Homemade granola I LOVE granola. I eat it on daily basis and even top my morning oatmeal with.. granola. …..is that weird? Serving oats on top of oats? I love that crunchiness from the nuts and sweetness from the dry fruit. I also love my granola with some coconut yogurt and fresh berries- one of the best breakfast combos, ever. For many, many years I’ve been buying packaged granola but for the last couple of years I started avoiding foods that are over-processed and pre-made (you’d be surprised if you looked at an ingredient list for some of these “healthy” granola mixes or cereal). There are so many awesome things about making your own homemade granola; it’s quick and easy to make, one batch will last you for weeks and you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry. It’s also a lot more affordable if you make it yourself, rather than buying it pre-packaged. I love dates and cranberries in my granola. I love that sweet, caramel-like flavor that isn’t overpowering. You can also add dry apricots or any other dry fruit that you like. I also like adding some flaxseed to my granola, for some of those Omega-3 […]

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I think I’ve told you guys countless times just how much my acne-prone skin has improved since cutting dairy out of my diet. I remember shopping for makeup a few years a go at a Chanel counter… The makeup artist took one look at my bare face and said “oh honey, you need to stop drinking soda, look at your poor skin!” My sister, who was standing next to me, gave him a dirty look because, hello, I’m a bit of a health freak when it comes to my diet and one thing you will never see me do, is drink soda. Having problematic skin is bad enough, but when you have to deal with strangers giving you unsolicited advice or assuming that you aren’t under care of a dermatologist is even worse. When I finally made the dairy-acne connection and eliminated it from diet, my skin transformed within a week. But there was one thing that I was very sad about…… …. pudding. Tapioca pudding was probably one of my favorite treats. I’d pick it over ice-cream, any day. I tried making plant-based versions of pudding, like the one with avocado, but it just wasn’t the same. Until I tried making […]

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Easy, healthy pumpkin soup Guys, I never thought that I’d be sharing a pumpkin soup recipe on this blog. This is mostly due to the fact that I used to avoid pumpkin at all costs. When I moved to the States years a go, it was right around Fall and I realized just how obsessed everyone was with everything “pumpkin spice.” It was also right around that time when I had my first pumpkin spice latte (I mean, how could you not?), and I thought it was gross. Ever since then, I stayed away from anything “pumpkin.” Few years later, when my husband and I moved in together, I realized just how much HE loves everything pumpkin: pumpkin cakes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin ice cream, etc. Thanksgiving is also his favorite holiday so pumpkin pie is always a must. Even though I’d bake it every year for him, I’d only had a small piece myself. Every year my “small” piece kept getting a little bigger and even though you won’t ever catch me drinking pumpkin spice latte again, I kinda have to say that pumpkin has grown on me. Few weeks a go I made this pumpkin soup for the first time, and […]

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Whenever I go food shopping (which, btw is like my favorite thing to do) one of my favorite isles to visit is always the one with organic and healthy foods. While on one of my usual organic isle strolls this summer, I discovered the most delicious raw, vegan bars that were just out of this world. My favorite combo? Berry-Coconut. Ever since then, I’ve been obsessed. A few days ago I came across this awesome recipe and I knew that I had to give it a try. The bars came out amazing. They are actually very similar to my 5 Ingredient Raw Caramel Bites and I’d go as far as to say that these bars are even better than the ones I get at the store. CRANBERRY COCONUT APRICOT RAW BARS* Ingredients: 1 cup of dates 1/2 cup raw, unsalted almonds 1/2 cup macadamia nuts (you can also use cashews) 2 TBS coconut oil (you can also use honey if not vegan) 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup dried apricots 1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut Place nuts, cranberries, dates, and apricots in a food processor and blend until well-combined and the texture becomes sticky. Add coconut oil and blend to combine. Add flaked coconut and […]

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I love sweet potatoes. Always have and always will. Being on a plant based diet, I have them for dinner at least twice a week. One of my favorite ways to make sweet potato is to bake it and stuff with some veggies. After completing the 22-day Revolution program, I still follow it pretty closely and a lot my recipes and a huge part of my diet are actually inspired by this book. One of my favorite recipes from the book is without a doubt, the Spanish Beans Over Sweet Potato and today’s post is inspired by that very recipe. This is a perfect idea for a healthy, meat-less dinner (even my meat-loving hubs loves it). It’s rich and hearty, full of antioxidants, fiber, protein and.. flavor! It’s also simple and easy to make, it’s very filling and very comforting. As you’ve probably guessed, it’s also completely plant-based, which makes it a perfect dish for my (mostly) vegan diet. Vegan Stuffed Sweet Potato (2 servings) -2 organic sweet potatoes -2 cups of black beans -1 small onion, chopped -2 cloves of garlic, chopped -salt, to taste -pepper, to taste -3 TBS balsamic vinegar -1 cup of water -1 tsp cumin -1 tsp chili powder […]

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