Oil-Free

1-Bowl Blondies

1-Bowl Blondies with oat and almond flour sweetened with pure maple syrup. Top with Endangered Species 60% Dark Chocolate Baking Chips!

Thanksgiving came and went and now the world is hustling and bustling in a holiday craze.

I actually finished my holiday shopping early this year because I was overeager to buy gifts in October and November.

This feels like a major flex now, because I have more time for writing my Christmas cards and…baking.

Friends, ’tis the season for baking.

Baking all things, but mostly sweet things.

I’m excited to share my first December baked good with you.

I had my oven on every day last week working on different variations of blondies.

What I’m sharing with you today is my favorite; sweet, chewy, and chocolate studded goodness.

These 1-Bowl Blondies are made with oat and almond flour sweetened with pure maple syrup.

Top them with Endangered Species 60% Dark Chocolate Baking Chips and don’t forget to measure chocolate chips with your soul.

Make a pan of these vegan and gluten-free blondies for you and yours!

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Apple Pie Crumble Bars

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Apple Pie Crumble Bars with an almond oat crust and crumble topping with a stovetop apple pie filling. The best fall breakfast or snack!

I *love* apples, mostly because I can let them sit on the counter for a while and ponder delicious ways to use them.

They’re not fickle like summer berries, where you need to use them THE DAY you purchase them.

Or like Flora’s leash training, which some days feels easy and other days (read: most of the time) I think she’s the one walking me.

But, I digress.

We were talking apples, not Aussies!

One of M’s favorite recipes that I make this time of year is a vegan apple crumble.

It’s also one of my favorite ways to use up a bunch of apples that I got at the grocery store, farmers market, or apple orchard. This year, I decided to get a bit creative and turn his favorite apple recipe into…bars!

These Apple Pie Crumble Bars are made with an almond oat crust and crumble topping with a stovetop apple pie filling.

It’s still easy to make with simple ingredients, but crumble turned bars means they’re portable, concise, and convenient.

Slice them into squares and enjoy them for the *best* fall breakfast, snack, or dessert.

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Vegan Walnut Coffee Cake

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Vegan Walnut Coffee Cake made with oat and almond flour with Artisana Organics Raw Walnut Butter and a creamy coffee frosting.

When people ask how things are going, I *try* not to default to “Good, but busy”; as my standard response.

It feels true, but I’d like to get a little more creative.

Because busy has a connotation of the mundane, the dragging, the blah.

And truthfully, my “busy-ness” is completely comprised of things of my own doing and choosing.

I’m spending a lot of time in the kitchen creating fall recipes for YOU, friend! A job that doesn’t always feel like work and definitely never tastes like it.

When I’m not in the kitchen for work (read: you!) , I’m in the kitchen for us (read: me!) meal prepping so the fridge isn’t *only* full of the treats I’m testing.

My days are also peppered with puppy training, articulating “Touch!”, “Let’s Go!”, and “Down!”, with an encouraging lilt and a bag full of homemade dog treats.

Then I have the hours devoted to sequencing my next Saturday yoga class; noting the shapes, the breath, and the themes.

I always squeeze in non-negotiable movement into my days, whether it’s yoga, climbing, running, or just a long neighborhood walk.

All in all, these are problems that past Lauren would have *loved* to have had.

Yes, my days are exhausting and full, but I’m usually smiling at the end of them.

So, friend, if you ask me how I’m doing, I’m going to smile and shove a piece of Vegan Walnut Coffee Cake in my face.

How’s that for a response?

This Vegan Walnut Coffee Cake made with oat and almond flour with Artisana Organics Raw Walnut Butter and a creamy coffee frosting.

You’re going to want to enjoy a slice later with a mug of something warm.

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Pumpkin Stovetop Oatmeal

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Pumpkin Stovetop Oatmeal made on the stovetop in 10 minutes and served with nuts and dried fruit for a fun and fast fall breakfast.

After Labor Day, bam, it’s time to eat all things pumpkin.

This is one social expectation that I am perfectly happy to fulfill, friends.

For the past few weekends, M and I have been packing up Flora in the car to take her on a Sunday coffee run.

We’ve been doing a lot of car trips and outings with her in general to “socialize” her to people, places, and things in the outside world!

Last weekend, she had her first *pup cup*, which she lapped up great enthusiasm and a newfound interest in our coffee cups.

M tried his first pumpkin spice latte, and I grinned just *smelling* it because it reminds me of being a teenager.

Many afternoons I walked to Starbucks (about a 40 minute walk if memory serves?), grab a warm drink (read: caffeine), then walk all the way home again.

It felt like a little delicious slice of freedom that I could do before having a driver’s license and a car.

Another pumpkin highlight to my very adult week was making Pumpkin Stovetop Oatmeal for a quick and hearty workweek breakfast.

Lately in the mornings it was actually chilly outside when I asked Flora to “Go Potty!” around 6 AM.

This Pumpkin Stovetop Oatmeal is made on the stovetop in 10 minutes and served with nuts and dried fruit for a fun and fast fall breakfast.

It’s not fall quite yet, but it will be soon!

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Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Bread

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Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Bread made gluten-free with almond flour and oats. Super moist and chocolate-y with pumpkin puree and dark chocolate!

Don’t mind me while I ease into stew, casseroles, and baked goods.

This week we had Flora in the kitchen while I opened the oven and slammed the fridge and rattled pots and pans.

If there’s one thing you can count on me for, it’s to make a *lot* of noise while I’m baking.

Luckily, Flora seemed more curious about what everything was than scared by the clatter.

(Unfortunately, this recipe is not pup safe, but you can bet more homemade dog treats are coming!)

My first bread of the season turned out to be a wild success, and M and I have enjoyed slices all week long for breakfast and snacking.

It’s not chocolate, it’s not pumpkin, it’s Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Bread.

And if that wasn’t enough to entice you, I added dark chocolate chunks to really seal the flavor profile into something irresistible.

I *love* baking with pumpkin because it makes your baked goods moist and rich without a ton of oil.

In fact, this bread is baked with no-added-oils and instead relies on healthy fats from nut butter and almond flour.

This Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Bread is also made gluten-free with almond flour and oats!

It’s super moist and chocolate-y with pumpkin puree and dark chocolate for a healthy snack, breakfast, or dessert.

I love it sliced straight from the fridge as a mid-morning snack topped with peanut butter.

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Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins

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Vegan and gluten-free chocolate chip muffins with superfine almond flour, oat flour, and vegan chocolate chips. Perfect for a sweet snack!

I first made these Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins the day before we went to pick up Flora.

Luckily, I had the foresight to do some hefty meal prep because we brought the new pup home.

These muffins were a recipe founded on a craving in the midst of packing pee pads and toys and two sizes of crates (we weren’t sure which would fit!).

I had no idea how the muffins turned out as I threw them in the car for a healthy snack along with our Tupperware lunch and multiple Nalgene water bottles.

Our Aussie pup was a long 4 hour car ride away, but it was worth every mile.

About an hour before we scooped her up, I unwrapped a muffin from it’s liner and sunk my teeth in.

There weren’t a lot of things at this particular moment that could excite me more than the prospect of meeting my new doggie, but these muffins came close.

They’re fluffy, moist, and dotted with the perfect amount of dark chocolate.

“Oh my god. These are SO good!” I turned towards M in the driver seat, excitedly waving my muffin missing a big bite.

(M agreed later in the week that the muffins were indeed, delicious!)

It was a pleasant surprise and pick-me-up right before the biggest surprise of the year:

Meeting our Australian Shepherd girlie named Flora, who melted our heart at first glance, lick, and sometimes even now, affectionate nip.

I’m so excited to share these Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins with you this fall!

They’re the perfect sweet snack to fuel you for back-to-school adventures, whether that is with or without four legged fur babies.

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Vegan Zucchini Bread

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Vegan zucchini bread made in 1-bowl with almond flour, oats, and grated zucchini. It’s the perfect late summer breakfast, snack, or dessert!

Friends, it’s crazy how fast a puppy grows.

It’s been just two weeks being dog mom to Flora, and already we can see her facial features changing, shifting, becoming.

Last night M looked at me and said mournfully, “Where did our puppy go?!”

It’s true, she is getting bigger and bigger every day, and it’s honestly getting a little difficult (for me) to carry her with one arm!

We’re loving every second of the chaos of being a new dog parent.

Luckily, she doesn’t seem to be bothered by my constant running around the kitchen or scared by my constant banging of pots and pans.

That’s good, because with my job and passion, I make a lot of food and make a lot of noise while doing it!

So far, the only “human food” we’ve given her is good ol’ peanut butter, which she laps out of her kong with alarming accuracy and speed.

Her current favorite *high value* treat are some peanut butter oat training bites that are GOLD currency in our house.

Whenever we need to get her to do something and do it fast, a peanut butter treat is the difference between the zoomies and obedience.

I’m sure Flora would love it if she could get her teeth on some of the smells coming from the kitchen, lately.

Like this Vegan Zucchini Bread that I’ve been making on repeat to use up summer zucchini!

This vegan zucchini bread is made in 1-bowl with almond flour, oats, and grated zucchini.

It’s the perfect later summer breakfast, snack, or dessert for my human friends!

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Homemade Electrolyte Water

By Flora & Vino 3 Comments

Homemade Electrolyte Water with Eden Foods French Celtic Sea Salt and lemon and lime sweetened with maple syrup. The perfect way to hydrate!

If you’ve been following me a while, you know that I’m *pretty* active.

I keep myself moving with daily walks plus a mix of pilates, yoga, dancing, rock climbing, running, and hiking.

Sometimes it feels like there aren’t enough days in the week to fit all of my desired workouts into.

I’ve always used water to hydrate and replenish during workouts, but during my marathon training, I realized that wasn’t going to cut it.

So I started using electrolyte tablets in my water to ensure I’m getting proper hydration to replenish both water and salt.

It took me a while to recognize and understand that water alone isn’t enough to keep you hydrated….you need some salt, too!

M and I both started using them in situations where we sweat and noticed the difference right away in the way we felt during and after sport.

While the electrolyte tablets are convenient, some of them have off-putting flavors, added sugars, and questionable ingredients.

I realized how easy it is to make Homemade Electrolyte Water at home and I can’t wait to share it with you.

This Homemade Electrolyte Water is made with Eden Foods French Celtic Sea Salt and lemon and lime sweetened with maple syrup.

Mix it up this summer for the perfect way to hydrate!

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Superfood Pitaya Bowl

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Superfood Pitaya Bowl with frozen dragonfruit, berries, banana, and Navitas Organics Superfood + Sea Veggie Blend for an energizing breakfast!

This past weekend M and I saw our first hummingbird on the deck.

We’ve been noticing a lot of bird traffic on the deck lately, which we fondly refer to as “fake hummers”.

You know, the aerial movement, flutter of wings, and flash of color that catches your eye but ends up being a sparrow, crow, or pigeon.

We’d taken to sitting on the couch, sipping wine and talking about upcoming travel plans while sporadically glancing at the deck.

We’re on hummingbird watch.

It was during one of these sessions that I saw something.

I clutched M’s arm slowly but firmly so as not to scare her, while I whispered excitedly, “Hummer, hummer, there’s a hummer!”

And there she was.

The lady hummingbird that perched on our new feeder to suck up nectar was so much smaller than I remember from last year!

With those fast wings and small green body, they’re visually striking and yet easy to miss.

After our first sighting, M immediately cleaned the feeders and changed the sugar water supply, because our hummingbirds deserve the freshest.

And so do you, friends.

Which is why I’m sharing this Superfood Pitaya Bowl with you today.

It’s made in a blender with frozen dragonfruit, berries, banana, and Navitas Organics Superfood + Sea Veggie Blend for an energizing breakfast!

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Vegan Strawberry Brownies

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Vegan Strawberry Brownies with fresh strawberries, and dark chocolate chips. A fun dessert to combine strawberries and chocolate!

Have you ever stopped and actually done those “10 Questions for Your Girlfriend” quizzes that you swipe through on TikTok?

M and I have, because I think they’re fun.

It’s a welcome reprieve from doomscrolling an endless “For You” page of trending sounds and videos and an opportunity to interact in an otherwise antisocial sport.

So, anyway, back to the quizzes.

I mean, who doesn’t want to decide which dog their boyfriend is out of 10 different options or whether they’d choose cookies or brownies for dessert?

These are important questions that demand answers.

It was during a food-themed quiz that M informed me that he would rather eat brownies over cookies.

“WHAT?!” I shrieked, totally flabbergasted.

“Yes, over cookies, I would!” he vehemently argued.

This honestly doesn’t mean a lot coming from my dessert-opposed boyfriend who can eat raw rhubarb and think it’s sweet enough.

Friends, I don’t think I’ve seen M eat a single brownie during our four years of dating.

But, apparently he’s a brownie guy.

So, this brownie recipe is dedicated to the boy I live with who hasn’t touched this pan since I made them.

That’s OK, because these Vegan Strawberry Brownies are too good to share.

These vegan and gluten-free brownies are made with fresh strawberries and dotted with dark chocolate chips.

They’re essentially a chocolate covered strawberry in brownie form!

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