Tips For Eating and Living Well
It’s the end of October, which means soon we’ll need to be protecting ourselves from the cold weather and cold viruses. With a toddler in preschool, I feel like I’m constantly fighting off the viruses she brings home. But thanks to a local juice store, I’ve discovered a method of boosting my immune system and decreasing inflammation: turmeric, lemon, and ginger shots!…
As a mom, I totally understand the need for expedience in the kitchen. I’d love to say my family lives off of homemade casseroles and fancy dishes, but I’m a real human being who, believe it or not, does not live in the kitchen. Regardless, feeding my family well is still a high priority, so getting takeout can’t always be my go-to option. Solution? Quick, nutritious soups that even my toddler will eat! Last week I posted my 10-Minute Roasted Tomato Soup, and this week it’s a 10-Minute Cream of Mushroom Soup. Mmmmmm . . . …
Happy fall, everyone!
As I mentioned in my last post, it’s time for me to return to posting soup recipes since the weather will be turning cold soon. And just to ease you into making soup again, I decided to start with a super quick, super easy roasted tomato soup that tastes like it took an hour to make!…
It’s starting to feel like fall here in Winston, and I couldn’t be more excited! Fall is my absolute favorite season, and it always seems like the shortest. Just the smell of the crisp fall air makes me think of cool family walks, going to the fair, playing in piles of leaves, and eating bowls of hot soup.
But before I get back to sharing soup recipes, I wanted to post my newest — and now favorite — granola bar recipe: Coconut Cashew Granola Bars! My new obsession is coconut manna/butter, which is different from coconut oil in that it’s a whole food — pureed coconut meat. It adds a natural coconut flavor and richness to desserts, granola, and granola bars, and I can’t get enough of it! Combine it with the cashews, buckwheat, and other crunchy ingredients in this granola bar, and you have a nutritious breakfast or snack that tastes like a dessert!…
If you know a dietitian personally, you’ve probably witnessed her (or him) using her food knowledge to justify whatever she’s eating. You may have heard her say, “Oatmeal helps prevent colon cancer, so I should probably eat these oatmeal cookies.” Or maybe she’s said, “Red grapes contain resveratrol, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory antioxidant. So yes, I’d like another glass of wine.” Or you’ve heard the weakest, but probably most commonly used, justification — “Chocolate contains antioxidants!” So for those of you who like to have your cake and justify it too, here is the perfect dessert: Zucchini Brownies! …
Ever since I posted my carrot dog recipe a few weeks ago, people have been raving about how much they taste like real hot dogs! I decided to use my carrot dog marinade on baby carrots to make a snack-sized, toddler-friendly version: mini corn dogs! …
If you live in the Southeast and aren’t doing any gardening this summer, you’re really missing out! We’ve had afternoon rain showers almost daily, which have kept my vegetable garden quite happy. I planted my garden late this year because we had our garden boxes rebuilt and more organic soil brought in, delaying everything. But for whatever reason, the plants love the new soil and the weeds don’t. I’m so happy! …
If you’ve never used a spiralizer to make zucchini pasta, you are truly missing out! I finally caved and bought a legitimate one that has a crank, and I love it! I’m growing zucchini and cucumbers in my garden, so I figured I should start spiralizing! …
I hope everyone had a happy 4th of July!
Our family celebrated with a delicious meal of carrot dogs and oven fries, which you must try if you haven’t already.
Anyway, last week I taught a cooking class at Southern Home & Kitchen here in Winston, and it was a great success! The theme was raw vegan, so “cooking” class is actually a misnomer. The menu included three flavors of cashew cheese, a pear and arugula salad with Meyer lemon dressing, raw zucchini and tomato lasagna, and fresh mint ice cream with chocolate date sauce. I also brought samples of my mini cinnamon rolls for everyone to try. The menu was a hit!…
I used to joke with my husband that I was going make him carrot dogs, as if putting a carrot in a bun would be the saddest and most pitiful meat substitution in the vegan world. It was not until I received the latest PlantPure Nation newsletter, which praised the carrot dog, did I realize that carrot dogs are more than just placing a carrot in a bun and adding toppings. …
A question I’m often asked is, “If you suddenly didn’t have lupus anymore, would you go back to eating the way you used to (as in, eating a standard American diet)?” My answer: absolutely not. The purpose of that question is of course to determine whether a plant-based diet is “worth it” for a seemingly healthy person, or if I regularly choke down my vegetable dinner then go to my room to cry over how much I miss chicken fingers and baked brie. Trust me, it’s so worth it….
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
To celebrate this excuse to drink margaritas holiday, I’m sharing my most recent development: almond pudding cake with dulce de leche sauce! It’s warm, gooey, sweet, and surprisingly healthful!
These little cakes are vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and sweetened with maple syrup and coconut sugar. You could even eat these as breakfast muffins if you wanted! …
