Oil-Free

Cranberry Almond Breakfast Cookies

Breakfast cookies made with oatmeal, SunButter, dried cranberries, and slivered almonds. Bake them in advance and grab for an easy breakfast!

It’s been stupid hot here in Virginia for the past few weeks.

Every day the forecast threatens 100 degrees with a chance of thunderstorms that fail to break the blanket of heat.

My daily power walks have become more of a mosey as I try to keep cool but still see the great outdoors.

So, how are you doing?

I know it’s been a while since I posted so I wanted to check in.

I’ve been OK.

Content on the blog has taken a bit of a backseat as I focus on new projects and big picture goals.

(More to come on this soon!)

And then there’s the ever present backdrop of life in a post-quarantine but not post-pandemic world.

Honestly, I have no idea how to navigate this new normal and not much desire to try.

So, instead, I stay home and make Cranberry Almond Breakfast Cookies.

Won’t you join me?

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Mango Sticky Rice Dessert Sushi

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

Dessert sushi twist on mango sticky rice! Nori sushi wraps stuffed with sweet coconut rice and fresh sliced mango. Serve with optional date syrup!

Are you accident prone?

The statement “I am” is an understatement when it comes to me.

A few weeks ago a pasta jar fell from my pantry and hit me squarely on the lip.

I was trying to grab a bag of shredded coconut from the top shelf and the pasta sauce was, well, in the way.

Luckily, after a quick icing the swelling went down and I was left with little more than a mark.

Then, yesterday, after months of haphazardly hanging my pots and pans on the hooks in my kitchen, a pan fell on my head.

Yeah, OK, it’s a little funny.

But let me tell you, it wasn’t funny yesterday when one of my Green Pans collided with my temple at an alarming speed.

I’m taking it upon myself to child-proof my kitchen this weekend and remove some of these work place hazards.

So until then, let’s try to avoid the kitchen catastrophes and make some dessert sushi, OK?

These Mango Sticky Rice Dessert Sushi are stuffed with sweet coconut rice and fresh sliced mango serves with fresh mint and date syrup!

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Raw Carrot Hummus

By Flora & Vino 6 Comments

Bright carrot hummus made oil-free and super creamy with tahini, lemon, and and seasonings. Perfect to make in advance for snacking!

As I type this my fingers are smarting.

Last night I dusted off my guitar for the first time since I moved to see if I still remembered how to play.

If you live next door to me, I sincerely apologize, because you might have heard me strumming and belting out Wonderwall at something close to 11 PM.

Oops.

I kind of forgot how much volume my acoustic guitar has.

The good news is that, yes, I do, in fact, remember how to make chords with my left hand and hold a pick in the right.

The bad news is that my fingertips do not remember the callouses that cushioned them back when I used to play with regularity.

So my fingers are pretty darn sore today, which I’m reminded of every time I press them into my MacBook Pro keyboard.

Luckily, it’s only my left hand, because my right hand is ready for snack time.

I’m excited to share this colorful new cracker and dip combo to make your snacking both pretty and delicious.

This Raw Carrot Hummus is ready in less than 10 minutes for easy snacking that’s raw, oil-free, and packed with nutrients!

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Chickpea Meal Prep Bowl

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

Plant-based bowl with arugula, chickpeas, steamed sweet potatoes, broccoli, sauerkraut, and an oil-free turmeric tahini dressing. Perfect for meal prep!

I’ve been happy lately, friends.

Maybe it’s the warmer weather, or maybe it’s just a newfound perspective this summer.

It feels like things are shifting, changing, and becoming.

Like good things are on the tip of my tongue, about to spill over my lips and into fruition.

I’m emerging from quarantine feeling the vibration of potential and possibilities that the remainder of the year allows.

My intention for 2020 was *forward* and I’ve definitely tested that two syllable word to the fullest in the past month.

Shedding old identities, stories, and thought patterns and trying on new ones.

In the midst of all of this self reflection and discovery, I haven’t really wanted to cook fancy meals.

In fact, I haven’t been thinking much about food at all.

There, I said it.

But, in the midst of so much change, we still need to eat and eat well.

This Chickpea Meal Prep Bowl is perfect to make for an easy plant-based meal!

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Dark Chocolate Blueberry Macaroons

By Flora & Vino 4 Comments

No-bake vegan macaroons made with blueberries, shredded coconut, and dark chocolate. Ready in under an hour for a quick and clean dessert!

Earlier this year, before COVID-19 rocked the globe, I decided that this was going to be the year I was going to get back into live music.

I booked five concerts spread across the calendar with friends who shared my musical taste.

When the pandemic changed life as we know it, the cancellations slowly started to trickle into my email inbox.

So much for the year of concerts, I thought.

I have recently, though, rediscovered my love of listening to music.

Like, *really* listening.

Lately, I’ve been putting on an album in my living room and listening in a way I haven’t done since I got my first Backstreet Boys CD back in the day.

You know, really absorbing the lyrics and the melody and feeling it run through you from finger tips to toe tips.

The same way one devours Dark Chocolate Blueberry Macaroons.

You just need 6-ingredients to make these Dark Chocolate Blueberry Macaroons that are packed with blueberries, coconut, and dark chocolate!

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Baked Tempeh Tots

By Flora & Vino 6 Comments

Baked tempeh tots seasoned with rosemary, thyme, and nutritional yeast with an almond flour breading. Perfect for a protein packed snack!

Do you guys own bikes?

I’ve been wanting to get one for years now but never seem to tuck away the money for it.

During quarantine, outdoor biking became a favorite activity in my social circles.

It’s the perfect way to experience the outdoors, social distance, and get some exercise, too.

So it occurred to me this past weekend that while I don’t have a new bike, I *do* have a bike.

The purple bike sitting in my parents’ garage that I last rode when I was 16.

So I called my parents and asked for my bright bike back, pretty please.

Last weekend my parents dropped off the bike at my place and ever since then I’ve been pedaling around my neighborhood, feeling buoyant and carefree.

These Baked Tempeh Tots also made me feel gleeful and childlike this week.

They’re an easy savory snack that’s packed with plant-based protein!

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Coconut Cream Cheese Bagel Sandwiches

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

Vegan bagel sandwiches for breakfast, brunch, or lunch! Grain-free bagels loaded with coconut cream cheese, cucumber, tomato, red onion, and sprouts.

Well, it certainly feels like summer here in Virginia.

As we enter Phase 1 of the reopening in northern Virginia, there’s a weird juxtaposition of summer sun against the uncertainty of the dog days before us.

Things are reopening but nothing feels as convenient or easy as it used to.

This new normal is strange, because with stay at home orders lifted, the decision to adventure or stay home ultimately is on us!

Everything requires masks, preparation, time, and social distance.

It makes me nostalgic for summer days growing up when getting out was as easy as stopping by the bagel bakery.

In the summertime growing up my mom used to take us to get bagel sandwiches at lunchtime.

I always ordered a bagel sandwich with a big smear of cream cheese and vegetables stacked so high they slid out the sides when you chomped down.

These Coconut Cream Cheese Bagel Sandwiches are made with a coconut based cream cheese and loaded with your favorite toppings!

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PB&J Baked Breakfast Bars

By Flora & Vino 12 Comments

Six ingredient peanut butter & jelly breakfast bars that are naturally oil-free, gluten-free, and sweetened with dates and maple syrup.

Show of hands: Who still eats Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches?

You are my kind of people.

I’ve been on a major PB&J kick lately and I’m not even trying to hide it.

Peanut butter and berry combos have been popping up all over my Instagram feed more often than it popped up in my brownbag lunch as a kid.

In my adult life, I like to think I’ve gotten a little more creative about how I consume the classic combo.

These PB&J Baked Breakfast Bars require only 6 ingredients to make the most delicious breakfast or snack that’s bursting with peanut butter and berries!

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SunButter Date Squares

By Flora & Vino 6 Comments

5-ingredient SunButter Date Squares with sunflower seed butter, Medjool dates, oats, and almond flour naturally sweetened with maple syrup.

I’ve been seeing flashes of black out of the corner of my eyes for the past few days.

I chalked it up to glare in my glasses or a trick of the peripheral vision.

Last night as I was about to click off the lamp and head upstairs to bed, I saw the same flash of black with an accompanying tail scurry across my living room floor rug and behind the AC unit door.

The good news is that I’m not hallucinating after long days behind the camera and I don’t need to get my eyes checked.

The bad news is that it appears I have a mouse in the house.

Or a rat, to be honest, I didn’t get a good enough look to carefully categorize by species.

Having never cohabitated with anything bigger than a spider, you can imagine my shock to suddenly share my living room with a pet I didn’t purchase on all fours.

He’s probably scouring the house for any bits remaining from my recipe shoot yesterday with SunButter and dates.

While I’m dealing with rodents, you guys should probably make these SunButter Date Squares.

They’re made with just 5-ingredients in 30 minutes for an easy vegan and gluten-free breakfast, snack, or dessert!

Was this a smooth enough transition to go from the great mouse detective to breakfast bars?!

Let’s find out.

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Vegan Maple Baked Beans

By Flora & Vino 6 Comments

Easy vegan baked beans made with navy beans and simple seasonings naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup. The perfect easy plant-based summer side!

On photoshoot days I immediately wake up and check my weather app to see if the light will be good for shooting.

I’m still shocked on mornings when I see the temperature will be soaring into the 80’s.

And even more shocked that this Sunday is the last day in May– excuse me?

Anyway, it looks like we’re well on our way to summer, so let’s bring in the summer staples.

One of my favorite summer staples growing up was baked beans.

The Bush’s Vegetarian Baked Beans were my absolute favorite as a kid.

We often opened a can to serve alongside chips, burgers, and coleslaw on messy paper plates on the deck overlooking the backyard.

I used to spoon them onto my plate and watch the mixture expand in a think syrupy puddle.

Sometimes I actually used to delight in dipping my potato chips in the puddle (don’t judge me!).

When I asked on Instagram what summer recipes you needed, baked beans was a top request!

These Vegan Maple Baked Beans don’t disappoint.

They’re sweet, a little tangy, and tomato-y.

They’re easy enough to whip up in 15 minutes for a sweet summer side without any refined sugars or thickening agents!

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