Gluten-Free

Chocolate Almond Butter Granola

Chocolate almond butter granola with oats, nuts, and cacao. Sweetened with maple syrup and chocolate chunks. Chunky, chocolate-y, and perfect for topping!

There’s a running joke in my house that if something doesn’t have chocolate in it, it won’t get eaten.

Which is partially true.

The banana bread loaves that come out of the oven clustered with chocolate chunks definitely goes faster than those that don’t sport dark chocolate spots.

Then there’s my favorite store bought Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola which is absolutely delicious and *highly* addictive.

You’ve been warned.

Naturally I grab for the big granola hunks with the chocolate chips, first, because those are the best.

Wouldn’t you?

Well, last week, M peered into the resealable ‘nola bag and asked deadpan if I had eaten all of the chocolate out of the granola mix *again*.

Er, guilty.

Since then, we’ve established that said granola is mine to do as I please.

Which means eating all of the chocolate first, because there’s no wrong way to eat a bag of granola.

Can I get a witness?

Naturally I wanted to try to recreate a highly addictive granola of my own, but make it oil-free with as much dark chocolate as I want.

This Chocolate Almond Butter Granola is so good, I might even save a bit for you.

Let’s bake some homemade granola!

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Sweet Potato Spice Granola

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

Sweet potato spice granola made oil-free with creamy almond butter and lightly sweetened with maple syrup. Gluten-free with a grain-free option!

Last weekend I embarked on an epic bike ride to the store on the purple bike I’ve had since I was 16.

Without many pandemic plans, we decided it would be quite an adventure to bike to pick up our essentials instead of driving.

It sounded easy enough; bike there and back with purchased items in tow.

So naturally, I shrugged off the idea of bringing water or snacks or anything sensible like that.

And then what started out as what Google maps projected to be a 29 minutes bike ride turned into a 2+ hour workout there and back.

I didn’t really realize this, guys, but there are virtually no bike paths on the route I took.

Instead, we were forced to navigate through neighborhoods, sidewalks, and the dreaded main road, where aggressive drivers honked and sped around us like our two wheels had personally offended them.

“This is the most action my bike has seen in over a decade,” I huffed and puffed, pedaling in the rear.

We rode over hard over grass, gravel, asphalt, and cement.

And then there was that lovely muddy patch that back-splashed all over my bare calves.

Sexy.

When we finally made it to the store for item pick up, I ended up dashing inside for a bottle of water and a power bar.

I wish I’d had a bag of homemade granola with me.

Like this Sweet Potato Spice Granola that’s simple and sweet, made gluten-free with hearty oats and nuts and naturally sweetened with maple syrup and sweet potato!

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Teriyaki Sheet Pan Meal

By Flora & Vino 4 Comments

Easy one pan meal with chickpeas, broccoli, sweet potato, and mushrooms in a homemade low-sodium low sugar teriyaki sauce. Perfect for meal prep!

Guys, this week I gave my very first haircut.

I’m not sure if it was braver on my part or his.

After a 30 second YouTube tutorial and zero prior experience, I sat him down on the edge of the spare bathroom bathtub.

Wait, I said, before starting, them scampered to grab a sea foam green towel from the linen closet that I draped around his shoulders.

“So professional,” he said, and I snorted as I measured tufts of hair between fingers then snipped with crude kitchen aid Kitchen shears.

I started out timid, taking only shy centimeters of split ends off.

Then I got braver, and the whole ’do started to take shape the way my drawing final in art class became 3D with charcoal shading and my food photos draw in the eye with a well placed S curve.

It’s an art.

And it was fun!

I only nicked his ear once with the razor (oops!), and managed not to cut either party, so I’m going to call it a smashing success.

Overall, I think he was pretty satisfied with the job.

Next time I should charge, right?

Before you get super excited about a potential Flora & Vino salon opening, let’s all calm down and bake a sheet pan meal.

This Teriyaki Sheet Pan Meal is cozy for the dropping temperatures with nourishing vegetables and an easy homemade teriyaki sauce!

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Apple Butter Oatmeal Cookies

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Easy oatmeal cookies made with gluten-free oatmeal and no-sugar-added apple butter! Perfect for a healthy fall-inspired breakfast, snack, or dessert.

Are you guys in your September routine yet?

Lately I’ve been struggling with feeling like I should be getting back to Fall routines that no longer exist.

Kind of like that weird back to school feeling post-graduation, where there is no class to go back to.

So, what are we coming back to?

Well, I’m honestly not sure.

There are some consistencies, like the weather getting cooler, the seasonal produce, the leaves beginning to change color.

But so much has changed, like my family hosting the holidays virtually, kids being homeschooled, and voting by mail.

Maybe it’s time to make new routines, guys.

I made these Apple Butter Oatmeal Cookies that could become a part of your new fall routine.

These delicious cookies are packed with hearty oats and naturally sweetened with apple butter!

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Hilary’s Burgers with Grain-Free Buns (3 Ways!)

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Veggie burgers served 3 ways with grain-free “buns”. Serve with your choice of baked sweet potato, seared portobello mushroom, or lettuce wrap.

How was your Labor Day?

My long weekend was pretty good.

I went outdoor climbing for the first time.

You can read all about it on Instagram!

Yesterday, for Labor Day, I actually mostly spent, ironically, laboring.

I cleaned the house from fans to baseboards and conquered a meal prep of the likes my fridge hasn’t seen since 2019.

I’m talking pre-made quinoa, fresh chopped celery, gleaming clean berries, and fresh baked sweet potato rounds.

I even made a batch of my Sweet & Spicy Tomato Jam to properly send off summer.

But before you put away your grill, here are my current go-to burger combos.

These Hilary’s Burgers with Grain-Free Buns (3 Ways!) are my favorite ways to enjoy my favorite vegetable patties grain-free!

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SunButter Date Bliss Balls

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4-ingredient no bake energy balls made with sunflower seed butter and dates! Naturally sweetened and perfect for meal prep snacking!

Tomorrow is the day.

I’m going outdoor climbing for the first time!

Last night I practiced how to tie myself into the harness and belay over and over and over again.

My figure eight knot is looking a lot more recognizable as an 8 instead of a mess of twisted rope and my stopper knot actually stops.

Also, we had a pretty solid makeshift anchor situation going, guys.

The rope looped around the stairway banister and cascaded down the steps to the basement.

As I ascended steps, I practiced the motion of belaying.

We’re packing the car tonight with the supplies and gear and FOOD.

Wait, you *knew* I would come to the crag prepared with snacks.

These SunButter Date Bliss Balls are so easy to roll out for your adventuring with just 4-ingredients.

Whether you’re adventuring tomorrow or not, make these for a quick snack packed with plant-based energy!

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Fig Newton Breakfast Bars

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

6-ingredient breakfast bars with hearty oats, plant-based protein and fresh figs! Gluten-free, oil-free, and naturally sweetened with dates and maple syrup.

Ever since I moved into my townhome as a renter, things have been, well, falling apart.

The first offender was the dishwasher, that, to be honest, never really cleaned dishes very well from the beginning.

Then there was the great dryer debacle of 2020 where, for the span of three months, I hung all of my clothing to dry on a flimsy hang dry rack.

Crunchy towels and jeans are not fun, friends.

The doorbell stopped working after about a month so I’ve grown accustomed to listen intently for persistent knocks.

I’ve also cohabited with a mouse, a swarm of ants, and a lot of web-making spiders.

I joked to my parents on the phone a few weeks back that the only thing that hasn’t gone wrong yet was the AC.

I spoke too soon.

This past Saturday morning I woke up to a stuffy hot home with temperatures on a steady upward incline.

My Nest thermostat didn’t respond to all of my prodding and pushing on the dial so I diagnosed the AC– *gasp*– BROKEN.

Luckily, we’ve had several days in the low 80’s and mid-70’s here in Virginia, making it possible for me to have the windows down and the ceiling fans on.

So the past few days I’ve been limiting my oven use to stay cool.

Luckily, I made Fig Newton Breakfast Bars when the AC was still kicking.

These 6-ingredient breakfast bars are dense, chewy, and naturally sweet with fresh figs and dried fruit!

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Easy Vegan Potato Salad

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Vegan potato salad made with yukon potatoes and chopped vegetables in a creamy vegan mayonnaise. Perfect to make in advance for summer entertaining.

The past few weeks I’ve been watching the Star Wars movies.

“Which Star Wars movies?” you might be wondering.

Well, all of them.

It still amazes how I made it to the age of 32 without having seen any of them.

I mean, I even took film studies in high school, guys.

So when Darth Vader bellows, “Luke, I am your father,” my jaw just about dropped down to my pajama bottomed booty.

Basically, I was shook, and so was the ginger kombucha in the glass I gripped tightly between my hands.

I know I’m about 30 years late to jump on this worldwide pop-culture phenomenon, but the story has me hooked.

It really is an epic love story spanning across space and time, isn’t it?!

Kind of like the kind of love story I would write myself into with this Easy Vegan Potato Salad.

It’s so easy to throw together with boiled potatoes, fresh chopped vegetables, and a creamy vegan mayonnaise!

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Blueberry Mousse Brownies

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Two layer vegan blueberry mousse brownies that are vegan, grain-free, and refined sugar-free with almonds, dark chocolate, and cashew blueberry cream.

Guys, I’m planning an outdoor climbing adventure.

Want to come?

Now, before you go all Alex Honnold from Free Solo on me, let me tell you it’s not going to be that precarious.

I might have mentioned before how much I enjoy indoor climbing.

There’s something about hoisting myself from colorful hold to hold, vertically pressed against the incline that gets my heart thumping and my mind engaged.

But doing it all outdoors is a whole new world.

Or at least, I’m sure it is.

I haven’t made it that far yet, but I have all of the gear!

I’ve got my teal harness and my form fitting climbing shoes and my carabiner (which is *way* too fun to say, by the way) all ready for the climb.

Now I’m just waiting for the summer heat to die down before hitting the rock.

Until then, the only thing that I really want to climb right now are the layers on these Blueberry Mousse Brownies.

They’re made vegan, gluten-free, and refined-sugar-free with decadent dark chocolate and a creamy cashew blueberry mousse.

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Pineapple Turmeric Tahini Shake

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Anti-inflammatory shake made with frozen banana, pineapple, turmeric, and a tahini twist. Perfect for a post-workout shake or quick and bright breakfast!

Yesterday I had my first “real” shopping experience since before quarantine where I returned stuff I’d been holding onto over the past few months.

The items in question hung from sloppy shopping bags on my coat rack casting shadows that loomed large after the sun went down.

A pair of Madewell shorts and romper that didn’t quite fit right, hiking gear from REI, and a trashcan from Target.

Cool stuff, bro.

Anyway, navigating the stores amidst and pandemic was a lot easier than I expected.

Mask, hand sanitizer, receipts, merchandise, check, check, check.

I even tried on new climbing shoes at REI, balancing my toe tips on the edge of the shelving to ensure a proper fit.

And I bought toothpaste at Target– in real life.

Woah.

It was strange and surreal to navigate town centers and shops in a totally normal but totally changed way.

And it made me miss all of the times I had returned items in the past, grumbling and impatient at the inconvenience.

Because to be honest, my return item spree is the most excitement my wallet and I have seen in quite some time.

Well, aside from this Pineapple Turmeric Tahini Shake.

It’s bright, cheery, and sweet while being packed with anti-inflammatory foods and an optional boost of protein!

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Chocolate Almond Butter Granola

Sweet Potato Spice Granola

Teriyaki Sheet Pan Meal

Apple Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Hilary’s Burgers with Grain-Free Buns (3 Ways!)

SunButter Date Bliss Balls

Fig Newton Breakfast Bars

Easy Vegan Potato Salad

Blueberry Mousse Brownies

Pineapple Turmeric Tahini Shake

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