Flora & Vino

Healthy Snacking

Vegan Zucchini Pizza Poppers

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The cutest plant-based pizza bites made with a zucchini base and loaded with more vegetables. Serve solo as an appetizer or over grains for a meal!

Vegan Zucchini Pizza Poppers by Flora & Vino

I just finished my bookclub book for the month! 

It’s always a bittersweet feeling to read a book cover to cover and lose the characters after the epilogue. 

During last month’s bookclub meeting, we had an epic discussion via Zoom. 

I remember the meeting clearly, because I tested these zucchini pizza bites while on the Zoom call.

While talking motifs and heroines and historical context, I sliced zucchini and veggies and made mini vegan pizza poppers. 

When the were done I plated them and proudly showed my friends my creation through the screen. 

I quickly decided that they were absolutely fantastic and deserved a place on the blog. 

I’m so excited to share them with you today! 

These Vegan Zucchini Pizza Poppers are a delicious plant-based pizza alternative baked and served in under 30 minutes!

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Zucchini SunButter Chocolate Chip Muffins

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Super moist and delicious vegan and gluten-free muffins made with zucchini, almond flour, dark chocolate chips, and SunButter. Perfect for snacking!

Zucchini SunButter Chocolate Chip Muffins by Flora & Vino

What are you going to miss the most about summer? 

I’ll miss sitting on deck chairs on our new patio facing a thicket of trees.

I’ll miss the long sun-filled days that only tempt me to shut the blinds and curtains well after dinner time. 

I’ll miss easy comfortable cotton summer dresses (mostly floral, but some solid colors, too).  

And I’ll miss summer produce– right now I’m loving juicy tomatoes, figs, and zucchini. 

So today I’m sharing with your my personal favorite zucchini recipe of the summer. 

These Zucchini SunButter Chocolate Chip Muffins are made in 1-bowl– they’re grain-free, gluten-free, and refined-sugar-free! 

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Blueberry Muffin Energy Balls

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Blueberry muffin energy balls made with oats, almond flour, nut butter, mixed seeds, and dried blueberries.  Perfect to meal prep for the week ahead!

Blueberry Muffin Energy Balls by Flora & Vino

It’s starting to feel like home here in Maryland!

Last weekend we hung photos and I arranged my plants in nice little nooks around the living room. 

I tried out a local yoga studio and a new trendy coffee shop and roastery. 

We explored several grocery options and perused the aisles thinking, hey, this could be my new spot. 

Naturally, we’ve scouted out all of the nearby takeout options. 

But don’t let the takeout bags fool you, plenty of food has been made, here, too, friends! 

I even had my first *real* dinner party last weekend, hosting two of my friends for a plant-based pizza party in. 

And on Sundays, I meal prep for the week ahead in a kitchen that still feels oddly unfamiliar and new. 

My new favorite snack to have and to hold are these Blueberry Muffin Energy Balls!

They’re made with just 8 ingredients and one bowl for a quick compact snacking solution. 

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SunButter Apple Nachos

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Quick and convenient apple nachos made with cinnamon, dried fruit, dark chocolate, granola, and a squeezable SunButter packet. Perfect for a speedy snack!

SunButter Apple Nachos by Flora & Vino

How many meals do you eat a day, boo?

I’m usually a 5-6 meals a day diner, spreading out the deliciousness in 2-3 hours windows. 

M eats much less frequently than me, enjoying a satisfying breakfast and dinner, and occasionally, lunch. 

During the move, I (sort of accidentally?) experimented with eating less frequently. 

What’s the worst that could happen, I thought? 

So the decision to spread meals out was due to curiosity, poor planning, and an amiable attempt to meet M in middle to break on boxes on eat together. 

I’ve decided, however, after being near to tears one evening when we couldn’t decide on pizza takeout, that I do much  better when I’m snacking. 

Hanger is a very real thing and if prompted, M would probably tell you it’s not something he’d like to experience again!

Yeah, snacking makes me my best self. 

Which is why I’m excited to share with you one of my most favorite snack ideas today.

These SunButter Apple Nachos are a delicious way to elevate your snack time in less than 5 minutes.

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Pineapple Guacamole

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//#ad This post is brought to you by Bare Snacks, but all words and eats are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!

Easy guacamole with plenty of avocado and a sweet pineapple finish! Serve as a fun summer appetizer or side for dipping or a spread for the main meal.

Pineapple Guacamole by Flora & Vino

I may be in the process of moving, but I refuse to miss a taco Tuesday.

Which is really just a weekly excuse to make guacamole. 

How do you make tacos at your house?

Every Tuesday I count the squishy avocados and lay them on the counter for M to open and smash. 

He’s unofficially the resident in-house guacamole maker.

He makes the guacamole while I prepare the fajita veggies and black bean filling. 

If you’re looking for an excuse to make guacamole this summer, try this Pineapple Guacamole!

It’s adapted from the stuff I enjoy with M weekly with the addition of a fruity flair. 

This minimalist guacamole is made with all of your tried and trues plus the addition of pineapple chips for sweetness and crunch!

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Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies

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Easy banana protein cookies packed with dark chocolate and walnuts. Bake them in advance for portable protein rich snack for all your adventures!

Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies by Flora & Vino

The moving count down is ON, friends. 

In just five sleeps I’ll be slumbering in a new state! 

Right now life feels really busy. 

When I’m not working on stuff for F&V, I’m working on the loaded logistics of moving. 

Scheduling U-haul rentals, final cleaning, and key exchanges in their appropriate order.

Bribing friends and family to pretty please come help me move in exchange for pizza and vegan treats. 

So, would you come for Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies?

I’m hopeful these cookies get me through my moving week and I know they’ll sustain whatever adventures you have going on right now.

They’re totally vegan, gluten-free, and refined-sugar-free with a banana-oat base and plenty of dark chocolate and walnuts. 

Mix and bake them for a protein-packed snack that’s perfect for an outdoor adventure, moving day, or workday snack. 

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Cashew Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

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//#ad This post is brought to you by Bare Snacks, but all words and eats are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!

Light and easy stuffed strawberries made with a homemade cashew cheesecake whip and fresh berries. Perfect for a sweet summer side!

Memorial Day is upon us, friends. 

For those of you who’ve been following me on Instagram, you might know that I haven’t seen my parents since before COVID. 

I’ve waved at them from behind their sliding glass door several times for gift exchanges, but I haven’t wrapped them or my sister in a big bear hug since 2019. 

We’re planning some sort of a cookout to reunite on Memorial Day weekend– the first weekend two weeks after all of us are fully vaccinated. 

Hurray! 

So I’m *really* excited to begin making food to share this summer, starting with these stuffed strawberries.

These Cashew Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries are perfectly presentable for spring and summer entertaining this year. 

They’re light and easy, made with a homemade cashew cheesecake whip and fresh berries, perfect for a quick and creative sweet summer side!

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Cherry Tomato Salsa

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Fresh homemade salsa made with sweet cherry tomatoes! Enjoy as a dip with your favorite crackers or as an addition to tacos, burritos, and bowls.

Today I had a coffee date with a girlfriend that I haven’t seen in over a year.

We parked our cars outside of the Starbucks drive-through and socially distanced sipped on coffee, bridging the gap between our cars with conversation. 

Guys, I had forgotten how nice it is to be in the company of another woman and catch up on life as we know it. 

I came home with an empty coffee cup and a full heart, ready to take on a photo shoot and blog post writing. 

Lately I’ve been all about mixing up my routine; making small changes to embrace an awakening world. 

I’m currently enrolled in not one but TWO 7-day free trial via workout apps. 

Which kind of goes hand in hand with the 6 AM alarm that startled me into waking up after the third snooze this morning.

I feel like I’ve been in a deep sleep or meditation for the past year and I’m just starting to regain consciousness. 

Like, Rip Van Winkle level sleepiness. 

An in-person game night with my cousins and sister is planned for two weeks out; the first date we’re all fully vaccinated.

We joked that no games would be played– the entire night will probably revolve around hugging.

So much hugging. And food! 

What better way to embrace summer celebrations, in person and afar, then with a fresh dip?

This Cherry Tomato Salsa is made with just six ingredients and served with my favorite grain-free crackers! 

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Everything Granola Bites

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Protein-packed energy balled made with SunButter, chia seeds, coconut, cacao nibs, and a hidden granola crunch!  Perfect for a quick portable snack!

Everything Granola Bites by Flora & Vino

This past week M and I built a tent in my living room.

A mass of lime green nylon, woven mesh, and sturdy poles erected into a dome in under ten minutes. 

As the weather gets warmer, I’m dreaming of summer adventures. 

It’s been forever since I slept away from home, and I’m itching to pack up the car with my new camping gear and explore. 

Do you like camping? 

M will tell you that I’ve never *really* been camping, which is partially true.

I guess I’ve been *glamping*, i.e. sleeping in a camp cabin, with four walls and a roof and a screened in door. 

So maybe I’m romanticizing all of it– sleeping under the stars, s’mores, and basking in forest sunlight.

But I think there’s the chance to make a camper out of me, yet. 

Everything is starting to feel more and more possible– as people become vaccinated, as the book comes closer to a close, as my camping set is complete. 

I’ve also been thinking about easy food to make while in the great outdoors, starting with easy snacks. 

These Everything Granola Bites are a great portable snack to make in advance for all of your adventuring this year. 

They’re made no-bake with simple ingredients that will fuel all of your summer fun! 

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Raw Walnut Cashew Butter

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#ad// This post is brought to you by Bare Snacks, but all words and eats are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!

2-ingredient homemade raw walnut cashew butter made super creamy in under 10 minutes  Serve it with Bare Snacks Banana Chips for an easy snack!

Raw Walnut Cashew Butter by Flora & Vino

Did you pull any epic pranks on April Fools Day?

After one of my aloe plants fell out of it’s pot for the fourth (or fifth?)  time last week (it was poorly potted and in a precarious position), I had a plant funeral and buried the evidence in my trashcan.

RIP, aloe. 

As part of an April Fools day joke, I purchased a new plant and propped it up on the late aloe’s plant stand on April the first, waiting for M to notice.

I smirked while he ate his breakfast, finally asking, pointedly, “So, do you notice anything different???”

After doing a lingering living room scan, he finally picked out the monstera deliciosa sitting pretty near the window sill.

I laughed, assuring him I would keep my plant murderess tendencies contained. 

I’m so infatuated with this little green plant and it’s smooth heart-shaped leaves already turning towards the sunshine. 

Let’s see how long it survives…

Hopefully longer than this Raw Walnut Cashew Butter that I made last week and served with banana chips. 

It requires just two ingredients and a blender without any added sugars or oils.

It’s true: I wouldn’t kid about something as serious as nut butter, not even on April Fools! 

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