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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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!

I always love a good recipe that sneaks in vegetables and other nutritious ingredients without sacrificing any of what we all crave. These brownies are inspired by the leftover sweet potato that has been sitting on my counter since last weekend + a strong craving for chocolate! My friend Dave got me interested in Cacao powder and I decided to give it a try in these brownies as well and they turned out GREAT! The best part of these brownies is that they are AMAZING as leftovers straight from the fridge. They take on a fudge like quality and can be enjoyed all week!   


Ingredients
1 cup almond flour 
½ cup of Cacao Powder (or cocoa powder)
¾ cup of coconut sugar or white sugar
1tsp baking powder

2 flax eggs (2T ground flax + 6T water) 
¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
¾ cups of chocolate chips (make sure they are vegan)
½ cup coconut oil 
½ tsp vanilla extract
⅓ cup creamy almond butter
1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potato **see notes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper 
2. Combine dry ingredients (almond flour, cacao powder, sugar and baking powder) into a large bowl and whisk to combine. 
3. In a medium sized bowl make your flask egg and let it sit until it resembles the consistency of an egg.
4. Meanwhile, add the almond milk and chocolate chips to a small saucepan and heat until all of the chocolate chips have melted. Make sure you are stirring the entire time and that the heat is not set too high or the mixture will burn. Remove from heat and let cool.
5. Add the coconut oil, vanilla, almond butter and cooked mashed sweet potato to the flax egg and stir to combine. 
6. Add the cooled almond-milk chocolate mixture to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
7. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
8. Smooth the batter into the prepared 8x8 pan and bake for 45-50 minutes***. 
9. Let cool completely, slice and enjoy! Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container 

NOTES
*** These brownies are moist and fudgy, they may look like they are not done, but they are! Make sure you let them cool completely before cutting, eating and enjoying. 

** SUPER EASY Sweet Potato Mash 

1. Rinse 1 medium sized unpeeled sweet potato 
2. Pierce the potato 6-8 times with a fork 
3. Wrap in a damp paper towel and place in a glass bowl
4. Microwave in high for 5 minutes
5. Carefully turn the sweet potato over in the bowl and microwave for another 3-4 minutes until sweet potato is fork tender. 
6. Carefully remove the paper towel, cut the sweet potato in half and let cool for 5 minutes.
7. Remove the flesh and mash with a fork.

For those of you who don’t know, I come from an amazing and rather large extended Italian family. My great grandma, Nana, and grandma, whom we call Mima, along with my mom and all of her five brothers are amazing cooks! When I was growing up we used to gather at Mima and Papa’s house for weekly Sunday dinners where we almost always had pasta. I loved Spaghetti dinners so much and these dinners have always been some of my favorite childhood memories.  Before I left for college many years ago, I asked my Mima to show me how to make her marinara sauce. She told me that fennel was the KEY to the tanginess, and that red wine really added depth of flavor. I hope you enjoy this simple Red Wine Marinara sauce that is even BETTER the next day and therefore perfect for your Make Ahead of Monday needs! Bon Appetit!

Ingredients

½ yellow onion chopped 
2 cloves of garlic minced
1T olive oil
4 - 16oz cans of organic tomato sauce
2 tsp crushed fennel seed (or more for taste)
2 - 3 T of dry red wine
2 tsp dried basil or 4 tsp chopped fresh basil
Dash of salt

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Directions

1. Heat medium saucepan on medium high heat
   
2. Add olive oil, onion and garlic and saute until fragrant and translucent making sure not to brown or burn
   
3. Slightly reduce heat and add cans of tomato sauce, crushed fennel, red wine, basil and a dash of salt.
   
4. Stir to incorporate, cover and simmer for 20 minutes on low. 
   
5. Adjust seasoning as needed. 
   
6. Use right away or let sauce cool and add to a freezer safe container. Sauce can be refrigerated to use later in the week or can be frozen for up to 5 months. ​
   

I have a very fond memory of going to Chicago with my cousins from Arizona, my sister and my mom and grandma a few years ago. We stopped at Eataly and enjoyed an Italian lunch and then wandered around the sweets floor. We happened upon a drink that featured basil and blueberries and I'll never forgot how refreshing and energizing that made me feel.  I decided to recreate it at home and have been making it ever since for a healthy source of immune boosting antioxidants. I usually make this in the summer when I have an abundance of fresh basil in my garden and when fresh blueberries are in season, however, in light of the Coronavirus and flu that have us all feeling panic, I thought that it would be a good time to share this tonic. Blueberries are some of the most nutrient dense berries and I love using wild blueberries because they are even richer in antioxidants!!  (see article)  

Even though most of us are not headed into our normal work routine this week, I thought it was still important to share a recipe in hopes that it could provide comfort for your week(s) ahead at home. Taking care of our bodies is so incredibly important during this time of uncertainty. Stay healthy everyone! 

​Ingredients (makes one tonic)

1 cup fresh or frozen wild blueberries
¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves
Juice from ½ of a lemon
1 cup of filtered water
2 ice cubes

Directions 

Place all of the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend on high until juice like consistency is achieved. Enjoy immediately or assemble in the evening, store in the fridge and re-blend in the morning.

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Valentine's day is right around the corner and I always try to do something special for my sweetie. He loves when I make breakfast so I began experimenting with using warming gingerbread spices in pancakes and it turned out wonderfully!  I can’t wait to make a double batch for him on Valentines morning and to save the leftovers for our week ahead! We found that these are best served with a drizzle of maple syrup but you can get creative with berries, or powdered sugar! We hope you enjoy these Gingerbread spiced pancakes!

Ingredients

½ cup of almond milk
½ tsp apple cider vinegar
1 egg whisked 
1 Tbsp molasses 
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp pumpkin puree
1 Tbsp coconut oil or other vegetable oil
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
¾ cup of oat flour (to make your own, add rolled oats to a blender and blend on high until flour forms) 
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
⅛ tsp cloves
⅛ tsp nutmeg

Directions (makes 6 pancakes)  

1. Combine the almond milk and apple cider vinegar, stir and let sit until the mixture curdles a bit (about 3 minutes).
2. Combine the whisked egg, molasses, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, coconut oil and milk/vinegar mixture in a large bowl and gently whisk to combine.
3. Add the baking soda, baking powder, oat flour, and spices to the bowl and stir until combined. 
4. Let your batter sit for five minutes while you heat your skillet on medium. 
5. Grease your skillet with butter, and pour ¼ cup of batter onto the pan. 
6. When bubbles appear and the edges are set, gently flip your pancakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes more and then plate! 
7. If Making Ahead of Monday, let the pancakes cool on a wire rack before putting them into bags and placing them into the fridge. 
8. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup! 

Recipe inspired and adapted from Minimalist baker (gluten free protein pancakes)

Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

My most favorite recipe for pancakes is actually one of the healthiest versions I have ever come across. These Peanut butter Protein Pancakes from Minimalist Baker have been our go-to ever since I first found the recipe about a year ago.  However, when I made them for my family, my sister said she did not like the peanut butter taste.  That got me thinking about possible modifications to this recipe. Today I found a solution that we loved, I adapted this recipe to eliminate the nut butter and added … you guessed it, PUMPKIN! :-)  Hey, it’s still fall so I’m allowed to eat as much pumpkin as possible right? These still contain protein from the ground up oat flour and the added egg! They are also gluten free, and CAN be made vegan if you prefer.   These pancakes last 3 days in the fridge, and are great reheated for your Make ahead of Monday needs!

Ingredients

½ cup of almond milk
½ tsp apple cider vinegar
1 egg whisked (or one flax egg if making vegan) 
1 Tbsp maple syrup
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp pumpkin puree
1 Tbsp coconut oil or other vegetable oil
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
¾ cup of oat flour (to make your own, add rolled oats to a blender and blend on high until flour forms) 
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp cinnamon

Directions (makes 6 pancakes)  

1. Combine the almond milk and apple cider vinegar, stir and let sit until the mixture curdles a bit (about 3 minutes).
2. Combine the whisked egg, maple syrup, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, coconut oil and milk/vinegar mixture in a large bowl and gently whisk to combine.
3. Add the baking soda, baking powder, oat flour, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon to the bowl and stir until combined. 
4. Let your batter sit for five minutes while you heat your skillet on medium. 
5. Grease your skillet with butter or coconut oil (if vegan), and pour ¼ cup of batter onto the pan. If the batter gets too thick, add a tablespoon of almond milk. 
6. When bubbles appear and the edges are set, gently flip your pancakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes more and then plate! 
7. If Making Ahead of Monday, let the pancakes cool before putting them into bags and placing them into the fridge. 

Recipe inspired and adapted from Minimalist baker