My Smoothietude Prize Pack!

Last week, I got a great gift in the mail- my Smoothietude prize pack! In case you missed it, Kathy from Healthy.Happy.Life hosted a smoothie photo contest, with tons of great prizes. My smoothietude entry came in just below the grand prize winner- I was one of two "first place" winners.

Here's what I found in my prize pack:

It included (all products raw, vegan, and from One Lucky Duck - which I definitely felt like!):

• Acai powder (so excited to try this in smoothies!), maca powder, and raw cacao powder
• A glass straw, complete with hemp bag to store it in and brush for cleaning (I thought this was a great addition, since I have been trying to avoid BPA-laden plastics, and paper straws often get too soggy)
• Almonds and a straining bag to make almond milk- I have been wanting to do this for a while so was really excited to get this!
• Himalayan salt
• A few yummy samples of raw cookies and bars
• A $50 gift card to spend at One Lucky Duck

I also received a signed copy of Kathy's new book, 365 vegan smoothies. So excited to try out these recipes!!

I quickly whipped up a smoothie of my own, and enjoyed it through my new glass straw ;-)

Looking forward to trying out more of these great prizes! A big thanks to Kathy and Gena for choosing me as one of the winners, and to One Lucky Duck for the great prizes!

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.

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!

Vegan Nog!

It's almost the weekend, so how about a little Nog to get in the holiday spirit? I used to love egg nog growing up, but always thought it was a little too thick. The vegan "seasonal" Nog is actually even better than the original, I think!

The above "Seaonal Nog" is made with soy milk, but there is also a coconut milk version. The conconut milk nog definitely has a different (coconutty, duh) flavor. At first I didn't like that one, but then it grew on me.... but I think the seasonal version is still my favorite.

Sprinkle with a little nutmeg, add a cinnamon stick...

... add some spiced rum...

Zaya rum: This stuff is seriously good

... and dive in!

Oh and by the way, if you are a rum person, I highly, highly, highly recommend seeking out that rum pictured above (Zaya). A friend brought it to our holiday party, and holy cow it's amazing. It might be the best rum I've ever had. It's smooth, has a spiced, lightly sweet, almost caramely flavor, and it's pretty darn strong. It's so quality, you might even call it sippin' rum. But it does go especially well with Nog too!

Happy Holidays!

Winter Kale Salad

I feel whole again. This was a stressful week of tons of work (and more to come), of no time for cooking exciting meals, and it left me feeling less than. But after an awesome Saturday yoga flow class, a run with my dog, (and ok a little shopping), and a giant bowl of this hearty, healthy kale salad, I felt renewed, revived, and energized. Easy to make but so, so delicious, this salad just makes you feel good. It would also make a great addition to a Thanksgiving spread.

Salad Pizza and Vegan Frozen Pizzas

Since going vegan, I probably eat less pizza than I used to; I'm totally ok with that, since I think those pizza meals have been replaced by better, healthier options. But every now and then, you do just want some pizza! Or, you need to rely on a ridiculously easy dinner option with little to no effort. At least, I do. Recently, I've found two great, vegan frozen products that make for easy and delicious pizza meals.

Above and beyond opening the box, "Salad pizzas" make a typical frozen pizza more filling by piling on tons of greens and veggies, which can also help you eat less of the pizza. Also, opting for a pre-made, whole grain crust only, or a gluten-free or vegan frozen pizza can help make those quick frozen meals healthier, since they tend to be lower in fat, sodium, and processed ingredients. Here are some of my thoughts and ideas for easy salad pizzas.

Recent Vegan Eats Out & About

Phew. It's been quite a week- we moved last Sunday, to a new place I'm totally psyched about. But it's been a week of very little sleep, crazed packing and then unpacking. I don't know about you, but I can't stand it when things aren't "in their place." There's still a lot left to do, but there's a light at the end of the tunnel... and plenty of good food along the way.

Parfait! -and non-dairy yogurt info

Yogurt, fruit, and granola makes for a delicious snack or breakfast. I used to eat at least a yogurt a day before going vegan. Since January, I've pretty much stayed away from the non-dairy yogurts, as my initial impressions of them were not so great. Grainy, odd-tasting soy yogurts were what I'd experienced. But, there are a lot of new products that are actually really good (it may just take some trial & error to find the one(s) you like).  Read on for my explorations in the non-dairy yogurt world.
**For my granola recipes, see these links:
Maple-Banana Low Fat Granola
Healthy Tropical Granola

Lentil LOVE and Easy Cauliflower Purée

I don't want to sound like a total vegan cliché, but I love having a delicious fresh healthy meal after my yoga class. It just feels so good to eat something good for you after doing something good for you. And I have a new-found love of lentils. They are high in fiber, low in calories, totally filling, and I love their flavor. So after this week's class, I was going to just heat up some lentils and spinach, but there was a head of cauliflower in the bottom of my fridge just waiting to be used. I was tempted to simply steam it, but decided to do something a little more inventive, for minimally more effort...