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I'm Checking Out New Vega One! + Giveaway and Recipes.

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If you are a smoothie fan like me, you may have heard that the popular nutritional shake product Vega One has a new formula, and I am testing it out, sharing a few recipes, including my super yummy Chocolate Ice Cream Smoothie Bowl and offering up a $100 New Vega One Sneak Peak Kit giveaway!..

THIS is my newest Vega One recipe creation. The Chocolate Ice Cream Smoothie Bowl. Can you even believe that this frosty chocolate dish has over 20g protein, 6 servings of GREENS and loads more good stuff? What a fun way to enjoy Vega One.

Get wild with this wild blueberry smoothie..

Something chocolate, something purple and something green of course..

Details. Every serving of Vega One boasts:

- 20 grams of premium plant-based protein
- 6 servings of greens
- 50% DV vitamins and minerals made from whole fruits and vegetables
- 25% DV fiber
- 1.5 grams of Omega-3s
- Antioxidants
- Probiotics (1 billion CFU)

Also: it is Non-GMO, vegan and made from whole food ingredients.

New Vega One: What is the difference. Some features I spotted on the new labels..
1. More Protein. There are 5 more grams of protein per scoop in the new formula - 20g vs 15g to be exact.
2. More Greens. There are TWICE as many servings of greens in new Vega One. 6 servings vs 3 servings. The greens are made from 3 cups or broccoli, kale, spirulina and chlorella.

New Vega One Taste Test:
- French Vanilla - This is my go-to flavor. It has a lovely sweet vanilla flavor that mixes with a wide variety of smoothies. I wish it was more white in color so it looked like "vanilla" but I know that the green tint is all. those. greens. So I let it slide.
- Berry - You can taste the undertones of different berries, sweet and bright.
- Vanilla Chai - I love this flavor! Spiced in a cozy, cinnamon cookie way. It reminds me of a chai tea latte. Pairs really well with nuts like walnuts, pecans and almonds. Also bananas.
- Chocolate - This seems to be everyone's favorite flavor. I mean, it is chocolate, right? Well I will agree the chocolate flavor is spot on. It blends up rich and sweet and cocoa-y.
Natural - This is the most versatile flavor because it is neutral and nutty. If you just want to toss in a scoop of nutritional boost, without the flavor or sweetness, go with Natural.

Want to buy some Vega One NOW? You will receive 20% off all purchases from the Vega store + FREE SHIPPING if you use the code HappyHealthyLife (yes, I know this is not my website, I am healthy happy life, but close enough, right?) 🙂 Order Here

Another cool thing from Vega: #BestLifeProject - a super amazing way to make your 2015 your best year yet! You will find..

* Recipe inspiration, healthy meals while dining out, and ways to share your healthy lifestyle with others
* Fun ways to bring play back into exercise and reinvigorate your workouts
* Reminders to relax and recharge—not matter how many things remain on your to-do list
* Nudges to get out there and connect with those you love—face-to-face (or face-time-to-face-time) instead of keyboard-to-keyboard
* Wanderlust-worthy adventures (in your backyard)

Some recipes I crafted using Vega One!..

My Trinity Matcha Shake with Vega One Natural..

Chocolate Ice Cream Smoothie Bowl

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 01/13/2015
Chocolate Ice Cream Smoothie Bowl

Frosty chocolate ice cream bowl filled with Vega One goodness.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup non-dairy milk
  • ¼ cup raw nuts (try walnuts or almonds)
  • 1 ½ - 2 cups ice
  • 1 scoop Vega One chocolate
  • optional: ½ banana blended in + ½ banana sliced
  • cinnamon to taste

Instructions

  1. Add the non-dairy milk, Vega One and nuts to a blender. Blend until smooth.
  2. Add ice and optional banana. Blend until thick and frosty. Pour and serve. Add optional toppings.
  3. Note: You may substitute nut butter for the whole nuts if needed.

Yield: 1 bowl
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins.

Total time: 5 mins.
Tags: ice cream,dessert,vegan,vega,vegaone,chocolate,healthy,blender

Enter the giveaway!..
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bonus Goodies and Info..

My Vega One Smoothie Tips:

1. Add Ice. Or water. Vega One is built to have a bold flavor with sweetness (except the Natural). So embrace that and hydrate those flavors with pure water. You want to make sure you properly hydrate your smoothie so that the flavor does not become too concentrated. Remember, Vega One actually tastes delicious and sweet and flavored by blending it with just water.
2. Don't Just Add it. I would not advise just adding a scoop of flavored Vega One to your current fave smoothie, without some tweaking. If the flavors in your go-to smoothie are already sweet and perfect, you will end up with an overly sweet smoothie. BUT you can get away with just adding the Natural flavor.
3. Read the Label. Instead of just drinking Vega One because you glanced at the label or heard from a friend or blog that it is packed with healthy stuff, read the label! The nutrition info, ingredients and all the facts about what you are putting into your body. I think you will be impressed with the stuff that just one scoop provides.

Want to buy some Vega One NOW? You will receive 20% off all purchases from the Vega store + FREE SHIPPING if you use the code HappyHealthyLife Order Here

*disclaimer: This is a VEGA sponsored post, but all opinions are my own.

10 Easy-to-Digest Lunches to Bring to Work. Healthy, Happy Tummy.

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I recently read an interesting comment on a website that made me want to gather a collection of work week and lunchtime-approved recipes that are fast to make, delicious and most importantly, easy to digest. It was an interesting topic that this person brought up and I would love to expand on it and provide some recipes. Check out my ten easy-to-digest lunch ideas and -- plus get my most-important digestion tip of all. Lets talk digestion!..

Inspiration. I recently read a comment on a Buzzfeed article that featured easy work lunch ideas. The round-up of recipes includes giant grain salads, legume, dark leafy green salads bursting with diverse and fiber-ful veggies and fruits. Lots of colors, textures and fiber.

The commenter said that she was a school teacher and her quick lunch at school carried some challenges. (Think back to that school image of a busy teacher chowing down at his or her desk). She said her lunchtime wouldn't allow her the time to fully and properly digest the lunch ideas featured in the round-up. Kale salads, veggie-filled pasta and grains, large portions that are nutrient-dense.

This is a very good point! If you have limited time during your workday to sit down, relax and fully give into lunch, proper digestion can be a challenge. Eating a giant, fiber-ful meal and them going out and running a marathon would be a very bad idea, yes? Well for some people, the physical and mental stress that their jobs put on them can feel like a marathon! Or at the very least, a hearty jog around the block. And if you are a school teacher, chasing seven year-olds around a classroom after lunchtime, you certainly do not want that giant kale and quinoa salad screaming at you from inside your stomach saying, "Hey wait! Sit down! It is my turn to get the energy funds right now!"

I have personally struggled with a lot of digestion issues in my adult life. These were things that I eventually "cured" simply by really taking notice of what foods I can eat, when I can eat a lot of them, when I cannot, and what foods are my safe foods that I can always eat, etc. Digestion is such a personal thing. Some of us can chow down on a giant bowl of fruit, beans, veggies and grains and not think twice. While a big meal like this may leave others passed out on a couch for hours while their stomachs work to figure out how to digest all those fiber, protein, carbs and fats.

Your personal digestion strengths and weaknesses can change over time. If you are not used to eating a lot of legumes, a giant side dish of beans may leave you feeling gassy, afraid to eat beans ever again! But if you add legumes slowly and consistently to your diet, your body may build up much more of a tolerance to them over time!

In my book 365 Vegan Smoothies, I talk a lot about how smoothies are great because many people find them easier to digest than consuming all those whole fruits and veggies, in their unblended state. I also talk about fiber and why for most people, more of it is a good thing! Leafy greens, nuts, fruit, seeds, grains. But for some people, it can cause your body to be very uncomfortable and even contribute to inflammation. When your body cannot digest something very well or finds digestion challenging, you can end up with inflammation. But like I said, everyone is different!

Thus why it is so important to listen to your body. It is wonderful that the school teacher who commented actually KNEW that her body would not like to digest all those bowls in her short-on-time, stressful lunch hour! For her, I would advise trying one of the recipes in my round-up today, and waiting for dinner or even a long breakfast to consume a big, fiber-ful bowl.

Two things to Consider:
1. Portion Size. Smaller portions are easier to digest. So if you are consuming something complex and hearty, go for a smaller portion size at lunch.
2. Raw vs Cooked. This is a tricky one. Some people report having an easier time digesting cooked foods, while others say they digest live veggies MUCH better based on the live and active enzymes in the raw foods. Get to know which works for you.
3. Fat. Fat slows down digestion. So keep this in mind! If choosing higher fat foods, make sure they are healthy fats like avocado and nuts - and really watch your portion size.

A reason cooked foods may be easier for some to digest is that the warmth may warm your stomach a bit, helping blood circulation to the stomach, which is part of digestion - at least that is one of my theories. Whenever I am cold or have bad circulation I find my digestion isn't as efficient as when I am warmed up. But in general, I like a mix of raw and cooked veggies at mealtimes. Or very lightly cooked or wilted raw veggies.

10 Easy-to-Digest Lunchtime Recipe Ideas

1. Smoothie. Shake. Or Smoothie Bowl. Yup, my personal favorite is a smoothie. Otherwise known as a shake, and sometimes served as a smoothie bowl. You can make a smoothie in under five minutes and consume it in the same time. By the time the smoothie hits your stomach all those whole foods have already been broken down into tiny particles, a liquid state. So your stomach can much more quickly empty and keep things moving along. But I know what you are saying: I do not have a blender or ingredients at work! Well, why not? You certainly have access to a coffee machine at work, yes? Or a microwave? Well ask the office manager to invest in a Vitamix for the office. "Vitamix? Pretty please?"

Or if you are a school teacher or similar, save up and invest in the new Vitamix S30, a mini version of its powerful blender. You could easily store it under or locked in your desk and whip it out for lunches. And those ingredients? Instead of packing a lunch, you could pack a smoothie! Stuff some leafy greens, fruit, protein powder and a bottle of liquid in your lunchbox and blend and serve for lunch. And hopefully you have a freezer you can access for frozen ingredients.

Bonus: Usually freezers are less crowded than fridges in offices. Get recipes in my book 365 Vegan Smoothies - and order a Vitamix S30 here. Your 2015 will be a healthy, happy tummy one with these two tools!

Try these recipes:
smoothies..
* Frosty Pumpkinseed Sweet green Smoothie
* Peanut Butter Chocolate Shake or Smoothie Bowl (pictured above)
* Easy Energy Almond Butter Smoothie
* Kiwi Basil Smoothie
* Avocado Citrus Dreamboat Green Smoothie
* ripe raspberry smoothie
* Golden Wellness Smoothie with turmeric
* My Fave!... Trinity Superfood Shake
* Secret Ingredient Matcha Shake
* Calming Bluebird Smoothie

2. Blended Soups. Right along with smoothies, blended soups offer an easy way to consume healthy whole foods in a pre-broken down state. I am a huge fan of blended soups! And for soups, they travel very well so you can bring them in a heat-containing soup container and eat them at lunch, or re-heat as needed. Bring along some toast or bread to toast if you'd like.

Try these recipes:
* Pink Cauliflower Soup
* Easy Miso Avocado Pea Soup
* Cheezy Loaded Broccoli Soup (pictured above)
* Sweet Potato Soup with avocado - in a flash
* Blended Roasted Root Veggie Soups - carrot or sweet potato
* Creamy Carrot Ginger Soup (pictured above)
* Curried Coconut Cauliflower
* RAW Avocado Coconut Soup
* No-Cream of Mushroom
* Ginger-Sage Butternut Squash Soup

3. Avocado Toast. Avocado toast is an easy-to-digest lunch because it is rich in healthy fats and fiber, but its creamy texture is usually easy to digest.

Pair that very simply with some toast and maybe a small accent of sprouts, seeds or greens on top and you can a light, yet power-fuel sort of lunch. Tip: add plenty of lemon to your avocado toast to keep it from browning. The lemon may also aide in digestion due to its acidity.

Try these recipes:
* Epic "Toast" Post with 18 recipes
* Avocado Toast Pinwheel Platter (pictured above)
* Veggie-Loaded White Bean Avocado Salad on Toast
* Lemon Avocado Toast with Basil Pesto (pictured above)


4. Raw Chopped Salads. If you crave a salad make sure you do this: chop chop chop. By chopping the ingredients as much as possible you are aiding digestion. Just think of every chop as a chew. Instead of biting a giant carrot and chewing it from its whole state, you can chop it into small bits or strips so that your mouth does less work.

Choosing raw foods is helpful for some people because raw foods are rich in live enzymes that can help your body digest. Tip: Try not to get too complex with ingredients. Choose just a few and stick to only veggies and maybe one accent like a legume or a grain to bring more nutrient complexity to your meal.

Try these recipes:
* Mexi-Chopp Salad with tofu (pictured above)
* Power Tower Salad - chop very well + sub beans with hummus
* 5-Step Raw Kale Salad -- chop veggies very well and switch out the kale for a 'lighter' leaf like spinach if needed
* 15 Salad Dressings
* Creamy Mustard Maple Chopped Salad (pictured above)
* Serve any of these as a salad-in-a-jar

5. Hummus. Hummus goes right up there with 'blended' lunches' because a large portion of the filling, the legumes, is blended. This may help aide in digestion a bit while still adding healthy legumes to your lunchtime plan. And the great part about hummus is that you can make it from a variety of ingredients, not just chickpeas.

Try edamame, white beans, lentils, soaked nuts like cashews, chickpeas, black beans and more. You can add the hummus to a pita, wrap, bread or even paired with veggie sticks or crackers. You can add a few raw leafy greens to the hummus, which will add those live enzymes and add a modest amount of veggie goodness.

Try these recipes:
* Hummus-filled "quesadillas"
* Restaurant-Style Hummus (pictured above)
* Pumpkin Hummus
* Sweet Potato Hummus (pictured above)
* Uber-Creamy Tomato Garlic Hummus Dip
* Hummus Apple Tartine
* Spinach Hummus Pitas
* Summer-Thyme Hummus
* Hummus Spiral Wraps
* Easy 3-2-1 Hummus

Devouring fruit bowls. #ThingsVegansAreGoodAt pineapple+kiwi+cayenne+Brazil nut+mapleA video posted by Finding Vegan (@findingvegan) on Jan 3, 2015 at 11:34am PST

6. Digestion Boosters! I love this tip because you can add it to any lunch you currently love. Add a digestion booster for after or before your meal. My favorites: pineapple, kiwi, papaya, ginger. I know some people do not like to add fruit to their meals, fearing that the food combining is off and will interfere with digestion.

If this is you, give your meal a half hour or so and them try a chunk of pineapple or a sliced kiwi. The digestive enzyme bromelain in the pineapple may help you digest your lunch. Eating pineapple may help relieve indigestion after a big or hearty meal. Try it out and see if it helps you! I also love kiwi because though it does not contain bromelain it is rich in enzymes. So much so that these three fruits (pineapple, kiwi and papaya) are often used as meat tenderizers. Now obviously I am not a meat eater, but I certainly will let those fruits tenderize my plant-based eats!

Ginger is another great digestion stimulator. Try adding fresh raw ginger to your meals or even ginger chews or fresh ginger tea after lunch. Take a bottle of fresh ginger tea to work!

Try these recipes:
* Fresh Ginger Tea
* Pineapple and Papaya
* Ginger Crinkle Cookies

7. Get Nutty. And lastly, nut butters are brilliant for lunching. Spread them on toast and bread for sandwiches or even wrap them up into wraps. Peanut butter and almond butters are classic, but you could also try seed butters and exotic blends like pumpkinseed and cashew.

Try these recipes:
* PB&J Club (pictured above)
* Smashed Nut Butter Banana Toast (pictured above)
* Curry-Cashew Butter Dip or Spread
* Nut Butter Wrap with banana
* Maple-Coconut Cinnamon Almond Butter (pictured above)

8. Bars. Homemade nut and seed and grain bars are great for an easy-to-digest lunch because while they provide high nutrient density and high calories, they are not providing much bulk. Nuts and seeds have a high density of calories, so you are fueling your body without over-filling your tank, so to speak.

Less bulk in your stomach means it may feel less stressed during digestion. Maybe. Like I said, every tummy is different! But bars just may be a good way to fuel without over-doing it on your digestion needs.

Try these recipes:
* Roadtrip Bars (pictured above)
* Coconut-Almond Kamut Bars
* Peanut Butter Butterscotch Bars (pictured above)
* Energy Bites or Mini Bars
* No-Bake Double Chocolate Oat Bars - video included

9. Be a BRATT! When all else fails, stick to the long-time digestion accronym. BRATT. Bananas. Rice. Applesauce. Tea. Toast. But get creative with this intrepretation! Try bananas, yes. Maybe bananas on some nut butter toast or in a smoothie. Rice can easily be worked into a lunchtime meal. And applesauce could meal any fruit puree. Try berry-sauce! Or even try a veggie sauce or dressing puree if you want to get really creative. You could even throw in puddings here. Some people find chia pudding to be helpful for digestion, others the opposite. Tea, could be any warm liquid that may settle your stomach and warm up your circulation, inspiring digestion. Try that ginger tea above! And toast means that crispy bread is usually easier to digest than fresh. I do not have the scientific explanation for this, but I think the heating breaks down the molecules? Total guess, but I think it is true! Toast can be any gluten-free or gluten-containing bread paired with any of the above options.

Try these recipes:
* 60-Second Apple Sauce (pictured above)
* RICE veggies and tofu stir-fry -- just serve with mostly rice and silken tofu
* Kale Fried Rice Bowl -- a heartier rice dish (pictured above)
* Banana Apple Bread with almond butter
* Banana Bread with dark chocolate

10. Fermented Foods! Add some digestion-enhancing fermented foods to your meal. The goods: sauerkraut, kombucha, yogurt, tempeh, miso, pickles!

Try these recipes:
* Tempeh Reuben - just keep the sauerkraut RAW! (pictured)
* Tempeh Triangles over carrot slaw
* What is kombucha?
* Miso Pea Soup

The Most Important Digestion Tip. I hope these ideas have helped you a bit! Happy lunch and remember, your stomach is very sensitive to your mood. So above all, try to keep your lunch hour calm and free of stimulus and stress whenever possible. A calm mood is the best way to help your tummy do its thing!

*Ask Your Doctor! And as always check with your doctor is you are having ANY digestion issues! He or her can give you insight and advice. Do not be shy, digestive issues are nothing to ignore, they can truly effect your everyday life.

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

Super-Simple Strawberry-Swirl Vegan French Toast

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When it comes to weekend mornings, or snow days or sleeping in, or any day where giving into morning relaxation is permitted and embraced, there is usually one big question on everyone's mind as you stumble out of bed and pull on a robe and slippers, "What's for breakfast???" or, if you are like me, "..brunch?"

And if it is comfort food you crave, the classic, go-to answer, I think, is pancakes. Vegans love pancakes and have learned how to make them amazing without the use of eggs or dairy milk. Well lets pause and consider another top contender.. French toast!

Today I share my Super-Simple Strawberry-Swirl Vegan French Toast as well as my 8 reasons why French toast is the unsung hero of veganized breakfasts..

Another version, same banana soaking liquid.. walnut bread and blueberry sauce..

😻 French toast recipe posted to #HealthyHappyLife.com now!A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Jan 10, 2015 at 1:28pm PST

8 reasons why French toast is the unsung hero of veganized breakfasts

1. Protein. Some might say that since the vegan version does not contain eggs, it is lacking in protein. Well there are a few easy solutions to that. You could whisk in some vegan protein powder to the soaking liquid. You could sprinkle some protein-rich hemp seeds over top, like I did for today's recipe. Or you could slather on some almond or peanut butter to serve. OR you could add some silken tofu as an egg replacer - using it in place of non-dairy milk.
2. Bread. Lets face the facts. The success or failure of French toast is not about the eggs or dairy. It is really all about the bread. And if it was properly soaked. And at the right stage of "day-old-ness." If you use properly "aged" and dry bread, you will easily get delicious results whether or not you add eggs. My most favorite bread is day-old sourdough. I pull my bread straight from the freezer, soak and toss on the skillet! Bread usually dries out quite a bit after being in the freezer for a while. Or you can use room temperature day-old bread. The crustier the better .. less sogginess in the finished product.
3. Fast. Vegan French toast may cook faster than regular French toast because there is never any raw egg worry. Once the French toast looks done, it is done.
4. Milk. Plant milks work seamlessly into any French toast recipe. No need for dairy.
5. Maple Syrup. Maple syrup is the second most important factor, right after bread. Real maple, drizzled over top is a make or bread moment for French toast. And maple syrup is vegan.
6. Toppings. Toppings like sauces and compotes for French toast can totally be veganized. Apple-cinnamon, blueberry or strawberry like today's recipe. Need butter? Try Earth Balance.
7. Fluff Factor. If you do not like making vegan pancakes because you worry you will mess up the "fluff factor" with an egg-deficient recipe, give French toast a try! The "fluffiness" is pre-built into the bread you are using, that has already been baked with nooks and crannies and air. So the bread puffs right back up when you skillet-cook it. No fluff factor worries to be had.
8. No Special Flours. French toast can be made using whatever bread you'd like. Although I do prefer sourdough. So if you are gluten-free, or want whole grains or sprouted grains, you do not need to buy special flour like you would for pancakes or waffles. You can just use the bread you already buy for other recipes.

Super-Simple Strawberry-Swirl Vegan French Toast

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 01/09/2015Super-Simple Strawberry-Swirl Vegan French Toast
Super simple vegan french toast that is perfectly light, fluffy, delicious and sublime. Hemp seeds sprinkles, cinnamon and vanilla. Plenty of maple and strawberry swirl on top.

Ingredients

  • 6 large slices sourdough bread (leftover freezer bread - or day-old)*
  • *substitute with your leftover 'freezer bread' or day-old bread on hand
  • 1 large banana (1 ¼ cups when blended) -- I have actually noticed that starchier bananas actually work better than over-ripe bananas
  • ¾ cup non-dairy milk
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon + ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg - or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 2-3 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
  • ⅓ cup hemp seeds
  • strawberry swirl: 1 cup frozen strawberries + splash of non-dairy milk or orange juice
  • to serve: maple syrup, grade B + pinch of coarse sea salt -- or vegan butter, melted

Instructions

  1. Add the banana, vanilla, salt and non-dairy milk to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a large flat dish like a rectangle storage or baking pan.
  2. Add 2 slices of frozen sourdough bread to the mixture and slosh around a bit, flipping once so both sides are coated.
  3. Warm a skillet over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoon coconut oil and when oil is melted, add the soaked bread. It will sizzle a lot. Sprinkle a heavy hand of cinnamon over top the bread slices. After about 2-3 minutes, flip and add cinnamon and nutmeg to the other side as well. Note: you can place the next two slices of bread in the banana soaking mixture while the first slices are cooking.
  4. After about 2-3 minutes cooking on the other side, the toasts should be browned on both sides, the edges blackened and crispy while the center coating is browned, but still moist - but not soggy! LAST STEP: Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of hemp seeds on the toasts, flip them one more time to lightly toast seeds in the hot pan and then remove toasts from skillet. You do not want to burn or even cook the raw hemp seeds, just let them stick to the toast and toast lightly.
  5. Transfer the first two slices to plates and repeat until all the bread is used up.
  6. For the strawberry sauce, no need to rinse the same blender container that you blended the banana mixture in, just add the frozen strawberries, a splash of non-dairy milk and blend. Transfer this mixture to a small serving container. Optional: warm topping in microwave for 30 seconds. Serve topping by pouring over top.
  7. Serve warm toasts with maple and strawberry topping swirled over top.

Yield: 6 slicesPrep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 30 mins. Total time: 45 mins. Tags: breakfast,brunch,french toast,strawberry,hemp,cinnamon,vegan,

Coconut Curried Skillet Farro and Chickpeas with Smoky Potatoes

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This one bowl wonder vegan meal, served from a sizzling, steamy, skillet, is ready for you! Each warm bite is rich in mysteriously alluring curry flavor. Your senses will perk up and get excited while you are cooking this meal!

This entree is soothing and nutty yet spicy with a hint of luxurious sweetness from coconut milk and candied almonds. Not to mention that this is a super healthy meal, rich in whole grains, nutritious beans, nuts and veggies like kale and potatoes. Are you craving it yet? I hope so! Put my Coconut Curried Skillet Farro and Chickpeas with Smoky Potatoes on your menu this week!..

One of my best meal prep tips is to make a BIG batch of grains like brown rice or farro and serve it for the next few days in various recipes. Use grains for breakfast bowls, added to salads and soups, or cooked up in a sizzling stir fry. Kinda like this skillet featuring farro..

This dish is delicious served steamy hot or chilled straight from the fridge. I tasted it both ways and though the hot bowl was super comforting and cozy, the butteriness and hearty texture once this mixture was chilled was also very inviting.

If you want to serve this mixture in a different way, add it to a giant tortilla or lavash wrap or pita pocket along with some leafy greens for a wrap or sandwich style meal.

Mr.White was curious about these almonds, I mean anything to bat at for no reason is a toy, right? Don't worry I didn't let him try to eat one.

All that goodness in one steamy delicious bowl.

Coconut Curried Skillet Farro and Chickpeas with Smoky Potatoes

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 01/06/2015
Coconut Curried Skillet Farro and Chickpeas with Smoky Potatoes

Warmly spiced, loaded with hearty ingredients and captivating flavors of curry, cinnamon, coconut, almond and greens. This grain and bean dish is entree approved and a one bowl wonder meal. Load up a bowl and sink into deliciousness.

Ingredients

  • Farro:
  • 3 ½ cups cooked farro
  • 1 ½ tablespoon vegan butter
  • 1 ½ tablespoon curry powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 ½ cups kale, chopped and packed (or try frozen kale)
  • 16oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • ¼ cup coconut milk (or coconut cream)
  • ¼ cup chopped raw almonds
  • 2 teaspoon maple syrup, grade B
  • OPTIONAL: pinch of fresh orange peel or golden raisins (optional)
  • Potatoes:
  • 1 ½ cups potato, peeled and diced (any variety)
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
  • Whole dish: salt and pepper to taste (I added about ⅓ teaspoon pink salt)

Instructions

  1. Precook your farro, since this will take a good hour to get your farro tender you may want to do this part the day before like I did, so when you are ready for dinner, you can whip up this dish in under thirty minutes, easy! Cook farro by boiling it in a large pot of water until all the water has absorbed and farro has bloomed and is tender. I usually slowly simmer my farro in water for at least 60 minutes. Drain any excess water and place cooked farro in the fridge to chill.
  2. To prepare farro: Warm a skillet over high heat and melt the vegan butter. Add the cooked farro, curry and cinnamon and sautè over high for about two minutes.
  3. To the farro, add in the chickpeas and coconut milk, optional citrus ingredient and fold. Fold and sautè for another few miutes until the coconut milk has absorbed. Then push all the farro mixture over to one side of the pan leaving a blank space.
  4. Add the chopped almonds to the blank spot and drizzle the maple over top them. Stir the maple almonds for a minute, then fold them into the rest of the mixture.
  5. Reduce heat to low and fold in the kale and parsley and optional orange zest.
  6. While the farro mixture is on low heat, bring a small pot of water to a boil and boil the potatoes for 4-6 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Drain potatoes and set aside.
  7. Transfer the farro mixture to your serving bowl, and in the same skillet, turn up stove heat to high and melt the coconut oil into the skillet. Add the potatoes, paprika and salt and pepper. Saute potatoes 3-4 minutes, or until edges brown and crisp up. Pour potatoes on the side of the farro in the serving dish to serve. Serve warm. Delicious warm or chilled.

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.
Total time: 30 mins.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 306kcal
  • Fat: 10g
  • Totalcarbs: 46g
  • Dietaryfiber: 7g
  • Protein: 11g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg

Tags: farro,entree,chickpeas,curry,kale,potatoes,side,grain,vegan,coconut

My Top HHL Recipes of 2014!

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2014 was a joy to share with you all. So thank you for listening and joining in the convo. To recap a few memories, check out my Top Ten HHL Recipes from 2014. This is a mega-round-up post with 50 links and photos from the top recipes of 2014..

Before I run full speed into my 2015 kitchen (and I am READY and eager for this new year), I need to look back. At this past year. What a whirlwind it has been. Book writing. Getting to know two brand new kittens in our household. Loads of traveling. So many new friends on and offline. Inspiring work conferences and events. Loads of beachy California sunsets.

2014 was the year of BUSY. And what do ya know, my food totally reflected my mood this past year. Kinda chaotic, but rich in flavor and fun. Lots of chocolate. Lots of energizing, beachy smoothies. Lots of golden colors. Lots of spins-on-the-usual. Lots of comfort food. And plenty of wellness-infused basics utilizing different legumes, creative whole grains and more.

Change of Tides in 2015. But in 2015, I want to turn the raving blue tides into a cool, calm clear teal pond. Sip more tea. Switch out the cardio for some yoga. Downsize my clothes closet, ingredients pantry and spice rack. Weave positive vibes and messages into everything I do, or at least try. Keep my head up, turned to the sunshine as much as possible. Read more books, and watch less mindless TV - only stuff that really speaks to me. Binge watching and Netflix can stay. Refine my tried-and-true, go-to favorite recipes and flavors and use those as my guide. Have a plan. Meal prep. More farmer's markets. Go for recipes that are centering, toned-and-sharpened with flavor, less-is-more, and quality not quantity. Or something like that. Lets see how this year of food and life unfolds, you and me. And this year I want to share more personal posts and recipes, meal-plans, videos and real life wellness chatter. Excited? Me. too.

Top 10 Posts of 2014

1. Peanut Butter Caramel Bars

2. Matcha Green Tea Buying Guide

3. 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

4. Easy Vanilla Bean Custard

5. Rustic Carrot-Banana Bread with Walnuts

6. Curry Chickpea Cool Cucumber Wraps (My Golden Apple Favorite! Part of the giveaway rules is to find our fave recipes! Tip: use a gluten-free wrap to stay energy diet approved!)

7. Farmer's Market Cobb

8. Golden Wellness Smoothie - I succeeded in my "I need more turmeric in my life goal of last year!)

9. 10 Reasons Why Vegans are Not Annoying with recipes

10. How-to: Overnight Oats and Chia Pudding Bowls

Now MORE HHL favorites from the past year, easy catch up!!..

Lets Continue! 40 More Top Recipes from 2104:

Walnut-Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Cinnamon Citrus Grilled French Toast

Baked Farro with Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion

Citrus + Spice Melted Chocolate Mousse

Coconut oil Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Black + Beet Mushroom Walnut Veggie Burgers

Peanut Butter Chocolate Smoothie Bowl

Curried "Eggy" Scramble Toasts

Walnut Cream Pie with chocolate

Sweet Frosty Green Protein Smoothies

Almond Butter Caramel Swirled Ice Cream

Triple Banana Dark Chocolate Buckwheat Banana Bread

Lifting Lemon-Garlic Rice Lentil Soup

Carrot-Ginger Roasted Potato Bowl

Chocolate Coated Ice Cream Bars

Roasted Carrot or Sweet Potato Soup

18 Toast Recipes!

Kathy's Famous Trinity Matcha or Turmeric Smoothie

Creamy Alfredo Pasta Bake

Fresh Ginger Tea

Curried Carrot Slaw with Tempeh Triangles

Lentil Cashew Cakes

Ginger Snappy Crinkle Cookies

Cherry Berry Chia Seed Pudding

Cashews Just Want to Have Fun Cookies

Peanut Kale Black Rice Bowl

Cinnamon Toast morning Muffins

Vegan PSL

White Velvet Soup

How-to blender Banana Ice Cream

3-2-1 Weeknight Broccoli Bisque

Double Chocolate No-Bake Bars

19 Vegan Valentine's Day Recipes

Birthday Cake Batter Truffles

3-2-1 Hummus

Ginger Peanut Power-Up Salad Wraps

Magic Minty Matcha Cups

Side note - Energy Awards! My blog was chosen as one of the top picks in the All-Day Energy Awards. Chosen by the amazing New York Times bestselling author Yurie Elkaim, author of the All Day Energy Diet. So neat. The basics of the Energy Diet: 80% Raw, Gluten-Free, No Sugar, No Dairy, No Processed Foods. Check out the other winners PLUS download a free All-Day Energy Diet Blueprint by clicking here.

And one more recipe to finish things off..

Pink Power Smoothie

Yeast-Free Vegan Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting.

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It was noon on a Sunday morning. Finally making it into the kitchen in the PM hours meant one thing. It was too late for morning cinnamon rolls. Or was it? So on I went, following my cinnamon roll craving and popping these rolls into a hot oven around 12:30PM, and enjoying them by 1:30pm .. because one simply has to do the full photoshoot thing before consuming goodies in this household. But I learned one thing today.

It is never too late for morning Cinnamon Rolls.

These Yeast-Free Vegan Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting are simply ah-mazing. Fast, easy and cravable. Perfect comfort food for any morning, afternoon or night...

About the Rolls. So these rocked my Sunday morning. Paired with some silver needle white tea, all grassy and floral, these sweet tender rolls were easy to devour. And for the two of us there were plenty to nibble on in the afternoon and for dessert and leftovers for tomorrow morning. I think (Sunday leftover) Monday morning cinnamon rolls are my new fave thing.

The flour I used is a unique variety. It is by One Degree Organics and a sprouted grain whole wheat. You could easily sub with a WIDE variety of flours. Anything whole grain, sprouted grain (spelt, another wheat brand and more). If you are using white or all purpose flour I would add ¼ cup to the dough, or even better add in a ¼ of bran or oat flour just to give it a bit of a nuttier texture. I really love the flour brand I used, so if you can find it at Whole Foods, or online, try it.

I used a combo of coconut oil and Earth Balance. But you could use just one or the other. If using only vegan butter, omit ¼ teaspoon of salt. If using all cconut oil, add another ¼ teaspoon salt.

So enough chit chat. Lets roll these ladies out..

Roll the dough. Slice the dough. Place and bake.

Ready to be popped in a steamy hot oven..

These bake up golden and light despite the fact that I used sprouted whole wheat flour..

Crisp, toasty outsides, moist and gooey insides.

Vegan cinnamon rolls can save just about any bad day, or make a good day feel like rainbows and unicorns, in case you were wondering. And yes, I will write any sentence, if I can fit in the phrase "rainbows and unicorns" in it. Reminds me of.. #MyLittlePony #RainbowBright #80sChild

Like I said. Warm. And. Gooey.

Hello lovely spiral bun.

Tear into your roll.

I think you will agree, this middle piece is always the BEST part of a cinnamon roll.

Easy Yeast-Free Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 01/04/2015
Easy Yeast-Free Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

These yeast-free, vegan, sprouted grain cinnamon rolls are super easy to whip up, tender and fluffy and totally irresistible! Creamy dairy-free cream cheese frosting on top.

Ingredients

  • Dry:
  • 3 cups sprouted whole wheat flour (One Degree Organics brand used)
  • 1 ½ tablespoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon pink salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • Wet:
  • 1 medium banana
  • 1 cup soymilk or almondmilk (plain flavor - do not use a fat free variety)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup virgin coconut oil, melted
  • 2 tablespoon light brown or coconut sugar, organic
  • Filling:
  • ¾ cup light brown or coconut sugar, organic
  • 2 tablespoon vegan butter, softened
  • cinnamon - enough to blanket the surface of the rolled out cinnamon rolls - about 1 ½ teaspoon
  • Frosting: (double frosting recipe for extra frosting)
  • ⅓ cup vegan cream cheese
  • ⅓ cup organic powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoon soy or almond milk
  • ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • On Top: 1 teaspoon coconut oil bits over top rolls before baking
  • Greasing Dish: 1 teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a round or square 7-9" baking dish.
  2. Add all dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir.
  3. Add all wet ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour wet into dry bowl and stir well until a dough forms. Optional: place dough in fridge for 5 minutes to cool and firm up a bit if your kitchen is on the warmish side. You could also add in one additional pinch of flour if the dough seems too sticky.
  4. Sprinkle down 2 tablespoon of flour onto a surface to roll out the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough until about ¼ inch in thickness. As thin as you can get without compromising the dough and making it split apart.
  5. Pour the melted vegan butter over top the dough and evenly distribute it by brushing it or spreading it with your fingertips.
  6. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the vegan butter - all over the dough surface. Follow up with the cinnamon, heavily sprinkling it over entire surface of dough so that it covers the surface in a cinnamon blanket.
  7. Now carefully roll up the dough using your fingertips and palms of your hands for balancing the dough as you roll. Once tightly rolled up, slice the roll into 6-7 1 ½ inch thick rounds. Place the rounds in the greased baking dish. Add the bits of coconut oil on top of the rolls.
  8. Bake the rolls at 400 degrees for 25-35 minutes. You want the puffy, lightly browned on top and cooked all the way through. You can test the done-ness just by feeling the edge of the rolls, when an outer roll's edge is hard and a bit toasty in texture, they are done. You want the outer edges of the rolls to be a bit firmer than the inside edges of the rolls. I personally never like rolls that are too under-done, so I lean more towards the 35 minute mark. But if you like your rolls very soft they may be ready a bit sooner.
  9. While the rolls are baking, add all frosting ingredients to a blender and blend for 1 minute until silky. Pour frosting into a small bowl and place in the fridge. Note: I decided to halve the recipe for the frosting, since I didn't use all of it. But if you want extra frosting, simply double the recipe here.
  10. Pull rolls from oven and let them cool for 5-10 minutes before drizzling the frosting over top to serve.

Yield: 7 rolls
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 30 mins.
Total time: 45 mins.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 387
  • Fat: 16g
  • Totalcarbs: 52g
  • Protein: 7g
  • Dietaryfiber: 6g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg

Tags: vegan,cinnamon rolls,breakfast,brunch,dessert,sprouted grain,yeast-free,baking,

Behind the scenes.

Time lapse fun #photoshoot #sochicat #catCameo 😺Une vidéo publiée par Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) le Janv. 1, 2015 at 6:20 PST

New HHL Tees! Very Limited Time Only!

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You guys asked for them, so I am happy to offer a very limited time offer to anyone who wants a Healthy Happy Life tee. More details + photos ahead...

O R D E R N O W

UPDATE! Yay enough people have ordered already so these tees will print! But this is a limited run printing. After the campaign closes, you cannot order anymore.

So even though many of you are freezing in snowy conditions and want only long sleeves, order a tee now and keep it handy for the first sunny day of spring!!

Tee Details. My old tees were pre-ordered and kept in stock and then I shipped them out by hand. But that process was incredibly time consuming and I just do not have the space to allow for it! The good part about that T-shirt process was that I did make a bit of profit from each tee sold, which is always really important when you are a one-person show entrepreneur. But I just don't think I can go back to that process anytime soon. So luckily I found a cool company called Teespring that will allow me to run a campaign of tees without any stocking fees. The tees WILL ONLY BE PRINTED IF I MEET MY SALES GOAL. So that means for the next two weeks, you will need to order your tee and share the campaign with your friends, if you want one!

These Tees Rock!! The tees are a bit different, but keep the same essence of the original tees I sold a few years ago. The new tees feature my NEW logo art, designed by me. But the best part is that I am able to offer TWO tee styles.

Two Tee Styles. The tees are ULTRA SOFT premium American Apparel track tees. I am very picky about tee softness and these pass the test with flying colors.

The first style is a fitted women's tee. The exact tee I used to print the tees a few years ago, heather grey. The photo of me at top in the tee is this style, however, the print is a bit different now.

The second tee is a classic tee fit, unisex (shown in all the pics), with the same super soft heather grey material. I LOVE the unisex tee for a casual workout or comfy day tee. I offer this unisex style in the heather grey and a creamy oatmeal color.

The photos on Teespring DO NOT do the tee material or color justice. So look at my photos on this post to see how they print up. I was able to order ten tees in the unisex style to test things out and photograph.

Remember, this is a VERY limited time run -- the campaign ends in just a few weeks. Around March 7th I believe. There is a countdown clock on the order page.

More details and order --> TeeSpring

I love Teespring. If you want to start your own tee campaign, CLICK HERE!

O R D E R N O W

COLOR NOTE. The athletic grey color on the Teespring page looks very dark and one toned. But just to confirm the "athletic grey" is the color shown in these photographs -- not the dark tone that Teespring shows. It is a little confusing, but let me know if you have any questions. You can also check out American Apparel's website for tee material details.

Order your HHL Tee! --> TeeSpring

Double Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes (gf)

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It was just past midnight. I couldn't sleep. I stumbled into the kitchen and pulled open the fridge door, the blinding glare of the yellow light sliding across my face, my eyes squinting in the glow. Up and down I scanned the fridge, as if I didn't already know what was in there. As if I didn't already know each and every nook and cranny, every item hidden behind other items, how long that bottle of kombucha had been open, and how many lemons lay in the fruit bin. I knew all too well that what I craved was nowhere to be found. "Wouldn't it be nice if..." I though to myself.

Wouldn't it be nice. If there had been a tall, glittering platter of these Midnight Snack Double Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes. I would have grabbed just one and stood there in the kitchen nibbling its rich chocolate layers, the accents of vanilla, coconut and hazelnut infusing my groggy mind with sweet dreamland thoughts. And back to bed I would have stumbled, a happy happy girl.

Well, at least I will be prepared tonight if the midnight snack, insomnia munchies strike again! Be prepared guys, be prepared. And you could even ring in the New Year with a chocolate cupcake toast! Brilliant idea Kathy, brilliant idea. Get it..

freshly baked..

frosting bliss..

Stop to gawk at the swirls..

And finally. Eat..

These fluffy-amazing vegan cupcakes are gluten free and super guilt-free if you do not eat too much frosting 🙂 The cupcake base is pretty much good-for-you fare with its coconut-hazelnut-oat flour base, zero added oil and low sugar. Dreamboat cupcakes with or without the frosting.

The frosting is a super silky, satin-y, creamy vegan blend of organic confectioners sugar, vegan cream cheese, coconut oil, rich cocoa powder and a bit of vegan butter.

Whip these babies up and have a very Sweet Dreams kind of slumber.

(And if you are sensitive to the caffeine in cocoa powder, sub with carob!)

Why are these the perfect mid-sleep indulgence? A few pondering questions answered..

* why not layer cake? Cake has no serving size, so you may end up gobbling down more than you intended amidst your groggy sleepy state.
* why chocolate? Why not? It is chocolate. Ultimate swoon factor. I think the calming happy bliss will override any "caffeine jitters" from the chocolate. At least for me anyways.
* why gluten-free? Again, why not! These fluffy little cupcakes are everything their big brother gluten-containing cupcakes are. But ps. gluten-containing flour can be subbed for the rolled oat flour if needed.

Midnight Snack Double Chocolate Fudge Vegan Cupcakes

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 12/30/2014
Midnight Snack Double Chocolate Fudge Vegan Cupcakes

Fluffy-amazing vegan cupcakes made using oats, coconut, hazelnuts, cocoa and love. Chocolate frosting on top. Gluten-free too!

Ingredients

  • dry - cupcakes:
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • ¼ cup raw hazelnuts (or another nut!)
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened high quality cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • wet - cupcakes:
  • 1 large banana
  • ½ cup applesauce (or 1 small apple + 1 teaspoon water)
  • ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • ⅓ cup maple or agave syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • creamy chocolate frosting (double recipe for extra frosting!):
  • 1 cup organic powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoon cocoa powder, unsweetened
  • 1 ½ tablespoon virgin coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoon vegan butter (soy free Earth Balance used)
  • 1 ½-3 teaspoon water (as needed)
  • 2 tablespoon vegan cream cheese
  • pinch of salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a muffin tin with coconut oil or cooking spray or cupcake liners.
  2. In a food processor or Vitamix, add the oats, coconut and hazelnuts. Process until fine - into a flour. Sift this mixture or use a spoon to break apart any clumps. Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl.
  3. To the oat-nut-coconut flour add the remaining dry ingredients and stir.
  4. In the same blender container, add all the liquid ingredients and blend until smooth.
  5. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry bowl. Then using a hand mixer, whip until silky and fluffy and any lumps are smoothed out.
  6. Scoop batter into muffin tin then bake cupcakes at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes.
  7. While the cupcakes are baking, prepare the frosting by adding all the ingredients except the water and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl (the same bowl can be used).
  8. Using your hand mixer, beat the frosting which will soften the coconut oil and vegan butter a bit. Then add the water one teaspoon at a time until the frosting is "wet" enough to whip. The frosting will still be on the stiff side though. Lastly, add the vegan cream cheese, and whip the frosting for another minute using your hand mixer. Do not overwhip, as the frosting will start to "melt" and lose its fluffiness. Place frosting bowl in the fridge to chill.
  9. Remove cupcakes from the tin when they are done baking, and cool on a cooling rack. When cupcakes are completely cooled, you can pull out the frosting and frost with a spoon of pastry bag. Store frosted cupcakes in the fridge until ready to serve. Cupcakes are delicious served at room temperature, slightly warm and melty or straight from the fridge!

Yield: 9 cupcakes
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.
Total time: 40 mins.
Tags: dessert,chocolate,cupcakes,baking,snack,vegan,glutenfree,oilfree,coconut,hazelnut

Almond Oat Apple Cinnamon Muffins. Vegan Baking.

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Last night I watched Crossroads on Netflix. And this morning I am in my red sequin slippers baking these Vegan Almond Oat Apple Cinnamon Muffins and sipping a homemade mint matcha latte. So lets talk about that..

Baked apple bits in every bite..

Perfect with a matcha-mint latte!..

So lets start again. Last night I watched Crossroads on Netflix. You know the movie from 2002 with Britney Spears, a young Zoe Saldana and that actress who plays the crazy chick who hates Piper on Orange is the New Black. I, shockingly, have never seen Crossroads before, even though my friends (and many of you guys) know me as a longtime Britney Spears fan. Totally unapologetic about that fact. I love to dance. And Britney music just makes me happy. Broadway music, pop music, soundtrack scores, Justin Timberlake, some 80's Madonna whatever you are listening to lately or your top-rated iTunes mix, maybe some of Taylor Swift's new 1989 album and lets throw a dance party. But I digress.

What does it all mean? My point is that I watched Crossroads last night. A teenage, pop music, comfort-food-style-movie. Did I lose two hours of my life? (Some movie critics might argue yes.) But I actually gained two hours of me-time.

I call it a sort of meditation, in a slightly far-fetched way. But the fact is, meditation doesn't have to mean you sit cross-legged humming "Ommmmmmmmmm" while you close your eyes and desperately try not to think about your to-do list.

You can "meditate" however you'd like. Doing yoga, closing your eyes and "ommm-ing," having a long bubble bath and thinking of nothing, baking, exercising, lunching with friends or whatever clears your mind and lets it loosen its thoughts for a while. Pause from the constant stimulation from our chatty, loud world. Emerge from your meditation with a blank slate for your thoughts.

For me, play time is meditation. Light hearts, bright thoughts, shiny spirit. Dancing, drawing, baking or even watching bad movies. And by bad, I mean, amazing. 🙂

So even though 2015 is quickly approaching and important work events will soon unravel, things are good. Shiny.

Speaking of 2015. My cookbook comes out in a few months. More details on that VERY sson, like January 1st soon. I am SO excited, but also freaking out. I know it is normal author jitters, ad all part of the ride, so with that I am embracing it. I hope you guys get excited along with me! And I hope you can add my next book to your cookbook collection and have a piece of my heart in your home, in your kitchen.

But for right now, today, I am sipping matcha and baking muffins. I am still on down time. Instead of nose-to-the-computer-screen mode, I picked up a mixing bowl and clicked on my stove and went baking today.

Baking is my favorite way to calm my nerves, slow down and just savor the day and all it may have to offer. To shut down any anxiety and just fill my head and heart with gratitude for the many happy, healthy blessings in my life.

I mean, who could possibly be stressed or anxious with apple-cinnamon-almond-amazing aromas wafting from the kitchen and soaking your skin in comfort?

So to ease the transition from the holidays to January 1st, whip up a batch of these amazing muffins.

Almond Oat Apple Cinnamon Muffins. These fluffy-amazing muffins are filled with flavors of almond, vanilla, apple, oat, cinnamon, nutmeg and a hint of maple. Each fluffy bite is rich in baked-apple flavor and rustic whole grain texture. Moist and fluffy too. I used a traditional "Ultra Bran" trio which includes wheat, corn and oat. But to make these gluten free you could just use gf bran flakes.

And here is how to make that mint-match latte..

Almond Oat Apple Cinnamon Muffins

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 12/29/2014Almond Oat Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Fluffy, moist oat-bran muffins with baked apple-cinnamon flavor in every bite. Low in sugar and oil free.

Ingredients

  • dry:
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • ¾ cup almonds, raw
  • ¾ cup bran (corn, oat, wheat blend used)
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • wet:
  • ½ a large apple (organic honeycrisp used)
  • ¼ cup maple syrup, grade B
  • ¼ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup non-dairy milk, plain
  • 1 banana
  • fold in:
  • ½ large apple, diced into tiny bits
  • on top - spice-sugar sprinkle: 1 teaspoon coconut sugar + pinch of nutmeg + pinch of cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a muffin tin with coconut oil or a cooking spray.
  2. In a high speed blender like a Vitamix or a food processor, add the rolled oats and almond. Process for 1-2 minutes until fine and powdery - like a flour.
  3. Pour the oat-almond mixture into a large mixing bowl and add all the remaining dry ingredients. Fold well to mix.
  4. In a blender or food processor, blend all the wet ingredients until smooth, the apple and banana should be processed into a thick puree, with little or no apple skins unprocessed.
  5. Fold the blended liquid mixture into the dry mixture. Fold for a minute until t thick and wet batter is formed. Fold in the diced apple bits.
  6. Fill muffin tins and sprinkle the tops of the muffins with the spice-coconut-sugar sprinkle.
  7. Bake at 400 degrees for ten minutes, then reduce heat to 375 and bake for another ten minutes.
  8. Cool muffins on a cooling rack and serve warm for best texture and flavor.

Yield: 10 muffinsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 20 mins. Total time: 30 mins. Tags: muffins,baking,bakery,vegan,oat,apple,breakfast,cinnamon

per muffin, ten muffins per batch..

Roadtrip Bars

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If you are headed "out" this holiday of anytime or year, these vegan, gluten-free, amazing Roadtrip Bars just may save the day or weekend. You can whip them up in about a half hour, I promise, I just did!..

Freshly sliced snack bars..

chocolate optional.

And a LITTLE chocolate in the bars. Just a touch of chips makes a difference!

The flavors. Rolled oats, almond butter, dates, vanilla, cinnamon, citrus, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and yes, chocolate. And you can change out some of the nuts and seeds and even the nut butter for whatever you have on hand.

Crank that oven up to 400 degrees and whip these up!

Roadtrip Bars

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 12/24/2014Roadtrip Bars
These nutty, amazing vegan homemade bars are perfect as a healthy snack, or a roadtrip nibble. Easy and delicious!

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups rolled oats
  • ⅓ cup almond butter, softened
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup, grade B
  • ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, raw/sprouted
  • ¼ cup chopped walnuts
  • citrus date paste:
  • 6 Medjool dates, pitted
  • ½ cup fresh orange juice
  • pinch of orange zest
  • 2-3 tablespoon vegan chocolate chips
  • optional: chocolate drizzle (1 part coconut oil to 1 part chocolate chips - melted)

Instructions

  1. Turn oven to 400 degrees.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and toss well until combined.
  3. For the date paste, blend the dates and orange juice and zest in a Vitamix (I used my S30) - you could also use a food processor. Scrape out date paste and fold into the oat mixture.
  4. Line a 8-9" baking dish with parchment paper. Pour in the bar mixture and flatten with another sheet of parchment paper, pressing out the bars.
  5. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-22 minutes. Cool completely before slicing and serving or drizzling with optional chocolate drizzle.
  6. Store in the fridge. Best "taken on the road" when they are fully chilled so that they do not get mushy and pack a bit better. Wrap in plastic wrap if needed for better transport.

Yield: 10 barsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 08 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 20 mins. Total time: 28 mins. Tags: bars,snack,roadtrip,vegan,glutenfree,chocolate,oats,breakfast

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

Butternut Apple Maple Pecan Salad with Tahini Dressing + Giveaway!

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So you have a vegan entree, my mushroom tart, and a holiday dessert, my peppermint stick shake, and an amazing Christmas morning breakfast recipe, my vegan pancakes. Now we need some Season's Green-nings happening on the holiday feast table. So today I am sharing a creative spin on a plain old cold salad. My HOT + COLD Butternut Apple Maple Toasty Pecan Holiday Salad with Tahini-Ginger-Citrus Dressing. This salad recipe is perfect for a feel good entree or holiday feast side dish.

So countdown to a healthy 2015 with plenty of greens. And there is a nice #SeasonsGreenings giveaway to go along with this post! Yup, holiday recipe + giveaway season rolls on..

Psst.. Have you entered? Three days left until we choose a winner, $2700 prize! 12 Days Vegan Xmas

Tahini Dressing:

Dole Salads asked me to "think outside the salad bowl" this holiday season, but I just HAD to use a bowl for this recipe. But my creative twist: blending HOT and COLD ingredients to make one sassy savory sweet salad.

HOT + COLD salads are my fave. I have been making them for a long time, but I guess I have never actually talked about the technique here on my blog. It is pretty simple, you may already be making them yourself. But the idea is to top a giant bowl-ful of chilled, crunchy greens with something hot-from-the-skillet or hot-from-the-oven. Anything from roasted veggies to baked tofu to skillet-sizzled legumes and veggies and more!

Reasons I love HOT + COLD salads:

* The hot ingredients lightly wilt and SOFTEN the greens, while still keeping them RAW and fresh!
* RAW MEETS COOKED. I love raw veggies, rich in enzymes and jam-packed with fresh nutrients, but I also adore cooked foods. So this gives me the best of both worlds.
* You can add more FLAVOR OOMPH to your salad. Cooking ingredients (like squash, onions, beans, lentils, apple, pear and more) brings out the flavor in them - intensifying the yumminess of your salad. You add hearty and bold flavors to each bite. You are seasoning the cooked ingredients too, which further adds FLAVOR.
* More FLEXIBILITY is allowed with salads, you can make them entree salads, protein-infused (try tempeh or legumes in your HOT mix).
* More VEGGIES for your bowl. Forget more bang for your buck, adding HOT ingredients gives you more veggies per square inch of your serving bowl! Why? Cooking foods (usually) reduces them in size quite a bit. So you can add more of them to your serving dish.
* If you are adding VEGAN CHEESE to your salad like I did in today's recipe, you will find that the hot stuff lightly softens the cheese, further combining the flavors.

..speaking of vegan cheese. Oh man guys, there are SO SO SO many brands out there that are incredible now. And I mean AGED tree nut cheese that really tastes like gourmet aged cheese, without the dairy. Here are some brands I love.. List of vegan cheese brands: DrCow, Treeline, MiYoko's Kitchen, Daiya blocks, PunkRawk Labs.

Another yummy salad to try!.. This Winter Citrus Salad from Dole - This medley of citrus, pomegranate and greens is every bit a colorful showpiece. Layers of baby kale, citrus and green beans are arranged with delicately sliced red pears. Add a sprinkle of mint leaves for a cheerful finish, and serve with citrus vinaigrette:

Or Butternut Tartines (just easily sub VEGAN CHEESE in place of the parm) - perfect for a party App.

Get my recipe + enter the giveaway below!..

Butternut Apple Maple Toasty Pecan Holiday Salad

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 12/22/2014Butternut Apple Maple Toasty Pecan Holiday Salad
Delicious vegan salad with Dole greens, green apple, butternut squash, pecans, vegan cheese and tahini dressing.

Ingredients

  • 1 package DOLE® Power Up Greens™ Baby Kale and Greens

  • Saute:

  • 1 ½ cups butternut squash, diced
  • 1 small green apple, diced
  • ½ cup raw pecans
  • 2 tablespoon maple syrup, grade B
  • 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Optional fresh herbs: 1 sage leaf, finely chopped OR ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • skillet: 1 teaspoon virgin coconut oil + ½ cup water

  • Fold-in / toppings:

  • 2 tablespoon dried cranberries
  • 2 large Natural Delights Medjool Dates, chopped
  • Optional: ¼ cup vegan aged cashew cheese, sliced and chopped

  • Ginger-Tahini-Citrus Dressing:

  • ¼ cup tahini, Artisana brand used (raw, texture is thick and creamy)
  • 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ - ½ cup fresh orange or tangerine juice - add less for a thicker dressing -- + a pinch of zest
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoon maple syrup (or 1 Medjool date + 1 tablespoon water)
  • ⅛ teaspoon fresh ginger, grated with a microplane
  • a few pinches of cayenne or cinnamon for extra spice

Instructions

  1. Warm a skillet over high heat, melt 1 teaspoon virgin coconut oil into the pan. Then add the butternut squash and carefully add in ¼ cup water. Cover pan with a lid if oil starts to splatter too much during cooking process. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Then flip squash and add another ¼ cup splash of water. Reduce heat or cover with lid if splattering occurs. Your goal: brown the edges of the squash, while softening the texture to make it tender. Keep cooking until this is achieved. Once your squash cubes are tender, move onto step two.
  2. To the warm skillet, over high heat, add the apple, pecans, 2 tablespoon maple syrup, salt, cinnamon and optional fresh herbs. Saute until sizzling and maple syrup absorbs into mixture, and apples become lightly browned. Reduce heat and add the apple cider vinegar. Saute for another minute, turn off stove, and set hot skillet aside.
  3. In a blender, process all the dressing ingredients until a creamy tahini dressing forms.
  4. Add the Dole Power Up Greens to a large mixing bowl. Add a drizzle of the dressing and toss well.
  5. Add the greens to large serving bowl and pour the skillet mixture over top. Add the cranberries and optional vegan cheese over top. Serve with extra dressing on the side.

Yield: serves 6Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 15 mins. Total time: 25 mins. Tags: salad,cheese,dole,greens,recipe,holiday,butternut,pecans,apple

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It is easy to get green-inspired with greens like this from DOLE® Power Up Greens™ ..

*This is a sponsored post by Dole Salads, but all opinions are my own. Thank you to all my HHL sponsors who make my website possible! I only work with brands and people that I love and adore.

Vegan Holiday Main Dish: Mushroom-Chickpea-Hazelnut Tart

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This Mushroom-Sage-Hazelnut-Chickpea Tart is your vegan main dish for your holiday season dinner. Christmas-approved recipe. The number one question I have been getting lately is "Kathy! I really want an amazing vegan main dish for Christmas dinner, any ideas for me?" My usual answer is to refer you guys to my entrees section of my recipe index, or this holiday menu, or the holiday section of FindingVegan.com or other amazing recipes online. But this year, I have to suggest this recipe, I made it last week and after one bite I was swooning. With green veggies and red pepper on top, this Christmas-y recipe is your vegan main dish solution to holiday feasting!..

Holiday Tarts. I adore pot pies and tarts for main dish entrees. They are elegant, easy to serve and make-ahead approved! You can easily slice them like pies and serve to guests in an elegant way. I have long loved Dreena Burton's famous holiday chickpea tart. I send that link to friends and family all the time. So I decided I wanted to make my own amazing vegan tart-style main dish for the holidays. And boom, a new menu tradition was born.

Other entrees - my pot pies:

* Farmer's Market Pot Pie
* Creamy Cashew Pot Pie

The Flavors. Mushrooms. Sage. Rosemary. Citrus. Medjool dates. Chickpeas. Hazelnuts. Parsley and kale. Peppers. And savory nooch! This tart is ah-mazing. An overflow of flavor in each bite! Dive in this Christmas..

Yummy hearty filling!..

Mushroom-Chickpea-Hazelnut Tart

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 12/20/2014Mushroom-Chickpea-Hazelnut Tart
This festive and super-delicious vegan tart is perfect as a Christmas, Thanksgiving or any day main dish. Festive flavors of sage, rosemary, mushrooms, hazelnuts, dates and red peppers. Easy and amazing! Flavorful entree for everyone.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups mushrooms, chopped (shiitake and portobello used)
  • ½ cup white onion, chopped
  • 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 leaves fresh sage, finely chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • ½ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
  • ⅔ cup vegetable broth
  • ¼ cup fresh orange juice + ¼ teaspoon zest
  • ⅔ cup whole hazelnuts, raw
  • 16oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • ⅓ cup fine corn meal (gluten-free)
  • 2 Medjool Dates, pitted and diced
  • 1 cup kale, finely chopped, loosely packed
  • a few pinches of cayenne
  • ¼ teaspoon salt + ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ cup red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 vegan pie crust (use a pre-made vegan crust or make your own - recipe here)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pre-cook pie crust in 9" pie dish for about ten minutes in a 425 degree oven. Remove lightly browned pie crust from oven and set aside.
  2. Start on your tart filling. Warm a skillet over high heat, add 2 teaspoon olive oil.
  3. To the skillet, add mushrooms, onion, sage and rosemary. Saute until browned, about 3-5 minutes over high heat. Onions and mushrooms shoul lightly brown and reduce in size, greatly.
  4. Fold the salt, black pepper, cayenne, nutritional yeast and parsley into the mushroom mixture. Turn off heat and set skillet aside.
  5. Lightly toast the hazelnuts in a hot skillet for 2 minutes. Then, in a food processor or Vitamix, process the hazelnuts until they are coarsely chopped - pulse for about 5-10 seconds. Pour into a large mixing bowl. In the same blender, process the chickpeas until coarsely chopped - pulse about 5-7 seconds, you want a nutty and slightly "soft" texture. Pour beans into the same large mixing bowl with the hazelnuts.
  6. Add the orange juice, veggie broth, dates, kale and corn meal to the large mixing bowl and fold the ingredients together. Add the mushroom skillet mixture to the chickpea-hazelnut mixture and fold everything together. Stir for about a minute.
  7. Pour this filling into the pie crust and pat down to smooth tart. Add the red pepper over top. Optional: Drizzle some EVOO over top before placing in oven for extra rich tart! You can also grate some more orange zest right over top the tart.
  8. Bake tart at 425 degrees for 22 minutes. This is for a moist texture. For a drier texture, bake for another 5-10 minutes. Allow tart to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving, it can cool for up to a half hour. Make Ahead: You can even make this tart ahead of time! Bake as above and store covered in fridge until needed - simply warm in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes to reheat. Or serve chilled.

Yield: 8Prep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 25 mins. Total time: 40 mins.

Nutrition - including crust

  • Calories: 324
  • Fat: 14.7g
  • Protein: 10g
  • Dietaryfiber: 6g
  • Totalcarbs: 40g

Tags: entree,holiday,christmas,vegan,main dish,chickpeas,tart,dinner,mushrooms,vegetarian

Christmas Morning Pancakes. Pecan-Citrus-Spice. Gluten-Free.

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These are them. These are the pancakes you want to make on Christmas morning. I should know because I just taste tested them for you today, on a non-holiday morning, and they were blissful. So I can only imagine how much better they will taste (if possible) in between opening presents, listening to holiday music and feeling that cozy, happy Christmas morning feeling.

Flavors. Citrus. Spice. Vanilla. Pumpkin. Pecan. Maple. These Christmas Morning Pancakes are a big warm hug from me to you. Oat flour-based, and packed with festive flavors. Totally gluten-free, yet still fluffy and delicious. And ps. If you want to use regular flour in place of oat flour, you can do that too. Get my recipe, plus my THREE tips to gluten-free pancake-ing..

These are pretty fabulous, if I do say so myself.

Make a big platter for your favorite family on Christmas morning (or any day really) and watch the smiles grow like mushrooms after a rainstorm. Wait, that was a weird comparison, but lets just go with it.

Golden little rounds of yumminess.

Gluten-free pancakes can be quite lovely! They have a unique sponge-cake like fluffy texture I love.

Centerpiece approved..

And speaking of Christmas. DO NOT forget to enter this giveaway guys. I would LOVE LOVE if the winner was one of my readers, how cool would that be! I cannot wait to see who wins, I mean $2,700 in amazing vegan goodies is quite the Xmas gift! ENTER HERE + check out the prize details.

3 Tips to Gluten-Free Pancake-ing

1. LET THEM REST. If you want to dive fork-first into your pancakes seconds after they slide from your warm spatula, you will find your gf ancakes may not have perfectly "set" yet. Give them a good 5-10 minutes to set and the texture will be fluffier and those oast will bind together as they cool a bit.

2. GRIND FINE. When blending or processing your whole oats in your Vitamix or whatever tool you use, grind them as fine as possible. This leads to smoother texture pancakes.

3. POUR IT ON. Gluten-free pancakes LOVE maple syrup. They crave that hint of moisture and soak in the flavor gloriously. Drizzle on the maple syrup with a heavy hand, because these pancakes can stand up to the syrup! Use grade B ample syrup, nothing fake please.

..and that last tip applies to all pancakes, I think.

Like I said, LOTS of maple syrup..

Yummy banana-pecan-coconut topping too..

Pecan-Citrus-Spice Holiday Pancakes

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 12/19/2014Pecan-Citrus-Spice Holiday Pancakes
Fluffy vegan and gluten free pancakes with flavors of spice, citrus, vanilla and pecan in every bite. Banana-Pecan Topping on the side.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups whole rolled oats
  • ½ cup raw pecans
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon (or more to taste)
  • ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup, grade B
  • ¼ cup fresh satsuma (or orange) juice + pinch of fresh zest
  • ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
  • ¾ cup almond milk, unsweetened or plain
  • topping:
  • 1 banana, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin coconut oil
  • ⅓ cup pecans
  • ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
  • To Serve: more fresh citrus zest for color and flavor + plentiful maple syrup on hand

Instructions

  1. In a Vitamix or food processor, process the oats with the pecans to form a fine flour. Pour into a large mixing bowl.
  2. Warm a skillet over low heat while you prep the batter. This will help because your skillet will be evenly hot when ready to make your pancakes.
  3. Add the baking powder, salt, spices and citrus zest to the dry bowl. Stir. Then stir in the wet: pumpkin, citrus juice, maple syrup, non-dairy milk and vanilla extract. Stir well for a good two minutes to allow the oats to absorb the liquid and thicken the batter. You can use a hand mixer if desired, but not necessary.
  4. When your skillet is hot, add about 1 heaping tablespoon of batter to the pan for small sized pancakes. About two tablespoons for larger pancakes. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Pancakes should be easy to flip and remove from pan and slightly browned when ready. Continue with all the batter.
  5. When pancakes are done, allow them to cool on a plate 5-10 minutes before serving. While they are cooling you can whip up the banana-pecan topping.
  6. Topping: While the pan is still on medium and still hot, add the coconut oil, pacan and bananas. Toss them around in the oil. Then add the maple and cinnamon. Saute for about 2 minutes, just until the bananas soften and lightly brown and caramelize. Remove topping from pan and pour onto serving plate. Arrange pancakes in a pretty design around the topping. On top: Add fresh citrus zest to serve. Plentiful maple syrup too!

Yield: 4 serving (15 small pancakes or 6 large)Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 15 mins. Total time: 25 mins.

Nutrition (without topping)

  • Calories: 267
  • Fat: 13.7g
  • Protein: 7.2g
  • Totalcarbs: 31g
  • Dietaryfiber: 6g

Tags: breakfast,morning,pancakes,christmas,glutenfree,vegan,brunch,winter,pumpkin,pecan

psst.. that giveaway I mentioned, just wanted to remind you again! Enter here.

Peppermint Stick Shake + My 4 Steps to a Cozy Night In. Video!

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It is all twirling by so fast. This holiday season thing. I want more Santa hats, mulling spices, marshmallows, candy canes, Christmas cookies, holiday music and jolly parties. More holiday-ing. So far, I will confess to you, that I have barely spent half a day Xmas shopping, but I have spent more hours than I can count laughing with friends. I have been lucky to cross paths with so many groups of my girl and guy friends these past few weeks. Forget Christmas cookies, those experiences, giggles, long chats, smiles and hugs are food for my soul, I tell you. My mug is full.

So as 2014 fades away, I am going to embrace this happy feeling that has been buzzing around me lately. Lets call it joy, just to be all festive.

And I hope you are living it up with me. Are you? I mean, really, are you? You deserve more than shopping stress, frazzled nerves and omg-I-am-way-too-busy feelings this season. You deserve something magical. Special. You deserve COZY. So lets..

Finding Cozy. I hope you can chill out, calm your spirit and just have one thing.. a cozy holiday night inside. My favorite thing to do during the holiday season is to stay inside with the twinkly lights, music, family, friends, movies, warm mugs or a frosty peppermint stick shake.

Today I share a healthy treat recipe and my 4 Steps to a Cozy Holiday Night Inside, via a video.

BTW, this video is #6 in our 12 Days of vegan Christmas YouTube Series + $2,700 Giveaway!...

Cozy Holiday Night How-to! Today I pull on my soft penguin pajamas and teach Cobi and Whitney how to get cozy this holiday season, in just four steps. Plus we share our favorite holiday movies! What is your favorite holiday movie??..

4. Easy. Steps.

Watch all the videos in our giveaway and enter below -- (below the recipe)

Peppermint Stick Shake Bliss. My favorite ice cream before I was vegan was always that bright pink "peppermint stick" flavor that you would find around the holidays. Well this shake is my vegan version of that! I like to make it really thick by adding very little non-dairy milk and some frozen watermelon for extra frostiness. Sometimes I will use coconut milk as the liquid for an extra rich dessert shake. I love the sweet candy cane flavor and creamy, calming texture of the banana ice cream. Cozy up to this festive smoothie recipe..

Peppermint Stick Shake

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 12/17/2014Peppermint Stick Shake
This frosty candy cane shake is a healthy delicious holiday treat. Snuggle by the fire and enjoy this minty shake!

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ frozen bananas
  • 1 ¼ cups non-dairy milk (use less for a thicker shake)
  • 2 tablespoon crushed candy cane
  • optional: 1 cup frozen watermelon cubes - or another frozen fruit like strawberries or more banana
  • optional: 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, vegan
  • on top: 1 teaspoon crushed candy cane

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a high speed blender like a Vitamix.
  2. Blend from low to high until smooth. Tip: Use less liquid for a super thick shake - or add more frozen banana.
  3. Serve with a garnish or freshly crushed candy cane on top.

Yield: 2 small or 1 large shakePrep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins. Total time: 5 mins. Tags: dessert,holiday,shake,smoothie,vitamix,christmas,candy cane,vegan

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#12DaysVeganXmas Playlist:

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

Spicy Tomato Pasta Stew. Easy Vegan Dinner + 3 secret ingredients

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This past busy week I have been having hearty vegan stew for dinner just about every night. I love stews this time of year for a few reasons:

* Stews are warming.
* Stews are very customizable based on ingredients on hand.
* Stews are vegan-friendly and easily healthy!
* Stews taste amazing! Comfort food bliss...
* Stews are fuss-free.

Ahead, I share one of my favorite stew recipes for a Spicy Tomato Pasta Stew, as well as a video featuring my three favorite not-so-secret ingredients for making any stew, stew-pendous! Or, just really yummy....

Three Must-Try Stew and Soup Ingredients. Watch the video below to see what I have to say. And yes, all three of these ingredients are in today's recipe...

Spicy Tomato Pasta Stew

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 12/17/2014Spicy Tomato Pasta Stew
This spicy tomato pasta stew is delicious, easy vegan comfort food! Serve with some toast or biscuits and dinner is done.

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 28oz San Marzano tomatoes, crushed or diced
  • 4-6 cups vegetable broth (depending on how thick you want your stew)
  • ½ cup nutritional yeast (or more to taste!)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 vegan sausage, chopped (spicy chipotle Field Roast used) -- substitute with tofu, beans or lentils if desired
  • 1 cup dry pasta (any variety)
  • 1 small red or golden potato, diced (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon smoky paprika
  • ½ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh black pepper (or to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • to serve: handful of leafy greens (optional) + flat leaf parsley as garnish

Instructions

  1. Add the olive oil to a large soup pot, over high heat. Add in the garlic and onion. Sautè for 2 minutes to lightly brown onion.
  2. Add in the tomatoes, broth, sausage, bay leaf and potato. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low to simmer for at least twenty minutes. This should soften the potato.
  3. About 30 minutes before you want to serve the stew, add in the pasta and remaining ingredients. Bring to a low boil, cover with lid and reduce to low. Pasta will cook in 10-20 minutes and absorb the stew flavors.
  4. Just before serving, simmer uncovered to reduce the soup (remove liquid) or add a few more splashed of broth to wet the soup.
  5. I like to stir in some leafy greens right before serving for added green nutrients and flavor. Try kale or spinach.

Yield: 6 servingsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Cook time: 01 hrs. 00 mins. Total time: 1 hrs. 10 mins. Tags: soup,stew,dinner,easy,vegan,tomatoes

50+ Vegan Holiday Recipes, by FindingVegan Bloggers. Roundup!

by 16 Comments


As you guys might already know, when I am not in the kitchen, I spend a lot of time online, not only working on my own projects, but also supporting my fellow food bloggers out there on the web. One way I do that is by running my other website FindingVegan. I am so in love with all the creative bloggers that submit their delicious vegan recipes for that site. Well this year I wanted to round-up a few of their favorite recipes, and share them with you. But instead of choosing my faves, I asked bloggers to email me their favorites! It is a FV Link Love Party.

Check out the over 30 bloggers that contributed and over 50 blogger-favorite vegan recipes for the holidays and beyond! From vegan eggnog to raw vegan cinnamon rolls and even a vegan gingerbread house, check it out..

pssst... Did you know that FindingVegan.com is going to be at SXSW Interactive in Austin, Texas this year?! We were accepted as the official Vegan Meetup, so we are very excited! Hope to see YOU and some other vegan-curious folks at our meetup. Which will basically be us, standing around, chatting with eachother, big smiles on our faces, vegan snacks in hand. 🙂

pssst #2 There is a $100 giveaway for Finding Vegan fans at the bottom of this post!..

Vegan Link Round-up!
There are some amazing vegan recipes, books, features and more out there on the internet, but it can be challenging to track down great content sometimes! That is where FindingVegan.com comes in. FV features recipes and more from the best vegan-friendly bloggers on the web! And this year, we FV asked some of its contributors to share their best content in a MEGA-amazing vegan round-up! Check out all that is going on in the vegan community!.. (Thank you to all the bloggers who emailed me these links to share.)

0. (Me!) Kathy Patalsky, founder on Finding Vegan:
* 12 Days of Vegan Christmas Giveaway + YouTube Series - $2700 grand prize!
* Kathy's cookbook to kickstart a healthy New Year: 365 Vegan Smoothies
* Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

*photo credit: Kathy Patalsky

1. Marly of NamelyMarly is sharing:
* Vegan Queso Dip
* Sage Gouda Cheese Ball

*photo credit: NamelyMarly

2. Rachael Renee of RawHighLife is sharing:
* Amazing raw vegan cinnamon rolls PERFECT for holiday brunch!
* Easy fruit and veggie recipes in her ebook
* The RAW High Life Facebook page

*photo credit: RawHighLife

3. June Burns of Philosophy and Cake is sharing:
* Chocolate Macarons recipe, gluten free + vegan
* Momofuku-Inspired Carrot Layer Cake
* Salty-sweet pecan pie bars with bourbon!

3. Kelly of ThePrettyBee is sharing:
* Vegan Holiday Treats
* Gluten Free Gifts in Jars

*photo credit: Kelly, the pretty bee

4. Aimee of TheVegLife is sharing:
* Her eBook of vegan Christmas Cookies. 25 exclusive cookie recipes for 2014, and more, 50 recipes in total!
* Cranberry Orange Muffins

5. Natalie Thomas of feasting on fruit is sharing:
* Chocolate Peppermint Cookiewiches
* Gingerbread Snack Cakes
* Caramel Hot Chocolate the Fruity Way

*photo credit: Natalie, feasting on fruit

6. Carolyn Murphy of PeaceMeal is sharing:
* Mulled Wine
* Salted Toffee Peanut Butter & Caramel Macchiato Cheesecake Cups
* Garlic and Sun Dried Tomato Cheese Ball

7. Lisa from Healthy Nibbles & Bits is sharing:
* Peppermint Bark Popcorn with Toasted Coconut
* Butternut Squash, Hummus & Guacamole Dip

8. Trinity of Trinity's Kitchen is sharing:
* Festive Seed Roast Loaf (gluten-free, vegan and super healthy)
* Christmas Fruit n’ Nut Truffles

*photo credit: Trinity's Kitchen

9. Ginny from Vegan in the Freezer is sharing:
* Delicious Party Food - Spicy Tortilla Rollups
* Homemade Kahlua sounds like a holiday in itself
* Spiced Rum Balls - no kidding!

*photo credit: Ginny, vegan in the freezer

10. Tia from Tia's Kitchen is sharing:
* vegan hot chocolate
* vegan eggnog

11. Danielle Levy of DanielleLevyNutrition is sharing:
* Asian inspired Yuba Roast Chestnut Stuffing
* Classic comfort food: Walnut Crusted Tofu with braised chard and butternut squash

photo credit: Danielle Levy

12. Vanessa of Becomingness is sharing:
* Caramel Macadamia Chocolate Cups
* BecomingSweet!
* 15 Best Raw Desserts

13. Aurora of TheIndieBroccoli is sharing:
* Christmas Loaf with Lentils and Quinoa
* Rutabaga Fries with vegan lemon basil mayo
* Carrot Juice with Turmeric and Ginger

*photo credit: Aurora, the indie broccoli

14. Bianca of Elephantastic Vegan is sharing:
* Festive Holiday Recipe - Pink Beet Cupcakes
* Her website and facebook page!

15. Cate from A Traveling Cook is sharing:
* Vegan Christmas Pudding

16. Clemence of The Vegan Cookie Fairy is sharing:
*Her ebook of Vegan Christmas recipes, The Vegan Cookie Fairy's Christmas Recipes
* Her ebook of Vegan Chocolate recipes, The Vegan Cookie Fairy's Little Book of Chocolate
* Gingerbread Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares with Chocolate Drizzle

photo credit: The Vegan Cookie Fairy

17. Jennifer of VeggieInspiredJourney is sharing:
* Vegan Dilled Ceviche
* Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Bars
* Maple Cinnamon Cranberry Pear Sauce

18. Dana of VanishingVeggie is sharing:
* Her website
* Her Facebook page
* A bright, citrus salad, perfect for any gathering

*photo credit: vanishing veggie

19. Sophia from VeggiesDontBite is sharing:
* Layered Pumpkin Caramel Pie in a Mason Jar: one of my most favorite desserts for this season!
* Frothy Pistachio Milk Hot Chocolate: Cozy up this winter with this indulgent treat.
* The new Veggies Don’t Bite Overnight Oats Jar: Breakfast just went from easy to easier. A healthy, quick and delicious way to start your day!

*photo credit: Sophia, veggies don't bite

20. Christina of TheBeautifulBalance is sharing:
* Soft and Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
* Maple Apple Scones
* Pear & Raspberry Frangipane Tart

21. Stacey of SouthernVeganKitchen is sharing:
* Lumberjack Date Cake
* Peanut Butter Chocolate Dream Pie

22. Shannon of The Glowing Fridge is sharing:
* Candy Cane and Marshmallow Peppermint Fudge
* The Glow Effect Guide
* A Holiday Gift Guide for Her

23. Jessica of TwoGreenPeas Website is sharing:
* Chocolate Candy Cane Pretzel Bark
* Vegan Gingerbread Houses: Recipe & How-To
* Starry Night Cinnamon Okra Masala

*photo credit: Jessica, TwoGreenPeas

24. Majda of BreadOlives is sharing:
* Walnut Date Truffles

*photo credit: Majda, BreadOlives

25. Vicky of MayIHaveThatRecipe is sharing:
* Eggnog Sticky Toffee Pudding
* Vegan Tiramisu
* Roasted Veggie Tofu Pot Pies

*photo credit: Vicky, MayIhaveThatRecipe

26. Dora of Dora's Table is sharing:

* This is a recipe for Garabatos or scribble cookies. These cookies are very popular in Mexico city, and you will fall in love with them too. Who can resist two coconut shortbread cookies, sandwiched in a smooth chocolate filing, and drizzled with warm chocolate? The best part, they're 100% vegan.

*photo credit: Dora's Table

27. Kelly of Trial and Eater is sharing:
* Foodie Gift Guide
* How to make vanilla extract - Fun holiday gift idea!
* Sunflower wrap - Healthy holiday snacking!

28. Michelle of Healthier Steps is sharing:
* Vegan Broccoli and Rice Casserole
* Sweet Potato Souffle
* Jamaican Pumpkin Soup

Bonus a few recipes I personally adore from FindingVegan contributors!..

29. Cara of Fork and Beans makes Healthy Reindeer Cookies

30. VeggieAndTheBeast Ginger Cutout Cookies

31. VeguKate's Superfood Hot Cocoa

...and SO many more on FindingVegan.com. Sign up for the Finding Vegan Monthly Newsletter here.

And FV fans, enter the holiday giveaway going on now:

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Vegan Rice Crispy Treats (Snowmen) - Day 3 Video!

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It is Day 3 in the 12 Days of Vegan Christmas YouTube Series! And I am excited to finally share my first of four videos contributing to this series and giveaway. Today, I teach Cobi and Whitney how to make my favorite kid-approved, super easy and fun Snowman Rice Crispy Treats! Watch us giggle our way through this recipe. (And do not forget to enter this amazing giveaway!)..

First learn how to make the treats in a 90 second how-to:

Then watch us make snowmen out of these treats in Day 3 of #12DaysVeganXmas:

Vegan Rice Crispy Treats

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 12/14/2014Vegan Rice Crispy Treats
Crispy sweet rice crispy treats made using amazin Sweetand Sara marshmallows. Easy and delicious treat! Kids will love making this dessert with their parents too.

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoon vegan butter (a bit more or less as desired)
  • 10oz. vegan marshmallows
  • 6 cups brown rice crisp cereal (vegan)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

  1. Warm a large soup pot over hight heat.
  2. Add in the vegan butter and melt. Then stir in the marshmallows.
  3. Stir briskly to melt marshmallows. When they are about half melted with just a few clumps, you can stir in the cinnamon and vanilla.
  4. Turn off heat on stove and fold in the rice cereal. Fold and lightly smash some of the cereal. Fold for 2 minutes to fully coat the cereal in marshmallows.
  5. Line a square glass dish, 9x9 inch works well, with parchment paper.
  6. Scoopy the cereal mix into the pan - all of it, for thick treats! Using another sheet of parchment in between your hand and the treats, press down firmly to flatten treats in dish.
  7. Allow at least ten minutes cooling time for soft serve treats, warm and gooey. Or place in fridge to fully harden up. Stiore leftovers on counter for up to a day, or store in fridge for up to 3-4 days -- treats wil dry out as time passes. Best same or next day.

Yield: 12 squaresPrep Time: 00 hrs. 02 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 05 mins. Total time: 7 mins. Tags: dessert,treats,marshmallows,vegan,rice crispy treats,easy,kids,holiday,

Complete video playlist for our series:

Cocoa Candy Cane Cookies! + vegan cookbook giveaway!

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My gluten free and vegan Cocoa Candy Cane Cookies are ready for your cookie platter! If you love rich chocolate and fresh pepperminty candy cane flavor, these chewy, holiday vegan cookies are worth a try. Perfect for a festive party. Get the recipe and check out a cool vegan cookie party online!..

Have you been tuning in? Our #12DaysVeganXmas giveaway is in full swing.. ($2700 in prizes!)



Cocoa Cookies. I am so happy to be participating in Kristy's Keepin' it Kind Holiday Cookie party. You can get the recipe for these cookies over on Kristy's website!

Also check out Kristy's new amazing book! I went to the book party last night with my friends Whitney and Jason..

Kristy's book is filled with beautiful photos, amazing creative vegan recipes and NO EXCUSES! This is the perfect gift for thet friend or family member who always says they want to go vegan, but "can't" do it. Now they can and this book is proof! Kristy says her favorite recipe in the book is the artichoke "crabcakes" so that will be the first recipe I try! You can enter the giveaway below or order the book today on Amazon! It is already a bestseller!..

And cookies...



Today's Recipe. So often "Christmas Cookies" involve white flour, dairy butter and loads of white refined sugar. But the truth is, you can totally switch out refined ingredients and animal products for vegan substitutions and still have dreamy, happy holiday cookies. Like these!

These cookies would pair perfectly with one of my favorite holiday sips on my blog:
* Pumpkin Spice Lattè
* Fresh Ginger Tea
* Holiday Hot Toddy
* Mulled Wine

Enter to win a copy of Kristy's new book! And enter my OTHER cookbook giveaway featuring Cara Reed's book here! (It is giveaway season!)

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Get today's recipe here: Cocoa Candy Cane Cookies on Keepin' it Kind!

Get all the details for the BIG 12 Days of vegan Christmas Giveaway here.

Butternut Squash, Cranberry, Maple Tempeh Holiday Brown Rice Bowl

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One of my favorite meal prep things to do is to make a giant pot of fluffy-amazing short grain brown rice. With that pot, I can whip up a wide variety of meals in a flash! Fluffy brown rice absorbs flavors beautifully and it is so soothing and satisfying.

This festive, vegan Butternut Squash Cranberry Tempeh Brown Rice Bowl has flavors of cinnamon, orange, maple and rosemary. It is simply dreamy! And perfect for the holiday season with those perky red cranberries adding a tart punch of flavor. Get my recipe and I have a fun holiday announcement for you..

This one bowl wonder meal is a holiday lifesaver! Fast and easy, perfect for your busy month..

Not into Rice? Change it up! You could easily replace the rice with quinoa, millet, barley, farro, buckwheat and more!

serve it steamy..

Butternut Squash, Cranberry, Maple Tempeh Holiday Brown Rice Bowl

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 12/11/2014Butternut Squash, Cranberry, Maple Tempeh Holiday Brown Rice Hash
This holiday-approved entree is a one bowl wonder that you can whip up in minutes with cooked rice. The flavors are amazing: citrus, maple, rosemary, cinnamon.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups butternut squash cubes (frozen was used, but finely chopped fresh squash can also be used.)
  • 1 cup tempeh cubes
  • 2 teaspoon maple syrup, grade B
  • ½ cup onion, chopped
  • 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or orange juice
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice
  • ⅓ cup cranberries (fresh or dried)
  • ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley
  • a few pinches of cinnamon
  • a few pinches of fresh orange zest
  • Oil: 1-2 teaspoon virgin coconut oil OR extra virgin olive oil
  • salt to taste, start with ⅓ tsp
  • rosemary: add 1-2 pinches of finely chopped rosemary to the skillet - or sautè with a whole rosemary sprig and remove before serving.
  • Optional: a pinch of cayenne or ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  1. Warm a skillet over high heat.
  2. Add the oil, EVOO or virgin coconut.
  3. When the oil is hot, add the onion, tempeh, maple syrup and frozen squash. Allow to brown and heat for 2 minutes. If using fresh squash, you may want to lightly boil and drain squash before sautèing - this will help it cook and soften much faster.
  4. Add in all the remaining ingredients to the hot skillet, except the rice and parsley, and stir for another 2-3 minutes, if the pan gets too hot and ingredients start to over-brown, turn heat down to medium.
  5. Lastly, fold in the rice and parsley. Sautè for another 1-2 minutes to warm and lightly toast the edges of the rice, allowing the flavors to mix and mingle. You can also season and salt to taste here.
  6. Serve warm with some added fresh parsley over top for color.

Yield: serves 2Prep Time: 00 hrs. 08 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Total time: 18 mins. Tags: holiday,brown rice,entree,meal,easy,vegan,vegetarian,butternut,tempeh

12 Days of Vegan Christmas YouTube Series + EPIC Giveaway

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Hi guys! Today I am officially announcing a super amazing project that starts tomorrow! I teamed up with Whitney from EcoVeganGal and Cobi from Veggietorials to film a 12 Days of Vegan Christmas YouTube Series + EPIC Giveaway. Get the details of this massive $2600+ prize featuring some of my favorite brands..

congrats to the winner: Jenny. See the announcement here:

Watch all the videos in the series:

Get the Links:
DAY ONE: shopping online (W)
DAY TWO: cheese platter (C)
DAY THREE: Rice Crispy Snowmen (K)
DAY FOUR
DAY FIVE
DAY SIX
DAY SEVEN
DAY EIGHT
DAY NINE
DAY TEN
DAY ELEVEN
DAY TWELVE

Behind the Scenes Cobi and Whitney..

The GIVEAWAY Details: Every day between now and December 24th we'll post a new video to our three YouTube channels and you'll have another chance to enter the giveaway*. You can enter the giveaway each day to earn more points.

Our YouTube Channels:
LittleLostGrape (Me!)
EcoVeganGal
Veggietorials

You may need a bigger kitchen to house all these amazing goodies!..

THE PRIZE LIST! (ONE GRAND PRIZE -- TOTAL VALUE $2,600+)

1. Vitamix certified reconditioned standard blender
My favorite blender brand has generously donated a Vitamix blender! This is an amazing, life-changing machine. Plus, it is the perfect companion goodie to my book 365 Vegan Smoothies (which you will also receive!)

2. Miyoko’s Creamery cheeses: $100 gift certificate
O-M-G this vegan cheese blew me away. I have tasted a lot of vegan cheese in my day and this brand is easily in the top three of best brands ever. I gave a slice to my husband to taste, without any intro at all, just saying "Hey hunny, try some vegan cheese." His reply, "Yum. Hm. Wait. THIS IS AMAZING!" Epic vegan cheese, right here.

3. Vegan Cuts box 6 month Beauty Box subscription
Let it feel like Christmas every month of the year with these amazing goodie boxes filled with vegan products that you will love! Love this company and their brilliant Vegan Cuts boxes.

4. Essentia natural latex pillow
I sleep on an Essentia mattress and looooove it. My chronic back and neck pain has disappeared since we started sleeping on Essentia about a year ago. And owning an Essentia pillow is the perfect way to get a taste of this beautiful, brilliant eco-vegan brand.

5. T-Fal Clipso pressure cooker
Whitney keeps raving about her pressure cooker, so I think I NEED to buy one. I mean, faster, more flavorful veggies, grains, soups and more? Yes, please.

6. OneLuckyDuck.com: $100 worth of snacks and goodies
You guys know I am a HUGE OneLuckyDuck.com fan, so I was thrilled when they generously said yes to donating a prize! You will adore anything and everything you find on this website, curated by the brilliant Sarma of Pure Food & Wine restaurant in NYC fame.

7. Nespresso VertuoLine Machine
I love our Nespresso, and I have been a Nespresso fan and owner for over seven years now. The flavor of the espresso and coffee is THE BEST. Hands down. So I am so thrilled that Nespresso is donating such an amazing machine to this giveaway!

8. CogniTea 20-pack
Whitney raves about this brilliant tea and brand, so I am anxious to try it!

9. Philosophie: $100 worth of superfood powders
Thank you Sophie for your delicious superfood powders and for being part of our giveaway! Sophie, owner and founder of this brand is an inspiration and I am such a huge fan of her products. I use her superfoods in my smoothies every chance I get.

10. Claire Farwell: Ireland dress
Wow this woman is amazing! And her vegan fashion designs are gorgeous. This dress is date-night approved! It is so comfortable and fun to wear too. Check out her website to browse all her beautiful designer fashions!

11. Sweet & Sara vegan marshmallows: $50 gift code to their online store
The best vegan marshmallows on the planet. You have my word on that! Plus, we love love love Sara and her family.

12. Dole Bananas and Dole Salads Greens package: Yonanas Machine, tote bag, yoga mat, headphones, tumbler + bento box
I love my friends at Dole and so I love when they generously donate healthy, happy life goodies! So much fun stuff in this gift pack, including that awesome Yonanas machine!

13. DF Mavens ice cream 4-pack
Vegan ice cream worth swooning over!

14. Raw Green Organics: 2 kits
These will come in handy come January 1st when you want to step up your nutrition game for the new year!

15. Zabada Kitchen Handy
OK, this is a really cool cleaning product that Whitney raves about. Antibacterial and eco-friendly to help you use less paper towels during clean up time. Love it.

16. Natural Delights Dates package: 6 packs Medjool Dates, tote bag, water bottle, apron
These dates are amazing! I use them in smoothies, raw desserts, salads and more. You will have so much fun experimenting in the kitchen with these delicious dates!

17. OSEA beauty starter set
This vegan beauty set is one of my favorite brands. Beauty from the sea! Based in Malibu, California and a fave of celebs.

18. The Wonder Seed: entire line of their skin care products
Another amazing vegan skin care line that is natural and wonderful. I sampled some and was impressed! Silky soft skin-maker!

19. Charles Viancin silicone lids
Cool product for your kitchen. Leftovers never looked better.

20. Ellovi body butter
More silky skin coming your way. Vegan and luscious!

21. "365 Vegan Smoothies" cookbook
My smoothie book, yes I kinda love it.

22. “Healthy, Organic Vegan on a Budget” ebook
Whitney's amazing ebook that will help you eat healthier, spend less at the grocery store, save time and feel empowered!

More details about each brand and the prizes will be revealed in our VIDEOS!

The winner will receive ALL of the above! And the total value is worth mentioning again: around $2,700!! Each product will be delivered separately. This is the Christmas season that keeps on giving!

Giveaway Details:
* Entrants must live in the United States to qualify.
* Watch all 12 videos (they'll be on our YouTube channels, plus linked on social media and our websites)
* Hint: listen for the sleigh-bell sound effect in the videos!
* Return to HealthyHappyLife.com for complete links to all the videos
* Spread the word (since it's a point-based system this will strengthen your chance of winning!)
* The winner will be chosen on Christmas Day, December 25th

Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below:

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Quickie news! I will be doing a LIVE Q&A with Whitney this Saturday! Details here. Event will go live here.

Cara Reed's Gingerbread Men Cookies

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A few weeks ago I opened the pages of my friend Cara Reed's new book, Decadent Gluten-Free Vegan Baking. It is gorgeously filled with loads of dreamy dessert photos, cravable gluten-free baking recipes, tips and advice. So today I am sharing Cara's recipe for Gluten-Free Vegan Gingerbread Men Cookies, just in time for those holiday parties on your calender.

Gingerbread Men. Hot Holiday Dates. Or gifts! These little men are even adorable and delicious enough to double as a homemade gift! So start baking, grab some red cellophane or gift boxes and check everyone off your holiday gift list. I mean, who wouldn't smile at a plate of these delicious little fellas? And if all else fails, you can bite off a few heads to squash holiday season stress. Right?

Get Cara's recipe, and my recipe that I tweaked a bit because I was out of a few things, some holiday baking advice and a GIVEAWAY of Cara's book..

(photo at top is copyright and courtesy of Cara Reed, interior of her book. All other cookie images by me.)

You can see my recipe substitution of chia seeds poking through the little men. Use ground chia or ground flax as the recipe calls for, for less texture...

Baking Advice: Embrace Your I-Am-Not-Martha-ness. One perfect cookie in the bunch is more than good enough. Seriously. If you think holiday baking has to be perfect, with elegantly frosted sugar cookies and perfectly placed sprinkles, think again. The best cookies have a little character. Go on, serve your Gingerbread Men with twisted arms, lopsided heads and crinkles in their toes. No biggie. I promise, they taste just as amazing as Martha's. And these are gf and vegan!

A Few Tweaks. I actually tweaked Cara's recipe a bit. I was out of flax, so I subbed with whole chia seeds. Use ground chia seeds if you do not like that chia seed texture. I was also out of Cara's gluten-free flour ingredients so I used half oat flour and half wheat flour. So not 100% gf for me, but that's ok. Oh! And I was even out of vegan butter so I subbed with virgin coconut oil and ½ teaspoon salt to replace the salt in the vegan butter. And I was out of ground cloves, so I added in some nutmeg and a bit more ginger because I love things spicy. Lots of little tweaks, but the subs worked beautifully! I double checked Cara's book, and she indeed has a great section on substitutions, so I felt good making a few changes based on what I had on hand.

I loved these little cookies, and we gobbled them down for breakfast along with some fresh fruit and lattes.

I mean, if you can't eat cookies for breakfast in December, when can you eat cookies for breakfast?

Frosting was a simple and sweet..

Cookbook Review. This book is filled with recipes that you will want to actually MAKE, not just gawk at and drool over. These pages will get used! I love Cara's tips at the end of each recipe and I love how minimalist and cute the cookbook design is, very un-intimidating for newbie bakers or for anyone who may not know how to bake "gluten free" or "vegan." You can do this. Cara will help. And the desserts will be amazing. Some highlights: homemade sprinkles, Pumpkin Spice Muffins, German Chocolate Cake, Strawberry Frosted "Pop-Tarts," Peanut Butter Cup Bars and Maple Donuts. And if you have never checked out Cara's AMAZINGLY creative blog, go on and check it out. She submits so many yummy things to my site FindingVegan.com, I love browsing her gallery! Another yummy photo..


*photo copyright Cara Reed, Pumpkin Spice Muffins

And do not forget to enter the cookbook giveaway at the end of this post!

Cara Reed's Gingerbread Men

By Cara ReedPublished 12/05/2014Gingerbread Men
From Cara: Nothing screams the holidays like a big batch of these cookies filling your home with
the amazing aroma of ginger and molasses. This roll-out dough is not only
beautifully textured, but it also tastes great straight from the bowl (or so I have
heard) .

Ingredients

  • ½ cup / 112g vegan butter
  • 2 ½ cups / 413g Cara's All-Purpose Blend (Flour) (pg 166 in her book)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ cup / 50g granulated sugar
  • ½ cup / 176g unsulphured molasses
  • 1 Tbsp/7 g flaxseed meal plus 3 Tbsp/45 ml warm water
  • 1 batch Royal Icing (page 158)

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, beat the vegan butter with an electric mixer on medium to high
    speed about 30 seconds or till softened.
    Whisk together the flour blend, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Beat half
    of this flour mix, sugar, molasses and flaxseed soaked in water into the butter. Beat
    until thoroughly combined. Stir in the remaining flour.
  2. Divide the dough in half and create 2 balls. Place in a bowl, cover and chill for about
    3 hours or until easy to handle.
  3. Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  4. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half of dough between 2 pieces of parchment
    paper into ⅛–inch/3-mm thickness. Create shapes into the dough using the cookie
    cutter of your choice. Place 1 inch/2.5 cm apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
    Bake for 7 to 10 minutes until the edges are lightly browned and firm. Cool on the
    baking sheet for 1 minute before transferring cookies to a wire rack.
  5. Decorate with Royal Icing.
  6. CARA’S TIP: While you are rolling out a portion of the dough, keep the remainder in
    the fridge. The longer the dough sits out, the stickier it becomes, causing it to be a
    hassle to work with. The chilling process allows it to be workable.

Yield: 2 dozen cookiesTags: dessert,glutenfree,cara reed

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Buy Cara's book on Amazon!

Frozen Hot Cocoa. North Pole Style.

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Even if gentle snowflakes are silently falling outside your window. Or a brisk cool chill nips at your nose when you step outside. Inside, you may have a hum of warmth and light. Twinkly lights and a crackling fireplace, or even a cozy giant sweater and fuzzy socks to bundle up in. Sometimes, yes, sometimes, you may crave a cool treat even during these winter months. So here is how I whip up my favorite vegan Frozen Hot Cocoa, North Pole Style..

This is an easy recipe everyone. But one that is fun for anyone in a hot cocoa mood, minus the hot. Whip up a frozen banana-based shake with accents of cinnamon, nutmeg and cayenne and loads of rich cocoa, swirl some non-dairy whip on top, add a few slices of banana on top for some bite and call it a frozen hot chocolate. Santa would approve!

I added a few optional ingredients too to change things up, try almond butter, hemp seeds or even crunchy pecans! ..Some toasted pecans sprinkled on top would be super dreamy!

Protein Boost it. You could even add a scoop of protein powder and serve this "hot cocoa" any time of day as a hearty snack or meal replacement. Hot cocoa for breakfast or a post-workout sip!

whip on top..

Cool and cozy. Like..

Dairy-Free Frozen Hot Cocoa

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 12/04/2014Dairy-Free Frozen Hot Cocoa
frosty chocolate shake with hot cocoa and banana flavors, soy whip on top!

Ingredients

  • 2 frozen bananas
  • 1 ½ cups almond or soy milk
  • 1 ½ tablespoon cacao powder, unsweetened
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon +¼ teaspoon nutmeg

  • toppings:

  • ½ fresh banana, sliced
  • Generous swirl of non-dairy whipped cream - try soy, rice or coconut

  • optional boosts:

  • * Sprinkle warm skillet-toasted pecans on top to serve
  • * Ice Cream Spin: substitute 1 frozen banana with a big scoop of vegan vanilla coconut milk ice cream

Instructions

  1. Add the non-dairy milk, cocoa, spices to blender, blend until smooth.
  2. Add the 2 frozen bananas. Blend until frosty smooth.
  3. Pour into serving glasses and top each glass with sliced banana and non-dairy whip. Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.
  4. PRO TIP: Use freshly ground cinnamon and nutmeg for extra-amazing flavor!

Yield: 2 servingsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins. Total time: 5 mins. Tags: shake,chocolate,hot chocolate,holiday,cocoa,dessert,beverage,drink

per serving, including whipped soy cream (2 servings per recipe)..

Tuscan-Style Creamy White Beans with Mushrooms and Fresh Herbs

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One of my most favorite dishes on my recent trip to Italy was the beans! Simple bean side dishes were divinely amazing in Italy. So I knew that when I returned home, a big pot of beans would be the first dish I would try to replicate. For these Tuscan-Style Creamy White Beans with mushrooms and fresh herbs, I wanted soothing warmth and flavor to come through in each bite, and I wanted the texture to be rich and creamy, just like I had tasted at a few amazing restaurants, specifically those in Tuscany...

(stay tuned! coming this week and the next, more adventures and recipes from my trip to Italy!)

Beans are a vegan-dream! They are rich in fiber, iron and a good source of plant-based protein, calcium and folate. Plus they taste amazing and can be served in a variety of creative ways.

Flavor. Full. I wanted these beans to have some serious flavor. Blandness not wanted. So here are the three ways I helped achieve bold bean flavor:

1. I use veggie broth in place of water for the cooking of the beans.
2. I let the beans sit overnight before serving. This reduced them and intensified the flavor.
3. I used fresh herbs and an accent of sautèed mushrooms to add even more flavor. Bay leaf, sage, flat-leaf parsley and rosemary to be exact.

Start with dried beans for the best beans ever. These are Cassoulet white beans from the Rancho Gordo brand.

Creamy-delicious.

Yummy serving suggestion.. beans on toast with sliced pears:

savory and sweet plate.

Another serving suggestion, fold in nutritional yeast and serve the beans on toast with vegan mayo, aka vegenaise..

Tuscan-Style White Beans with Rosemary and Mushrooms

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 12/02/2014Tuscan-Style White Beans with Rosemary and Mushrooms
This is my spin on Tuscan-style white beans with rosemary and mushrooms, just like I enjoyed on a trip to Italy!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dry white beans, I used Cassoulet white beans
  • 5 cups vegetable broth
  • 4-5 cloves garlic
  • ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1 ½ cups mushrooms, chopped (hen of the woods used)
  • 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil,
  • 2 whole sprigs fresh rosemary (1 for cooking, one for garnish)
  • 3 fresh sage leaves **
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1 bay leaf (optional)
  • ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • **You may use both rosemary and sage or choose one only

Instructions

  1. The night before you want to cook your beans, add the beans to a large pot and fill with water, covering beans by at least two inches. Allow beans to soak for at least four hours before cooking.
  2. Drain water from beans and rinse beans. Add then to a large cooking pot.
  3. Add the broth, garlic, sage and/or rosemary sprig, bay leaf, black pepper, 2 tablespoon olive oil. Bring this mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer beans, covered for at least two hours. You want the beans to be very tender when you move onto the next step.
  4. When the beans are tender and most of the broth has been absorbed, go through and mash about ⅓ of the beans using a fork. This will help thicken the beans to a creamy state upon serving.
  5. Pour the beans in a glass dish and seal tightly. Place beans in the fridge and allow them to reduce overnight.
  6. The next day your beans will be even more marinated with flavor and tender texture. Remove the bay leaf and sprig of rosemary and pour beans in a pot, or place glass dish in a warm oven if your dish is oven-dafe. Heat beans to a hot and steamy temperature. Heating and simmering will further remove some moisture and intensify the flavor.
  7. Now is the time to salt the beans! Do a taste test and add salt to taste, or about 1 teaspoon for a bold savory flavor.
  8. The last step before serving is to add the mushrooms. Warm a skillet to high heat and add 1 tablespoon EVOO. Add the chopped mushrooms and saute on high until they are crispy on the edges, and cooked through. Just before finishing the shrooms, stir in the flat-leaf parsley. Add a pinch of salt to the mushrooms if desired. Tip: To add even more complex flavor to the woody mushrooms, add a splash of wine, about a teaspoon, just after you turn off the heat!
  9. Fold the mushrooms into the beans and pour the bean dish into a serving bowl. Top with the one fresh sprig of rosemary and serve! Delicious as leftovers too, these beans will last in the fridge up to a week when properly stored, tightly.

Yield: 4 servingsPrep Time: 08 hrs. 00 mins. Cook time: 02 hrs. 30 mins. Total time: 10 hrs. 30 mins. Tags: beans, italy,tuscan,side,

How to Deal with Jet Lag and Life After Vacation: 10 Tips

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Goodbye Europe. Hello Jet Lag. If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you may already know that I just returned from a beautiful nine day trip in Europe. Now I was hoping to dive right back into work by blog-posting all my adventures, but alas, those posts will have to wait a few days until I am back on my normal sleep schedule, I mean 17-hour snoozes, really jet-lag, really?...

Goodbye Roma. Hello sleepy USA days.

Leaving Italy today is bittersweet. I wish I had many more days to sink into this enviable culture of love, people, connection, food, pause and passion. But I am leaving with such a renewed spirit being in this land where my grandparents grew up. Back in the states I will surely be bringing pieces of Italy back with me in my heart .... And definitely in my food!! 😊 #travel #italy #rome #ItalianGirls 💚💭❤️ ps. Thank you for the pink and purple sunrise goodbye. 💗💜⛅️A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife.com (@kathypatalsky) on Nov 11, 2014 at 10:47pm PST

Right now it is 10PM and normally I would be curling up in bed or slowing down to be asleep by 11 or midnight at the latest. But instead, I am dealing with some horrible jet lag. Lets put it this way, I woke up at 5PM today. Yes, seriously. I was abruptly woken up only by my adorably squealing kitty cat, perched on my pillow, meowing endlessly in my face, fuzzy paws walking all over my face, until my eyes groggily opened ... and cat food was promptly served to my little rooster named Sochi.

Life after vacation, whether you are experiencing jet lag or not, can be harsh. Instead of turndown service, a sprawling breakfast buffet, cappuccino on demand and fresh piles of warm towels in the bathroom, you are suddenly faced with, well, real life. Work, making meals all by yourself, zero maid service (I mean, you are the maid now) and that giddy adrenalin rush of waking each day in a hotel room is gone. Now don't get me wrong, that first night sleeping in my own bed felt really super amazing and cozy, but life after vacation is still a shock to the system.

And for me, the jet lag is pure hell right now. The funny thing is, I am experiencing a weird delayed jet lag. That first day back I was fine. I was tired during the day but still went to bed on time, even though I was adjusting from a twelve hour time difference. But then on Monday morning, I was sloshed. After seven hours of sleeping normally, I just kinda never woke up! I finally woke up at 5pm, by the cat, as described above, yup, that is about 16 hours of shut eye. Normally, I would freak out, I mean this cannot be normal. Am I dying? Getting sick? Luckily, after reading a few travel articles online, this jet lag thing that I amexperiencing can be totally normal. And for someone like me who has the opportunity to sleep in, aka I work from home, it can easily be quite dramatic to re-adjust. Jet lag can mess with your circadian rhythm for a few days or even a week after you arrive home. So since I am not sleeping, I will share a few things I learned from the internet, and from my own travel/jetlag experiences.

Here are my Ten Tips for dealing with Jet Lag and Life After Vacation..

1. Be Nice To Yourself. That first day back, you will likely feel like a two year-old who missed his or her afternoon nap. Cranky, groggy, hungry, foggy-brained and just plain grumpy. This is normal to varying degrees. You may even feel under the weather or like you are coming down with something. Or you may feel super depressed! Symptoms of jet lag or post-vacation blues vary greatly from person to person based on how far you travelled, where you travelled to, and (lets face it) how great your vacation was! And while I would advise anyone feeling extremely ill or yucky to check in with their doctor, I can advise this phrase to just about everyone: be nice to yourself. Allow yourself to stray from your normal schedule. Skip your workout. Eat takeout. Sleep in an extra hour. Wait a few more days to dive back into work at top speed. Do things that calm you, make you happy and give your body a boost. Maybe for some people that means getting in a workout! (Not me, sorry.) Or making a long and home-cooked meal (Yes, me!) Or going for a walk. Or bubble bath.. (Yes, me!) Or watching a movie. (Yes, me!) Just be nice to yourself and know that it will take you a few days to be back in a normal groove.

2. Eat Well. After a trip, you may be feeling a bit run down. Eat plenty of nutrient dense foods like fruits and veggies, whole grains and legumes. Do not overdo the caffeine and limit refined sugar. Aka, do not devour that take-home box of chocolates if you just returned home from Switzerland. 🙂 You may crave caffeine and sugar and maybe even salt, but overdoing these might leave you feeling not so great in the end. But then again, if coffee is a must-have, refer to #1 and drink it, and be nice to yourself. Just try to squeeze in a few antioxidant-rich foods like oranges, bananas, kiwis, pineapple, berries and more. Try a Raspberry Ritual Vitality Smoothie.

3. Hydrate. You want to stay or get hydrated after a trip. Drink plenty of water. I also love coconut water for hydration.

4. Light Therapy. Apparently, one of the scientifically-proven ways for beating jet lag is to use bright light to get your circadian rhythm back on track. That means exposing yourself to bright light during daylight hours. You can even fake it with a sun lamp, or any bright lights if needed. Read more about this technique here: Technique to Solve JetLag

5. JetLag Technology. Yup, there is an App for that. Entrain is an app designed by mathematicians at the University of Michigan and Yale University to minimize the effects of jetlag.

Also, JetLag Rooster. Or you can try JetLag Rooster, a cool website that takes some basic information like origin and destination of travel, normal sleeping hours, and helps you create a jetlag plan.

6. Melatonin. This Vox article agrees that Melatonin might help your trick your body into slowing down around bedtime, even if your sleep schedule has been turned upside down. I personally love melatonin for sleeping trouble. I did not take any during my trip, though I wish I had!

7. Post-Trip Project. Instead of being sad over the loss of your vacation adventure, give yourself a photo project to look forward to. Aside from editing photos and making an album, you can even hold onto maps, ticket stubs, menus or business cards from your trip and make a scrap book. I always look forward to that when I get home from a great getaway.

8. Do Laundry. Haha, this article suggests doing laundry to get over your post-vacation blues. And while I have never been a laundry-doing lover, I know plenty of people who are, so I thought I'd include this one for you guys.

9. Bring Vaycay Home! Take a few of your most beloved vacation rituals or moments and weave them into your everyday life. I am already preparing lists of recipes I tasted on my trip that I want to make here at home. I also loved having giant plates of freshly chopped fruit each morning, grab-n-go style, so I though I might chop some fruit the night before, store it in an airtight glass dish and have it ready for me in the morning. I also loved how Italians eat big lunches! While I do not see that as an everyday tradition, I could easily see myself doing an "Italian-style Friday" by preparing a big warm pasta lunch and taking an hour break along with it. Love that laid back lifestyle.

10. Play with the Pets! The pets probably missed you a lot, so playing with those cute critters is a great way to not miss vacation as much. I know my kitties do that for me!

So with that, I am going to go back to bed. Or at least try. Hope you all had lovely Thanksgiving vacation days and sleepytime tea cheers to any of you also suffering from a bit of vacation, or post-vacation blues.

And stay tuned, I have some wonderful photo-rich blogposts about my trip in the works!

And a recipe of course..

Kathy's Sleepytime Tea Recipe

½ cup soymilk
½ cup water
1-2 teaspoon maple syrup, grade B
pinch of cinnamon
2 Sleepytime tea bags

Heat soymilk and water in a mug. Add tea bags, maple and cinnamon. Steep for 1-2 minutes before starting to sip.

Creamy Carrot Ginger Pumpkin Soup. Easy! Chop-Boil-Blend.

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THIS soup guys. Lets talk about it. But first, can we talk about these crazy short days and lack of sunlight? And the craziness of this month? Anyone else feeling it? This month has been insane. I can't even explain it right now because I am furiously typing, barely even aware of the words that are spewing onto my screen. But I always have time for delicious soup, and with this recipe, you can too.

If you feel a bit too speedy this time of year, join me and slow down by diving into a bowl of steamy comforting soup, soup that you made!..

Dear November, slow down. Stop and smell the cranberries. Do cranberries smell? Like, cranberries on the bush? Hm. Deep thoughts I know.

Speaking of holiday things, this is for you: my Thanksgiving recipes blogpost - grab some inspiration for your feast. Loads of recipes and vegan-inspiration.

Busy Food. When I get busy, even though my job involves cooking, the last thing I have time to do is spend long evenings in the kitchen whipping up Martha Stewart-esque type meals. So instead, I put on my serious face, roll up my invisible long sleeves and think up some recipes that I can make in a flash, but they must provide me four things:

1. Nutrition. When I am busy and running at full speed I NEED nutrient dense foods on my plate or in my bowl. Or smoothie glass.
2. Speed. Think Iron Chef gone vegan. Things need to happen quickly.
3. Deliciousness. The food has to taste good. It just does. I do not have a high tolerance for sub-par flavors. I mean if I can't make things yummy, then what in the world am I doing writing this post? 🙂
4. Coziness! It has to have a homestyle feel! It has to taste like I made it. Like it was made with, oh gosh how clichè, but made with LOVE. Oozy, swoony, warm fuzzies, kittens playing, babies giggling type of LOVE. A must.

This soup satisfies all those qualities. So do these..

Peanut Soba Noodles.
Sweet Potato Burger, take two
Walnut-Chickpea Salad Sandwiches
And Pumpkin Pudding for a FAST sweet treat

So onto this soup. It rocks. I mean the color alone..

Carrot ginger soup is a favorite of many. It is commonly found as a "soup of the day" on restaurant menus, with its crowd approved sassy-sweet flavor. The spicy warming ginger mingles perfectly with the creamy, golden, sweet carrot.

Well today's Creamy Carrot Ginger Pumpkin Soup is extra special because of that rich and creamy pumpkin texture that accents.

Easy Blender Soup. I use a simple chop-boil-blend procedure that happens in a flash. Get creative with spices or use the ginger-turmeric-cinnamon spice blend I used. Garnish with something green like chopped onions to make the color pop. Grab a spoon and cozy up to a bowl with me!

Pair it with my 5-step kale salad for a yummy sou-n-salad feast!

cozy mood soup. cozy mood kitty.

This recipe is so easy, I Instagram video-ed it..

A video posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife.com (@kathypatalsky) on Nov 11, 2014 at 8:53pm PST

And..

This recipe makes two servings, around 200 calories per bowl.

Easy Carrot-Pumpkin Soup

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 11/20/2014
Easy Carrot-Pumpkin Soup

This super easy soup uses my chop-n-boil-n-blend procedure. Creamy carrot pumpkin and spice flavor.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups raw carrots, chopped
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree, unsweetened
  • 2 cups veggie broth
  • ¾ cup non-dairy milk, plain
  • 1 ½ tablespoon raw ginger root, peeled
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup, grade B - optional but adds a nice cozy sweet accent
  • other optional spices: smoky paprika, cayenne, black pepper
  • ¼ - ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Instructions

  1. Roughly chop your carrots while you bring a large pot of water to a boil.
  2. Add carrots to the boiling water and boil about five minutes, or until the carrots are tender enough to easily pierce with a fork.
  3. Drain water and add boiled carrots to a high speed blender like a Vitamix. Then add the pumpkin puree, veggie broth, optional maple syrup and non-dairy milk. Blend from low to high until creamy. Adjust liquid to desired consistency - add more broth for a thinner soup.
  4. Add in the spices, garlic and ginger, and blend again until smooth. Taste test and adjust spices as desired. I like to add smoky paprika and curry powder sometimes too.
  5. To heat the soup, you can use the "soup" setting on your high speed blender or pour the blended soup into a soup pot and bring soup to a low boil, then reduce heat and simmer until ready to serve.
  6. Serve warm, chopped green onion or something green on top as garnish makes the soup look visually stunning. Enjoy!
  7. Tip! Serve with toasted bread or a toasted roll slathered in vegan mayo. Perfection.

Yield: 2 large servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Total time: 15 mins.
Tags: soup,carrots,ginger,pumpkin,dinner,easy,blender

per serving (2 servings per recipe)..

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

Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

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I am so in love with the recipe I am sharing today! My vegan, gluten-free Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Cake is moist and dreamy and super rich in chocolate flavor, yet healthy enough to nibble all day long, guilt-free! Well, at least I am pretty short on guilt and I have been nibbling it all day long, pairing it with ginger tea and a latte. Get the recipe, a video how-to and a few little life updates!..

This Cake. This cake is amazing! The thick batter produces a dreamy, moist and chocolate-y cake.

This is a rich chocolate cake infused with hemp seeds, oats, coconut sugar, coconut oil, vanilla bean, a hint of espresso, cinnamon and of course plenty of chocolate. Three ways of c-h-o-c-o-l-a-t-e...

Chocolate in the cake, chocolate chips folded in and then a chocolate ganache drizzle on top. Ooey-gooey chocolate messiness in every amazing bite.

All that pumpkin adds fiber, vitamin A and moisture. The hemp seeds add some protein and oomph. Basically, this recipe ROCKS.

Have your pumpkin .. and eat chocolate too.

Life stuff. The past week I was in Las Vegas with some great friends, food and fun. It was all in honor of Food Fight Write, a food blogging and writing conference. Here are some of my Instagrams from the fun days in Vegas..

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife.com (@kathypatalsky) on Nov 11, 2014 at 12:09pm PST
A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife.com (@kathypatalsky) on Nov 11, 2014 at 5:00pm PST

You can imagine all this adventure-ing to the tune of Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off." 😉

Now back to the recipe!.. Watch me make the cake, and get the recipe below.

Triple Chocolate Vegan Pumpkin Cake

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 11/16/2014
Triple Chocolate Vegan Pumpkin Cake

Triple chocolate cake infused with pumpkin, hemp seeds, vanilla, espresso and more. Vegan and gluten-free. Moist and fluffy!

Ingredients

  • Dry:
  • 3 cups of oat flour (processed from whole rolled oats)
  • ⅓ cup hemp seeds
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • Wet:
  • 16oz. pumpkin puree, unsweetened
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1oz. espresso (1 shot, slightly cooled)
  • ⅓ cup virgin coconut oil, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup coconut sugar
  • fold in: ¼ cup vegan chocolate chips
  • Ganache:
  • 1 ½ tablespoon virgin coconut oil
  • 1 ½ tablespoon vegan chocolate chips
  • Greasing baking dish: 1 teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Process enough oats to make 3 cups of oat flour. Usually about 1 ¼ cups of oats for every cup of oat flour. Then add the hemp seeds to your 3 cups of oat flour and process for a few more seconds, to process the hemp seeds into hemp flour.
  3. Add the oat and hemp flour to a large mixing bowl and add in the remaining dry ingredients: baking powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, salt. Stir to combine.
  4. Add all the wet ingredients to the dry bowl and fold until a thick batter forms. Fold in the chocolate chips.
  5. Grease an 8 x 8 inch brownie or cake dish with a teaspoon of coconut oil.
  6. Pour batter into greased dish and spread and smooth out top. Mixture will be nice and thick.
  7. Bake at 400 degrees for ten minutes, reduce heat to 350 and bake for another 15 minutes.
  8. Pull cake out of oven and set aside while you create the ganache. Heat the ganache ingredients in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to melt. Stir briskly to combine and smooth into a silky chocolate mixture. Pour the ganache over top the cooling cake.
  9. Serve right away, super warm and ooey-gooey, or cool for at least a half hour before serving. Store in the fridge for up to a few days. For longer storage, freeze in pre-cut squares.

Yield: 12 slices
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 12 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 25 mins.
Total time: 37 mins.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 275 kcal
  • Fat: 12g
  • Dietaryfiber: 5.3g
  • Totalcarbs: 39g
  • Protein: 6.4g

Tags: chocolate,dessert,pumpkin,vegan,thanksgiving,cake,glutenfree,baking,bakery,

Chatting with FullyRaw Kristina: Veggie Girl Power Interview Series!

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They're baaaack. Yup, I am finally back in a veggie girl groove with a few new Veggie Girl Power interviews up my sleeve. Today's VGP interview features one of my favorite inspiring vegan superstars online, Kristina of FullyRaw fame. I am bursting with excitement to feature this amazing lady so lets get to it....

If you have been following Healthy Happy Life for a while, you probably already know about my Veggie Girl Power Interview Series. In the past I have featured interviews with inspiring veggie voices like Portia de Rossi, Heather Mills, Sarma, Isa, Chloe Coscarelli, Kathy Freston, Marilu Henner and many more. You can catch up and read all my interviews here. Well, the tradition lives on! But instead of posting a bunch of interviews at once this year, I decided to simply make my VGP series more of an ongoing feature here on HHL and post interviews sporadicly. And I have changed up the questions a bit too.

So I am very excited to share today's interview with you! Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram of FullyRaw.com! I first discovered Kristina on Instagram and quickly became a fan of her sunny personality, passion for fruits and veggies, fun videos, creative and colorful recipes and tips and photos. Get to know this talented and joyful veggie superstar in today's interview..

Veggie Girl Power Interview: Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram

Who is She: Kristina is all about living healthfully via living a FullyRaw Lifestyle, or eating a diet consisting primarily of raw, organic, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.

Q1. Your Journey. When and why did you go vegan?

Kristina: I went FullyRaw vegan on July 15, 2005. I was diagnosed with hyperglycemia when I was 16 years old, and by the time that I was 18 years old, I was very sick. I was extremely underweight (5'7 and 87 pounds), had frequent migranes, constipation, dehydration, high/low blood sugar levels, chronic fatigue, and more. After hitting rock bottom in my health, I decided to give something alternative a try. Up until that point, I had only been eating my mother's Lebanese food and my father's Ecuadorean food, as well as "sugar-free" packaged goods that doctors recommended for me. I went into the hospital one night for my hyperglycemia, and when I got out, a stranger approached me in the grocery store and started talking to me about eating raw, juicing, etc. His name was John Rose. After that day, I decided to go raw for 2 weeks, eating nothing but peaches. This was only the beginning...

Q2. Your Work. What projects are you working on now? What can we expect from you in the future if all your dreams come true?

Kristina: I currently have 3 business that are independent, yet they work as one. Rawfully Organic is our community organic produce co-operative that aims to feed families weekly with a box of fruits and veggies. We use our produce from Rawfully Organic to make FullyRaw Juices, which we bottle and sell at co-op as well to other stores in the Houston area. I continue to make YouTube videos, sharing my experiences, recipes, tips, and tricks with my friends and followers. I am also working on a book that will be out in 2016. I feel that I am learning and sharing new things everyday, and I am happy to share a part of my life with you!

Q3. Some Fun. Create a dream dinner party guest list. Who inspires you? Name 2-5 people that you would love to chat with for an evening. Where would you go, who would they be and what would you talk about?

Kristina: If I were to throw a dinner party and if I could invite 2-5 people who truly inspire me I would invite Oprah, Beyonce, Brené Brown, Tom Hanks, and Doris Day.

Q4. Your Food. Describe your day of vegan food, what does one typical-yet-delicious workday look like?

Kristina: A day of eating FullyRaw looks like:

Wake Up: 32 oz. of fruit-infused water like a strawberry lemonade
Breakfast: 32 oz. of freshly squeeze orange juice
Lunch: Bowl of fruit like persimmons (6 or 7), figs, peaches, bananas, or any other fruit in season. Either this or a green smoothie with something like mangos and kale.
Dinner: Appetizer of fruit (usually something juicy) followed by a huge rainbow salad with as many colors as I can find in my fridge. I make my own dressings, and my favorite at the moment is my hot pink salad dressing made of orange juice, sesame seeds, cherry tomatoes, basil, rosemary, and a small slice of beet.

Q5. A Fave. Rave about something (anything!) vegan you recently discovered. (product, fashion, place, person, book)

Kristina: I LOVE 100% pure makeup products. They are fruit based and cruelty free.

Q6. Share it. Give us a link to one of your favorite pieces of work. (recipe, video, product, photo, article..) Give us the inside scoop on how you managed to think of this brilliant idea and why you love it.

Kristina: One of my favorite recipes is my FullyRaw Carrot Cake (video below) that I made for my birthday. It's the perfect cake to share with family and friends. When I was little, I used to LOVE carrot cake, but since going raw, I had never found a recipe that tasted like anything I knew growing up. So, I created my own little masterpiece. This cake is super sweet with the perfect consistency of ooey, gooey, light, fluffy, and creamy.

Q7. Soap Box it. Any last words you want to rant about, we are all ears.

Kristina: People think that eating FullyRaw, vegan, or even vegetarian is too difficult or too extreme. I think that not paying attention to one's health and eating junk foods is extreme. Eating FullyRaw is as easy as peeling a banana or biting into a persimmon. Fruit is REAL FAST FOOD. It's simple and delicious. People tell me it can't be done, I live as an example. Where there is a WILL, there is a WAY. Health and happiness are choice. What will yours be?

Find Kristina online

FullyRaw.com
Rawfully Organic
FullyRawKristina on Facebook
Kristina on YouTube
Kristina on Instagram

2-Minute Pumpkin Pie-Pudding with Walnuts, in a Vitamix! Warm + Fluffy

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When craving pumpkin pie flavors, sometimes we do not have time to pop a pie in the oven for an hour. Well this pudding in the answer! I have always loved making pumpkin pudding this time of year using silken tofu. But this time I nixed the tofu and used walnuts. The texture and flavor of this pudding is off the charts amazing. By blending everything at a high speed in my narrow Vitamix container, the pudding gets super fluffy and warm. I serve it right away with crumbled nuts over top. Coconut whip would be a perfect addition.

Get my recipe + video for vegan 2-Minute Pumpkin Pie Pudding, plus a bonus peanut pudding recipe!.

Walnuts are an amazing source of healthy fats. Walnuts contain vitamin E, folate, omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants which may protect the brain. Walnuts are a superfood worth adding to your daily menu, and what better way to get your walnut fix than with pie pudding!

Watch me make it then get the recipe below..

Bonus recipe: Peanut Pudding! Same method, but your do a 1:1 ratio of whole peanuts to soy milk. For example: ½ cup whole peanuts (unsalted + roasted), ½ cup soy milk, sweeten, spice and salt to taste. Serve warm and fluffy or chilled from the fridge.

Tip! If you want your pudding even firmer, add in 1-3 tablespoon melted coconut oil to the blend, then chill to serve. This will firm up your pudding into a mousse-like texture and make it more indulgent.

How many creative spins on this pumpkin pie pudding recipe can you think of? Here are a few!

* Add orange zest and a spoonful of citrus juice
* Add coconut oil
* Add a crumble crust made from ground white mulberries and walnuts
* Add crushed cookies over top
* Add sliced bananas over top
* Add soaked cashews in place of walnuts.
* Blend the pudding with frozen bananas for pumpkin pie pudding ice cream!
...so many ideas...

Or coconut whip on top. swoon.

2-minute Pumpkin Pie Pudding with Walnuts

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 11/11/20142-minute Pumpkin Pie Pudding with Walnuts
This fluffy, sweet and spiced vegan pudding can be made in two minutes and tastes like warm pumpkin pie!

Ingredients

  • 16oz. unsweetened pumpkin puree, organi
  • 1 cup raw walnuts
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or ½ teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg)
  • ¼ - ½ teaspoon pink salt
  • ¼ - ½ cup coconut sugar (or maple syrup)

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a Vitamix or high speed blender. Use a narrow container for optimum fluffiness.
  2. Start Vitamix on low and move to high speed. Blend on high for one minute. Blend a bit longer for warmer pudding.
  3. Serve warm and fluffy or chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

Yield: 4 cups, 6 servingsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 01 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 01 mins. Total time: 2 mins.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 200
  • Fat: 13g
  • Totalcarbs: 20g
  • Dietaryfiber: 4g
  • Protein: 4.2g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg

Tags: dessert,pudding,pumpkin,easy,vegan,walnuts,snack,breakfast,

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

Walnut Salad Sandwich with Crunchy Celery. "Vegan Tuna"

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One of my favorite go-to sandwiches is my chickpea "tuna" salad sandwich. Well this time I give it a bit of a more decadent spin by using not only chickpeas, but also walnuts as the base. The walnuts add a buttery and rich texture that is simply divine when combined with the lemon-pepper flavor. Make this Walnut-Chickpea Salad Sandwich one of your new go-to lunchtime recipes!

I also did a new YouTube video for this recipe that I hope you all enjoy! For the video, I put a bit of a fall/holiday spin on this recipe by adding in dried cranberries. That pop of sweet with all the bright and savory flavors is perfect. Get the recipe and watch me make (and eat!) this yummy recipe..

Nutrition. This recipe makes about 4 servings. And each serving contains around 300 calories, 125% RDA iron, over 8g protein, 5g fiber and plenty of healthy fats. Tip: If you want to reduce the fat content you can cut the vegan mayo by half or use a reduced fat version. Or substitute half of the walnuts with lightly smashed chickpeas.

Easy (healthy) delicious vegan lunch. Walnuts are rich in vitamin E, copper and omega-3 fatty acids (the kind you want to be eating more of!)

This is a great make-ahead recipe! Make it the day before and pop it in the fridge. When you are ready to serve it, simply layer it on some toast, serve on top of a salad or eat with crackers or veggie sticks. So many serving options.

Lemon-pepper flavor in every bite!

Make it extra-fancy by folding in any of these goodies:

* dried or fresh cranberries
* chopped apples (fall season winner!)
* diced carrot or shredded beets (colorful adds!)
* diced jalapeño (spicy twist)
* chopped onion
* diced pear (sweet!)
* pomegranate seeds (I am trying this next! Bejewel your 'wich)
* finely chopped greens like kale or spinach
* chopped herbs like dill or parsley
* diced avocado (Avocado on E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G)
* additional spices like cayenne, curry, turmeric and more!

Serving suggestions: On a salad. Stuffed inside a raw or roasted bell pepper. As a dip. Inside pita pockets or a wrap. As a sandwich on toasted bread. With crackers as a power-fuel snack!

Watch me make the recipe, then hop in your kitchen and try it for yourself! (recipe below)

Walnut Salad, Nut-Tuna

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 11/07/2014
Walnut Salad, Nut-Tuna

This super easy salad sandwich is a delicious and healthy substitute for fish tuna. Made using chickpeas and walnuts, this nutty and creamy dish is simply flavored with lemon-pepper and crunchy fresh celery.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup raw walnuts
  • ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoon vegan mayo
  • 4 stalks celery, chopped
  • ¼-1/2 teaspoon salt + ⅛ teaspoon pepper
  • optional: a few pinches of cayenne
  • optional: tablespoon of nutritional yeast
  • optional: 1 teaspoon tahini for more complex flavor
  • optional: ½ sheet nori, crumbled (for ocean flavor)

Instructions

  1. Add walnuts to a blender or food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Pour into a large mixing bowl.
  2. Add the chickpeas and lemon to blender and puree until smooth, like a hummus.
  3. Fold the chickpea mixture into the walnuts and add spices. Fold in the celery. Add in any optional ingredients.
  4. Serve right away or place in the fridge to chill before serving on salads or in sandwiches. Salad will thicken up as it chills.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.

Total time: 10 mins.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 302kcal
  • Fat: 25g
  • Protein: 9g
  • Dietaryfiber: 5g
  • Totalcarbs: 14g

Tags: salad,sandwich,walnuts,chickpeas,vegan,lunch,easy,

Happy lunchtime with this fish-approved feast! 🙂

25 Reasons to Host a Vegan Thanksgiving

by 16 Comments

pumpkin pie
two-ingredient pumpkin pie

Thinking of veganizing your holidays this year? Get ready for my 25 Reasons to Host a Vegan Thanksgiving This Year...

Hello, Holidays.

Is this you? Pondering the upcoming holiday. Tapping your finger to your lips, your mind swirling with all the plans, people and food yet to coordinate this year?

Maybe you start browsing the internet, Pinterest boards, blogs and YouTube. And you start to see a whole bunch of yummy #vegan recipes scattered around. And suddenly you think, hmmm, this vegan thing, sounds interesting. I would like to try that....

Vegan Thanksgiving?...

Pondering a Vegan Thanksgiving is certainly where my vegan journey began back in 2000. Pondering the recipes and taking a few test drives of vegan feasts around the holidays. And I have never looked back. And if I can do it, anyone can do it.

I am just like you. I love good food, friends, family. And Thanksgiving, it needs to be delicious and special. Magical and beyond cozy. I get it. A vegan Thanksgiving can easily be all those things and more.

My challenge to you: host a vegan Thanksgiving in your home this year...

Twinkly golden lights, wine glasses filled to the brim, the intoxicating aroma of sweet potatoes, chestnut stuffing and pumpkin pie dancing in the air. And instead of a giant sad Turkey in the center of your table, something else settles in. Maybe a dreamy vegan entree, maybe a vibrant satsuma and pomegranate centerpiece fruit bowl, maybe a lovely vase of flowers or maybe just more and more vegan food. A meat-free, plant-based Thanksgiving is easier than ever!...

Don't need convincing? Hope over here to get my Vegan Thanksgiving Guide with tips and recipes. For the rest of you, here we go....

25 Reasons to Host a Vegan Thanksgiving:

1. Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Reason enough, right here. I will not blame you if you just want to skip dinner and grab a slice. Vegan pumpkin pie is just as good, if not better, than the original dairy and egg-infused versions. And there are quite a few ways to spin it: gingersnap crust, no-bake options, cashew cream blended in, walnuts, varieties of pumpkin. And even one recipe with only four ingredients. Get my favorite recipes, and coconut whip to top things off.

pumpkin pie

And that fresh coconut whip, a must!

coconut whip

2. Happy Turkeys, Adorable Happy Turkeys

Turkeys are incredibly beautiful creatures, with loads of curiosity and personality. They truly deserve to live a happy life. Those long and lovely feathers are just the outside of their beauty. And these beautiful birds are worth celebrating rather than eating on Thanksgiving. Don't believe me? Watch a few of Karen Dawn's turkeys in action to see for yourself. Vegan Thanksgiving means a compassionate holiday.

3. Green Bean Casserole

I'm a GBC convert, guys. It was never at my holiday table growing up, but since creating this vegan recipe, I just can't get enough! Super creamy and cozy with warming mushroom and green bean, crispy onion flavors, this casserole is a family fave that you simply have to try in the plant-based version!

My "best" Vegan Green Bean Casserole

vegan green bean casserole

4. Sweet Potatoes

Glorious golden sweet potatoes are one of the best parts of any holiday feast. Well those yummy golden rounds are easily veganized. You can even add vegan marshmallows and vegan butter for some sweet dreaminess. Another idea: add swoon-worthy coconut sugar and cinnamon on top for brown sugar, caramelized flavor.
Try these recipes:

Or just bake up some Softy Sweet Potato Rolls!

soft sweet potato rolls

5. Stuffing. Vegan Stuffing.

Thanks to vegan buttery spreads like Earth Balance, a bit of poultry seasoning (yes it's vegan despite the name) and all the goodness of bread, broth and veggies, you can make amazing stuffing that is vegan. Cook it on the stovetop, then bake it in the oven for fluffy-amazing carb-deliciousness. Because what is thanksgiving without stuffing? My favorite vegan stuffing recipe for Thanksgiving.

vegan stuffing for thanksgiving

6. Vegan Entrees.

Oh goodness, there are indeed so many delicious options out there. Even beyond the clichè, but lovable, Tofurky. My all-time fave: Sweet Potato Pockets.

sweet potato pockets for thanksgiving

Thanksgiving entree ideas...

Or try a vegan "holiday roast" or "tofurkey" centerpiece...

"But I need a centerpiece!" OK, here you go. This. I recently taste-tested this super easy vegan holiday entree and I was blown away by the yummy flavor.

Here is the deal with a vegan holiday roast: you pull the Holiday Roast box from the freezer, slide the frozen roast out of the box, unwrap it and plop it in a baking dish, then you turn your oven to 400 degrees, pop this thing in the oven and for 60-75 fuss-free minutes you can flit through the house - sing, dance, sip cocoa or wine, watch Netflix, then when the buzzer dings you twirl back into the kitchen and pull it out of the oven as you notice how holiday-dreamy your entire kitchen smells. Then just start slicing! Gravy optional. Done and done.

There are actually TONS of vegan "Turkey" subs out there. This is just one of my faves. Check out options from Field Roast, Tofurkey and more.

7. Healthy Holiday

Having a plant-based, plant-loaded Thanksgiving is the perfect way to kickstart wellness for the new year and beyond. Vegan recipes are usually made using whole foods, loads of healthy plants and antioxidant-rich, nutrient dense foods. Foods like veggies, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, whole grains and more.

A Thanksgiving spent overindulging in animal products like meat and dairy could leave you feeling kinda less than fabulous. But loading up on plants may be a different story. Everyone is different and your nutritional needs may vary, but for me personally, I feel nothing but awesome after my plant-powered holiday meals. Plus, a cruelty-free feast makes me glow with pride from the inside out.

Note: Overindulging in ANY food could leave you feeling sluggish and spent. So watch those portions if you don't want to feel like a couch sweet potato on Thanksgiving night. Or stuff your plate and plop! Whatever makes you happy.

8. A Taste of Vegan For All

Hosting a vegan Thanksgiving may seen scary if you are serving guests that are not used to eating vegan meals. But this is the perfect opportunity to give everyone something to talk about! It is fun to try vegan spins on your favorite family recipes, and let all your family members be able to walk out the door saying, "Vegan eating? Yup, I did that!" Who knows, they just may (probably will) be so impressed by the cuisine that they get inspired to add a few, or a few more, vegan meals to their life. Who knows, maybe Grandma's inner-vegan will be unleashed for all to see. Don't be shy about inviting others to join your feast. Offer to give everyone's Thanksgiving a plant-based makeover this year!

9. Feel Good Vibes

Hosting a cruelty-free, vegan feast is sure to give you warm fuzzies. Nothing was harmed in the making of your feast, you saved a fluffy-feathered sweet turkey too.

You made a difference. I award you a gold-plated pumpkin as a trophy for being so gosh darn amazing. All the warm fuzzies in the world will come streaming your way at your cruelty-free feast.

Vegan Thanksgiving is a feel good choice for the planet, you and animals! But really, mostly for animals. Anyone else feel great helping animals out?...

Kathy and a snail

10. Save Money

Guess what. Those giant turkeys at the store? They are not cheap. But the Holiday Roast I mentioned above that serves up to 8 people is just $19.99, retail. And if you choose one of my other veggie centerpiece options like beans, tempeh or tofu, you are also saving some money. And you could even completely forgo a "centerpiece" item completely and just do all amazing "sides" .. because let's be honest, the sides are the best part anyways! (ps. I just googled and found one supermarket that sells a "prepared turkey" for $80. $80. I could whip up all my sides and a centerpiece for less than $80. So there you go.)

11. Mashed Potatoes

Those fluffy-amazing mounds of bliss can be vegan and totally amazing. Here is my favorite mashed potatoes recipe: three ways.

12. Bread, Rolls, All the Carbs Pls

I do not know about you, but I love stashing a few warm-from-the-oven rolls on the side of my plate on Thanksgiving. And yes, vegan rolls are easy to find. You could even make your own rolls or biscuits. Try my Pumpkin Seed Spelt Brown Bread Loaf. Or "jalapeño-cheddar" biscuits!

Or these Sweet Potato Rolls.

13. Cranberries.

Cranberry sauce is amazing stuff that dreams are made of. That tangy-sweet flavor and nutritional powerhouse goodness. Cranberries are rich in antioxidants, fiber and flavor. So load up on homemade cranberry sauce.

Or my new fave.. Wild Blueberry Cranberry Sauce. Tastes like pie.

14. Simplify Things.

One of my favorite parts about the Thanksgiving meal I create every year in our house is that we do not over indulge in a ba-zillion different dishes. We choose our favorites and stop there. It just feels better, we have less leftovers that may or may not get eaten, and we are more likely to not stuff ourselves on the "big day."

Thanksgiving does not have to be a day of excess. It can easily be a day of simplicity and gratitude for a few favorite dishes at your table. Think about it, what do you love most at Thanksgiving? Make those extra special and forget the rest. My faves: sweet potatoes, stuffing, a festive green salad or veggie, cranberry sauce, rolls and a protein side or a fun pre-made vegan Holiday Roast, Celebration Loaf or Tofurky.

15. Holiday-Week Mornings

The pre-feast vegan options are pretty fantastic. Try not to starve yourself all day for one big meal, but rather eat normally and not stress out your digestive system. Thanksgiving Day breakfast with yummy lattes and teas and some goodies is a winner. My recipe ideas..

16. It's Vegan Gravy, Baby

This vegan gravy is so delicious. Pour it on anything.

vegan mushroom gravy
vegan mushroom gravy

16.5. Brussels Sprouts.

Obsessed with this veggie. Brussels sprouts have the ability to transform into something yummy and modern, sophisticated yet rustic -- all in a matter of minutes. Definitely try my Maple-Roasted Brussel Sprouts. OR this fun recipe with cranberry sauce and brussel sprouts.

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

17. My Famous Pockets

If you've been here before you know my signature Thanksgiving recipe is super simple and kinda unsophisticated, but portable and cheery and oh so delicious. My famous Sweet and Sassy Sweet Potato Pockets have everything you love about Thanksgiving in one perfect little pocket. Have you tried them???

sweet potato pockets for thanksgiving

18. Festive Drinks!

Serve up some amazing vegan cocktails and beverages at your feast. My faves: Pom-secco cocktails made from freshly pressed pomegranate juice and prosecco. And my apple-ginger shots, a pre-meal sip to cleanse the palate and entice the taste buds!

19. Dip and Dance!

Thanksgiving gone vegan can be so much fun. It is a plant-based party from the moment your dinner guests walk in the door. You can whip up a number of fun and fancy (or not so fancy) appetizers for folks to nibble on pre-meal. Here are a few of my favorites..

butternut squash dip
citrus-sage butternut squash dip

20. Kids Can Love It

You might think that picky-eater kids will scowl at "vegan food" but I promise you they will most likely not even know the difference in all the sides. The turkey is something that parents will want to chat about in their own way, but the sides are all so easy to veganize using my recipes and tips.

And no, you do not even have to tell them about the vegan part if you are worried of backlash. But if you are able to explain that this is a feast made 100% from plants, I have found that most kids are incredibly excited and curious to try just about everything. And if you have some animal loving kids, you can even let them know that they are celebrating the lives of turkeys at the feast, in place of eating them. Each year, my family adopts a turkey from Farm Sanctuary, and we display our turkey's photo for all to see and celebrate. Kids are natural animal lovers, so if you can connect the feast to their hearts, you can help nurture that natural compassion inside them.

And as always, my best tip is to get kids in on the fun! Invite them into the kitchen to cook.

And if all else fails, make then a Silly Sweet Potato Kids Pizza

21. Warm Mugs

One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is all the chances to stop, grab a warm beverage in a mug and really ponder the moment. Hopefully with my vegan recipe ideas in this post you will be able to easily craft a vegan meal so that you have more time to spend with your loved ones this holiday. A few of my favorite warm mugs, like cocoa, tea and mulled wine, in this post.

Or just check out my famous Cloud Cocoa for cold, cozy nights.

cloud cocoa

22. All The Cool Kids Are Doing it

OK, so this is a little silly, but seriously, the vegan movement continues to grow and build momentum because people are loving this lifestyle! Celebs, business heavyweights and politicians are embracing a vegan diet. So join in the fun this Thanksgiving and see what all the buzz is about. Have you seen Leo's Before the Flood or Arnold + Jim's Game Changers?

23. All The Veggies

Vegans know how to make veggies taste amazing! Vegetables are not just side-show ingredients, they can easily be the main event. Take kale. Once a boring dark leafy green, it is now a recipe superstar! Raw kale salads rule the world. So this Thanksgiving, grab some veggies and find a vegan recipe to make them sing. You can browse my recipe index under salads and vegetables or head on over to findingvegan.com to browse endless options using the search bar.

24. Happy Planet

Vegan meals are quite simply put, kinder to this beautiful planet we call home. Here is a cute little video to inspire from VEG Society..

25. Vegan Leftovers!

Of course you can make way-too-much food so that you can have a fridge filled with leftovers. Create your own vegan sandwiches and wraps in the days after your feast.

Happy Vegan Holidays!

I hope this guide helps you Host a Vegan Thanksgiving this year!

kathy patalsky

More Thanksgiving Recipes + Tips Here!

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More Vegan Topics to Browse:

Creamy-Amazing Peanut Soba Noodles in 20 Minutes!

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My Creamy-Amazing Peanut Sauce Soba Noodles can happen in 20 Minutes. Dinner is done. This comfort food meal really saves the day in our house on busy weeknights. I whip up this sauce, toss it with some warm soba noodles and layer it with greens and sometimes tofu or tempeh triangles. Other ideas, you could also fold in some chickpeas or chopped veggies like raw carrots, roasted broccoli or carmelized onions to boost the nutrition and add some texture.

This peanut sauce is everything I love in a peanut sauce. Creamy, fluffy and cravable. It is slightly sweet, a little spicy and wrapped in freshly ground peanut flavor in every spoonful. (And no fear, if you cannot do peanuts, you can substitute with cashews or even almonds if need be!)

Thank you for checking out my Festive Finds video and entering my Nespresso Giveaway! I love reading the comments about how winning would make your holiday easier! I wish I could give all of you guys a machine. If you haven't checked it out yet: do it here!

Because this season I want our magic word to be EASY. Life is crazy enough, so food should be nothing more than a joy to prepare, eat and dream about. So I am trying to give you guys some easy recipes this fall and winter. And I am working on a mealplan for you too! A kickstart menu filled with easy ideas and inspiration. But first, this easy, cravable meal: peanut soba noodles. Yum-my.

Soba Noodle Tips:

* To maximize all that buckwheat soba noodle goodness, look for 100% buckwheat noodles. Eden brand makes my favorite soba for 100% buckwheat. But there are plenty of buckwheat "blends" out there too. Most brands blend buckwheat with wheat flour.

* Also, when cooking your soba noodles, stir them often so they do not stick. Soba cooks very quickly, especially the 100% buckwheat varieties.

* I like to rinse my soba in cold water when draining. I find this removes some of the starch and "stick factor" when serving the noodles.

* This recipe, like most soba recipes, is delicious served chilled or warm! Make ahead approved!

Peanut Butter? Yes you could substitute the whole peanuts with peanut butter, about ⅓ cup. But really try to use the whole peanuts because the flavor is so much brighter and fresher from the freshly ground nuts!

Tools: This recipe requires a high speed blender like a Vitamix, or a food processor might do the trick too. Use a small or narrow container blender size to maximize that fluffiness factor.

Easy Creamy Fresh Peanut Sauce Soba Noodles

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 11/05/2014Easy Creamy Fresh Peanut Sauce Soba Noodles
Easy as can be, this twenty- minute dinner idea is delicious and healthy. Buckwheat soba noodles mingle with creamy vegan peanut sauce.

Ingredients

  • 6oz soba noodles (100% buckwheat preferred)
  • sauce:
  • ½ cup roasted peanuts (unsalted)
  • ½ cup almond milk, plain
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup, grade B
  • a few pinches of cayenne for heat
  • optional: ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger or ½ teaspoon ginger powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • optional: for more perkiness, add in a teaspoon of ice vinegar or seasoned rice vinegar (seasoned will be a bit sweeter)
  • 2 cups fresh leafy greens (like spinach or chopped kale)
  • 2 teaspoon chopped peanuts for garnish

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the soba noodles, reduce heat to medium, and cook until tender, usually about 5-8 minutes.
  2. While the noodles are cooking, add all your ingredients to a blender like a Vitamix. Blend until creamy smooth. Tip: Use a narrower-style container to really whip some fluffy air into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper and cayenne to taste.
  3. Drain the pasta and rinse in cold water.
  4. Place pasta and sauce in a large bowl and toss well. For lighter-sauced noodles, start out by only adding half the sauce and add more to taste or over top to serve.
  5. Serve over a bed of fresh greens, and a sprinkle of chopped peanuts on top.

Yield: 2 servingsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 08 mins. Total time: 13 mins.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 525kcal
  • Fat: 19g
  • Protein: 23g
  • Totalcarbs: 75g
  • Dietaryfiber: 4g

Tags: dinner,easy,entree,noodles,pasta,soba,peanut sauce,

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

10 Holiday Sips! + a Nespresso Giveaway + Festive Finds Video

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Wow, the holiday season is just around the corner! I will not tell you the exact day count until Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I am sure someone else online will in the next few days! But I am personally pretty excited about the next few months. We have some fun travel planned, my FindingVegan.com iPhone App should be launching, my cookbook 2015 excitement keeps building and of course holidays mean hours of fun kitchen time and cooking, which I obviously adore. Sprinkle in some holiday music, snowflakes (or raindrops) and a crackling fire and I am set. Oh, and hand me a mug.

Among all those festive holiday goodies and activities, one cozy activity to love: holiday hot beverage breaks. Here are my top ten ways to cozy up to a warm mug. Plus watch my Festive Finds video as I sip enjoy brunch at Nespresso's Beverly Hills Flagship Boutique and then frolic through Sur La Table at the Farmer's Market in LA.

Giveaway! And enter to win a $300 VertuoLine Nespresso Machine. I own one and adore it!..

Festive Finds sort of post..

My Festive Finds Shopping Adventure:

(giveaway link at bottom of post!)

Top 10 Holiday Sips!

1. Pumpkin Spice Latte

2. Hot Pumpkin Mug

3. Fresh Ginger Tea

4. Peanut Butter Cup Latte

5. Mint Matcha Green Tea Latte

6. Goji Berry Tea + Black Tea Infused

7. Mint-Creme Soy Cocoa

8. Brownie Peppermint Stick Shake

9. Spiced Vegan Nog

10. Coconut Whippuccino

11. (I forgot TWO faves!) Mulled Wine and a Hot Toddy - get both recipes to warm up!

Nespresso Giveaway:


*photo credit: Nespresso.com

About the Prize: VertuoLine Machine.

VertuoLine from Nespresso is an intelligent and innovative single serve system delivering richly aromatic, deeply flavored, crema-topped large cup coffee and espresso. It makes both 8oz. coffee and 1.35oz espresso. You can choose from a wide variety of Nespresso's capsules, each with unique flavors and distinctions.

I have been a long-time Nespresso fan. My husband and I's first wedding gift back in 2006 was a Nespresso Romeo machine. We have been hardcore Nespresso fans ever since then! Our Nespresso and our Vitamix machines get priority placement in our kitchen when it comes to counter-top cooking appliances. I adore the VertuoLine machine, you can watch me use it in the video here and read my review here.

So while you guys know I am a daily tea drinker, and treat myself to coffee only a few times a week, mostly on weekends, Nespresso offers an ideal answer for when guests come over who only want one cup, or if my husband wants to whip up a soy cappuccino before work.

disclosure: The prize and my Festive Finds Shopping Day were sponsored by Nespresso, but all opinions are my own. Thank you to sponsors who bring me fun giveaways to share with my readers!

Vegan Banana-Walnut Chocolate Chip Muffins with Fiber Boost!

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Bake up a batch of these fluffy-amazing Banana-Walnut Chocolate Chip Muffins with a bran fiber boost and nibble on them all week long! Loads of bananas, oats and dark chocolate chips to keep you coming back for more. I used my special walnut flour trick in place of adding whole walnuts because it adds so much body and great texture to the muffins.

In this season of lattes, hot tea and warm 'n cozy everything, these muffins are a welcome addition to your busy day. Freeze or fridge and simply re-warm to serve. Also delicious chilled! Grab my vegan recipe..

So this is a baking recipe that (gasp) has no pumpkin in it. Crazy I know, for fall, but these muffins were so amazing I simply had to share the recipe.

These muffins are easy to make, contain a healthy boost of fiber, are low gluten and delish! PSL Latte or ginger tea-pairing perfection.

Walnut Flour! Instead of using whole walnuts, I used walnut flour. I processed the whole raw walnuts into a dense flour in my Vitamix. A food processor can also be used. Then I added the walnut flour as part of the batter mixture. Intense walnut flavor with some amazing muffin texture. Plus, since the walnut flour contains a good amount of fat, I didn't need to add much oil to make the muffins moist.

Fiber Boost! I boosted the texture and fiber content by adding in some super bran. The bran I used was a trio mixture or corn, oat and wheat bran. Though you can use whatever bran you'd like. If you choose not to add the bran your muffins might not be as dense and fluffy. But, yes, you could simply sub with more oat flour.

The addition of bran makes them so fluffy as they puff up in the oven, popping up in their muffin tins in perfect muffin top unison.

If you do not have walnuts, you can substitute with whole raw almonds, cashews or even pumpkin seeds. Though I adore the rustic walnut flour the best for this banana bread muffin recipe.

Each muffin contains around 240 calories, 6g protein and 5g fiber.

Change it up! You could easily substitute fresh fruit like apples, berries or even dried fruit like raisins for the chocolate chips if you prefer something a bit less decadent. Fall apples would be amazing! Or cranberries. Or even some chopped tangerines. Yum.

Or, keep the chocolate chips and ADD in some tangerines. Chocolate-orange is an amazing duo.

UPDATE! (pictured above) haha, I JUST posted this, but as my second test batch was cooling, I posted and then just now took a nibble from this batch which was AMAZING. I subbed cashews for the walnuts and blackberries (frozen) for the chocolate chips. Perfect for breakfast! So amazing.. Love the nut flour idea I had - it really makes these muffins special! So must try-it: Cashew-Blackberry Subs. If you tried a substitute ingredient or the original recipe, let us know in the comments!

Speaking of comments, I am LOVING reading your #OwnTheDay comments on my Nii Bars giveaway post! So many inspiring ideas.

Banana-Walnut Chocolate Chip Muffins

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 11/02/2014Banana-Walnut Chocolate Chip Muffins
Banana walnut muffins with a boost of bran fiber. Vegan and low gluten.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups raw walnuts
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • ¼ cup whole oats
  • ½ cup bran (I used a mixture of corn,wheat, oat bran)
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 large ripe bananas
  • 1 tablespoon softened virgin coconut oil + another 1 teaspoon for greasing muffin tins
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup maple syrup (or agave or bee-free honey)
  • ¼ cup vegan chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. In a high-speed blender, process to oats and walnuts into flour. Be careful to not blend too long where the walnuts turn into a too sticky walnut butter. Pour this mixture into a large bowl and add in the salt, baking powder, cinnamon, whole oats and bran. Stir to combine.
  3. Add to the blender all the wet ingredients, bananas, oil, vinegar, maple syrup. Blend until smooth.
  4. Fold the wet into the dry and stir until a thick yet moist batter forms.
  5. Fold in the chocolate chips.
  6. Allow the batter to sit for at least three minutes before loading the muffin tins. This allows the bran and oats to soften a bit as they absorb the liquid. This also thickens the batter so things stay fluffier when baking.
  7. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce heat to 350 and bake an additional 8-10 minutes, or until edges of muffin top begin to brown.
  8. Remove muffin tin from oven and allow the muffins to cool for 10 minutes before removing from tin. Serve warm. Store in the fridge or freezer. Leftover muffins can be served warmed or chilled. Re-heat in a 400 degree oven for ten minutes or for 15-30 seconds in the microwave.

Yield: 12 muffinsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 20 mins. Total time: 35 mins.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 239kcal
  • Fat: 12g
  • Protein: p6g
  • Dietaryfiber: 5g
  • Totalcarbs: 27g

Tags: muffins,vegan,baking,chocolate,oats,breakfast,snack,bakery,bananas,walnuts,glutenfree,fiber

Pumpkin Pie Pillows. Low-Sugar, Vegan Cookies to Nibble!

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Yesterday I shared my favorite healthy fall beverage, Spicy Fresh Ginger Tea. And today I want to share with you the cookie recipe that I think pairs perfectly with it! These Pumpkin Pie Pillows are low in sugar, soft and tender. They are delicious served on-the-go or settle in and pause on your busy day as you nibble each bite and sip some tea. Spices, pumpkin, oats, apple, chia - plenty of healthy ingredients in each tender pumpkin pillow. Get this vegan, gluten-free, low-sugar recipe!..

These modest-looking round little cookies pack quite a punch with healthy ingredients, flavor and texture.

Though these cookies are lower in sugar and bold sweetness than most holiday-season cookies, they are still totally satisfying. And will not cause those spike-and-crash blood sugar effects from sweeter treats. And you may even notice that just one cookie satisfies, unlike higher-sugary treats that leave you wanting more and more sugar to consume.

Why do I love these so much? Maybe it is the fiber-ful rolled oats, the hearty chia seeds (ground in with the flour), the sneaky sweet apple blended in or perhaps it is just all that pumpkin puree goodness. Whatever the case, these cookies are yours to nibble anytime you please.

Serve these cookies paired with ginger tea, chai tea, coffee or a latte. These also make an excellent breakfast mini-meal replacement! Eat 2-3 cookies with a large beverage, juice or tea for a light yet filling, on the go breakfast bite. Add some fresh fruit and a few nuts (walnuts or Brazil nuts are my morning faves) for a heartier meal.

Why these cookies rock: all that whole food goodness! Pumpkin, apple, chia, oats - so much good stuff in there. Gluten-free too.

Vegan Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Pillow Cookies

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 10/28/2014Vegan Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Pillow Cookies
Tender round cookies filled with oatmeal-pumpkin-fall spice flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups rolled oats
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or a mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • ⅔ cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 medium apple, chopped
  • 1 ½ tablespoon virgin coconut oil, melted
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar (or another vegan sweetener)
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 teaspoon almond butter (optional)
  • ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
  • topping: cinnamon sprinkled on top before baking
  • grease pan: 1-2 teaspoon virgin coconut oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Add the oats, chia seeds and spices to a high-speed blender. Blend until the oats are a fine powder.
  3. Pour the dry oat mixture into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the salt and baking powder.
  4. Now add all the wet ingredients to the blender container, apple, vinegar, pumpkin puree, coconut oil, sugar, ginger and optional almond butter and vanilla. Blend from low to high until the apple is completely pulverized and mixture is smooth.
  5. Pour the wet into the dry bowl and stir until combined and a soft dough forms.
  6. Place the dough bowl in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to firm up the dough a bit for easier rolling into balls. While dough is chilling, grease a baking sheet with some coconut oil.
  7. Pull dough from freezer and roll dough into balls, You can get about 18 mini-pillows out of this dough or 12 medium sized pillows. Sprinkle some cinnamon on top of each ball and place baking sheet in the oven.
  8. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes. Serve warm and tender from the oven. Store on the countertop in a sealed container for up to 2 days. You can also freeze these cookies to store and re-heat to serve.

Yield: 12 cookiesPrep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 18 mins. Total time: 28 mins.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 87g
  • Fat: 2.9g
  • Totalcarbs: 14g
  • Dietaryfiber: 3g
  • Protein: 2g

Tags: cookies,pumpkin,snack,fall,pumpkin pie,dessert,breakfast

Speedy Spicy Fresh Ginger Tea (or Apple-Spice Ginger Tea!)

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This is my absolute favorite healthy, warming beverage for fall. Today I share two versions. Classic Ginger-Lemon and Apple-Spice Ginger.

If you have never tasted fresh ginger tea, and experienced the health benefits, then you are in for a treat. Warming, spicy ginger is excellent for digestion and warming the body from the inside out. I sip ginger tea just upon rising with loads of bright lemon, in the afternoon with a hint of maple syrup as sweetener and also after dinner, as a spicy digestion-enhancing beverage. Once you learn how to make basic ginger tea, using my super-speedy method, you will be livening it up in all sorts of creative ways!..

Spins on Ginger Tea:

* Add fresh lemon juice for zesty-brightness, (think fall-lemonade!)
* Add Mulling Spices! Diffuse some mulling spices into your tea as it simmers .. smells ah-mazing. (Mulling spices like clove, star anise..)
* Add cayenne for extra spiciness
* Add cinnamon to turn up the cozy
* Add a hibiscus tea bag for a pink-sweet-ginger tea
* Add maple syrup as a cozy vegan sweetener
* Add a whole fresh apple, blend and strain the pulp for a apple-cider-ginger tea
* Add a dandelion tea bag for a detoxifying morning tea (I add lemon and cayenne too)
* Add a bedtime or chamomile tea bag to calm your nerves
* Add some fresh or extract vanilla for a sweet aroma
* Add turmeric for a wellness super-spice boost
* Add fresh orange peel and juice for a citrus-ginger spin
* Add crushed cranberry for a cran-ginger tea
...and so much more!

Just whipped up another giant batch of my go-to fall beverage: fresh ginger tea! And the recipe is on #healthyhappylife.com 🍂🍋A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife.com (@kathypatalsky) on Oct 10, 2014 at 1:38pm PDT

Benefits of Fresh Ginger Tea:

* Digestion enhancing.
* Sip between meals to curb cravings.
* ZERO Caffeine. Yet, I can attest that it provides quite an energizing BUZZ.
* If prepared as shown, 40 calories per cup, yet still offers a nice sweet sip flavor. You could omit the sweetener, add more or substitute with a whole apple for sweetness.
* It may relieve or prevent migraines, says Dr Barnard
* Ginger may be an immune system booster (especially if paired with lemon and cayenne!)
* Warming and soothing for your nerves.
* Can settle an upset tummy.
* Brings bliss and joy because it tastes so yummy!
* Spicy flavors to stimulate your spirit.

Most ginger tea recipes ask that you simply steep the peeled ginger root for a good 15-30 minutes to really extract that ginger flavor. But by using a vitamix high-speed blender, I can cut that steeping and simmering time in half. I blend, steep, then strain.

The recipe below is for the basic ginger tea with lemon, maple and cayenne. This is my favorite blend. But here is the Apple-Ginger method:

Apple-Spice Ginger Tea Upgrade: Prepare according to directions below, but instead of adding the maple syrup to sweeten at the end, pour the hot ginger lemon tea back into the high speed blender, Vitamix, and blend from low to high until the apple is pulverized. Then strain the liquid through a mesh cloth or nylon mesh bag (the kind used for almond milk). Your ginger-tea will now be apple infused! You can serve right away or re-simmer on the stovetop. Additional sweetener will be neede if you like a brighter sweetness for your tea. Try adding maple, coconut sugar or agave.

(And tomorrow I will share with you the perfect cookie to pair with this sip! Gluten-free, super healthy-delicious, Pumpkin Pie Pillows!)

Speedy Spicy Fresh Ginger Tea

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 10/27/2014Speedy Spicy Fresh Ginger Tea
This homemade spicy, warming, sassy-sweet ginger tea is made using fresh ginger, lemon and spices. Amazingly soothing most any time of day!

Ingredients

  • 6 cups purified or spring water
  • 1 ½ tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped into small bits
  • 2 medium lemons, juiced (about ½ cup fresh lemon juice)
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (or a cinnamon stick)
  • ¼ cup maple syrup, grade B (or another sweetener, adjust to taste)

Instructions

  1. Add 2 cups of water and the fresh ginger to a high speed blender. Blend from low to high for about 60 seconds, until the water turns a light yellow color and all of the ginger has been pulverized. A few tiny clumps is OK, as they will be strained later.
  2. Pour this ginger mixture along with the remaining 4 cups of water into a large pot and bring to a boil. Add in the cinnamon or cinnamon stick. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes. (Note: If you have a Vitamix, you could also just use the "soup" feature to warm your tea!)
  3. When the simmering time is up, pour the tea back into the blender container, but use a mesh strainer to catch any of the ginger pulp and particles. A large mesh strainer will make things easiest, although a small strainer could work too. You could also use a nut milk back if needed.
  4. Add the lemon juice, cayenne and sweetener to the blender as well and do a quick thirty second blend on low to mix the ingredients.
  5. Take a sip and add additional cayenne or sweetener to taste. Serve warm. Store leftovers in the fridge and serve chilled or re-warm in a microwave or on your stovetop. Or even in your blender on "soup" setting.

Yield: 6 cupsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Total time: 15 mins.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 42kcal per cup

Tags: beverage,drink,ginger,lemon,tea,fall,cozy,

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

Smart Snack: Cashew Butter Dip with Curry-Coconut Flavor.

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This savory sweet recipe is my new favorite snack for fall. Pair a little bowl of this Cashew Butter Dip with fall apple slices, veggie sticks or rustic grain crackers and let the nibble-fest begin. This inviting nut butter dip is flavored with warming ginger, silky cashew, coconut, sweet maple and warm spices like curry, cinnamon and optional cayenne. There is even a little boost of leafy greens in each bite! Thank you to the talented chefs at Vitamix headquarters for this recipe idea..

NOMnomnom.

Work snack approved! Five servings in one recipe, so share with friends or save for later!

Vitamix in person! This dip is a spin on a recipe I learned during my visit to Vitamix headquarters this past week. I ventured out to Cleveland Ohio to meet with several of the amazing staff members of Vitamix. The talented chefs prepared this snack one day, just one of the MANY amazing recipes I tried over the course of two fun-filled days. (I will talk more about my Vitamix experience in a later post!)

I love this dip because it starts with the basic idea of making homemade nut butter and turns it into a creative savory-sweet snack, with endless serving possibilities.

Pairing nuts with coconut milk and curry was Vitamix's genius idea. I boosted things by adding a few additional spices and a boost of warming fresh ginger in the too. They served this dip with a less blended portion of arugula, so you could see the green specks, while I kept things a bit silkier and greener, and fully blended the greens. They used a red curry paste for the curry flavor and I used my basic sweet curry powder.

Original serving cups at Vitamix HQ:

Curious to try the recipe? I highly recommend this one! Snacking is a fun and healthy way to fuel your day. And you can even spread this dip on sandwiches, drizzle into wraps, serve with fresh romaine leaves or roll into steamed collard wraps. So many possibilities for these spicy-sweet flavors.

You could even serve on romaine leaves with golden raisins! Golden ladybugs on a leaf 🙂

Nut Butter Rice Meal Idea! Try this: Toss 1 cup warm brown rice with 1-2 teaspoons of this nut butter for some cashew butter rice! Add tofu cubes, roasted broccoli or cauliflower and maybe even some steamed or baked chickpeas for a delicious cashew-butter-infused meal!

Ginger-Curry Coconut Cashew Butter Dip

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 10/24/2014Ginger-Curry Coconut Cashew Butter Dip
This delicious nut butter dip can be paired with veggies, appl slices, crackers or spread onto toast and add some avocado or veggies over top! Super for a smart snack with some savory sweet flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • ¼ cup light coconut milk or 1 tablespoon full-fat + 3 tablespoon water
  • ¾ teaspoon curry powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup (add another spoonful for a sweeter dip)
  • ¼ cup greens, baby kale or arugula (optional)
  • pinch of cinnamon
  • pinch of pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon pink salt
  • optional: a few pinches of cayenne for heat
  • garnish: crushed cashews, a pinch of grated ginger and dash of cayenne

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients except the greens to a Vitamix, or another high-speed blender.
  2. Blend from low to high until silky smooth.
  3. For bits of greens, chunkier texture, pulse in the greens. For silky smooth dip with greens blended in, blend until silky smooth. Use high setting for silky texture.
  4. Spoon into serving bowl and add garnish on top. Serve as is! Store leftover in the fridge. Dip is best served at room temperature, nice and soft.

Yield: 1 ¼ cups, 5 servingsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins. Total time: 5 mins.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 197kcal
  • Fat: 15g
  • Protein: 5g
  • Totalcarbs: 12g

Tags: dip,snack,nut butter,cashews,curry,vegan,apples,fall

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

10 Superfoods for Smoothies I am Loving Right Now! VIDEO.

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Today I am sharing ten of the smoothie add-in superfoods I am crushing on now. You all know I embrace a smoothie-a-day wellness habit. Well one easy way to super-boost the nutrient profile of your smoothie is by adding in superfoods. And just to be clear, I am using the term "superfood" quite loosely. Basically anything that adds some wellness OOMPH to my smoothie, I like to call a superfood.

There is a long laundry list of superfood possibilities including things like chia seeds, cacao, moringa, aloe vera, hemp seeds, acai powder, mushroom powder, turmeric, spirulina, protein powders, apple cider vinegar, matcha green tea, camu powder, Ayruvedic herbs, cinnamon, pitaya, cayenne, maca powder and on and on. Just hop on over to the supplement section of any Whole Foods or vitamin store and see what I mean! Well my superfood list changes frequently, but right now, these are ten superfood add-ins I am generously rotating into my smoothies. And this post includes a "fuss-free, aka no-makeup or wardrobe" chat and list, VLOG video!

Plus a bonus for 365 Vegan Smoothies book owners! Print out my 10-Day Smoothie challenge Scorecard. Print it out, challenge yourself and friends!..

10 Superfoods for Smoothies: Loving Right Now

1. Turmeric. Love this bright orange spice that adds an anti-inflammatory edge to my fave smoothies. Especially my Trinity Shake! Buy Ojio Turmeric Powder

2. Matcha. You guys know I love matcha green tea. Well, it has a cozy spot in my favorite smoothies. It adds antioxidant power as well as a Zenergizing boost! Compare brands via my matcha review article here. And get my favorite matcha-approved shake here.

3. Camu Powder. Load up on vitamin C! This light pink colored powder offers a lot of bang via a tiny spoonful. One serving offers over 1000% (yes, that is four zeros in there) 1-0-0-0% RDA of vitamin C. Note: Camu powder has a slightly bitter flavor, but that is ok because you only need a tiny bit, and you will probably be adding it to a sweet and flavorful smoothie.Buy Raw Camu Powder

4. Mushroom Powder! I am a huge fan of this new product I found by MatrixMushroom. I bought the "critical care" variety to help my thumb heal, and I have been using it ever since! Mushrooms are a vegan source of vitamin D and offer loads of immune system and wellness benefits. Plus, this powder does NOT taste like mushrooms, phew! So you can add it to smoothies without ruining their deliciousness. Buy Mushroom Matrix Critical Matrix

5. Protein Powder. Vegan protein powder is a great way to add nutrient complexity to any smoothie. And smoothies are a super way to boost your daily protein intake! Check out my laundry list of favorite vegan protein powders in my review article here.

6-10? Check out my video to get the other five superfood products I am loving right now!

BONUS smoothie fun. 365 Vegan Smoothie owners! Print out my brand new 10-Day Smoothie Challenge Scorecard for a fun way to inspire your smoothie-a-day wellness habit!.. Click below or PDF here jgp here

Thinking of upgrading your current blender? I greatly appreciate your support by using my affiliate code to purchase a Vitamix! pLus, you get free shipping...

Bold 'n Spicy Garlic Kale Chips, Halloween Orange

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The best part about devouring an entire batch of freshly-made kale chips is that it feels oh-so-naughty going crunch-munch-crunch, but in the end you can basically say, "Hey, I just ate a huge salad!" Nutrition score.

These not-so-spooky, vampire-not-approved, Halloween-approved, Garlic Turmeric Bold Kale Chips are frightfully fun and just may give your taste buds a wake up call with their spicy flavor and bold garlic bite. Each orange-tinted chip is loaded with yummy flavors and kale superpowers for a very healthy Halloween snack. These chips are amazingly unique because they use virgin coconut oil as the oil and that makes the flavor incredibly dreamy. You just may moan like a spooky ghost when you bite into one of these ruffled green bites. Plus, this is a QUICKIE version recipe using un-soaked cashews and a super fast broiling method for kale chips. Get my recipe!

Three notes before we get back to the CHIPS!..

1. THANK YOU THANK THANK YOU for your supportive response and sharing of my blogpost #WellnessGetsReal. Seriously want to reach out and give each one of you guys a big bear hug. Yes, I am a hugger.
2. Enter the Natural Life giveaway! It ends soon!

So now back to these AH-MAZE-ING chippies..

Garlic-Turmeric Vampire Halloween Kale Chips

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 10/19/2014Garlic-Turmeric Vampire Halloween Kale Chips
These garlic and turmeric flavored kale chips have a spicy bite and delicious super crispy and light texture from the coconut oil. This quickie version recipe uses non-soaked cashews and a broiling method for very quickly making the chips!

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch kale, thick stems removed, leaves torn
  • Garlic-Turmeric Vampires-Not-Wanted Coating:
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon turmeric + a bit more as desired -- I use Ojio brand for the brightest orange color possible
  • 2 tablespoon raw cashews (you may soak cashews for a creamier base, but not necessary)
  • ¼ cup warm water (to help melt the oil)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon pink salt
  • 2 tablespoon virgin coconut oil, melted or softened
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon smoky spanish paprika
  • a few pinches of cayenne (2-3 pinches or to taste)

Instructions

  1. Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. I did a "quickie version" of these chips, but you may use your own method of kale chip baking or raw dehydrating if desire.
  2. Add all the vampire coating to a high speed blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
  3. Wash and dry (very well) kale leaves.
  4. Toss the kale leaves in the vampire coating. Then arrange the coated kale leaves on a baking sheet, one layer, no overlapping leaves. Pour any excess coating over top the leaves.
  5. Place baking sheet in the hot oven and turn oven to broil. Add a few extra sprinkles of turmeric for extra orange color and flavor if you'd like. Allow to broil for five minutes, then open oven and flip any leaves you see that are looking a bit soft of smashed down.You can also fluff a few chips by pulling them up a bit or rotating. Allow to broil another two minutes or until most of the chips look nice and crispy. A few half crisp/half soggy chips are OK because they still taste delicious. Serve warm, right away. These will not last long!

Yield: 4 servingsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 08 mins. Total time: 13 mins. Tags: kale chips,snacks,halloween,turmeric,kale,vegetables,easy

updated - AUCTION CLOSED - 🙂 congrats to winners! Vegan shoe lovers!! Check out the cute Beyond Skin Shoes I donated to Closets for Causes, benefiting A Place Called Home. Never worn, they will fit a shoe size 8-8 ½. I have a size 9 wide foot, and they were a tad too small/narrow for my feet, so even though the UK conversion seems to be a 9, my guess is that they fit a 8-8 ½ foot. BID HERE. Vegan booties for fall.. (Bidding starts at $9.99 which is an INSANELY low price for BS shoes...)

You can also BID on a signed copy of 365 Vegan Smoothies, in the same auction, for the same cause. Starts at $9.99!

***BONUS! If a reader who reads this post WINS either of the auctions, email me your winning bid confirm to contact at lunchboxbunch dot com and mention this post and I will mail you a BONUS gift of a $25 Whole Foods gift card!***

Interview with the bloggers at fabLab, I am towards the end!..

Also up for grabs.. these limited time GIVE shirts..

..GIVE tees, get 10% off with code KATHY. Buy here. A portion of the proceeds benefits A Place Called Home.

Curried Coconut Cauliflower Soup with warming spices.

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This Curried Coconut Cauliflower Soup is a delicious and easy-to-make soup that is warming and soothing for fall.

Instant Cozy Meal. Pour a large bowl, serve it with some crusty bread or maybe homemade vegan jalapeño cheddar biscuits or cornbread, and sink into bliss. Creamy blended cauliflower provides the rich base and a slight hint of coconut milk makes things extra creamy.

Warming spices like curry powder, cinnamon and smoked paprika accent. You can even add in some optional saffron if you'd like. This soup also has some white beans blended in to add protein, iron and fiber.

collapse into soup-bliss and feel like this..

Coconut Curry Cauliflower Soup

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 10/16/2014Coconut Curry Cauliflower Soup
Creamy and warmly spiced, this cauliflower soup has a spicy sweet flavor that soothes and comforts.

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces vegetable broth
  • 10 cups cauliflower (one medium head)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 teaspoon curry powder (or to taste)
  • 2 tablespoon coconut milk
  • 1 cup white beans, cooked (boxed beans used) - drain and rinse well
  • 2 teaspoon ginger powder
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2-3 tablespoon maple syrup, grade B (or use agave)
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ - ¾ teaspoon salt
  • optional: a few saffron strands
  • to serve: a few pinches of smoked paprika, a few pinches of pumpkin seeds

Instructions

  1. Chop your cauliflower into large florets and remove and green leaves or thick stem.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and submerge cauliflower. Cook until tender but not mushy, about 6-8 minutes. Drain cauliflower and place half of it in a high speed blender.
  3. Also add to the blender, the cooked beans (drain and rinse first), coconut milk, ginger, curry, vinegar, veggie broth, maple syrup, garlic and cinnamon. Blend until very smooth.
  4. If you can fit all the soup in your one blender, simply add the remaining cauliflower (that you set aside) and blend it in too. But if your blender is getting a bit too full, pour out half the blended mixture, into a soup pot, and then add the remaining cauliflower and blend.
  5. Once all the ingredients are blended together, pour all the soup into a soup pot and warm over medium heat. At this point you can salt to taste and add additional spices as desired. You can also stir in the optional saffron strands.
  6. Simmer the soup one low-medium until ready to serve, at least ten minutes to fully warm it through and allow the flavors to mingle and heat. Serve with a few pinches of smoked paprika on top, a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds and optional additional sweetener if you like an additional bold sweet accent to all those spicy savory flavors.

Yield: 4 servingsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Total time: 25 mins. Tags: soup,curry,cauliflower,fall,comfort food

Nii Bars Review + Giveaway! #OwnTheDay

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Reading the ingredients list off the side of a snack you are about to eat can be a scary thing. Well what if it sounded like this: "Organic peanuts, organic dates, organic tapioca syrup, organic coconut nectar, organic dark chocolate, organic sunflower seeds, organic rice protein, organic hemp seeds, organic walnuts and organic sprouted quinoa." Not so scary after all! Well those are the ingredients in the Peanut Butter flavor (my favorite) of Nii Bars. Learn about Nii Bars, hear my #OwnTheDay story and enter an awesome giveaway. 16 giveaway winners will be chosen - wow!..

Chocolate chips anyone?..

Peanut butter. Chewy texture I love!..

Shanais Pelka started Nii bars in her kitchen. Her passion for feeding healthy, vegan, whole, nutrient dense foods to her family grew into an entire company. What an inspiring story!

Watch this to meet the story behind this kitchen-grown brand!..

Nii Bars. A few weeks ago I received an email asking if I wanted to try vegan Nii bars. At first I shrugged off the idea of trying another "bar" in the already crowded nutrition bar marketplace. But I accepted the challenge mostly because I am always excited to try new products (who isn't?) and I knew the bars would come in handy for a few upcoming travel events for airport and hotel room snacking. My review?..

Love at First Taste. I love these bars! I nibbled a bar at the airport and was immediately impressed. I first fell in love with the bar info: vegan, NON-GMO verified, Organic, Soy Free, Gluten Free, Whole food, RAW/cold-pressed ingredients - the kind of ingredients I find in MY kitchen I was incredibly impressed with the flavor and chewy texture. Nothing mushy or dry. Just moist, flavorful ingredients in each bite.

Flavors: Almond Chocolate (love!), Peanut Butter (swoon!), Berry Cashew, Cherry Coconut, Cacao Coconut (dying to try this flavor next!) The Peanut Butter and Almond Chocolate are my favorites. And the berry flavors were bright and lovely with real berry notes. The Cherry Coconut contains healthy organic tart cherries.

But Kathy, Don't You Make Your Own Bars? You bet I do! Like most of us in the healthy eating community, I love making my own energy/nutrition bars for snacking. But for events like travel, long treks and adventures requiring grab-n-go, packable snacks that will last a few days in a suitcase, I am always looking for new bars to love. And the story behind the bars is inspiring!

As I nibbled, I became curious about the brand and founder. I watched the video (above) and fell in love with the amazing woman who created the brand. Shanais Pelka started Nii bars in her kitchen. Her passion for feeding healthy, vegan, whole, nutrient dense foods to her family grew into an entire company. What an inspiring story!

And #OwnTheDay became a sort of Nii brand slogan - one that adds a positive message out there in the world of hashtags. How do YOU own the day?

My #OwnTheDay story: Each morning I make a special point to not let the pull of my to-do list get the best of me, and I make a mug of fresh ginger or goji berry tea, and simply sit and pause as I watch the cats play and think about how I can make the day a positive one for myself. How I can let any negative energy or thoughts wash over me and out the door, and just live the day how I want to: happy and content with a feeling of excitement for my life and the amazing people, art and energy in it. When my last sip of tea is done I then start the day, and definitely feel like I #OwnTheDay because I put myself first! How do you own it?

Love the bars. Love the company. I hope you all can try them!

Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win bars and goodies - 16 winners!

PRIZES:
2nd prizes: 4-pack (one each flavor) of bars (10 winners)
1st prizes: a mixed box (3 each flavor, 12 bars total) (5 winners)
Grand Prize: 1 box each flavor, Nii sweatshirt and Nii hat (1 winner)

* USA prize shipping only

Order bonus for everyone! Buy Nii Bars and use the coupon code: HHL to receive->
1. Order a box of bars, use code "HHL" and you will receive a FREE "4-pack of bars" + FREE shipping!
2. Or use the code "HHL" to receive FREE shipping on ANY size order!

Follow Nii Bars online:
Facebook
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Website - shop!

“The creation of Nii Bars began as a project in my kitchen. As a mother with three active children, I am extremely busy. I have always been in search for the perfect on-the-go food. I wasn’t willing to compromise our health just because we were busy; so I began on a quest to create the perfect nutrition bar. Countless hours and experimentations later, I bring you Nii Bars!” - Shanais Pelka, founder

Try the Bars: On NiiBar.com, use the coupon code "HHL" to receive free shipping on ANY order. Also, if you buy a whole box of bars and use the coupon code you will receive a 4-bar sample pack as a free bonus!

disclaimer: This giveaway post is sponsored, but all opinions are my own. Thank you to all the sponsors who support my site and make HHL possible.

Eating Disorder Reflection. My Story.

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This is my Eating Disorder Reflection.

With each new blogpost, I am continually so grateful that this little food blog I started back in 2007 is now my full-time career. But besides being my dream job, the truly most valuable aspect of blogging for me has been all the amazing connections I have made with my readers and fellow bloggers, you guys on the other side of this screen.

You are a community of compassionate, aware, sometimes hilarious and always inspiring individuals from all over the world. I wake up each day excited to see what you are posting in the comments, tweeting me, Instagramming and reaching out everywhere else.

Heathy Happy (Real) Life.

Today I am pausing on a recipe and sharing a story. All because I want to chat a bit deeper with you on the topic of wellness. Because while I know we all love a good spin-on-avocado-toast recipe post, I also know that sometimes the best meals are not about the food at all, but rather about the person on the other end of the table, and the connections and stories you shared.

Wellness Gets Real

This story is one I haven't told in full here on HHL, and I kept making excuses to not share it, until one day last week I just started writing. And writing. And eventually ended up with this post. So here it goes.

But before I get to my story, I want to reflect on two things: wellness and our bodies.

Whole Body / Mind Wellness.

If you think the term "wellness" sounds a bit boring or passè, think again. You see, every fit of laughter, burst of energy, peaceful slumber, comforting hug, valuable friendship, each brilliant idea you have, illness your body fights and every feeling of hope, peace or gratitude is born from some aspect of wellness. In short, contrary to popular belief, wellness is much more than your half hour of cardio and lunchtime green smoothie. It is your entire world, mind spirit and body, doing its best to thrive on this planet.

Need a wellness refresher? Learn all about the six dimensions of wellness.

Favorite wellness skill: learning how to listen to your body.

An authentic, well-tuned ear takes time and dedication to acquire. Our bodies are speaking to us all the time, it is our job to listen and hopefully adjust our actions based on what we hear.

Why Trust Your Body?

Simply put, there is so much we can learn from them. As humans, when we landed in this world, inside these fragile and mysterious bodies, we didn't know our thumb from our belly button. But our bodies had been doing some pretty fantastic things from the very beginning. Creating organs, major body systems, digesting nutrients, fighting off bad bacteria, fine tuning our brains and developing our senses. Our magical bodies are the little geniuses in each one of us. Yes, YOU are a certified GENIUS just by having a body.

So it makes good sense to stop focusing so much on what outside voices and popular trends are telling us and start listening to our actual bodies themselves. They want nothing more than to help our spirits thrive on this planet. To usher us towards total wellness: spiritual, emotional, physical, social, intellectual and occupational.

But there is no such thing as perfect wellness. We all have cracks, weaknesses. Some more severe than others. These were mine. Story time!

kathy in high school
high school -- healthy and happy before my spiral began

Just a Girl in this World.

As a young girl, when it came to my body, I did what many young people do, I basically ignored it. Once in a while it would strike me down with allergies, asthma attacks, ear aches or common colds. Or if I ate too much Halloween candy or fell and scraped my knees. I would suddenly be very aware of its presence and voice. But other than that, I didn't pay much attention.

Then those teenage years hit, physical and mental changes unraveling at a speedy pace, and suddenly I was a 16 year-old girl becoming painfully overly aware of my body. And before even working through things with my body, on the same team. I treated my body like my enemy.

Distorted View

I had a twisted distortion about what was beautiful and what I was supposed to look like. Hm, that sounds like almost every teenage girl, like ever, right? Well I didn’t know that at the time. Maybe because there wasn’t a whole lot of authentic and loudly-voiced, girl-focused, self esteem-building body talk going on in the late 90’s. Social media - I've realized - can in fact do GOOD. Though yes, it's a mix of positive and negative images and messages in regards to eating disorders.

my first car...
my first car - sophomore year - healthy and happy

90's Life

In the late 1990's, we were in our own little boxes. Small worlds. School, friends, home, activities, newspapers, magazines, books, TV. My entire analysis of my own body was based on my surroundings: pop culture, magazines, friends, family, and maybe a few after-school specials just for good measure. The only convincing “girl power” I was aware of came blaring out of my boom box speakers, via The Spice Girls.

Taking My Body For Granted

When in reality, girl power was all around me. I was a pretty darn good example of it, excelling in school, sports, art, friendships and more. That very body I doubted, was actually the very thing that allowed me to do all my favorite things: play tennis, study hard, think and learn, make friends, care for animals, connect with people, dance, sing, use my creativity and more.

kathy patalsky high school tennis aptos high
sophomore year - tennis team bliss - still thriving healthy and happy...

My self esteem should have been soaring. And it was, in some respects. But when my weaknesses were tested, I struggled and I simply didn't make the connection.

Naturally Thin

The frustrating thing about my story is that I have always been naturally thin, and so the line between looking healthy or not was always strange. I was teased in junior high for me "lanky" limbs.

Teenage Girl Problems

And suddenly, as late high school insecurities and anxieties grew, my normal teenage girl doubts were manifesting themselves in some dangerous ways. Those small cracks in my wellness system, gave way to reveal deep canyons. Eating disorder facts:

  • 75% of girls with low self-esteem reported engaging in negative activities such as disordered eating, cutting, bullying, smoking, drinking and using drugs.
  • The impact of low self-esteem often leads to behaviors that can be life altering well beyond teen years.
  • Girl self-esteem peaks at age 9 then plummets. - girlpowercampaign

Even though my body allowed me so many joys, I took one look in the mirror and decided...

I hate you.

When My Eating Disorder Started

This all started my senior year in high school. (Great timing, yes?) I was a sweet, smart girl with loads of friends and a happy life, but my overachieving tendencies, perfectionistic mindset and lack of stress-coping skills while applying for colleges and pondering my future got in the way of all the good stuff. Suddenly, changing my body, was high priority on my to-do list.

For a good year, I starved and overworked my body. Muffling anything it had to say. And I succeeded in my efforts, I lost weight at a drastic pace, and in my minds eye, I was winning this game.

Meanwhile, my body was screaming. Crumbling. Wellness deteriorating. Frail, exhausted, my brain became fuzzy, my energy levels plummeted and I found it challenging to climb out of bed each day, depression kicked in and my growth as a beautIful young girl basically froze, stuck blistering in frostbite from an endless blizzard that I started for myself. Think Queen Elsa, only much more traumatic.

High Functioning Personalities are Common in EDs

Somehow, I was able to maintain my straight A grades and participate in endless extra-curricular activities, though my inner happiness began to suffer. A body can only take so much.

This behavior spiraled into what official terms would call an eating disorder, though I was never formally diagnosed. It was a time when talking openly about eating disorders was a very awkward thing, no one really felt comfortable doing it. And even though I am able to write this today, I am annoyed to say that I still have some faint sense of shame from the whole experience. And that is the main reason why I am writing this. To free myself and other girls out there from that shame.

Shame-less

There is nothing shameful about it, and anyone who thinks that there is or judges you for it, probably has a lot more going on in their own life than they care to admit to. Life happens. People go through things. And then we find comfort in figuring things out together.

So that last year of high school, a time that should have been incredibly joyful and magical, became a battlefield. Me against my body. And while a few people in my life showed concern, I was so good at pretending that everything was ok that after a while I actually believed it myself. I shut down and did not let anyone in.

Eating Disorder Isolation

And one of the greatest challenges I faced was that feeling of isolation. I desperately ached to hear someone say that I wasn't a broken person and I wasn't alone. Through everything, I had no clue how many bright, loving, amazing girls (and boys) were going through the same problems as me, on varying levels. I wasn’t some strange messed up soul, but a normal one.

But normal can quickly take a destructive turn. There is a switch that has to click, to take you from normal self doubt to full on eating disorder or body hate status. To actively torture your body from the inside out. You have to be motivated by something extreme.

What motivates the eating disorder?

Maybe it is your own perfectionism or unrealistic goals for yourself, or a distorted body image, or a severe case of stress where controlling your body actually numbs the pain and makes you feel in control, or maybe even the pressure from participating in a body specific sport or industry like ballet, gymnastics, or modeling.

2006 - far beyond my worst years, but still body obsessed

For me, I put that pressure on myself and soon, like a wooden marionette character, my entire world was strictly choreographed by my disorder, I was being held up by tight thin strings just waiting to break, leaving me falling on my face. I had given away so much control to the puppet master that I had forgotten how to stand up on my own terms, walk my own path, dance, jump, sprint and leap.

Rock Bottom

Come winter break of my senior year, I was a mess. I have photos where I look like a skeleton. I don't share them here because they could be triggering for those still suffering.

My eating disorder could no longer be hidden from anyone. Teachers, friends, they all reached out. Looking back, I am so sad I didn't open up to them. I just didn't see it. And that is one of the major problems with eating disorders. You truly believe you are both fine and healthy -- and not quite perfect yet.

At some point, finally, I awakened somewhat from my protective coating of numbness and saw what was happening. And the sting of reality was harsh. I looked like crap. And felt even worse. I wanted out.

Help. Please.

I desperately wanted a quick fix solution. A reset button to press on all the damage I had done. But sending a dozen long-stemmed red roses to my body wouldn't work. I tried to maintain healthy habits, but it was a struggle. I felt hopeless at times and wondered if things would ever be normal again. All I wanted was to go out with my friends, eat three slices of pizza and plop down on the couch without my brain going on autopilot and analyzing calories and fat grams.

Eventually, I graduated from high school, all while still struggling to recover. Soon I was a new college student in Boston, 3,000 miles from home. My schoolwork still thrived, but my social life suffered. For the first time in my life, I found it challenging to make friends and to be a happy person with all the internal conflict I was trying to resolve, both mentally and physically.

It took me a good while to genuinely crawl out of that rabbit hole. And even today, I have some leftover physical and mental consequences from all those years of self-abuse and lack of support. But for the most part, I am lucky and grateful to have come out of it.

Getting Help Early

Just HOW I managed to do that is an entirely other conversation in itself. I 100% think that my eating disorder would have healed more quickly if I had reached out for help early on. But back then there was no Twitter or blog posts or ways to connect and get advice. I felt so alone and ashamed.

I will say that my plant-based diet and vegan lifestyle has had a valuable presence on my journey towards health and wellness.

Healing Started, Slowly...

Another cornerstone in my healing was realizing that all the good, real, stuff that makes someone truly beautiful is on the inside. So clichè, but I think young girls are not always brought up to truly believe this. So much beauty lies inside each one of us, but the world will only ever see that beauty if you first and foremost believe in it yourself.

Self esteem matters so much. Lets support one another and keep the conversation going.

Today's Life.

These days, my eating disorder is healed. I can say that with actual confidence. Not like how I did in college. Back then, "I'm fine" was really me screaming inside.

My actions towards my body reflect my goal for wellness. I want to thrive on this planet, play in the sunshine and have a smile on my face, and I have to take care of myself to do that. As a 33 year-old woman I now choose to spend my precious time and energy nurturing the things that bring me the most in return: people, thoughts, feelings, words, animals, adventures, art, my work, places, joy-inducing food and real nutrition, healthy happy fitness like dancing around in my bedroom as opposed to grinding away at the gym (though I have nothing against gyms), and overall trying to have a big old sense of humor about everything that life may sling at me.

Growth From Struggle

It is up to us to turn our challenging experiences in life into positive outcomes. And to hopefully give back to those still struggling. And for me, much good did come out of all this: this experience inspired my love and passion for authentic health and wellness, my degree in Health Promotion, this blog, my vegan adventures, many lifelong friends and all my work in creating healthy happy meals for my life and yours!

2016 - healthy and happy again
2020 - healthy happy and pregnant!

Share Your Story

Sharing this story about my eating disorder was not easy. It literally took me an entire day to press the "publish" button. But if I can make one person feel less alone or supported, then it is worth it.

I ask a favor. I hope you will join in this conversation of real world wellness. Leave a comment, share this with a friend or simply give it a like. It would mean the world to me and show me that you are hungry for more conversations. And if you have a topic you’d love for me to bring up and chat about, let me know.

A few of my favorite eating disorder / kindness / positive message reads online:

(Disclaimer: I do not want to generalize body image issues or ED's. Everyone is different. This was simply MY personal case. If you think you are struggling with any body or eating issues at all, seek help, do not feel ashamed. And most of all, keep working at it! I promise, it gets so much better. You can do this. 🙂

Copycat Vegan Rocky Road, aka Chocolate, Nuts and Marshmallow!

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vegan rocky road candy bar
Halloween time is the perfect time to turn your kitchen into your very own DIY candy station. From Almond Joy to Peanut or Almond Butter Cups and some creative creations of your own. I love veganizing some of my old favorite classic candy bars, and this week brings some marshmallow-filled Rocky Road fun. And this recipe offers up a new discovery: how to make a "milk chocolate" candy bar base instead of the dark chocolate version I usually use, combining dark chocolate chips and virgin coconut oil. Get the recipe and my milk chocolate trick! (Er, treat..)..

I love Halloween time! The glowing pumpkins, that spooky-fun feeling and costumes galore. I went to Disneyland over the weekend, and it was my first time there with all the Halloween decorations, and I loved it! If any place knows how to make an average Saturday night in October feel festive and special, it is Disneyland. From the giant Mickey Mouse Pumpkin plopped on the center of Main Street, cradled by a rippling pile of glowing pumpkins, to the fall foliage and orange and gold striped banners, to the playful Disney character statues, all dressed in Halloween costumes, surrounded by twinkly lights. I sometimes miss that east coast "fall feeling" but this made it feel brisk and cozy. Even if it was 75 degrees out.

disneyland pumpkins mickey mouse halloween

Milk Chocolate Trick: I discovered a new product! Coconut Butter. Artisana sent me a jar a while back and I am just now experimenting with it. It is whole coconuts made into a butter. So while coconut oil takes only the oil part, the coconut butter takes the entire coconut making a white opaque substance that stays white even when softened. So, when you use coconut butter instead of coconut oil to make a chocolate melted candy base, the results look and taste a bit more like milk chocolate than dark chocolate.

Coconut Butter Info from Artisana: "The difference between the Coconut Butter and the coconut Oil is actually the fiber content. Coconut Butter is the pureed meat of mature coconuts. It is roughly 60% oil, but it also has the fiber from the meat in it. It is solid at room temperature, a creamy white/beige color and when warmed up is thick and creamy and smooth. Coconut Oil on the other hand has no fiber .. and is clear when warmed."

How to make vegan (coconut) milk chocolate: Simply soften 1 part coconut butter with 1 part vegan chocolate chips. Stir briskly until smooth. Use for candy bars or chocolate drizzle. To harden chocolate, place in the freezer for a few minutes.

Vegan Marshmallows: There are a few vegan marshmallow recipes out there, but I prefer to simply delegate that recipe to the experts. Sweet and Sara have been perfecting the art of vegan marshmallows for a while now, and they are my favorite brand. Dandies are also amazing. But for today's recipe, I am using seasonal Pumpkin Spice vegan marshmallows from Sweet and Sara.

DIY candy bar time for Halloween..

Fluffy Sweet and Sara vegan (pumpkin-spice) marshmallows:

Must-have for me: a few simple candy molds, I have bars and peanut butter cup shapes:

Rocky Roads in their candy molds right after pulling from the freezer..

Artisana coconut butter..

Some with nuts, some all marshmallow!..

Vegan Chocolate Marshmallow Candy Bar

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 10/13/2014
Vegan Chocolate Marshmallow Candy Bar

These copycat Rocky Road candy bars combine creamy coconut milk chocolate, chopped nuts and fluffy vegan marshmallows.

Ingredients

  • 6 vegan marshmallows, chopped into tiny bits
  • ½ cup coconut butter
  • ½ cup dark chocolate chips, vegan
  • 2 tablespoon chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans or cashews)
  • optional: pinch of sea salt

Instructions

  1. Combine the coconut butter and chocolate chips in a small bowl to melt. You can easily melt them in the microwave, heat for twenty second intervals until melted enough to stir until smooth. Stovetop method: melt chips and butter over very low heat in a saucepan on the stove. Briskly stir the mixture until smooth and creamy and resembling melted milk chocolate. You could also use a hot water bath -- which is actually my preferred method. Get a nice how-to here on TheKitchn. Set aside.
  2. Next comes your candy bar mold. (If you do not have a "bar" mold, you could use lightly greased muffin tins, or make one large candy bar in a 9" brownie or bread pan and slice or break the candy into bars. For even thinner Rocky Road bark, you can use a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.) To layer the candy bars: Add ¾ -1 teaspoon of chocolate, then about 3-4 bits of marshmallow, a ½ teaspoon of nuts, then another ½ -1 teaspoon layer of chocolate on top. Optional: Add a teeny-tiny pinch of sea salt on each bar.
  3. Place the bars in the freezer to chill until firm.

Yield: 7-8 bars, mini
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.

Total time: 10 mins.
Tags: candy,chocolate,halloween,dessert,diy,vegan,marshmallows,rocky road