Happy February!
I can’t help it, when I think of February I immediately think of Valentine’s Day.
We ate a lot of lean mean greens in January, and I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for something sweet.
So let’s kick off the month with a sweet treat that just happens to be PINK.
These 7-ingredient Pink Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cups are perfect for Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day, or pretty much anytime you want your taste buds to party with a pop of pink.
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Lentil & Winter Squash Cauliflower Rice Power Bowl with brussels sprouts, red kuri squash, and lentils in a creamy tahini dressing.
Let’s set the scene.
It’s a rainy overcast day here in Virginia with a steady drizzle that’s here to stay.
Not a good photography day, but a good “let’s check off all of the mundane chores I put off all week” kind of a day.
Usually I don’t like the rain, but today it feels peaceful and reflective, like a soothing mental bath before the week ahead.
With every drip drop pitter patter it’s paving the way for new possibilities, new opportunities, new goals, new eats….
Eats like this Lentil & Winter Squash Cauliflower Rice Power Bowl.
It’s got a grain-free/gluten-free cauliflower “rice” base, protein-rich lentils, roasted winter vegetables, and a creamy oil-free tahini dressing.
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Rosemary three bean salad with cannellini beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas in an apple cider vinegar dressing. Perfect for potlucks and picnics!
Last weekend I decided at about 7 PM on a Saturday that our pantry situation wasn’t working for me.
I poured a glass of red, cleared off some kitchen counter space, and took out every last item I had heaped onto the buckling woven shelves.
It was one of those situations where I had to make an alarming mess before achieving a fully organized outcome.
A few hours later (after counting that I have a whopping 25 + bags of granola– granola anyone???) I had a still-packed but mostly organized pantry.
(Dan said it looked exactly the same, but I pretended he didn’t say that.)
I’ve been in “stock up” mode since we moved into our condo because I love to keep the pantry filled with all of my favorites so when I’m cooking, I’ll never run out!
The problem with this, though, is if you keep stocking up without taking STOCK of what you have, you might end up with 25 bags of granola, like me.
One of my goals for 2018 is to get creative with foods from my cabinet, so I’m sharing a recipe like that today!
This Rosemary Three Bean Salad takes only 15 minutes to prepare with ingredients I bet you’ve already got hiding in your cabinet that are nourishing and delicious!
So, dust off your cabinet collectibles, pick your three favorite BEANS and let’s get started.
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Easy collard green wraps stuffed with hummus, avocado, walnuts, and rainbow veggies. Perfect to throw together for a light lunch or dinner!
It’s Thursday and this post is a good one, friends!
I’m sharing a recipe that has been my favorite go-to lunch ensemble for the new year.
I first threw it together in a fit of post Hot Yoga Flow hanger on New Year’s Day.
One of those give me everything in the fridge and I don’t care what it looks like moments.
Luckily, it looked pretty good and tasted even better.
These Rainbow Hummus & Avocado Collard Wraps are so easy to load up for quick lunches and will leave you feeling light, energized, and GREEN.
I’ve laid out the basics, but the blueprint is totally customizable to make it yours with whatever you have on hand.
Let’s wrap up the week, shall we?
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Curried Chickpea Apricot Stew naturally sweetened with dried apricots. Serve over quinoa for an easy weeknight dinner!
I tried to get back into running over the weekend.
It started because I just got a new pair of Brook’s running shoes, and, if you’re like me, nothing inspires you more to run than the possibility of wearing in a new pair of sneakers!
Dan and I bundled up and Harper even came along, but the cold hit me like a post-smoothie bowl body-freeze within the first few seconds.
I made it about half way down the street, yelled to Dan that I couldn’t feel my face, and turned around and ran home.
Fast.
It might not be ideal running weather, but do you know what it is?
It’s ideal stew weather.
This Curried Chickpea Apricot Stew has a warm blend of spices that will make you toasty from the inside out!
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Super easy 3-ingredient halva made with tahini, dates, and pistachios. Perfect for a clean treat packed with healthy fats and fuel.
Where has January gone?
I can’t believe we’re almost half way through this first month of the year.
Confession: I had originally planned a dessert-free month here at Flora & Vino, but I think we’re all detox-ed and ready for something a little sweet, yes?
Especially if you made my Detox Salad from earlier this week or my Detox Zoodle Soup for earlier this month.
If you’re still in detox-mode, don’t worry, this recipe is refined sugar free, packed with protein, and ridiculously easy to make.
I don’t know about you, but I think I’ll HAVE some HALVA, OK?
It doesn’t get much simpler than this Vegan Tahini Date Halva.
You just need three ingredients to make this easy treat made with tangy sesame and sweet Medjool dates!
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Revitalize and reset with this fresh salad mix packed with fiber-rich vegetables, fresh fruit, and healthy fats, with a creamy detox tahini dressing.
Once upon a time, Sweetgreen had a killer Detox Salad on the menu.
Fresh greens, sweet pears, spicy broccoli, creamy avocado, toasty walnuts, crunchy red onion, and a zippy lemon ginger dressing.
I was in love.
How’s that for the beginning of a salad fairytale?
As with all seasonal things, it disappeared too quickly and I’ve been missing it ever since.
Don’t worry, this story totally ends with a happily ever after for both your mind and body.
I decided this January to make my own copycat version of my favorite seasonal salad, with a commemorative title and an easy oil-free tahini drizzle.
This “Sweetgreeny” Detox Salad with Detox Tahini Dressing is packed with all the feel good (and taste good) veggies and fruits, lively spices and herbs, and a light tahini dressing to tie it all together.
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Chickpea-free hummus made with sweet potato, tahini, and spices. Perfect for a a fun snack, appetizer, breakfast, or light meal.
You guys, we need to talk.
Have you ever tried sweet potato on toast?
No?
It’s one of those combinations that surprises you just how good it is.
Complex carbs on carbs, heck yes.
If you have, you’re going to love my latest chickpea-free hummus spread, and if you haven’t, get ready to toast with an open mind.
I created this Chickpea-Free Purple Sweet Potato Hummus to have a little something for everyone. For toasters, dippers, snackers, and party-ers!
Aside from being a total babe (look at that color!!!), it’s naturally oil-free, gluten free, and paleo, and comes together with less than ten ingredients you probably have on hand.
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Raspberry Cheesecake Bliss Balls with cashews and freeze-dried raspberries. Perfect to prep for easy and energizing snacking.
Hi, friends!
How has the new year been for you?
Have you been busy getting back into the swing of things after the holidays?
I’m actively reaching for those New Years intentions while trying to appreciate the steady “sameness” that comes with the post-holiday rush.
Did I tell you that I gave up caffeine for the first week of January?
To be fair, it did start rather unintentionally.
You know how your palette changes drastically when your sick?
Well, I just couldn’t fathom drinking inky black coffee in the mornings like usual so I went without.
Then, with the New Year approaching, I decided to continue the trend, just to see how it affected me.
While I did feel a bit calmer in the mornings, I was suffering from some pretty low energy levels during the day.
Like fighting the urge to crawl back to bed at 10 AM energy depletion.
Today I added back in a bit of Matcha green tea, and friends, I feel like a whole new LAUREN.
That, paired with a new shorter haircut, has got me feeling like 2018 is going to be pretty amazing.
And these bliss balls, of course, which are super energizing!
We’re one week in and I don’t know about you, but 2018 has got me craving some bliss balls!
I figured we could all use a quick nutritious snack to prep in advance to take on the day, this week, and the rest of the year.
These Raspberry Cheesecake Bliss Balls require only 5 ingredients and 10 minutes to roll together for nutritious delicious snacking.
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Savory yogurt bowls with slightly sweet cinnamon roasted veggies, nut butter, and granola. Perfect for a cold weather lower sugar breakfast or snack!
Well hello there and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
How was your transition from 2017 to 2018?
Dan and I visited a new winery in the area and loved it so much that we decided to join and become members. New year, new wine?
We were home well before midnight and curled up on the couch with Harper to enjoy the last hours of the year.
I woke up on on New Years Day determined to try some new things and put my intentions to the test.
In life and in the kitchen.
One of my goals for 2018 is to incorporate more savory snacks and breakfasts.
These Savory Yogurt Bowl with Cinnamon Roasted Veggies offer up a low-sugar and fruit-free option to the classically sweet yogurt-parfait!
Oh, guys, I also joined a yoga studio for this month!
If you’ve been following me a while then you know that I’m a total gym addict.
A class a day keeps the doctor away has always been my motto, and I shrug and tell people that it keeps me sane.
Lately, though, I’ve felt that the classes I’ve attended for years don’t serve me in the same way they used to.
I go through the motions but I’m not really there.
I decided to let them go temporarily, to explorer a slower kind of movement that I’ve had my eye on for a while.
Hey yoga, I’m talking to you.
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