Flora & Vino

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Spicy Black Bean Hummus & Banana Chips

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Elevate your snacking with this spicy black bean hummus paired with sweet baked banana chips! Perfect for a healthy plant-based snack. 

My girlfriends and I have a group text chain we use to keep each other moving, healthy, and inspired during the week.

We chat meal prep, scheduled workouts, water consumption, running goals, and a smattering of wildly appropriate gifs.

If my phone starts buzzing at 6 AM, I know who’s on the other side of the frantic beeps.

A few weeks ago, in said text chain, my girlfriend posed the question, “Best afternoon snack ideas- GO.”

Since food is kind of my job, I felt inclined to go all out.

“Chia pudding, celery and peanut butter, yogurt and granola, raw bar, carrots and hummus…”

I typed a stream of consciousness of safe snacks without pausing.

Then I stopped and looked at my list and thought….my snacking could really use some upgrading.

If you’re not a believer in group text chains, this Spicy Black Bean Hummus & Banana Chips will make you one.

It’s a snack combo that you won’t want to miss, complete with a protein packed black bean dip and no-sugar-added chips!

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Kidney Bean Arugula Salad

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Simple and flavorful kidney bean salad with arugula, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, and avocado. Perfect for a quick protein-packed lunch. 

Kidney Bean Arugula Salad by Flora & Vino

TRUTH: Doing any indoor activities outdoors immediately elevates the entire experience.

Ex: yoga, running, wine-tasting, reading…

I remember one day in college my English professor stood up in the middle of class and said without warning, “Let’s have class outdoors today!”

All of us undergrads grabbed our paperback books and notebooks and sat under oak trees discussing Shakespeare’s sonnets.

It was the best class ever.

I’m sitting outside as I write this and it occurred to me that I should probably do this more.

“This” being take advantage of working outdoors if and when I want to.

Early on in solo entrepreneurship, I was absolutely guilt of idealizing the “be your own boss” life.

Working for myself, I assumed it was going to be a spontaneous flow of lunch dates, walks with Harper, and skipping out of the studio early for the early yoga class.

Turns out it’s more of an 80 hours workweek model, and my lunch date tally is still in the single digits.

But then there are moments, working on the deck cradling my laptop between crossed legs, that I feel free-er than I ever have.

Especially with this Kidney Bean Arugula Salad to my left!

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Blueberry Pie Oatmeal (No-Added-Sugar!)

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Simple stovetop oats naturally sweetened with banana. Topped with an easy sugar-free blueberry pie compote. Perfect for workweek breakfast! 

Blueberry Pie Oatmeal (No-Added-Sugar!) by Flora & Vino

Well hello, lovelies, and welcome to August.

I started off the month with an early bird Solid Core class (5:30 AM!!!) and a big bowl of oats that taste like pie.

OK, I make it sound seamless, but the truth is that there was a lot of snooze button-slapping and matcha-slurping that propelled me here.

Wanna join?

OK, if you can’t make it to class, I get it, but you should at least join me for breakfast.

This Blueberry Pie Oatmeal (No-Added-Sugar!) is my current favorite way to eat oats.

It’s completely fruit-sweetened and packed with protein, fiber, and a 2-ingredient blueberry pie compote….

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Chocolate Ganache Lava Muffins

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Vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free chocolate ganache lava muffins naturally sweetened and overflowing with a 2-ingredient dark chocolate coconut center.

Chocolate Ganache Lava Muffins by Flora & Vino

Last day of July– where exactly did that come from???

The biggest development this week so far is that the house finally sold.

It feels a bit surreal knowing that this place I’ve called home for three years will be somebody else’s in a little over a month.

What makes it more poignant is that Flora & Vino HQ, the first place I set up shop for this biz of mine, will be moving along with me.

But home is where the heart is, and work is where the food is, yeah?

On the bright side, this means no more showing requests and open houses and scrambling to throw eats together between staged visits.

Naturally, I had to celebrate by covering the newly sold kitchen in chocolate.

These Chocolate Ganache Lava Muffins are a celebration in themselves– vegan and gluten-free muffins with overflowing with a 2-ingredient chocolate ganache.

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Corn, Tomato, & Avocado Salad with Zoodles (Oil-Free)

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Easy raw summer salad with corn, tomato, avocado, cucumber, and zucchini noodles. Oil-free and simply dressed. Perfect as a light nutritious summer side!

Corn, Tomato, & Avocado Salad with Zoodles (Oil-Free) by Flora & Vino

This has been the summer of corn for me.

For a long time one of my “fear foods” was corn.

“But Lauren,” you might say, “Corn is a veggie, at honestly it’s not very scary…what gives?”

Well, at some point I decided (probably due to misconstrued messages from diet culture) that corn wasn’t good for me and should be avoided at all costs.

This went on for several corn-on-the-cob-less years, until, in my recent healing I decided to add all of the corniness back in my life.

This summer I decided that, actually, in fact, corn is delicious and I’m going to eat it in all of the things.

Who’s with me?

At our last book club my friend served up a corn-centric summer salad that was so simple and delicious!

I’m excited to share my own version with you– packed with summer produce and an unexpected zucchini noodle twist.

This Corn, Tomato, & Avocado Salad with Zoodles (Oil-Free) is the summer side you’ve been waiting for.

It’s light, refreshing, and ready to serve less than 10 minutes for any summer occasion!

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Piña Colada Peanut Butter

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Three ingredient oil-free and refined sugar free piña colada peanut butter made with roasted peanuts, freeze-dried pineapple, and shredded coconut. 

Piña Colada Peanut Butter by Flora & Vino

Wow, it was a long workweek, friends.

Can I interest you in a Piña Colada to kickoff the weekend?

“If you like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain…” #sorrynotsorry

No, this isn’t a mixed drink recipe, but I would argue that it’s better.

So, what do you say, how about some Piña Colada Peanut Butter?

Whether you’re a nut butter addict or a nut butter newbie, this recipe is for you.

You just need 3-ingredients and 5-minutes to make this sweet nutty spread!

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Jamaican Jerk Cauliflower Steaks & Rosé

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Vegan cauliflower steaks with a homemade Jamaican jerk seasoning and fresh squeezed orange. Serve with greens, grains, or protein of choice. 

Jamaican Jerk Cauliflower Steaks & Rosé by Flora & Vino

I’ve been craving a big fancy meal lately.

The kind of meal you get dressed up for and spend hours devouring the courses.

Most of the time I’m the type of person who would choose a home-cooked meal over going out any day of the week.

Something about the helter-skelter of moving, though, has made me crave the simplicity and charm of eating out.

Partially for the food and also heavily because of the fact that I don’t have to do the dishes afterwards.

But instead of immediately jumping on Happy Cow seeking your next fix of plants, let’s make a fun cruciferous steak of our own.

These Jamaican Jerk Cauliflower Steaks & Rosé are an easy plant-based pairing to elevate your summer dinner plans!

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3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Dog Treats

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3-ingredient homemade dog treats made with old-fashioned rolled oats, natural peanut butter, and banana. Perfect for your pups and human-friendly, too!

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Dog Treats by Flora & Vino

Hello!

This post is a little different but if you live with a furry friend or see one on the regular then they’re going to love it so you should stick around.

It’s Harper’s third birthday today so I thought we should celebrate!

For the past three years I’ve been making her these super simple baked dog treats to ring in her big day.

Each year I have to dig it up the recipe to make and share, so I’m finally sharing here so none of us lose it ever again!

It’s hard to forget, because these biscuits are done in under 30 minutes with clean pantry ingredients.

You just need peanut butter, banana, and oatmeal to make these 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Dog Treats for a happy pup.

And if you’re so inclined, they’re absolutely human-friendly too, for a lower sugar cookie snack!

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Carrot Hot Dogs with Japanese Yam “Buns”

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Veg-centric take on the classic hot dog that’s vegan, gluten-free, and grain-free! Vegan carrot “hot dogs” stuffed inside baked japanese yams “buns”.  

Carrot Hot Dogs with Japanese Yam Buns by Flora & Vino

Before I was vegan, I was vegetarian for a few months in college, trying on the veg-life for size.

It felt good.

I remember I sheepishly broke my veg-tastic streak on a night-out at the ballpark with friends.

Peer pressure persuaded me to order a ballpark hot dog because, hey, I didn’t want to be the oddball snacking on peanuts until the 9th inning.

My, how times have changed.

These days, I’ll gladly flaunt my veg while watching home runs.

And I’ve got just the quirky veg alternative that is sure to get noticed.

These Carrot Hot Dogs with Japanese Yam Buns might be the cutest and healthiest “hot dog” you’ve ever seen!

A smoky marinaded carrot “dog” placed between a perfectly baked japanese yam “bun” piled with my favorite ballpark toppings!

Hot diggity dog, let’s get to it.

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Sunny SunButter Hummus

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Easy savory hummus made super creamy with the addition of sunflower seed butter in place of tahini. Serve with fresh cut veggies, crackers, or fruit. 

Sunny SunButter Hummus by Flora & Vino

How was your Fourth of July?

I had high hopes of seeing fireworks overlooking Virginia vineyards, but as luck would have it, it was a rainy and overcast here.

That’s OK, because I still rocked my favorite “starry” tee and watched the Macy’s fireworks show with a glass of Rosé.

Thunderstorms have been a daily occurrence here, a sure sign that summer is in full swing.

This Sunny SunButter Hummus is sure to brighten your summer snacking, rain or shine!

You’re going to love this variation on savory hummus made super creamy with a secret ingredient…sunflower seed butter.

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