Crunchy Chewy Vegan Granola

I absolutely love making my own granola. You save a ton of money, you can customize it to fit what you like, and it tastes so much better.

When I say customize what I mean is you can pick what kind of nuts you mix in there and decide if you want raisins or dried cranberries or other dried fruit. You can also pick the spices you add like cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice is yummy too. You can even get creative with adding different extracts instead of vanilla like almond or coconut.

I made this recipe vegan by swapping honey for maple syrup which changes the flavor a little, for the better as far as I'm concerned.

Once you make your own granola you won't go back, it tastes so much better, it's so fresh, and it's personalized!

Use this recipe as a base and customize it to make it yours!

Preheat oven to 350°

What You Will Need

4 Cups of old fashioned rolled oats.

1 Cup of pecans, chopped. Or nuts of your choice.

½ Cup...

I know I'm a little late to the game this New Year. I was set back by a bad cold but now I'm back and ready!

This is my New Year Meal to bring health and prosperity to you!

Last year I made a soup and just wanted to do something different. I was in the mood for chili, so chili it was.

I'm very happy the way this came out and there was enough to freeze and share. As a matter of fact, I'm having this for lunch today.

So let me get to it!

What Do I Need?

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 large or 2 small Onions, diced

2 Peppers, diced. Whatever color your heart desires

5 Cloves of garlic, minced.

2 Carrots shredded.

2 15.5 oz of black eye peas, drained.

4 Cups of veggie broth.

28oz of Diced Tomatoes with liquid.

½ to ¾ Cup of uncooked, rinsed quinoa. Depends on how thick you would like it.

1 tsp Garlic powder.

1 tsp Onion powder.

2 tsp Cumin.

2 tsp Paprika.

3 tbsp Chili powder.

1/2 tsp Liquid smoke.

1 Small bag of fresh spinach, chopped.

1 Avocado for garnish,...

This has always been one of my favorites. I got this recipe from Pinterest a while ago. I'm not quite sure who posted it. I tried to look it up but there are actually a lot of similar recipes on there.  The whole family likes this one! Sometimes I serve it with some tortilla chips and avocado, yum!!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED :

1 1/2-2 cups of cooked quinoa

2 Cups of water

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 jalapeño, seeds, and ribs removed diced

1 red pepper seeds removed, diced

1 orange pepper seeds removed, diced

1 cup of frozen corn

Juice of one small lime

1 Tsp of ground cumin

1 1/2  Tbsp of chili powder

1/3 cup of chopped cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

1 15.5 oz cans of black beans drained and rinsed

2 cups of red enchilada sauce

2 1/2 cups of Daiya shredded pepper jack cheese

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease 9x13 baking dish.

In a large skillet heat olive oil, medium heat. Add onion garlic and jalapeño. Sauté...

I wanted to share the recipe I found for the gingerbread cookies I made and posted everywhere. It was not my recipe. I found it online at "I love vegan"

I usually use the same recipe I've been using forever and just veganize it. I just moved and couldn't find it. I'll keep looking but in the meantime, I found this recipe.

They came out great. The cookies I rolled thicker were a little chewy which I like but I also rolled some thinner so I could have some crispy ones too!

Visit I Love Vegan to get the recipe here!:

https://www.ilovevegan.com/perfect-vegan-gingerbread-cookies/

I hope you like them and enjoy!

Xo,

Tina

As labels like “organic,” “natural” and “local” get more popular, you may have also found yourself intrigued by the idea of a plant-based lifestyle. As Michael Pollan puts it in his book Food Rules, plant-based eating can be summed up in seven, simple words: "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." 

Going plant-based doesn't mean you have to give up eating the occasional steak or wearing leather. It just means you are readjusting your lifestyle to be more focused on products derived from plants(vegetables, fruits, unrefined grains, legumes, nuts). 

The benefit? You'll be living a life that is healthier, balanced and more sustainable.

If you’re curious about learning more about the journey to a plant-based lifestyle, read on for 10 of our favorite benefits...

1. YOU'LL AVOID HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.

No matter how new you are to the idea of plant-based eating, you’re probably aware that eating more veggies is good...

I love the cooler months just because I can eat soup. My favorite during the cold months. This is one is an absolute gem,  I find it irresistible. I got this recipe a while back off of findingvegan.com and the author I believe is Veggie and the Beast. Be sure to show them some love.

WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO NEED

1 1/2 Tablespoons of coconut oil

3 Cloves of garlic minced

1 Bunch of green onions sliced and tops reserved for garnish

5 Celery stalks,  diced

1 Red bell pepper, diced

4 Sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes

1 Can of light coconut milk

1 Can of full-fat coconut milk

Salt to taste

1 Tablespoon of curry powder

1 1/2 Teaspoons of cumin

1/2 Teaspoon of chili powder

1/4 Teaspoon of ground cayenne

1/2  Lime juiced

1 Cup of water

2 Tablespoons of flour

WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO

Heat coconut oil on medium heat in a large stock pot and take all those veggies and toss them in, except for sweet potatoes. Cook for around 3-4 minutes and then add the...

I have a bunch of acorn squash from my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) For Thanksgiving I'm going to be making a big casserole dish of these! Pretty easy to prepare and I think they taste better as they cool and become closer to room temps. This makes your planning easy if you have an oven full of stuff cooking.

Years back I used to make two Thanksgiving dinners to make the whole family happy. No more of that going on here. All plant-based stuff now. 

I hope you enjoy and have a great Holiday!

PREHEAT OVER TO 375

WHAT'S NEEDED:

Two acorn squash ends cut off, seeds removed, and then cut in half to make four circles.

FILLING:

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

1 med onion

1 pepper any color

2 cloves of garlic

1 can of diced tomatoes

Dash of liquid smoke(optional)

1 tablespoon of chili powder

½ cup of vegan sausage crumbles (also optional)

½ cup of vegan cheese

2 cups of cooked brown rice(cook in veggie stock)

Heat olive oil...

1 - When you add in exercise and movement to your daily routine you improve your overall health and your sense of well-being, It's almost an instant mood booster. It gets those endorphins flowing in. Physical activity helps increase the production of your brain's feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins. Although this function is sometimes referred to as a runner's high, It should refer to just about any movement exercise, even a stroll in the park. Let's call it movement high, get off your butt and check it out!

2 - It's meditation in motion. I often tell this to people who tell me they can't meditate. If you can lose yourself in an activity. Whether it's running, hiking, gardening you will see that you've forgotten your day's frustrations or found a solution to a problem that's been nagging at you after being physically active in some way.

3 – If you become involved with an activity it often can involve a class, group runs/hikes/walks, clubs, competitions, and...

You can't control everything going on in your life, but you can certainly control the way you react to situations. Here are 3 ways to reduce overwhelm and stress that are pretty simple. This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many other things you can do to help with stress. You just need to find a few that work for you. These are my favorites!

1-Just Breathe

When I'm in a state of overwhelm or an extremely stressful situation, deep breathing is definitely the quickest fix for instant relief. It can really change almost any situation. Taking long deep breaths makes you feel the same way your body feels in a state of relaxation. It helps lower heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension.

For all those people who have kinda tried with no luck. I'm here to tell you it is scientifically proven to help you calm down. Slow deep belly breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, this is the one that calms us down. The opposite of the sympathetic nervous system AKA...

This is one of the first vegan things I learned how to make. Its a great replacement for the tuna sandwich, so yummy! This salad is good on a sandwich, a bed of lettuce, and in a wrap. It's a definite classic in my house now, everyone loves it! This doesn't happen too often.

Quick and easy to make with very few ingredients, very easy to whip up last minute without needing a run to the grocery store. Perfect for that summer night you don't want to cook. Guess what, It's pretty healthy too!

What do you need?

2 Carrots shredded

2-3 Stalks of celery diced

1 small onion diced

1 tablespoon of fresh dill(you can use dry, just do half the amt)

1 Tablespoon spicy brown mustard

1 can of chickpeas rinsed.

½ cup of vegan mayo. Add more if its a little dry.

Salt and Pepper to taste

What do I do?

Put rinsed chickpeas in a large bowl and smash them up good with a fork. Add the shredded carrots, diced celery, and diced onion.

Mix together mayo, mustard, dill, and salt and...