Recipes, projects & products that don’t suck.

Over the weekend, I was talking to a friend who I hadn’t seen in a while. She was asking how the “vegan thing” was going and I was commenting on how much more energy I have now. Looking back on the past week, it’s crazy how much I’ve managed to get done. So much more than I ever used to. I wish I was disciplined enough to keep a journal. It would be interesting to take a look back at a few years ago. To compare notes on how I felt then compared to now. It’s easy to forget. People ask me all the time if I plan on sticking with this. It’s been over a year and right now, and I see no reason…

A few weeks ago, I had the grand idea of inventing a key lime coconut popsicle recipe for Cinco de Mayo. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out so well. I must have used too much key lime juice because they were quite tart. Not horrible, just not what I hoped for. BUT, in the process, I learned an awesome trick for juicing key limes–use a garlic press! GENIUS! Worked like a charm. I decided to revisit that flavor combination another time, and moved on to Orange Creamsicle instead. I was shooting for a popsicle recipe, but as it turns out, I prefer this vegan, gluten-free recipe in its original form–as a creamy beverage. Instead of using navel oranges, I used my new favorite fruit discovery–minneola oranges….

Remember the Get Balanced course I wrote about not too long ago? It’s a 15-day course focused on balancing your cortisol levels (that would be your stress hormone), which is intricately linked to everything from weight to mood to energy. I’m 11 days in and going strong. You would not believe the amount of substance to this course. Nutritionists, Megan and Katie, have done a fabulous job of organizing the course materials and releasing them a bit at a time so you don’t get overwhelmed. There is power in knowledge and when we learn the basic science of how things like sugar, gluten and caffeine affect so many aspects of our bodies, we start to see the bigger picture. The course packet contains several great recipes,…

When I told Hubs I was going to attempt to make gluten-free, vegan bread, he said, “Oh no.” That’s kind of how I felt about it, too. A GF/V (and xanthan-free, bonus!) bread that actually tastes good is not easy to come by. Not to mention, bread can be tricky to make. When I came across this recipe from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen, the selling factor was the very long thread of mostly raving-review comments. I had to see for myself. I was thinking… if this actually works and doesn’t taste like crap, well, I’ll believe it when I see it. As you can see in the photo, it turned out quite well. And I’m happy to report that it tastes as good as…

Remember our friends, J & A? And the baby shower I threw for them back in November? Well they’ve barely been in their new home for four weeks and guess who decided to make his way into the world two weeks early? Yep, their baby BOY! Isn’t he so cute?! Everyone is healthy and happy and doing great. Under his little cap is a full head of blonde hair. Just look at those cheeks! Congratulations, J & A! Nice work ;) Even though the flu has been going around like CRAZY, Hubs and I have managed to steer clear of the bug. Otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten to hold that sweet baby! I haven’t even had a sinus infection or a cold. Last year was…