Happy St. Patrick's Day! Though I didn't go to any St. Paddy's Day parades this year, the Irish in me wanted to add a little green into my afternoon in honor of the holiday. A few days ago, Kiss Me Organics sent me some of their matcha green tea powder to try out. Some stats on matcha: It's the highest quality powdered green tea out there and is considered a powerful superfood. It's been a Japanese cultural norm since the 12th century. It's an antioxidant powerhouse. In fact, my package notes that matcha has 137x the antioxidants of brewed green tea -- whoa right! Made of chlorophyll-rich tea leaves, matcha is ground into a fine powder using the entire leaf. Its natural properties are thought to cause an increase in energy and physical endurance, as well as a metabolism boost. I'll ... [Read More]
vegetarian recipes
Banana Chocolate Buckwheat Pancakes [Vegan & Gluten Free]
Being the big pancake lover that I am, I obviously couldn't let National Pancake Day pass me by without whipping up a new flapjack recipe! Before talking about my yummy creation, I want to share a picture of the newest addition to my family -- a baby boy name Daniel Richard! I became an aunt for the third time this morning when my younger brother Danny and his girlfriend welcomed him into the world. How precious of a little face right? Being across the country from my loved ones is hard when things happen with my family. I would love to hold him while he's so tiny, but I'll have to wait a few months for my next trip to the East coast to meet him. Moving onto other happy things, pancakes... When I picked up some buckwheat flour at my local health food store yesterday, I immediately had ... [Read More]
Avocado Walnut Pesto Tofu Salad
When I was younger, I didn't eat nuts -- no cashews, almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, nada. I can't decide which came first: me deciding that my tastebuds weren't a fan, or me putting them on my silly can't-eat-because-of-the-high-fat-content-list. Well my friends, I've gotten older and wiser, and now am a firm believer in including heart-healthy fats in my diet on a daily basis. Nuts (and most definitely nut butters!) are a frequent part of my eats. I'll throw a half-serving on top of my yogurt, or eat a serving as a snack here and there. So when California Walnuts contacted me asking if I'd like to try a bag of their walnuts to play around with in the kitchen, I gladly accepted. The nuts came in a kind of earthy feeling burlap sack, which I thought was a cute touch. To check out some of ... [Read More]
6 Dip Ideas for the Super Bowl
With the Super Bowl coming up in a week, I know that there are plenty of people out there trying to come up with easy but tasty (and hopefully somewhat healthy!) munchies to bring to a party or have at their own place. As I mentioned in my last post when sharing my recipe for queso fresco black bean dip, I am most definitely an appetizer and dip lover. So, without further adieu, I thought I'd share 6 awesome dip recipes with you today: French Onion Dip I just whipped up my take of this classic yummy dip for the first time last New Year's Eve. I liked it so much, I just may make it again on Sunday! Serve it with carrots, celery, pretzels, or (homemade) potato chips. You can check out the recipe here. Spinach & Artichoke Dip A lighter version than what you'll find in restaurants all ... [Read More]
Zucchini Puree with Oregano Cream
Happy weekend everyone! My Saturday so far has been lovely. I put my juicer to work for breakfast, finished up this week's IIN lecture, took Harley for a long walk, and visited the Morgan Hill farmers' market and health food store. Today was the first time I'd been to my town's farmers' market in awhile, and I forgot how much I love just walking around markets picking up local food. There's a certain energy at a market filled with locally grown food and the happy farmers and workers who sell it. My market picks: All of the apples I've been getting at food stores have been browning quickly and aren't as crisp. It's amazing how much crisper and fresh the apple is that I'm eating at the moment, along with some strawberries (Strawberries in January? Sure why not!) while sitting on my ... [Read More]
Blueberry Lemon Oatmeal Flaxseed Pancakes
Hi there! Before I get to my awesome pancake recipe today, I have a few random things to share with you: 1.) This week I officially started school at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition! I'm really excited about the class and connecting with other students. I just feel like everything I've read, seen, and heard so far at IIN resonates with me so much and makes me feel so motivated. I'll definitely be sharing some concepts and ideas of the course that I find interesting throughout the year, so stay tuned! 2.) I'm in love with ordering canvas prints of neat photos I've taken. The above canvas is my latest order, which I got for $20 via a Groupon deal. The picture is from my trip to Livermore Valley last year during harvest season, and I'm pretty much in love with it. 3.) My giveaway ... [Read More]