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Saint Patrick’s Day Recipe Round Up

A collection of naturally green favorites from the blog, packed with matcha, avocado, and greens, to keep you from getting pinched on Saint Patrick’s Day!

When I worked in an office I was *always* counting down the days until the next commercial holiday.

Something about celebrating them always made me feel closer to my colleagues and the world behind my dual monitors and stark white walls.

I put extra thought into my work attire, carefully selecting the emerald green skirt to be on theme.

In quarantine, I’ve been leaning on holidays, too, to give me something to look forward to through the tough times.

Birthdays, holidays, half-birthdays, food holidays– give me a good reason and I’ll celebrate it.

Well, it’s almost Saint Patrick’s Day!

This year, let’s eat something good and green, shall we?

In this Saint Patrick’s Day Recipe Round Up I share some of my favorite naturally green recipes from the blog.

They’re sure to give you food inspiration in a pinch and save you from (literally) getting pinched this Saint Patrick’s Day!

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Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookie for One

By Flora & Vino 6 Comments

This almond flour cookie is grain-free, oil-free, and packed with dark chocolate chips! Perfect for when you need a single serve cookie fast.

Hi friends, how’s it going?

My cookbook manuscript is due in exactly one week so the nerves here are palpable.

M got me a beautiful new standing desk as an early birthday present that honestly couldn’t have come at a better time.

It’s just my style– sturdy, wooden, and rustic, with a spacious top and a lever that adjusts the height.

It will be put to good use as I feverishly finalize my manuscript writing this week and prepare to photograph the recipes next week!

Yes, my birthday is coming soon (April 2nd!); the second birthday spent in quarantine.

This past weekend was my 1-year quarantine anniversary, marking one whole year since I started staying home.

I felt inspired to put together a post on Instagram with some of my thoughts after 365 days of quarantine life.

But despite the heaviness of the past year and stress of the book, I feel lightness on the horizon.

This week has beautiful weather forecast, I signed up for my vaccine, oh, and I perfected the art of making a single serve cookie.

This Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookie for One is ready in 15 minutes for nights when you need a single cookie fast! …

No-Churn Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream

By Flora & Vino 3 Comments

No-churn pistachio ice cream made with coconut milk, cashews, and plenty of pistachios! Serve with crushed pistachios as a naturally sweet dairy-free dessert.

Hi, friends, and happy March.

I’ve been holed up, feverishly working on my cookbook draft that is due in less than two weeks!

The pieces are all starting to come together and the manuscript is starting to feel like a cohesive whole that I’m increasingly ready to send out into the world.

But I’m emerging from my writer’s den to share with something sweet and green.

We had some really warm days this week in Virginia where it felt like spring.

M and I walked jacket-less on our normal daily walk, watching the neighborhood awaken to the feeling of spring.

Joyful kids on scooters, geese waddling on grass, the silent promise green buds on trees.

As it starts to get warmer, I’m craving more cold things.

Smoothies in the morning, white wine in the evening, and ice cream…all the time.

When I mentioned making a vegan ice cream, M said that pistachio was one of his favorites.

I’d never had pistachio ice cream before (have you???) so naturally, I had to try it out for myself.

This No-Churner Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream is made with just four ingredients without an ice cream maker for a nutty and creamy dairy-free dessert!

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Veggie Lover’s Flatbread Pizza

By Flora & Vino 1 Comment

Veggie lover’s pizza made grain-free with Bob’s Red Mill Flatbread Mix. Add sauce, vegan cheese, and toppings for a plant-based pizza night!

Story time: M and I have never been on a *real* dinner date; you know, the whole dinner and drinks thing.

Yes, dating during a pandemic is, well, less than ideal.

On our first date we went hiking, and I showed up in hiking boots, a loose olive green shirt, and yoga pants.

“You look ready to hike,” he said. I was.

Honestly, I found it a lot more fun to walk and talk than to sit and stare across a blank tablecloth, anyway.

It was nice to have something to do with my legs and arms while my mind was spinning like the tea cups at the amusement park.

But eating together is a fun way to connect, so it wasn’t long before we started sharing food at home.

On our second date I cooked for him at my place, the 1-Pot Pasta from the blog.

Since then, we’ve curated a collection of recipes that we enjoy making together, including but not limited to: tacos, spaghetti squash, and anything in a bowl.

Lately, one of the things we enjoy creating together is homemade pizza.

We ask Alexa to “shuffle songs by Alt-J” and start pizza prep across the gray granite kitchen island.

Together, we craft two personal pizzas, one for each of us, both similar but deliciously unique.

So today I’m sharing this Veggie Lover’s Flatbread Pizza with you that we made on a recent date night.

It’s ridiculously easy to make while being magically vegan, grain-free, and gluten-free!

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Date Caramel Nougat Bars

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Date Caramel Nougat Bars made with Medjool dates and an almond flour nougat base. Dunk them in vegan chocolate for a Snickers dessert feel!

Lately, I’ve been a recipe-testing machine.

I’m *this* close to finalizing my recipes for the cookbook, so the fridge is loaded with leftovers and the freezer is nope-ing out on any additions.

Not to mention the usual creative chaos of recipe testing for my first love, this space on the internet.

I currently feel like my attention is divided between two needy children, and I oscillate between them like a bobblehead; not wanting to play favorites.

Trying to keep things even.

Such as, which recipes do I save for the book and which do I keep for the Internet?

I imagine it’s how my mom and dad felt divvying up gifts for my sister and I on our birthdays (exactly one week apart in the Spring).

Particularly because I kept numerical score, carefully counting the number of Rachel’s wrapped gifts to compare to my own loot tally the following week.

Haha.

M and I have a system of passing on decision-making for the evening, meaning the other person has to make any and all decisions, including, but not limited to: what to eat for dinner, which yoga class to stream, and which show to watch on Netflix.

Life decisions during COVID are hard.

Luckily, the cookbook is meal-prep focused, which narrows down my scope a bit.

And while these Date Caramel Nougat Bars are highly delicious and addicting, they’re not a meal prep essential, freeing me to share them with you now.

Oh, but they *are* essential; essentially delicious with just six ingredients and an easy no-bake method!

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My Favorite Vegan & Gluten-Free Product Alternatives

By Flora & Vino 1 Comment

My favorite vegan and gluten-free store-bought product alternatives to commonly used meat, dairy, and wheat ingredients. Add them to your shopping list!

My Favorite Vegan & Gluten-Free Product Alternatives by Flora & Vino

I was on a phone call last week with a food brand client, when I had an epiphany.

I definitely can’t always say that about work calls, can you?

Anyway, before talking blog and business, we had a great chat about being plant-based.

She mentioned that she was consciously eating more plants, and I applauded her for trying out a plant-based meal every day.

We went on to talk about the incredible variety of vegan product alternatives that exist today.

“You know,” she mused out loud, “I wish there was a list that you could give me of which products are worth trying and which aren’t.”

“That’s an excellent idea,” I said.

So, guys, I went off and made that list, and I’m sharing it with you today.

In this post, I’m sharing My Favorite Vegan & Gluten-Free Product Alternatives to commonly used meat, dairy, and wheat ingredients.

I use these high-quality products with ingredient integrity on a daily basis, both in my everyday eats and recipe testing.

They’re great to have on hand in order to make vegan and gluten-free eating accessible and easy.

Check them out and add your favorites to your next grocery list!

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Lentil Tomato Soup

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

1-pot soup made with dry green lentils and tomatoes in a sweet spiced tomato broth. Perfect for meal prep and cozy winter dinners.

“Are we there yet?” I asked, after we stepped across the border into West Virginia on a snowy incline.

Last week, we hiked Raven Rocks in the snow!

The adventure came into being when I stated to M that I *needed*, not wanted, to get out.

It’s been nonstop winter precipitation here in Virginia, so when the forecast showed a clear, 45+ degree day, I cleared my schedule and packed my hiking bags.

So, Raven Rocks.

The path primarily follows the Appalachian Trail, with the peak overlook just past where Virginia and West Virginia converge on the Blue Ridge Mountain.

Seconds after I asked the obvious question the overlook appeared to our right, breathtaking and beautiful.

The sun came out and we ate protein bars and took silly selfies out over the expansive valley of fir trees.

We hadn’t intended on a snow hike setting out, but I guess the white stuff takes a lot longer to melt at higher elevation.

Luckily, it was a sunny day so the snow and ice softened into an occasionally slide-y slush that accompanied us to the top.

Still, it was chilly on the descent with the setting sun and I found myself dreaming of warm foods to create at home.

Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but is there anything cozier than a big pot of soup?

This Lentil Tomato Soup is made with dry green lentils and tomatoes in a sweet spiced tomato broth.

It’s the perfect cozy companion for chilly weather!

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Dark Chocolate Tahini

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

Dark chocolate tahini made oil-free with just three ingredients. Blend it up and serve with baked apple chips for dipping!

During quarantine, I became irrevocably infatuated with a store-bought chocolate tahini spread.

I used it like I would a chocolate dessert syrup.

Then I got M on the chocolate tahini train, too.

And, well…sharing is hard.

With a chocolate tahini shortage imminent, I knew I had one of two choices.

I could either hoard and hide those sweet sesame seed butter jars, or learn to make dark chocolate tahini myself.

Obviously, I took the higher path.

Are you proud of me?

This Dark Chocolate Tahini requires just 3 ingredients and 30 minutes to be yours to hide and hoard.

Or, you know, to share.

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Triple Berry Granola

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

Baked berry granola with three kinds of sweet berries and SunButter for an oil-free option. Perfect to make ahead for breakfast and snacking!

Granola doesn’t last long in my house.

It’s one of the staples that both M and I eat daily, piling it high on big breakfast bowls or grabbing a handfuls before an evening workout.

If you’re a bit of a granola connoisseur like I am, you know the good stuff it can be expensive.

So, for the past few weeks I’ve been making us homemade granola on a regular basis.

This is either the beginning of a granola series or the beginnings of a granola product line…ha!

Anyway, it’s been really fun testing new variations each Sunday.

I bake the mixture in the oven and then break it into cherished chunks before transferring it to an airtight bag for the week.

When I asked M what granola flavor he wanted this week, he requested “something fruity or tart.”

So I made this Triple Berry Granola and infused it with three kinds of berries for a perfectly sweet and chunky granola.

It’s totally gluten-free, oil-free, and naturally-sweetened with maple syrup and berries!

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Easy Almond Butter Cups

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Easy dark chocolate cups stuffed with creamy almond butter and sprinkled with sea salt. The perfect vegan, paleo, and refined-sugar-free treat!

Do you brush your hair, friends?

This past week I had a wicked knot in my hair.

For context, I don’t even use the word “wicked” in conversation; that’s how bad it was.

My fingers felt the resistance while I was shampooing and when I *still* couldn’t untangle it after conditioning, I knew I was in trouble.

I got out of the shower, dripping and downcast, sure I was going to have to cut out a massive chunk of my hair with scissors.

Instead, M sat me down with a brush and copious amounts of conditioner and we worked it out, one knotted strand at a time.

Bless him.

I sat criss-cross-applesauce like a child, arching my neck to counter against the pull of the brush, rejoicing every time the brush finished a clean stroke.

If you’ve seen me on Instagram you know that my hair is somewhere between straight and curly; falling in soft ringlets on a good day and sort of weirdly wavy on a not-so-good day.

Typically, I jump out of the shower, scrunch my hair a few times all over with styling gel, and, well, forget about it.

In my defense, brushing it tends to make my hair staticky, frizzier, and bigger.

As my quarantine hair gets longer and wilder, I’m debating adding a hair brush to my arsenal of self care tools!

Here’s something else that’s crucial for self-care: Easy Almond Butter Cups.

These sweet cups require just TWO ingredients for a vegan, paleo, and refined-sugar-free treat!

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