Grain-Free

Raspberry Swirl Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

No-bake chocolate cheesecake bars with a grain-free date-nut crust and chocolate cheesecake center finished with a sweet raspberry swirl.

Hiiiii how was your Valentine’s Day Weekend?

I was fortunate to have many opportunities to celebrate the love over the past few days.

On Valentine’s Day I did a Galentine’s Day dinner with my sister, then on Saturday I had a Valentine’s Day themed brunch with my bookclub.

If I’m being honest, I was a little bit apprehensive about the day.

This was my first Valentine’s Day as a single lady in over 15 years, so I wanted to make it especially sweet.

I watched RomComs with my long distance BFF long and ate plenty of Hu Kitchen chocolate, and even did a little retail therapy online.

Don’t worry, I left enough chocolate for this latest recipe.

If you didn’t get the chance to treat you and your loves with something sweet this V-Day, I’ve got just the thing.

These Raspberry Swirl Chocolate Cheesecake Bars scream self-care, self-love, and healthful indulgence.

They’re made with just 8-ingredients for a vegan, grain-free, and refined sugar-free treat.

…

Chunky Monkey Superfood Banana Chip Bites

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Banana chips topped with melted chocolate, shredded coconut, crushed peanuts, goji berries, and chocolate chips. The perfect healthy alternative to candy!

Hello, friends!

Since we last chatted I graduated from yoga teacher training.

I know, how did that happen so quickly?

The last 6 months were a whirlwind of asana and anatomy and sequencing and while many times during training I felt like I was a hot mess I know now that I was exactly where I needed to be.

You can read more about my struggles and wins from training in this Instagram post.

I have no current plans to teach, but the stuff I learned in training has forever changed the way I see yoga, myself, and really everything around me.

When I was struggling to make the big decision– to YTT or not to YTT, I asked a few former students for advice.

“Just do it,” they said.

“It’ll change your life,” they said.

They weren’t wrong.

So now I’m going to say the same thing to you in a different content.

If you’re looking for a fun alternative to candy this Valentine’s Day, check out these Chunky Monkey Superfood Banana Chip Bites.

To quote my yoga instructor pals– Just do it. It’ll change your life.

They’re made with 5 ingredients for a gluten-free, grain-free, and refined sugar-free treat!

…

3-Ingredient Chocolate Strawberry Truffles + Rosso

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

3-ingredient chocolate strawberry truffles made with coconut milk, dark chocolate, and freeze-dried strawberries. Try pairing with Rosso wine!

I recently re-watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind for the first time in over a decade.

Have you seen it?

It’s one of my all-time favorite films, even though it’s not the kind of movie I can watch every day (or every decade, apparently).

Anyway, I had to chuckle when Jim Carrey’s character says that V-day was “invented by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap.”

I definitely wallowed a bit in the perceived truth in that quote, but then I dusted myself off and made some plans.

This year, I’m celebrating all of the love surrounding me.

Familial love, deep friendship, passion for my blog and business, and love for you, too, friend.

I’m also celebrating my love for all things wine and chocolate in this new plant-based wine pairing.

Get your heart right and make these 3-Ingredient Chocolate Strawberry Truffles enjoyed with a glass of Rosso!

…

Red Carrot, Apple, & Beet Detox Salad

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

Easy raw detox salad with shredded red carrot, tart apple, and red beets. Reset and fuel your body with fruits, veggies, and healthy fats.

Hey, everyone!

It’s half way through January and we are making moves.

Did I tell you that I’m enrolled to take a course in plant-based nutrition starting in February?

I’m really excited to learn more about how eating more veg can impact your overall health and wellness and share that with you!

I know we talk a little about nutrition here on the blog, but I try to keep it vague and unspecified because, DISCLAIMER, I am not a medical professional or licensed nutritionist/dietician.

Usually I like to frame my recipes in the context of what works for me and what makes me feel my best in hopes that it might do the same for you.

I definitely have a “feel good” recipe to share with you today that’s packed with fresh produce, healthy fats, and cleansing qualities.

This Red Carrot, Apple, & Beet Detox Salad requires just 6 ingredients you can mix on the spot to feel fresh and rejuvenated.

…

Coconut Flour Chai Cookies

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Grain-free chai-spiced cookies made with nut butter, coconut flour, and coconut sugar. Infused with chai spices using a convenient chai concentrate!

Tonight I went to a young professionals networking event with a friend.

I wore my best pair of dark denim for the occasion and brought out a classic button up shirt that emerged from my closet since my corporate office-dwelling days.

Somehow my name tag got stuck in my hair (I couldn’t make this up if I tried!), which made for the perfect icebreaker for introductions.

“Hi, um, you have a name tag stuck in your hair,” this one guy said and I definitely thought he was kidding, HA HA, until I reached behind my head and tore the words “Lauren, Flora & Vino, LLC” from strands of blonde hair.

Who needs the business cards tucked in my back pocket with publicity like that?

Unfortunately, I don’t have any good brands or eats to report back with, but it was nice to connect with local peers, ya know?

It was also nice to practice my “pitch” to strangers outside of my field who have no idea that this industry exists.

I answered the dreaded question, “So, what do you do?” in different ways, feeling out which one sounded the most me.

Usually, I say I’m a food photographer, recipe developer, and content creator of a plant-based website.

Sometimes I just say I’m in social media.

Both true.

Also true: Coconut Flour Chai Cookies would make networking and socializing a lot easier.

These vegan, gluten, and grain-free cookies are made with coconut flour, chai concentrate, and almond butter!

…

Chocolate Dipped Vegan Do Si Dos

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

Healthier do-si-do cookies made with nut butter, and almond flour naturally sweetened with maple syrup. Dip in melted dark chocolate!

Hi, friends!

How is your new year treating you so far?

Honestly, I’m still struggling to accept that it’s already over a week into January in a new decade!

I mean, how did we get here?!

Over the holidays I took a long break from recipe creation and focused on friends, family, and fun.

It’s the first “real” break I’ve taken from posting on the blog in three years!

I also took the time to do a lot of behind the scenes re-org for Flora & Vino.

For example, I made a giant excel doc categorizing all of my recipe ideas for 2020– starting with sandwich cookies.

I thought we could kick off the decade with these Chocolate Dipped Vegan Do-Si-Dos.

These nutty compact cookies have a decadent chocolate finish that you can assemble with 10 ingredients!

…

Pomegranate Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with a pomegranate twist! Vegan, gluten-free, and grain-free with an almond flour base.

Confession: Lately I haven’t been feeling much like a food blogger.

Let me explain.

I put so much energy into creating eats for the blog during the day that when it comes time to make anything extracurricular, I just can’t.

For example, last Friday night book club when we all brought a dish to share…you bet I showed up with a bottle of wine, a package of my favorite hummus, and a box of grain-free crackers.

And I felt pretty OK watching my friends roll in the F&V recipes while I stood there dunking crackers into pureed chickpeas that I didn’t puree myself.

I blame the season for my slight identity crisis.

It’s hard to show up in all the ways you normally show up plus get all the gifts, send all the cards, and bake all the cookies.

I set an alarm this past Wednesday morning (ONE week before Christmas!) and scribbled out all of my Christmas cards in one furious four-hour sitting.

I wrote my name and address over and over and over again on red envelopes with achey glitter dusted hands.

Last night I had a massive Amazon shopping spree, adding items to my cart and obsessively checking the ship date to ensure arrival before Christmas.

All of the expectation of gifting and receiving can be tough, but you know what should be effortless?

Your holiday cookies– these Pomegranate Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

You’re going to love these healthier holiday cookies packed with pomegranate arils and dark chocolate chunks!

…

Creamy Cauliflower Rice Risotto

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Gluten and grain-free cauliflower rice with a coconut milk base and simple seasonings. Perfect as the base to your plant-based meal or as a cozy side.

Well it’s been an interesting past few days being phone-less, friends.

My iPhone started displaying some troubling signs on Sunday but I ignored them.

On Monday the touch screen was fickle and only worked about 50% of the time.

Yesterday (Tuesday), the screen was frozen for the entirety of the day, save a few 10 minute pockets of time where I managed to put up a few Instagram stories and backup my phone to the Cloud.

Today I finally made my way to the Apple store and received a shiny new phone for my faulty display troubles.

So now I’m getting settled with a full iCloud restore and getting reacquainted with being “in touch”.

I joked that the technical difficulties were the universe’s not so subtle way of telling me to take a break already.

Which I fully intend to…after I share this Creamy Cauliflower Rice Risotto with you.

This plant-based version of risotto with cauliflower rice and mushrooms will keep you cozy and satisfied this winter!

…

Almond Flour Cashew Butter Snickerdoodles

By Flora & Vino 10 Comments

Almond flour cashew butter snickerdoodle cookies that are vegan, grain-free, oil-free, and rolled in plenty of cinnamon and unrefined coconut sugar.

Is it cookie season yet?!

I kind of can’t believe that my big December calendar shows only a little over two weeks to Christmas.

Don’t tell my family and friends, but I haven’t even started my Christmas shopping yet.

Aside from my mini blue spruce tree adorned with all of my childhood ornaments and the Christmas music on repeat, I feel pretty unprepared for the holiday.

This past weekend I had yoga teacher training every day with a 15K race early Sunday, so I have quite literally been on the run.

But I did make cookies.

These Almond Flour Cashew Butter Snickerdoodles are the perfect healthier holiday cookie, complete with just 7 ingredients.

Bake them in 10 minutes for a vegan, grain-free, oil-free, and refined sugar-free twist on the classic cookie!

…

Mint Dark Chocolate Coconut Layer Bars

By Flora & Vino 1 Comment

Vegan and grain-free mint dark chocolate coconut layer bars made with a cacao date-nut base, sweet coconut butter center, and mint dark chocolate top.

The expiration date on my almond milk this morning read “12 04” in blue typeface and I thought to myself, oh, good, I’ve got time to enjoy it.

Except I didn’t because looking down at my iPhone calendar I realized that it’s already December, actually, and today is December 4th.

So I poured a big glass of almond milk and chugged it while it lasts.

Kind of like my almost expired almond milk, I feel like the end of this year is going to be here before we know it.

Today there are exactly three weeks until Christmas and four weeks until we ring in 2020- WHAT.

The end of this year just feels heavy, you know?

I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately, honestly, with awkward energy flowing between efforting through December tasks and making big plans for the next.

So, maybe we could use a refresher?

These Mint Dark Chocolate Coconut Layer Bars are a great refreshing distraction to this busy season.

They’re delicious in three easy layers that are vegan, grain-free, and naturally sweetened with no bake time required!

…

Grain-Free

Footer

what’s happening now on instagram