Flora & Vino

Meal Prep

Warm Kale Quinoa Bowl with Citrus Tahini

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Warm lunch bowl with kale, quinoa, chickpeas, and roasted sweet potatoes with an oil-free citrus tahini dressing. Perfect for a cozy working winter lunch!

Warm Kale Quinoa Bowl with Citrus Tahini by Flora & Vino

Hi, friends.

It’s kind of a strange time of year.

The novelty of the new year has worn off and the next big holiday in sight is Valentine’s Day.

I’ve been hunkering down and working on the cookbook with the fire of a fast approaching manuscript deadline.

Honestly, the hardest part of cookbook recipe creation is keeping said recipes from you! 

I’m so accustomed to the instant gratification of the blog posting process that hoarding all of this content feels downright miserly.

Which is why I’m letting one of the recipes slip through the cracks today…

This Warm Kale Quinoa Bowl with Citrus Tahini is my current, go-to lunch!

It’s served warm, and packed with complex carbs, plant-based protein, and a creamy, oil-free citrus tahini dressing.

So, if it can fuel me to write my first cookbook, I can’t wait to see what it does for you!
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Thai Salad with SunButter Dressing

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Vegetable Thai salad with raw vegetables, baked tofu, cilantro, and an easy oil-free SunButter dressing. Perfect for an easy meal prep lunch or dinner!

Thai Salad with SunButter Dressing by Flora & Vino         

Last week I impulsively decided to cut my bangs. 

New year, new hair? 

I haven’t done *true* bangs in almost 15 years, since I was obsessed with Anne Hathaway’s thick bang in the Devil Wears Prada.

Remember how chick she looked, guys!?

Well, I didn’t look like that at all. 

The hacked locks stacked on my forehead like a massive mop, a hair helmet of sorts.

So yeah, I’ve been avoiding bangs for a bit. 

But change is good, and I’m getting used to the feeling of movement across my forehead. 

Aaand coming to terms with the fact that, if I actually want them to lay right, I need to style them. 

Doh. 

I’d much rather just style my salads…

I’m excited to share this Thai Salad with SunButter Dressing with you as a fresh option after post-holiday indulgences! 

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Homemade Christmas Chocolates

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Homemade vegan dark chocolate Christmas candies made with fun holiday silicone molds for an easy 1-ingredient refined sugar-free Christmas treat! 

Homemade Christmas Chocolates by Flora & Vino

Does it snow where you are, friends?

Today we got our first snow of the season in Virginia. 

The white stuff started coming down around 10 AM and by 11 AM the grass, asphalt, and neighboring rooftops all had a fluffy frosting. 

I don’t care what anyone says…I *love* snow. 

Snow days always make me feel giddy with childlike anticipation and energy. 

I plowed through a holiday shoot in the studio today, powered by holiday hits and the gorgeous light reflecting off my snow-saturated deck. 

Afterwards, I dawned my Sorel snow boots, fuzzy hat, and heavy duty gloves to explore the winter wonderland. 

If you’re home for the holidays, maybe you’re in the mood for a sweet homemade present.

These Homemade Christmas Chocolates are the perfect DIY Christmas treat that you can make from home!

All you need is some seriously delicious dark chocolate and your favorite holiday silicone molds….

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Banana Bread Breakfast Cookies

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Your favorite banana bread turned into breakfast cookies! Gluten-free, oil-free, and naturally sweetened with banana and maple syrup. Perfect for meal prep!

Banana Bread Breakfast Cookies by Flora & Vino

I just received the cutest Christmas ornament from a friend and colleague that I hung on the tree last night. 

It’s a ceramic circle with 2-0-2-0 in big bubble letters. 

Surrounding the bubble letters are cute drawings and text illustrating all of the activities that exemplify the year.

Some of my favorite examples are: “what day is it?”, “survived the toilet paper shortage”, and “wash your hands”!

I’ve created a new tradition of adding an ornament to my collection each year, but this time I don’t need to search.

I was glad to receive one that so succinctly and sweetly summed up the insanity of the past 12 months. 

The one thing the ornament is missing is all of the loaves of banana bread that we collectively baked. 

We can’t forget the year of banana bread, folks!

It’s okay, because I baked some into cookies so we can commemorate 2020 and take our banana bread with us no matter where 2021 takes us. 

These Banana Bread Breakfast Cookies are made in just one bowl with hearty oats, ripe bananas, and plenty of dark chocolate and walnuts. 

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Moroccan Mason Jar Salad

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Safeway. All opinions are 100% my own.

Make ahead mason jar salads with raw chopped vegetables, chickpeas, quinoa, herbs, and  a zesty Moroccan-inspired dressing. Perfect for meal prep!

Moroccan Mason Jar Salad by Flora & Vino

Psst. 

Did I tell you that I’m writing a cookbook? 

If you’ve been following me on social media, you might have heard the news about my first book. 

Because the cookbook is meal prep inspired, I’ve been living the meal prep lifestyle here at home. 

This means reserving time on Sunday and stuffing lots of fresh food into Tupperware and mason jars. 

You might not equate the holiday season with meal prep, but honestly, it’s one of the times I crave stability the most. 

Amongst a string of holiday commitments and festive food, it’s easy to feel a bit frazzled and malnourished. 

So, it’s amazing to have a fresh meal from the fridge to balance things out between all of the happy chaos. 

These Moroccan Mason Jar Salads are so easy to prepare for a portable lunch that’s packed with raw vegetables, herbs, and a zesty Moroccan inspired dressing.

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Tahini Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

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Chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies with a tahini twist and plenty of dark chocolate chips. A vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free dessert!

Tahini Chocolate Chip Macademia Nut Cookies by Flora & Vino

OK, it’s officially cookie season, and I’m excited to share a cool new cookie with you. 

I don’t use macadamia nuts enough, do you? 

I’m always nuts for nuts, but macadamia nuts are one I tend to overlook. 

My parents used to get a canister of them from Costco growing up and I savored the rich buttery nuts like golden nuggets. 

These healthy holiday cookies are absolutely decadent, combined with tangy tahini and bittersweet dark chocolate.

You’re going to want to add these Tahini Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies to your holiday baking list this season.

They’re vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free made in 1-bowl with just eight easy ingredients. 

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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!

Sautéed Apple Pie Yogurt Bowl by Flora & Vino        

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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Berry Baked Oatmeal

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Easy baked oatmeal bursting with berries made totally oil-free, gluten-free, and refined-sugar-free. Meal prep a pan and reheat for easy breakfast!

Berry Baked Oatmeal by Flora & Vino

How do you structure and measure your days, friends?

Every morning before jumping into work I make a list of my top three priorities for the day.

These “impact tasks”, we’ll call them, are the things that I know move life forward even if absolutely *nothing* else gets done.

I am what I’ve heard referred to as a time optimist, which sounds like a positive thing but is actually kind of a curse.

I *always* think I can do more in 24 hours than is actually humanly possible.

So, lately I’ve been working on lowering my expectations for myself.

And choosing impact tasks that are meaningful but not necessarily ground-breaking and grueling.

Sometimes something as simple as calling a friend back or finding time for a 60 minute yoga class drastically shifts my perspective and trajectory of the day.

Or meal prepping a delicious baked oatmeal for the week!

This Berry Baked Oatmeal is sure to meet all of your breakfast expectations.

And, yes, you should probably add it to your top three impact tasks of the day.

It’s made in less than an hour for a naturally sweet breakfast that’s popping with berries, oatmeal, and nuts, for a nutritious start to your day.

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Fig Newton Breakfast Bars

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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.

Fig Newton Breakfast Bars by Flora & Vino

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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Hummus Stuffed Zucchini Boats

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Zucchini boats baked with all of the Greek fixings like hummus, tomato, olives, red onion, and pine nuts. Try them for a light snack, meal, or appetizer. 

Hummus Stuffed Zucchini Boats by Flora & Vino

Friends!

It’s true that the hardest part of doing something is starting.

I ran this morning for the first time in over a month.

After lacing up my Brooks running shoes I did three invigorating laps around the paths just beyond my neighborhood.

The pavement felt like it was propelling me forward each time it connect with the sole of my cushioned shoe and my iPhone felt weightless in my hand despite the fact that I left my running belt at home.

Kind of like this post, that for whatever reason, I felt like procrastinating.

Writing about food isn’t always as much fun as eating it, you know?

Unless it’s a stuffed vegetable, which, if you’ve been following me for a while, you know is my forte.

These Hummus Stuffed Zucchini Boats are the best way to use that summer zucchini hiding in the bottom drawers of your refrigerator.

Grab a zucchini and let’s make a zucchini boats!

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