

5 Delicious Ways to Eat Seeds
I received free samples from 88 Acres, but all opinions in this post are my own. There are few things I enjoy more in life than cooking and sharing delicious, nourishing meals with others. Back when I was a dietetic intern a family hired me to cook meals every week in their home. The Garrett family had two kids with one on the way, and on top of that they discovered their son had multiple food allergies. The two year old had to avoid soy, sesame, fish, shellfish, chickpeas, a


Red Lentil Pasta with Lemony Sunflower Seed Pesto (dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan)
Hey, and happy Monday! Can you believe it's July already? What fun adventures are you up to this summer? I want to share a few photos from a hike I went on this weekend to Matthiessen State Park with my friend Hannah. I've been to Starved Rock quite a few times since I was a kid, but this was my first trip to Matthiessen. If you live in Illinois and haven't been it's a must see! Check out the beautiful water fall and lush scenery. The fresh air and exercise was just what I ne


Thai Spring Rolls with Sweet & Spicy Grape Dipping Sauce
By posting this recipe, I am entering my recipe into the Taste the Mighty Concord Welch’s Recipe Contest, a sponsored recipe contest in which I am eligible to win prizes. I was not compensated for my time. The inspiration for this recipe was an attempt to satisfy my love for sweet + savory + spicy flavor combinations. Welch's 100% Concord Grape Juice is the perfect sweetness to compliment a savory application in my Sweet & Spicy Grape Dipping Sauce. I used the flavors found


Veggie Loaded Red Lentil Pasta with Chicken Sausage (gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free)
Happy Sunday, everyone! Are you enjoying the beautiful weather we are having? Yesterday, I took some time to get outside and enjoy the fresh air and it felt SO good. Instead of heading to my usual Saturday class at my yoga studio I took my mat out into the sun to do a little practice on my own. What did you do this weekend to enjoy the weather? In addition to soaking up the weather I also carved out time this weekend (usually Sunday) to get our meals ready for the week. I k


Flourless Dark Chocolate Protein Brownies (dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, vegan)
Warning: friends this is not a traditional brownie. This is a better-for-you treat full of so much goodness it can be eaten for breakfast, as a post-workout snack, or to curb your after dinner sweet tooth. It's got natural sweeteners, healthy fats, protein and fiber to keep you satisfied and sustained. But, I promise this recipe is not only nourishing it's also rich and chocolatey. The recipe doesn't call for flour so to bind everything together I’m using a vegan hemp seed pr


Roasted Spiced Chickpeas + 3 Reasons Why You Should Eat Pulses
In honor of today, Global Pulse Day, I'm chatting about one of the hottest (and most nutritious) food trends: Pulses! First of all you might be wondering, "what's a pulse"? You are probably more familiar with pulses than you think! Pulses are a type of crop harvested for the edible dry seed. The most common pulses are dried beans, dried peas and dried lentils. So, if you eat black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, red lentils or black eyed peas, you eat pulses. Although people


Make Ahead Breakfast: Blueberry & Banana Baked Oatmeal (vegan, gluten-free)
Does anyone else love the pairing of blueberry and banana? Baked into whole grain oats it makes for a perfect breakfast combo. You'll start by blending a creamy banana batter by combining dates, non-dairy milk, banana, cashews, vanilla, and hemp protein powder. You won't have to add any additional sweeteners as the dates and banana both add enough natural sweetness. Whole food sweeteners are really the best, as they have nutrients and fiber still attached and refined sweetene


Chocolate Covered Strawberry Energy Squares (dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan)
Let's be real for a moment. The world is not set up to be conducive to a healthy lifestyle. Although we've slowly seen a trend for healthy fast casual restaurants and smoothie bars popping up , there's still a fast food joint on every corner, and convenience stores aren't necessarily stocked with wholesome options. It's important to set up the space around you and take time each week to prepare food that's nutritious and transportable. So I'm sharing an on-the-go snack you ca


Spicy Ginger Almond Butter Sauce (vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, paleo)
A few days ago a friend and I were discussing our love of Asian peanut sauces. She told me she just made a peanut noodle stir-fry with tofu and her meat-loving husband gobbles it up. Earlier today, I stood looking through my pantry pulling out items to make a peanut sauce of my own. Although I’m certainly not the first person to think it, I decided to make an almond butter based sauce instead. Why not? I’d made a few version of an almond butter dipping sauce at my old job and


Pear Vinaigrette (Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Vegan, Paleo)
In an attempt to eat with the seasons, pears have been on rotation in our household. I whipped up this Pear Vinaigrette recipe on a whim. While on vacation in New Mexico I cooked a birthday dinner for my aunt and threw this dressing together. Everyone enjoyed it, so I decided to make it again! I used incredibly simple ingredients to make this using items I have on hand in the pantry almost all the time. Any basic viniagrette is made with good quality vinegar and olive oil. Ma