Off to NYC to visit my best friend!

"New York City here I come.....Right back where I started from...."

(Okay, not really, I'm not actually from NYC, but I love that song..... so there)

My best friend since the beginning of high school lives in New York City, and since she is a super-hardworking lady and can't take many consecutive days off from work, I'm going to visit her in the city! I am so excited to see her, it has been so long since I've seen her in person (although we definitely talk frequently.....I think I'd almost die if we didn't). I love being reunited with her; simply put, we just get each other in a way that very few people do. I absolutely love spending time with her and am so lucky that she and her sister are willing to let me stay at their adorable NYC home for a few days.

Athenas & I on the Chelsea High Walk

My favorite thing in NYC: My best friend, Athenas, of course!

My next favorite things in NYC:
- my best friend (whatttt?.....I had to.....I'm just really excited to see here....geeze)
- getting to see my best friend's sister, whom I also love and rarely get to see enough of

Greenmarket at Union Square (4 days a week)

- visiting another one of my good friends, Julie (she an awesome grad student at NYU who is going to change the world pretty soon....so watch out)
- the farmers market at union square
- the chelsea high walk
- the chelsea market
- random boutiques that sell unique stuff (I know, way to be super specific....)
- great vintage shopping
- the central park zoo
- great atmosphere and city vibe (I often walk around for hours and just soak in the general awesomeness that is NYC....)
- awesome art scene (so many art museums and galleries to explore)
- broadway shows
- central park....a work of art in itself

Chelsea Market

- awesome, AMAZING vegan restaurants, cafes, and bakeries (this will be it's own post eventually, since I have been to many amazing vegan places in NYC that I should really write reviews for)
- starbucks every 0.5 blocks
- super expensive and high end boutiques in the meat-packing district. I like to go into them and act like I'm actually looking for clothing to buy, but lets be real, one item of clothing from there probably cost more than my plane tickets both ways.....soooo no
- being able to WALK to everything my heart could possibly desire
- GREAT people watching everywhere
- wandering around soho and seeing all the hipsters & tourists, and especially hipster-tourists (those are the best)
- almost getting hit by cars every time I cross the street illegally, but continuing to do it because it makes me feel like a new yorker

Well seeing as to how this list has slowly progressed from serious things to ridiculous things, I think it's time for me to attempt to get some sleep before my flight tomorrow. Highly unlikely that I will actually sleep because I'm way too excited about seeing my friend, but I'll definitely fake-sleep for at least a couple of house ;)

I'll have some travel updates up later in the week!

Tips for easy, healthy, & well rounded home-made vegan meals!

Are you shopping/cooking with a limited time & budget?

I know many people have a weekly food budget, and also have a pretty tight schedule with regards to extra time for preparing healthy meals. As a recent college graduate, and someone who understands the constraints of living in a tight schedule & budget, I learned a few tricks throughout my college years (especially while I had an apartment) about how to prepare healthy, easy, and affordable meals for myself. Since moving back home I have been able to apply what I learned to cooking for my whole family and it has worked out splendidly. I want to share with you all what I have learned about the following topics:

- shopping (healthfully) on a budget-->shopping for vegan groceries is actually MUCH cheaper than shopping for non-vegan meals
- simple staples of well-rounded meals
- meal ideas and ways to switch up flavors without spending more
- cooking when low on time

Shopping on a budget

We buy legumes from the Bulk Containers and then
store them in glass jars

This is something that is very important to me, and relatively easy to do once you have learned the few tricks there are to mastering this skill. I almost always shop at Whole Foods (which doesn't have to mean "Whole Paycheck" if you follow these tips):

- Buy in bulk: Buy from the bulk containers for everything that you can. I get 100% of my grains, legumes, nuts, dried fruit, and other small things from the bulk section.
- Buy produce that is on sale: Produce on sale doesn't usually mean that it's old, it actually usually means that this produce is in season and they recieved so much of it that they are putting it on sale.
- Buy in Season: This often, but not always goes hand in hand with buying produce that's on sale. However, regardless of whether there is a "Sale" sign slapped on the produce, produce that is in season is always cheaper than produce that is not in season.
- Pick up the grocery store's leaflet/pamphlet: Most grocery stores have leaflets or pamphlets that have coupons and weekly deals in them. I always use them and end up saving a good amount of money with the coupons.

Gorgeous apples form went I visited NYC and when to the
Union Square Greenmarket

- Avoid layers of packagings: As a rule, the more layers of packaging there are to the food you're buying, the more money they are charging for the packaging rather than the food itself. An example of this is buying one large bag of chips, versus buying a box of the individual serving sized bags....clearly buying the large bag of chips gives you more bang for your buck. This goes hand in hand with buying in bulk since buying in bulk is the least packaged way to buy foods.
- Buy the Generic(Store-brand): Most grocery stores have their own generic brand of foods, and this brand is always cheaper than the name brand food but usually just as good when it comes to quality. I know that Ralphs, Safeway, and Whole Foods all have their on store-brand foods that are organic, delicious, and much cheaper than a name-brand version of the same food.
- Hit the Farmer's Market: Produce is usually cheapest and tastiest from farmers markets, and sometimes it is even cheaper to get fresh herbs from the farmers markets rather than from the grocery store. Not only is it cheaper, but it is also just SO MUCH FUN to go to farmers markets, and see what types of produce are out.

Simple Staples of Well Rounded Meals:

Regardless of what type of cuisine you prefer, there are some staples that you should always have in your pantry and fridge:

- Whole Grains: Whether you prefer rice, quinoa, millet, farro, barley, oatmeal, or any other whole grain, it is always a good idea to have at least a couple of varieties of whole grains in your pantry. They are versatile and are used in all cuisines. They can be used as breakfast (oatmeal, quinoa porridge, etc) or as part of a well rounded lunch or dinner meal. 

A small sampling of the whole grains we keep in our pantry

- Whole grain Breads & Pastas: This is not a necessity, but it is really helpful to have whole grain bread and pasta on hand for when you need to slap together a quick sandwhich, or when you have to have a quick pasta dish. 

- Legumes: These range in variety from soy beans, to black beans, to lentils, split peas, and everything in between. Whatever your personal prefference, it is always handy to have at least a couple of kinds of dried legumes in your pantry. If the long cooking time intimidates you, don't worry, I have some tips in the time saving section of this post that'll put your mind at ease. 

- Vegetables: Whatever is in season or is on sale at the market is perfect! As long as you see variety in the colors of vegetables you are buying then you're set!

- Fruits: Same rules as with vegetables; whatever is in season or on sale is best. Make sure to have a variety of different colored fruits around to snack on when the munchies hit!

- Greens: Usually choosing whichever greens are in season is the best, but some greens are better than no greens at all. Keep some spinach, arugula, or romaine in your fridge for making an easy, quick salad. It's also a great idea to have some heartier greens such as kale, collards, or swiss chard for steaming and having as part of a warm meals (or adding to a soup.....nom nom nom).

- Nut Butter: Choose whichever nut butter you prefer, for me nothing does it quite like almond butter. Regardless of which kind of nut butter you choose, it's always great to have at least one nut butter around for making a quick sandwich on the go (or to eat with a spoon.....what? that's just me? oh okay, nevermind then)

- Essential Herbs, Spices, & seasonings: I know there are a variety of herbs and spices, but there are some that are going to go a long way if you have them in your pantry, and others that are not as necessary. Some of the herbs & spices that I think are essential are: Sea Salt, Soy Sauce, Cracked Pepper, Garlic or Garlic Powder, Onion or Onion Powder, Cilantro, Cayenne Peppers, Ginger or Ginger Powder, and Chili Powder. 

Easy Meal Ideas: A Grain, A Green, & A Bean

chopped up ingredients for a asian veggie salad (planning
on adding edamame and millet)

One rule that I've often heard, is if you're in a rush but want to have a well rounded meal, just make sure the meal has a sources of whole grains, a bean (legumes) and a green. With this simple rule in mind it is possible to make a plethora of tasty and easy meals; what I love about this concept is that you can come up with a huge variety of dishes & flavors but still have the foundation of your meal be a grain, a green, and a bean.  Here are some easy ideas that take very little effort to assemble, and can be made with pantry basics: **

1) Mexian Bowl: Brown rice, Black or pinto beans, steamed veggies (kale, bell peppers, onions, carrots, zucchini, or corn are all good options), salsa (can be made by processing tomatoes, lemon juice, red onions, jalapeno, and cilantro in a food processor).

2) Asian Stir Fry bowl: Brown rice or quinoa, soy beans or tofu, steamed or fresh veggies (broccoli, carrots, chinese snow peas, purple cabbage, green onions, and mushrooms go well with this dish), peanuts, teriyaki sauce (combine equal parts soy sauce, rice wine, brown rice syrup, ginger powder, and garlic powder in a pot and let it reduce for a few minutes)

3) Mediterranean Bowl: Barley or quinoa, Garbanzo beans or hummus, garlic, veggie salad (cucumber, tomatoes, red onions, all dressed in lemon with a bit of salt)

A gorgeous Mediterranean salad from Flore Vegan
(quinoa, fresh veggies, hummus, tahini-miso dressing)

4) Southern Bowl: Brown rice or quinoa, black eyed peas, steamed sweet potato, steamed kale, BBQ sauce

5) Italian Bowl: Brown rice or whole grain pasta, any bean you prefer (I find I like lentils, navy beans, and fava beans the most with pasta),  grated garlic, chopped basil, any sauce you prefer (anything from a jar of marinara, to some homemade pesto made by blending basil, pine-nuts, and garlic in a food processor, or a drizzle of olive oil)

**Keep in mind that for all of these recipe outlines, you can use any bean that you prefer, any whole grain or grain product that you prefer, and any seasoning you prefer. What I have written here is just a general outline of some easy meal ideas.

Tick-Tock-Tick-Tock: Making food in a time crunch

 There are many tricks to preparing healthy, well rounded meals when one has schedule constraints:
- Crock Pot: These things rock! Just throw in whatever beans, veggies, grains, veggie broth, and spices you want, set the timer and other settings, and the end of the day you have a delicious, hearty stew. You can make this italian by using italian seasonings, mexican by using mexican seasonings, french by using french seasonings....etc.
- Plan Ahead: Know at the beginning of your week what meals you plan to make throughout the week. This way you might be able to do double duty by making certain elements that these meals have in common days in advance whenever you have time.
- Prepare in Bulk: This applies to both whole grains and legumes. I always make a large batch of quinoa and brown rice at the beginning of the week and use it throughout the week for breakfasts and dinners which cuts down a significant amount of work per day. I also do this with legumes; I typically make a huge batch of one type of bean (usually garbanzos or lentils) at the beginning of the week for the days when I don't have time to cook up some fresh beans.
- Frozen Veggies: I prefer to use fresh veggies when cooking, but I always keep a couple of bags of frozen veggies on hand that I can just steam for a few minutes for those nights when I just don't have time to wash & prep the veggies.
- Make more when you have time: On nights when you have time to make a fresh dinner, make extra of the dinner so that you can have it for lunch or dinner the next day as well!
- Cook in blocks: What I mean by this is, if you have a block of free time in the morning after the gym before work, or some extra time in the day between different tasks and errands, use that time to do a small bit of the work for your dinner tonight. You can cook quinoa and some other whole grains in a mere 15 minutes. You can also boil beans for a quick soak in just 5 minutes. You can whip up an easy salsa in the food processor in about 5 minutes, and you can make a marinade for tofu or tempeh in about 5 or 10 minutes.
- Use the food processor: I am sure you already use yours once in a while, but the food processor is much more useful than you may realize. I know many food processor including mine have a few different attachments, one of them which is made specifically for slicing vegetables. If you have a lot of veggies to slice try using the slicing attachments of your food processor to slice the veggies. The regular S-blade of a food processor is also great for mincing, dicing, and pureeing (just vary the time and speed of the food processor to get these different results.
- Quick Soak Beans: Thats right, beans don't have to take forever! If you have time, you can soak them overnight, but there's always the option of a quick soak! Boil beans for 2-3 minutes in a lot of water, then turn off the heat and let them soak in the water for at least 1-2 hours. Drain & rinse, and then cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour whenever you are preparing your meal.

In Summary: I hope that all of my tips and tricks will come in handy to you all when you are shopping on a budget, preparing meals with limited time, or simply stuck in a food rut and looking for quick & easy ways to add flavor to your meals! I leave you with a picture of one of my easy, go to meals: a home-made macrobiotic dinner!

Brown rice, marinated tofu, steamed kabocha,
broccoli, bok choy, and daikon. Hijiki salad in the middle.
I added some home-made teriyaki sauce after I took the picture.

Coo Coo for Coconut Forbidden Rice & Mango

Dessert time.....

Summer brings out many things in many people, and for me one of the things it brings out is my sweet tooth. Normally I eat tons of fruit every day and that about takes care of my sweet tooth, but every once in a while I decide to actually put in some effort and make a real dessert.

Whole foods, whole lotta flavor: It was really important to me in making this dessert that I use whole foods, and if I use a sweetener, it be an all natural sweetener that has a low glycemic index so that it doesn't cause a sugar high & crash. One of my problems with dessert is that they usually leave me feeling kinda gross and sluggish because of the processed sugar, the use of wheat flours, and the sometimes empty calories. I also want a dessert that is cooling, especially since this summer is so hot; mango has cooling properties, and rice is always a filling, substantial, and healthy part of any meal, so the two of those in a dessert sound good to me!

The Verdict: I decided to create my own take on Thai Sweet Coconut Rice & Mango. This is a traditional thai dish that I've had many times. I have heard of it being made with black rice, but I have only ever been able to find it with white rice (not a whole food) at restaurants. I decided to use black whole grain rice rather than white rice, and brown rice syrup rather than cane sugar. I also tried out a variation of the recipe without coconut milk in case you don't like coconut flavor, but still want the dessert (my brother was the inspiration for the coconut-free dessert since he loves desserts but hates coconut flavor)

Sweet Forbidden Coconut Rice & Mango

Ingredients:

- 1 cup dry black (sometimes called japonica) rice

- 2 1/4  cups canned coconut milk** or any non-dairy milk for coconut-free version 

- 4 tbsp brown rice syrup

- 2 pinches sea salt

- 1-2 whole organic mangos

**(can be full fat if you want a really creamy dessert, or "light" if you want a slightly lighter dessert, traditional recipes use full fat but I used "light" and it came out fine)**

Directions:

1) Rinse the rice a few times until the water runs clear. It usually takes me about 3 times.

2) In a heavy bottomed pot add the rice, salt, and the coconut milk or alternative to the pot.

3) Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, put the lid on, and cook for 50 minutes to an hour. 

4) Turn the heat off and let the rice sit for at least 10 minutes.

5) Stir in the brown rice syrup thoroughly.

6) Peel and chop the fresh mango.

7) Serve a scoop of the rice with half of a sliced mango, and enjoy!

Refresh Yourself! Refreshing tips, and a Summer Salad Recipe!

Ewwww grossss.........

I fell like every summer, there comes a point where I just feel, tired, hot, sweaty, gross, and burnt out. I think it's mostly a mental thing, but it happens to me at some point each summer. I was in this disgusting funk a few days ago, and I was so annoyed by my own negative nancy ways that I decided to put my foot down. I decided that I needed to "refresh" myself......if you're going to ask me exactly what that means, I don't know, but it sounds like the feeling I was going for. Whenever I get into those weird funks, there are a few things that work for me.

Refreshing Ideas/Tips:

1) Be a Lemon! Well, more like juice a fresh lemon, and add this juice to some ice water. Mix a little agave nectar in and sip on it. Super easy, super refreshing!
2) Walk it off! Take a walk, it doesn't have to be long or strenuous, but get outside, DON'T put your headphones in, and just take a walk where you appreciate everything around you.
3) Catch a flick! Go see a movie or watch a movie at home........by yourself! I know this sounds wierd, but it's totally awesome. Don't get me wrong, I love watching movies with my friends, but sometimes it's nice to go see a movie on a whim or pop in any DVD you want, and NOT have to worry about planning/coordinating with someone else or choosing a movie together.
4) Run for it! Go for a run. Similar to the walk, it doesn't have to be strenuous or long, but just getting out in the world and running for a bit can be super refreshing.
5) Read! It can be anything from going and buying a new book or magazine, or re-reading your favorite book that you haven't read in years. I am currently re-reading my favorite book of all time: East of Eden, and I love it more every time I read it.
6) Make this now! Make this Refreshing Summer C & C Salad recipe I am about to share with you!

Summer C & C (corn & cucumber) salad

The Dressing after being "processed"

Ingredients: 
2 lbs persian cucumbers
3-4 cobs of summer corn
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion (optional)

Dressing Ingredients:
- 2 tbs tahini
- 4 tsp lemon juice
- 4 tbs water
- 1/4 -1/2 cup of chopped, fresh dill

Directions:
1) Remove the husks from the corn and steam them whole for about 15 minutes.
2) Remove corn from the steamer and let cool.

The final product!

3) Peel and finely chop the cucumbers into about 1-1.5 cm cubes. (Slightly larger than the size of the average corn kernel, because you want all the elemnts of the salad to be roughly the same size)
4) Once the corn is not hot, cut off as much of the kernels as you can, leaving only the bare, inedible cob. Throw away the cobs.
5) In a large bowl mix together the corn, cucumber, and red onion if you choose to include this and then set the bowl aside.
6) In a small bowl mix together the dressing ingredients until relatively homogenous. I actually like to run my dressing through the food processor so that the dill gets chopped up really fine, and the tahini mixes really well.
7) Salt the dressing to taste, then pour over the salad, mix, and serve!

How to get out of a Running (or any other sort of exercise rut)....and get your sweat on!

What's going on?!: So I have been going through a bit of a running rut the past couple of weeks. I feel like it's pretty normal for runners, or anyone whose into any sort of sport to go through ups and downs with this sport. Its happened to me before and I'm sure it will happen to me again, so if you have a lazy day, week, or month, don't feel bad, we all have them!

Causes for this catastrophe: I don't know every single cause for people to get stuck in workout/fitness ruts, but I know a few of mine:
- stress (more than usual that is)<----- this happened this time
- lack of adequate sleep
- sickness (I developped a cold, in the middle of summer.........awkward)<----this happened this time
- boredom with running route
- soreness/ankle pain
- eating too much too late and night and not feeling too hott as a consequence the next morning
- EXTREMELY hot temperatures 24/7<----- this happened this time


The panic sets in......: Most runners or active people will know what I'm talking about. You take a few days off from your usual activity, and you think that you've probably lost all fitness and need to start from zero....at least this is what happened with me. I didn't run for 3 days in a row, and then I thought "Oh god, I'm probably so out of shape" so I went another week and a half without running (okay.....with the exception of my long sunday runs with my dad because there is simply no way for me to not run those....peer pressure). This is a pretty big deal for me since I usually run every other days, and sometimes every day (with at least a day off per week ofcourse).

Ways to get out of your rut!:
1) Just say you'll run (or do whatever other activity it is) for 10 minutes. Usually after 10 minutes any tiredness or problems you thought you would have go away, and you end up doing a longer workout. And if worse comes to worse, and you still feel like you can't workout more than 10 minutes, then at least you actually tried, and know for a fact that you couldn't, rather than not knowing.
2) Add some new & exciting songs to your workout playlist.
3) Make a date with a friend to run or workout together. That way you will have to run or go to the gym, and trust me, once you start, it's so much easier to keep going.
5) Buy yourself a new piece of workout gear; it doesn't have to be expensive or flashy, it could be as simple as a new headband/sweatband, a bright pair of shorts, or some fun socks! Then you will want to make use of your purchase immediately, or you will feel like a fool if you don't ;)
6) If you usually run or workout with a specific speed/intensity/distance goal, just let that go for this workout. Get out there and run/cycle/elliptical/hike at whatever intensity feels good for however long feels good.
7) If you run or cycle, find a new/different route. You can map one out at mapmyrun or you can ask friends, neighbors, or my best friend Google, for good running and cycling routes near you.
8) Pick up an issue of Runners World, Shape, Fitness, or a number of other fitness magazines. Sure seeing people doing what you've been skipping out on might be annoying at first, but it's even more motivating in the long run. Read a couple of the articles and hearing about people talk about their workouts will get you pumped!
9) If you run/workout first thing in the mornings, lay out your workout gear the night before.
10) Read an inspiring running book such as Born to Run, Eat & Run, or one of the many other fantastic running books out there.
11) Sign up for a race or set a new goal that excites you. Whether it's a 5k, a marathon, a fun run, a sprint triathlon, or an olympic triathlon, sign up for a new goal that excites you. If you can afford the time & money, sign up for an event that is in an awesome city so that you can make a little trip out of it.

Motivational thoughts:
1) There are plenty of times when I've skipped a run, and regretted it, but there has never been a time when I went for a run and regretted it!
2) Run/workout because you CAN! Our bodies are amazing things, and we are blessed to have the ability to run and workout everyday, so get your sweat on as a celebration of what you CAN do!
3) Are you already signed up for a race? Picture yourself triumphantly crossing the finish line.....that is what every single workout is getting you prepared for!
4) Think about a particularly awesome running/workout experience you had, it could be anything from a random run through some city blocks that just felt extraordinary, finishing a race that is special to you, a spectacular spin class, or just an awesome elliptical session. Think about that experience, how great it was, and how awesome you felt during and after it. NOW go out and have a workout inspired by your previous awesome workout!
5) Okay so this last one is silly, and a lot of people would probably give me shit for saying this, but it's the truth. We run and workout to be fit. But a byproduct of said runs and workouts is that we get to eat more delicious food.....so think of a special meal, dessert, snack, or other treat that you love but very rarely have. Reward yourself after your run/workout by giving yourself that treat!

The Results: Well to wrap this all up, I went on my first, non-sunday run recently, and I'm not gonna lie, it wasn't the easiest run ever, but it sure as hell felt great! I realized how cranky and annoying I had been for the past couple of weeks due to a lack of running, because it contrasted so sharply with how energetic, happy, and at ease I was & am when I am running regularly.

Lesson Learned: Most of the time all it taste is one hard push to get the routine re-started, and it's a lot easier after that initial hard step. So read over the motivational tips, and get out there and get your sweat on!

I've got lots of restaurant reviews and recipes to share, and I promise those will be coming soon!

Rawesome Superfood, Super-powered gRAWnola!

Ohhh, granola.........few things are more comforting to me than a bowl of delicious granola & almond milk, or some soy-yogurt topped with strawberries and granola. Here is my problem though, I am extraordinarily picky about my granola. I have a huge checklist of requirements that a granola needs to meet in order to make me happy, both regarding taste and ingredients.

My gRAWnola creation :)

My granola checklist:
- no added fats or oil: I am not a fan of using fatty foods, especially oils in foods as they are not a whole food. oils such as olive oil, coconut oil, and other similar oils do not exist naturally in nature. They are a result of heaving processing of a food, and are much less nutritious than eating the whole foods from which they came.
- no processed sugar: This is both because processed sugar has a high glycemic index (it spikes your blood sugar rapidly) and because there are much more wholesome ways to sweeten things such as using dates, apples, or stevia.
- no wheat/gluten: This is because I like to avoid gluten and wheat when I can, since it already manages to sneak it's way into my diet through other sources. I will eat wheat products occasionally at home, mostly in the form of sprouted breads, and on special occasions such as dining out or when making a cake for someone's birthday, but I like to avoid it in day to day foods.
- contains only whole grains, preferable at least two types of grains: The whole grains requirement is pretty obvious, whole grains are the only way to go in my opinion. They have more fiber & protein than their processed, non-whole-grain counterparts, and they taste better in my opinion.
- sweet but not too sweet: I like for my granola to have a hint of sweetness, so that it can be had as a snack without any toppings; but I also often eat my granola with almond milk, bananas, and strawberries which add a lot of sweetness to the equation, and would be far too sweet if the granola is already pretty sweet on it's own.
- has at least one raisin/berry like ingredient: this is another personal taste preference. I always like granola to have at least one ingredient that is a dried fruit, whether it be raisins, mulberries, or goji berries. This adds some contrasting taste and texture to the crunch of the grains in the granola.
- bonus points for being raw! This is just a personal preference; I tend to enjoy the taste of raw granola more than cooked granolas because well........they lack that cooked/toasted taste and I feel like I can better taste the ingredients. Also there are a lot of health benefits to consuming foods raw, especially berries.

With this MASSIVE list of requirements to meet, I set out to make myself a granola (maybe even a gRAWnola?) that will make my body and my taste-buds jump for joy.....and I dare-say I succeeded on all counts!

The Lowdown: This granola contains buckwheat (gluten free) and quinoa (also gluten free) as the whole grains. It also uses chia seeds and flax seeds to boost the nutrition and flavor profile of the granola. If that weren't enough, I use apples and dates to add some sweetness to the mix, and lastly a cup full of goji berries to add extra sweetness, texture contrast, and color.

Rawesome gRAWnola Recipe (Gluten Free)

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 cups buckwheat (soaked at least 6 hours and rinsed)

- 1 cup quinoa (soaked at least 6 hours and rinsed)

- 1/4 cup chia seeds

- 1/4 cup flax seeds
- 1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut

- 1 (packed) cup soaked & pitted dates (soaked at least 4 hours)

- 3 medium apples, peeled & cored

Date Paste!

- 1 cup goji berries (or replace with any other dried berry or fruit of your choosing)

Directions:

1) Pre-heat your oven to the lowest temperature setting possible. If your oven has an option for convection baking, choose that option. OR if you are awesome and have a dehydrator, that's even better and you should just use that :)

2) Make sure you have soaked and rinsed the quinoa and buckwheat.

3) In a large bowl mix together the quinoa, buckwheat, flax seeds, chia seeds, shredded coconut, and goji berries and set aside.

4) In the food processor blend the soaked dates until completely smooth. It should look a creamy-caramel color. Empty this out into a small bowl.

5) Now process the apples in the foods processor until they are completely mushy & blended.

6) mix the apple slush with the date paste until the mixture is smooth and consistent.

Granola after mixing for 5 minutes.

7) Add the wet apple-date mixture to the large bowl of dry ingredients and mix well. It took me about 5 minutes of mixing to ensure that things were pretty evenly distributed.

8) Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper and place half of the granola mixture onto each sheet.

9) Spread the mixture as evenly as possible over the entire sheet. Then place in the oven BUT leave the door slightly open to allow moisture to escape and to keep the temperature down. **Alternatively, if you have a dehydrator you should TOTALLY use that. I just don't have one, and I know many people do not have access to one so the oven is a great option in that case**

10) If using the oven method, leave in the oven for 24 hours.

11) Remove the cookie sheets after 24 hours, break apart the now dry granola, and store in airtight bags. (Picture of the final product bellow & at the beginning of the post)

The Finished Product! SOO yummm

And now that we've made this monster batch of granola, how exactly do we eat this intense, superfood, super-powered granola?!? Why with everything ofcourse! It's great with some non-dairy milk and chopped up fruit, delicious to top off a morning bowl of oatmeal, fantastic as a topping for fro-yo or icecream, and best of all, as a snack on it's own! 

**Note on "Raw-ness"**

Many super-intense raw-foodists would probably not like that I am using an oven whose lowest temperature is 130 and calling this "Raw" since technically foods heated above 118 are not raw. BUT I am not a diehard raw-foodist, and I also leave the oven door cracked open to keep the temperature in the oven lower than 130. The granola still came out tasting like lots of other raw granolas that I've had so it's good enough for me! 

Don't be Corny!

AHH, this week has been super hectic and I haven't had a chance to post until today, so sorry! I have had many great runs and even more great recipes to share with you, but I've got to take everything one at a time. For now, let me share with you a comforting classic, made vegan.......

CORNBREAD

The Inspiration: One of my embarrassing secrets is how much I love cornbread. I honestly wish I could just eat it all day, everyday. I was strolling through the aisles of my local Whole Foods, and saw a delicious looking cornbread earlier today; sadly but not surprisingly it was not vegan and also had tons of not-so-healthy ingredients. Since it is pretty hard to find good, vegan cornbread made with healthy ingredients in most stores I thought I should try making some on my own.

Almost all of the ingreedz

The Recipe: This is a recipe I've been working on for awhile, and I think I finally got the ratios right with this batch! This cornbread is delicious, hearty, made with healthy ingredients, and free of added fats. The most processed ingredients are probably the flour and cornmeal, which are unavoidable in a cornbread recipe. You can make a double batch of this recipe simply by doubling the amounts of everything, I tried making a double batch and it turned out perfectly.

Ingredients:
Dry:
- 3/4 cup whole grain cornmeal
- 1/4 cup all purpose wheat flour

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 1/3 cup raw turbinado sugar**See alternative options at end of post**

Dry mixture on the left, wet mixture on the right.

- 1/2 tsp salt 

Wet:
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk (or any other non-dairymilk)
- 1 egg equivalent (I used the Vegg but a flax egg or Ener-G egg replacer should work fine)
- 2/3 cup fresh corn kernels (optional)

Directions:
1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2) In a medium bowl mix together all the dry ingredients (cornmeal, wheat flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar)
3) In a small bowl mix together the wet ingredients (applesauce, soymilk, and egg equivalent)

Ready to go into the oven!

4) Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
5) If adding in fresh corn, mix it in at this time.
6) Line a muffin tin with muffin sheets or lightly oil the tin. Fill each muffin space until about 3/4 full.
7) Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
8) Remove from oven and let cool.
9) EAT YOUR MUFFINSSSS

Cornbread Muffins.....ready to eat!

**SWEETENER OPTIONS**

 The turbinado sugar can also be replaced with 1/4 agave nectar or honey, you just need to reduce the applesauce to 1/4 a cup and incorporate the nectar or honey into the "wet" mixture. Another option is to replace the sugar with 1 tsp stevia powder, and increase the applesauce to 2/3 of a cup.