Tips For Eating and Living Well
Yesterday my baby girl turned one year old, and I can’t believe it!
One year old already?! How did this happen?
In preparation for Abby’s birthday, I worked two weeks on a smash cake recipe that’s vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, dye-free, and refined sugar-free — and it was no easy task! I’ll admit I almost caved and added eggs and confectioner’s sugar, but I was determined to start Abby’s second year of life on the right foot.
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Now that Abby is almost one year old, I am constantly searching for nutritious finger foods to give her. There are several fruit snacks on the market, but they all have a long list of unnecessary ingredients that I don’t want to give to my baby. So I decided to roll up my sleeves, dust off my dehydrator, and pull out my food processor.
My goal was to create a nutritious snack that is high in vitamins and antioxidants, is naturally sweet, and is soft enough for a 6-toothed baby to chew. The fruit snacks I came up with contain superfruits goji berries and wild blueberries, in addition to apple and Chia seeds. They’re easy to make, and Abby loves them!
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Lately I’ve been craving a simple dish of savory vegetables over creamy polenta, so I decided to make a grilled vegetable napoleon with portobello mushrooms, asparagus, artichoke hearts, and cherry tomatoes. This dish wouldn’t be complete without a flavorful sauce to bring out the flavors of the vegetables, so I created a fire-roasted tomato and red pepper harissa with the perfect amount of heat and acidity. The resulting dish was exactly what I wanted — warm, filling, flavorful, and so easy! …
I’ve been seeing several recipes for chicken marsala on Pinterest, which has made me crave that savory mushroom gravy and meaty bite. I was thus inspired to develop a vegan version using tempeh instead of chicken, and nondairy creamer/milk instead of cream in the gravy. This recipe ended up being very easy and so satisfying!…
When experimenting in the kitchen, I accept that there will be failures as well as successes. But this vegan crème brûlée recipe is one that resulted in my texting my husband, “I AM A CULINARY GENIUS!!!” …
I’ve been craving kale salads lately, so I decided to share my favorite kale salad recipe. I’ve been making it for years, so I’m not exactly sure where I found it. And don’t let the name fool you — it doesn’t actually contain any cream! The creaminess of the dressing comes from ripe avocado, and the apple, beet, and walnut toppings add sweetness and crunch. This is one of my favorite lunch salads! …
As often as I recommend doubling a recipe and putting one half in the freezer for later, I must admit that I have yet to actually follow my own advice. The freezer space in our kitchen fridge is extremely limited, so over the weekend we bought an extra freezer to keep in the garage. Now I have no excuse! …
I’ve been on a bit of a cookie kick lately, which I know isn’t great for me. But because my family is in town, I decided to make some mostly-good-for-you Valentine cookies for everyone to enjoy. And what Valentine’s dessert is better than chocolate covered strawberries? Chocolate covered strawberry cookies!…
With my mom and brother coming into town to stay with us for a week, I needed to come up with something to serve for breakfast the next few days. I looked at several recipes and came up with these super nutritious breakfast bars. The base is a blend of oats, bananas, almonds, Chia seeds, cinnamon, maple syrup, and a touch of coconut oil. The topping is a mix of oats and superfoods — blueberries, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and almonds. …
Although I spend most of the winter missing summer vegetables, there is one winter squash that excites me every time I see it in the grocery store — the kabocha squash. This is perhaps the most underrated squash because it’s not in nearly as many recipes as butternut squash, yet it is so much better. …
After a few posts about desserts and fancy appetizers, it was time for me to post a family-friendly weeknight dinner recipe. I’d been wanting to create a vegan shepherds pie, and when I couldn’t decide what to cook for dinner yesterday, I accepted the challenge. …
Sometimes I will do anything to avoid going to the grocery store, especially now that I have a baby. When I was single and living by myself, I used to love going to Whole Foods in Nashville and frolicking around the produce department. But now I have to wait until Abby wakes up from her nap, buckle her into her car seat, put her into the shopping cart (where she always drops her paci and chews on the cart handle), stop to answer strangers’ questions about how old she is, etc., put her and the groceries in the car, and drive home. It’s nothing short of an ordeal. So yesterday I was determined to come up with a recipe using ingredients I already had, and what I created was so delicious, I decided to share it!
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