Refined Sugar-Free

Apple Butter Latte

Apple Butter Latte made with Eden Foods Organic Apple Butter Spread and warming spices. Perfect to have in your mug for cold weather!

It might surprise you to know that I normally drink my coffee black.

I’ve really gotten into coffee in the past year, and I look forward to my daily morning pour each night when I fall asleep in bed.

But whenever I go out to a coffee shop and treat myself to a cup of something, I always go with a latte!

It’s a treat for me because I don’t have an espresso maker at home, and the addition of vegan milk makes it nice and cozy and frothy.

It’s delicious!

Warm drinks truly are like a hug that you can drink, and I think we could all use an edible hug right about now.

So, you don’t need an espresso maker to make this Apple Butter Latte at home.

It has all the coziness, convenience, and intrigue as going out for a coffee, but you don’t have to change out of your lounge clothes or leave the house.

This Apple Butter Latte is made with Eden Foods Organic Apple Butter Spread and warming spices.

It’s perfect to have in your mug for cold weather!

Make it with strong coffee for a morning pick-me-up, or try it with decaf coffee in the evening for a dessert feel.

…

Vegan Morning Glory Muffins

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Vegan Morning Glory Muffins made with shredded carrots, dried fruit, nuts, and Organic SunButter. Perfect for a quick breakfast or snack!

After daylight savings time told us to “fall back” (thanks, daylight savings!) I’ve been trying to use that extra hour to get an hour ahead…on life.

It feels like a cheat, doesn’t it?

Without missing a wink of sleep, I’m suddenly back to being a 6 AM-riser, something I haven’t been able to accomplish before we brought Flora home.

The past few months, I fell into an easy routine as a new dog mom of sleeping as long as Flora would let me, only getting up to her insistent barks at my side of the bed.

But this week, I’m back, baby.

I’m back to my early morning Pilates + strength workouts before breakfast.

Back to eating a protein-packed breakfast after said workout ends.

I’m also back to starting my entrepreneurial workday at a time I wouldn’t be embarrassed to share with you.

It’s funny how a singular hour can make that much of a difference in the day, isn’t it?

This hour gave me confidence, focus, and self back.

So, now the hard part…I need to hold onto that hour for dear life and not slip back into old patterns.

M and I just started rewatching the series “House”, and I know it would be all too easy to binge a few episodes and lose traction.

OR stay up all night reading this month’s bookclub book, a historical mystery that I cannot put down!

I also feel great because I’ve been enjoying these Vegan Morning Glory Muffins as a nutritious midmorning snack.

These Vegan Morning Glory Muffins are made with shredded carrots, dried fruit, nuts, and Organic SunButter.

They’re perfect for a quick breakfast or snack and would be lovely to bake for family for the upcoming holidays!

…

Sweet Potato Pie Baked Oatmeal

By Flora & Vino 1 Comment

Sweet Potato Pie Baked Oatmeal made with sweet potato, pumpkin pie spice, and candied pecans. Perfect for a fall meal prep breakfast!

Last week I signed up for a 10K run on Thanksgiving Day!

If you’ve been around here a while, you know that I’ve been a runner for over a decade now.

I come and go with the sport, inspired by the seasons and the weather and what races I have on the calendar.

My longest run was a full marathon I did back in 2022, but these days I’m more of a short distance girlie.

When I lace up my runners and hit the pavement now, 3 miles feels tough; forget about 26.2!

But if you know me you know I’m a goal oriented person, and I love having something to work towards and train towards.

I’m in a season of life where dog training is keeping me busy, but making time for personal goals hits differently.

So I hit the “purchase” button when I was all fired up about running and excited to enjoy the fall weather.

Now, I’m feeling slightly sick knowing that this run (and Thanksgiving!) is a short few weeks away.

If there’s one thing I am good at, though, it’s sticking to a training schedule.

Well, and making new variations of baked oats to enjoy.

I’m counting on these Sweet Potato Pie Baked Oatmeal to keep me fueled this fall as I get back on track with running again!

This dish is made with mashed sweet potato, pumpkin pie spice, and candied pecans.

It’s the perfect energizing fall meal prep breakfast to support your lifestyle with complex carbs, protein, and healthy fats.

And, it would be a fabulous Thanksgiving breakfast for the whole family!

…

SunButter Date Caramel Apples

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

SunButter Date Caramel Apples made with apples topped with homemade caramel and rolled in sunflower seeds and dark chocolate chips.

In the past week, Flora took her first 1-mile walk with us!

The walk, which should normally take about 20-ish minutes, ended up taking over 30 because of lots of…

“Leave it, Flora!”, zig-zagging, “Drop it, Flora!”, dragging, “Heel, Flora!”, pulling…you get the idea.

Long story short: we’re still working on leash walking, and it’s a PROCESS.

She immediately came home and proceeded to lap water ferociously, lay down dramatically, and then initiated more play 10 minutes later.

Well, I guess we can’t tire her out.

With all this dog walking and dog training, I’m relying on healthy snacks to get me through this fall.

I’ve always been a sweet snacker, and this SunButter Date Caramel Apples hits just right for the season.

This good-for-you snack is made with your favorite apples topped with homemade caramel and rolled in sunflower seeds and dark chocolate chips.

It’s the best fall snack and a great way to use up all of those apples we collect this time of year!

…

Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Cake

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Cake made with rice cakes, creamy peanut butter, and melted cacao wafers. A healthy peanut butter cup snack!

If you’ve been around here a while, you also know that I’ve been dressing up rice cakes for years.

While some people see dry, boring, bland cakes, I see a neutral and nutritious vehicle for *all* of my favorite toppings.

I mean, the possibilities are endless, friends.

Which is probably why I was immediately taken with the viral TikTok Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Rice Cake.

(Well, that and the fact that my favorite dessert pairing in the history of dessert pairings is chocolate + peanut butter.)

Rice Cakes are also an amazing vegan and gluten-free substitution for toast, crackers, or anything wheat based.

It took me a while to finally try the recipe trending on social media, but now that I finally have, I *need* to share it with you.

This is my version of the Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Cake.

They’re easy to make for a solo snack or dessert with your favorite rice cakes, creamy peanut butter, and melted cacao wafers.

Basically, it’s a healthier one serving peanut butter cup, and I think we could all use one of those as Halloween creeps up!

Grab some rice cakes, your favorite jar of nut butter, and Semisweet Cacao Wafers and let’s make this sweet treat.

…

Apple Pie Crumble Bars

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

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.

…

SunButter & Jelly Energy Bites

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

SunButter & Jelly Energy Bites made with oats, Medjool dates, No-Sugar-Added SunButter, and your favorite jam. The perfect snack!

It’s that time of year where healthy snacks are invaluable, am I right?

Seriously, what I wouldn’t pay for a healthy homemade snack when I’m running from dog mom-ing to teaching yoga to shooting recipes.

It’s the weeks where I don’t meal prep snacks where I stare at the open fridge between meals asking myself, “What do I even eat?!”

Usually after this question I end up opening my chocolate drawer and grabbing a block of chocolate and calling it a day.

And while chocolate is delicious and I eat it daily, I think we can all agree that it’s not super sustaining.

Hello, sugar crash at 11 AM.

Then I found these prepackaged peanut butter and jelly bites at the grocery store a few weeks back and I enjoyed them!

The snack concept is that jelly is in the center and the doughy ball surrounding it is made of peanut butter.

They were nice plop in my mouth after finishing up weighted dumbbell sets, or while running from Flora’s puppy teeth (ouch!).

However, I didn’t want to continue to pay for the packaging, so I decided to make my own at home.

They’re easy to make and store well in the refrigerator for an energizing lift.

These SunButter & Jelly Energy Bites are made with oats, Medjool dates, No-Sugar-Added SunButter, and your favorite jam.

They’re the perfect bite-sized snack packed with plant-based protein and complex carbs to fuel your goals and dreams.

…

Vegan Walnut Coffee Cake

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

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.

…

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!

…

Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

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.

…

Refined Sugar-Free

Footer

what’s happening now on instagram