There is something about summer that makes me crave berries. The endless fields of blueberries on our trip to Michigan totally inspired this smoothie recipe.  Everywhere you look, this time of year, they sell fresh picked blueberries in southwest Michigan.  Our vacation was such a different experience this year with three little ones. It was filled with joy and fun but in quite a different way than in past years. I love how we have this time together each year and how we can now share that with our little boy.  I always miss my daily smoothies when we are away so I made this one when we arrived home.  The creamy almond butter coupled with the sweet and tart berries blend into a creamy treat perfect for your morning routine!! I hope you enjoy. As always, please leave a comment if you try out our recipe! ENJOY!

Berry Almond Smoothie

1 frozen banana
1 cup of mixed frozen blueberries & strawberries
2 T creamy almond butter (unsalted)
1.5 cups of unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup of vanilla yogurt

Blend all of the ingredients together in a high speed blender until creamy. Makes two smoothies.

To make ahead: place all of the ingredients minus the yogurt and almond milk into a freezer safe container. Freeze overnight. In the morning add the contents along with the yogurt and almond milk to a high speed blender until creamy. 

I was wandering the aisles of Trader Joes the other day and I happened upon a new possible smoothie addition in the frozen fruit aisle, Acerola Puree Packets. I was excited to learn that each 3.5oz packet contained 1180% vitamin C! I thought it would be a perfect ingredient to incorporate for a new immunity boosting smoothie I was working on. My favorite thing about using Acerola puree is that they contain NO sugar, making it a perfect low calorie addition to my morning smoothie! 

Immunity Boost Smoothie (makes 2 smoothies)

1.5 cups of Unsweetened Almond Milk 
1 frozen banana 
¾ cup of frozen strawberries
1 Acerola Puree Packet (3.5 oz)
1.5 T nut butter (I use peanut butter) 
2 tsp ground flaxseed
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp hemp seeds 

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients (minus the hemp seeds) into a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Divide into two glasses and top with the hemp seeds.  

Directions to Make Ahead:
Combine the banana, strawberries, Acerola packet, nut butter and ground flax into a freezer safe bag. Store in the freezer until ready to use. Add the contents of the bag along with the almond milk and vanilla to a high speed blender and blend until smooth!

I am always amazed by some people's creativity with granola recipes. A few years ago I purchased some grain-free granola and I was blown away by how tasty it was!  I couldn’t believe that granola didn’t need its usual main ingredient, oats, and that it could be just as flavorful without them. I found myself dreaming of that granola a few weeks ago as I was wandering the aisles of Trader Joes. I grabbed as many raw seeds and nuts as I could and decided to work on creating a similar recipe. The results were fantastic, and my family really liked it too. This granola is VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE and packed with plant power! I made a double batch this morning and enjoyed the sweet aroma that filled our home. The best part about granola is that it is PERFECT for a quick make ahead breakfast, or snack. We hope you enjoy this Seed and Nut Grain Free Granola recipe. Let us know if you try it! 
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Ingredients

¾ cup raw cashew pieces
¾ cup raw sunflower seeds
¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
½ cup chopped raw pecans
¾ cup sliced raw almonds
¾ cup unsweetened coconut chips (I found mine at Trader Joes)
1T raw flax seed
½ T melted coconut oil
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla 
½ tsp cinnamon
¼-½ cup of raisins or mixed dried berries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
3. Combine all of the ingredients (minus the raisins) in a large mixing bowl and stir to coat. 
4. Spread the granola on the baking sheet in an even thin layer
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until slightly golden*
6. Stir in the raisins or mixed dried berries and let the granola completely cool on the pan
7. Enjoy with nut milk or with a dollop of yogurt. 
8. Store leftovers in your pantry in a sealed glass jar for up to a week. 

* Be careful not to burn the granola!

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This week I was on a quest for easy freezer friendly waffles. I haven’t been able to find a good frozen waffle from the grocery store so I decided to try making my own recipe. I also wanted to incorporate Buckwheat flour because I read that it is a good source of easily digestible plant based protein and is good for heart health. The results turned out great! I was able to enjoy one (ok.. more like 2) and place the cooled waffles directly in the freezer. The next morning I popped one in the toaster and within minutes I had a “fresh off the waffle iron” crispy waffle!! I made some blueberry jam from my Peanut Butter and Blueberry Chia Seed Oatmeal recipe and stored it in the fridge for an easy topping! These are the PERFECT make-ahead solution for your busy weekday mornings. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients (makes 5-6 waffles)

1 T lemon juice
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup buckwheat flour
¼ cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1T ground flaxseed 
3T coconut sugar (or white sugar)
½ tsp cinnamon
⅛ tsp nutmeg

Directions

1. In a small mixing bowl make "buttermilk” by combining the lemon juice and the almond milk. Let it rest for 3 minutes.
2. Add the egg, and vanilla to the buttermilk mixture and whisk to combine
3. In a medium bowl combine all of the dry ingredients. Whisk to combine.
4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. 
5. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
6. While you are waiting, heat your waffle iron to the highest setting and brush with oil or butter. 
7. Use ⅓ cup of batter for each waffle. The waffles should be firm and crispy when they are done. 
8. Enjoy right away or let the waffles completely cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight back in the freezer. 

I have been experimenting and doing lots of research with protein powders and vitamins this past week. As a vegetarian I am often searching for creative ways to add protein to my diet. I came across the brand Nuzest and I ordered a small pack of their vanilla pea protein powder with the intent on adding a couple of scoops to my smoothies. I really liked the idea of pea protein vs. soy!  It was expensive vs. other brands that I have seen, but I was fun to try something new. If you are making this smoothie, feel free to use ANY brand of protein powder. Please share in the comments section below and let me know what your favorites are so I can try them too! If you don’t have protein powder, just eliminate it from this smoothie and add raw hemp seed instead.  I also discovered some amazing peanut butter from Trader Joes, “Organic Creamy Peanut butter with Valencia peanuts.” It only has one ingredient, organic peanuts!! My trick with one ingredient peanut butter is to turn it upside down in your pantry so that the oils incorporate. Your peanut butter will be super creamy without all the oil on top and no need to stir!! I combined these new found ingredients with three kinds of berries and some oat milk and the results were fantastic!! I Hope you enjoy this Make ahead of Monday treat as much as I do and I hope it makes for a yummy start to your Monday morning! 

Ingredients
1.5 cups unsweetened oat milk
½ tsp vanilla extract 
2 tsp vanilla protein powder (optional)
1 frozen banana
½ cup frozen strawberries
¼ cup of fresh or frozen raspberries
1T creamy peanut butter
1 acai packet (can be found at Trader Joes in the frozen aisle) 

Directions

1. Combine all of the ingredients into a high speed blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy.
   
   
   

Directions to Make Ahead

1. In a freezer safe bag, combine the frozen banana, broken up acai packet, frozen strawberries, raspberries and peanut butter and place in the freezer overnight. 
2. In the morning combine the contents of the bag along with the oat milk,  vanilla and protein powder extract in a high speed blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. 
3. Enjoy on the go in a reusable to-go cup!

This past fall I had the privilege of taking a 10 year college reunion vacation with my college roommates/best friends. We decided on Portland because it was a new place for all of us and one that we have heard great things about in the past.  For the first time in my life, my high expectations were truly exceeded, Portland was MAGICAL. If you know me well, you know that I am quite shy and that I don’t often talk to strangers, well not Portland Danielle, I was having full on conversations with uber drivers, feeding the homeless, asking baristas what their favorite drink was on the menu, actively looking for an opportunity to meet the members of my favorite band, Ages and Ages, and smiling while walking in the rain … Portland. Was. PERFECT! We stayed in the cutest AirBNB along a street packed with culture, unique shops, vegan and vegetarian restaurants, a kombucha bar and a double decker bus that was actually a tea place! We stayed up late doing nails, sipping tea, chatting and acting like we did when we all lived together. One of my roommates Traci is an incredible artist and she documented the joy of that trip perfectly in one of her daily drawings. She creates a Daily “Quipple” which is an inspirational drawing or quote and if you sign up, it gets delivered to your inbox every single day! In college she would literally document every single day with drawings of “us” that we housed in “the book.”  This was one of her inspirations for creating the Daily Quipple!  Please check it out, she’s AMAZING!  Click on the picture to see  more of her amazing work and to learn more of her story!!

Anyway, back to food.  My other roommate/best friend, Olivia, found this great smoothie place for us to have breakfast at and we went every day while we were there. I ordered the same smoothie each day and have been dreaming about that smoothie since our trip to Portland. It has been my mission to recreate it as best as I could... so, today, I decided to and.. WOW, I did it! This is my dedication to Portland, my soul city, and one that showed me one of the best vacations of my life!!! Cheers to soul friends, soul cities, health and happiness!

Ingredients (makes one large or two small smoothies)
1 frozen banana
½ cup frozen strawberries
1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk
1-1.5 T creamy peanut butter
​1 tsp vanilla extract 
1 acai packet (can be found at Trader Joes in the frozen aisle) 
Sprinkle of raw hemp seeds

Directions to enjoy right NOW!

1. Combine all of the ingredients minus the hemp seeds into a high speed blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy.
2. Top smoothie with raw hemp seeds and ENJOY! 

Directions to Make Ahead

1. In a freezer safe bag, combine the frozen banana, broken up acai packet, frozen strawberries and peanut butter and place in the freezer overnight. 
2. In the morning combine the contents of the bag along with the almond milk and vanilla extract in a high speed blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. 
3. Top with raw hemp seeds and enjoy on the go in a reusable to-go cup!

Does anyone remember that silly song, I like to eat apples and bananas?” Creating these muffins brought me back to those fun lyrics, and truly made me miss my students even more! I always sing this song for my 1st graders around this time of the year, and now with the distance learning taking place, I am really truly missing seeing their faces light up when we do fun silly songs such as this one. Anyway, back to the world of food. These VEGAN muffins are stuffed with plant based goodness and are easy to make and a fun breakfast treat you can enjoy throughout the week. I also snuck in some protein  with the addition of the oat flour, which, if you haven’t tried making oat flour before, is VERY easy. You simply add whole oats to a blender and blend until it looks like flour!  I use oat flour in pancakes too, so I always make a bunch and store it in a large airtight container for easy use! I hope you enjoy these muffins! If you make them tag us on social media! 

​Ingredients (makes 12 muffins)
1 flax egg (1T ground flax + 1.5T water) - you can also use 1 chicken egg if not vegan
2 overripe bananas mashed 
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup avocado oil 
½ tsp vanilla
2T unsweetened plain almond milk (or any other non dairy milk) 
½ cup oat flour (oats ground up in high speed blender into flour)
​1 cup all purpose flour
1+1/2 tsp baking powder
1tsp cinnamon
1 heaping cup of peeled green apples diced very small 

Directions (updated 05/05/20)

1. In a medium sized bowl make your flax egg by combining 1T of ground flaxseed with 1.5 T of water. Stir and let it sit until the mixture resembles an egg. 
2. While you are waiting for the flax egg, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a non-stick muffin pan with a little bit of non-stick oil.
3. Add the mashed banana, brown sugar, avocado oil, vanilla and almond milk to the flax egg mixture and stir to combine.
4. In a large bowl combine all of the dry ingredients: oat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder and cinnamon and whisk to combine.
5. Pour your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients and gently stir to incorporate. Do not over mix. 
6. Gently fold in the apple pieces
7. Scoop the batter into muffin tins and fill to the top. You should have enough batter for 11-12 muffins. 
8. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Test after 20 with a toothpick inserted into the center. If it comes out clean then the muffins are done. 
9. Let the muffins sit for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.  
10. Store uneaten muffins on the counter in an air-tight container for 2-3 days. After than transfer to the fridge. 

When my husband and I first decided to go vegan, one of the first breakfast recipes we sought was something that resembled eggs. We tried several tofu based recipes that we liked and then decided to add some Mexican flavors!  What we came up with was one of our favorites and one that CAN be made ahead and enjoyed for days in a variety of ways. We hope you enjoy this Mexican Tofu Scramble this week for breakfast!! 

Ingredients (make 4-5 servings)

2 tsp nutritional yeast
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp smoked paprika
⅛ tsp black pepper
2 T water
1 T olive oil
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 block of extra firm tofu pressed to release moisture
2-3 T taco seasoning
Salt to taste
2 T chopped cilantro

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Directions

1. Mix the nutritional yeast, turmeric, smoked paprika, black pepper and water in a small bowl until incorporated. Set to the side. 
2. Heat a large skillet on medium high and add the olive oil
3. Once the pan is hot add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent. Do not let it burn or brown.
4. Crumble the tofu with your hands and add to the skillet. The texture should resemble eggs. Stir to incorporate and saute for about one minute.
5. Add the seasoning mixture from before and stir to coat the tofu. 
6. Add the taco seasonings, adding more or less for taste preferences. 
7. Saute for about 3-4 minutes 
8. Add salt to taste along with the chopped cilantro. 
9. Serve in a breakfast burrito or in a burrito bowl with salsa, sliced avocado and chopped kale.
10. This scramble lasts for 5 days in the fridge, reheats in the microwave (or can be eaten cold) and is perfect for easy make ahead breakfasts!

This recipe is dedicated to my chocolate loving best friend, Traci. I have countless fun memories of Traci and I going to chocolate shops in college together, sharing chocolate desserts at the Walnut room, drinking sipping chocolate on our yearly reunions and making chocolate desserts in our college apartment kitchen.  When we were in Portland together this fall, I was wandering around alone  and I found THE BEST chocolate shop. It was wall to wall chocolate!! I wanted to create this recipe for Traci to eat for breakfast during her birthday week. I wish we didn't live so far way so I could make this for her on her on her birthday morning, just like the good old days when we lived together. (Happy Birthday Traci!) I hope you all enjoy this super easy Chocolate Lover's Oatmeal! 

Ingredients

1 Tbsp cocoa powder
½ cup steel cut oats
2 + 1/4 cups of unsweetened non dairy milk 
½ tsp vanilla
2 tsp maple syrup (or to taste)
1 small square of dark chocolate (optional, but amazing)

Directions (makes two servings)

1. Combine milk, and steel cut oats in a medium saucepan on medium heat. 
2. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until fully incorporated. 
3. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, stirring every few minutes, for 20-25 minutes or until oats are tender. 
4. Remove from heat and add vanilla, maple syrup and one dark chocolate square. 
5. Watch the chocolate melt and enjoy!!! 

For most of my life up until a recent heart surgery, I haven’t been able to handle the caffeine in coffee.  Instead I turned to green tea for a jolt of energy if I really needed it. Now that I can drink coffee I still prefer the feeling of green tea to the overly intense burst of energy I get from coffee. While I love sipping tea, I thought, why not incorporate it into a smoothie for a healthy breakfast plus a bit of energy. The results were both healthy and delicious!  I hope you enjoy this Energizing Matcha Green Smoothie packed with fruit and vegetables that can be prepared ahead for an easy morning breakfast! 

Ingredients

1 cup almond or oat milk
2 T vanilla greek yogurt (use vegan yogurt if you’re vegan)
1 green apple cut into cubes
1 frozen banana 
¼ - ½ teaspoon of food grade matcha powder 
1 T of nut-butter 
1 handful of frozen or fresh spinach 

Directions to make RIGHT NOW  (makes 1 smoothie)

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend on high until smooth. 

Directions to Make Ahead 

1. Combine the frozen banana, nut-butter, spinach, matcha powder and cubed green apple in a freezer safe bag and freeze overnight. 
2. In the morning, add the contents of the bag along with almond milk and  greek yogurt to a high speed blender.
3. Blend on high until smooth!