Power Energy Bites and "Super Foods"

These little bites are packed full of nutrients. Small and mighty. Easy grab & go. A little bit chocolatey, chewy, and just a hint of sweetness. Perfect for popping before a trip to the gym, a long run, or just when you need a little energy kick.

Banana Oat & Date Scones

The local bakery in our town makes amazing vegan oat scones. I was thinking of them when I woke up Sunday morning. I love baking on Sunday mornings, so I set out to make some scones this time. I  ended up making a lower fat, banana version that was lighter, and cake-ier than our bakery's - a bit more like a muffin. This is likely, at least partially, because I accidentally ended up leaving out the all-purpose flour that the recipe I was adapting from called for. Oops. I clearly needed coffee. But, the result was still delicious, and possibly even more flavorful than those bakery scones. Cinnamon spice, a hint of  banana, whole wheat goodness, wrapped in maple-dipped oats, and naturally sweetened by dates and raisins.

Birthday Sugar Cookies

Some of our good friends had a birthday party for their one year old last weekend, so I brought along these sweet frosted treats to help celebrate! These roll-and-cut sugar cookies are easy to make and fun to decorate. They taste sweet and sugary, and just a little buttery, with just the right crunch-to-chewiness consistency.

Vegan Hot Cocoa, "Cheez," and More New Vegan Finds!

I'm a big fan of trying new things. Especially new vegan foods. Usually, it's new fruits, veggies, and grains that make it into my basket (in addition to my favorite staples, of course!) But every now and then there are certain products I just have to try too. So I thought I'd share a few vegan food items I've found and tried recently!

French Toast TWO!

This is an update from my earlier posted recipe for vegan French Toast with date compote.  Like the last version, I whipped this up in no time, and also used banana. Both recipes are incredibly easy, and trust me, you don't miss the eggs at all. But with this version, you can actually get some "eggy-looking" bits, sans any dairy products at all. This version also adds in a bit more flavor. Soft, sweet, toasty French toast. Simply made, and simply vegan.

Coconut Collards with Spiced Chickpeas

Collard greens. Not something I tend to think of as a go-to green. If anything, collard greens make me think of a greasy-spoon, down-home Southern cooking restaurant we used to go to in New York called Mama's. They aren't something I'd really go out of my way for, usually. But they do work beautifully in my black bean very veggie soup. And now, I have another great recipe they shine in: coconut collards, complemented by spiced, nutty, hearty chickpeas. A filling side dish or meal.

My Holiday Vegan Eats

One thing I was both looking forward to and a little anxious about was making meals while home over the holidays. I live a 6 hour flight from where my family is, so it's not like I could just pack up my car and bring home all my favorite ingredients. I really wanted to share dishes with my fam that showed off how delicious & flavorful vegan food can be, but I didn't necessarily want to buy the wide array of oils, grains, and products I've collected over the past year of being vegan. I found a good balance- buying a few staples like non-dairy milk and margarine, flax seeds for baking, a little nutritional yeast, and using what was already in my mom's pantry to pull together some holiday meals I was happy to share with my family. It was definitely a little more challenging to find some of the fresh veggies and vegan items I've grown accustomed to, but with some helpful grocery store employees and a few modifications, I whipped up some great vegan eats while home for the holidays!

New Year's and Veganiversary!

Happy 2013! It's also been one year since I decided to officially go vegan! My one year veganiversary! ;-) It seems to have flown by!

We hosted yet another party last night, for New Year's Eve. Lots of fun, lots of food.  Read on for the spread, and a few veganiversary thoughts!