Category Archives: Snacks/Appetizers

Sep16

Apple Pie Granola

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Apple Pie Granola

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I moved to Houston from Ohio more than 5 years ago and one of the hardest things about that transition was September. September in the Midwest is kind of a magical month. The weather begins to change. Leaves start to turn colors. Summer feels like it’s over and a new season begins.

But in Houston typically, September feels like August. It’s usually still pretty hot here (make that really hot) at a time when you are ready for a change. Well, this week, September has been glorious. Cool mornings. Less humidity. It feels like a change of season. And it makes me want to shift toward some Fall tastes.

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Jul10

Vegan GF Cherry Chocolate Chip Muffins

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I’m going to tell you right now to plan on doubling this recipe or be ready to make another batch really soon. Because the recipe makes 9 muffins and they lasted about 9 minutes in my house. All my boys loved them. Their friends (even the ones that turn their nose up anytime I mention the word vegan) loved them.

I hardly ever make muffins. My husband makes a pretty great pumpkin muffin recipe every week to take to work and that’s sort of his thing. But I had these wonderful dried tart cherries lying around from my recent trip to Michigan and what goes better with cherries than chocolate?

So I made the muffins this week…

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Jul7

Farro Dolma Salad with Baba Ganoush

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Center For Yoga, Birmingham, MI

I recently returned home from a month-long journey that took me from Houston, TX to the suburbs of Detroit, MI. What I am willing to do for yoga…drive 20 hours, share a hotel room with other people for more than three weeks, wake up at the crack of dawn…and love (almost) every minute of it.

I had the privilege of studying what I love with 39 other people who love yoga as much I do. And when you get that many people together focused on a common purpose, great things happen. We laughed, we cried, we sweat (a lot), we danced, we sang and we bonded in an amazing way. I’m so happy to say that I have brothers and sisters all around the country that I shared this life-changing experience with.

Another thing we did was eat some pretty delicious mediterranean food. Who knew? Detroit is home to some incredible food. Maybe food tastes better after you’ve done a ton of yoga (or meditated for 8 hours or sat in a sweat lodge), but all I know is that I loved it. We had, among other things: dolmas; lentils and rice; cucumber tomato salads, hummus and baba ganoush. Of course, I was inspired to make some of this at home.

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Apr14

Maca Maple Cashew Granola

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I’m a yogi and I make granola…a lot. This is a stereotype that I wholeheartedly embrace. I’ve posted several granola recipes in the past two years, but this one is extra special to me.

It’s a standout for two reasons: first, it’s CLUMPY and second, it has MACA.

I have been trying for so long to come up with a tasty-not too sugary-clumpy-chunky granola recipe. It’s harder than you’d think. Well, this recipe has the clumpy thing going on and I love it. So while it’s still great as breakfast in a bowl with let’s say cashew milk (oh, man), it’s also just an awesome snack that you can put into a little wax paper bag and be on your way.

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Aug21

Vegan Chocolate Donuts With Peanut Butter + Chocolate Glazes

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This summer has found me wandering and traveling and tasting lots of wonderful things in lots of wonderful places. Had the most excellent vacation in the Pacific Northwest where my indulgences included some of the best coffee I’ve ever had and vegan donuts…preferably together.

The whole donut thing started in Seattle where we found Mighty-O Donuts on our very first day. We were looking to fuel up before our paddleboarding excursion on Puget Sound. Mighty-O promotes their donuts as organic and clean, but they don’t make a big deal about them being vegan. I like that. They are just donuts without any animal derived ingredients. No where that I could see was the word vegan used; on their website or at their storefront. Both times we went, the place was packed. People really do appreciate a good donut.

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Jun20

Blueberry Pie Granola

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Here’s my summer go-to granola. Blueberries are so good right now. And they are even better if you can find a place to pick your own. We are lucky where I live to have a wonderful blueberry farm about a half an hour away. Houston peeps if you haven’t been to Moorhead’s Blueberry Farm in Conroe, do yourself a favor and go. It’s so fun. But be warned. You will probably come home with way more blueberries than you know what to do with. Stick those babies in the freezer and enjoy them all summer long in your smoothies.

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Feb25

Arepas For My Friends

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Living here in Texas, I’ve had the privilege of meeting and becoming friends with several people from South America, particularly from Venezuela and Columbia. I know it’s hard to generalize about entire countries or continents for that matter, but my South American friends are the warmest, kindest and loveliest people. They are very dear to me.

It breaks my heart to think how worried my Venezuelan friends must be right now with the political turmoil taking place in their home country. Many of them have been sharing information, news and videos on Facebook about these struggles. Another friend participated in a rally in our suburb to bring awareness to the situation. I want them to know my heart is with them and I hope the violence ends soon.

So tonight I make arepas for my friends.

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Jan28

Snow Day Soft Pretzels

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Well, it’s not exactly a snow day here in Houston. More of an inclement weather day. The temperature dipped below freezing and we had some rain. And icy roads and overpasses are something we cannot deal with here. So, no school and extra time on our hands.

When I said to my youngest teenage son Eli, “Hey, do you want to make something in the kitchen today?” I was so pleased when, without hesitation, he said: “Yeah, let’s make honest pretzels!”

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Jan21

Hippie Triple Ginger Hemp Granola

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I was asked to write a bio recently and so I described myself as: a yoga instructor, vegan food blogger, stand up paddleboard (SUP) enthusiast and dedicated granola eater. There you have it…granola is actually a part of my identity. I love it so much. I love making it. I love eating it. And I love sharing it with other people.

Being crunchy-nutty is something I really do embrace. I like to think of myself as a kind, loving, earthy, hippie momma. I like real food made by hand. I say namaste and mean it. I am an open-minded, liberal-leaning, tree-hugging granola eater and this is my latest granola concoction.

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Jan13

Chai-Spiced Pecan Butter

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If I had to make a prediction for a 2014 food trend, I’d pick artisan nut butters. Yep, I’m talking $12/jar fancy shmancy nut butters. They might be a blend of different nuts or have special spices and flavors added. Of course, chocolate-hazelnut has been done and people love it. What about vanilla cashew butter or ginger brazil nut butter or cardamom almond hemp seed butter?

So I thought I’d whip up my own batch of trendy nut butter using good ole Texas pecans and chai spices. Making nut butter is so easy. Um, you put the nuts in a food processor and let it whirl around until it turns into nut butter. That’s pretty much it. I liked using pecans because I can get them locally since I live in Houston.  It’s our state tree and everything. Pecan trees, a species of hickory trees, are actually native to the U.S. and our country produces more than 80 – 90% of the world’s supply. So that’s neat, too.

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