Gluten-Free

Roasted Cabbage Steaks with Quinoa & Tahini

Vegan cabbage steaks that are oven roasted and served over quinoa with tahini drizzle. Perfect for an elevated weeknight dinner or date night in!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve, friends!

How are you preparing for the big day?

It just hit me this week that this is the first Thanksgiving ever that I will prepare the entire meal by myself.

At first it seemed a little sad-ish, but then it became super exciting.

This year looks a little different, but let’s choose to see it as a chance to make the holidays literally whatever we want them to be.

It’s the perfect opportunity to start and solidify new traditions.

I’m taking off work today, and planning to spend most of the day tackling all of the Thanksgiving side dishes for tomorrow.

My refrigerator is packed with produce, and I can’t wait to coax everything into a cohesive meal.

I know you’re probably saturated right now with holiday dishes, but I wanted to share something with you today that you can bookmark for all winter long.

These Roasted Cabbage Steaks with Quinoa & Tahini is the perfect, cozy, plant-based meal for colder weather!

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Coconut Quinoa Porridge

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This post is brought to you by Bare Snacks, but all words and eats are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!

Quinoa porridge cooked in coconut milk with cinnamon and maple syrup. Ready in 15 minutes on the stovetop for a quick breakfast alternative to oatmeal!

I can’t sleep if it’s hot.

Every night before I got to sleep I bump down the number on my Nest thermostat to 69 degrees.

Yep, even in the fall and winter.

I love dosing off to sleep cocooned in cozy cotton sheets and comforter with the cool air current whirling around my face.

The next morning I break the stillness by stretching into pajama pants and long sleeves and take the descent downstairs.

My place doesn’t regulate temperature very efficiently, so there’s a noticeable ten degree temp drop each time you run down a flight of stairs.

So if it’s cold upstairs, it’s colder downstairs, and frigid in the basement.

Hot breakfasts on the main level are necessary as I stand in wool socks and wait for the sun to warm the wooden floor boards.

This Coconut Quinoa Porridge simultaneously warms and fuels you for the day ahead.

It’s ready in just 15 minutes for a quick breakfast alternative to oatmeal!

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Low Sugar Applesauce Apple Butter

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Easy 5-ingredient apple butter made with unsweetened applesauce. This fall spread is lightly sweet with maple syrup, apple cider, and a touch of kombucha.

I miss my extended family, guys.

Most of them are split between Indiana and North Carolina with a few scattered from coast to coast.

Our annual family reunion was canceled this year in an abundance of COVID caution.

We’re planning on connecting virtually over the holidays in a Zoom Room, but it’s not *quite* the same as exchanges hugs and laughs and food.

I texted my Aunt Janet on Halloween and told her how much I missed her apple butter.

I always coveted the little mason jars she sent to my parents and me, eating greedy spoonfuls on anything and everything.

It was brimming with fresh sweet apples, warm spices, and just the right amount of sweetness.

Feeling nostalgic, I decided to create my own apple butter this season that’s made super simple with applesauce.

You can make this Low Sugar Applesauce Apple Butter in under an hour with just 5 simple ingredients!

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Pumpkin Apple Oat Bliss Balls

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This post is brought to you by Bare Snacks, but all words and eats are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!

Pumpkin apple oat energy balls made with oats, chia seeds, nut butter, pumpkin purée, and applesauce. Add baked apple chips and pecans for crunch!

I’m writing this in my recliner next to windows so mottled with raindrops that the leaves on the trees look like an impressionistic painting.

The weather has been seriously gloomy this week.

Which is kind of a bummer because that means no outdoor adventures.

Well, unless you count braving the grocery store in sheets of rain.

The weather is a big switch from last week when I climbed Juliet’s Balcony at Great Falls National Park five times.

It was a good day of climbing; the rock felt grippy and malleable under my chalked fingertips and my feet found impossibly comfortable footholds.

At the top, I whooped and hollered and at the bottom I sat with M and we ate Pumpkin Apple Oat Bliss Balls.

Usually when climbing outdoors pre-packaged bars are my go-to for refueling.

So it really was a treat to sink my teeth into these energy bites made with apple, oats, and pumpkin.

Make these Pumpkin Apple Oat Bliss Balls in 10 minutes and take them with you anywhere you need a all boost!

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1-Bowl Orange Cranberry Bread

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1-bowl orange cranberry bread bursting with cranberries and citrus. Naturally sweetened, oil-free, and gluten-free. Perfect for a festive breakfast or snack!

Does anyone else burn their tongue like *all* the time?

Last night I burned my tongue on some seriously good chili and today I’m paying the price of being *so* impatient.

I could barely taste my matcha this morning as I sat on the couch to journal, running my tasteless tongue over my teeth in remorse.

Let’s hope I have some taste buds left to enjoy this 1-Bowl Orange Cranberry Bread that’s new on the blog today!

This zesty festive loaf is perfectly sweet and tart with fresh squeezed citrus and whole cranberries.

It comes together in one bowl in under one hour for a delicious breakfast, dessert, or snack.

Not only does it pack some powerful antioxidants and vitamin C, but it does so while being a total stunner.

Bright red cranberries and flecks of orange make for a beautiful bread that’s almost too pretty to eat.

Almost.

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Sautéed Apple Pie Yogurt Bowl

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This post is brought to you by Bare Snacks, but all words and eats are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!

Easy blueprint breakfast yogurt bowl with warm berries, sautéed apples, yogurt favorite granola, nut butter, and baked apple chips for crunch!

I still remember the first time I *really* meditated.

It was a Friday night and I decided to stay after my normal vinyasa flow for the later meditation class.

Sitting cr0ss-legged, I tried not to fidget, alternating small micro-movements in my fingers and toes to prevent my phalanges from falling asleep.

I focused on the guided words of the instructor and my breath, anything to prevent my mind from an internal laundry list loop.

Afterwards, I blinked my eyes open, certain only ten or so minutes had passed since I closed them.

When I realized it had been a full thirty minutes I was astonished.

I conveyed this to a fellow yogi practicing beside me and he smiled knowingly and said, “That’s how you know you’re meditating.”

“Hmm,” I said, still sitting.

I stretched, assessing the waking world beyond my mat with bleary eyes, feeling as though I was returning from a really special place I didn’t know existed.

Guys, I miss that place.

Lately my meditation practice has been sorely lacking.

I’m the first to admit that I click the “X” out of my virtual pre-recorded yoga before the savasana party even begins.

But I’m trying to get back into it, practicing quieting my mind in the AM before making a big bowl of yogurt for breakfast.

This Sautéed Apple Pie Yogurt Bowl is apple pie in yogurt form with sautéed apples, almond milk yogurt, and a crispy apple chip flourish.

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Vegan Ferrero Rocher Truffles

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Vegan ferrero rocher truffle copycat candies made with dark chocolate, coconut milk, and hazelnuts lightly sweetened with pure maple syrup.

Pumpkin carving is *always* harder than I think it will be.

And messier.

The pumpkin pulp managed to find its way around my living room despite the blanket of newspapers I spread underneath the carving space.

M and I knelt in concentrated silence, working our paring knives back and forth to create triangular teeth and wide oval eyes.

His was scary and mine was silly.

We arranged the pumpkins on the doorstep and backed up six feet to admire them from the sidewalk.

Lit with a single candle, their faces flickered, flanking either side of my doorstep like spooky watchmen.

I snapped a few pictures to document our success, beaming with pride at our pumpkin carving abilities.

I’m also pretty proud of these Vegan Ferrero Rocher Truffles that will light up your holiday season.

You just need five ingredients to make a vegan, gluten-free, and refined-sugar-free version of this classic candy!

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Vegan Sweet Potato Dog Chews

By Flora & Vino 4 Comments

Treat your pup to 1-ingredient sweet potato treats made with sliced sweet potato slow baked at low heat for a delicious homemade dog treat.

Back when I lived with Harper I used to spoil her with store-bought sweet potato dog chews that I brought home after shopping at Mom’s Organic Market.

I loved getting them because they had only one ingredient listed on the back: sweet potato!

The treats were crispy, dried, and faintly sweet smelling.

I never tried one, but I always imagined that Harper appreciated the minimal ingredients as much as her mom did.

Harper only knew ONE speed when it came to eating, and that was *fast*.

So, naturally, she devoured these sweet potato chews way faster than my shopping trips (and my wallet) could keep up with.

I vowed to make a homemade version for her and I’m finally delivering!

These Vegan Sweet Potato Dog Chews are made with just sweet potatoes sliced and slow-baked to chewy perfection.

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Garlic & Lemon Roasted Broccoli

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Easy oven roasted broccoli seasoned with lemon and garlic on a parchment lined sheet pan. Serve as a delicious side to your plant-based meal!

My quads are *still* sore from hiking Old Rag Mountain this past Tuesday.

The last time I hiked this 10.2 mile loop trail was back in 2015 and I don’t quite remember my quads screaming at my in this acute fashion.

My one goal in setting out was to stay well hydrated because last time I trekked up 3,284 feet I ran out of water at the tippy top.

Luckily, a fellow hiker tossed me a spare bottle that I chugged with Dan before the descent.

So this time I vowed to have plenty of H20.

I took multiple bottles, which ended up being a *really* good idea.

In the first 10 minutes, I unscrewed my purple Lifefactory glass bottle and, in a tragic slip, dropped it on the ground; 22 oz of filtered water watering the leaves around my hiking shoes.

It ended up fine because my 48 oz Nalgene magically sustained me for the remainder of the climb.

I even passed some energy bars to a hungry hiker on the way up, to give back that Old Rag good karma that I received last time.

The autumn colors at the top were absolutely beautiful, guys!

M and I sat shaded by a boulder, eating food smashed for our packs and looking out over a sea of burnt sienna, evergreen, and amber tree tops.

The only thing missing on a long hike are the greens.

This Garlic & Lemon Roasted Broccoli is my current favorite side dish that’s sure to ehance any of your plant-based meals!

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Sweet Potato Mash with Sautéed Mushrooms + Pinot Noir

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Simple sweet potato mash with crispy mixed mushrooms and thyme. Perfect for a plant-based entrée or fall side served with a glass of Pinot Noir!

Have you ever heard people say that what you put on the Internet will be there forever?

Well, I never did, until this week.

M showed me a website the other day that acts as an Internet archive for past website content.

I’ve deleted my fair share of Internet content over the years, including but not limited to: a Xanga from high school, several Twitter accounts, and my first blog that I deleted.

I always assumed that when I hit the “delete all site content” button on those sites, that those words and pictures were gone forever.

Nope.

I sat incredulous as this Internet site that I’d never heard of pulled up an index of my past blog posts from 2014 and 2015.

The internet was bit laggy, as though it struggled to reach back in time to resuscitate the content I’d discarded.

When the page finally loaded, it was like staring at a friendly ghost.

I had to smile, because 20-something Lauren was a budding food blogger even then, writing about vegan muffins and fluffy feelings accented by crude cropped iPhone photos.

It definitely put into perspective how far I’ve come, even when I feel stuck behind the camera, in the kitchen, and in life.

And in that moment I was filled with immense gratitude that I can call my kitchen my office and create every day.

So I can bring you meals like this Sweet Potato Mash with Sautéed Mushrooms + Pinot Noir.

This cozy autumn dish combines sweet potatoes and mushrooms in a creative pairing with Pinot Noir!

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Roasted Cabbage Steaks with Quinoa & Tahini

Coconut Quinoa Porridge

Low Sugar Applesauce Apple Butter

Pumpkin Apple Oat Bliss Balls

1-Bowl Orange Cranberry Bread

Sautéed Apple Pie Yogurt Bowl

Vegan Ferrero Rocher Truffles

Vegan Sweet Potato Dog Chews

Garlic & Lemon Roasted Broccoli

Sweet Potato Mash with Sautéed Mushrooms + Pinot Noir

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