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Blackberry Chia Jam

Easy blackberry chia seed jam to made on the stovetop with berries and chia seeds and naturally sweetened with lemon and maple syrup.

After the Fourth of July, it always feels like we’re entering the height of summer.

Many of my friends are out of town and colleagues have out of office messages notifying the world that they are unavailable.

During the dog days of summer, the pace of life feels slower, which can be hard for someone like me that is attached to moving quickly.

Summer also makes me nostalgic for being a carefree kid who only needed to hold space for finishing my latest library book and chilling at the neighborhood pool.

As adults, we are asked to keep the velocity of our lives moving forward while simultaneously pressing pause to make time to relax.

So, if summer feels like a tug of war between a packed social calendar and reluctant relaxation, I get it.

What I’m working on is being very intentional with my time off, and really being present and in alignment with what the day is asking of me.

If it feels like a “push” day, then I do all of the things; I shoot the recipe, I write the post, I edit the photos, I teach the yoga, I do it done.

If it feels like a “pause” day, then I pull back on work and lean into other tasks, maybe even taking some time off.

They key for me is to not think about work when I’m relaxing and not think about relaxing when I’m working.

You know what I mean?

It’s all about presence.

With that said, I highly encourage you to give your full attention to the recipe I’m sharing today.

It’s super easy to make and the perfect way to use up extra blackberries in the refrigerator.

This Vegan Blackberry Chia Jam is made with just 5 ingredients on the stovetop for a sweet summer spread!

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BBQ Lion’s Mane Mushroom Sandwich

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BBQ Lion’s Mane Mushroom Sandwich made with Eden Foods Organic Dried Lion’s Mane Mushrooms and served with tahini slaw on toasted buns.

The summer solstice has come and gone and it is HOT right now in the DMV.

Last weekend I attended another full weekend of my 300 hr yoga teacher training program, where we talked props and how they can support our poses.

And I was supported all weekend not only by my yoga blocks, but by a personal portable fan that I angled anywhere sweat pooled.

Oh, yeah, the hot yoga studio where I’m completing my training doesn’t have AC.

So, it took some reminding myself that I am resilient and being a little uncomfortable is OK.

I chatted with my friend after the weekend about attachment to creature comforts, and how important it is to let go of those every now and then.

And I’m most definitely attached to my perfectly thermo-regulated 72 degree air conditioned room.

I’m glad that we made it through the weekend before it got *really* hot like it has this week.

As I’m writing this post, temperatures are hovering just below 100 degrees!

With the extreme heat, we’ve been walking Flora first thing in the morning and staying indoors as much as possible.

The best thing you can do when cooking in the heat is to keep that oven off!

Today I’m excited to share a fresh sandwich that’s perfect for cookouts, summer entertaining, and weekly meal prep.

This BBQ Lion’s Mane Mushroom Sandwich is made with Eden Foods Organic Dried Lion’s Mane Mushrooms and served with a tangy tahini slaw on toasted buns.

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Blueberry SunButter Breakfast Cookies

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Blueberry SunButter Breakfast Cookies made with oatmeal, SunButter, and blueberries. Bake them in advance and grab for an easy breakfast!

Last week I was lucky to see the Glass Animals perform live in Richmond, VA.

It’s the longest distance I’ve ever travelled for live music!

The energy was palpable and we spent the entire show standing, dancing and singing to the beats that I knew, craved, and loved.

Attending the show meant *so* much to me, and even more so because I missed seeing them last year when they were in Maryland.

Last year, I forfeited the tickets last minute because we had just brought home Flora, who was cute enough to make me forget even my most admired artists.

I joke that the Glass Animals helped me survive 2020, but truly, their album “Dreamland” felt like a lifeboat amidst divorce, pandemic, and solo living.

It also helps that the singles played on the radio became the unofficial soundtrack to my budding relationship with M.

“Heat Waves” and “Your Love” were always on when I made the drive to Maryland to pick up M for a day date.

So I feel very satisfied and fulfilled that I was able to see them live after all these years.

Naturally, we packed up the pup and took her with us, and although she couldn’t actually attend the show, she waited up for us at the Air B&B like an angel.

Because this was a 24 hour kind of mid-week trip, I wanted to keep things super simple and easy with packing, and, particularly food.

That’s where these Blueberry SunButter Breakfast Cookies come in.

These Blueberry SunButter Breakfast Cookies are made with oatmeal, SunButter, and blueberries.

Bake them in advance and grab a few for an easy breakfast, no matter where you are!

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Blueberry Stovetop Oatmeal

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Blueberry Stovetop Oatmeal made brilliantly blue in 15 minutes. Top it off with your favorite nuts, dried fruit, and seeds.

Last weekend, I attended our Philosophy section of my 300 hr yoga teacher training program.

To prepare for the weekend, we read the entire Bhagavad Gita and answered a series of question prompts on identity, ethics, and right action.

If you haven’t read the Bhagavad Gita, it’s a part of an epic poem that takes place on a battlefield where the warrior king Arjuna converses with Lord Krishna.

The battlefield is a metaphor for life, and the lessons Krishna imparts on Arjuna are both powerful and very applicable to our modern society.

During the session, we shared our responses honestly and openly.

We identified our personal battlefield, narrowed in our dharma (duty), and started to understand our attachments and why they cause suffering.

I left the weekend, mind whirling with ideas, questions, and all of the tools to continue the practice of svadhyaya (self-study).

When prompted, I told the group that I felt that my dharma in this lifetime was to be a creator.

Whether it’s writing a post, photographing a recipe, styling a plate, or sequencing a yoga class, it’s all from the same energy.

I want to continually put love out onto my website, social media, the yoga studio, your email box; all of the avenues of connection.

My hope is that I start a ripple that somehow inspires right action in you, whether that’s to make a recipe, start yoga, eat more plants, or maybe just take a bubble bath.

Because if there’s one thing I learned this weekend it’s that we’re all connected.

I love the metaphor of us all being drops in the ocean, all a part of the collective whole.

So, thanks for being a part of my collective, friend!

And now, after my philosophy rant, I have a new recipe for you that is beautiful, nourishing, and seasonal.

This Blueberry Stovetop Oatmeal is made brilliantly blue in 15 minutes.

Top it off with your favorite nuts, dried fruit, and seeds for a fun breakfast for any season!

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Viral Tiramisu Chia Pudding

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Viral Tiramisu Chia Pudding made with Organic Chia Seeds and espresso topped with cacao. Perfect to meal prep for breakfast or a snack!

This year, we got our hands on our first espresso maker.

We purchased it second hand so there was no pressing urgency to use it religiously.

While I have used it bagel (0!) times, M has already gotten our money’s worth and then some with all of the espresso he has experimented with.

The addition of the espresso maker inspired a kitchen reorg with the creation of “coffee corner”.

We now have a whole corner of our precious counter space dedicated to coffee related things, including but not limited to:

Our coffee grinder, bags of beans, the coffee scale, the new espresso maker, and all of it’s accoutrements.

With the new workspace, he’s tried pretty much every bean from our favorite local roaster to dial in the best ‘spresso.

So, naturally, he was delighted when I requested that he make me espresso shots for today’s recipe.

Tiramisu has been a long time favorite dessert of mine, but one that I’ve yet to make vegan.

So I’m excited to share my version of the Viral Tiramisu Chia Pudding.

This chia pudding incorporates all of the layers and flavors of tiramisu, without all of the hard work.

It’s Tiramisu in pudding form!

My version of the Viral Tiramisu Chia Pudding is made with Organic Chia Seeds and espresso topped with cacao.

It’s perfect to meal prep for an energizing breakfast or a snack!

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Doggie Birthday Cake

By Flora & Vino 1 Comment

The cutest doggie birthday cake for your four legged friend made with applesauce, oats, pumpkin, yogurt, and peanut butter.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost a year since I first stumbled across the picture of a Red Tri Australian Shepherd puppy.

And that two months later that puppy would become the rascal that we know and love called Flora.

Today is Flora’s first birthday!

As I write this post she’s doing her favorite new hobby that we call “neighborhood watch”.

We started opening the front door with the screen door shut after realizing that she *loves* to watch the neighborhood happenings.

Yes, she’s a watcher.

But she’s also a sassy, chaotic, and comical velociraptor.

And we love her in all of her chaos and and intensity.

Naturally, as a new dog mom, I wanted to spoil her with an actual cake for her bday instead of treats.

Something I’m not sure I’ve shared here is that Flora is a *very* picky eater.

We struggle to get her to eat dry food consistently and are mildly concerned that she seems to have survived the past year on a diet of training treats and bully sticks.

So it was a huge honor when Flora leaned in, sniffed her Doggie Birthday Cake, and actually ATE it.

This is the cutest doggie birthday cake for your four legged friends made with applesauce, oats, pumpkin, yogurt, and peanut butter.

It’s Flora approved and I hope your pup will approve too!

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Vegan Viral “Salmon” Bowl

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Vegan Viral “Salmon” Bowl with marinated tofu, diced cucumber, and kimchi served with nori strips and organic sesame seeds.

If you can’t tell, I’m on a bit of a sushi kick lately.

It’s a craving that only gets better when it starts to get warmer outside.

But today’s recipe is one that you might recognize from social media.

Like so many people, I was fascinated by Emily Mariko’s Viral Salmon Bowl on TikTok.

I was captivated by the ease of the ingredients and the frequency with which she made it.

And the fact that it went viral *must* mean it’s pretty good, if so many of us like it, right?!

I also love that the bowl is essentially deconstructed sushi, complete with a side of nori for wrapping.

For years, I’ve come back to the idea of creating the recipe…and making it vegan!

Here is my version of the Viral Salmon Bowl, with a few plant based tweaks and a lot of deliciousness.

This Vegan Viral “Salmon” Bowl is made with marinated tofu, diced cucumber, and kimchi served with nori strips and organic sesame seeds.

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Vegan Chocolate Waffles

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Vegan Chocolate Waffles made with oat flour, coconut milk, and raw cacao powder. Perfect to make for a nutritious breakfast!

Hi, hello, what’s new?

This week was crunch time at F&V as we prepare for a camping trip next week AND Flora’s spaying surgery.

I can feel the momentum of spring into summer, all culminating into the celebration of Memorial Day this weekend.

We’ve also had a *lot* of rain, making work and life a little more challenging in navigating shoots in natural daylight and muddy walks with the pup.

I read a quote recently when preparing for teaching yoga this weekend that spoke about finding the calm amidst the storm.

And by focusing on a single raindrops hitting the ground we can find a bit of calm in the chaos.

Life has felt a bit like one big storm lately, to me.

I find myself procrastinating tasks and challenges for when “life is easier”.

It dawned on me that I need to find a slice of tranquility while life’s marathon races around me.

Because if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that life won’t stop life-ing, so maybe I can challenge it with reframing what calm looks like.

Amidst the stressors, I still *love* me a warm sweet breakfast.

These Vegan Chocolate Waffles are made with oat flour, coconut milk, and raw cacao powder.

They’re perfect to make for a nutritious breakfast, no matter what season of life you’re in!

Trust me, the ingredient list is shorter than your “To Do”, list, friends!

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Swiss Chard Pasta

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Swiss Chard Pasta Sauce made with swiss chard, basil, cashews, and nutritional yeast on top of your favorite noodles.

This past weekend Flora spent her first night away from us since we brought her home nearly 9 months ago.

Because we were spending the evening at a concert in Virginia, we wanted to make sure that she was well taken care of in our absence.

While I’m not a new parent, I can imagine that the feeling I had is similar when venturing out without your babes.

I kept seeing my watch during the live music and thinking, I hope Flora is OK!

We didn’t know what to expect when we picked her up bright and early the following morning from doggie daycare.

But I *know* we didn’t expect her to want to go back inside with the providers instead of back in the car with us!

So we drove home convinced that she had the time of her life and with pictures as proof to suggest that she made some new pals.

I have a new pal too, and its name is Swiss Chard Pasta.

This Swiss Chard Pasta Sauce is made with swiss chard, basil, cashews, and nutritional yeast on top of your favorite noodles.

Think pesto, but not.

Think green goddess salad, but with noodles.

Think green!

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Avocado & Cucumber Rolls with SunButter Sauce

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Avocado & Cucumber Rolls wrapped in toasted sushi nori sheets with a creamy SunButter Sauce. Perfect for a date night meal!

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how I never really got back to “normal” after the pandemic.

I didn’t really need to, because my normal can be working in pajamas in the comfort of my own home.

Outside of teaching yoga once a week, climbing, and heading to our favorite coffee shop every Saturday, I otherwise don’t *need* to venture out.

During the pandemic, my house became my safe space, my place of work, and my workout studio.

I stopped attending hot yoga at the local studio (something at the time I couldn’t imagine living without), and started practicing exclusively at home.

So it was rather magical this weekend, when I attended my first hot yoga class in over 5 years during my 300 hr YTT program.

Sitting in an easy seat chanting with a chorus of of “OM” vibrating around me, tears prickled behind my closed eyelids.

THIS, I thought, is what yoga is about.

It’s nothing short of magical and it’s about me but it’s also about embodiment inside of community.

While I’m grateful for my strong personal practice at home, I’m remembering what drew me to yoga classes in the first place.

I’m so glad that I ventured outside of my comfort zone to learn, grow, and connect again; it’s been a while.

It’s also been a while since I’ve made sushi at home.

It’s interesting because sushi is both so simple and so complex at the same time.

It has a few parts that take some foresight, but if you take the time to plan, you’ll be very grateful that you did.

These Avocado & Cucumber Rolls are wrapped in toasted sushi nori sheets with a creamy SunButter Sauce.

It’s the perfect meal to make with others so dinner is a shared experience.

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