Refined Sugar-Free

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

Vegan and gluten-free chocolate molten lava cake for two! Made with an almond-flour base and plenty of oozing dark chocolate. Perfect for a date night in!

I’ll never forget that time on Instagram when I was reporting back on my time on the West Coast, fondly referring to California as “Cali”.

Which I thought was totally cool and hip, ya know?

Like Cali was my bestie and we referred to each other on a nickname basis and such.

“Just so you know, only people who don’t live in California call California “Cali”, the text popped up in my DMs.

“Just to help you out,” they said.

My relationship with “Cali” instantly felt a little less special and intimate.

Since then I’m very careful to say Cal-i-for-nia, in all it’s five syllable glory, just so you won’t know I’m secretly *that* wanna be beach babe.

But I am.

I’m excited to be spending some time in good ‘ole Cali, soon, though.

I have an upcoming business trip there at the beginning of March– one I’m taking with my little sister.

She’s never been to California so I’m really excited to show her my favorite spots on the West Coast.

Also, it’ll be the first *real* sister trip we’ve taken as adults.

Sure, we went to New York together a few years back but we did the trip in 24 hours so it was a blur of grabbing Ubers and Times Square chaos and SO MUCH pollen (it was May– allergy season!).

So I’m excited to take a full week with her and fully settle into PST before getting back to EST.

We’re already planning our meals and restaurant stops.

I can only hope we have a dessert as delicious as this Chocolate Molten Lava Cake for two.

It’s made easily with an almond-flour base, Frieda’s Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes (also from California!), and plenty of oozing dark chocolate for a delicious dessert to share!

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Raspberry Swirl Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

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.

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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!

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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!

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Oatmeal Raisin SunButter Overnight Oats

By Flora & Vino 6 Comments

Mix up these quick oatmeal raisin cookie overnight oats for meal prep breakfast with gluten-free oats, raisins, cinnamon, and SunButter.

I never thought I’d admit being sick and tired of a yoga sequence.

But friends, I am officially *over* the yoga sequence I prepared for my Yoga Teacher Training “Teach Out”.

I was up into the wee hours of the night practicing, pacing around my living room while playing and pausing my YYT playlist on Apple Music.

Today is a Sunday, like many other Sundays, but don’t let that fool you.

Today is the day I do my final “teach out” in yoga teacher training.

This is also a special Sunday for you, too!

It’s also the day I share this Oatmeal Raisin SunButter Overnight Oats with you.

Mix them up in advance for a sweet dessert-inspired breakfast conveniently packed into a mason jar.

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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!

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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!

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SunButter Cinnamon Rolls (Yeast-Free!)

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Enjoy these yeast-free cinnamon rolls for breakfast naturally sweetened with unrefined coconut sugar and topped with a sugar-free SunButter glaze.

Happy Christmas Eve!

What’s that one iconic holiday breakfast that instantly brings you back to Christmas morning as a youngster?

I used to wake up in the wee hours of the morning, terrified that if I moved even an inch under my quilted comforter that I might scare away old Saint Nick.

If I didn’t smell orange danishes and sausage egg and cheese breakfast casserole wafting up the stairs to my bedroom I knew it was too early.

These days I usually try to sleep in and let Kris Kringle make the rounds undisturbed before I start the oven and bang pots and pans.

Anyway, it’s been a tradition here for me to publish one final recipe on the day before Christmas.

So here it is– in case you, like me, don’t decide what you’re making until it’s time to make it.

In fact, I just braved the grocery store (yes, on Christmas Eve!) after deciding this morning to make a few last minute dishes for Christmas Eve Dinner tonight.

You’ve probably got all of the ingredients you need to make these SunButter Cinnamon Rolls (Yeast-Free!) for a special occasion breakfast or brunch!

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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!

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Black Sesame Butter Banana Bread

By Flora & Vino 5 Comments

Black sesame butter bread made with black sesame seed butter and bananas with a touch of cacao. Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and naturally sweet!

Hi!

Long time no talk.

I’ve been feeling a little short on words lately, as if my communication is congruent with the darkening days.

The winter solstice is this Saturday– the darkest day of the year.

I know this because I googled it and I googled it because I still use natural lights for all of my photoshoots.

So the darker earlier days really rains on my food photography parade, you know?

I also know this because I have a 90-min Winter Solstice Yoga Flow class on Thursday night where we do 108 sun salutations to welcome winter with warmth.

Anyway, you haven’t missed a whole lot behind the scenes.

Yoga teacher training and photoshoots keeps me busy during the day and in the evenings I cozy up and watch Christmas movies on Netflix.

In fact, I think I’ve watched more Christmas movies this year than any other year on record.

They’ve got a lot going for them: they always have happy endings and the soundtrack is all Christmas music.

SOLD.

This Black Sesame Butter Banana Bread also has a lot going for it.

It’s made in 1-bowl with less than ten ingredients for a decadent dessert or breakfast bread that’s vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and naturally sweet!

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Refined Sugar-Free

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