 This breakfast smoothie is perfect for when you don't have time to sit down and eat breakfast, it's a hot day, or maybe you're looking for something different! This recipe is quick, easy, packed full of flavor, and loaded with essential nutrients, vitamins, and protein, I've adapted this recipe from Sarah at A Rented Kitchen. The original recipe of Sarah's is a great basis for any smoothie (view my review here)! Here's my version:
Ingredients: 1 banana (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup frozen berry mix
1 cup soy milk (I used Silk plain DHA Omega-3)
1 tbs. Vanilla Spiru-tein High Protein Energy Meal Powder or any vanilla flavored protein powder (See below for details) How TO: Combine all ingredients in a smoothie maker or blender and blend until smooth. Pour & Enjoy :) This powder is meal replacement and can be found in health food stores. It's packed with essential vitamins & nutrients. I like to use this because when I drink a smoothie for breakfast this is all I eat for breakfast; so why skimp myself on necessary vitamins and nutrients when I can add them by using this powder? I purchase my packets at Health Hut. They do sell this in big tubs but I prefer to use the packets. I get about 3 uses out of this package. This smoothie keeps me full for long time!
 Who doesn't love a great guacamole? My recipe is packed with flavor and can be altered to your spice level. It's easy to make and is sure to be a satisfying dish. Plus, it's naturally vegan! I make this dish a lot. Either I'll pair it with something or I'll serve it as an appetizer when we have company over. This bowl of guacamole always ends up empty!
Ingredients: 2 avocados, pitted and chopped (save the pits)
1 plum tomato, seeded and finely diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1-3 clove of garlic, finely minced (the more the spicier)
1/2 c. red onion, diced (I usually slice about 2-3 slices off the onion and chop it up so I'm guessing on the amount but you can adjust to your taste. The more you add, the spicier it gets.)
1/2 lime, juiced
1/2 c. cilantro, finely chopped
*sriracha sauce to taste (optional) How To: Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mash it together until you reach your desired consistency (when I add the lime juice I simply stick a fork in the middle of the half of lime and I squeeze it around the fork with the pulp side up as to catch any seeds). I like my guacamole smooth with some chunks of avocado but everyone has their own preferences. You can mash it with a fork or use my favorite tool pictured below. Place the pits of the avocado into the guacamole, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve but chill for at least 15 minutes (30 minutes if your avocados are room temperature). The pits help the guacamole from turning brown. I like to chill my guacamole for at least 30 minutes because as my Mom puts it, "the flavors marry". Remove the pits before serving. I hope you enjoy this recipe!
 If you're looking for an easy recipe for grilled veggies then you've found the right place! You can make these as a side dish or by themselves. These recipes are super simple and the veggies cook up in about 15 minutes! In this blog you will find two different recipes. One recipe is for the grilled veggies and the other is for the marinated & grilled mushrooms
Grilled Veggies Ingredients: Zucchini, sliced 1/2" thick
Summer Squash, sliced 1/2" thick
Salt & Pepper to taste (season salt would be great with this)
Olive Oil
Skewers (I used wooden skewers and soaked them in water for 20 minutes before assembling) How To:  Prepare the grill and soak the skewers if using the wooden kind per package instructions (*TIP* If cooking both recipes start with the mushrooms first). Assemble the vegetables on the skewers as shown in this picture. I found it easiest to put the skewer through the vegetable slice when the slice was laying flat. I lined it up it the middle and made sure to push it in straight. My husband preferred to do the opposite and stand the skewer up and the thread the veggie slices on that way. Try both ways and see what works best for you! Place the assembled skewers on a jelly roll pan or a 13"X 9" pan and drizzle evenly with olive oil. Salt & pepper to taste (I recommend using season salt). Place on grill over medium-high heat and grill about 5-7 minutes on each side or until the slices are tender and slightly translucent in the center.
Marinated & Grilled Mushrooms Ingredients 16 oz. package of whole mushrooms (button or baby bella)
Hoisin Sauce
Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
Rice Vinegar
Garlic Powder How To: Wash the mushrooms and slice in half. Place in a Ziploc bag. I used the "dump method" on this recipe. I added 2 large spoonfuls of hoisin sauce (about 2 tablespoons) to the mushrooms in the Ziploc bag. Next, I shook in enough soy sauce to make a mixture with the hoisin sauce to coat the mushrooms (about 4-5 tablespoons). Then, I added in the rice vinegar (about 1 tablespoon) and I sprinkled in some garlic powder (about 1 teaspoon). Next, close the Ziploc bag and shake it up making sure to mix all ingredients and coat the mushrooms. Place the bag of mushrooms in the fridge and allow to marinate for 30 minutes. Prepare the grill and soak the skewers if you are using wooden skewers while the mushrooms are marinating.
Assemble the mushrooms on pre-soaked skewers through the stem to the top of the mushroom half. Place on the grill over medium-high heat and grill for 5-6 minutes on each side or until tender.
*You can also make these spicy by adding in some hot pepper flakes or sriracha sauce!
 So it's 19 days since my A.C.I. surgery and I've been doing great! I've
really been healing well and I believe that my vegan diet is the reason
why! It's been extremely difficult to keep up with blogging and posting lately because for 10-12 hour per day I'm stuck in a CPM machine which I have to alternate with my cold therapy machine every few hours for 30 minutes. I also have a DVT machine that gently squeezes my left calf to prevent blood clots and I'm hooked up to that all day and all night. My husband and I currently have everything set up on the first floor for me because I am unable to go up or down flights of stairs just yet. I can do a couple of stairs but not any more than that. So every night before we go to bed and every morning before my husband leaves for work, he has to move the cold therapy and DVT machine from the couch to the bed or the bed to the couch. Fortunately, we have room for our bed to be on our first level although our dining room table got kicked out for the time being! The problem is that the computer is set up where our bed is and the CPM machine and the cold
therapy/DVT machine is set up by the couch. I wish I could move the computer to our coffee table but it's just not a convenient spot. We already have so many cords and wires from all of my machines. So...that's why I haven't been blogging lately. It's just not convenient for my knee!
 This is my set up for most of the day. That lovely brace is what I have to keep on at all times except when I'm using the CPM machine. Next week I can finally sleep without the brace! I can't wait!!!! For the first week and a half I had my Aunt helping me out during the day but then once I became more comfortable with my crutches and getting around the house I sought
my independence. I hate to ask for things and have people do things for me so this has been quite challenging. I wish that I could cook, clean, and do laundry to help out but it's next to impossible with the crutches. Sometimes I can help my husband with the prep for dinner but that's about it and most of the time he won't allow me to help. Bless his compassionate heart! My husband has the most patience out of anyone I know!
So, all meals have been really simple! Lately we've been doing spaghetti with the Trader Joe's meatless meatballs, we tried a creamy avocado pasta which was pretty amazing (http://greatist.com/team/my-creamy-avocado-pasta), vegan veggie burgers, Noodles & Company, and vegan sushi. For lunch I've been keeping it really simple as I can't be on my feet for long. I've been doing a lot of salads with the Roundy's Vidalia Onion dressing! Yummy!!!! I've also come to love vegan lunch meat and I've
been making a lot of sandwiches as well. I keep my sandwiches plain with just veganaise, Dijon mustard, and a couple of pickle slices. It's been hard to eat lately because I've really lost my appetite and I believe that's because I'm not active. I have been doing physical therapy twice a week and that seems to wear me out, although it isn't strenuous work or anything. I get tired pretty quick! So every time I eat I feel like I'm just forcing it down. I hate that feeling but obviously I'm not going to let my body starve! We have still be juicing although we aren't doing
it as often as before. It just hasn't been the mos convenient lately but when my husband does juice he has been doing them in larger batches and puts them in canning jars to maintain the freshness.
I have a long road to recovery! I will try to keep up with blogging as much as possible. I just ask for you to bear with me because it's not the most convenient time. Thank you for being so patient!
Ok, so I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm still alive and kicking! I haven't had any time to blog lately because my husband and I just moved into our new house! So, it's been really crazy lately with all of the packing, moving, unpacking, cleaning, and preparing for my surgery!
I've got 4 more days before my surgery! Even though I haven't had enough time to blog, I haven't stopped thinking about it. Once I get the chance I'd like to share some tips about eating on the go and eating out fast-food
style. There are vegan options for fast-food!
It may be a week or so before I start catching up and it will all depend on how my pain is but don't worry...I'll be back!
So I haven't been blogging lately because I've been a bit under the weather lately. My husband had recently come down with a virus and I believe that he passed it on to me. I thought that it was just my allergies that were acting up because my throat was dry and itchy and my sinuses were bothering me. I think it started out like that and then
slowly developed into what I have going on now. I didn't have any major congestion but I did have a runny nose. I started doing nasal flushes with the netti pot and I've been trying to push as many fluids as I can! Funny thing is, I'm not full-blown sick but I'm also not well. Besides from my throat being really sore and dry, some light pressure in my sinuses, a headache, and some ringing in my ears, I'm
actually ok. I'm not terrible but I'm not well and I think that's because my body is really trying to fight it off. I haven't really had an appetite but I've been forcing myself to eat. I've been eating huge salads, veggie sandwiches with hummus, soup, and all other kinds of nutrient-dense food. I have also been juicing a lot too. I need to get over this fast!
I stopped in at the pulmonologist today because my asthma has been acting up along with my allergies. I was prescribed some Singulair tablets. This is supposed
to help with asthma and allergies. I'm hoping that maybe the tablets will help my body fight off this virus sooner rather than later because I can't be sick for my surgery! I've got two weeks to get better! I always seem to take a little bit longer to get over things than other people and I believe that it's because of my asthma. Although, this is the first time that I've been sick being a vegan so we'll see how this goes!
Don't worry...I've got recipe reviews and some more of my own recipes on the way! I'm just trying to take it easy!
 This lentil soup is packed full of veggies and is high in protein, iron, and fiber, rich in vitamins A & C, and is loaded with antioxidants! I have really been on a soup kick lately and I can't seem to get enough! I love how it's so versatile; you can pack it up and take it to work for lunch or serve it for dinner as a side or a main course. This time I created a savory lentil soup that's absolutely satisfying and delicious! I had previously created a red lentil soup that's packed full of flavor from turmeric and cumin (Kristen's Lentil Soup) but this time around I wanted to change things up a bit and make a more savory soup! It was a success in the kitchen!
Ingredients 1 tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped
1 & 1/2 cup carrots, chopped (I chopped up some baby carrots that I had on hand and they worked perfectly)
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced or grated (I grated mine)
1 & 1/2 cup lentils (I used Bob's Red Mill brand)
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1 & 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
28 oz. can of diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups veggie broth
7 cups water
1 bay leaf
fresh parsley, minced for garnish (optional)
How To Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and sauté until the onion is translucent (about 5 minutes). Grate the two cloves of garlic in the pot and sauté until fragrant (about 30 seconds to 1 minute). Add the lentils, oregano, basil, salt & pepper, and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and sauté for 1 minute. Pour in the veggie broth and water and add the bay leaf. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Once the soup starts to boil, cover it and reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 35 minutes until the lentils and carrots are tender. When serving the soup, top it off with some fresh minced parsley for an extra kick of flavor!
Variations You could easily change up this recipe to your liking! I just used what I had on hand! An addition of green beans would be really nice in this soup and you could use either fresh or frozen! You could also try some peas or fresh zucchini!
If you don't have veggie broth you could use all water but then adjust the salt to your liking. If you want to do all veggie broth you could do that as well but then reduce the salt amount! I usually adjust the salt by a 1/2 tsp. at a time when making soups.
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I give this recipe 4 stars! This recipe is from Kathy at Healthy. Happy. Life. and I found it on Pinterest. This salad is packed full of nutrients and antioxidants! I absolutely loved the sweet and savory flavor of the salad dressing! This is the first
raw kale salad that I have tried. My husband didn't care for it too much because the texture of the kale was too chewy for him and I have to agree. Although the recipe doesn't specify which type of kale to use for this salad I
think that dinosaur kale would work best for this recipe. Unfortunately, my grocery store only had the curly kale available and it was too chewy for a raw kale salad! I was hesitant in using the curly kale because I was weary on the chewy texture but I thought that I would be able to fix this by letting it marinate longer. The recipe called for a
minimum of 1 hour and I let my salad marinate for 6 hours and it didn't help with the texture. My husband and I were both missing the crunch and crispness of a salad. I served this salad with an Asian Noodle Soup that is supposed to help fight a cold (check out my review on the Asian Noodle
Soup). I loved the combination of these two dishes! I
was looking for a nutrient-dense dinner to serve because my husband has been sick with an upper respiratory virus and I'm trying to fight it off!
What I Did Different
I added in some yellow bell pepper because I had some on hand and I let my salad marinate for 6 hours versus the one hour minimum. I like my salads with enough dressing
to cover everything so I doubled the dressing, as suggested.
Overall Thoughts
I believe that I will be making this again but next time I will use dinosaur kale! I think I will also add in some romaine lettuce to make it a more crisp salad! Although, I would probably add the romaine lettuce just before serving so it
won't get soggy, and then toss it well to coat. I would love to use this dressing on other salads because it's so good!
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I give this soup 5 stars! This soup was so delicious and it really hit the spot! This recipe is from Erica at Coffee & Quinoa and I found this recipe on Pinterest. Both my husband and I devoured our
bowls of soup pretty quickly! There's a lot to love about this recipe! The broth itself is slightly sweet, a tad bit sour, a hint of spicy, and extremely savory! All of the ingredients blended together nicely and they complimented each other. My husband has been sick lately with an upper respiratory virus so I was looking to serve up a nutrient-dense dinner to help cure him and to help me fight it off! I absolutely can not get sick because I have knee surgery coming up in less than 3 weeks! I paired this recipe with a 5-Step Kale Salad to make this a more
nutrient-dense, packed full of antioxidants, I'm going to kick this sickness in the butt type of dinner (check out my review on the 5-Step Kale Salad here)!
What I Did Differently I didn't make any alterations to this recipe!
Overall Thoughts I will be making this recipe again and not for just when we're sick! The only thing that I would change about this recipe is adding more broth because it's so delicious! Also, if you're not such a huge tofu fan you could easily take out the tofu and replace it with edamame! I think that would be a great change! FYI...the sriracha sauce is amazing in this soup! I made little dots of the sauce all around my soup and I then mixed it in with my chop sticks...oh my, such a little bit of heaven and it really helps to clear the sinuses but be careful because that stuff is potent!
Also, instead of separating the veggies and noodles for leftovers, as the recipe suggested, I just threw it all in! I thought the leftovers were still amazing! Yes, the noodles and veggies were a bit softer but it was still really
good!
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