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Healthy Snacking

Chunky Monkey Superfood Banana Chip Bites

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Banana chips topped with melted chocolate, shredded coconut, crushed peanuts, goji berries, and chocolate chips. The perfect healthy alternative to candy! 

Chunky Monkey Superfood Banana Chip Bites by Flora & Vino

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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Creamy Cilantro Lime Avocado Dip

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Creamy cilantro lime avocado dip made with avocado, unsweetened almond milk yogurt, fresh herbs, and squeezed lime. Serve with grain-free crackers!

You know you’re an adult when you start planning months or even weeks ahead to pencil your friends in for a simple lunch-date.

One friend and I scheduled ours in for almost two months out; the first Saturday free blank on both our day-planners.

Lately my calendar is been a scary place lately; one I force myself to enter each morning as I sip matcha and plan for the day ahead.

Between balancing yoga teacher training and rigorous work schedule around it, I feel like I should have a permanent away message slapped on my forehead.

But even with my daily scheduling check-in, I’m still baffled at how fast January went by.

I mean, weren’t we just setting new years intentions and goals and stuff?

Next weekend is already the first weekend in February, and also happens to be Super Bowl Sunday.

If you’ve been here a while, you know I’m about as confident watching football as I am public speaking.

AKA not very.

However, I AM very confident in the concept of game-time snacks.

This Creamy Cilantro Lime Avocado Dip is the perfect healthy dip to share, packed with satiating good fats, herbs, and citrus!

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Gingerbread Bliss Balls

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Gingerbread inspired energy balls made with oat flour, Medjool dates, molasses, and a festive spice blend. Perfect for a holiday season pick me up.

Gingerbread Bliss Balls

Hey, how was your Thanksgiving?

If you’re like me, the morning after the big meal you hastily turned on the Christmas music.

Something about blasting Michael Bublé and Mariah Carey instantly transports me into the holiday spirit.

Do you have your tree and decorations up yet?

I’m 50% of the way there.

I have the miniature red and white tree-skirt I couldn’t resist buying from Target, before, you know, finding a mini tree to go with it.

The ornaments are out too; a heart-warming hodgepodge of handmade childhood ornaments, classic glass balls, hanging figurines dated by birthdays and ages, glistening cupcakes and my favorite, a sparkling avocado toast (no explanation needed).

So when I finally get my tree, I’ll be decorating it with all of this plus Gingerbread Bliss Balls.

Because everyone needs a little festive fuel to deck the halls!

These gingerbread inspired energy bites are ready in under 10 minutes to fuel you through your busy holiday season.

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Golden Sesame Squash Fries

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Butternut squash “fries” seasoned with turmeric and cumin with a sesame seed twist! Bake a pan for a healthy snack or side paired with your favorite dip.

Let’s commiserate on cold weather for a minute, because it’s cold here in Virginia and I’m cold right along with it.

My townhouse isn’t well insulated and when I open the cabinets and dishwasher a rush of cold air hit me and the dishes I remove are icy cold and uninviting to the touch.

So I blast the temperature on my Nest thermostat up up up in hopes that the bottom two floors defrost while the top floor rests at a balmy eighty degrees.

Are you chilly too?

I love the changing seasons, but colder weather has never really been my cup of tea.

It requires so much work, you know?

All of the layers, heavy socks, and moisturizer — bonus points if you get a little Vitamin D for the day.

Anyway, I’ve got a recipe today that will warm your house and your heart and your insides.

These Golden Sesame Squash Fries are oven-baked with warm turmeric and a crunchy seeded exterior!

Open, sesame.

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My Go-To Trail Mix

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5-minute mix it yourself trail-mix with cashews, cranberries, dark chocolate, shredded coconut, and a shake of cinnamon. Perfect for on-the-go snacking!

My Go-To Trail Mix by Flora & Vino

At my hair appointment last weekend I sat in the salon chair and said, “Well, I’m not a hiker.”

“If you’ve got hiking boots, you’re a hiker,” my hair stylist said, motioning towards the hiking boots that protruded from under the long black salon gown that I wore buttoned around my neck like a cape.

I laughed and nodded in agreement.

I hadn’t had time to change before my hair appointment to change out of the hiking gear I wore to climb Raven Rocks with my girlfriends.

Earlier that morning, exhilarated by the crisp fall air and endorphins, we made a pact to do 12 hikes in 2020.

So maybe I am a hiker, huh?

I thought to myself as my stylist wrapped strands of my hair into highlighting foils.

And every good hiker knows to bring plenty of snack with you when you hit the trail.

Whether you’re a hiker or not, you’re going to love this easy snack mix that I call My Go-To Trail Mix.

It’s perfect to mix up for nutritious pre-portioned snacking on the go!

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Apple Cranberry Pecan Granola (Oil-Free!)

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Apple cranberry pecan granola with oats and pecans lightly sweetened with maple syrup and applesauce. Toss in baked apple chips for extra crunch!

Apple Cranberry Pecan Granola by Flora & Vino

Did you know that some clothing stores allow dogs inside?

Like, actually allow them to stroll in the mannequin flanked double doors on all four paws?

Well, I didn’t.

I’m watching Harper this week and on Wednesday we had an epic shopping spree.

It started out walking around the town center and ended up inside the dressing room at J-Crew, Harper smiling through her panting as I tried on flannel for a fall photoshoot.

I paid for two plaid shirts at the register while one of the sales associates crooned over Harper, now sprawled across the the floor in complete retail therapy bliss.

Guys, I’m pretty sure I never want to go shopping without my best girlfriend again.

Despite the retail therapy, this week has been pretty rough.

Lots of recipe fails, yoga homework, and quick meals to sustain late nights.

I do, however, have an excellent fall-inspired granola recipe to share with you.

This Apple Cranberry Pecan Granola is gluten-free, oil-free, and naturally sweetened, with big chunks of cranberry, oats, pecans, and apple chips.

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Grain-Free Almond Flour Crackers

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Crispy grain-free crackers made with almond flour, ground flaxseed meal, and simple seasonings. Perfect for a nutritious snack solo or with dip!

Grain-Free Almond Flour Crackers by Flora & Vino

Lately, I’ve been on a really big cracker kick.

I think it started when I was in process of moving.

Yes, there were a couple of nights when dinner was a box of Simple Mills crackers dunked in hummus.

All of the empty store-bought cracker boxes got me thinking– maybe I could (should!) make some of my own?

These Grain-Free Almond Flour Crackers are made with almond flour, flaxseed, and simple seasonings!

Let’s get crack(er)in’.

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Maple Pear Butter & Apple Chips

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4-ingredient pear butter made with fresh pears, lemon, and cinnamon lightly sweetened with pure maple syrup. The best way to use up lots of fall pears!

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I’m a bit obsessed with fruit spreads and butters.

It all started with my classic Pumpkin Apple Butter, but I’ve since branched into all sorts of fruity flavors.

You might remember that over the summer we did a Blueberry Butter and Peach Butter that squealed “summer!” every time I spooned them onto seeded bread.

With the temperatures quickly cooling, I couldn’t stop thinking about more autumn-inspired spreads.

Sure, summer is great for bright fruity jams, but fall is the season to stand over the stovetop with warming fruits and spice.

I couldn’t get the concept of pear butter out of my head after seeing thick golden jars of the stuff at a local farmer’s market.

So I made this Maple Pear Butter that’s fruit forward, smooth and cinnamon-y, and perfectly sweet but refined sugar-free.

It’s all of your fall feels in a 12 oz. Ball Jar.

You just need four simple ingredients and a seasonal chip for dipping!

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Paleo Sweet Potato Snack Bowl

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Easy snack bowl with sweet potato mash, cinnamon, and loaded with chopped nuts, dried fruit, and pecan butter. Perfect for a fall snack or breakfast!

Paleo Sweet Potato Snack Bowl by Flora & Vino

I’m *really* trying to get back into the habit of preparing my own food after my move.

It’s been a lot of Whole Foods hot bar and Cava trips and Chinese takeout and I for one am over it and ready to get back to regularly scheduled F&V programming with a fridge full of chopped veggies and a kitchen I can walk through without fear of tripping over a half-unpacked box and stumbling to my death.

I keep telling myself that it’ll happen “when the counters are clear” or “once I clean the dishwasher” (it smells bad…LOL)…but I’m pretty sure that those are all just excuses for being uninspired.

Change is hard, and all I want to do these days is curl up with something to eat that’s safe, known, normal.

So I’m taking it back to the ultimate comfort food base for occasion– sweet potatoes.

These Paleo Sweet Potato Snack Bowl are a delicious fall snack or breakfast idea that you can make in advance and serve warm or cold!

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Apple Chip Nachos with Date Caramel

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Easy and healthy snack nachos with apple chips, date caramel, dried fruit, dark chocolate, and chopped nuts. Perfect for an elevated snack or dessert.

Apple Chip Nachos with Date Caramel by Flora & Vino

When you move do you move with perfectly labeled brown boxes or with trash bags stuffed with random odds and ends?

I started out as the former but on the last day, yesterday, I was tossing pots and pans and appliances and silverware into anything I could carry with two hands.

So now I’m in the new townhome and everything is literally everywhere.

I even hired movers to help with the big ticket furniture items, but it’s really the little things that get you, you know?

Anyway, with moving, I have been the hungriest of hungry hungry hippos.

I lunge at snacks the minute the last box is unpacked, ripping apart energy bars and overnight oats and yogurts and all of my pre-packaged favorites.

Not quite ready to jump into learning how to use my new gas-stove and kitchen, I decided to make something easy but upgraded, with all the fall feels.

I’m loving these Apple Chip Nachos with Date Caramel for an easy fall snack plate that you can throw together in under ten minutes!

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