, big wellness benefits. long lasting goodies.

* Bellicon Rebounder: I am obsessed with my rebounder from Bellicon. I use it at least once every few days. It not only gives me a fun workout, but also is a wonderful way to stimulate your lymphatic system. I first bought a "cheaper" rebounder from another company and returned it because it was shaky and loud. The Bellicon is amazing! Highest quality and cute too with its color-customizable features. Plus, out cats love lounging on it. 🙂

* Vitamix: You guys know I think every household should own a Vitamix. And the holiday season is the perfect time to make that big investment purchase. This is a gift that will keep on giving all year long - for many years to come. Buy a Vitamix for someone in your life who you think deserves and craves more health and wellness. It is a big ticket item, but I will say it a million times, worth every penny. Read my guide to learn How to Choose the Right Vitamix for you.

* Professional Steam Cleaner: For the past few years, since being a two cat household, my asthma and allergies have really been acting up. So we recently dove in a purchased a steam cleaner. The difference in our household is amazing. Though we already had a high quality IQAir air purifier and keep a clean house, the steam cleaner goes that extra mile to stomp out allergens and keep things clean. I love it so much. We chose a Dupray Steam Cleaner and love it.

* Professional Camera: For the photography lover in your life (or yourself) a professional camera is a dream! Check out What's in my Camera Bag to see what I use. Or if you really want to splurge, you cannot get much better than the Canon Mark.

For the Kiddos

* Build-a-Bouquet or Salad Set by Green Toys
* Eco-Friendly Kids Shopping Cart by Plan Toys
* Organic Cotton Tilly the Cat
* Nat geo Starry Night Lantern

Food Items

* Vegan Sacred Chocolate: OBSESSED with these. Sacred is one of my favorite vegan chocolate brands. I adore them all. Give chocolate and get smiles in return! My fave flavor is this Amazonian in red.

* Philosophie Superfoods: Love all these! Green Dream, Cacao Magic and Berry Bliss.

* Ojio Superfoods (Turmeric is my fave!)

* LOVE Gift Boxes from Penzey's Spices: I love Penzey's high quality spices so much! Try their cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extracts, cocoa powder or cocoa mix Frozen Pizza Seasoning, Sandwich Sprinkle and more.

Fashion Gifts

* Vaute Couture Anything: this cute coat, this "Eats Her Veggies" tank, this gown, tees and more. (Red coat pic is me wearing a Vaute coat in Ireland!)...

* Anything from Herbivore Clothing Company: vegan everything! Cute tees, accessories, books and so much more!

* GUNAS Bags. I love my pretty turquoise bag and they have so many beautiful vegan styles!

* BeetxBeet: These tees are so fun! I love the Vegans are Magical and Plant Based Party tees.

* Jill Milan Goodies: Hollywood Hills Crossbody, Canaan Clutch Wallet, Long White Coat

* Eat More Rabbit Food tees for the kiddos. I mean, too much cute here..

* The Tree Kisser tees and more. Love them all!

* Claire Farwell London I love all these party approved dressed from vegan designer Claire Farwell. You may remember me wearing one in a holiday video from last year!

* Vegan Shoes!! There are too many amazing vegan shoe companies nowadays. Seriously, we are finally in a vegan shoe paradise. Here are a few brands.. Moo Shoes (one stop shop), Cri de Coeur (go-to Adelaide booties), Beyond Skin (farrah over the knee boots are a style trend! These red heels are Xmas party approved.), Nicora Johns (Sparkly solid gold Sally's - I own a pair and love them!)

* Pammies: New vegan boots from Pamela Anderson.

Inspired Moods

* Your Joyologist, Tricia has some awesome items. I love the wine glasses and journals. "Let that Shit Go" and "Own Your Awesome."

* Yoga Wear! I love comfy yoga-inspired apparel. A few fave brands.. Hardtail and Onzie. Also, BlackMilk has some fun designs like Game of Thrones leggings. And for Hardtail, I own and love these three things: this comfy bra, this pullover, these organic leggings. Onzie has beautiful leggings as well, like these in Daydream. (all shown below)

Beauty

* Tata Harper - I love this brand. Their resurfacing mask, which smells amazing, would make a great gift. You can see which of their products are vegan in this great blogpost by Ethical Elephant.

* Lip Gloss by Tarte - vegan certified and oh so pretty. Buy it here.

Cookbooks!

Cookbooks are gifts that keep on giving! So here are two books I think are pretty awesome, I may be a bit biased of course..

Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen

365 Vegan Smoothies

Links to some other great gift guides I have come across..

* Girlie Girl Army 2015 Gift Guide
* Olives For Dinner Cookbook Gift Guide
* The Body Book Gift Guides

What did I miss? What are YOU gift giving this year? Leave your ideas or fave brands in the comments section!

Happy holidays to all of you. xoxo

Hot cocoa + Pumpkin Nog cheers!

* Disclosure: some of these links contain affiliate links - such as Amazon and Vitamix. Purchasing via my links is a great way to support my blog work! I am also an Encha organic matcha ambassador, and adore their products.

Images: gift guide images are pulled from the seller's online store - copyright to their websites.

Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad with crunchy pecans, celery, cinnamon, sweet raisins

November 24, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 14 Comments

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Hello from London! For the past pre-holiday week I have been happily visiting one of my favorite cities in the UK - splendid, lovely London. Preparing for the chilly weather, I unearthed my winter gear from the back bin in my closet back in sunny Los Angeles. Goodbye tank tops, flip flops and ballet shoes, hello winter boots, warm socks, long sleeves, long scarves and red noses. Trekking around London in this icy weather requires a warm coat and frequent stops for hot peppermint, lemon-ginger tea and wide mugs of foamy soy lattes. Plenty of warm vegan porridge too! But it is so magical to trek through the crisp cold air over cobblestone streets, lovely winding paths, parks, historical sites, neighborhoods and underground "Tube" stations. But today, quickly, I wanted to pop in here and share a delicious side dish recipe I made last week...

This cinnamon-hinted Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad has sweet cubes of roasted butternut squash, crunchy bits of celery, citrus, plump sweet organic raisins (cranberries work too!) and crunchy pan-toasted pecans. The very light dressing is a mixture of tahini, maple and cinnamon.

Plus, check out what I've done in London so far!..

So far in London..
Walked alllllll over the city. Bundled up like a vegan burrrrrito. Thank you Vaute coat for keeping me warm!
Dinner at Mildred's, Wild Food Cafe and more. I am SO impressed with London's vegan options! I could seriously live here. So many more spots than the last time i visited over ten years ago. Every place has been fantastic!
Mornings are lovely too. Amazing coffee, matcha lattes, fruit and porridge for breakfasts
Broadway is one of the main things I miss about living in NYC, so I was super excited about seeing a show on the WestEnd, London's version of Broadway. We saw a Saturday matinee show of Les Miserables starring the wonderful Peter Lockyer as Jean Valjean. This was my third time seeing Les Mis and it was amazing, no surprise. But it felt extra special here in London. They used the spinning stage technique, something I had not seen yet with Les Mis. The show is a MUST see for any West End / Broadway fans visiting London.
We also took a boat ride to the O2 Arena and went to the ATP Tennis Finals to watch the Federer vs. Djokovic match, which was splendid. So fun.

But most of all in London, I love simply wandering the streets, listening to Londoners chat and stroll and mingle. This city is filled with friendly, charming energy -- even despite the frigid temperatures! But luckily, no rain!

Thanksgiving Week! Need recipes? Check out these posts!..

* 25 reasons to host a vegan Thanksgiving, aka Thanksliving.
* Vegan Thanksgiving Menu 2015 + tons of recipes.

Butternut Squash Pecan Crunch Quinoa Salad

By kathy patalsky
Published 11/24/2015
Butternut Squash Pecan Crunch Quinoa Salad

This lively quinoa salad makes a delicious side dish. Add tempeh, tofu or beans or lentils to make this a fabulous fall entree.

Ingredients

  • 4 ½ cups cooked quinoa (1 ½ cups dry quinoa to cook)
  • 1 small butternut squash, peeled de-seeded and cubed - about 2 cups cooked
  • ⅓ cup raisins or dried cranberries, organic
  • 1 ¼ cups celery, thinly sliced
  • ⅓ cup raw pecans, chopped
  • 2 teaspoon tahini, softened
  • 1 large satsuma, peeled and chopped + ½ teaspoon zest (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Prepare your quinoa - fluffy and light. Directions here. Add quinoa to a large mixing bowl.
  2. In a skillet, over high heat, toast the pecans for 2-3 minutes. Add them to the quinoa bowl.
  3. For the butternut squash: roast, steam or boil. Roasting brings out the most flavor. Boiling or steaming is the fastest. To roast, toss the squash with 1-2 teaspoon oil (I like virgin coconut or EVOO) and lay flat on a baking sheet. Roast at 415 degrees until tender. For boiling, simply boil in a pot of water until tender, then drain water.
  4. Add to the bowl: celery, raisins, citrus, butternut squash. Toss everything together. Then add the tahini, maple and cinnamon and fold until well distributed.
  5. Serve warm right away, or place in the fridge, covered, and serve when desired. This quinoa salad is delicious served warm or chilled.
  6. Optional ingredients to add: beans, tempeh bacon or cubed tempeh, skillet tofu, lentils. Also try: thinly sliced green apple, Medjool dates or pears.

Yield: 5 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 30 mins.
Total time: 40 mins.
Tags: quinoa,vegan,side,recipe,salad,celery,butternut, cinnamon,grain,entree,

Some of my adventures are on my Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat social accounts - I would love it if you followed me! I love interacting with you guys on social.

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And don't miss my Maple Pumpkin Pie for holiday dessert!

Wild Blueberry Cranberry Sauce

November 17, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 9 Comments

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This deep purple, dreamy, magical cranberry sauce turns everything up a notch for your holiday (or any day) table. My Wild Blueberry Cranberry Sauce is brimming with dark berry goodness - accented with citrus, apple and cinnamon. The flavors and texture are reminiscent or a luscious, gooey, sticky-sweet, tart berry pie filling.

The flavors are sweet and zingy, perky and bright. You can serve this sauce warm or chilled. The blueberries and apple mellow out the usual zingy flavor of cranberry sauce. Spoon dive into this side dish!..

Jellied version, aka blend until silky style..

I was inspired to make a blueberry-cranberry sauce when I saw this recipe for Blueberry Cabernet Cranberry Sauce by fellow food blogger Averie. But I really didn't want to booze up my cranberry sauce. I know, I know, WHY in the world not?? Well, I just wanted to try this new-to-me blueberry-cranberry sauce thing on its own. And I am glad I did!

I used organic wild blueberries from my freezer, added an apple and tangerine from my local farmer's market, a cinnamon stick and a few sweet add-ins and this sauce was born.

I consider this sauce to be low in added sugar. Most cranberry sauces ask you to add one cup of sugar. But I tried to keep it to only ¼ cup of raw coconut sugar - and it worked quite well. The blueberry and apple added an extra boost of sweetness.

Pro-Tip: If you still think this (or any) cranberry sauce is too tart -- try adding an extra ¼ - ½ cup of water. This thins and mellows everything out. And cranberry really does well in a thinned out state - because it is loaded with pectin, which is a natural thickener.

And you guys already know this, but this sauce is SO good for you. Rich in fiber and loaded with berry phytochemicals from all those deep, dark berry pigments. Blueberries, as you may already know are one of the healthiest fruits you can eat, so add in some cranberries, apple and citrus and you get a pretty nice nutrition boost to your meal.

Creative Serving Ideas: This cranberry sauce tastes super yummy swirled into vegan plain or vanilla yogurt, or chocolate banana ice cream! It is also yummy slathered on a veggie burger or savory vegan sandwich.

Wild Blueberry Cranberry Sauce

Wild Blueberry Cranberry Sauce

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 11/16/2015
This rich and alluring cranberry sauce is accented with blueberries, apple and cinnamon. Super dreamy and flavorful. Perfect for the holidays or any day!

Ingredients

  • 1 bag cranberries, 12 ounces, organic
  • ¾ cup frozen wild blueberries, organic
  • 1 medium apple, diced (golden variety used)
  • 1 tangerine or satsuma, peeled and broken into segments
  • 1 teaspoon citrus zest (from the tangerine)
  • ½ - 1 teaspoon virgin coconut oil (optional)
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar
  • ¼ cup water (add more if desired - to taste)
  • 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

  1. Add all the ingredients (including the cinnamon stick) to a big soup pot and heat over medium-high heat, constantly stirring and mashing the fruit a bit.
  2. When the mixture has softened and thickened, turn heat to low.
  3. Transfer half of the mixture to a blender and blend from low to high until smooth. Then pour back into the pot and fold the puree mixture with the chunky mixture. If you prefer, you can keep everything chunky -- or puree the entire mixture for silky smooth sauce.
  4. Pour the sauce into a large bowl and place in the fridge, covered, until ready to serve. This sauce is also delicious served warm! (I like the store the cinnamon stick in the serving bowl as a garnish accent -- you can also discard after sauce is cooked.)

Yield: 3 cups
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.
Total time: 20 mins.
Tags: sauce,cranberries,thanksgiving,holiday,cranberry sauce,apple,blueberries,side dish,pie

Nutrition, for the entire recipe..

Need more holiday ideas? Check out my Thanksgiving Menu 2015!

How to Choose a Vitamix Guide

November 16, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 15 Comments

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For the past few weeks, I have been so excited to take the latest Vitamix model, the Vitamix 780, for a spin! Or, a whirl. A swirl? A blend? Whatever I get to do with it I am just excited to try it and bring the results of my Vitamix adventures to you guys. Plus I share my insight on which Vitamix I think you should purchase for your kitchen if you are looking to buy!..

Updated: I highly advise browsing Vitamix machines on Amazon! If you are a Prime member, you will get free shipping and there are some amazing deals!

Vitamix 780. There are already a few touchscreen blenders on the market, but hooray, this is the first touchscreen offering from Vitamix. So along with its "Vitamix" status (which pretty much ensures that you get a great machine) - this G-Class model machine comes with a whole boatload of snazzy features...

Vitamix 780 Features:

* Touchscreen - Responsive Touchscreen Control Panel.
* Modern Design - Design offers a sleek silhouette that looks gorgeous in your kitchen.
* Easy to Clean - Sleek front panel is easy to clean in one quick swoop. Pre-programmed "cleaning" setting too.
* Fits Your Kitchen - It comes with a low-profile 64-ounce container that fits easily below most overhead cabinets.
* Programs - Buttons for five pre-programmed settings for soups, smoothies, cleaning and more.
* Pulse - Pulse button for making chunky salsas or soups.
* Power - Powerful 2.2-peak horsepower motor.
* Warranty - Free 7-year warranty comes standard.
* Ultra Low to High Blending - My favorite feature of all Vitamix blenders is their ability to go from ultra low speed blending to powerful high speed blending in seconds. It is a must for me.

Crash Course In Vitamix Models. OK, so buying a Vitamix can be a confusing task. Vitamix offers a wide variety of models and packages, so I am here to give some quick insight.

First thing to know: there are three categories of Vitamix blenders: S, C and G.

S-Series - Basically a mini Vitamix, less versatility in blending, but an awesome machine. I use the S-30 for small batches of recipes.  This model has less power than C and G Series machines.


*image credit: Vitamix.com

C-Series - Classic Series. All the essential features you want from a Vitamix can be found in these models. If choosing a C-Series, I say choose the

My Best Creamy Potato Soup

November 13, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 10 Comments

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You know the cliché of licking the bowl when you make a fluffy, yummy cupcake frosting? Well, I have hit a new mark when it comes to bowl-scraping goodness. This soup. Along with spoon scraping every last drop of this soup, I was dancing around my kitchen singing, "Best soup ever. Best soup ev-errrrrrr." My husband, who actually chose to have leftover spaghetti and meatless balls instead of this soup wasn't in on my soup-satisfaction. But I can guarantee you that when I serve him a bowl tonight, he will be dancing along with me.

The Best Creamy Potato Soup. Rich and silky, creamy and luscious. Spicy, kinda cheezy, and lovingly smoky, with an accent of sweetness somewhere underneath all those rich, bold savory layers. But really, it is all about the texture. This classic thick, velvety, creamy potato texture that doesn't come from just a quick heat and serve method. You slowly simmer this soup to let the starchiness from the potatoes mingle with the cauliflower and spices and wait for the soup magic to happen. I hope you try this soup and do a soup-happy dance in your kitchen as well..

The best. I do not use that label often. I even checked. All my "bests" are here.

My 25 Best Vegan Pumpkin Recipes
My Best Ice Cream
My 7 Tips for the Best Matcha Latte
My Best Vegan Cookie Recipe
My Best Little Snack Cookies to Nibble

So today, my best potato soup. Love love love this recipe.

Ingredients Chatter:

That white yam.. I had one small sized white yam that I used in this recipe. I think the white yam really helped both the texture (white yams are incredibly starchy and dense) and flavor, they have a mild sweetness. So if you can find a small white yam for this recipe that is the best outcome. BUT if you cannot find a white yam you have two options: 1) try a small regular sweet potato. But this will change the color a bit. 2) Use another plain white potato and if you'd like, add a teaspoon of maple or agave syrup to add a tiny accent of sweetness.

But seek out that white yam! They are pretty awesome in creamy soups. Anyone who has my cookbook will know that I actually have a soup called White Velvet Soup which uses white sweet potatoes. Sooooo good.

Shopping Tip: White yams/sweet potatoes may also be called Japanese sweet potatoes in the store. They usually have purple or purple-red skin and their skin seems a bit thinner than most orange sweet potatoes.

For the regular "white" potatoes, I used two extra large round-ish red potatoes and peeled off about 75% of the skin. I left some on just to add some extra fiber/nutrients because potato skin is so dense in those good things. You could also use one large russet potato (peeled) or two large yellow (round) potatoes. Lots of options for the white potatoes.

For Vegan Bacon, aka facon, I used Sweet Earth Food's Benevolent Bacon. But you could also use vegan tempeh bacon.

Just make sure you simmer is slow + low. For as long as you can restrain yourself from pouring a bowl. It is all about the simmer.

Folding @sweetearthfoods benevolent bacon into my cheezy spicy creamy potato-cauliflower soup. #vegan #dinner #soupseason #imOnAvideoKickLatelyCanYouTell?
A video posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Nov 11, 2015 at 5:57pm PST

The Best Creamy Potato Soup

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 11/13/2015
The Best Creamy Potato Soup

This is the best potato soup I have ever made. I do not know why exactly, but the combo of flavors, quality of ingredients and long, slow simmering process really made this soup rich, creamy, smoky and amazing.

Ingredients

  • 2-3 large red potatoes, mostly peeled + chopped
  • 1 small cauliflower or ½ large cauliflower, thick stems removed - broken into florets
  • 1 small white sweet potato (could be replaced with regular sweet potato or another white potato)
  • 1 tablespoon spices (my blend had: ancho chili, paprika, cumin, curry, turmeric, onion)
  • 1 large sweet onion, diced
  • ¼ - ½ cup nutritional yeast
  • 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2-3 cups vegetable broth OR vegan 'chickenless' broth
  • ½ cup diced vegan "bacon bits" - try: DIY smoky tempeh bacon or vegan Benevolent Bacon by SweetEarthFoods
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • Optional Garnish:
  • diced avocado + lime juice
  • more vegan bacon bits on top
  • Also: salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Bring a giant pot of water to a boil and add all the potatoes and the cauliflower. Boil until tender. If the cauliflower cook faster than your potatoes, you can start straining out whatever is "done" and add it to you large blender container.
  2. Onion: Add half of the portion of onion to the blender and the other half to a separate side bowl. This side bowl will be all your fold in "chunky" ingredients. So the soup is mostly pureed, but with some chunky accents. Also to this bowl you can add 1 cup cooked cauliflower and 1 cup of the cooked chopped potatoes.
  3. To the blender: Add all the cooked potatoes and cauliflower -- except for the reserved portions you just added to the chunky add ins side bowl. Also add in the spices, nutritional yeast, EVOO, garlic and as much broth as you can add without overloading your blender. BLEND until silky and creamy.
  4. Empty out the big pot you have been using. Pour the blended mixture into the pot and turn the heat to medium. Fold in the "chunky side bowl" ingredients (potatoes, cauliflower and some onion). Also add in the bay leaf. Stir everything together. If your soup is really thick, like a soft hummus or thick pea soup, you need to add more broth. If it is nice and thin like a marinara sauce, then that is a good place to be. You will be simmering low and long. That will slowly thicken the soup.
  5. Simmer the soup over low-medium heat, uncovered if you are trying to thicken it and covered if you are happy with the consistency. I simmered for about 45 minutes before serving.
  6. About ten minutes before serving, fold in the vegan bacon bits. You can fold these in cold or saute them in a separate pan first. After adding the vegan bacon, do a taste test and add salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Serve your soup with optional avocado and more vegan bacon bits on top. Enjoy!

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 50 mins.
Total time: 60 mins.
Tags: soup,potato,cauliflower,vegan,creamy,entree,comfort food,

Estimate using tempeh bacon (per serving - 4 servings total):

To Share or Not To Share? Being 'Real' Online.

November 12, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 11 Comments

kathy on iphone

post updated: Nov 12, 2015

Kathy Patalsky Hiding Behind Laptop

You stare intensely at your phone's screen like a cat staring at a bag of kitty treats. Inspiration hits you, humming through your warm body. A voice inside you wants to share. Your thoughts play with a sentence, idea, hashtag, video, image. The "publish" button is just a touchscreen finger click away. Hm. Do I share this? Is this annoying? Is this TMI? Will people care? What word should I use here? Shoot, over the character limit. Re-write! Ahh, nevermind. Delete. Or... Posted! I shared. That felt good. *awaits any possible feedback*

What, where and how much of our lives do we share in this anything goes state of the Internet?

I mean, just this week I have watched more than my share of Shia Labeouf's #AllMyMovies. Over-sharing at its finest. Watching a live stream of Shia sit in a dark movie theater, quietly watching films he has been in, with modest reactions here and there, has been strangely addicting. Is this where internet culture is leading us?..

A perpetual livestream of our lives?

As I ponder social media, blogging, vlogging, 'gramming, snapping, streaming and everything in between, I keep asking myself this question.. "Do we need to share our vulnerable, quiet, reflective side of ourselves to be seen as "real people" in the online space?"

I have seen many tweets saying that Shia is a genius and that people "love him even more now!" Well, why is this? He hasn't changed during his three day movie marathon. Just the image he has projected to us has changed. It is truly unedited. Candid. Honest. Real. (Or is it? Is he acting? I don't think so. But who knows, really.)

Today I am chatting about social media, privacy, transparency in blogging and just what the term "real" means when it comes to your image online..

To Share of Not To Share?

That is The (Modern Day) Question. I am pretty sure that if Shakespeare were alive today he would be all over social media. Yes? Sure, he would have resisted at first, but eventually, he'd be like Lin Manuel Miranda, a total phone addict with a ba-zillion eager followers. Maybe he'd tweet this...

@WillianS:

"Hey tweeps, working on a new "dreamy" play. Fairies, fun and frolicking. #SummerIsComing"

"The plot twist in my latest love story is going to have you guys buzzing! #StarCrossed #YouAintReadyFoThisDram #RandJ"

..OK, so he would probably be A LOT more graceful in his sentence structure and vocab, but you get the idea.

But would William be tweeting about his personal life?

His writer's block? Inner struggles? Relationship issues? Would he livestream himself acting out his own plays as a new form of art? Or would he simply shun social media altogether? Who knows. But lately I ponder things like this more and more.

Kathy in ireland, red coat

My Story. Hi.

I am a blogger. A public person. I have chosen to write about my life online -- in pieces -- mostly through the medium of recipes, travel, photography and wellness. If I held this career twenty-five years ago, I would simply be an author, my entire identity tucked away within the confines of your nearest Barnes & Noble, Crown Books or Waldenbooks. My face, story and work only unearthed by those who bought my books, read about me in a local newspaper or met me at a book signing.

Private life. Public work.

But having this career today, the public space online is where my brand lives and how I communicate with, well, anyone with internet access.

Hello World. This modern-day communication phenomenon is true not just for writers and bloggers, but also companies, chefs, life coaches, agents, doctors, actors, personal trainers, politicians, artists, service people, lawyers and beyond.

If your career touches other people, you are probably somewhere online.

The amount of people chatting online has swelled and popped in the past few years, like a warm fizzy bottle of shaken soda, exploding and frothing over the sides, the fizz just keeps flowing.

Check out these stats.. Nearly 2.1 billion people have social media accounts..

Social Media Stats

For the first time ever, in the history of the world, people have the option to be easily accessible, public and candid about their day to day lives to an audience of  2.1 billion people.

It is pretty remarkable when you think about how many people you can reach from that tiny phone you hold in your hand. We are sharing thoughts, ideas, stories and art and influencing each other every time we click that "submit" button. And anyone with internet access can participate -  right now, social media is free of charge.

The door is wide open for anyone to share anything.

And people are sharing. We like it. No, no. We LOVE IT.

Internet addiction is real.

The next time you take a flight, just watch how many people dive for their phones after the "you are now free to use your cellular devices" announcement from the pilot.

*photo credit: Kayla Ramirez - lovely bloggers at my book party snapping pics

What Happened to Good, Old Fashioned, Privacy?

Privacy used to be something that people clung to like a Bible in church on Sunday. They held is close and left it alone. "______ is a private, family issue." Was a common explanation for keeping quiet.

But in the past few years "putting everything out there" and "being real" via the internet has become the popular, widely accepted thing to do. Especially among young people.

Both people and brands are learning that social media thrives when content is honest, authentic, candid, vulnerable, real, raw and personal. Obviously Shia has mastered this with #allmymovies.

Privacy vs. Being "Real."

Back to my story. When sharing anecdotes about my personal life online, I am constantly trying to strike a balance between "being candid and personal" but still keeping a certain level of privacy. I do what feels right. Inspiration is born from my heart and soul, and whether or not I actually share those thoughts and feelings -- well that comes from my gut.

But even still, the fine line of what I will not share has been slowly changing through the years. Getting more personal. Accepting to invite people closer into my life, my home, my head.

This is the trend online. Topics that used to be shocking are now commonplace. People are sharing more intimately than ever. The trend seems to be as real and authentic as possible online.

Recent Backlash in Fakeness, aka the UNreal. There is huge backlash for "fake" people and voices online. People who photoshop images, promote products without disclosing, only show the certain sides of their life experience, project unhealthy images or body image standards, etc. Essena O'neill, the Instagram star who royally quit social media and "outed" herself as being "fake," is the perfect example of this. Her story resonated deeply for so many people.

*photo credit: Sabrina Hill -- real caption: Yes ok, I always hang out on the deck of someone's ocean-front Malibu house and sip water with lemon in some fancy clothes, vegan heels and full hair and makeup. (scale of 1-10) real factor: 2. Fun factor: 11. Yes, I was actually enjoying myself immensely.

But the truth is, this problem is not new.

For years, magazine, advertisements and brands have been projecting unrealistic images involving body image, lifestyle, finances, mood and more. Makeup, money and fashion are a part of life. Striking a balance between real people vs. what people strive to be, or what they look like in the best glowy, shiny light of life, is challenging. We all want to have our best self projected to the world while still feeling like we can be ourselves.

But we also all want to feel like we will be accepted even when we are not showing our best sides. When the "bad lighting" of life shines on our faces, our journeys.

But  "being real and open" is not so easy. It is still not the norm. And anyone who tries to be "real" will tell you that critics infest the online space.

Example...

When Britney Spears, one of the world's most successful women goes shopping to Target on a Tuesday afternoon wearing sweats and no makeup, the headline or comments section usually reacts to how "tired" or "casual" or just plain "bad" she looks. This is a woman who has made her living from an image of beauty, sex appeal and entertainment talents. So if gorgeous Britney gets bashed, what hope do normal women have? (And why are we SO fascinated by women without makeup on?)

hi.

hi

How Personal Do I Get?

Back to me. We are living in the age of the "tell all." People online are more candid and open than ever. You can google just about any life experience and find a blogpost, TED Talk, Youtube video and more talking about it. From eating disorders to drug use, marital affairs, relationship struggles, health battles, parenting woes, teenage troubles and on and on. It is pretty tough to ever feel "alone" in your particular situation nowadays.

And that, to me, is the positive outcome of this over-sharing culture we live in. I love the fact that so many people are putting their real, honest, raw stories out there online. Life's struggles are a bit less harsh when we feel less alone.

But where do we draw the line?

When is a story, tweet, image simply too personal?

Telling Your Whole Story. I run a blog called "Healthy Happy Life." From the beginning, my blog goal was to project wellness, healthy-happy-yummy recipes and joy to the world. But is that not real enough? Am I better off sharing the full picture. My bad days, moody moments, struggles with health and more?

Well, yes. I too have dabbled in this "real life" sharing phenomenon. I try to be more candid in everyday social shares, but also with writing about big stuff here on my blog. I have had my moments. I posted about my experience losing my beloved cat to cancer, and also about my past struggles with self esteem and an eating disorder.

But I do have a fine line I pause at. I am careful about not talking about my marriage on my blog. I made this decision a few years into my blogging career. I had posted a few wedding photos in a blogpost and later took them down because it felt weird to me to share those personal moments. It was a gut reaction. I wanted to keep my marriage something that was private. Personal. Special. Close to my heart. Something that was just ours. The word private, in this case, felt like something beautiful as opposed to restrictive.  (That being said, I know tons of bloggers who share their relationships beautifully. For me, I just choose not to. And who knows that may change too.)

I also see bloggers who are parents, struggling to decide how much of their kids names, faces and lives they post online.

How much do we share? Everyone wants to feel relatable. Real. Honest. Whole. Full. But achieving a full circle identity online without spilling all of your soul onto the public pavement, is a very special skill to master.

My bottom line question that I keep asking myself..

Do We Need To Show Our Strengths AND Weaknesses to Be Real People Online?

What do you think? Do we need to show photos of ourselves without makeup on, or in sloppy workout clothes or with giant bags under our eyes, in bad dressing room lighting or when we are crying or moody or mad or sad? Do we need to post videos of ourselves in a serious tone, chatting face to face about personal issues and emotions? Do we need to tweet about that horrible luck we had or the illness we are getting over or the struggle we are going through? Do we need to show the stumbling sides of ourselves to be real people?

Are we really making ourselves, fake, by only posting the happy parts of our lives? (I don't think so, but sometimes it feels that way.)

I mean, since when did all the positive, best parts of ourselves become something to frown upon? To be annoyed by? To want to clog up with the painful stuff?

Relationship Status with my Social Media Accounts: It's Complicated.

I mean, aren't we all smart enough to know that the "perfect looking" person doesn't look like that when they roll out of bed? Isn't that obvious? Or is the power of an image so strong that these obvious truths about life are slowly slipping away from us. Maybe our brains are exhausted from perfection and happy. And eventually CRAVE sloppy, mediocre, average, sad and ....real?

Privacy is Different for Everyone.

The amount of privacy each person needs and craves is very different for each individual. And there does appear to be an age gap.

The Age Gap.

I see older people really struggling with the lack of privacy online nowadays. Even ten years ago, many of the topics you can find on the "trending" page of Buzzfeed were considered taboo to chat about openly.

Nowadays, anything goes. The more oddball, perverse, candid, shocking and "real" the better. People click on those headlines, so websites keep writing them.

When the UNreal is a Good Thing.

The truth is, I enjoy both sides of the spectrum. The raw honest sharing and also the fantastical, living-my-best-life + photoshopped + dreamland stuff.

I think that a little "escape from reality" can be a great thing, therapeutic even. I mean, there is a reason why a premium pass to Disneyland is over $1000 nowadays! We crave the escape. We delight to wrap ourselves in fairytales, no matter how sticky sweet perfect they appear. We adore retro sitcoms that end happily in 30 minutes. We declare our love of unicorns and rainbows. We slip into dark theaters to watch super heroes and super lovers twinkle on big shiny screens while our eyes fondly glaze over, popcorn in our laps. In our happy place. Escape, the unreal, fantasy and even "fake" things are in many ways, very real.

kathy patalsky social media
This is how I always use my phone. Makeup and fave tight jeans on. Yeah.

So, What Have We Learned Today?

We are all humans. We all have feelings. We all have good days. Bad days. Hard days. Easy days. Successes. Failures. We can feel beautiful and we can feel ugly. What is "real" or "fake" is completely subjective because the bottom line is we are all real. We share different parts of ourselves, and in the end we have to stand behind the images and thoughts we share with the world.

We make decisions everyday about what to share, show, what words to use and what feelings to project. We should be held accountable to the image we put out there. If you don't like your image, you have the power to change it. Essena sure did.
And if you are frustrated by social media because you think you are not good at it, or just don't care much, then that is fine too. The online playing field is just another space in our world to interact -- our image"online" should not be the defining point of who we are or how we see other people.

I think the answer to the title question posed here today is this: Share what comes naturally to you.

And if all else fails, remember we have something pretty great that old Shakespeare didn't have. The delete button. The "remove post" button. The "erase my profile" button, even.

And lastly, as a lover of all things fantasyland at Disneyland, I want to make clear how much I love pretending, playing, putting on makeup once in a while, glamming up and basically turning myself into an exaggerated, fancy, not-so-real-but-oh-so-fun version of myself. And there is everything RIGHT about that for me. So lets not get too sensitive about these topics and lose our ability to play.

So go forth and enjoy social media! Send your spirit to us in the way you feel most at peace. And hopefully we can continue to create an online world where we each feel real, appreciated, loved, honest, private, beautiful, bold, fantastical, gritty, princess-like, superhero-y or whatever you want to feel from this crazy, beautiful virtual space.

*photo credit: Sabrina Hill -- real caption: me, happy picking lemons, with lots of makeup on and in someone else's lemon-tree garden in Malibu. I was actually ridiculously happy.

Sending happy, real hugs to you all. No, really.
Kathy

Bonus 'Blogger Opinion' Section!

I am SO happy to include some input from other bloggers from this topic. I asked my food blogger friends about what they will NOT share online. I also asked them to share some of their most personal blogposts. Here is what they said..

Susan, Fat Free Vegan: "I won't share anything that violates the privacy of someone else, even my immediate family members, even though the situation may be affecting my own life. I feel that other people's stories are theirs to share, not mine to use as subject matter for my blog, so I have to pass on sharing some really important things that are going on in my life out of respect to others. I'm pretty open about my own experiences, in my own time. My most personal post was about my diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer after being vegan for 20 years: My Unexpected Cancer Diagnosis."

Samantha, It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken: "I won't share anything too unappetizing (ehem bathroom talk). Table manners still apply on food blogs in my opinion! haha. Here is a post I wrote on my breakup after a 5 year relationship. I sweated and stressed, and put it off for several months before writing it, but when I finally did, it was overwhelming the amount of support I got from my readers. It really made me feel connected to them:" Breakup, Friends, Summer..

Joy, Blue Ridge Babe: "The responses I received on this post, Life with Anxiety, (that I was terrified to write) really made me feel connected to my readers. It made me feel more free to be myself on my blog/social media accounts. Really one of the best decisions I've made."

Pixie,Plant-Based-Pixie: "I won't share anything that involves other people's private lives, even if it's affecting my own. I also don't always want to share if I'm feeling terrible as I know friends and family will see it and I'm not always comfortable with that. This post took a long time for me to write, and even though it's probably not what you would expect, it was sharing something I was scared would get a lot of backlash: Why I'm Controversial in the Wellness Scene."

Sarah, Fried Dandelions: "I won't share anything with specifics on our family locations — I don't say where my son goes to school, the name of our church, where we take soccer and swimming lessons, etc. I do share snacks that I pack for school, brunches I bring to church, but never share where my kids are—common sense! I also try to be careful not to share things that might be embarrassing to my kids, or make them feel bad. And I try to keep my husband out of the blog as much as possible—it's my thing, not his. One of my more personal posts is about my son and his food allergies. Nothing private per se, but personal none the less!"

Rebecca, Strength and Sunshine: personal post: A Trichy Situation

Sophia, Veggies Don't Bite: "I'll share any of my stories that I know may help others. If it involved others I always ask first. I won't share too many specifics about the kids, personal info like locations of things in our life etc, but I am open to the point that readers feel connected. For me that's important. I enter their homes with my food and I want that connection to my home too. Here's a post that I actually just updated on our story, including my very personal experience with major fertility problems. A huge topic I am more than happy to openly talk about because I want others going through it to know they are NOT alone. And so many think they are. I wish society talked about it more. - The 90% Vegan"

Cara, Fork and Beans: "I used to be more open about my personal life (as seen in this post - Ice Cream Brownie Sandwiches) and now I prefer to keep a more private stance after 4 years of doing this. That might change as I start a family and incorporate my future kids into my posts (I mean, come on now with the chubby hands!) but for the time-being, I like keeping my business and personal life somewhat separate as I can."

Brittany, Eating Bird Food: "I don't share private topics about friends or family members, even if they are affecting me. I am really open with sharing my own personal issues. Here's a good example."

Angela, Eat Spin Run Repeat: "Occasionally I share stories about my personal struggles because I want my readers to know that just like them, my life is not perfect. I try to share life lessons that I think they can identify with and benefit from, but am careful about disclosing personal details that would compromise my safety. I also always check with my friends and family before I ever post photos of myself with them on my blog (although it is very rare that I do.) Here's a post I wrote earlier this year that I was initially scared to write, but now am so glad I did: The Biggest Lesson I learned at 26."

Richa, VeganRicha: "I have a separate blog for personal posts, which is mostly rants and a place where I do not try to stay politically correct, which becomes a necessity sometimes on the regular blog.
I don't share many private stories from the past or present because they are generally culture specific and I think it makes it harder for readers to connect to them. I find it hard to understand the context/expectation from the reader, of some posts on other blogs for the same reason.
On Instagram, I do share my location on occasion."

Lisa, TheVietVegan: "I'm notorious on my blog for sharing really personal stuff. I only ever include people in my life if they say its okay, and even when I do include other people in my blog posts, the key points of the post still centre around me. I use my blog as almost a journal. Here are two posts that pinpoint my lowest—where I felt the most vulnerable about my long term relationship. And when that ended a month later.

It hit me really hard, to the point where I lost control and developed some really unhealthy habits, about which I talk about and share my story here. Some people have talked me to and asked why I share so much, and to me it's a method of catharsis. I've always been a writer, and I've always dissected my thoughts through writing. My personal blog posts have helped me out the worst of my life, and the support and feedback I get from my community has been unreal. I don't think I'll ever not share personal stuff in my posts, not all of them are this intense, but I typically include revelations or anecdotes in my posts."

Anjali, vegetarian gastronomy: "I tend to limit myself and do not typically share much of my personal family life (i.e. pictures of my kids, husband, or even of myself). I usually am more general when I talk about my family. However, I do incorporate them into my blog posts from time to time since I cook for my family and they are part of my inspiration and love of cooking and creating. Out of all the social media out there, I am more personal in my day-to-day life on instagram. -- Aside from all this, there is one deep personal aspect of my life that I actually have recently shared about in a handful of my posts and I've found that it has really helped me be real with my followers and my post writeups. I came to a point where I felt like I could not post anymore unless I shared what I was going through, and that was when my Dad passed of lymphoma 1 ½ ago. After my first post dedicated to my Dad, I felt more comfortable sharing a few sentences here and there after posts when I felt I needed to get my feelings out, and it was very nice to be able to publish my private thoughts and have others read them. This was my very first post dedicated to my Dad. Who is Going to Eat Your Cheesecake Now?"

Moran, Vegan High Tech Mom: "I don't share about my day time job, because I work for a well known global company that has its own guidelines about what you should and shouldn't share on social media. On my personal life and my family I am still learning and paving my way as I go, sometimes I share more and others less and I try to see how that feels personally, how do readers react, and how do I feel when I read it a few weeks later (usually silly). I'm find this post to be personal and kind of intimate to me and the way I think and handle things: African Peanut Soup"

Vanessa, Vegan Family Recipes: "I never share any pictures of my husband. He's a very private person and wants to keep it that way and I have to respect that. I also tend not to go into too much detail about my kids. They're not old enough to make the conscious decision on whether or not they want every single moment of their lives shared on social media.

The article is a recipe (Lemon Cream Bars) but I talked openly about the car accident I was in my kids. It was therapeutic writing about it and getting such kind feedback from readers."

Christy, blissfulandfit: "I'm very transparent, it's always been my policy, but I do like to keep a certain level of "coolness" and do not like to complain about personal stuff publically. Like I was dating a new person long distance and it didn't end very well. I'm not going to talk about that but with close friends. But when it comes to my opinions I'm very open about that lol. One thing I was very open about was a few years ago when I moved back home to get my dad well. - The Big Announcement -- Green Smoothies Saved My Dad's Life."

And finally, My stance. As I mentioned in my post, I do not share photos of my husband. He is a private person and while I do share on Facebook, the internet is a lot less private. I also do not talk specifically about anyone in my life unless I know they are OK with it. Or if it something super casual in mentioning. But I even get sensitive about names of my friends. I know most of them are OK if I mention something silly though. In regards to myself, I try to stay on topic to the areas of wellness and food. If something personal fits under those categories I will consider sharing it -- if it feels right in my gut and I feel I have something worthy to contribute to the virtual conversation online about that topic. And as mentioned before, my two most person posts were this and this.

Thank you to all the bloggers who shared! I absolutely loved reading these different and also similar point of views in regard to the topic I have chatted about today.

Resources + interesting links I looked at when researching this topic:
* Entepreneur, Why Being Human on Social Media Is the Best Strategy You'll Ever Have
* The Cut: What Happens When a Famous Instagram Teen Stops Being Polite and Starts Getting Real
* Tiny Buddha: Why Being Real Matters More Than Being the Best
* Rolling Stone: Why Shia LaBeouf's Latest Stunt Is a Work of Genius
* Cupcakes and Cashmere: Social Media vs. Real Life
* E Entertainment: How to Have a Real-Life Conversation When You’re a Social Media Addict
* MTV: Let's All Stop Acting Like Social Media Isn't Real Life


photo credit: sabrina hill - real caption: end of the shoot, I make some avocado toast and loved nibbling half of it. Sitting on the counter in someone else's gorgeous kitchen, tons of makeup on. I am super tired from shooting all day, but still having fun with genius Sabrina.

photo credit: me. real caption: Actually drinking my morning matcha, but in actual clothes as opposed to yoga wear -- and makeup and hair looking "done" as opposed to messy + nonexistent. Notice the mini remote in my hand. Selfie + tripod! #YouCaughtMe

Vegan Thanksgiving Menu 2015

November 10, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 35 Comments

sweet potato pockets for thanksgiving

Hey John Snow, forget about winter, Thanksgiving is coming. Yup, the time when families unite at a grand dinner table to feast and laugh and warm themselves by the friendly glow of the television and stuff themselves silly in the name of Black Friday and all things cozy.

So for today's post I share everything you need to make your perfect plant-based, vegan Thanksgiving happen. Including a 2015 menu with recipe links and a fun little story about how I interviewed a few turkeys. Yup, I have the exclusive (yes, but ok, fictional) interview. Oh, and a bonus frozen dessert machine giveaway ..

(Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the bottom of this post! Prize: a Yonanas Machine + a Healthy Happy Life tee!)

Thanksgiving cooking is a lot to take on. But in the end, that glowing table, a bounty of deliciousness, all crafted by your own two hands, is a sweet sight to behold. Pat yourself on the back, friend. You totally won Thanksgiving. Stuffing, sweet potatoes, pie, cranberry sauce. Ahhhhh vegan Thanksgiving is magic. And YOU can be the pixie dust sprinkler.

"But Kathy, what do I do for and easy vegan Thanksgiving entree?"

"Aha! I have just the thing for you, dear blog reader!"

I am proud to work with Gardein on this post, because their Holiday Roast is my go-to recommendation I give when people ask me about super easy vegan holiday entree options. Especially for people who want to focus their culinary skills on the side dishes. Gardein has the answer with this crowd-pleasing entree.

The Holiday Roast has a caramel colored, lightly crispy coating. And inside, is a tender and super flavorful, sliceable, plant-based loaf with a vegan stuffing center. The stuffing is perfectly flavored. The Holiday Roast kit even comes with heat and serve gravy.

You literally just pop the roast in the oven and bake until toasty warm. SO easy and delicious.

So stop stressing about "the Thanksgiving centerpiece." And start having fun with sides, snacks, drinks and pie. More time for homemade pumpkin pie is a very good thing.

My menu suggestion this year!..

Vegan Thanksgiving Menu 2015

welcome
Pom-secco
warm spiced cider (simmer some apple cider with mulling spices - add an optional shot of brandy)

appetizers
Warm Pumpkin-Cauliflower Dip with crostini
Peppercorn-Crusted Lentil Paté
veggie crudités

sides
Maple Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes
Citrus Cranberry Sauce
Squash-Apple-Pecan Salad
Classic Buttery-Mashed Potatoes
whole wheat rolls (from the store) or homemade bread

entree
Gardein Holiday Roast
(includes a vegan stuffing)

dessert
Maple Bliss Vegan Pumpkin Pie with coconut whip (or go crustless)

Optional Thanksgiving morning recipes: Hot Pumpkin Mug or Pumpkin Nog + Pumpkin Loaf Or Orange-Spice Waffles

Want more recipe ideas?

You can browse thousands of vegan holiday recipes by your favorite talented food bloggers on FindingVegan.com. Download the FV iPhone App to make holiday easier!

You can find loads of holiday recipes from Gardein's website.

Last year I wrote this blogpost, 25 Reasons to Host a Vegan Thanksgiving. Please share it with your friends and family!..

Meet three turkeys your can adopt from Farm Sanctuary's Adopt-a-Turkey program! Such a wonderful holiday tradition.

And now, get cozy by the fire or just the glow of your screen, for a little silly turkey tale..

My Interview with the Turkeys.

I pulled on some rubber boots and went skipping off to my favorite animal sanctuary to gobble, I mean gossip, with some of my favorite feathered friends. Turkeys! I held my invisible microphone out to their wobbly pink turkey necks and perky pointy beaks and asked them some very serious questions about one of America's most famous holidays. Thanksgiving. Get my on-the-ground, exclusive interview with the turkeys....

"So Mr.Gobble, you and your friends here are pretty much THE symbol of Thanksgiving. How do you feel about that?"

"We are done! No more. We are sick of lending our image to serve as the official ambassadors for a holiday that basically hates us. No more. We are protesting. Until things change, no more turkeys on your Thanksgiving cards, decorative items and worst of all, centerpiece platters." He looks down at his wrinkly turkey feet in sadness. Then back up at me with a glare in his eyes, pecks at my toes and fluffs up his cotton white tail feathers.

"So why do you think this is happening? What are humans missing?"


"You got me! Look, we love the attention. But we think people are missing the point of loving us so much. I mean, if they just met us I think they would see how smart, cute, sweet and fun we are. Look at Harry here." He points to a tall, dark-feathered and quite handsome turkey companion. "He is is a regular Tom Hanks. Tall, kind, charisma oozing out of every ruffled feather. A regular Hanks I tell ya, and everyone loves Tom. I mean, you've seen Forrest Gump, right? Castaway? Big? That piano scene? Classic!" He shimmies his feathers and wobbles away.

I move my invisible microphone to another turkey. "OK, but I want to know about Thanksgiving. If people don't serve turkey, what in the world will they place in the center of their table? That is a BIG blank space aching for a fancy and grand platter. So, what do YOU guys, the official thanksgiving experts recommend??"

"Gobble gobble gobble!" The entire rafter starts roaring with applause and noise. (Fun fact: a "flock" of turkeys is actually called a rafter!)

"Guys, guys, remember, speak human please.." I plead.

"Sorry."

"It's ok."

"Gardein, Gardein, Gardein!" They cheer. "The Holiday Roast to be exact. All the centerpiece sparkle you crave, without the cruelty. You can even invite us over for the feast and we will happily peck at those gems of cranberries peaking through the stuffing. Let Gardein do the job. And we will happily still serve as Thanksgiving ambassadors."

"Great! OK, so lets make this official. Everyone who wants Thanksgiving turkeys to stay on the table, raise a feather." One turkey raises his feather and all the other turkeys turn to him in horror. One turkey glares at him and nudges him in the side. The embarrassed turkey lowers his feather.

"Whoops! I thought you were asking if we wanted some cranberries!" He shouts with a goofy grin and a little hop, his eyes wide.

"It's ok." I shake my head at him. "OK, again, so who wants everyone in the world to place a toasty warm, golden brown, delicious, easy Gardein holiday roast on their holiday table instead?" I ask excitedly. "Or at the very least, some good old fashioned plants?" I finish.

Every bird raises a wing. A few lift both wings.

I turn away from the rafter and with my invisible microphone, say this, "Well, there you have it folks. The official word straight from the farm to your ears. Turkeys will gladly embrace their "Thanksgiving ambassador" status with one condition, keep them off the table. And their number one pick for a cruelty-free, plant-based, easy and delicious centerpiece? Gardein Holiday Roast." I wave and salute an invisible video camera.

Interview disclosure: No turkeys were actually interviewed for this article. No turkeys were actually polled. And in fact, turkeys cannot talk. But they are in fact very sweet, smart and interesting creatures. And I can pretty much guess that they would absolutely approve of this fictional message. And this product.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Snag a Gardein Holiday Roast in the freezer section of your fave grocery store! I know Whole Foods will have it.

psst.. And if all else fails, make my Sweet Potato Pockets and call it a day! (Been there!!)

Crustless Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Streusel

November 7, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 19 Comments


Pie crust is overrated. Or at least that is what I always think to myself when I slice into a piece of velvety, cozy, delicious pumpkin pie. Just give me the good stuff. The stuff I want. The filling. The pumpkin. All that rich, warmly spiced, pumpkin-y goodness. So for this pie, we toss our buttery border to the wind and go crustless...

This vegan Pumpkin Pie has a pecan streusel oat topping to add just enough texture, while still maximizing the amount of pumpkin filling sinks into that pie dish. This filling is moderately sweet and includes an accent of apple. This pie is absolutely yummy as dessert, but healthy enough to serve as a snack or even breakfast or a brunch bite.

And no, you can never have too many pumpkin pie recipes...

Pecan-Streusel Topping..

Crustless Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Streusel

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 11/04/2015Crustless Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Streusel
This crustless pumpkin pie is perfect for snacking on, nibbling as a healthy dessert or even eating for breakfast. Pie all day sort of dish!

Ingredients

  • Filling:
  • 1 can unsweetened pumpkin puree (16oz)
  • 1 can pumpkin pie mix (16oz) -- notes below**
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 ½ tablespoon coconut oil, melted
  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaking optional
  • 1 large sweet apple (I used a honeycrisp)
  • 2 tablespoon maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Pie Dish Coating:
  • ¼ cup hemp seeds
  • 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
  • Crumb Streusel Topping:
  • ½ cup oat flour
  • 1 ½ tablespoon virgin coconut oil, melted
  • 1 ½ tablespoon maple syrup
  • ½ cup raw pecans, chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Grease a standard pie dish with coconut oil and sprinkle hemp seeds evenly over bottom of dish and along the sides.
  3. In a high speed blender, blend the filling ingredients from low to high until fluffy and smooth.
  4. Pour the filling into the pie dish.
  5. Place pie in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
  6. Crumble: In a small bowl, combine the streusel topping mixture until thick and crumbly. Crumble it evenly over top the half-cooked pie filling.
  7. Place pie back in the oven and bake for an additional 30 minutes.
  8. Allow pie to cool overnight in the fridge for best slice-and-serve results.

Yield: 1 pie, 8 slicesPrep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 59 mins. Total time: 69 mins. Tags: pie,pumpkin,fall,crustless,pumpkin pie,vegan,thanksgiving,november,recipe,glutenfree

per slice - 8 slices per pie:

**notes: I just happened to have one can unsweetened pumpkin and one can of mix - so that is what I used. However, if you are only using unsweetened pumpkin then you will want to use two cane (32oz) and keep the recipe as is, plus add in an extra 2 tablespoon of maple syrup and extra teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. The sweetness will vary just a bit but should still be delicious and moderately sweet, which was the goal with this pie.

No time for baking pie? Whip up my Pumpkin Pie Pudding! In a flash..

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More of my Pumpkin Pie recipes:

* 4-Ingredient Pumpkin Pie
* Hubbard Pumpkin Pie from scratch
* 5-Ingredient Pumpkin Pie
* Gingersnap Crust Pumpkin Pie
* Cheesecake Pumpkin Pie
* No-Bake Walnut Pumpkin Pie

Vegan Yogurt Reviews + Buying Guide

November 5, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 66 Comments

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Have you noticed? Vegan yogurt is going through a period of revival. Let's call it a dairy-free yogurt renaissance. Right now you can find creative, delicious, dreamy plant-based yogurts using almond, coconut and soy ingredients.

Unlike when I first went vegan, over ten years ago, today's vegan yogurts are versatile, creamy, silky, sweet and satisfying.

Ditching dairy has never been easier. (Even dairy Greek yogurt has some serious competition now!)

I spent the past week taste testing all the brands and flavors I could get my hands on. So take a peek at my vegan yogurt reviews + buying guide. Fall in love with yogurt again..

Pop those tops and lets get tasting.

I have always loved yogurt. In my pre-vegan days I would stack my fridge shelves with rows of dairy yogurts. From thick, gelatinous custard-style strawberry to fat-free 'Boston Cream Pie' and 'Key Lime Pie' flavors to sweet, creamy vanilla and swirled lemon and blueberry.

I would bring yogurt for school snacks, eat it for breakfast with crunchy granola and fruit, swirl it into smoothies and grab it as a late night snack. Yogurt, it turns out, was a pretty solid comfort food for me.

But when I went vegan, I noticed that dairy-free yogurts didn't exactly have their game together. They didn't have the flavor and variety range compared to my dairy yogurt besties, and the texture was a bit, well, off.

Eventually, after years of ditching dairy-free yogurts, I found a few options I liked. A brand called Whole Soy and Co (which recently closed down) nailed the vegan yogurt thing. And Trader Joe's soon had a few ok options in peach and strawberry flavors. But recently, vegan yogurt options have multiplied. And my taste buds couldn't be happier.

This past week as I LOADED my fridge with every vegan yogurt brand and flavor imaginable (and available at my local grocery stores). I nibbled different flavors, did back-to-back taste tests and over all made my gut bacteria very very happy in the process. Yogurt overload! But it turns out, with yogurt, I don't think you can get too much of a good thing. I loved adding one, two or even three yogurts to my day of food!

Probiotics? Check!

And the reviewing began with scribbles of notes and tests and re-tests. Not a bad gig to take on.

My results are in! Get your yogurt spoons ready..

(UPDATE on the Silk yogurt at the bottom of this post.)

Vegan Yogurt Buying + Serving Tips:

- Sweetness. If you do not like yogurts that are overly sweet, or you like adding your own sweeteners and flavors (like maple syrup, cinnamon and more) choose plain or unsweetened varieties.
- Fresh is Best. Always look for the latest "sell by" date. You may need to dig in the back of the row to find one.
- Fruity and Fun. For a sweet treat yogurt, look for fruity and dessert flavors like strawberry, blueberry and even chocolate.
- DIY Yogurt Flavors. It is easy to create your own DIY customized yogurt flavors at home. Just buy a plain or vanilla flavored yogurt and use these ingredients to create your own DIY yogurt flavors: cocoa powder, maple syrup, almond butter, cinnamon, fruit jams, superfoods like hemp and chia, granola and on and on.
- Smoothies + "Frozen Yogurt" Vegan yogurt is a great substitute for non-dairy milk when making vegan smoothies or "banana ice cream." Your smoothie or ice cream will turn out thicker in consistency using yogurt, so add water or non-dairy milk as desired to thin things out.
- Probiotics. Vegan yogurt is a source of probiotics. You may also be getting protein, fiber and healthy fats --depending on what brand you buy.

In General:
- Coconut-based yogurts tend to have a silky and rich texture, and are higher in fat than soy or almond yogurts. Coconut yogurt usually does not contain as much protein, but does often include a nice boost of fiber.
- Almond-based yogurts tend to be lower in calories and have a thin or "light" texture. They are usually not rich in protein or fiber. However, Kite Hill is an exception to this rule, and is rich in healthy fats. I can assume that the reason for how much fat is in an almond-based yogurt (since almonds are rich in healthy fats as we all know) has to do with how "watered down" the almond base is. This can be very true for almond milks as well.
- Soy-based yogurts tend to have creamy, fluffy texture as well as a nice boost of protein from the legume base. Soy yogurts, like soy milk, for me, tend to mimic dairy the most effectively. Soy yogurts usually contain a bit of fat and fiber, but not much.

Vegan Yogurt: Overall Results (detailed reviews follow)

Favorites All Around:
Kite Hill (outstanding quality, richness)
O'Soy (vanilla is lovely, but on the sweet side)
So Delicious - Coconut Milk (obsessed with the fluffy texture - I like Plain flavor the best, still nice and sweet)
Silk Yogurt (lovely texture, creamy and satisfying)
Forager (new fave.. cashew based excellent taste and texture)

Average:
Coconut Grove
Daiya (custard style texture, thick and creamy)
Nancy's
Trader Joe's

Not My Favorites:
Almond Dream Yogurt
So Delicious - Almond

Favorite Greek-Style Vegan Yogurts:
Daiya
Kite Hill - (thick enough to be considered Greek style)
(I have not tried So Delicious Greek Style yet)
Favorite Almond Vegan Yogurt:
Kite Hill
Favorite Culinary/Plain Vegan Yogurt:
Kite Hill Plain
So Delicious Unsweetened
Favorite Coconut Vegan Yogurt:
So Delicious - Coconut Cultured
Most Gourmet + Fancy Schmancy:
Kite Hill
If I Could Only Buy ONE Vegan Yogurt:
Kite Hill any flavor (vanilla is sublime)
Best Probiotics:
BioKPlus Soy or Rice based yogurt shots! I did not include this brand in my formal review because it is more or a probiotic supplement than a yogurt snack - but it is incredibly rich in probiotics and I LOVE adding them to my diet once in a while. You can find them in the Whole Foods Supplements fridge.

--

Vegan Yogurt Reviews + Nutrition Facts -- My Reviews, Photos and Notes. (No glamour shots allowed for the pics! This is how the yogurt scoops out of the container. No stirring or fluffing or cleaning allowed.)

1. Brand: Silk "Dairy Free Yogurt Alternative"
Flavors: Black Cherry, Blueberry, Strawberry, Peach and Mango, Vanilla, Tropical Pineapple
Color: Vibrant beautiful colors.
Texture: Silky smooth, on the thin side.
Taste: No chalky aftertaste, bold and pure fruit flavors. Sweet and enjoyably tart but not too sweet.
Ingredients: (strawberry) Soymilk (Filtered Water, Soybeans), Cane Sugar, Strawberries, Contains 2% or less of: Corn Starch, Natural Flavor, Pectin, Strawberry Juice Concentrate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Citric Acid, Dipotassium Phosphate, Sea Salt, Beta Carotene (Color), Live and Active Cultures, Vitamin D2, Vitamin C Ester, Natural Mixed Tocopherols. Contains Soy.
Nutrition: 5.3oz, 140 calories, 6g protein, 2g fiber, 3.5g fat
Would I Buy it Again: Yes
Other Notes: I love the packaging, I can add crunchy topping right in the container -- I love the fluffy silky texture, so good! Glad Silk is NON-GMO. I love the serving size at 5.3 oz instead of 6oz which is more standard.
My Wishes: I wish it was organic. I wish they did a plain/unsweetened flavor. UPDATED: I am not too happy with the fact that Silk does not certify that their yogurt is vegan. And after several email exchanges they would not tell me exact details about what that means. The yogury is dairy free and vegetarian, but there is a 'certified vegan' issue with one or some of their suppliers. Again, I do not have details, but you can read some of the email exchange at the bottom of this post.
Bottom Line: Tastes yummy and like a healthy treat.
Vegan Company: Yes -- but the yogurt as of right now (Nov 2015) is not certified "vegan"
website - Silk.com

2. Brand: Kite Hill --- FAVORITE BRAND
Flavors: Plain, Vanilla, Peach, Blueberry, Strawberry
Color: Good and clean colors - love that the vanilla has tiny black vanilla bean specks and the fruit colors look natural.
Texture: Silky yet has body and super creamy and rich - a few large lumps in the plain, but nothing unpleasant. Flavored versions are rich and silky smooth.
Taste: This stuff is the real deal -- tastes like yogurt and not too sweet. I really love that you can actually taste the almond part of the yogurt. No funny aftertaste. Just pure goodness. High quality taste. Love. After finally trying all the flavors I am in love with each one.
Ingredients: (plain) Almond Milk (Water, Almonds), Cane Sugar, Locust Bean Gum, Xanthan Gum, Agar, Live Active Cultures: S.Thermophilus, L.Bulgaricus, L.Acidophilus and Bifidobacteria.
Nutrition: 5.3oz, 160 calories, 13g fat, 6g protein, 0g fiber
Would I Buy it Again: Yes
Other Notes: I adore the richness to this yogurt. This is the only almond based yogurt I would buy again. The plain flavor is the perfect DIY base for making your own yogurt flavors. Not too sweet, which is a common complaint with yogurts.
My Wishes: I wish they would experiment with coconut or soy bases - I know the results would be incredible. I wish they were more widely available since Kite Hill product, right now, are exclusively sold at Whole Foods.
Bottom Line: My favorite vegan yogurt!! This vegan yogurt is not your mother's vegan yogurt. Even Greek dairy yogurt connoisseurs will be impressed. I love the richness! I also love the simple, high quality ingredients I have come to expect from Kite Hill products. Gourmet taste. The plain flavor is perfect for culinary uses like veganized yogurt sauces and dips.
Vegan Company: Yes
website - Kite Hill

3. Brand: Daiya "Greek Style Yogurt"
Flavors: Black Cherry, Blueberry, Strawberry, Peach
Color: Vibrant colors and I like that there are bits of fruit in it - blueberry is rich purple
Texture: Smooth and super thick. Custard-like.
Taste: Not much tartness, but more of a rich cream + fruit flavor.
Ingredients: (peach) Filtered water, peach fruit preparation (diced peaches, evaporated cane sugar, water, tapioca starch, pectin, turmeric and annatto (color), lemon juice concentrate), coconut cream, pea protein isolate, evaporated cane sugar, creamed coconut, chicory root extract, potato starch, vegan natural flavors, lactic acid (vegan), titanium dioxide, tricalcium phosphate, lemon juice concentrate, locust bean gum, pectin, guar gum, sea salt, L. plantarum, L. casei, vitamin B12.
Nutrition: 5.3oz, 150 calories, 4.5g fat, 8g protein, 3g fiber
Would I Buy it Again: Yes
Other Notes: This yogurt is super thick. I am not used to this texture. If you do not like overly thick yogurts, this may seem too heavy for you, but since it is positioned as a "Greek style" yogurt, it works. I love the packaging and fun flavors. I love the blueberry, but the strawberry has an odd taste to me when compared side by side other strawberry brands. Not as tart and tangy as other yogurts.
My Wishes: I hope they come out with a plain and vanilla flavor. And do a yogurt that is not Greek Yogurt style.
Bottom Line: Successful new vegan yogurt offering that gives dairy Greek yogurt some serious competition.
Vegan Company: Yes
website Daiya.com

4. Brand: So Delicious - Cultured Coconut Milk
Flavors: Chocolate, Passionate Mango, Blueberry, Unsweetened, Unsweetened Vanilla, Plain
Color:Pure whites with the vanilla and plain.
Texture: Fluffy! Silky smooth, shiny, watery yet rich. Pours on the watery side, but still has body.
Taste: Smooth. I love the bright and tart flavor combined with light sweetness. Zero chalkiness, which I appreciate. I am really into the Plain flavor lately, it reminds me of PinkBerry's vegan coconut frozen yogurt! Love the plain and unsweetened vanilla flavors a lot.
Ingredients: (unsweetened plain) ORGANIC COCONUT MILK (WATER, ORGANIC COCONUT CREAM), CHICORY ROOT EXTRACT, PECTIN, ALGIN, MAGNESIUM PHOSPHATE, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, RICE STARCH, LOCUST BEAN GUM, LIVE CULTURES, GUAR GUM, DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, GELLAN GUM, XANTHAN GUM, VITAMIN D2, VITAMIN B12.
Nutrition: 5.3z, 110 calories, 5g fat, 0g protein, 2g fiber
Would I Buy it Again: Yes
Other Notes: This yogurt is super smooth and I love the characteristic tart "yogurt" flavor.
My Wishes: I wish there was protein in this yogurt.
Bottom Line: Love this silky smooth, tastes-like-yogurt yogurt. Light and lovely texture. Super fluffy!
Vegan Company: Yes
website - So Delicious

5. Brand: Stonyfield Organic O'Soy
Flavors: Raspberry, Vanilla, Blueberry, Strawberry
Color: Muted colors because of fruit-on-bottom style.
Texture: Smooth, good fruit content. Has a classic thick and creamy yogurt texture.
Taste: Pleasant sweet and tangy flavor. The vanilla is so light and appealing. Flavors taste authentic.
Ingredients: (strawberry) CULTURED PASTEURIZED ORGANIC SOY MILK, ORGANIC SUGAR, ORGANIC STRAWBERRIES, NATURAL FLAVOR, PECTIN, CALCIUM CARBONATE, ORGANIC BEET JUICE CONCENTRATE (FOR COLOR).
Nutrition: vanilla - 6oz, 150 calories, 7g protein, 1g fiber, 3g fat
Would I Buy it Again: Yes
Other Notes: I tried the vanilla and loved the flavor. The strawberry was very food too, but a bit too sweet for me. Overall I was super impressed in this brand that I have not tried in a long time.
My Wishes: I wish this was a vegan company
Bottom Line: Loved it. Great go-to organic soy yogurt.
Vegan Company: No
website - Stonyfield

6. Brand: Nancy's Cultured Soy Yogurt
Flavors: Strawberry, Mango, Blackberry, Vanilla, Blueberry, Raspberry, Plain
Color: Brownish red for the strawberry - not very bold in color
Texture: Slightly lumpy and not very silky at all
Taste: Flavored versions are very mild in taste. The flavors are muddled as opposed to clear and bright. Nancy's yogurt tastes natural though, which is a nice thing. The plain flavor is disappointingly bitter and tart in a way where you really have to add some sweetener, toppings or flavor to it to make it taste good. I really wanted to love Nancy's, but after many attempts and taste tests it is just not my favorite. I do applaud their ingredients though.
Ingredients: Organic soy milk, org. amazake (water, org. brown rice, vegan amylase enzyme), organic strawberries, organic kosher white grape juice concentrate, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, calcium carbonate, Live Probiotic Cultures: L. acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis, L. casei, L. rhamnosus, Live Yogurt Cultures: L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus.
Nutrition: 6oz, 140cal, 3.5g fat, 3g fiber, 5g protein
Would I Buy it Again: Maybe
Other Notes: It is hard to get past the color and texture. But I love the ingredient profile and the fact that it is fruit juice and rice sweetened.
My Wishes: I wish the fruit flavors were bolder and that the texture was silkier. More fruit color would help too.
Bottom Line: I really love the flavor, I appreciate the natural taste and really enjoy it despite the color and texture issues.
Vegan Company: No
website - Nancy's

7. Brand: Coconut Grove Cultured Yogurt
Flavors: plain, strawberry, vanilla, blueberry - (fruit on the bottom style)
Color: Bland colors, but rich fruit compotes on the bottom
Texture: Silky smooth, no bumps, but a bit too gel-like for me
Taste: Coconut flavor is a bit overpowering in the base (you have to like a coconut flavor accent). Flavor ir ok, but the fruit compote is too sweet for me. A bit of chalkiness.
Ingredients: (strawberry) Organic coconut milk (water, organic coconut cream, guar gum), organic tapioca starch, organic arrowroot starch, organic fruit (organic dried cane syrup, organic strawberries, water, pectin, organic locust bean gum, natural flavor, vegetable juice), organic coconut sugar, and live active cultures – S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. acidophilus and bifidobacterium.
Nutrition: 6oz, 210 calories, 11g fat, 1g protein, 0g fiber
Would I Buy it Again: Probably not
Other Notes: I love that the product claims to have "just six ingredients" but that doesn't seem true when one of the ingredients (organic fruit) has a bunch of ingredients on its own. I like that coconut sugar is the sweetener.
My Wishes: A bit less gel-like texture, a bit more body
Bottom Line: Great coconut milk yogurt product with its own unique texture and rich coconut flavor -- happily organic
Vegan Company: Yes
website - Coconut Grove

8. Brand: So Delicious - Almond Yogurt
Flavors: Blueberry, Strawberry, Vanilla, Plain
Color: Muted colors
Texture: Ok, smooth with a few lumps
Taste: A bit chalky, tart
Ingredients: (vanilla) ALMOND MILK (WATER, ALMONDS), ORGANIC DRIED CANE SYRUP, CAROB BEAN GUM, PECTIN, TAPIOCA DEXTROSE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVORS, LIVE CULTURES, VITAMIN D2, VITAMIN B12.
Nutrition: 6oz, 120 calories, 5g fat, 2g protein, 4g fiber
Would I Buy it Again: No
Other Notes: I will choose the coconut milk yogurts by So Delicious over the almond milk varieties
My Wishes: Lacking in richness and flavor
Bottom Line: Not into these too much, but not bad
Vegan Company: Yes
website - So Delicious Almond

9. Brand: Almond Dream Yogurt
Flavors: Strawberry, Vanilla, Mixed Berry, Coconut, Vanilla, Plain
Color: Ok, I did not see the berry flavors though
Texture: Lumpy upon opening, gel-like too, not very rich
Taste: Chalky and bland
Ingredients: (vanilla) ALMOND BASE (WATER, ALMONDS), STABILIZER BLEND (TAPIOCA MALTODEXTRIN, CORN STARCH, CAROB BEAN GUM, PECTIN), EVAPORATED CANE SYRUP, VANILLA MIX (EVAPORATED CANE SYRUP, VANILLA FLAVOR WITH OTHER NATURAL FLAVORS, VANILLA BEANS, LEMON JUICE CONCENTRATE, CARAMEL AND ANNATTO COLORS), TAPIOCA FIBER, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, NATURAL VANILLA EXTRACT, CULTURES*. *CULTURES: L. ACIDOPHILUS, P. LACTIS, S. THERMOPHILUS, BIFIDOBACTERIUM LACTIS, L. ACIDOPHILUS, L. CASEI, L. RHAMNOSUS, L. DELBRUECKII LACTIS & BULGARICUS
Nutrition: 6oz, 160 calories, 3g fat, 3g fiber, 1g protein
Would I Buy it Again: No
Other Notes: I wasn't impressed with this at all. I love Soy Dream soy milk so much, but this was unimpressive.
My Wishes: I hope they try a soy yogurt. And maybe rethink the consistency of this almond yogurt.
Bottom Line: Not my fave.
Vegan Company: Yes
website - Almond Dream

Review Details: These yogurts were all purchased by me, from Whole Foods Market. None of these reviews are sponsored. I did not taste every single flavor in these product lines, so my reviews may vary based on flavors.

If you have a yogurt I missed and would like me to review, please let me know in the comments.
Please also feel free to post your own reviews and comments on these brands - if they agree or disagree with my opinions.

Not Included -- Trader Joe's and Amande. (Though I have tried these brands before.)

Another look at Daiya..

Like my reviews? Check out more!..
Matcha Reviews
Vegan Cheese Reviews
Vegan Protein Powder Reviews

--

UPDATE: I just posted this last night and already I have some news. As you will see below, Silk is one of my faves from the taste tests. However, this morning a reader informed me of a section on Silk's website that says this: "We are currently unable to label our Dairy-Free Yogurt Alternative products as vegan due to the complex journey that some of our ingredients take on their way from the farm to the store shelf."

..I have written Silk and hope to get a response soon. I find it strange that Silk was sampling their yogurt to well known vegans at Expo West last spring (where I first tasted it) yet their website says this. I hope the have a good explanation. I am very anxious to know which ingredient is questionable. And if all vegan yogurts have this problem or just Silk? Stay tuned!

Response from Silk regarding my email:

"Hi Kathy,

Thank you for your recent email to Silk®.

It’s wonderful to hear how you tried and enjoyed our new Dairy Free Yogurt Alternative! We worked so hard on this new product so it’s great to hear you really liked it!

I am very sorry for the confusion and we appreciate your question. Due to the complex journey that some of our ingredients take on their way from the farm to the store shelf, we are currently unable to label our Silk Dairy Free Yogurt Alternative products as vegan. The product is considered vegetarian-friendly. (Vegetarian-friendly meaning no meat including beef).

What the above statement means is....

We source some ingredients for the Dairy-Free Yogurt from a network of suppliers and we are unable confirm that these ingredients have been processed as vegan.

Thanks again for contacting the Consumer Connections Department. I hope you have a great day!

Sincerely,
Consumer Connections Representative"

..so there you have it. I am still trying to get more details. I will update you if I do.

And the next email from Silk said this..

"Hi Kathy,

Thank you for your recent email to Silk®.

We appreciate you following up with us. The media used to grow the live and active cultures is vegan - meaning no animal product was used.

Unfortunately, there is no additional information that we are able to share beyond what you've already provided.

Thanks again for contacting the Consumer Connections Department. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,
B___"

---

UPDATES

11/7/2015 -- I updated my reviews for Kite Hill, Nancy's and Silk. I finally tried all the Kite Hill flavors and love them all SO much. And I finally tried the Nancy's plain flavor and did not like it so much. But it is good when I flavor it myself. As for Silk, after several email exchanges I was very disappointed that they would not tell me exactly what the "non-vegan" item in question is in the yogurt ingredients. I did verify that it does not have to do with the live and active cultures, however. So without more transparency, I had to downgrade them from my favorite brand to just in the top flavors. Plus, Kite Hill flavored versions far exceeded my expectations. I really hope Silk can change the yogurt status to certified vegan so this issue can be put to rest. That all said, they produce a delicious product that I believe non-vegans (and vegans) will adore. More updates if I get any!

Peanut Sriracha Sauce, Sweet Potato-Chickpea-Rice Bowl or Wraps

November 3, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 7 Comments

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disclosure: Sponsored post, 2015 DOLE ambassadorship.

Bring me sweet potatoes.

Fall Back. The kitchen was dark and dim by 5pm today, the low grey Los Angeles sky slowly fading from silver and milky white into dusty purples and faded blue and eventually rich navy and black. Nothing but the golden twinkling lights of hundreds of cozy homes out in the distance. A few flashes of yellow headlights from swift humming cars slipping along the invisible streets. Early November brings on a sort of quiet. A sort of calm before the storm of the holiday season. I like it. I want rain. And cuddly blankets. And cooking dinner feels extra soothing and satisfying.

Lets sink into these early November days and enjoy the blanket of velvet sky that wraps us tightly and keeps us simmering for a while.

Peanut-Sriracha Sweet Potato Chickpea Brown Rice Bowl. And this meal of sizzling chickpeas, fluffy brown rice and steamy golden DOLE sweet potatoes is one of my favorites. This sauce packs a punch of flavor. Drizzle it on as much as you'd like. Warm, nutty, spicy, sweet, smoky. And peanut sauce with sweet potatoes? Perfection.

I like to serve this bowl with blackened whole wheat or corn tortillas to serve as casual tacos or a big wrap. You could even use collard wraps if you'd like! Get cozy with this steamy supper...

This brown rice bowl includes tender sweet potatoes and skillet chickpeas smothered in a spicy sweet peanut-sriracha sauce.

First we chop..

Steamy sweet potato bliss..

Meets a sizzling skillet..

chickpeas mingling with spicy-sweet peanut sauce..

And fluffy brown rice..

Spicy-sweet peanut sriracha sauce, blended in seconds..

Sweet Potatoes! I adore sweet potatoes, as you may know from many years of reading my blog. They are at the tip top of my "favorite foods."

One medium sweet potato packs nearly 370% of your daily vitamin A for just 112 calories. - source

Bowl or tacos/wraps..

Dive in..

Spicy-Sweet Peanut Sweet Potatoes, Chickpea, Brown Rice Bowl

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 11/02/2015
Spicy-Sweet Peanut Sweet Potatoes, Chickpea, Brown Rice Bowl

This brown rice bowl includes tender sweet potatoes and skillet chickpeas smothered in a spicy sweet peanut-sriracha sauce.

Ingredients

  • Peanut-Sriracha Sauce:
  • ⅓ cup peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoon sriracha
  • ⅓ cup water
  • 2-3 tablespoon maple syrup (or sweeten to taste)
  • Chickpea Skillet:
  • 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
  • 1 medium sweet onion, diced
  • A few tablespoon of the peanut sauce
  • Also:
  • 5 cups cooked brown rice, short grain
  • 1 large DOLE sweet potato, diced
  • Garnish:
  • ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2 tablespoon pecans, chopped
  • Optional: Serve with blackened tortillas

Instructions

  1. Prep: Cook brown rice before starting and set aside in a covered pot. Drain chickpeas, if using canned. If not, cook chickpeas ahead of time as well.
  2. Sauce: To make your sauce, blend all ingredients in a Vitamix until silky smooth. Tip: Start by adding just a few tablespoons of water. Then add more to thin your sauce as desired. You can also customize the sweetness of your sauce by adding more or less maple syrup. Pour sauce into a small bowl and set aside.
  3. Cook Potatoes: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add diced sweet potatoes and a pinch of salt. Boil potatoes for 8-10 minutes or until tender.
  4. While sweet potatoes are boiling, warm a large skillet over high heat. Add 2 tablespoon of water and the onions. Cook until the onions begin to soften. Then add the chickpeas and cook another 2-4 minutes until the sides begin to brown just a bit. Add in 2-4 tablespoon of the peanut sauce and stir for about two minutes. The mixture will really start to brown now. When sauce is absorbed and your chickpeas are nicely smothered and browned, turn off heat and set aside.
  5. Assemble bowls: Add 1 ¼ cups cooked brown rice to each bowl. Top with 1 cup of the chickpeas/onion mixture. Then top with ¾ cup sweet potato. Drizzle entire bowl with a few teaspoons or more of the peanut-sriracha sauce. Add chopped pecans and chopped cilantro over top. Serve warm!
  6. Optional: Warm tortillas to serve alongside the bowls to make soft tacos out of the mixture. Optional: Add some sauerkraut, shredded carrots or chopped cabbage for raw veggie crunch on top!

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.
Total time: 40 mins.
Tags: entree,sweet potatoes,brown rice,chickpeas,peanut,tacos,dinner,vegan,meal,bowl

Building the bowl..

Those sweet potatoes..

Disclosure: I am a Vitamix affiliate, but every word is because I LOVE these machines, the company, and believe in them for health and wellness!

Vegan Chocolate Turtles Candy

October 30, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 15 Comments

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Today I veganize one of my favorite classic candy treats: Chocolate Turtles! Crunchy raw pecans, gooey-rich coconut date caramel and velvety chocolate drizzled over top. Make these are feel like Willy Wonka.

Plus watch my video to help you make these delicious, cutie, caramel-filled treats..

It is Halloween week!

That means I do a few things..

Watch Hocus Pocus.
Troll Halloween costume stores but rarely actually decide on a costume.
Ponder said costume. And Halloween plans.
Browse endless DIY costumes online and decide I will never be that fabric-ly crafty.
Remember Halloween is on a Saturday so I have NO EXCUSE not to dress up and have fun.
Remember I have tickets to Disneyland's Mickey's Halloween Party. Excitement ensues.
Ponder costume. Must be Disney themed. Right?
Evil Queen? Modern day princess? Hipster Ariel? Alison from Hocus Pocus? Braid + flowers = Rapunzel? Not a princess. I am 34. Not 5. Or do I slap on some Mickey ears and call it a day? Hm.
Must. Get. Husband. To. Dress. Up. Too.
Pause on all Halloween thoughts and just make candy.
Turtles.
Chocolate Turtles.

So what else could I possibly do on my Halloween Friday than make these chocolate turtles? Maybe make peanut butter cups. But today I wanted to try these guys out. And they came out so great! Jumbo sized and packed with flavor. I love them and hope you do too!

Happy Halloween week!

I used the brand new super powerful, touchscreen enabled Vitamix 780 to blend the caramel. I love this machine!

Recipe Spins:
* Add a dollop of softened peanut or almond butter instead of or over top the caramel for a nutty twist!
* Get super duper sticky-sweeter caramel by using my coconut milk + coconut sugar recipe instead.
* Use raw walnuts in place of pecans for a walnutty twist!
* Add a pinch of cayenne to the chocolate for some heat!
* Add a sprinkle of coarse sea salt on top the turtle for sea-salted flavor.

Video to help you make the recipe!..
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Vegan Chocolate Turtles

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 10/30/2015
PChocolate Turtles

These extra gooey, totally amazing vegan chocolate turtles are made using salted Medjool date caramel, raw pecans and rich dark chocolate. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • chocolate:
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (vegan)
  • 1-2 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
  • Date Caramel:
  • 10 Medjool Dates (I used Natural Delights)
  • 2-3 tablespoon warm water (as needed to blend)
  • 2 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoon coconut milk cream
  • pinch of salt (optional)
  • Also:
  • 1 cup whole raw pecans
  • parchment paper lined (small size) baking dish or tray

Instructions

  1. Pit your dates. Soak them in warm water 2-3 minutes.
  2. Add all caramel ingredients to a high speed blender, including the soaked dates. Discard soaking water.
  3. Blend the caramel until smooth. You will need to stop blender to scrape down sides a few times and use a tamper if using a Vitamix. Use the tall skinny container if you have one.
  4. When caramel is done, spoon it into a small bowl and place the bowl in the freezer to chill. Also place the baking sheet you will be using for the turtles in the freezer to get cold.
  5. Create a double broiled for melting you chocolate. Melt chocolate until silky sooth. Pour chocolate into a small bowl and place that bowl in the freezer to cool a bit.
  6. Pull your baking sheet from the freezer and line it with parchment paper.
  7. Pull the caramel and chocolate from the freezer as well and start assembling your turtles. Create a turtle design with the pecans. Then add a dollop of caramel to each turtle. Then top with a spoonful of chocolate. The cold caramel and cold pan will help so that the chocolate does not spread too far when poured. Continue until all turtle are done. Note: If you are using a small baking pan -- you will probably need two pans for all your turtles.
  8. Place the turtles back in the freezer and in 5-15 minutes they will be fully hardened and ready to enjoy! Store leftover in the fridge or freezer.

Yield: 10 turtles
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 25 mins.
Total time: 25 mins.
Tags: candy,chocolate,turtles,vegan,medjool dates,halloween,holiday,treat,desert,pecans

Last chance for Halloween Treats! 59 of them here!


Disclosure: I am a Vitamix affiliate, but every word is because I LOVE these machines, the company, and believe in them for health and wellness!

Vegan Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce - Includes How-To Video! (And Dancing)

October 27, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 24 Comments

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I had SO much fun doing this video recipe a few weeks ago with super talented YouTuber Sharzad Kiadeh, via her "My Dancing Kitchen" video recipe series. This Vegan Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce is super rich and creamy with accents of fresh ginger, maple, rosemary and more. This sauce is perfect as a fall-inspired pasta sauce but can also be served as a Pumpkin Bisque. So versatile!

Get the recipe and watch me show off some Britney moves in Sharzad's kitchen as we make this dish!..

Fun + laughter + a recipe = perfect.

Blender recipe. Thank you Vitamix.

The velvety sauce. Actually doubles as a soup if you thin it out a bit..

Alfredo for fall.. (vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free with gf pasta, EASY)


Pasta time..



Well this was fun..

Check out the VIDEO of this recipe!..
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...Watch us make the recipe! Subscribe to Sharzad's awesome channel. She is SO fun and cute and sweet and hilarious. She has the most witty ad libs, you cannot help but giggle your way through her videos. Plus she posts great beauty tutorials - her makeup in this video is stunning! And she has been posting more and more vegan recipes which is so great. Ask her you want MORE vegan recipes! Because she rocks them.

Sharzad on Twitter
Sharzad on Instagram
Sharzad on Facebook
Her blog: LuxLyfe.com

And she is pretty rad on periscope too. So check her out there!

The pasta..

Boom.

Dive in..

Vegan Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 10/27/2015
Vegan Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce

This super creamy, savory and warming pumpkin pasta is a delightful recipe for fall. Rosemary and white miso add a savory accent, while maple syrup adds a hint of sweetness. Ginger and cayenne add some warmth yo each satisfying bite.

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup pumpkin puree, unsweetened
  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked (soaked in water at least 6-8 hours and drained)
  • 1-2 teaspoon raw ginger, grated
  • 6-8oz veggie broth
  • ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  • a few pinches cayenne (to taste for added warmth)
  • 1 teaspoon white miso paste (or add a bit more salt, since this is salted)
  • 2-3 teaspoon maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste (at least ¼ teaspoon salt)
  • 1 lb pasta, cooked
  • garnish: fresh rosemary, chopped

Instructions

  1. Add all pasta sauce ingredients to a Vitamix or other blending appliance.
  2. Blend until silky smooth. Taste test and adjust spices and salt if needed.
  3. Cook pasta according to package.
  4. Warm up your sauce by blending on the highest Vitamix speed for 2-4 minutes. Or by simmering in a small soup pot until warm.
  5. Toss pasta with sauce and serve with rosemary bits on top.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.
Total time: 25 mins.
Tags: sauce,pumpkin,entree,dinner,vegan,soup,rosemary,ginger,miso,easy,vitamix

*disclosure: This post contains a Vitamix affiliate link. Ready to buy the best blender ever? Get free shipping by using my link!

Cheesy Potato Broccoli Macaroni Soup. When Comfort Food is in Order.

October 26, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 22 Comments

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This Cheesy Potato Broccoli Macaroni Soup is warm and soothing, light, yet rich. Its creamy potato base is studded with tender florets of broccoli and macaroni pasta. Accents of smoky and peppery spices and vegan cheesiness in each spoonful. On top, a hint of spice with spiced skillet chickpeas and an optional swirl of sriracha. Get the recipe and some thoughts of comfort and happiness today #HappyZone..

Life is short. Never hesitate to follow dreams and seek out happiness even if you have to go against what people expect of you. And even if others do not understand your path. Your life if yours to create and to experience. You create your life story every day.

One day I hope I look back on my life and say, "What a crazy, beautiful, happy life I have lived."

What Makes You Happy and Safe? Finding out what makes each of us really and truly "happy" is a life long journey of discovery. Just think. You may have not even discovered yet the place, person, activity or thing that makes you the happiest of all. Maybe you have yet to travel there. Try it. Meet them. Own it. Feel it. Maybe even taste it.

Because obviously, recipes and foods can absolutely be doors to happiness and comfort.

My reflective mood today and lately is mostly because of a few things happening around me right now. My heart feels a bit heavier than usual.

And I notice myself feeling extra thankful for the projects and people in my life that make me feel warm and fuzzy and full. Lets call those happy zones.

Happy Zones. Each day, I make an effort to seek out situations I like to call "happy zones." In this post, I listed 101 Things That Make me Happy .. you can see all those types of things that make me happy. More happy zones = a happier day.

And sometimes you have to claim you own happiness.

And on the flip side, I am continuing to learn to avoid situations that zap my energy and make me feel uninspired, insecure and drained. #UnHappyZone

We are all going through something now or soon or in past tense. So whatever YOU are making your way through right now, I truly hope you can find your "happy zones" in each day. And I hope my blog is a space of inspiration, warmth and comfort and my recipes are an activity that make YOU feel warm and fuzzy and full.

Soooooo. Comfort food. I have been craving everything comfort food lately. And that means potatoes. Sweet potatoes for soup and bowls and even white, red and purple potatoes for mashing and soups. Like this one.

This soup is half Vitamix-blended - so the potato broth is rich and creamy, yet not too heavy. I didn't want 'heavy' for the base of this soup. I wanted the pasta and broccoli to add the true depth and richness. If you want a heavier/thicker potato broth, simply reduce the veggie broth amount added.

Cheesy Potato Broccoli Macaroni Soup

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 10/25/2015
Potato Broccoli Macaroni Cheesy Soup

Warming and soothing, this cheesy-potato broth is loaded with tender florets of broccoli, chickpeas and macaroni pasta. Dinner-in-a-bowl!

Ingredients

  • Soup - blended:
  • 3 cups potatoes, chopped (skin on) -- (I used mini white and yellow potatoes)
  • ⅔ chickpeas, cooked
  • 3-4 cups veggie broth
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ¼ - ⅓ cup nutritional yeast (the cheesy flavor)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • Add to pot - whole:
  • 4 cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 ¼ cups cooked macaroni pasta
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Seasoning to taste:
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Skillet Chickpeas (on top - to serve):
  • ¾-1 cup cooked chickpeas
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Optional: sriricha

Instructions

  1. Wash and scrub your potatoes. I use a fruit/veggie spray and lightly scrub and rinse in a large mixing bowl filled with water.
  2. Chop your potatoes just enough so that they are all the same size. The smaller you chop them the faster they will cook.
  3. Add a pinch of salt to a large pot of boiling water. Then add the potatoes. Boil until the potatoes are tender enough to break apart with a butter knife or fork. Drain potatoes and add them to the blender - like a Vitamix.
  4. Add all the "blender" soup ingredients. Start out with 3 cups of veggie broth and add more if you want a thinner, brothier soup like I made. Blend until silky smooth.
  5. In a small soup pot you can cook the macaroni pasta. I like to do this separately for this soup so that the soup down not get too thick and the pasta does not over cook.
  6. Pour the blended soup into a large clean soup pot and set heat to medium. Add in te broccoli, bay leaf and additional spices. Allow the soup to simmer, stirring occasionally for at least ten minutes, longer to thicken the soup. A few minutes before you want to serve the soup, you can add the pasta in. If you simmer the soup too long with the cooked pasta, the pasta will over cook and possibly break up a bit and become very soft.
  7. While soup is simmering still, you can whip up your chickpeas. Warm the oil in a skillet over high heat and add the chickpeas. Sizzle and cook them for 2-3 minutes, until they start to turn lightly brown. Add the spices, maple and vinegar. Shake the pan and cook until all the liquid is absorbed and then turn off the heat to let the chickpeas rest in the skillet until needed.
  8. To serve, add soup to your soup bowls and top with the chickpeas and optional swirls of sriracha. Toast on the side.

Yield: 4 servings (large bowls)
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.
Total time: 30 mins.
Tags: soup,dinner,stew,pasta,potatoes,vegan

*disclosure: This post contains a Vitamix affiliate link. Ready to buy the best blender ever? Get free shipping by using my link!

Simple Creamy Tomato Soup

October 22, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 11 Comments

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I have been playing around with tomato soup recipes for a few months now. But it wasn't until I stumbled upon this combination of ingredients that I felt compelled to share a recipe here on the blog. This super (soup-er?) simple Creamy Tomato Soup is made using organic tomatoes and tahini. It has a spicy, warming accent and loads of rich tomato flavor. This recipe is rich in lycopene, which we should all be including in our diets. Grab a soup spoon and warm up with this bowl..

Bread dunking is a must.. (Vegenaise on toast also a must!)

Yup..

You can see this is my fave part of this soup, obviously.. (toast not optional)

Greens optional..

At first I wanted to make this a Campbell's Soup Copycat recipe. But then I tasted it and thought, "This is WAY better than what I remember from Campbell's. So lets skip that title.." No offense to Campbell's. But this DIY tomato soup will easily beat anything you can find in a can or box from the grocery store. Even though you will be using a boxed (or jarred) tomato product, the flavor is a pure 100% homemade, from scratch feel.

This would be pretty yummy paired with a vegan grilled cheese sandwich too..

Organic Strained Tomatoes = main ingredient. ..And this is one of those convenience foods that you WANT to buy. They are SO delicious and pack a big lycopene punch...

Lycopene in strained tomatoes: ½ cup contains about 27,000 micrograms of lycopene. Boom.

This whole recipe (1-2 servings) will give you 135,000 micrograms of lycopene. (Insert the 'praise hands emoji' here.)

Lycopene is heart healthy and may help prevent cancer. And there is this: Dr. Edward Giovannucci, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health says, “We don’t really understand it entirely yet, but lycopene may have specific properties that protect the cell in a way other antioxidants may not.”

PCRM has a great article on how lycopene helps prevent some cancers and some basic lycopene facts.

So long story short, you want to be including lycopene-rich meals in your diet. And really, the best way to do that is tomato soup. You will be "drinking" tons of tomato, instead of adding a bit of sauce to pasta. No pasta needed. It is like you are drinking tomato sauce. ..But it tastes a lot better than that sounds. You guys get it.

More about this recipe..

I used these products:
- tomatoes
- tahini (try Artisana or this product)
- salt
- sugar

The Vitamix. I LOVE my Vitamix this time of year. While I definitely cut back on the amount of smoothies I make, compared to summer. My soup recipes skyrocket.

Blended Soups. This time of year, aka soup season, I adore blending up Ginger Sage Pumpkin Soup, Creamy Baked Potato Soup, Cheezy Loaded Broccoli Potato Soup, No-Cream of Mushroom, Roasted Carrot or Sweet Potato Soup, Curry Coconut Cauliflower Soup and many more. Just check out my soups section in my recipe index.

If you are considering buying a Vitamix before the holiday season really kicks into gear, good for you! I am such a huge fan of Vitamix, I tell just about everyone to take the leap and buy this fantastic appliance. For soups that are more silky and velvety than you can ever imagine, dreamy creamy dips, homemade nut milks, the best smoothies ever and more. The Vitmix I own and recommend is here: The Vitamix 5200 (Super Healthy Lifestyle). All Vitamixes come with a standard 7-year warranty. And you can even get this pretty little blender in a shiny red color. The stainless steel is pretty awesome too. And when you use my link you will get FREE shipping.

Christmas (or Hanukah) can come early this year. Seriously, beat Santa to it guys.
1
But enough about that, lets dive into this recipe!... Save this one for a rainy day. Literally. Or any day will do!

Simple Creamy Tomato Soup

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 10/21/2015
Simple Creamy Tomato Soup

This creamy tomato soup has an accent of spiciness from warming garlic and cayenne. Simple tahini adds richness and creaminess.

Ingredients

  • 20oz strained organic tomatoes - (2 ½ cups)
  • 1 tablespoon tahini (mine was thick when adding)
  • 1 clove garlic, raw
  • a few pinches cayenne (to taste)
  • ½ - ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar, organic
  • ¼ - ½ cup water
  • optional: bay leaf, (if simmering before serving)

Instructions

  1. Add the tomatoes, sugar, garlic, tahini, cayenne and salt to a blender - Vitamix preferred to replicate the fluffiness and velvety texture of my soup.
  2. Start blending from low to high until smooth. Then add in ¼ - ½ cup water to thin out your soup to your desired consistency. I added ¼ cup water.
  3. If you are not simmering on the stovetop and using your Vitamix to heat your soup: cover blender container with blender lid, secure on side. Turn speed from low to high then on HIGH power. Blend for 2-4 minutes or until steam starts wafting from the top of the lid when opened. This warms your soup to 110-118 degrees.

    If you are going to simmer on your stovetop: pour the soup into a small soup pot and add the bay leaf. Cover with lid to prevent splattering and simmer on low-medium for ten minutes. Keep on low until ready to serve.

    Blended soup is fluffier, while the added step of simmering will make your soup hotter upon serving. Both routes are delicious.

  4. Serve with some toast spread with vegan mayo. Add some greens over top your soup if you'd like.

Yield: 2 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 05 mins.
Total time: 10 mins.
Tags: soup,tomato,garlic,easy,simple,lunch,dinner,tahini,vitamix,vegan

Start blending!

PS. Don't forget to make Pumpkin Cookies or Pumpkin Brownies for dessert too!

*disclosure: This post contains a Vitamix affiliate link. Ready to buy the best blender ever? Get free shipping by using my link!

Vegan Frosted Pumpkin Cookies

October 20, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 11 Comments

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Today I share these velvet-frosted Vegan Pumpkin Cookies, a home-baked Halloween treat.

Halloween is just over a week away, which makes me kind of sad. How weird is that? Halloween is still eleven days away and I feel like it is almost over. It is so strange how one holiday seems to stretch and pull the entire length of one month nowadays, like a smooth band of sticky vegan caramel, coating a fall honeycrisp apple, stretching its sweet golden ripples around slick green and red marbled skin. Holidays stretch and pull far beyond their singular day. October is for Halloween. November is Thanksgiving. December, is all things Christmas time, and Hanukkah. Holidays should really be called holimonths.

But I am not complaining. I, like most people, love this fall holiday season. Holidays offer the warmth, comfort and familiarity that we all crave. Plus, a full month of spooky fun, pumpkin everything and anticipation for the final day of October is fine with me. So of course, today, pumpkin cookies.

Pumpkin Cookies. I bought a shiny new pumpkin cookie cutter a few weeks ago and have been looking forward to making these cookies ever since. This recipe is super simple and uses vegan ingredients. Loads of pumpkin flavor. Bake my Simple Frosted Pumpkin Cookies for a fall treat..

Who wants pumpkin cookies?

These simple cookies have a moist and soft texture from all that pumpkin. Their sweetness is vanilla-y from the coconut sugar with an accent of spice from the cinnamon and ginger.

These taste like pumpkin pie meets a classic soft sugar cookies. I hope you love them as much as we did!

Recipe Note: As with all "pumpkin puree" recipes always note how "thick" your puree is. Some boxed or canned purees can be watery, while other are very dry. The puree for this recipe was on the thick and fluffy/dry side -- not watery. Pumpkin can be a tricky ingredient. For this recipe I used Farmer's Market canned pumpkin puree. Another good "dry/fluffy" brand is Libby's.

Simple Frosted Pumpkin Cookies

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 10/20/2015
Simple Frosted Pumpkin Cookies

Coconut sugar pumpkin cookies are a simple, delicious fall treat. Sugar glaze and crushed pecans on top. Cinnamon accents throughout.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pumpkin puree, unsweetened
  • 1 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger powder (optional)
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ cup virgin coconut oil, melted
  • 1 ⅓ cup all purpose flour
  • for rolling out: generous amounts of flour, as needed
  • glaze:
  • ½ cup organic powdered sugar
  • 2-3 teaspoon non-dairy milk
  • optional: high quality turmeric for orange coloring -- or use natural food coloring
  • topping:
  • ½ cup raw pecans, crushed

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
  2. Add the pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt and coconut oil to a large mixing bowl and whip with a spoon until sugar dissolves and mixture is fluffy and silky.
  3. Fold the flour into the pumpkin mixture, until the dough thickens.
  4. Place the dough bowl in the freezer for a half hour to allow the dough to chill for easy rolling.
  5. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to ⅓" thick and cut out pumpkin shapes. Place on baking sheet until ll dough is used. Use as much flour as needed for rolling out dough.
  6. Bake at 375 for 22-25 minutes -- depending on how large and thick your cookies are. My cookies were large and pretty thick. If using thinner or smaller cookies, reduce cooking time as needed.
  7. Glaze: Whip the sugar with the non-dairy milk until thin and silky glaze forms. Add optional orange coloring. (I used Ojio turmeric which has a mild flavor and adds an orange color.)
  8. Allow the cookies to cool at least 20 minutes on a cooling rack before adding the glaze and pecans over top. Glaze will also harden up as it cools and dries out.

    Serve! Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a day.

Yield: 10 cookies (depending on cookie cutter size)
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 40 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 25 mins.
Total time: 65 mins.
Tags: pumpkin,cookies,october,holiday,sugar cookies,vegan,dessert

59 Vegan Recipes for Halloween Season.

October 17, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 18 Comments

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I love Halloween season. Pumpkin recipes, DIY candy making, caramel apples, brisk breezes, Hocus Pocus and scary movie watching, haunted houses and creepy-delicious recipes.

So to inspire your spooky season, I asked my amazing FindingVegan bloggers to share some of their favorite Halloween treats, goodies and spooky snacks.

I hope this list of festive goodies puts you in a ghoulish, ghostly, candy-gobbling, giddy Halloween mood. Check out these 59 vegan Halloween recipes!..

Hey guys! I have been in DC this past week experiencing some crisp fall air and color-changing leaves as a very nice break from the sweltering LA heatwave. Sweltering. Now that is a word I do not often use in October!

But autumn back east is so satisfying. I love walking outside, quickening my pace, as a cool chill pokes at my nose and creeps over my skin. The air is cool and fresh, and not uncomfortably cold just yet. Light jacket and scarf weather. Ahhhh fall. The season I miss most living in California. Things can be so much cozier with cool air and piles of crinkly, dusty, golden and caramel-colored leaves waiting for you outside your front door.

I wish I could bottle up "fall" and bring it home with me to Cali. (I know, I know.. soon comes icy cold. But still....)
Well one thing that can put you in an October-ish mood no matter what: Halloween Recipes! So lets get started. These bloggers have a lot of ideas to share..

(Don't miss my costumes ps at the bottom of this page! I would love to see what you guys are all planning in the comments section. Or what some of your fave creative costumes have been in the past!)

59 Spooky Vegan Recipes for Halloween

1. Chocolate Pumpkin Tart by Unconventional Baker

2. Vegan Pumpkin Toffee Bread Pudding by HealthyVoyager (featuring Orlando Jones)

3. Chocolate Halloween Spiders by Fork and Beans

4. 4-Ingredient Vegan Healthy Snickers by Healthy Happy Life

5. Spooky Cookie Haunted House by Spa Bettie

6. Caramel Candy Apples by MyEclecticKitchen

7. Monster Halloween Candy Bark by Fork and Beans

8. Vegan Pumpkin Panna Cotta by Lands and Flavors

9. Tahini Bon Bons by Fried Dandelions

10. Mint Chocolate Witches Hat Cupcakes by TheVeganCookieFairy

11. Guacamole-Stuffed Pumpkin Peppers by PlantStrongVegan

12. Healthy Fun Size Snickers Bars by Oatmeal with a Fork

13. Almond Joy Truffles by RealFoodRealDeals

14. Tombstone Treats by TheVegan8

15. Peanut Butter Caramel Bars Candy by Healthy Happy Life

16. Joyful Almond Coconut Bars by Healthy Happy Life

17. Halloween Witch Fingers by Pure Ella

18. Stuffed Mushroom Eyeballs by Vegan Yack Attack

19. Perfect Pumpkin Patties by Bittersweet

20. Apple Monster Mouths by Sweet Simple Vegan

21. Devil's Margarita by ShowMeTheYummy

22. Easy Almond Butter Cups by Healthy Happy Life

23. Almost Raw Snickers by Fork and Beans

24. Spooky Black Bread by GrimGrains

25. Black Spiral Hummus Bites by GrimGrains

26. Pistachio-Orange Blood-Splattered Cupcakes by My Eclectic Kitchen

27. Spooky Night Bars by RadiantRachels

28. Raw Chocolate Cyclops Halloween Eyeballs by HealthyVoyager

29. Easy Vegan Caramel Apples by Healthy Happy life

30. Ghost White Halloween Cake by Vegelicacy

31. Pumpkin Doughnuts by Boards and Knives

32. Peanut Butter Pumpkin White Chocolates by Love Me Feed Me

33. Creepy Red Velvet Skull Cakes by Veganosity

34. Halloween Satsuma Cocktail by Veganosity

35. Boo-Berry Bats by Bittersweet

36. Halloween Curried Squash Cauliflower Soup by Sweet Simple Vegan

37. Vegan Rocky Road by Healthy Happy Life

38. Vegan Caramel Apples by Blender Babes

39. Peanut Butter Cup Caramel Latte by Healthy Happy Life

40. Mummydilla Polenta Bites by VeggiesDontBite

41. Salted Sun Butter Cups by The Pretty Bee

42. Chocolate Cupcakes with Pumpkin Spice Frosting by Blender Babes

43. Vegan Pumpkin Ice Cream by MiciBakes

44. Halloween Juice by Vegan Halloween Cookbook

45. Halloween Pumpkin Smoothie by 24carrotlife

46. Caramel Apples by DropDeadRecipes

47. Mummy Pumpkin Quinoa Donuts by ForkAndBeans

48. Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies by Strength and Sunshine

49. Vegan Deviled Potatoes by Healthy Slow Cooking

50. Candy Corn Frozen Parfait by Veggies Save the Day

51. Spider Cupcakes by the Lazy Vegan Baker

52. Ghost Blondie Bites by Namely Marly

53. Stuffed Bell Pepper Jack-o-Lanterns by Sweet Simple Vegan

54. Spooky Spicy Hot Cocoa by Peppers and Peaches

55. Candy Corn Pops by Feasting on Fruit

56. Acorn Cookies for fall spirit by Unconventional Baker

57. Carrot Ginger Quinoa Pepper Jacks by SpaBettie

58. The coziest way to close out any October day: Pumpkin Nog by me

59. Homemade Candy Party! by me (for your candy-making party!)

Happy Halloween season everyone!

ps. COSTUMES! Question of the day: What are you going to be for Halloween? Or what is one of your fave costumes from past years? Leave it in the comments! And if you need ANY Halloween costume inspiration, just hop over to my friend Cat's "Halloween Costume" blogpost. She is the queen of costuming! The piñata? Genius. And I am totally stealing that Risky Business last minute costume idea.

Thank you to all the bloggers who contributed vegan recipes! If you are a vegan-friendly blogger and would love to be included in round-ups like these, be sure to submit your recipes to my other site FindingVegan.com -- you can then have access to the private Finding Vegan Blogger's Group on Facebook!

Pumpkin Brownies

October 10, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 28 Comments

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These easy Pumpkin Brownies are a delicious and decadent treat for fall! This pumpkin-infused recipe is a welcome spin on a classic fudgy, moist brownie. So grab a can or box or DIY homemade bowl of pumpkin puree, some vegan chocolate chips and lets whip these babies up! Video included just for you guys..

Hop in the kitchen with me!..

Gluten Free or Not. I made two batches of these brownies. One using traditional all purpose flour and one using homemade oat flour. They both turned out deliciously, but the wheat flour version was a bit more fluffy and cake-like.

And to help with binding for the gluten free version I added in a flax seed supplement to the recipe to help with binding.

I really love this recipe and hope you give it a try. I mean, you can only make so many pumpkin lattes right? Time to give your pumpkin the chocolate treatment!..

My video I whipped up just for you guys! Hope it shows you just how quick and easy these brownies are to make..
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The batter..

The results..

Gluten free version (oat flour). These were just pulled from the oven and still warm and super gooey..

My first batch, not gluten free (wheat flour)..

(FYI: All the sliced brownies had been chilling in the fridge overnight so they photograph a bit "firmer" but a few seconds in a microwave and they will get moist and melty again..)

Pumpkin Brownies

By kathy patalskyPublished 10/09/2015Pumpkin Brownies
Rich, chocolate brownies with pumpkin for a fall spin on deliciousness! You can make these gluten free using oat flour in place of wheat flour.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups vegan chocolate chips
  • ⅓ cup virgin coconut oil
  • 1 shot espresso or dark coffee
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup coconut sugar
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree
  • 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour (or sub with oat flour + 1 teaspoon ground flax seeds)
  • greasing pan: coconut oil
  • topping: ¼ cup vegan chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, grease an 8" square baking pan.
  2. Set up a double broiler on your stovetop by filling a large pot with 2-3 cups water and turning burner to med-high heat. Bring this water to a boil and then place a large mixing bowl over top.
  3. Add the chocolate chips and oil to the large mixing bowl and start stirring to melt them together. When they are silky soft you can turn off the heat and start adding the other "wet" ingredients: shot of espresso, vanilla extract, sugar and then finally the pumpkin puree. Stir briskly until smooth.
  4. Fold in the baking powder, salt and flour last. Stir to thicken.
  5. Pour the batter into your baking dish and top with ¼ cup chocolate chips.
  6. Bake at 400 degrees for 22-25 minutes or until cooked through. Remove brownies from the oven and allow to cool at least 15-20 minutes or longer before serving. Store leftovers in the fridge. Best served warm.

Yield: 9 browniesPrep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 25 mins. Total time: 35 mins.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 298
  • Fat: 16.6g
  • Dietaryfiber: 2.6g
  • Protein: 4.4g
  • Totalcarbs: 33.3g

Tags: vegan,chocolate,brownies,pumpkin,coconut oil,dessert,fall

12 Favorite Medjool Date Recipes + My Trip to Bard Valley, aka Date Land. (video)

October 9, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 4 Comments

having fun in Yuma, bloggers


Follow me to date-land! Aka Bard Valley. Aka Yuma, Arizona. A hot, dry, deliciously magical place where tall sparkly palm trees twinkle with golden sunbeams as crafty Medjool date harvesters pluck buckets and buckets of caramel-y Medjool dates for all to enjoy.

Check out my trip photos and video and get twelve of my favorite Medjool date recipes..

Destination: Yuma. A few weeks ago, I visited Yuma Arizona for the Natural Delights Medjool Date Blogger Summit. The summit was three jam-packed days of good friends, food, fun and Medjool date magic 24/7. We visited the date gardens and saw how the dates are carefully hand-harvested. We even took a boost up into the trees and harvested a few crates of dates ourselves. We visited the factory and dined on date-infused meals and nibbles.

We are not in LA anymore guys.. Welcome to Yuma!

Yup, it is dry in Yuma..

But these pretty palms love it..

I spy dates!..

We picked these pretty dates.. #BloggerPicked

The video adventure..
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4 Cool Facts About Medjool Dates:

1. Medjool Dates Are a Fresh Fruit. They are harvested from the tree in a moist, melty and super caramel-y state. They are delicate and juicy when first harvested. They melt in your mouth and the smooth skin just falls apart.

Over time the sun and other factors naturally dry out the fruit. So what you usually see in your grocery store is a Medjool date that has dried out, naturally, a bit. But Medjool dates are never "dried" as part of the processing. From the ND website: "There are many varieties of dates. The Medjool date is not dried like other dates. Instead it is fresh and moist.."


2. Medjool Dates Nutrients. Medjool dates contain 16 essential vitamins and minerals and have more potassium than a banana (weight for weight). They also contain fiber! One serving of 2 dates providing 13% of the RDI of Fiber. ND says,

"A source of potassium, Medjool Dates also contain copper, magnesium, vitamin B6, niacin, calcium, iron and vitamin K."

If you want to add sweetness and nutrients to your recipes or snacks, Medjool dates are the way to go. I have tried Medjool dates in everything from muffins, cookies and smoothies to even sweetening my matcha latte!

3. No Pesticides Used! I was always careful about buying the organic varieties of Medjool dates. But the reality is that none of the Medjool Dates grown by Natural Delights contain pesticides. But only the "organic" labeled date packages are certified organic. So basically, do not be afraid to buy the non-organic varieties. From ND:

"Our Medjool dates are grown in desert conditions in the Bard Valley. In these harsh conditions they do not suffer from any insects or pests. Consequently we do not need to use pesticides on any of our Natural Delights Medjool dates. To prevent birds from eating the fruit we enclose ripening Medjool dates in cotton bags until they are picked at harvest."

4. Bard Valley Cares. What an amazing community of growers in Bard Valley! These guys know what they are doing and have a palpable passion for growing the best Medjool dates possible. They all have such pride in their fruit and farms, it was a joy to see in person. And that passion comes through in the most delicious Medjool dates you will ever taste.

And finally, the good stuff: recipes! Medjool dates are so fun to cook with...

Tip: I f you love adding cranberries, raisins and other dried fruit to your salads, grain dishes and more, try out fresh Medjool dates, chopped up! So good in salads, appetizers, snacks and more.

Dishes using Medjool dates, served during the trip..

Salad with walnuts and pears and dates. Yes.

Spring rolls with Medjool date sweetened sauce..

Date-sweetened berry crisp (vegan) delicious!

And now some recipes to get you on your own culinary path to Medjool date glory..

12 of my Favorite Medjool Date Recipes:

1. Vegan Snickers in four ingredients, using Medjool dates. These are so good and SO easy.

2. Pumpkin Loaf, sweetened with Medjool dates. The fiber in the dates also helps as an "egg replacer" of sorts too. Skip Starbucks, and make your own vegan version of this fall favorite snack.

3. Sea-Salted, Chocolate Peanut Butter Stuffed Dates. These are ridiculously yummy. And probably my favorite dessert using dates. I tried them for the first time on the date summit, handmade by Beth the date-savvy PR coordinator. And now I will gladly make them at home for myself and friends.

4. Salted Caramel Sauce made using Medjool dates. Drizzle it on every sweet thing.

5. Mushroom Chickpea Tart for the holidays. This savory dish gets an accent of sweet from chopped Medjool dates.

6. Peanut Butter Curried Chickpeas over Rice. This is another savory dish that gets a huge flavor boost by adding in a hint of sweet to contract the savory. Medjool dates pair with curry perfectly!

7. Roadtrip Bars with chocolate, oats, nuts, seeds and dates. These bars make me want to open my Maps App and point to a spot for a weekend roadtrip. Bring bars, tunes and a friend and your trip already rocks.

8. Simple Corn Muffins with dates for a sweet accent. I love these super easy and oh-so-fluffy-and-buttery vegan muffins.

9. Princess Plate. I adore this snack for myself or to serve at parties. It is so pretty and so delicious with crunchy romaine spears dotted with hummus and a sliced date. Savory sweet greens.

10. The Best Little Snack Cookie. This is one of my fave nibble cookies. Not quite dessert, but perfect as an any-time-of-the-day nibble.

11. Green Apple Peanut Butter Bars made using oats and apples and Medjool dates for sweetness. Such a fun and delicious snack cake/loaf!

12. Mint Matcha Latte -- or any latte! Yes you can totally blend Medjool dates into your latte for a naturally sweetened beverage. Just another perfect use for my Vitamix.

More Dateland magic..

Art pit stop..

Tofu with a Date-infused sauce..

Loved meeting Lisa, The Viet Vegan..

And of course we had to check out the famous Yuma Territorial Prison as our final Yuma stop..

Cat (RabbitFoodForMyBunnyTeeth) and I do not want to leave Dateland. They just may keep us there forever..

Jasmine of Sweet Simple Vegan...

disclosure: Natural Delights took care of my travel, but all opinions are my own. This is not a sponsored post. Thank you to the entire ND team and all the amazing people who made this summit happen!

Follow Natural Delights online and check out there super cool e-books with loads of free recipes!
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Disclosure: I am a Vitamix affiliate and any links to their products are via my affiliate account.

Hearty Southwest Veggie-Lentil Soup

October 7, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 6 Comments

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One-pot-wonder dinner recipe for you today!..

I love lentils. Not only are they very versatile and delicious, easily taking on a wide variety of flavors, they are super healthy. Just one cup of lentils provides 18 grams of protein, 16 grams of fiber and 36% RDA of iron, among other things.

One of my favorite ways to eat lentils is lentil soup. I always order it when it is a vegan soup-of-the-day at restaurants and I love to simmer some on my stovetop and serve it for family dinners. Today's recipe for Southwest Veggie-Lentil Soup is a pretty basic version of lentil soup - with a few spicy and lively flavor accents from jalapeño, cumin, tomato salsa, chipotle "cream" on top and cilantro. This soup is packed with hearty veggies. Fall and winter is soup season, so turn your soup bowl into a hearty, balanced plant-based meal using legumes like lentils. Get the recipe..

I served my soup with some blackened tortillas that I quickly warmed on my stovetop then sliced into triangles.

We start with lentils. I used red lentils..

Start by softening these veggies in a splash of EVOO..

chopped cilantro adds wonderful flavor!

Before adding the chipotle cream on top..

Dive in...

Ready to try it? Make this dish tonight and let me know how it went in the comments section. Happy soup season!

Southwest Veggie-Lentil Soup

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 10/07/2015Southwest Veggie-Lentil Soup
Warming and lightly spicy, this southwest-inspired lentil soup contains hearty veggies and flavorful lentils.

Ingredients

  • Soup:
  • 1 cup lentils (I used red lentils)
  • 1 cup salsa (any variety - I used a chunky spicy salsa) -- great use for leftover salsa
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 jalapeño, sliced and halved (seeds removed)
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 3 ribs of celery, sliced
  • 4-5 cups veggie broth
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • additional water or broth as desired for consistency
  • Chipotle Cream:
  • ¼ cup vegan mayo
  • ½ teaspoon chipotle powder
  • 1 teaspoon maple or agave syrup
  • Garnish: fresh cilantro leaves -- a few crushed tortilla chips or pepitas would be a nice touch too!

Instructions

  1. Warm a large soup pot over high heat. Add int he extra virgin olive oil and the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Stir around and cook until the veggies caramelize on the edges and start to soften.
  2. Add all the remaining soup ingredients (except the chopped cilantro) and place lid on soup pot. Turn heat down to low-medium. Allow the soup to simmer for 15-20 minutes to cook the lentils. Once the lentils are soft and cooked through you soup is technically "done." But the longer you allow the soup to simmer at a low temperature, the more the flavors will intensify and the ingredients soften. Note: If you like a "crunchier" less cooked texture to the veggies, serve right after the lentils are cooked through. Add more veggie broth or water as desired to thin out the soup consistency, if desired. I added in a few splashes of water.
  3. To serve, fold in the chopped cilantro. It will wilt into the hot soup instantly.
  4. Make the chipotle cream by briskly stirring all the ingredients in a small cup.
  5. To serve: pour soup into bowls and drizzle the cream on top. Add a fresh leaf of cilantro. (Do not serve the soup with the bay leaf - you can either keep it in the "leftovers pot" for added flavor or discard once the soup is cooked.)

Yield: 5 servingsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 25 mins. Total time: 35 mins.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 205
  • Fat: 3g
  • Totalcarbs: 31g
  • Dietaryfiber: 14g
  • Protein: 15g

Tags: soup,lentil,veggies,southwest,entree,spicy,

*nutrition content does not include the chipotle cream on top - and specifies 5 servings per recipe - info is per serving

More lentil recipes I love:

* Lentil Sloppy Joes
* Miso Broccoli Spiced Lentil Power Plate
* Lifting Lemon Lentil Rice Soup
* lentil-Cashew Cakes
* Ginger-Curried Warm Lentil Dip
* Skillet Popped lentils
* Sweet Potato Chili with Lentils

Vegan Chocolate Layer Cake from Gena's New Cookbook with Food52

October 6, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 10 Comments

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This is the perfect Chocolate Cake recipe for fall because it includes pumpkin puree in the luscious filling. These gorgeous food photos are recipes from Gena Hamshaw's new cookbook, Food 52 VEGAN: 60 Vegetable-Driven Recipes for Any Kitchen.

Learn more about the cookbook and get this recipe for the most amazing fall chocolate cake..

Get THIS recipe below!..

* Chocolate Layer Cake - © 2015 by James Ransom


* Butternut Mac/Cheese and Lentil Arugula Salad - © 2015 by James Ransom

Gorgeous Book. This book is gorgeous. Hardbound. Beautiful matte pages. Stunning food photography that looks fancy yet totally accessible. You will flip through the pages and be inspired yet empowered at the same time. You will say, "That looks amazing! And I can totally pull that recipe off!"

..And not only are all of Gena's recipes delicious, but as a nutrition-savvy vegan she really knows how to craft recipes that make your body feel good. Gena's buzzwords for her work and website: honest and nourishing. And I love how perfectly the word nourishing describes Gena's creations.


* Gingered Carrot Bisque and book cover - © 2015 by James Ransom

About the Author. One of my favorite people, Gena is also one of my personal fave bloggers out there. Gena's work is always emotional and heartfelt, yet analytical and intellectual. I adore everything she produces, which is why I love to share her work and support her projects and her!

And how adorable does she look in her new author photo. I just love it.

About the Book. Food52 Vegan: 60 Vegetable-Driven Recipes for Any Kitchen

The book contains sixty recipes, each of which you will immediately want to make. Scribble up a shopping list and start menu planning your week, this book can do that for you.

There are so many amazing vegan cookbooks out there right now, so why would you want to buy this one?? It is a great question!...

The answer: These are recipes you will make. And crave. And make again. And serve for vegans and non-vegans. You might even forget this book is called VEGAN.

As someone who writes recipes for a living, I honestly do not use cookbooks as exact sources for my meals. BUT I absolutely get inspiration from cookbooks and try recipes once in a while. And this book is super inspiring to me.

Highlights for Me. Some of the stand out recipes that will easily inspire my meals include:

- Gena's Muesli. She always reminds me to make more muesli for breakfast! (page 3)
- Gorgeous vegan pancakes (page 8) - perfect cozy morning moment.
- Vibrant green smoothie (page 7) - it looks so good!
- Breakfast Tostadas (page 20) - for a savory brunch!
- Socca (page 30) - I have been meaning to try socca, this reminds me and gives me a recipe!
- Gingered Carrot Bisque with cashew cream (page 49) - the photo is so gorgeous and makes me want a bowl right now!
- Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew with Kale (page 54) -- THIS is the recipe I will be trying first! Maybe dinner tonight in fact!
- ALL the salads! (pages 62-77) -- Gena is the queen of salad bowls that become meals. All these recipes are calling me.
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese (page 85) -- I love the look of this dish. Comfort food from plants.
- Mushroom, Pecan and Lentil Burger (page 90) -- Hearty burger to try! This veggie burger is not shy.
- ALL the Desserts! (page 112-131) From bread pudding to biscotti and this chocolate cake. I adore these recipes.

What are you waiting for? Get this book today and add some deliciousness to your mealtime tomorrow! Buy on Amazon.

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Filling and Ganache

By Gena Hamshaw
Published 10/06/2015
Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Filling and Ganache

Yes, it is true: vegan chocolate cake can deliver all the flavor and satisfaction of its egg- and butter-filled cousins, as this one amply demonstrates. The “buttercream” in this recipe is an ingenious combination of pumpkin puree and almond butter. If you don’t have time to bake a cake, it wouldn’t be a terrible idea to make the filling anyway and eat it with a spoon.

Ingredients

  • CAKE:
  • 3 cups (375g) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • ⅔ cups (60g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups (475ml) unsweetened nondairy milk, homemade or store-bought
  • 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 ¾ cups (350g) sugar
  • ⅔ cup (160ml) melted coconut oil
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • FILLING:
  • 1 cup (245g) pumpkin puree
  • ¼ cup (20g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¼ cup (60ml) maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoon almond or cashew butter
  • GANACHE:
  • 6 ounces (170g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1-2 cups (120ml) coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoon maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Coat two 8- or 9-inch (20 or 23cm) round springform pans with melted coconut oil.
  2. To make the cake, put the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
  3. In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the nondairy milk and vinegar until frothy. Whisk in the sugar, oil, and vanilla. Add about one-third of the mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a spatula or whisk, or use an electric mixer on the lowest setting. Repeat, adding the remaining liquid in two more additions, mixing just until incorporated after the final addition. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
  4. Bake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven but leave the cakes in their pans and let cool completely.
  5. To make the filling, process all the ingredients in a food processor.
  6. To make the ganache, put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Combine the coconut milk and maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just simmering. Pour over the chocolate and stir until melted. Let cool to room temperature.
  7. To assemble the cake, remove the layers from their pans. Place one, top side up, on a serving platter and gently shave off the rounded top with a sharp knife. Spread all of the filling over the top. Place the other cake layer atop the filling. Pour the ganache evenly over the top and let it drizzle down the sides. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
  8. Leftovers will keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Yield: 10-12
Cook time: 00 hrs. 25 mins.
Total time: 25 mins.
Tags: cake,vegan,chocolate cake,gena hamshaw,food 52,dessert

Recipe Permission: Reprinted with permission from Food52 Vegan, by Gena Hamshaw, copyright © 2015, published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

All images (including author photo): Photographs copyright © 2015 by James Ransom

More book details from Amazon:

"An essential collection of hassle-free, vibrant vegan recipes, from the author behind Food52's wildly popular The New Veganism and Vegan Lunch columns.

Omnivore or vegan (or anywhere in between), we’re all looking for memorable, flavorful dishes to cook for ourselves and the people we care about. If those recipes happen to be healthful, nourishing, and friendly to vegetarians and vegans, even better.

With her wildly popular New Veganism column on Food52, Gena Hamshaw has inspired home cooks to incorporate plant-based recipes into their everyday routine—and even gained some nutritional yeast and cashew cheese converts. This vibrant collection of all-new recipes plus beloved favorites from the column—along with exquisite photography and helpful tips throughout—will show all of us innovative ways to cook with fresh produce and whole foods.

From Savory Breakfast Polenta to Cauliflower and Oyster Mushroom Tacos to Ginger Roasted Pears with Vanilla Cream, these recipes are delicious, dependable, and deeply satisfying. Cook from this book just a couple of times and you’ll soon find yourself stocking up on coconut oil, blending your own nut milks, seeking the sweetest tomatoes at the market, and looking at plant-based dishes in a whole new way."

* Kale and Kabocha Squash Salad - © 2015 by James Ransom

Keep Reading..
- Buy VEGAN - Food 52 - by Gena Hamshaw on Amazon
- Check out Gena's VEGAN posts on FOOD52
- Read my interview with Gena from her "now vintage" Veggie Girl Power Series!
- Read my review of Gena's other cookbook Choosing Raw - and get her Muesli recipe

Make Vegan Pumpkin Nog with Me! VIDEO

October 3, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 12 Comments

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Rich and creamy and filled with fall spice flavor, this Vegan Pumpkin Nog is just the thing you need to usher in a cozy, relaxing, carefree fall day. Plus a new video to go along with this recipe. Hop in my kitchen and make nog with me!...

I am trying to get back into my video-making swing of things so today I busted out the video camera, and whipped up this easy fall recipe. My dairy-free, egg-free Vegan Pumpkin Nog, with a swirl of soy whip on top, is a warming, cozy beverage that you can start serving right now and enjoy all fall and winter long. This recipe is a spin on my popular Hot Pumpkin Mug, but with a creamy cashew spin on things.

TIP! To get your warm mug beverages extra frothy, blend them in a Vitamix. Order my favorite Vitamix, the 5200.

But this post is special mostly because it contains a new video! I hope you watch it and subscribe to my YouTube channel + thumbs up today's recipe, to help encourage me to film more video recipes.

To Do list. So RIGHT NOW lets make Pumpkin Nog, pull on some cuddly fall socks, put a festive movie on TV (Hocus Pocus anyone?) and enjoy a cozy fall day of "chill time."

This mug packs a healthy-filling-delicious punch. It contains healthy fat cashews and vitamin A rich pumpkin, along with warming spices and whatever non-dairy milk goodness you choose.

Pumpkin Nog

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 10/02/2015
Pumpkin Nog

Creamy, rich Pumpkin Nog with fall spices and cozy flavors.

Ingredients

  • 1-2 tablespoon raw cashews (soaked overnight/drained)
  • 1-2 tablespoon pumpkin puree, unsweetened
  • 1 ½ cups non-dairy milk
  • ½ - 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • optional: ginger powder and/or cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  • sweeten to taste: I like 1-2 teaspoon maple syrup, grade B
  • Whip: soy, rice or coconut

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients except the sweetener to a high speed blender. Blend until creamy. Blended in my Vitamix of course. Order your Vitamix using my coupon code 06-006170 and you receive free shipping.
  2. Pour mixture into a small soup pot. Warm over high heat on stovetop. Warm until just under boiling. Pour into serving mug(s) and top with non-dairy whip. Add a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon on top!

Yield: 1 large mug
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 02 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 05 mins.
Total time: 7 mins.
Tags: beverage,fall,pumpkin,nog,dessert,brunch,breakfast,vegan,dairy free,cashews

Disclosure: I am a Vitamix affiliate and any links to their products are via my affiliate account.

Finding Vegan Tees!

October 2, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 7 Comments

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I have been wanting to launch a Finding Vegan tee for a while now, so I hired a designer to create something fun, unique and proud! This "I Found Vegan" tee is the result...

ORDER TODAY -- BUY A TEE!

Snag your "I Found Vegan" Tee over at Teespring

I love this fun tee and hope you guys love it too! You can order this design in a few styles, a flowy tank, slouchy sweatshirt, tri-blend tee, long sleeved and more.

This campaign runs for only two weeks, so order today so you do not miss out! I hope you will show off your Finding Vegan community pride by wearing this tee! I will be wearing mine a lot, so we can be twinsies 🙂

LARGE - American Apparel Triblend Tee -- "Athletic Grey" color (UNISEX) (not the women's tee -- this is the unisex, which is why it is so large and oversized)

And the tanks - BELLA+CANVAS Women's Flowy Tanks.

I love them with basic black leggings..

Or casual with a pair of jeans..

There is not an active campaign right now, but you can sign up for the waiting list for my Healthy Happy Life tee

Snag your "I Found Vegan" Tee over at Teespring

..Campaign ends in two weeks - and I do not know the next time they will be available after that.

Buy a "I Found Vegan" Tee - Teespring

Butternut Squash Lover's Salad

October 2, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 9 Comments

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One of my favorite flavors of fall: butternut squash. The texture. The light sweetness. The jam-packed goodness including vitamin A, fiber, iron and more. And it really satisfies as the star of today's recipe for my Butternut Squash Lover's Fall Salad. Complete with rich maple-tahini dressing on top and sweet citrus all around. Dive into fall with this yummy, good-for-you salad..

Hello sunshine. Fall-ish sunshine on your plate. Er, bowl.

Before adding the drizzle of tahini-heaven on top..

Butternut squash fun (nutrition) facts:

One cup of butternut squash cubes contains just about 82 calories and 457% RDA vitamin A. So you can eat allllll theeee squashhhhh you want.

Just go easy on the tahini. I mean, you can totally tell from my photos that I went very light on the tahini drizzle. (Yes that was me being sarcastic.) More tahini-maple dressing please!

Sometimes butternut squash is all you need as the star of your meal.

With some flavor accents to enhance the fall flavor.

Cinnamon.
Citrus.
Tahini.
Sage.
Sea salt.
Maple.

Trust me. This is way too easy and delicious to pass up.

Butternut Squash Lover's Fall Salad

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 10/01/2015Butternut Squash Lover's Fall Salad
This easy salad includes skillet butternut squash, accented with citrus, pumpkin seeds and a generous drizzle of tahini-maple dressing. Delicious!

Ingredients

  • 10oz butternut squash (frozen cubes used - fresh work too)
  • 1 teaspoon virgin coconut oil
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups arugula and spinach greens
  • 2 tablespoon pumpkin seeds, raw
  • 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
  • 1 orange, sliced/peeled
  • 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice (use a slice from the orange)
  • 1-2 sage leaves, fresh (torn)
  • Dressing:
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • 2 teaspoon maple syrup, grade B
  • 1 tablespoon orange or lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (supplement with water if you want a milder dressing)
  • 1-3 tablespoon water (optional - as needed - to help cook squash)

Instructions

  1. Warm a skillet over high heat. Add the coconut oil. When oil is hot, add the squash and splash of water. Allow to cook until the squash is tender and cooked through, but not mushy. Note: If using fresh squash, it is advised that you boil it first, to get it tender and cooked through -- drain water then add the tender squash to this skillet.
  2. Sprinkle the cinnamon, orange zest and salt over top. Tear the sage leaf into tiny bits and add it to the pan. Fold the squash with these seasonings.
  3. Push the squash to one side of the pan. Add the pumpkin seeds to the dry side of the pan, along with the orange juice and maple syrup. Let them sizzle for a minute or two. Then gently fold the seeds and seasoned squash all together, allowing all the flavors to combine. Turn off heat. Optional: toast two small sage leaves in the hot pan to be used as a "fried sage" garnish.
  4. Using a blender, combine the dressing ingredients together. I will usually double or triple the dressing recipe so that I have some leftover for the next few days -- and this makes it easier o blend in a blender container. If not blender, you can whisk everything together by hand. The dressing is super simple: the tahini, maple and then an acid to help loosen the tahini. Then add more of the acid - or water to thin out the dressing to your desired consistency. You can play around with these basic ingredients as well to craft your perfect tahini dressing. If you like sweet, add more maple, etc.
  5. Drizzle 2 teaspoon of the dressing over top the salad greens. Then add the orange slices around the edges of the serving bowl. Finally, add a large generous portion of the skillet butternut squash and pumpkin seed mixture to the center of the salad. Then add more dressing over top. Add the toasted sage leaves as garnish - optional. I like a thick tahini dressing to drizzle over top. Serve right away so you enjoy the warm skillet squash combined with the cool, bitter and spicy greens and citrus.

Yield: serves 1Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Total time: 20 mins.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 474
  • Fat: 21g
  • Protein: 14g
  • Dietaryfiber: 14g
  • Totalcarbs: 68g

Tags: butternut,squash,salad,easy,maple,pumpkin seeds,tahini,lunch,vegan,fall,butternut squash

Nutrition Institute Tour + 9 Wellness Lessons

September 30, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 8 Comments


disclosure: DOLE paid for my travel and accommodations, but all opinions are my own. I was not paid to write this review, but I am a DOLE ambassador for 2015.

What an amazing and inspiring fruit-and-veggie wellness-filled trip I had a few weeks ago, as I travelled to Charlotte, North Carolina for DOLE Fresh Fest.

A small group of bloggers and dietitians were invited to tour DOLE'S world renowned research campus, the DOLE Nutrition Institute, aka DNI. I have been a fan of the DNI for years, subscribing to their newsletter and following the studies they publish and wellness tips they release. So to be able to walk the grounds, see how passionate they are about plants for human health - they even have an entire building called just that - it was truly a treat.

Basically guys, this post is jam-packed with nutrition chatter. So bookmark it or email it to yourself for a time when you need some nutrition motivation and a good wellness read. 

Check out my 9 Wellness Lessons from my trip,as well as my exclusive Q&A with DOLE Scientist Nicholas Gillitt PhD. You DO NOT want to miss what he has to say on bromelain in pineapples, digesting starches and proteins together, raw vs. cooked plants, plant-based diets and even green tea!

Plus my video of the trip!

Whew!! (I told you this post is jam-packed!)..

Before you read below, check out my VIDEO from the event! It includes footage of nutrition and wellness chatter, some insights from Mr. Murdock and of plenty of fun blogger antics..

Kannapolis North Carolina.

Some of the girls.. (end of post for blogger links!)

Dinner on the last night, with Chef Mark..

Part of the campus..

The ceiling that greets you at the Nutrition Institute..

My favorite building.. Plants for Human Health. Yes!

There was fitness.. Boot camp!

Wall at Restaurant 46 - healthy-delicious lunch:

The salad -- filled with plants!

9 Things I Learned at DOLE'S Amazing Nutrition Institute

1. Mr. Murdock is on a Mission. #Inspiration

I have long been a fan of David Murdock's wellness journey. Mr. Murdock is the CEO and owner of DOLE is currently 92 years old and going strong. You may have seen him on Oprah. He wants to live to be 150 years old and I would not put it past him! He is incredibly passionate about fruits and veggies for health and wellness. He has a special smoothie every day, featuring some unique ingredients like using the peels of fruits -- the stuff we usually toss. But keep reading to hear more about that! Mr Murdock's famous smoothie recipe is at the bottom of this post.

Lesson 1: Loading up on plants, eating well + exercising can help keep you young.

2. Eat the Peel.
As I mentioned in #1, Mr Murdock loves to keep the peels of fruits and veggies ON whenever possible. He even blends his favorite smoothie using banana peels and orange peels. He says that "Anything the sun touches is the healthy part of the fruit." Makes sense, right?

We all know the apple peel is the healthiest part of the apple and I learned on a recent avocado farm trip that most of the nutrients in the avocado flesh are concentrated in that dark green part right by the skin. So while I do not think I will be a regular banana-peel-smoothie fan, I will be focusing on eating more of those precious fruit and veggie skins -- anything the sun touches!

Lesson 2: Try to eat parts of fruits and veggies that the sun touches. Peels, skins, leaves and all as much as possible. 

3. Pineapple for Inflammation
I already knew this lesson, but it is worth repeating! Pineapple, rich in the enzyme bromelain, is excellent for calming inflammation. So pineapple is perfect as an after-exercise snack or blended into the smoothie. Tip: the core has a lot of nutrients, so if your blender or juicer can handle it, try to include the core in your juice or smoothie.

Lesson 3: Choose fresh pineapple as an after-workout snack!

4. Bananas Beat Sports Drinks
Some of the innovative research being done on the nutrition campus involve bananas and athletes. Bananas are rich in potassium, fiber, fruit sugars and are generally very easy to digest. The scientists have been working on showing that bananas beat sugar-y, food-colored sports drinks when it comes to hydration and refueling. "Don’t throw away money on expensive sports drinks — bananas deliver the same energy boost, and a much bigger nutrition bang, for a lot less money!" - You can read more about this study here: Bananas vs. Sports Drinks

Lesson 4: Bananas are a perfect way to fuel during and after a workout! (I like to blend bananas with potassium rich coconut water, for 'banana water' as a super hydrator -- plus it taste SO good!)

5. Rethinking Antioxidants
I read this Nutrition Institute report just a few days ago and found it so fascinating! When we think of antioxidants, we usually say that they neutralize free radicals, right? Well DOLE scientists have discovered that we may need to rethink that stance. Findings: "Many healthful plant molecules may not be direct free radical scavengers at all and might actually work by inducing genetic responses that in turn destroy free radicals and benefit health." - read more on these fascinating published findings here: Rethinking Antioxidants.

Lesson 5: Antioxidants help our long term health and well being - load up on produce!

6. AMRAP is a Thing.
I learned a new term during our boot camp session! AMRAP. It means As Many Reps As Possible.

Lesson 6: Fitness is an important part of wellness. Use AMRAP as your motivator! Do what you can. AMRAP people. AMRAP.

7. Eat Less Meat, More Plants for Protein
The message to the bloggers at the event was to introduce our readers to plant-based sources of protein. To remind them that beans, grains, mushrooms and all plants contain protein. This really excited me to hear!

Lesson 7: All plants contain protein. Some more than others. Fill up on legumes, nuts, seeds and more for animal product free protein sources.

8. Huetrition.
I love this new buzzword huetrition! Huetrition describes what we all have been trying to do for years now: eat the rainbow. Eating a wide variety of colorful foods - everything from red beets to blue blueberries, green kale to orange carrots, yellow bell pepper to pink papaya, white beans to black mushrooms. #Huetrition

Lesson 8: Keep eating the rainbow for wellness #huetrition

9. DOLE Loves Healthy Substitutions: plant based swaps.
Using plants in place of unhealthy foods is a great idea. Here are just a few I found in this Nutrition Institute website Creative Kitchen article:

Avocado instead of mayo
Bananas as ice cream
Chia seeds in place of eggs
Mushrooms in place of meat
Sweet potato in place of butter
Cauliflower in place of pizza crust flour

Lesson 9: Healthy plant-based swaps are easy when you keep a creative kitchen mindset!

My Q&A with DOLE Scientist Nicholas Gillitt PhD
I asked readers to contribute questions for my trip. Here are a few of them, and some of my own..

Q: I have always heard that you should not mix starches and proteins in meals because it can slow down digestion. Is there any truth in this? How about mixing quickly digesting fruit (like melon) with other foods? - HHL reader

A: There isn't really any truth to this or at least none that would matter. The human digestion system is adequately designed to cope with most of what it eats, especially if it is part of a well-balanced diet. Rather than be worried about what order to eat starchy foods or proteins, concentrate on having a good balance of macro- and micronutrients in your diet and making your food taste good—after all, taste and flavor are the main drivers for enjoying food.

2. Veganism. What is your view of a plant-based diet* and overall wellness, from a scientist's perspective? - HHL reader

A: It really is the only way to go! To put your body in the healthiest state it can be, you need carbohydrates and fiber, proteins, vitamins, minerals and, now we know, phytochemicals. Plants have all these and are truly the most efficient, cost-effective, colorful and tasty way to get what your body needs. The consequences of not getting what it needs are too dire for anyone not to want to follow a plant-based diet. My opinion is that overall wellness is both physical and mental, and state-of-mind is based on brain biochemistry, which the nutrients in fruits and vegetables help facilitate. For me, the equation is simple: Lots of F&V = Healthy body and mind.
*Note that Dole does include fish, some dairy, and poultry in recipes. For us, “plant-based” means having fruits and vegetables act as the stars of meals.

Q: Bromelain in Pineapples.. In the BROMELAIN chart it said that most of the enzyme is found in the flesh of pineapple. I have always read that most bromelain is found in the pineapple core. And that bromelain supplements are made from the pineapple core. Is that misinformation? It would be so much easier to just eat the flesh, so I hope so! - Kathy

A: Bromelain is an enzyme, so we measure its "activity" not necessarily the "amount". We know from our own lab work the majority of the bromelain activity is in the flesh; this is a fact. This makes sense—as insects breach the hard woody exterior of pineapple, they will encounter the flesh, so the pineapple needs protection from the pests here. It makes no sense that the most concentrated activity is in the core, and we show it is not. The reason bromelain supplements are made from the stems/core is because it is not cost effective to make them from the flesh; it is worth more as fruit to eat. This is really just a value added part of the business. Core/stem bromelain does differ to fruit bromelain in chemical composition but they all do about the same type of job, i.e., digest proteins. Final word: eat the flesh. It is loaded with bromelain activity.

Q. Blueberries Raw vs. Cooked? Blueberries are so amazing. I love them raw, but I also find myself baking with them a lot. Is the antioxidant activity significantly reduced when blueberries (or any berries) are cooked? - Kathy

A: The effect of cooking food on nutrient integrity is an interesting question. We do know heat can affect vitamin levels for sure and some cooking methods (steaming, light sautéing, even microwaving) are best and only reduce levels by 20-30%. Vitamins don't like heat exposure at all, especially from concentrated sources like grills. Also, we do know some nutrients can leach out during boiling, again reducing levels, but this is still expected to be relatively modest. Baking is expected to reduce levels also just from a heat perspective. However, antioxidants are fairly robust molecules and so are not expected to be reduced by the same extent. There are some studies that even show a slight increase in health properties in food after cooking. I would say overall, even if there is some modest reduction, should that stop you from eating the finished product? No way! If it looks good and tastes good you will be getting some of the benefits. The best diet will include a wide variety of plant foods eaten both cooked and raw. Variety is key to a balanced diet!

Q: Smoothies. Do you notice differences in antioxidant uptake between eating fruit whole and blending it in smoothies?

A: We have not looked at that specifically, but I have read the absorption process is very much down to particle size and good blenders like the Vitamix can make very small food particles, much smaller than chewing! You will probably absorb all of what you eat eventually no matter the method of food preparation, but the nutrients in a blended smoothie may get into your system faster. Is there a real health benefit to this? Probably not. Just eat the fruits and vegetables how you like; the fact you are eating them in the first place is THE most important thing.

Q: Green Tea. Lastly, I noticed you used green tea in one blueberry/tea exercise study. I am a huge fan of matcha green tea and drink it in place of coffee. Have you studied green tea at all (or matcha) and have any anecdotes on its benefits?

A: Yes, we looked at green tea and blueberries on immune function during exercise and saw it reduced the ability of athletes serum (blood) to allow viral replication (spread of illness), offering evidence for a possible mechanism as to why athletes get sick after strenuous events and what they may be able to do about it. We have not looked at green tea on its own but do know it is loaded with antioxidant polyphenols such as the catechins and it would not surprise me if consuming it activated our own protection mechanisms just like fruits and vegetables did in the most recent work we did. I do know that black tea does the same things but when you add milk and sugar the effects are blunted, not good news for the English at tea time!

And finally, for those of you who want to try Mr. Murdock's smoothie, here is the recipe..

Mr.Murdock Smoothie
serves 2

1 organic DOLE Banana, with peel
½ DOLE tropical Gold Pineapple, with core
1 orange, with skin
1 tomato
1 lemon
Handful of DOLE Baby Spinach
1 red bell pepper, whole
1 stalk DOLE celery

Directions: Add everything to a powerful blender, pulse until combined. Best enjoyed chilled.

A few of the bloggers I spent time with on the trip:

Cat - Rabbit Food For My Bunny Teeth
Andie - Can You Stay for Dinner?
Taylor - Food Faith Fitness
Brittany - Eating Bird Food
Susan - Doughmesstic
Jeanne - The Jolly Tomato
Brenda - a farmgirls' dabbles
Lisa - Suburban Gourmet
Dan - GlutenFreeGirl
Heather - Farm Girl Gourmet

Thank you to everyone who helped make this amazing trip happen! Bil, Jenny, Jenn, Bob, CarrieAnn, Mark, Christia, Nick and Collin. It was so exciting to meet so many bloggers and dietitians - as well as DOLE's amazing dietitian Jenn LaVardera, MS RD and the other presenters, scientists and chefs. Thank you to Amusement Park Inc PR for planning everything and making sure there were plenty of vegan options on every menu.

And of course check out DOLE and the DOLE Nutrition Institute for more wellness inspiration.

Some more photos from the event..

The girls..

Typical..

Working out on the green grass..

Cool pitcher of iced tea at lunch..

This vegan soup at restaurant 46 was soooo good!..

Fitness challenge..

Chef Mark was so great!..

And that's a wrap! Where is my pineapple snack?..

Disclosure: I am a Vitamix affiliate and any links to their products are via my affiliate account.

Vegan Pumpkin Loaf. Medjool Date-Sweetened.

September 29, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 23 Comments

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Pumpkin Loaf Day is here! No no, PLD is not an official hashtagged food holiday. It is simply my own 'first-pumpkin-loaf-of-the-season-celebration.' Won't you join me and celebrate baked pumpkin goodness on this #PLD? soon trending on twitter, I am sure

I like to make and post a different pumpkin loaf every year. See links to my other pumpkin loaves and muffins ahead. And this year's recipe is quite the winner because it is free of refined sugar and sweetened with whole, caramel textured Medjool dates. It is also gluten free and of course animal-product free, aka vegan. Super simple, super moist and blissfully cozy with flavors of fall pumpkin spice in every bite. This recipe is perfect at breakfast time since a small slice contains close to 6g fiber. It is also very rich in vitamin A, potassium and is a good source of protein and iron.

Plus, check out how is stacks up against Starbucks's famous pumpkin loaf in my pumpkin loaf nutrition comparison.

Happy fall to you and your pumpkin loaf mornings...

Wrap slices for grab-n-go coffee or matcha pairing all week long!

My first nibble on the fluffy end slice..

Not Gluten-Free? You can absolutely make this using all purpose flour in place of oat flour if you like your loaf with a bit more gluten-y body as I do sometimes.

Back from a quick trip weekend to San Francisco for a beautiful wedding, today, Tuesday, feels like Monday. And I always love baking on Monday mornings, so today I popped open my very first pumpkin can of the season .. carefully .. if you remember my story from last year. I clicked on the oven and whipped up this super cozy and yummy loaf. My inspiration - Starbucks! Rolling your luggage through airport after airport can leave you gazing into plenty of Starbucks pastry windows in a fuzzy daze. As I picked up a soy matcha latte I gazed longingly at those pumpkin loaves. They look so pretty, but obviously they are not in my things-I-eat jar. Not vegan. Later on, I compare today's recipe to the classic Starbucks pumpkin loaf! Very interesting nutrition stats upon doing a side to side comparison..

The gorgeous bride and I..

Garden strolling to the ceremony!..

ps. she had the most amazing VEGAN wedding cake by Black China Bakery. I devoured my slice before I thought to snap a pic.

But today, this pumpkin loaf..

Date-sweetened! To add fiber, nutrients and sweetness..

Starbucks copycat. I often get jealous of those pretty pumpkin loaf slices at Starbucks. But this loaf is a worthy substitute. And much healthier as you can see.. I did a 123g serving size comparison of my Starbucks' famous loaf versus today's recipe loaf:


nutrition info for Starbucks source: website

Vegan Pumpkin Loaf

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 09/29/2015
Vegan Pumpkin Loaf

This fluffy, super moist real pumpkin loaf is vegan, gluten free and sweetened using caramel-textured Medjool dates.

Ingredients

  • dry:
  • 2 ¼ cups gluten free flour (oat or all purpose) or all purpose wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • wet:
  • 15oz. pumpkin puree, unsweetened (organic used)
  • 8 pitted Medjool dates, soaked (see instructions)
  • ½ cup almond milk, unsweetened
  • ¾ teaspoon apple cider vinegar or fresh orange juice
  • ¼ cup virgin coconut oil, melted
  • topping:
  • 1 Medjool date, chopped + rolled oats + sprinkle of date sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease an 8 or 9" loaf baking pan. (Or use parchment paper to line pan)
  2. Add the pitted Medjool dates to a large mixing bowl and add 1-2 cups of hot water. Soak for 30-60 seconds -- just to soften them. Drain water and place soaked dates in your blender container.
  3. Process your 3 cups of rolled oats to make oat flour -- or use store bought oat flour. Add add the dry ingredients to the same (now empty) large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
  4. Add the almond milk, coconut oil, pumpkin and apple cider vinegar to the blender, with the dates, and blend from low to high until silky smooth.
  5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry bowl and stir to combine. Stir until fluffy - 1-2 minutes or folding the batter.
  6. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and smooth out top a bit. Add the toppings: chopped dates, oats and an optional sprinkle of date sugar (or coconut sugar).
  7. Bake at 400 degrees for ten miutes, then reduce heat to 375 and bake for another 25-30 minutes. You want the top of the loaf to be browned and slightly firm to touch, while the inside if cooked through and fluffy.
  8. Allow the loaf to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving. If you slice too soon, you may squish some of the fluffiness of the loaf. Store leftovers in the fridge - re-heat or serve chilled. Delicious served with tea or coffee!

Yield: 9 slices
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 35 mins.
Total time: 45 mins.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 219
  • Fat: 8g
  • Dietaryfiber: 5.6g
  • Protein: 4.5g
  • Totalcarbs: 34g

Tags: pumpkin loaf,pumpkin,recipe,starbucks copycat,vegan,glutenfree,oats,medjool dates,sugar free,fall,baking,breakfast,snack,

Variations:

Want it Sweeter? If you really want this loaf to have a more dessert-y flavor and be a bit sweeter, I would suggest adding in a simple ¼ cup coconut sugar and sprinkling some on top of the loaf before baking as well. But really, I am in love with the sweetness level of this date-sweetened version. No refined sugar added which is pretty cool!

Don't Mind Gluten? You can absolutely use traditional flour in place of oat flour. I would suggest using 2 ½ cups traditional wheat flour in place of the 2 ¼ cups oat flour. You may also want to add in 1 teaspoon ground flax seeds to add some fiber and binding power, since the oat flour does an excellent job at that.

Make it Nutty! Fold in some chopped pecans or walnuts for a nutty boost.

Make it Apple-Infused. Fold in chopped apples for a delicious fall-inspired fruit accent.

Want More Pumpkin Loaf + Muffin Recipes?

* Pumpkin Oatmeal Loaf (not date-sweetened)
* Pumpkin Muffins

Disclosure: I am a Vitamix affiliate and any links to their products are via my affiliate account.

Easy Cheezy-Tahini Skillet Kale, in 5-Minutes!

September 26, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 14 Comments

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I am obsessed with this recipe. I whipped it up at lunchtime and have been thinking about sharing it with you guys ever since. This recipe is so simple and uses *frozen* kale as an option for preparing it. I really love the convenience and high nutrient value of frozen veggies like broccoli and kale. (Nutritionally speaking, frozen veggies are similar to -- and sometimes better than -- fresh ones. - source) The best part, besides the OMG-delicious flavor, is that this Cheezy-Tahini Skillet Kale can be prepared in just about five minutes. Boom. Done. Healthy greens on your plate...

kale + tahini = yes yes yes.

This dish is delicious as an easy green side dish or snack. You could also make it a meal by adding a side of chickpea avocado toast, tempeh triangles or tofu.

Start with the kale.. (frozen kale makes this SO easy as an anytime-no-planning-ahead dish)

Pumpkin seed + nooch sprinkle ... aka vegan Parmesan. (sprinkle the leftovers on anything and everything.)

Fold in the cheezy sprinkle - homemade using a Vitamix or food processor!

Sizzle things around a bit, fold in those flavors..

Ready for toppings..

I like to add MORE cheezy sprinkle first..

The tahini-maple sauce - 3 ingredents!

Rich and yummy.. (If you want it thinner, simply add more ACV or maple or a splash of water or lemon juice)

Tahini drizzled..

Hot sauce of course..

Cheezy-Tahini Skillet Kale

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 09/25/2015
Cheezy-Tahini Skillet Kale

Easy kale side dish or salad featuring cheezy and creamy-tahini flavors. Savory and sweet all in one.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups frozen orgaic kale (or 1 bunch fresh, shredded into small pieces)
  • 1 cup water or veggie broth
  • cheezy sprinkle: (you will have leftovers)
  • 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (or try another nut or seed like walnuts!)
  • ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • Tahini Sauce:
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup, grade B
  • Optional: hot sauce

Instructions

  1. Warm a skillet over high heat. Add in the kale and water or broth. Cover with a lid to speed up the cooking process. Cook until the kale is cooked through and all liquid has been cooked off. If using fresh kale, you will definitely want to cover with a lid to help wilt the kale down.
  2. Turn heat to low and sprinkle 1-2 tablespoon of the cheezy sprinkle over top the kale. Fold it into the kale. This helps to 'dry out' and excess liquid on the kale as well, for better flavor. Cook for one minutes, then add another sprinkle of the cheezy topping - to taste. Turn off heat and transfer kale to serving plate.
  3. Whisk the tahini sauce together - stir until creamy. Drizzle over top the kale. Add additional cheezy sprinkle if desired. Drizzle hot sauce over top as well. Serve warm.

Yield: serves 2
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 01 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 04 mins.
Total time: 5 mins.
Tags: side,salad,kale,green,tahini,maple,cheezy,pumpkin seeds

Disclosure: I am a Vitamix affiliate and any links to their products are via my affiliate account.

105 Plant-Based After School Snack Recipes

September 24, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 21 Comments

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I asked around to my food blogger friends via my Finding Vegan blogger's group on Facebook: Give me your best vegan after school snack recipes! And here are the amazing collection of (105!) recipes they shared.

Vegan After-School Snacks

Some savory, some sweet, some grab-n-go, some fresh from a sizzling skillet. We have smoothies and energy balls, puddings and toasts. Chips and popcorn and even a few chocolate-covered treats in here too. Bookmark this page and have amazing plant-based snacks all school season long!..

The request:

Lets share fun, creative, colorful, easy, fast, vegan after-school snack recipes for this back to school season. Bonus points for using fruits/veggies as the star ingredient.

105 Plant-Based After School Snacks

1. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars

by Vegan Richa

Kids will rush home to nibble these delicious, secretly oat-and-almond, sweet bars!

2. Sweet Potato Soup (in a flash!) with avocado and chipotle

by lunchboxbunch, aka me

This super easy blender soup is warming, delicious and perfect for slowing down after a busy school day. Crunchy chips on top add fun and flavor!

sweet potato soup

3. Cheezy Broccoli Poppers

by Clean Eating Veggie Girl
Love kale chips? Then give these cheezy broccoli bites a whirl!

4. Silly Apple Bites

by Fork and Beans
Turn study time into silly smile time with these super fun snacks.

5. Cinnamon Spice Squash Cake

by Noshed
Fall spin on a yummy, cozy snack cake.

6. Quinoa Hummus Zucchini Roll-Ups

by Simply Quinoa
Veggies and grains and legumes, made delicious and beautiful!

7. Hot Pumpkin Mug

by lunchboxbunch
Come in from the chilly fall air and warm up to this hot-cocoa-spin on pumpkin. Perfect after-school study sip! Pair with almond butter toast or your fave fall cookie.

8. Quinoa Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

by Feasting on Fruit
Cozy oatmeal cookies with a superfood spin.

9. Vegan Maple Pumpkin Quesadilla

by lunchboxbunch
This fall spin on a vegan quesadilla is savory and sweet and something to run home from school to! Served from a sizzling hot skillet.

10. Orange Spiced Pumpkin Hummus

by lunchboxbunch
This snackable dip is perfect for the fall back to school season. Just add veggie sticks, toast or fill pita pockets!

11. Pumpkin Apple Fruit Leather

by the organic dietitian
This DIY fruity fave is a must try for kids who love fruit snacks and leathers.

12. Vegan Cheese Popcorn

by Vegan Family Recipes
For snack time, study time or movie time, this savory popcorn delivers!

13. Vegan Grilled Cheese Sandwich + Tomato Soup

by lunchboxbunch

14. Smoky Pinto Bean Tostadas

by Veggie Inspired Journey
For a boost of protein and fiber, these savory bites are the perfect way to fuel up for a long night of homework!

15. Buckwheat Zucchini Chocolate Cupcakes

by unconventional baker
Sneak veggies into their study sesh with these alluring chocolate cupcakes! Gluten free and oil free!

classic gone DIY after-school snack...

16. Tahini Dark Chocolate Granola Bars

by Veggie-Inspired Journey

17. Cherry Bakewell Cupcakes

by Harriet Emily
Cherries make for a sweet after-school treat, when baked into these lovely cupcakes. No frosting needed!

18. Fruit Kabobs with Sunflower Dip

by The Vegan 8
These fruit kabobs are a fun way to get your kids to eat fruit after school. You can even let them help you make them!

19. No-Bake Apricot Quinoa Bites

by KiipFit
The warming and friendly flavor of apricot, makes these bites a healthy treat!

20. Avocado Toast

by Styled Nutrition
Serve up this after school avocado toast for a satisfying bite.

21. Apple Cereal

by The Vegan Chickpea
Serve your apple lovers this apple cereal with nuts, seeds and cacao - aka chocolate.

22. Flourless Chocolate Cake

by green evi
Homework is easier with chocolate and berries gone vegan..

23. Maple Cinnamon Sweet Potato bites

by Natural Chow
The whole house will smell amazing with these on the study sesh menu.

24. Chocolate Avocado Cookies

by two peas and their pod
Sneak healthy fats into chocolate cookie bliss with these yummy tender vegan cookies.

25. PB&J Club

by lunchboxbunch
Perfect for a group study session - this PBJ super sandwich will serve a crowd!

26. Crunchy Coconut Apricot Bliss Balls

by love me feed me
These are sweetened using dried apricots!

27. Banana Bread Cookies

by Cupcakes and Kale
These cookies pack a healthy-delicious punch, banana bread flavors warm things up!

classic gone DIY after school snack...

28. Cherry Pie Tarts

by RealFoodRealDeals
These are your homemade spin on those unhealthy toaster tarts many kids love.

29. Cheezy Kale Chips

by the pretty bee
These kale chips will be gone in a flash -- so make a lot and watch those veggies fly!

30. Apple Crumb Bars

by Turnip The Oven
These cozy, filling gluten free bars are infused with fall apple flavor.

31. Tofu Pizza Sticks

by vegAnnie
These protein-packed, pizza-flavored sticks are power fuel for homework time!

32. Baked Apple Chips + Cashew Cinnamon Dip

by Tasting Page
Chips and dip gone fall - lovable after school snack.

33. Catsadillas

by fork and beans
Any kitty lover will be super thrilled to come home from school to find this silly kitty face waiting for him/her. Fun and delicious!

34. Low Sugar Real 'Fruit Snacks'

by Cotter Crunch
Swap these in for those store bought fruit snacks!

35. 2-Minute Pumpkin Pie Pudding

by lunchboxbunch
This super simple pumpkin pie pudding is infused with healthy pumpkin puree and brain-power boosting walnuts.

36. Pumpkin Seed Granola Bars

by Fried Dandelions
Fall spin on a classic kid-approved snack.

Sarah's kiddos love them!..

37. Acai Bowl

by lunchboxbunch
Frosty and sweet and totally amazing, this acai bowl is rich in antioxidants, fiber, potassium and flavor.

38. Peanut Butter Amazeballs

by a virtual vegan
More pb-chocolate deliciousness in these healthy-treat bites.

fun spin on pizza after-school snack...

39. Easy Mini Nacho Pizzas

by lunchboxbunch
These easy, healthy after school english muffin pizzas are topped with Mexican goodies for fiesta flavors!

40. Spinach Sesame Crackers

by elephantastic vegan
I am in love with these DIY square snack crackers!

41. PBJ Popcorn

by feasting on fruit
Snack approved! This is a creative spin on a study snack fave.

42. Triple Chocolate Bread

by contentedness cooking
Who can say no to this chocolate-infused snack bread?

43. Fatty Taquitos

by lunchboxbunch
These baked taquitos are filled with healthy ingredients like beans and veggies - but packed with fun crunchy fiesta flavor.

44. Hummus Lettuce Wraps

by The Vegan Chickpea
Craving veggies and hummus? Whip up these delicious lettuce wraps!

45. 5-Ingredient Sunflower Bars

by plant eaters manifesto.
Peanut free and naturally sweetened snack bars.

46. Fig + Date Energy Balls

by Brewing Happiness
Love fig cookies? Try these sweet fig energy balls to fuel the after school hours.

47. DIY DOLE Whip

by lunchboxbunch
Give them a taste of summertime, even in fall, with this DIY pineapple-infused DOLE Whip! Pineapple and banana goodness in every frsoty sweet bite. Hydrating and rich in vitamin C.

48. Easy Vegan Queso Dip

by lunchboxbunch
Add chips, veggie sticks, rice crackers or drizzle over your fave veggie salad for a spicy study sesh snack.

49. Vegan Denver Omelette Quesadilla

by Cadry's Kitchen
Serve these savory-amazing tortilla triangles with some guacamole for a cravable after school bite.

50. Roadtrip Bars

by lunchboxbunch
Just call these 'road trip bars' 'amazing study sesh bras' because chocolate, savory-sweetness and loaded of healthy ingredients will always equal a more productive study hour.

51. Nut Butter No Jam Toast

by Styled Nutrition
This spin on PBJ uses fresh fruit in place of jam!

52. Chocolate Almond Banana Smoothie

by lunchboxbunch
Refuel after school with this chocolate shake or smoothie bowl.

53. Black Bean Dip

by Garlic and Zest
Turn any study sesh into a fiesta with this legume-rich dish!

54. Chocolate Date Amazeballs

by Plant Strong Vegan
Chocolate lovers will love to nibble these date-sweetened treats.

55. Chocolate Popcorn

by Real Food Real Deals
Did someone say chocolate and popcorn, in one nibble-approved recipe? Yes, please!

56. Kabocha Squash Chips

by veggies don't bite
These yummy sweeet-savory chips are totally snackable! And healthy!

57. Raspberry Almond Squares

by unconventional baker
These yummy squares look decadent, but are super healthy! Gluten free.

58. Apple Cinnamon Date Scuffins

by veggies don't bite
Kids of all ages will get excited to try a SCUFFIN! 🙂

59. The Best Little Snack Cookies

by lunchboxbunch
These chocolate, oat and seed/nut cookies are indeed one of my favorite goodies to nibble. Study fuel!

60. German Chocolate Macaroons

by unconventional baker
The next best thing to German Chocolate Cake. Only healthy too!

61. Vegan Apple Gallete

by your wellness to go.
Fall apples will be delicious in this tart.

super creative after school snack...

62. Fully Loaded Apple Nachos

by begin within nutrition
These are so fun and delicious for anyone who loves snacking on apple slices and nut butter!

63. Red Pepper Dip

by Rough Measures
Serve this yummy dip with veggie sticks and warm pita triangles.

64. Spiced Tofu Fingers

by Tinned Tomatoes
Clearly these protein-rich tofu fingers are a big snack-approved, kid-friendly hit!..

Serve a crowd, snackable after school snack...

65. Vegan Cheese Ball

by peacemealxo
Savory snacking bliss! This fun vegan cheese ball.

66. Stuffed Apple Turnover Bites

by lunchboxbunch
These flaky tortilla triangles are stuffed with apple butter cashew spread and apple slices.

67. No-Milk Slices

by elephantastic vegan
These are an after-school treat for every chocolate and cream lover. Reward homework time with a snack plate like this!

68. Chewy Chocolate Oat Bars

by Fettle Vegan
These extra chewy bars will be a chocolate-infused hit with homework-infused kids!

69. Peanut Butter Puff Granola Cereal

by Strength and Sunshine
Kids love cold cereal. Well this homemade version is better than most high sugar store bought options.

70. Energy Toasts

by Radiant Rachels
Give any of these recipes a try for after-school toast feasting.

71. Cookie Butter Chocolate Cups

by the vegan cookie fairy
These cookie butter-infused chocolate cups are a delicious study treat.

72. Kid-Friendly Banana Green Smoothie

by Blender babes
If they can get past the green color and just try a sip, we are pretty sure kids will lOVE this sweet banana flavor smoothie. Popeye approved!

73. Easy Mini Crispbread Pizzas

by peace love quinoa
These fun, healthy pizzas are a great choice for a 'pizza-party study sesh.'

74. Strawberry Banana Popsicles

by FoodScape
Grab and snack fruity stud fuel.

Totally classic after school snack..

75. Peanut Butter Banana Flax Toast

by nourish by nutrition
Simple, classic and healthy with a flax, brain-boosting spin.

76. PB Apple Granola Snack Wraps

by active vegetarian
These are a kid-approved snack wrap!

77. Healthy Caramel Dip

by vegan family recipes
This vanilla bean 'caramel' dip is delicious paired with fall apple slices.

78. Cherry Oat Bars

by Nourish and nestle
Fiber, antioxidants, flavor! These gluten free bars are a crumbly, delicious study snack treat. Cherry or berry infused!

79. Pistachio Pudding

by unconventional baker
This green dream sweet treat is a healthy and energizing after school snack. Make ahead for grab-n-serve bliss.

80. Trail Mix Cups

by connoisseurus veg
This is a moist and snackable way to serve lovable trail mix flavors.

81. Super Creamy Truffles

by gourmandelle
These super silky and creamy chocolate truffles are a healthy after school treat.

82. Sweet Potato Ginger Protein Balls

by veggie desserts uk
These sweet potato-infused bites pack a warming study sesh punch!

83. Hummus Pinwheels

by go dairy free
These savory bites are a fun sandwich-y finger food for homework time.

84. Amazing Apple Fries

by go dairy free
How incredible are these fun and delicious apple "fries." Served in a fry container wrap!

85. Maple Cinnamon Peanut Butter Dip

by nosh and nourish
Just add apple slices, pita triangles or veggie sticks!

sweet treat after school snack...

86. No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Energy Bites

by Veganosity
These are SURE to impress. Chocolate = study fuel? Yes, please. Sub with almond butter if needed.

87. Tropical Soft Serve

by Vegetarian Gastronomy
Sweet and creamy with fruit flavors, soft serve is a winning study hour snack.

88. Oatmeal Raison Cookie Granola

by Spa Bettie
Serve your little cookie monster this fun cookie-inspired cold cereal.

89. Pesto Snails

by elephantastic vegan
These fun spiral snacks have a savory-delicious pesto flavor.

90. Smoky Garlic Pumpkin Seeds

by veggies don't bite
Fall fave. Make this healthy savory snack during pumpkin carving season.

91. Superfood Energy Balls

by Harriet Emily
These delicious bites are the perfect after school study fuel.

92.Strawberry Vegan Cheesecake bites

by Vegan Heaven
Sweet, creamy, pink bites for a healthy treat.

93. Pink Lemonade Bites

by Cotter Crunch
Kids will love these pretty pink lemonade bites.

94. Spinach Muffins with Cashew Cheese

by Vegan High Tech Mom
These savory muffins are a delicious way for kids to eat veggies after school.

95. Ginger peanut Salad Rolls

by lunchboxbunch
Get them to eat their greens after school with these rice wraps featuring peanut sauce flavor in every bite.

96. Apple Garlic Hummus Toast with sage

by lunchboxbunch
Savory sweet flavors from fall apples and garlic-sage hummus make this study toast a hit.

99. Lemon Blueberry Muffins

by a virtual vegan
These fluffy, zesty-sweet muffins are a cozy after school snack.

100. Strawberry Mint Spring Rolls

by the almond eater
These creative spring rolls should add some fruity fuel to the after-school hours.

101. Strawberry Muffins

by Vegetarian Gastronomy
Berries from the end-of-summer days will love being baked into these fluffy amazing muffins.

102. Sweet Potato Pesto Bites

by Pancake Warriors
For the students who love a sophisticated nibble, these elegant sweet potato pesto bites will impress!

103. Avocado Toast with Skillet Chickpeas

by lunchboxbunch
This is a substantial way to fuel up for homework time. Healthy fast from avocados and protein and fiber in those skillet chickpeas.

104. Smoothie Shots!

by DebSpots
Instant study fuel for a crowd of students, these mini smoothies pack an energizing punch.

Bean-loaded, healthy after school sandwich snack...

105. Chickpea Salad Sandwich

by lunchboxbunch
This easy to make tuna-alternative is rich in crunchy celery and chickpeas. Delicious on toast! My updated version is here!

106. Pizza!

Everyone loves pizza after school. Get one of my fave recipes here!

Thank you to all the vegan bloggers who contributed after-school snacks!

If you are a vegan blogger and would love to be included in round-ups like these, be sure to submit your recipes to my other site FindingVegan.com -- you can then have access to the private Finding Vegan Blogger's Group on Facebook!

Question of the Post: What is your favorite vegan recipe for kids that is after-school snack approved??

Please leave it in the comments below!

Cheezy Broccoli Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

September 21, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 19 Comments

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This is a one potato meal that you need to make! These are amazing. I hope you try my Cheezy Broccoli Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with a black eyed pea-tahini mash, and tahini-maple drizzle on top. Salsa optional. Get the vegan recipe..

It starts with this. A perfect sticky sweet sweet potato.

..So yummy on its own, but oh when you add yummy things to it. Dinner bliss. (Healthy dinner bliss.)

Easy cheezy broccoli..

Black eyed pea mash or hummus, whatever you want to call it, just call it yummy. ps. You can sub any bean if needed...

And then you get this...

Salsa on top? Go for it..

dive in..

I should have been running errands.
Cleaning.
Working.
Not cooking up and photoshooting more recipes for the blog, since I have a queue a mile long.

But these potatoes.

I made them around 4pm today and just HAD to eat them as an extra early dinner feast. They are so filling, soothing, nurturing, healthy, delicious and just plain rad. I really hope you try them!

Sweet potatoes offer up flavor, fiber and loads of vitamin A and potassium.
Black eyed peas offer up fiber, iron and protein.
Broccoli is a veggie you want to be eating more of because of its antioxidants and possible anti-cancer benefits.
Tahini offers flavor and healthy fats.
Nutritional yeast
adds essential amino acids and B-vitamins.
Garlic is a healthy super ingredient with so many benefits including an immune system and healthy heart boost.
And optional salsa adds even more flavor and veggie goodness.

Have a stuffed sweet potato meal this week!

Fun fact, kittens love when sweet potatoes are cooking. The house gets all warm and sweet smelling so they can sleep all day. Oh wait. Maybe they do that anyways..

with salsa, if you'd like..

Cheezy Broccoli Stuffed Sweet Potato

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 09/20/2015
Cheezy Broccoli Stuffed Sweet Potato

This is a one potato meal! Each sweet potato is stuffed with a tahini bean hummus and overflowing with cheezy skillet broccoli. Healthy meal!

Ingredients

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes
  • bean smash:
  • 1 cup black eyed peas (frozen used) -- (or use another bean)
  • 2 teaspoon tahini
  • ¼ cup lemon juice + pinch of zest
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2-3 tablespoon plain non-dairy milk OR water (as needed to blend)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • cheezy broccoli:
  • ¼ - ½ cup nutritional yeast
  • 5 cups organic broccoli florets (frozen used)
  • tahini-maple drizzle:
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • optional: chunky salsa
  • also: 1-2 teaspoon maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Warm oven to 400 degrees. Poke fork holes in the sweet potato. Bake for 30-60 minutes, or until tender and sticky sweet.
  2. While potato bakes, prepare the fillings.
  3. Bean smash: Heat the black eyed peas by boiling them for 5 minutes. Drain water and add peas to blender along with garlic, tahini, lemon juice and non-dairy milk as needed. Blend until smooth, yet still slightly textured. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon out into small bowl.
  4. Steam or lightly boil broccoli until tender. Drain and add to a skillet over high heat. Sprinkle nutritional yeast over top and fold a bit. Cook for 4-5 minutes, tossing broccoli with a spatula ever minute or so. You want to heat the broccoli just enough so that the excess water dries out a bit and the nutritional yeast marinates into the broccoli. (You could also roast broccoli with a splash of EVOO.) Set broccoli aside when ready.
  5. Whisk together the maple and tahini for the drizzle. Stir until silky smooth.
  6. Stuff your potato! Slice potato down the middle. Add a small drizzle of maple syrup (optional) and mash the sides of the potato to fluff and soften. Mash the filling down to make a nice hole for the filling to sit in. Next, spoon in ½ cup of the bean mash and flatten down, spreading evenly over inside of potato. Finally, pile in the broccoli and drizzle the tahini-maple drizzle over top. Add optional salsa.

Yield: 2 sweet potatoes
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 50 mins.
Total time: 60 mins.
Tags: entree,sweet potato,maple,beans,broccoli,vegan,dinner

Love stuffed sweet potatoes? Check out my Over-Stuffed and Simple-Stuffed Sweet Potato recipes..

The Yummiest Thing You Can Do with a Medjool Date

September 19, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 20 Comments

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Medjool dates are pretty rad. I can tell you this with some serious street cred. I mean, just two days ago I was hanging from a date palm in Yuma, Arizona, shaking plump, juicy, caramelly Natural Delights Medjool dates from their tall, gorgeous trees. I tasted, inspected, gawked at and swooned over this unique, amazing fresh fruit for three days at a blogger summit. But more on that in an upcoming blogpost. Today, my treat-seeking friends. Today, we make the absolute yummiest thing you can do with a Medjool date. Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Stuffed Medjool Dates. Lets go..

So simple. So awesome. Medjool dates...

Beneath that matte earth-colored skin, lies pure gold. Caramel gold..

These sweet and savory Medjool dates are:

- chocolate-dipped.
- peanut (or almond) butter stuffed.
- sea-salted.
- superfood sprinkled.

They are vegan, gluten-free with zero added sugars or weird ingredients or anything like that.

I promise to tell you much more about the magical Medjool date in my summit recap post. But today, lets just get to this recipe so you can do this...

The video recipe..

How did I discover this recipe? I tried this treat for the first time on night one of the Medjool summit. We returned to our hotel after a long exciting day of travel and chatter. As I entered my room I spotted a tiny, ribbon-wrapped box on my pillow. Inside was a perfectly made date, coated in chocolate, sprinkled in coarse Himalayan sea salt. (They looked even prettier than my dates .. I was in a hurry to make these babies!) I took a bite, intending to 'just take one bite' since I had just nibbled some dessert an hour before. But I quickly devoured the entire thing. Case closed.

Who Made those precious date bites? The amazing PR summit organizer, miss Beth Atkinson.

This recipe is inspired by Beth's recipe. Enjoy it!

Medjool Date Softening Tip! Is your date dry-ish and firm? Pit your date. Soak it in warm water for ten seconds. Microwave for 5 seconds. Repeat 1-2 times. Blot outside of date with a paper towel to dry.

Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Stuffed Medjool Dates

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 09/18/2015
Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Stuffed Medjool Dates

recipe inspired by Beth Atkinson. These dreamy dates are a savory, sweet treat with hints of caramel, nut butter and melty chocolate.

Ingredients

  • 8 Medjool dates, pitted (Natural Delights used)
  • ½ cup vegan chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon virgin coconut oil
  • ¼ -⅓ cup nut butter, softened to room temperature
  • coarse sea salt
  • superfood toppings: try coconut, goji berries, chia seeds, cacao nibs, spices and more.

Instructions

  1. Pit dates.
  2. Fill dates with nut butter, press closed with fingers. Place dates in the freezer to chill for 5-10 minutes - this will help them be coated in the chocolate more easily.
  3. Warm chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave until soft, stir briskly until silky smooth. Make sure chocolate cools a bit before dipping.
  4. Dip stuff chilled dates in the melted chocolate. Coat well. Lift date out of chocolate with fork and place on a parchent paper lined plate or small baking sheet.
  5. Top date with sea salt and optional superfoods. Repeat until all dates are coated.
  6. Place finished dates, on parchment paper, in the freezer until firm enough to handle and eat. Usually about 5-15 minutes. Store leftover in the fridge -- let the stored dates warm a bit before serving for a softer texture.

Yield: 8 dates
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Total time: 10 mins.
Tags: dates, dessert,chocolate,peanut butter, medjool dates, sweet,easy,recipe,vegan,superfoods,

simple date without the superfoods..

Skillet Apple Turnover Triangles: Fall Snack!

September 16, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 4 Comments

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Fall apple recipe! Last weekend, I whipped up these whole wheat, vegan, Apple Butter Cashew Cheese-Stuffed Apple Turnover Triangles, made in a skillet using whole wheat tortillas and yummy fillings.

Using sweet fall apple slices and homemade cashew cheese, these tasty bites which started out as fancy quesadillas, tasted exactly like flaky apple turnovers.

They were the perfect snack as I watched the US Open tennis finals last Sunday with my husband. I also made a creamy cinnamon-citrus dipping sauce using vegan coconut yogurt. (Which btw, I used to not like coconut yogurt, but really love it now! There is even a new 'Greek Style' Coconut Yogurt which I am excited to try. Hooray for new vegan products, ice cream and yogurt and of course Mac and Cheese.

Anytime Food. These tasty bites are lovely as breakfast, an after-school snack or an anytime nibble. Midnight snack approved. Back-to-school season perfection. You can even pop them in the fridge to store and eat them all day long. Delicious chilled or warmed. Plus with this recipe, you will have a bit of leftover apple butter cashew cheese for dipping and spreading.

Fast + Easy. And the best part about this recipe is that you can make it in minutes..

Apple Butter Cashew Cheese, the secret ingredient filling for super yumminess..

Note: If you are in a bind, you can sub regular peanut, cashew, sunflower or almond butter -- but this filling as shown is so perfect, fluffy and rich in cinnamon-apple flavor.

Snacks are served!..

Cinnamon Coconut Yogurt Dip too!

So flaky-delicious like an apple turnover.

This platter serves 2-3 people comfortably, or one very hungry person 🙂

How you layer the tortilla - easy!

Slice and serve..

Stuffed Apple Turnover Bites

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 09/13/2015
Stuffed Apple Turnover Bites

These flaky sassy-sweet apple and cashew cheese quesadillas taste like amazing apple turnovers. With a vegan yogurt cinnamon-citrus dipping sauce.

Ingredients

  • Apple Butter Cashew Cheese:
  • 1 cup soaked raw cashews (lightly soaked is ok)
  • ½ large apple, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • water as needed to blend - as little as possible
  • Turnover Triangles:
  • 2 medium whole wheat tortillas
  • 2-3 tablespoon Apple Butter cashew Cheese
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • ½ apple, thinly sliced
  • pinch of cinnamon
  • for pan: ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil - or coconut oil
  • Dipping Sauce:
  • ½ cup coconut yogurt, plain or vanilla
  • pinches of cinnamon, orange zest and salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Make apple butter by blending all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. Pour into a separate container - because there will be leftover with this recipe.
  2. Spread apple butter cashew cheese evenly over one of the tortillas, then add the apple slices, citrus zest and pinch of cinnamon.
  3. Warm a saute pan over high heat. Add ½ teaspoon oil to the pan. When oil is hot, place the tortilla with the spread and apples in the pan. Place the other tortilla on top.
  4. Allow this tortilla side to cook for 3-4 minutes, or until browned. Carefully flip tortillas in pan and cook for another 2-3 minutes, just to brown the other side and heat the filling -- softening the apples.
  5. Turn off heat and let the tortillas rest in the pan for 1-2 minutes, then slide it out onto a cutting board to further rest. When cool enough to slice, slice into quarters or eighths.
  6. Whip together the dipping sauce by stirring the ingredients briskly with a spoon.
  7. Serve! Store leftover cashew cheese in the fridge for up to 3-4 days -- this can be used as a dip or spread.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Total time: 20 mins.
Tags: snack,back to school, cashew cheese,apples, fall, vegan,sweet, kids,breakfast,cashews,cinnamon,turnovers

8 Reasons to Watch Cowspiracy

September 15, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 9 Comments

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Cowspiracy: Documentary to Watch. I ran across this headline a few weeks ago: "Leonardo DiCaprio Takes on the Animal Ag Industry! Helps Bring ‘Cowspiracy’ to Netflix"

Cowspiracy? OK, maybe I need to see this one. And here are eight reasons why you will want to too. Reason #1 - it is streaming on Netflix - right now!..

Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, is a groundbreaking feature-length environmental documentary following intrepid filmmaker Kip Andersen as he uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today – and investigates why the world’s leading environmental organizations are too afraid to talk about it.

A new cut of Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Davisson and...
Posted by Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret on Monday, August 31, 2015

8 Reasons Why You Need to Watch Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret

1. Streaming on Netflix Right Now.
If you are a Netflix subscriber, starting September 15th, you can watch the updated cut of Cowspiracy for free. What do you have to lose?

2. It is Not Just About Cows.

I thought this film was just about cows. And cattle farms. And meat. Not entirely true. Cowspiracy is about more. It is about humans. Our planet. The environment. The impact animal agriculture, of all kinds, has on the big picture.

In fact, one of my favorite quotes in the film is about pigs, and comes from the daughter of free-range cattle farmers:

"Some people think that pigs are dirty and gross, but I kinda, I really like them. They know people. And they will be friends.."

A photo posted by Cowspiracy (@cowspiracy) on Aug 14, 2015 at 7:10am PDT

3. It Sparks a Passionate Response.
Several times during the film I wanted to leap from the couch, run to the window and shout out,

"Hey guys, less meat, less farms, lets DO this!"

Of course I did not actually run to my window. I just shifted uncomfortably in my seat, burrowing myself deeper into the fluffy blue blanket wrapped around me. But once the film ended, I was inspired to google and research - learn more - and write this post. ..Which I guess is kinda like shouting from my window, right? My virtual window.

At least one acre of rainforest is cleared every second and the leading cause is to graze animals and grow their food crops. That is essentially an entire football field cleared every. single. second. #cowspiracy #change #rainforest #agriculture #climatechange #climateA photo posted by Cowspiracy (@cowspiracy) on Jan 11, 2015 at 4:11pm PST

4. The Story. Kip and Keegan.
The film was made by Kip Anderson and Keegan Kuhn. Kip is the guy you see on camera, narrating his journey. Keegan is behind the scenes.

I loved how first person the documentary was. Instead of just throwing facts and figures at you, from a faceless narrator, this documentary follows the journey of one person. I think we can all relate to that feeling of wanting to know more about a subject that we are passionate about.

This story started for Kip because he was passionate about being an environmentalist. This is his journey, fueled by passion and a desire for truth.

A photo posted by Cowspiracy (@cowspiracy) on Apr 7, 2015 at 8:26am PDT

5. The Facts.
At the end of this post I share some of Cowspiracy's stunning facts. Check them out.

One of my faves.. "Each day, a person who eats a vegan diet saves 1,100 gallons of water, 45 pounds of grain, 30 sq ft of forested land, 20 lbs CO2 equivalent, and one animal’s life." - Cowspiracy facts

Californians can be motivated by this..

A photo posted by Cowspiracy (@cowspiracy) on May 2, 2015 at 10:41am PDT

6. Easy to Watch. Mostly.
Unlike many animal agriculture films, this film was very easy to watch. There was only one scene that I would advise sensitive souls to NOT WATCH. The scene where the backyard animal farmer kills one of his ducks. I basically saw what was coming and looked away. Luckily, there is an emotional boost right after that scene.. The scene of Kip with that little happy rescued chicken riding in the front seat of his car.

7. Leonardo DiCaprio. I mean..
Leo's involvement in this film definitely caught my eye. I mean, animal activism with a dash of my favorite actor? How could I resist? And Leo is not only a crazy-talented actor, but he is a passionate environmental activist and animal lover, so much that he created the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998.

"In 1998, Leonardo DiCaprio established his foundation with the mission of protecting the world’s last wild places. LDF implements solutions that help restore balance to threatened ecosystems, ensuring the long-term health and well-being of all Earth’s inhabitants."

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Posted by Leonardo DiCaprio on Friday, August 28, 2015

8. It Starts an Important Conversation.
I chatted with my husband about this film for a good hour after watching it. We googled facts, watched follow-up interviews that Kip did and had a general interest in how this story will evolve and play out. This conversation needs to continue. And I am so excited that Leo and Netflix agree.

We all want our planet to thrive, even if for selfish reasons.

What person out there could argue against wanting a healthier planet and feeding all the humans on it? And hopefully, that desire can lead to behavior changes when we see that positive changes are possible in our lifetime.

"Around 75% of Americans consider themselves environmentalists." Can you be an environmentalist and still eat meat? Howard Lyman, aka the Mad Cowboy, former cattle rancher and current vegan says no.

Facts From the Film - visit the Cowspiracy website:

- Go Vegan. A person who follows a vegan diet PRODUCES the equivalent of 50% less carbon dioxide, uses 1/11th oil, 1/13th water, and 1/18th land compared to a meat-lover for their food.

Land required to feed 1 person for 1 year.. Vegan: ⅙th acre. Vegetarian: 3x as much as a vegan. Meat Eater: 18x as much as a vegan.

- Greenhouse Emissions: Roughly 13% of all greenhouse emissions come from transportation. (Cars, trucks, trains, cargo ships and yes even planes and jets.) 18% come from cattle.

- Every Hour. 70 billion farmed animals are reared annually worldwide. More than 6 million animals are killed for food every hour.

- Water Usage. "It takes 660 gallons of water to produce one hamburger." Aka, "2,500 gallons of water are needed to produce 1 pound of beef." You would have to shower for two months to equal 660 gallons of water usage. --- Domestic (household) use of water equals only 5% of water usage, while animal agriculture equals 55% of water usage.

- Livestock and their byproducts account for at least 32,000 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, or 51% of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.

- The Future. Emissions for agriculture projected to increase 80% by 2050.

- Rainforests. Animal agriculture is responsible for up to 91% of Amazon destruction. -- 1-2 acres of rainforest are cleared every second. -- Up to137 plant, animal and insect species are lost every day due to rainforest destruction.

- Agriculture is responsible for 80-90% of US water consumption. And growing feed crops for livestock consumes 56% of water in the US.

- Californians use 1500 gallons of water per person per day. Close to Half is associated with meat and dairy products.

- Dairy. 1,000 gallons/liters of water are required to produce 1 gallon/liter of milk.

- The Price for Speaking Out. 1,100 Land activists have been killed in Brazil in the past 20 years. -- One powerful example is Sister Dorthy Stang.

- Waste. A farm with 2,500 dairy cows produces the same amount of waste as a city of 411,000 people.

- Oceans. As many as 2.7 trillion animals are pulled from the ocean each year. -- We could see fishless oceans by 2048. -- Scientists estimate as many as 650,000 whales, dolphins and seals are killed every year by fishing vessels.

- Drugs. 80% of antibiotic sold in the US is for livestock.

- Population. World population in 1812: 1 billion; 1912: 1.5 billion; 2012: 7 billion.

- Feed People. 82% of starving children live in countries where food is fed to animals, and the animals are eaten by western countries.

 - The bottom line. "Animal agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, water consumption and pollution, is responsible for more greenhouse gases than the transportation industry, and is a primary driver of rainforest destruction, species extinction, habitat loss, topsoil erosion, ocean “dead zones,” and virtually every other environmental ill. Yet it goes on, almost entirely unchallenged.

As Andersen approaches leaders in the environmental movement, he increasingly uncovers what appears to be an intentional refusal to discuss the issue of animal agriculture, while industry whistleblowers and watchdogs warn him of the risks to his freedom and even his life if he dares to persist." - Cowspiracy

*Movie poster images copyright Netflix

Entree Salad Bowl: Mango-Avocado Brown Rice Gardein Crispy Tenders

September 11, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 42 Comments

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This yummy salad is built to please! Every satisfying forkful is packed with healthy ingredients and loaded with flavor. And yes it is totally vegan. Check out the recipe for my Mango-Avocado Crispy Tenders Salad! Plus, enter a giveaway to win one of my favorite salad bowls..

This salad is crazy-amazing. Brown rice, mango-avocado-lime salsa and vegan honey-mustard drizzled crispy tenders - toasty from the oven. And ps, my no "honey" mustard dressing has only three ingredients (link in recipe)..

Today I am featuring Seven Grain Crispy Tenders. I talk to a lot of people who say they want to go vegan, but they still crave familiar flavors they are used to, from animal products. I always point them to Gardein.

Frozen crispy tenders..

Warm and crispy from the oven..

Please check out the recipes, nutrition info, $1 off coupon and fun on the Gardein website. And share this post with your vegan-wannabe-meat-eating friends. We should all be eating less meat, and Gardein helps everyone, kids, students, seniors, busy professionals and more do that.

Ready to make these salads..

Fluffy short-grain brown rice. You could also use quinoa.

Salsa on top! Load on the antioxidants, healthy fats and loads of flavor..

Mango-Avo Salsa.. (This is also delicious served alongside plantains!)

Chop chop..

Before the dressing drizzle..

No-Honey-mustard dressing .. vegan!

Dive in..

Gardein's plant protein is better for your body and better for the planet. Made with non-GMO soy and wheat, ancient grains and veggies it provides the taste, texture and nutrition of meat but with less calories, less fat and no cholesterol. There are over 20 different Gardein products!

Download a $1 off coupon and learn more on Gardein's website!

Mango-Avocado Brown Rice Gardein Crispy Tenders Entree Salad

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 09/10/2015
Mango-Avocado Brown Rice Gardein Crispy Tenders Entree Salad

This lively and flavorful salad is packed with leafy greens, fiber, antioxidants and plant-based protein from Gardein Crispy Tenders.

Ingredients

  • Salad Components for each salad:
  • ¾ cup brown rice, cooked
  • ¾ cup avocado-mango salsa
  • 2-3 cups leafy greens
  • 3-4 Gardein Crispy Tenders, sliced
  • 1-2 tablespoon vegan honey mustard dressing
  • Salsa:
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 1 mango, diced
  • 1 lime, squeezed
  • 1 small white onion, chopped
  • pinch of salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Prepare salsa by adding all ingredients to a small mixing bowl and gently toss. Set aside.
  2. To prepare Gardein - follow instructions on bag. My method: Bake on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until crispy brown. I flip them half way through. Cool slightly, then chop.
  3. Prepare brown rice in advance so you can just scoop and serve. You can also use quinoa or another whole grain.
  4. Salad: Add leafy greens to serving bowl. Then top with rice, followed by the mango-avo salsa. Then place crispy tenders on top and drizzle dressing over top. Serve!

Yield: 1 salad
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.
Total time: 30 mins.
Tags: entree,salad,gardein,crispy tenders,avocado,mango,rice,dinner

Gardein (garden + protein) is a plant protein brand. Gardein’s award winning products are made from non-GMO soy and wheat, ancient grains and veggies. Gluten-free options are also available.

Why Choose Gardein? Gardein offers delicious, convenient and healthier versions of foods that are familiar to millions of people, aka animal products. Everyone can easily eat less or NO meat with Gardein.

Recently, I checked out these products:

Gardein Seven Grain Crispy Tenders:
- 8g of protein/ serving
- Easy snack or meal
- I adore these! They are flavorful, have great texture and cook in a flash.

Gardein Golden Fishless Filets:
- 9g of protein/ serving
- Contains 32mg of Omega 3s and no cholesterol
- Good source of fiber
- Won Better Homes and Gardens’ Best New Product of 2015 (voted on by over 70,000 consumers)
- These absolutely remind me of real fish. So as a long time vegan who has always not-liked fish, they are not for me, but for someone who really wants that 'ocean' flavor in a vegan version, these are very authentic.

(GIVEAWAY ENDED) In honor of this yummy salad, I am giving away one of my favorite big salad bowls + a $20 Amazon gift card (to help fill your bowl) - item will be shipped to you. If the winner does not live in the USA, an Amazon gift card will be emailed in place of this prize. Open to everyone..

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fudgy Brownies. Vegan + GF.

September 9, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 11 Comments

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Simple Fudgy Brownies. This vegan recipe is delicious, gluten free and perfect for satisfying a chocolate craving. Get the recipe and enjoy some chocolate fudge bliss today..

I made these brownies over the weekend and loved them. They have a rich fudgy chocolate flavor. They are a bit crumbly if you do not add a binder like ground flax or chia seeds, but they are still totally delicious. Perfect for making brownie-infused dessert parfaits with either banana ice cream, vegan yogurt or basic dairy-free vanilla or chocolate ice cream.

These would also be super yummy with some sweet peanut butter sauce swirled over top right before of after baking them. When I do that, I usually do ⅓ cup nut butter + 2 teaspoon sweetener - soften and stir together until pourable. Chocolate + peanut butter = yes.

Still warm from the pan, totally melty amazing..

Brownie Banana Ice Cream Bowl. SO good!

These brownies are rich and chocolatey. And hidden inside each bite are chickpeas and rolled oats. These ingredients help give the brownies body, without the use of eggs. Chickpeas and oats are also well known for being super healthy ingredients that contain loads of fiber, plant-based protein and vitamins and minerals. Plus we all know chocolate is rich in antioxidants. So I say these brownies are a total win win win.

Also check out this AWESOME video my blogger friend Jenny Mustard did, featuring my recipe for vegan Alfredo Pasta from my book Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen Thank you Jenny!..

Vegan Fudgy Brownies

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 09/09/2015
Vegan Fudgy Brownies

These super fudgy brownies and loaded with rich chocolate flavor - gluten free and vegan. Packed with fiber too!

Ingredients

  • Dry:
  • 1 cup oat flour
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup coconut sugar
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • wet:
  • 1 ½ cups chickpeas, canned (drained/rinsed)
  • ½ cup melted vegan butter (Earth Balance)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar or espresso
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup almond milk
  • 1 teaspoon ground flax seeds or chia seeds (optional, but helps with binding)
  • Fold in: ½ - 1 cup dark chocolate chips, or mini chips (vegan)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 8x8 baking dish. 9x9 will also work, but brownies will be a bit thinner.
  2. Mix all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Blend all wet ingredients in blender until smooth. Make sure the beans are silky smooth.
  4. Stir the wet mixture into the dry bowl, until a soft, fluffy batter forms.
  5. Fold in most of the dark chocolate chips and sprinkle a few right on top.
  6. Bake brownies for ten minutes at 400 degrees. Then lower temperature to 350, and bake for another 10-12 minutes. Remove brownies from oven and allow to cool on counter before slicing. Serve warm. Brownies can also be use in brownie sundaes and smoothies.

Yield: 9 brownies
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 23 mins.
Total time: 33 mins.
Tags: brownies,vegan,chickpeas,chocolate,dessert,easy,

Nibble these!..

101 Things I Love. Happiness Reflection.

September 8, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 42 Comments

things i love - kathy patalsky

Since it the Tuesday back after a holiday weekend, I am trying to continue to embrace that cozy, calm 'long weekend' feeling by doing some self-reflection writing today. And I am sharing it here in hopes that you will join in.

Today's Inspiration: I recently stumbled upon a video by Kyle Cease, re-posted by my friend Sophie. It is called: "Why People's Opinions of You Are Not Real."

While watching, there was one particular quote that stood out to me: "You are what you love and not what loves you."

So today, I sat down to reflect on what I love...

Why This Post: The Culture of Validation. In our virtual world of "liking" "heart-ing" "retweeting" and showing our online support of each other, we can get swept up in caring too much about how people respond to us. Who loves us. Who doesn't.

From Instagram hearts, to retweets, Facebook likes and 'thumbs up' notifications on YouTube, the positive praise from the virtual world can get pretty addictive - especially for young people (teens, college students and young professionals) looking for self esteem building, attention and validation in such fresh, unfolding stages of their lives.

And a little online love can certainly be a positive thing - a way of sending love, saying hello and showing support.

But it can also turn toxic. Negative feedback, bullying, mean comments and stereotyping, being the worst of it.

But also toxic to your self esteem and self worth: the feeling of getting swept up in other people's lives and comparing yourself to them. Comparing your successes to their successes. Your path to theirs. If we live in a world of comparisons, we will never be enough. We will always want more for ourselves. But maybe we are enough, right now. Maybe we have so much love and light in our lives right now that we should only feel grateful, happy, confidant and proud.

Right now in this moment, you love SO MUCH. Really, just think about it. Make a list, like I did. Look how beautiful your world is. And how beautiful and awesome you are for loving this random collection of things -- the things that make you, YOU. These things that inspire you, light you up with passion and make you feel all warm and cozy inside.

These loves are unique to you. Like a fingerprint from your heart.

You are what you love. And not what loves you.

And ps. I started this list with the hopes of writing at least 50 things, thinking I could never make it to 100. But it was easier than I thought to keep listing and loving. And I could easily continue on for another 101 things.

I tried not to get too perfectionistic about this, worrying about how 'cool' or 'moving' this list would be. Instead I just kept writing. The random things that popped into my head. As basic or quirky as they may sound. So if you try this for yourself, do the same. Just write, without self judgement or editing.

101 Things I Love - Kathy's list

  1. My husband.
  2. My cats.
  3. My friends.
  4. My family, near and far.
  5. Rainy days.
  6. Smoothies.
  7. Warm towels.
  8. Twinkly lights.
  9. Weekend brunch. Waffles, pancakes, fruit, oatmeal, lattes. Good company.
  10. Waking up early to see a pink sunrise.
  11. Watching my cats sleep or roll around in sunbeams.
  12. Dancing in my living room. Bonus points for Britney Spears music.
  13. Getting home from a fancy party or event and putting on comfy, snugly clothes.
  14. Beach air, the sound of crashing waves and a view of beautiful blue-green water.
  15. The movie Titanic.
  16. Avocado Toast.
  17. Childhood photos. The kind you have to scan or snap to get online.
  18. California. NYC. Paris. Miami. Maui. Switzerland. Italy.
  19. Seeing the word vegan on a menu.
  20. Bringing freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies to friends, family or to events. And watching people smile and get excited about them.
  21. Thick foam on a vegan latte.  Bonus points for latte art.
  22. My niece's long and loud giggle.
  23. When my nephew asks me a question about something I know the answer to.
  24. When my nephew asks me a question I do not know the answer to.
  25. Watching shelter, wild or farm animals who are happy and loved. Or rescued.
  26. Leisure travel.
  27. Dishes and clothes from Anthropologie.
  28. Vintage episodes of Family Ties, Saved by the Bell, Full House or 90210.
  29. Art galleries. Paintings. Being inspired and moved by art.
  30. Broadway musicals.
  31. Singing loudly in my car and thinking I sound amazing. example: Let it Go, Elsa has nothing on me.
  32. Disneyland. Anything Disney. Rides. Happy people. DOLE Whip. The Castle.
  33. Walking in New York City. No destination needed.
  34. When my friends or readers leave me sweet comments on my blog. Or other places online.
  35. Saying "my cookbooks." And remembering I am an author.
  36. Farmer's Markets.
  37. Fruit. Fruit salads, whole fruit and fruit smoothies. My fruit monster status.
  38. Chocolate. Hot cocoa.
  39. Listening to "Carol of the bells" + baking sugar cookies during Christmas time. Pumpkin-anything in fall. Watching Hocus Pocus in October.
  40. Sitting down to a delicious looking dinner that I made myself.
  41. Long holiday weekends.
  42. Watching tennis. Playing tennis. Going to tennis matches like the US Open.
  43. Taking photos when there is beautiful light. And beautiful scenes.
  44. Getting together with a big group of girlfriends and talking about life, rather than work.
  45. Hiking. Fresh air. Moving my muscles outdoors.
  46. Enjoying my lunchtime smoothie, paired with a big sunbeam in my face, cozy kittens by my side.
  47. Whole Foods. And making it out of there spending less than $100.
  48. When my husband gets home after a long work day.
  49. Any movie with Tom Hanks, Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer or Johnny Depp.
  50. Watching movies in Los Angeles, when people clap and cheer at the opening and closing credits - and sometimes give standing ovations. Also: fellow movie lovers. And popcorn.
  51. The sound of crickets humming. The sight of fireflies. Warm summer nights and after dinner strolls.
  52. Ballerinas. And pretending I am one. (See #12)
  53. Laughing so hard that tears come out my eyes -- even better, laughing when you cannot stop and just have to keep giggling until it passes.
  54. Crying from a fictional movie or TV show. Ex: Grey's Anatomy at their peak.
  55. Comfort food. Vegan Mac and Cheese. Mashed Potatoes. Veggie Burgers. Banana Split.
  56. Puffy white clouds in a blue sky.
  57. Sunflowers.
  58. The color aqua.
  59. Skirts that twirl or flow, and shoes that sparkle.

60. Tropical drinks with tiny paper umbrellas, when on vacation.
61. Really good guacamole with steamy, warm, handmade corn tortillas.
62. The Twilight movies. And books. Yes, really.
63. Anything that reminds me of pop culture from the 90's.
64. Books + audiobooks for long plane rides. Example: Yes, Please.
65. Embracing technology and learning how to weave it into my life in a positive way.
66. Wearing my hair in a high bun all day. Aka, fuss free hair. Also: no makeup days.
67. Birthday Cake.
68. Looking at old photos of my parents from when they were "my age." Whatever that may be at the time.
69. Champagne.
70. Peanut butter and apricot jam sandwiches on toasted bread.
71. The moon roof in my car.
72. My bed. Fluffy comforter and pillows, soft buttery sheets, my Essentia mattress.
73. Giant salads.

74. Making lists. Hi.
75. Bubble baths with salt and essential oils.
76. Spa days. Massages, steam rooms, saunas, facials, fluffy robes.
77. Driving "up the coast" through Malibu. Aqua water out my window.
78. Sailboats.
79. Memories of playing in my backyard with my sister, fruit trees, sunshine and dress up.
80. Yoga and workout videos in my living room.
81. Driving on freeways with no traffic.
82. Encouraging people to follow their dreams, not matter how crazy or 'outside the box' they may sound. Helping people start a business, website or start a blog.
83. Kitchen stores and prop shopping for food photography.
84. Hearing good news from my friends and family.
85. Matcha.
86. Plopping down on the couch after cleaning the house.
87. Smiling at the sight of birds, butterflies and other 'urban wildlife' creatures.
88. Living in cities with seasons. Cozy winter days, brisk fall weather, spring sunshine, warm summer nights.
89. Living in cities without seasons. Flip flops in December, refreshing summer breezes, one wardrobe year round, smoothies in November.
90. Being happy and realizing it then and now. Being present in the moment.

91. Setting a spider or fly free outside rather than smashing it in fright or without stopping to think of other options.
92. Knowing I have friends who "get" me. And I get them. And we are support systems for each other no matter what.
93. Good TV. Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Parks & Rec and more. Also, Netflix.
94. Vegan restaurants that make me proud to be vegan. Real Food Daily, Native Foods, Veggie Grill and more.
95. When someone says I helped them go vegan.
96. Frozen Banana Blender Ice Cream. And ice cream smoothie bowls.
97. My Vitamix.
98. Meeting or chatting with my heroes.
99. Animal organizations that rescue animals or fight for their rights.
100. Being a blogger and sharing with my readers. Writing. Knowing I can always jump into my imagination and put something creative down on paper.
101. YOU! thank you for being here!!!

Please share YOUR amazing "loves" in the comments. Even one or two of them. The first things that pop into your head! I would love to see them, no pun intended.. 😉

photos: All photos by Sabrina Hill

New Vegan Mac & Cheese from Annie's

September 7, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 134 Comments

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This is a sponsored post. But all opinions are my own.

Attention bunnies, Annie's Homegrown has gone vegan! Well, sort've.

Vegan Mac & Cheese. I was so excited when I heard that one of my favorite brands, Annie's, was coming out with a boxed vegan Mac & Cheese product. The two new products are Organic Vegan Shells & Creamy Sauce and Organic Gluten Free Vegan Elbows & Creamy Sauce.

Learn more about these yummy products and get my two meal-approved recipe ideas to make your vegan Mac a& Cheese night extra special. And extra delicious. Plus enter a giveaway to WIN Mac & Cheese!..

New vegan product. Kid-approved. Adult-approved. Everyone-approved.

Fluffy pasta is the first step..

Then that creamy vegan sauce..

Shells..

Or gluten-free elbows..

Add some oomph to your pasta to make it a meal!..

THIS vegan meal was amazing!.

When you add one cup of edamame soy beans, you add 17g plant-based protein to this bowl. I love the colors, cheesy orange with pops of green.

Go-To Dinner. My husband and I have always kept a few boxes of vegan Mac and Cheese in our pantry for go-to meals and comfort food sides in a flash. But in the past, there have been very few options for vegan Mac and Cheese. Until now.

It is such an exciting time to be vegan, and products like this are one of the reasons why.

One of my favorite brands is Annie's. I adore their vegan BBQ sauce, vegan salad dressings (my faves are Goddess, Woodstock and Lemon Chive). And their yummy Chocolate Chip Bunny Grahams are vegan too! But I always wished they had a vegan version of their famous boxed pastas.

Well Annie's loves to listen to their customers, so in response to all the many requests for a vegan Mac and Cheese, Annie's delivered!

Thank you Annie's for listening to your vegan customers!!! That is the best.

About the Product.

* Organic
* Two pastas: one version with gluten-free rice elbow pasta and one version with wheat shell pasta
* No artificial flavors, synthetic colors or preservatives.
* Annie's works with trusted suppliers to source only non-GMO ingredients.
* The sauce contains organic pumpkin and sweet potato!

When I heard that the recipe contained pumpkin and sweet potato, I got excited because those are ingredients I love to put in my vegan version Mac and Cheese recipes. My favorite recipe is one using a sweet potato based cheese sauce, so this was exciting.

Note About the Product. This is actually the second batch of Annie's Vegan Mac & Cheese. So just in case you tried this product when it first hit shelves, you definitely want to give it another shot!

In other words, Annie’s first batch of Vegan Mac & Cheese didn’t taste as originally planned by their product innovation team, so they’ve made adjustments and think fans will love the latest box that's starting to hop onto store shelves now.

Get Creative. The best part about boxed Mac and Cheese is that you can use it as the base for your meal by adding tons of veggies, legumes and more to make it a meal. Today I share two recipes where I made my cheesy Mac into a meal...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Flavor Profile. To me, the product has a lovely creamy texture with a bit of sweetness from that pumpkin and sweet potato. So for my add-ins, I like to choose savory items that compliment it. I also like to add in spicy accents like cayenne or red pepper flakes or spicy chipotle vegan sausages by Field Roast. I also like to add in a few pinches of nutritional yeast to enhance the savory and cheezy flavor and add nutrients. So these recipes are winners!..

Recipe One: Spicy Vegan Bacon Mac and Cheese with avocado
1. Make Annie's Vegan Shells & Creamy Sauce according to box directions. Set aside.
2. In a skillet, prepare vegan bacon. I used Benevolent Bacon by Sweet Earth Foods. You can also use homemade tempeh bacon. Chop vegan bacon into bits.
3. Fold the vegan bacon into the pasta. Optional: Fold in a sprinkle of nutritional yeast. Pour pasta into serving bowls.
4. Top with diced avocado and optional chopped cilantro or parsley.

Recipe Two: Edamame + Vegan Elbows & Creamy Sauce
1. Make Annie's Vegan Shells & Creamy Sauce according to box directions. Set aside.
2. Steam a frozen packet of shelled edamame soy beans, until tender -- you can do this on your stovetop or in the microwave.
3. Fold the edamame into the pasta. Optional: Fold in a sprinkle of nutritional yeast.
4. Pour into serving dishes and top with chopped parsley.

Where Can I Find These Products? I have seen both versions in a few Whole Foods stores. You can also use Annie's store locator.

Learn more about Annies Products on their awesome website. You can even browse Annie's products by #vegan status! Organic Gluten Free Vegan Elbows and Creamy Sauce. Organic Vegan Shells and Creamy Sauce.

Follow Annie's online:
Twitter
Facebook
Follow the hashtag #AnniesGoesVegan for all the vegan Mac & Cheese chatter.

This was SO GOOD, I will absolutely be making it again.

So creamy..

3-Ingredient Vegan Honey Mustard Dressing

September 3, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 11 Comments

no honey mustard dressing
Three Ingredient Honey Mustard Dress and Sauce - vegan and super delicious!

I have always loved Honey Mustard Dressing. That sassy, sweet, bite of flavor, sometimes coupled with a spicy kick. So today I give you a super simple vegan version, my Three Ingredient No-Honey Mustard Dressing! It has bold flavor that will transform your salad greens, raw veggies, skillet veggies, legumes and more in a flash! And is whisks together in seconds with a simple fork...

Three Ingredient Honey Mustard Dress and Sauce - vegan and super delicious!
drizzle it

Drizzle this dressing over all your favorite veggies and salads and add flavor in seconds! Yes, this was a BIG drizzle..

Three Ingredient Honey Mustard Dress and Sauce - vegan and super delicious!

Salad Dressing.

I love this dressing drizzled over raw leafy greens and other salad ingredients, but it is also really delicious as a warm sauce too...

Skillet Sauce.

I recently took a few cups of leftover steamed cauliflower, broke the large pieces into florets, and tossed them in a hot skillet with a splash of EVOO. About a minute before finishing up the quick saute, I drizzled in my vegan honey-mustard sauce. The skillet sizzled, the cauliflower browned and caramelized in seconds from the sweet maple ingredient - which browns and caramelizes quite quickly. The finished "honey mustard cauliflower" was super delicious! I served it with some fluffy quinoa and leftover spicy chickpeas.

Dippable Dressing.

This sauce/dressing is also a great dip for vegan protein items like tempeh, tofu triangles of sticks, or even vegan protein products like Gardein and BeyondMeat, Field Roast and more.

Three Ingredient Honey Mustard Dress and Sauce - vegan and super delicious!

For the salad in the photos I did a super simple combo of chopped honeycrisp apples + raw walnuts and this honey mustard dressing - coating the baby lettuces. This salad was so simple, but SO good. Perfect for fall! I devoured it.

To make this a meal, all I would've needed to add - some skillet chickpeas, tempeh cubes, tofu or lentils or other vegan protein-rich goodies. Maybe some avocado toast on the side, or soup. Y-u-m.

Success Tip.. This dressing is a bold sauce. In other words, a little goes a long way. If you want a thinner, less intense dressing you can add 1-2 teaspoon lemon juice or even water. You can also reduce the maple syrup by a touch if you want it less sweet. Add more vegan mayo for a creamier texture. Play around with these three ingredients if needed.

Three Ingredient Honey Mustard Dress and Sauce - vegan and super delicious!
no honey mustard dressing
Print Recipe
4.46 from 11 votes

No-Honey Mustard Dressing

This spicy, sweet, super tangy and flavorful dressing wakes up salad greens in a flash! Simple recipe, make this in seconds.
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Total Time5 minutes mins
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dressing, maple syrup, mustard, sauce
Servings: 6
Calories: 146kcal
Author: Kathy Patalsky
Cost: 2

Equipment

  • whisk
  • medium bowl

Ingredients

  • ½ cup Dijon Mustard (Grey Poupon)
  • ½ cup Maple Syrup
  • 4 tablespoon vegan mayo

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients to a small cup and whisk briskly until smooth and silky.
  • Pour over top salads and veggies and more! Also a delicious dipping sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 291mg | Potassium: 89mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
Three Ingredient Honey Mustard Dress and Sauce - vegan and super delicious!

Green Dream Smoothie Bowl.

September 2, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 17 Comments

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A shiny sunrise danced its way into my kitchen, and the morning felt clean and untouched as it always does at 8am. With kittens stretching at my feet, ideas and plans for the work day buzzing through my head, my body in need of fuel, it was the perfect time to blend a yummy smoothie.

Cut to a few minutes later. Me. Standing in my kitchen, chugging the last few drops of my Green Dream Smoothie, straight from my Vitamix container. I could not get enough of the vibrant spirulina, smoky mesquite, protein-rich hemp, fiber-ful chia seeds, butterscotch-y maca and alluring sweet vanilla - laced in between creamy banana flavor.

This is how I always want to fuel my day. Hungry for wellness-infused ingredients, chugging my smoothie - and life - until the last drop. Craving every sip, craving every day.

..Oh why yes, smoothies = metaphors for life.

So put a Green Dream boost in your step, with today's recipe!..

It is dark, deep spirulina-green, but I promise it tastes light, sweet and dreamy...

Don't forget, spirulina is Justin Timberlake-dressed-as-tofu approved, "Spirulina all in my shake!" - SNL, VeganVille

Despite their rampant press coverage, I know many of you are not making green smoothies on a regular basis. For a number of good reasons.

Here are a few challenges you may have, keeping you from a daily green smoothie:

- You do not own a high speed blender that can properly liquify leafy greens and veggies. So in fear of graininess, you stick with fruit smoothies. (PS. If you want to change that, read this.)
- You do not always have enough leafy greens on hand for blending and for other daily recipes like salads and such.
- You like to drink your daily smoothie for breakfast and you do not like the idea of putting leafy greens in your smoothie at that hour. (Yes, breakfast greens can be an adjustment!)

Well it is possible to have a "green smoothie" without the actual leafy greens. The ingredient I use: spirulina.

The product I use to make sure it tastes good: Green Dream smoothie powder by Philosophie. I feature Philosophie as one of my fave picks in my BIG Vegan Protein Powder Guide.

My friend Sophie, the founder of Philosophie, is a mom. Wellness expert. Yogi. Entrepreneur. Wife. Go-getter. Shiny soul. Magical friend. And overall super woman. She created Green Dream so she could share these superfoods with the world. With you!

Sophie's products are filled with Sophie-energy. How can I describe that energy? Well, her spirit was on full display a few weeks ago, when she lead a beach yoga class for the Sweet Green restaurant launch in Santa Monica.

That morning, Sophie lead a cluster of women on a busy, sun-drenched beach right near the Pier. As we did our last "down dogs" and took our last breaths for class, closing our eyes - using towels and T-shirts to shield our faces from the boiling sun, Sophie skipped around whispering words of encouragement and spritzing some cool, magical aromatherapy tonic on us. Pure Sophie.

And she is super fun to sip smoothies with 🙂

From our smoothie picnic to yours!..

The Philosophie Blends:
Cacao Magic:
 Chocolate gone wellness. So good served hot or cold with a rich cacao flavor.
Berry Bliss: Light and lovely, rich in antioxidants like vitamin C, lovely berry flavor.
Green Dream: Smoky and alluring with spirulina greens and a maca-vanilla accent.

All of Sophie's superfood blends contain 10g of plant-based protein per serving. The Green Dream uses hemp seed protein. "Hemp seeds have high levels of vitamins A, C and E and beta-carotene and are rich in protein, carbohydrates, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids and fiber." - Drweil

Check out Sophie's website and if you feel inspired, try her products - you can get 10% off with code LunchboxLove. And with every smoothie sip you take, you will feel pretty awesome for supporting a small business.

And there is a swirl of Sophie love in each sip too.

Blended in my Vitamix of course. Use my Vitamix link and get FREE SHIPPING!

Grab a spoon and green your day...

Green Dream Smoothie Bowl

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 09/02/2015
Green Dream Smoothie Bowl

A frosty, creamy and sweet banana-green smoothie is the base for this super healthy bowl.

Ingredients

  • smoothie:
  • 1 ½ frozen bananas
  • ¾ cup frozen watermelon (or another frozen fruit)
  • ½ cup dairy-free yogurt - I used unsweetened coconut milk-based
  • ½ cup non-dairy milk, I used almond milk
  • 1 ½ tablespoon Green Dream, by Philosophie -- or to taste
  • toppings:
  • ½ banana, sliced
  • 1 organic peach, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon chia seeds
  • 2 teaspoon raw walnuts
  • 1 teaspoon goji berries
  • optional: matcha, cinnamon or cayenne

Instructions

  1. Blend the green smoothie until frosty and smooth. Using a high speed blender (like a Vitamix) works best for a thick blend, but a regular blender will work. Pour green smoothie into a serving bowl.
  2. Add toppings on top and serve! Read this post for smoothie bowl tips!

Yield: 1 serving
Prep Time: 10 mins.
Total time: 10 mins.
Tags: breakfast,smoothie,greens,philosophie,green dream,fruit,snack.lunch,smoothie bowl

Vegan actress Victoria Summer, love her!

Hanging out with friends Tricia and Cat at ExpoWest..

Want more smoothie bowl inspiration? Check out my Smoothie Bowl How-To + video!

*disclosure: This post contains a Vitamix affiliate link. Ready to buy the best blender ever? Get free shipping by using my link!

Mint Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Nut Cookies

September 1, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 19 Comments

2015_08_20_banana-split-day-recipe_9999_76vegan-mint-oat-cookies-chocolate-chip1313820.png


I am sharing my favorite Mint Chocolate Chip Oat Nut Cookies for you today. This recipe is inspired by an old family recipe..

The first time I tried this cookie flavor of mint-chocolate-oat, I was sitting at my Great Aunt's kitchen table. My sister sat across from me, devouring the cookie in her hand, her blue eyes wide with oh-my-goodness-this-new-chocolate-chip-cookie-flavor excitement. There was a massive east coast thunderstorm rattling the house and pouring buckets of rain from a black, doom-filled sky. Trees shaking, thunder cracking, shocks of lightning flashing in the window, all while I nibbled my stack of warm and chewy mint chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.

Cookies, company and thunderstorms, my kind of childhood memory.

Luckily, you can have these amazing cookies as a cozy highlight to your day, minus the thunderstorm.

And ps, these are totally after-school-snack approved for this back to school season.

Before baking..

Baked cookies..

These cookies are made using a whole apple, blended into the 'wet' mixture. This technique is kind of like doing a DIY applesauce in a more direct fashion. I love how much body and texture these cookies have, while staying moist and delicate.

The whole apple not only provides fiber, but also a slight added sweetness and fruit-based acidity to react with the baking powder, for fluffier cookies.

For a crispier cookie, that is more browned, bake for an additional 3-5 minutes.

This is a spin on a recipe I posted a few years ago, but instead of using a flax/chia egg replacer, I just use a whole apple.

Oat-y bits with melty chocolate chips..

Fresh mint accent for a mint-chocolate flavor.

Stack of cozy.

hello.

Mint Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

By kathy patalsky
Published 09/01/2015
Mint Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

A fresh mint accent compliments the chocolate chips and rustic oats in these vegan cookies.

Ingredients

  • dry:
  • 1 ¼ cup flour - I used all purpose, you may sub with gluten free flour
  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • wet:
  • 1 ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 1 medium apple, chopped
  • 1 stick of vegan butter (½ cup, 8 Tbsp), melted
  • 1 cup coconut sugar
  • fold in:
  • ¼ cup chopped nuts (walnuts used)
  • 1 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips (dairy-free)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease or line a baking sheet.
  2. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Blend wet ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor until smooth.
  4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry and fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.
  5. Place the dough in the fridge or freezer for at least ten minutes, long enough to firm up and chill a bit.
  6. Scoop dough onto baking sheets and bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Add 2-5 minutes for browner, more well-done cookies.

Yield: 16 cookies
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.
Total time: 25 mins.
Tags: cookies,dessert,vegan,chocolate chips,mint,oats,

More Vegan Cookies.. If you love cookies, also check out my 4-ingredient peanut butter cookies!

Cheezy Quinoa, Marinated Tomatoes, Skillet Chickpeas. Make-Ahead Meal.

August 27, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 8 Comments


Dear quinoa, long time no see. So a few days ago when I saw a shiny new bag of organic quinoa staring me down at the grocery store, I grabbed it and the dinnertime dreams started spinning....

First, I whipped up some basic fluffy quinoa and added the best cheezy flavor ever, aka nutritional yeast. Then, I quickly started eating that quinoa via a big spoon. I paused. Got myself together. And kept cooking.

Now, what do I add to this perfectly yummy pot of steamy, fluffy quinoa?

Should I add some simple, cheezy, roasted broccoli and make this?

Whip up a friendly pineapple fried quinoa bowl?

I guess "cheezy" banana bread quinoa breakfast bowls are out. Or are they? *eyebrow lift*

Should I turn out some amazing Curried (Cheezy) Quinoa Wraps?

Simmer some mushroom and saffron-infused quinoa risotto?

Nope.

Today it was beautiful skillet chickpeas and some marinated heirloom tomatoes.

I prepped this meal in advance and popped it in the fridge. When dinnertime rolled around I quickly sauteed some Field Roast spicy chipotle sausages to serve on top of this dish. Totally optional. This was such an easy, satisfying and dee-licious, plant-based meal. I hope you grab a bag of quinoa at the store and give it a try!


Cheezy Quinoa with Heirloom Tomatoes and Skillet Chickpea

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 08/27/2015
Cheezy Qunoa with Heirloom Tomatoes and Skillet Chickpea

This make-ahead meal is packed with fiber, whole grains, plat-based protein and loads of flavor. You can serve it chilled or warmed.

Ingredients

  • Quinoa:
  • 1 ¼ cups dry quinoa
  • 2 cups water
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup nutritional yeast
  • Tomatoes:
  • 1 ½ cups diced tomatoes (heirloom tomatoes used)
  • ¼ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, aged
  • 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Skillet Chickpeas:
  • 16oz can chickpeas (about 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas) - drained/rinsed
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup, grade B
  • salt to taste
  • for pan: 1-2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. First start the fluffy quinoa. Bring the water to a boil, then add the quinoa and salt. Cover pot with lid and lower heat to a simmer. After 15 minutes, turn off heat, but do not lift lid. After 10-20 minutes, lift lid and fluff quinoa with a fork. Add in the nutritional yeast and fluff until combined. Set pot aside.
  2. Tomatoes: While the quinoa is cooking you can prep your tomatoes. Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and toss to marinate the tomatoes. Set aside.
  3. Chickpeas: Warm a skillet over high heat. Add the EVOO. When EVOO is warm, add the chickpeas. Saute for 2-3 minutes until they start to sizzle and pop a bit. Then add in the pepper, paprika, salt and maple syrup. Shake pan a bit to distribute. Cook for a few more minutes until the side brown a bit. Turn off heat and set aside.
  4. Putting it all together: Add a few heaping spoonfuls of the chickpeas to the quinoa and toss. Then pour quinoa into a serving platter or dish. Then top the quinoa with the remaining chickpeas. Then pour the tomatoes right on top, in the center of the dish. Serve like this. Optional: You can cover this entire plated meal and place the dish in the fridge to chill. You can then pull the dish from the fridge and serve it chilled. Or reheat in a skillet or in the oven. OR You can toss all the ingredients together and store the dish like that -- less fancy looking, more pre-made salad. Enjoy!

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 30 mins.
Total time: 35 mins.
Tags: entree,quinoa,tomatoes,basil,cheezy,nutritional, balsamic, make ahead,dinner, vegan, glutenfree

31 Vegan Wellness Tips from Bloggers!

August 26, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 20 Comments

31 vegan wellness tips from bloggers
I had so much fun sharing 47 Ways to Get Fit - from bloggers, that I wanted to do another round-up of quotes and advice from bloggers and from my own adventures as a vegan. These 31 Vegan Wellness Tips are for vegans, or anyone looking to add more plant-based meals to their life, flirt with veganism (as Alicia Silverstone would say), and embrace their own health, happiness and overall wellness...

31 Vegan Wellness Tips

1. Lemon Water Mornings.
I love this habit. Not only for its supposed "alkalyzing" impact on the body, but for another reason. Hydration. Instead of loading your body with caffeine first thing in the morning, load it with hydration. Chug some lemon water first thing in the morning.

The lemon adds a hint of vitamin C and all those other benefits that are raved about. I find that hydrating with lemon water or lemon tea first thing in the morning, makes my skin feel better, makes my hunger feel more moderate, and I just feel a bit more energized. Note: Most people advise warm lemon water, but I have found warm or room temp is great. Chilled even works if need be.

lemon water

2. Love Your Legumes.
If you came into veganism not really loving foods like chickpeas, lentils and beans in general, you may have a bit of work to do. Legumes are such an important part of a plant-based diet. Legumes are generally rich in things like fiber, protein, iron and B vitamins - and more. The good news is that there are SO many ways to serve legumes.

You can serve them smashed in sandwiches, on avocado toast with pineapple, or like this, in soups, in veggie burgers, popped (my famous popped lentils), in curries over grains, blended into hummus or bean dip and on and on. Even picky eaters can find some way to sneak legumes into their diets thanks to all the creative recipes on the internet.

3. Eat Vegan. Help the Planet. Boost Your Self Esteem.
We all want to help the planet, help each other and help the animals. Well eating more vegan meals is one way to do that.

"An image I found on a Vive Soy carton a few years ago that really inspired me towards eating a more plant-based diet. I saved it on my phone and look at it all the time." - Harriet E, HarrietEmily

4. Veganize Your Faves.
If your favorite food is cheese, then eat cheese. Just make sure that cheese falls in line with your values. Luckily, vegan cheese is amazing. If your favorite dessert is ice cream. Same thing. Vegan ice cream, it is pure bliss. If your favorite food is... You get the picture. There are vegan versions for just about everything nowadays! If you need help veganizing your favorite recipe or food - ask the friendly crew over on the Finding Vegan community boards - there is even a "veganize this" topic board!.. community.findingvegan.com!

Veganize those faves! like cheese..

And cookies..

5. Get in the Kitchen.
You may not think of yourself as someone who likes to cook. Well there is hope for you yet! Make it your goal to change that.

I recently chatted with a friend who never cooked for herself, but then after trying a few meals at home, she got really excited about food and ingredients and making her own meals. She said it became a very therapeutic. Chopping, simmering, plating. She actually looked forward to it, this activity she used to scowl at.

So even if you never get in the kitchen, give yourself a little nudge. Buy a cool new cookbook. Try just one popular blog recipe. See if a spark ignites inside you. Your body will thank you and your health may depend on it..

"People who frequently cook meals at home eat healthier and consume fewer calories than those who cook less, according to new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research." - Science Daily

"If you decide to make one simple change, start cooking. Not focused on big fancy meals or ingredients, just simply the act of cooking." - Amanda P, more on how cooking leads to good health here: HeartBeetKitchen

Need guidance? Check out my cookbook Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen

recipes YOU can make! (from HHVK)

6. Get to Know Vegan Convenience Food Brands.
It would be awesome if we all lived in a world where we had 2-3 hours every night to prep, prepare, enjoy and wind down from a vegan dinner feast. Home-cooked with love at a leisurely pace. Ha. In the real world, frozen pizzas, pre-made soups, pre-chopped salads and more DO happen. Well lucky for plant-based eaters, there are plenty of amazing vegan-friendly brands in grocery stores today.

Brands like.. Amy's Kitchen, Daiya, Field Roast, Earth Balance, Annie's, Earth Balance, Earthbound Farms, Sweet Earth, Follow Your Heart, Gardein, Hampton Creek, LightLife, do you need me to continue because I will literally be here all night? Try out a few vegan convenience food items and embrace them when need be. Try not to depend on them, but know that they are out there when you need a cooking helping hand.

7. Invest in a Vitamix.
Seriously guys. This one is a must-do for anyone who loves to cook. I know the price tag is shocking at first glance, but so is a car or your cell phone or that fancy pair of shoes in the back of your closet that you only wore once. A Vitamix is a machine that will last you (possibly a lifetime, but at least 7 years.)

I use my Vitamix at least twice a day - usually more. I use it to blend the thickest, creamiest smoothies ever, the silkiest green smoothies, DIY oat flour, homemade dips and spreads, nut butters, frothy lattes, silky soups and more.

My Vitamix makes it SO easy for me to live a healthy, happy vegan life. Before my Vitamix I had to go to special smoothie shops to get perfectly blended smoothies. I had to buy all my green juices at stores. I couldn't make my own flours or silky blended soups. I ate out a lot more. Bottom line, start a Vitamix fund. Aim for the less expensive reconditioned Vitamixes if need be! Use my link to get free shipping on a new Vitamix.

8. Do Your Best! Perfection is Not the Goal.
People sometimes think that eating vegan is all about perfection. Restriction. Removing joy. Well I am here to say that vegan living is exactly the opposite of all that. Adding more vegan meals to your diet is all about self love. Embracing foods you love. Adding joy to every meal.

Kristy of Keepin' it Kind says,
"Veganism isn't about perfection. It's about compassion- compassion for the animals, the earth, and yourself. If you make a mistake, remember to be compassionate with yourself. Don't beat yourself up about it. Learn from it and move forward."

..Kristy also has an amazing book called "But I Could Never Go Vegan!"

Hanging with Jason, Whitney and Kristy last winter at Kristy's book launch signing..

9. Sleep Well.
Sleep is ridiculously important, for everyone. For vegan options, there are plenty of super cozy synthetic down comforters and pillows on the market today. And natural memory foam mattresses. I personally adore my Essentia natural memory foam mattress and pillows. You do not need feathers to feel like a prince or princess as you enter dreamland each night.

And sleeping well means going to sleep with a smile on your face. Positive thoughts for happy dreams and restorative sleep. "Before I fall asleep at night, I think of three positive things that happened that day. It leaves me with a peaceful, positive feeling just as I drift off." - Sus D, Rough Measures

10. Take Your B12.
Nutritionally, vitamin B12 is the only nutrient that vegans cannot find in plant-based foods. Many foods like non-dairy milks are fortified, so you are probably getting it somewhere. But just in case, take a B12 supplement daily - or every other day or so. I only take one about once or twice a week and I have never been deficient in vitamin B12 - after numerous blood tests over the years. Buy a B12 supplement.

Other Nutrients to Watch. Just like I have never been deficient in B12, I have also never been deficient in iron. But I was low in vitamin D once. So, other nutrients to make sure you are getting enough of: vitamins D and E, iron, B12 (above) and zinc, among others. Just like non-vegans - it is a good idea to tune into the nutritional values of the foods you are eating - aka read labels, google nutrition facts of produce, I love self.nutritiondata. Ask your doctor to run some blood tests to make sure you are on the right track.

11. Get Out There. Screen Free Adventures.
Plan one day or night a week, probably on a weekend if you work long hours, and plan an adventure. Make an adventure calendar and add something fun, new, exciting or just plain silly-creative to your adventure calendar. Only there is one catch -- the adventure cannot involve technology, devices or staring at a screen.

Bonus points for fresh air, new scenery in your rear view window, fitness-infused adventures or healthy eating fun. If you have some great ideas for me and for your own family - add them here!

And yes, this is a wellness tip for vegans and pretty much everyone who owns a cell phone 🙂

12. Immune System Boost.
There are plenty of ways to give your immune system a boost when you are vegan. I love a citrus smoothie, or creating a flu-busting tonic by blending coconut water with fresh ginger, lemon juice, cayenne, turmeric, and in extreme cases, raw garlic too. Sometimes I will add in a whole peeled orange or other fruit for added sweetness.

Another great remedy.. "When feeling ill, I reach first for a golden turmeric milk (warm almond milk with turmeric, black pepper and cardamom) I swear by it for getting rid of coughs and colds, but also picking me up if I feel low." - Katherine H, VeggieDesserts

citrus + greens work too!..

13. One Step at a Time.
"Going vegan" can seem overwhelming for the average mainstream-diet eater. But most adult vegans grew up eating animal products. I know I did! I grew up eating meat, milk, eggs... Going vegan was a slow process for me - it took years - not "thirty days" on a vegan diet.

I applaud the people who went vegan "overnight" but that is not the case for most. Most people go vegan, slide back, try again, slide back again until they achieve their ideal way of eating to optimize their health and happiness from the inside out.

"Success comes with small steps towards a larger goal. When you take a step back, just keep looking forward. Don't allow stress to overshadow all the good you are doing. Eating plant based successfully is a process and you can make it if you try." - Sophia T-D, Veggies Don't Bite

14. Wake Up with the Sun.
Starting your day a bit earlier is something to consider for wellness.

"Start waking up earlier and use that time to do something you love, like read, or meditate or even some yoga. It makes waking earlier easier, more enjoyable and no matter what happens throughout the day you took care of yourself." - Sarah H, read more on this tip here: The Seasonal Diet

15. Check In with Your Body Each Morning.
"I highly recommend a daily yoga practice like Ashtanga Yoga, first-thing in the morning, because it allows you to check in with your body and start to notice which foods and habits help your health and which are a detriment." - Stefanie RD, more on yoga here: GreensAgeBlog

16. Get to Know Whole Foods ... no, not just the store.
Start with as many whole foods as you can. Whole foods as in a whole bunch of kale .. not just the mega-amazing grocery store.

Instead of buying only pre-washed and pre-chopped salads, pre-diced veggies and more, try to buy a few whole food items and prep them yourself. You do not have to do this all the time - I certainly do not - but once in a while it is a good idea to look at those raw ingredients in their purest form.

Even better: head to a farmer's market or pick-your-own fruit or veggie farm when possible. I love to visit a pick-your-own apple farm in the fall and a berry farm in summer. Then every time I eat those foods, year round, I remember those trips to the farms.

17. Make Friends and Play Nice.
Make friends in the vegan community for social support! You will feel more connected to plant-based eating when you have friends who have the same meals, situations, challenges and joys.

But also learn to live and eat happily alongside your non-vegan friends and family! This will make you life much easier and feel less closed off. I adore hanging out with my vegan friends as well as my many non-vegan friends and family.

Reach out to meet people on community.findingvegan.com!

18. Have a Fave Fitness Routine.
Get excited about your workout. Ask around to your fitness-savvy friends or online to see what others do each day. Here is one example..

"I run 7 miles 5 days a week, followed by Sun Salutations. At 56, this routine, plus meditation, keeps me healthy and happy!" - Deborah B, Debs Pots

Hope your Sunday workout is more productive than sochi's weightlifting sesh. Ps. Go check out the top 50 #sochicat and #mrwhitecat instagram photos up on #healthyhappylife.com 🐱🏆 #catsofinstagram
A video posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Aug 9, 2015 at 8:50am PDT

19. For the Kids.
You will gain a sense of pride when you pass on healthy habits to the kids in your life. Encourage children to embrace their natural love of fruits and veggies. More plants is always a good thing.

"Teach you kids and yourself to love fruits and vegetables from an early age on. I try to get as many different types and colored fruits and veggies in each meal." - Vanessa C, Vegan Family Recipes

Set a Good Example for the Next Generation. "I go running, or to my Capoeira class, and I make sure my kids will know where I'm going (rather than saying "somewhere" or just sneaking out like some of my parent friends do). This way I hope to inspire my girls and raise them with the values that sport is something you actively make time for and is important." - Moran Z, VeganHighTechMom

20. Have an Artistic Outlook.
Cooking is a great way to express your creativity. Art, even in the form of cooking, stimulates the imagination and reduces stress, read more on the health benefits of art.

"Cooking is an art. Food is the medium and canvas, but your body is the gallery which your master piece can shine. Produce something you're proud of with the most love and care" - Rebecca P, Strength and Sunshine

21. Veggies Alllll Dayyyyy.
Veggies can squeeze their way into just about any meal or snack. Veggies can be added to smoothies and soups, pasta dishes, sandwiches, breakfast skillets or burritos and more. Veggies are packed with fiber, phytochemicals and even protein - one bunch of broccoli contains 17g protein! Add them all day long.

"I make sure to incorporate some sort of veggie(a lot of times many) at breakfast, lunch and dinner. My snacks almost always contain veggies and my smoothies aren't complete without a green. If we focus on "getting more of the green goods in" than using the deny ourselves tactic, we're more likely to stick to healthy habits." - Emma A, CravingNature

"Eat the rainbow." Try and eat as many colors as you can during the day and you'll feel the benefits. You'll have more energy, your skin will glow, and your waist will likely shrink." - linda M, Veganosity

22. Hydrate.
"Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. The human body is over 50%. Hydration plays a role in mental function, mood & many body processes. Here are some tips & recipes for staying hydrated" - Janelle Y, Get a few hydration tips and recipes: York and Spoon

blended pineapple lemonade..

23. Don't Overwhelm Yourself.
"Don’t think of changing your diet as a diet. Think of it as easing into a healthy lifestyle, and do whatever you can now, regardless of where you’re at in the process." - Molly P, Get more tips from Molly here: Clean Food Dirty Girl

24. Love Your Kitchen Space.
Instead of dreading your kitchen time, look forward to it. Creating a happy space to cook in is key! And as the old saying goes, food prepared with love truly does taste better.

Trinity of Trinity's kitchen says, "Always prepare your food with a big heart full of love. It will taste so much better and nourish you ten fold in return."

25. Vegan Living is About Finding Something Better.

"Vegan diet isn't about giving up something, it is about finding something better. Better for the animals, environment and us.
Eating Plants till we photosynthesize!"
- Richa H, VeganRicha

Richa also says, "Wellness: Whenever I need to add balance to my meals, I go back to my roots. Indian food served traditionally in big plates with many small bowls filled with a variety of preparations of beans, pulses and veggies. Many flavors, textures and colors that all work together. The same principles can be applies to everyday food whether in a bowl or a plate. Add many flavors, textures, colors. Play with spices and herbs." Richa is also the author of Vegan Richa's Indian Cooking

26. Fancy Schmancy. Keep Your Kitchen Simple Silly.
When it comes to fancy kitchen appliances, you do not need to go overboard and buy everything in sight at Williams & Sonoma. Keep it simple and infuse your kitchen space with a few essentials. Maybe you do not need a blender, stand mixer AND a food processor. (Trust me, you probably do not need all those things!) Fancy block of expensive knives? Just invest in one super high quality Chef's knife. Keep kitchen gear minimal, when possible. (But yes, for me, my Vitamix is a basic kitchen essential, no matter how fancy it is!)

Natalie says this, "You were born with the best kitchen utensils attached to your arms. Forget the mixing spoon, use your hands. Get messy while you're in the kitchen, get to know your food before you ever even put it on a plate. Less utensils to clean, more fingers to lick!" - Natalie T, Feasting on Fruit And Margaret D of veggieprimer says, "Healthy doesn't have to be hard!"

27. At Work.
Seek out other vegetarian or vegan eaters at work! You can make new friends this way and maybe have someone in the bunch who has your back if those "how do you get your protein?" questions start flying.

28. Travel the Vegan World!
When possible get outside of your hometown and see the world on a vegan adventure. Browse vegan travel blogs like VeganMiam and check out the amazing HappyCow App for vegan restaurants all over the globe. If possible, visit cities like Los Angeles, NYC and San Francisco - all incredibly vegan friendly. Plus, checking out how other cities, states and countries live and eat is an eye-opening education on the big picture of how people feed themselves and what healthy habits really look like.

vegan room service menu in Lucerne Switzerland!.

29. Fashion Fix
So you have mastered your diet and found all the vegan cheeses, restaurants and cookbooks your heart and stomach could ever desire. Well now comes the fashion challenge. Start slowly and learn the basics. No leather, silk, wool, skins or furs. Leather will be the hardest part. But there are TONS of faux leathers and synthetic fabrics in the fashion world today. Stores like Anthropologie, Mod Cloth and BCBG have even embraced faux or vegan leather items.

Try to focus on only buying new items that are vegan, as opposed to tossing all your current wardrobe staples that contain a little leather. You can either wear those out until they are done - or donate them to wardrobe collection charities like GoodWill.

Some of my vegan fashion fix faves.. Moo Shoes, Vaute Couture and more - and check out this list. Also check out my favorite vegan handbag designers.

30. Ask Questions.
If you get "stuck" as a vegan or have problems, questions or just want to chat about things on your mind - start chatting! Luckily, the modern world with the internet, makes this SO easy. Community.findingvegan.com is just one of the lively vegan community boards offering up free chatting and interaction.

31. Go Back to the Beginning.
I have been vegan for over thirteen years. And I have watched the vegan world expand in ways I only ever imagined. It has been magical and inspiring. I am constantly proud of my choice to live a vegan lifestyle. But even still, there are plenty of people out there that may not fully understand veganism or plant-based eating in general. So when interacting with those people I always go back to the beginning of why I went vegan in the first place. The animals.

My childhood pets, local wildlife and animals in books.

The animals I now see on the Internet everyday, on my Facebook feed, both the extremely happy and uplifting stories of rescue and also those heartbreakingly sad stories of horror.

For me, vegan wellness all comes back to what I feel in my heart. Eating a plant-based diet makes 100% sense to my body, mind and soul and I just could never see myself living any other way. Everything else, has fallen into place.

Your turn! What do YOU do to stay well as a vegan or as someone who wants to eat more plant-based recipes? Share your own wellness tips in the comments, I would love to hear them!

THANK YOU to all the amazing vegan bloggers contributed quotes - they are all awesome bloggers part of the FindingVegan.com community.

Hosting: Banana Split Day Twitter Party!

August 24, 2015 by Kathy Patalsky 116 Comments


disclosure: This is a sponsored post as part of the #BananaSplitDay Twitter Party

When was the last time you made a banana split? For me, it had been a while! But over the weekend I made this Jumbo Vegan Banana Split. I scooped creamy, melty spheres of vanilla bean, rich chocolate and strawberry dairy-free ice cream on top of silky-sweet banana halves, and loaded on the sauces, toppings, soy whip and even a few naturally-colored cherries on top. Midway through my banana split build I shouted out to my husband, "Hey, this is FUN!"

And it was! The colors, the flavors, the textures and the "wackiness" of it all.

Tomorrow, August 25th, is National Banana Split Day and I am so excited to be co-hosting a Twitter Party celebrating healthy, veganized makeovers on this all-American dessert. Ahead, get the details on the party, fun facts, a few recipes and a giveaway!..

UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who joined the twitter party! I had SO much fun chatting for an hour with you guys. You can catch up on all the fun over on my twitter page: @lunchboxbunch


“The banana split is not only American by birth; it reflects our genius for invention, passion for indulgence, and reputation for wackiness. It’s like no other dessert in the world - a grand idea that could only have been conceived in America.”
 

-Michael Turnback Author, The Banana Split Book

..The invite photo above is the dairy-free DOLE Banana Berry Splitz recipe. It only has 380 calories and 2.5g fat.

You are Invited! Grab your ice cream scoop and join me for some dessert-style fun on Tuesday August 25th as DOLE and I host a National #BananaSplitDay Twitter Party!

We will be chatting healthy recipes, my fave vegan versions, favorite ice cream flavors and ingredients, creative twists and tips and you can enter to win some amazing prizes.

Prizes include.. $25-$50 gift cards, Yonanas machines and more!

Ice cream. Friends. Prizes. What else could be better on a Tuesday night?

Speaking of prizes... I am also serving up my own Banana Split Day giveaway, at the end of this blogpost.

Split DOLE bananas, the start of every perfect jumbo banana split.

This vegan banana split is perfect for sharing! Grab some spoons..

Coconut milk and nut-based ice creams fill this delicious bowl..

Vegan Ice Cream Options + Recipes:

- I love Luna and Larrys Coconut Bliss!
- So Delicious Cashew milk-based ice cream in incredible!
- My Watermelon-Banana Blender ice cream is my fave.
- The chocolate and strawberry flavors in my banana split were GoBeyond's Omega Cream!
- My DIY Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
- topping fave: homemade magic shell chocolate
- DIY DOLE Whip! So so good...
- DIY blender summer sorbets in four flavor options.

Sprinkles on top please..

Fave topping, chopped dark chocolate almond butter cups!..

More toppings. These are Merry Maraschino Cherries by Tillen Farms..

Ready for the coconut, rice or soy whip!..

Grab some friends and split this jumbo banana split!

Fun Facts - History of the Banana Split in America.

- David Strickler, a 23-year-old apprentice at Tassel’s Pharmacy in Latrobe, Pennsylvania invented the banana split in 1904 and served it to students of local Saint Vincent College. It quickly caught on with students and the rest is history.

- The original Tassel’s Pharmacy banana split cost 10 cents!

- Walgreens drugstores are credited with spreading the popularity of the banana split. Charles Rudolph Walgreen operated the earliest Walgreens locations in the Chicago area and adopted the banana split as a signature dessert.

- The historic recipe for the first banana split looked something like this.. The Great American Banana Split: “A fresh banana loaded with big scoops of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice cream, topped with chocolate, strawberry and pineapple, finished with clouds of whipped cream, chopped nuts and a cherry. Just what the doc ordered!” - Valley Dairy

My Veganized Banana Split Recipe. My vegan version is healthier, dairy-free and cruelty-free.

Ice Cream: I used the classic trio of flavors, dairy-free store-bought ice cream options. You can also use DIY banana ice cream for maximum banana goodness. (Which I plan on doing tomorrow during the party.)

Toppings: vegan sprinkles, chopped vegan chocolate chip cookies and vegan almond butter cups.

Whip: I swirled a "cloud" of soy whip on top - homemade coconut whip is pretty awesome too.

Sauce: I used vegan chocolate fudge, softened almond butter and a homemade strawberry sauce made by blending 100% fresh strawberries in my Vitamix.

Cherries on top: I used a 'healthier' variety - Tillen Farms cherries are made without artificial colors or flavors, sulfites or preservatives. Perfect.

Oh my gosh. So good.....

It is possible to have your banana splits and eat responsibly at the same time.

The star of a banana split is the banana. I mean, you cannot have a banana split without it!

Banana Nutrition. Bananas are a good source of vitamins and nutrients — especially vitamins B6 and C, potassium, manganese and dietary fiber. Bananas are naturally fat-free, cholesterol-free and very low sodium. Just one medium banana provides 25% RDA of vitamin B6, 20 percent of vitamin C, 15% of manganese, 13 percent of potassium and 12% of dietary fiber.

Banana Fun Facts.

- Bananas are actually considered a type of berry.
- Bananas do not grow on trees, they grow on large hanging bushes.
- The average American consumes nearly 28 pounds of bananas annually. (I am definitely above average on that fact!)

I hope to see you at the party tomorrow

Happy Healthy Banana Split making ... and eating!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by DOLE in coordination with co-hosting the BananaSplitDay Twitter Party! All opinions are my own.

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