Here's a fun tidbit: February is National Chocolate Lovers' Month. There are so many days and months out of the year declared food holidays - but I'm not complaining, I kind of like celebrating the randomness. The other day, I decided to start checking out the food holidays of February. Besides the entire month being declared a chocolate lovers' celebration, we also just passed National Carrot Cake Day and National Homemade Soup Day last weekend. And then there's National Fettuccine Alfredo Day on the 7th, National Drink Wine Day on the 18th, and National Chocolate Mint Day on the 19th.... and those are just the holidays that I can really get behind, I'm leaving out the ones that didn't appeal to me! Chocolate is certainly worth celebrating, don't you agree? Someone asked ... [Read More]
snack recipes
Snickerdoodle Energy Bites {vegan + gf}
Greetings from the Sunshine State! This week I'm in Marco Island, Florida for my father-in-law's wedding (which is happening today!). Have you ever been to Marco Island? I've been to Florida many times and even lived here briefly, but it's my first time being on Marco Island. When I'm getting ready for a trip, I always make sure to pack some healthy snacks in my carry-on bag. Being a healthy vegetarian eater, I can't rely on there to always be food options around that I'm happy with. Some airports/flights have pretty decent options, and other have a horrible selection - I just never know. By packing some healthy snacks, like protein and granola bars, apple chips & pretzels, I know that I'll always have something to hold me over. Another snack that I like packing for trips is energy ... [Read More]
Healthy Pumpkin Brownie Bites {vegan}
Are you guys sick of pumpkin yet? Me neither! Well I hope that you aren't over pumpkin yet this season, because today I have another healthy recipe to share with you that's full of pumpkin-y goodness. Truth be told, I don't really remember being a big fan of pumpkin until a few years ago. This autumn I can't get enough of it. I'm putting pumpkin puree in my smoothies and pancake batters nonstop, and of course, coming up with some pumpkin baking creations. I came up with this recipe on a day when my hubby and I were meeting up with my friend Angi and her hubby for dinner that night. I wanted to bring her some healthy treats, and I was in a creative mood, so I whipped up these babies. The inspiration for these pumpkin brownie bites was these store-bought ... [Read More]
Chocolate Pumpkin Protein Bites {vegan + gf}
Made with wholesome ingredients like pumpkin, oats, dates, and hemp hearts, these energy bites are the perfect autumn snack to whip up! Chocolate protein powder gives them a protein boost, and mini chocolate chips & cocoa provide some chocolatey goodness. I feel like I say this every time I post an energy ball recipe, but I really love energy bites as a healthy little snack! I'm constantly switching up my energy ball combos, and I usually make a batch on the weekend, them throw them in a bowl to have available for on-the-go snacking or a healthy dessert all week long. My husband loves energy bites too. His favorite kind is chocolate peanut butter, but he's an energy bite monster in general... and a cookie monster too for that matter! I legit hide my Lenny & Larry's Complete ... [Read More]
Cashew Cake Batter Fruit Dip {Vegan + Gluten Free}
With the summer produce starting to pop up in markets around town, I've been loving all of the fruit lately. Sweet cherries, strawberries, and peaches have been my favorite. Nature's candy is the best! So naturally with all of my fruit consumption in recent weeks, I had to make fruit dip. Dipping fruit into a decadent tasting dip is one of my favorite desserts, especially when it's healthy like today's recipe! I've been making a lot of cake batter recipes lately, including a few batches of energy bites, smoothies, and now, this fruit dip. I also think that cake batter cookies may be in my baking future. To get that cake batter flavor, I combined cashew butter with shredded coconut, maple syrup, vanilla dairy-free yogurt, vanilla extract and cashew milk. ... [Read More]
Chocolate Pistachio Energy Bites [gluten free]
I'm such a sucker for any kind of place where high-quality food is the focus. Farmers' markets. Gourmet food shops. Italian markets. Bakeries. I love it all. It's no secret that I love experimenting in the kitchen, and finding new foods and ingredients gives me inspiration to try new recipes... plus I just love eating food, obviously. A few weeks ago, I was walking to a Starbucks to work for awhile before meeting a friend for dinner, when I passed by a spice shop. I've seen it before when it was closed for the day, but this time it was open. Naturally, I walked in the shop and moseyed around smelling and tasting things. I wound up leaving with some goodies - all that were new to me, with the exception of local cinnamon infused honey (I pretty much buy that whenever I see ... [Read More]