Blueberry Island Smoothie

When hunger hits in the late afternoon and I haven't started dinner yet, I always make a smoothie if I can. It's fast, delicious, healthy and easy to have while prepping dinner or doing things around the house. Today I'm having this deliciousness while I'm getting things ready for dinner tonight(I'm making my version of vegan "chicken" cacciatore pasta)!! 

Blueberry Island Smoothie 

Ingredients:

1 organic banana 

1/2 cup frozen organic blueberries 

1/2 cup frozen organic pineapple 

1/2 cup organic orange juice

1/2 cup organic pineapple juice 

1/2 cup organic banana juice 

1/2 cup organic coconut milk

Directions:

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Makes 1 large smoothie or 2 small smoothies.

That's if you're willing to share!

Enjoy!!!

My Favorite Things: Vegan Ice Cream

I love ice cream!! I've tried a lot of different non dairy ice creams since going vegan and these are by far my favorite!! 

My newest favorite is the Ben & Jerry's non dairy ice cream. I've tried all four flavors and they are all delicious!! My favorite though has to be the PB and Cookies. I love anything with peanut butter so this one already had my heart, but the crushed up cookies puts it over the top!! So so good!! I also love the Coffee Caramel Fudge, the swirls of caramel are heavenly and I love the coffee flavored ice cream. My third favorite is the Chunky Monkey. I mean come on! It's s classic. These are by far the creamiest almond milk ice cream that I've had. You honestly cannot tell the difference between this version and dairy ice cream.

Another all time favorite is the Snickerdoodle Cashew Milk ice cream by So Delicious. The cinnamon ice cream is so incredibly creamy and the chunks of gluten free Snickerdoodle cookie dough is insanely good!! Definitely a must try if you haven't already. I also like the Mint Chip Coconut Milk ice cream they make. That is the best mint chocolate chip ice cream I've ever had. 

Lastly is the Burnt Sugar Vanilla ice cream from Steves Ice Cream. I love the chucks of burnt sugar throughout the vanilla ice cream. It's delicious!!! I hope you give one of these brands a try even if you're not vegan you may be surprised just how good non dairy ice cream can be!!! 

Strawberry Island Smoothie

 This smoothie was inspired by the Banana Colada Muffins I made today. This smoothie is like a strawberry smoothie with a tropical twist. It's really delicious! Hope you give it a try! 

Strawberry Island Smoothie

Ingredients: 

1 cup crushed organic pineapple 

1/2 cup organic orange juice
1/2 cup organic pineapple juice
1/2 cup frozen organic strawberries

1/2 cup frozen organic mango 

1 organic banana 

Directions: 

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. 

Makes 2 smoothies.

Vegan Banana Colada Muffins

Most of you who follow me know that ripened bananas are a common trend in our house. So I wasn't surprised when I woke up this morning to a few ripened bananas. At this point I could use them for anything really because they aren't over ripe, but I've been on a baking kick lately so I wanted to create a recipe out of them. Since it's Sunday, the start to a new week I decided to make muffins that we can enjoy throughout the week (hoping they even last that long because they usually don't in our house). I asked my husband when we were on our way to the grocery store this morning what he would like and he suggested a Piña Colada style muffin. So that's exactly what he got. Here is my recipe for a Banana Colada Muffin. I hope you try it!! :

Vegan Banana Colada Muffin

~Makes 12 regular sized muffins~

Ingredients: 

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour 

1 1/2 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp baking soda 

Pinch of kosher salt 

2 ripened organic bananas 

1/4 cup organic light brown sugar 

1/2 cup organic sugar 

1/3 cup melted vegan butter

1 flax egg (1 tbs ground flax meal mixed with 3 tbs water. Let set 5 minutes before use.)

1 cup crushed pineapple 

1 cup organic shredded coconut 

Directions: 

Preheat your oven to 375*F

Line your muffin pan or grease and flour it

In a small bowl make your flax egg and set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set it aside.

In a large bowl mash your bananas until they are light and fluffy then mix in the sugars.

Mix in your butter and flax egg.

Add in the pineapple and coconut.

Once that is well combined fold in the dry ingredients. Careful not to over mix. 

Spoon your batter into the prepared muffin pan. I like to use an ice cream scoop because they come out the same size. 

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. I hope you enjoy them as much as my husband and I did!! 

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Tonight we are going to a dinner party at my husbands Aunt and Uncle's. They are making us a delicious vegan meal and I am in charge of dessert. Naturally I thought cupcakes and of course chocolate! Who doesn't love chocolate? I don't know anyone who doesn't like chocolate. So I made these delicious chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting. I hope you give them a try!! 

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes 

Cupcake Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups unbleached all purpose flour 

3/4 cup organic cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking soda 

2 1/2 tsp baking powder 

Pinch of kosher salt 

1 1/4 cups organic sugar 

3 tbs vegan butter softened 

2 flax eggs (2 tbs ground flax meal mixed with 6 tbs water. Let set 5 minutes before use.)

1 tsp pure vanilla 

1/4 cup fresh brewed coffee 

1/2 cup almond milk (I used plain)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350*F 

Prepare a muffin pan with liners or grease and flour. 

In a small bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. 

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the flax egg and vanilla. Mix in the coffee and almond milk. 

Using an electric mixer carefully blend in the dry ingredients. 

Spoon your cupcake batter into the prepared pan. I like to use an ice cream scoop for this part because they come out the same size. This recipe makes 12 cupcakes.

Bake cupcakes for 15-18 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting Ingredients:

1/2 cup softened vegan butter 

2 1/2 cups organic powdered sugar 

3/4 cup organic cocoa powder 

1 tsp pure vanilla 

1/3 cup plain almond milk

Directions:

In a medium bowl cream together the butter and sugar. Mix in all other ingredients. Chill 10 minutes before frosting. 

Guest Blog Post: The Sunny Vegan Kitchen

I am beyond honored to have this lovely woman and fellow vegan guest post on my blog. I am so happy to have connected with her. She is a true inspiration and she is beautifully spreading the vegan lifestyle with such grace. She not only has her own blog The Sunny Vegan Kitchen, but she is also a Nomsy Influencer and contributor to Further Food and Essential Oils Brand Ambassador. That's just to name a few of the awesome things she's into. If you don't already follow her it's highly recommended that you do! Now enough of me rambling and onto her blog post....

 

Hi, my name is Kate, a 30 something southerner living in the north. Two years ago I upped sticks from my single city girl apartment, moved out to the country side, got a cat called Gus (who is a girl) and a lovely man. Gone are the days of All Saints finest mini dresses, MAC lipsticks and killer heels – life is now more Hunter wellies, attempting to be a domestic goddess, clean eating and being vegan. 

My little blog follows my journey and some rambling thoughts of my new found life style. I am sure there will be ups and downs with a few surprises along the way (who knew crisps had milk in them?!) but no matter how bumpy the vegan path I know I am on the right one for me.

My vegan lasagne started life as left over chilli. There was a huge amount left over (I always over cook!) and I decided to be creative with the left overs instead of my normal trick of portioning it up and putting it in the freezer for another day. As a gluten free vegan I have never had a lasagne and found it was something I missed now and again. I have to admit I was surprised how well it turned out and now I make it regularly.When you are cold, tired and need some comfort food, this dish hits the spot every time. Enjoyed by vegans and meat lovers alike it can be made in advance if needs be (it freezes very well too!) making it the perfect quick fix. 

Vegan Gluten Free Lasagne (serves 2)

• 2 Onions Chopped

• 200g Red Lentils

• 200g Chopped Mushrooms

• 2 tablespoons of Organic Tomato Puree

• 2 Cloves of Garlic Crushed

• 1 teaspoon of Oregano

• 500 ml Water / Stock

• 2 Tins of Chopped Tomatoes

• Gluten Free Lasagne Sheets 

• 3 tablespoon of Vegan Butter Melted

• 3 tablespoons of Gluten Free Flour

• 300ml of Milk Alternative

• 200g of Violife Cheese Grated

How To –

• In a large pan put the chopped onions, red lentils, garlic, oregano, water /stock, tomato puree & chopped tomatoes. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes giving it the occasional stir. After 20 minutes add the mushrooms and cook for another 20 minutes.

• Meanwhile make a basic cheese sauce by mixing the melted butter with the flour 
to form a paste. Over a low heat add the milk very slowly ensuring it is mixed in well.

• When the sauce is ready add 150g of the cheese and let it melt in while you stir it

• Between 2 small oven proof dishes layer the lentil mix, lasagne sheets and cheese sauce.

• Top with the remaining cheese and either leave to cool for freezing* or bake for 40 mins at 220 degrees. Serve with a leafy green salad. Enjoy! 

*If you freeze this dish ensure it is fully defrosted before you cook it. 

Instagram- @thesunnyvegankitchen

Facebook- The Sunny Vegan Kitchen 

Twitter- @klmotley

Blog- http://thesunnyvegankitchen.blogspot.com/?m=1

Website- http://www.thesunnyvegankitchen.moonfruit.com

Strawberry Mango Smoothie

We need more days like today. Days filled with warm weather, sunshine, flip flops, walks with the dogs, soaking up the sun and drinking fruity smoothies. This smoothie was perfect for an afternoon in the sun. I hope you give it a try! 

Strawberry Mango Smoothie 

Ingredients:

1 organic banana

1 1/2 cups vanilla almond milk

1- 1 1/2 cups mix of frozen mangos and strawberries

Directions:

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Add more almond milk if you want a thinner consistency. This recipe makes one large smoothie or two small smoothies if you're willing to share!

Coffee Sugar Scrub

I have been getting so many requests for this recipe that I shared on my guest blog post for The Sunny Vegan Kitchen that I decided to share it here also! You can click the link to read the ful blog post. 

http://www.thesunnyvegankitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/handmade-with-love-by-kathleenguest-blog.html?m=1

Coffee Sugar Scrub

1/4 Cup (60ml) Organic Coconut Oil

1/2 Cup (120ml) Organic Sugar 

1/2 Cup (120ml) Organic Finely Ground Coffee 

 In a medium bowl mash coconut oil until it's light and fluffy in texture. Next pour in the sugar and coffee. Stir all ingredients until they are well combined. To use simply apply the scrub to your hands, arms, legs or feet and exfoliate. Rinse clean. If using in the tub or shower remember to be careful as things might get slippery. You can store in an airtight container.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

I'm forever buying bananas. I love them. I use them in everything from smoothies to desserts. They are great on their own or as addition to a smoothie bowl or as a topping for your overnight oats. There are many times though where we have a few ripened bananas that have to be used up quickly. When they get to this point I prefer to bake with them. So today I was wandering around the kitchen thinking of what I wanted to use them for. I went looking through the pantry and found an opened bag of non dairy semi sweet chocolate chips. Perfect!! Chocolate chip banana muffins it is! So I created this recipe and hope you give it a try. 

Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins 

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour 

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp kosher salt 

3 ripened organic bananas 

1/2 cup melted vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)

1/2 cup organic brown sugar 

1/4 cup organic sugar

1 flax egg (1 tbs ground flax meal mixed with 3 tbs water. Let set 5 minutes before use)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract 

1 cup non dairy chocolate chips

~Makes 12 regular sized muffins~

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

Grease and flour your muffin pan 

Make your flax egg and set aside

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Set aside

In a large bowl mash together the bananas until fluffy. Stir in the melted butter, sugars, vanilla and flax egg

Once well combined mix in the flour

Fold in chocolate chips. Fill each muffin tin. I like to use an ice cream scoop because it's fast, easy and they come out the same size. 

Bake 18-20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Allow to cool 10-15 minutes before removing from the pan. I hope you enjoy!! 

Black Bean Tacos

This warm weather has me dreaming of these yummy tacos I made last summer. I can't believe it's been that long! Definitely making them this week. However in the meantime you can make them if you'd like. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 15oz. cans black beans

2 cups fresh corn 

1 pint cherry tomatoes

Fresh Cilantro or Parsley

1 lime

Leafy greens 

Crunchy taco shells
Drain and rinse the black beans. Carefully cut the corn off of 2 ears of corn. (You can use frozen sweet corn if not in season. Allow to thaw before adding to the taco filling) Next cut the tomatoes in half. Mix the black beans, corn, tomatoes, herbs and the juice of one lime. I like to let this mixture marinade at least a half hour, but you don't have to. At this point you could eat with tortilla chips as a fresh salsa which I have done before tons of times. 

       To make the tacos though you simply bake your taco shells according to the directions. Spoon the black bean filling into the shells along with fresh leafy greens. You can use romaine lettuce, baby spinach, baby kale or a mixture of them. They are delicious just like this, but you could add some vegan sour cream or a red pepper sauce drizzled over them would be great too!!! 

 This recipe is perfect for warmer weather because you only have to bake the shells for a few minutes in the oven. You could even use flour tortillas to avoid ever turning on the stove. I hope you give this recipe a try.   

Tropical Fruit Smoothie

I love sunshine. Sitting in the sun as I write this, eating a delicious watermelon, sipping on my smoothie and it feels fabulous!!! I love smoothies anytime, anywhere, no matter the weather, but I always seem to be more inspired during the warmer months. Today has been one of the nicest Spring days we have had. It's in the 70's and there isn't a cloud in the sky for as far as I can see. This weather has me longing for more days in the sun. This smoothie was inspired by the summertime vibes that this weather is giving us. So I made a tropical fruit smoothie. Hope you give it a try. 

Tropical Fruit Smoothie

2 organic bananas 

1/4-1/2 cup vanilla almond milk

1 1/2 cups orange banana pineapple juice 

1-2 cups frozen fruit. I used a mix of strawberries, mangos, peaches, raspberries and blueberries. 

Blend in a blender until smooth. Enjoy in the sun!! 

Have a fabulous SUNday!! 

Vegan Banana Apple Spice Cake

I love when I have extra ripened bananas in the house it always gives me an excuse to bake. This time though I didn't want to make my usual go to which is either banana bread or some sort of muffin. So I went looking through my pantry and got some inspiration from a jar of apple butter which led to this new recipe. I hope you give it a try. 

Banana apple spice cake

Ingredients:

2 organic ripened bananas 

1 cup organic apple butter 

1/3 cup melted organic vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)

1 cup packed organic brown sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 flax egg (1tbs flax meal mixed with 3tbs water. Mix well. Let set for 5 minutes.)

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp kosher salt 

1 tbs ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger 

Quick Frosting 

2 cups organic powdered sugar 

2-4 tbs almond milk

1 tsp vanilla 

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350*F 

Grease and flour a 9x5 inch pan. Set aside. 

In a small bowl make the flax egg by mixing together 1 tbs ground flax meal with 3 tbs water. Set aside 

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Set aside 

Next in a large bowl mash your bananas. (I like to use a potato mashed for this part) mix in the apple butter, melted butter, vanilla and brown sugar. Fold in your flax egg. 

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until all of the dry ingredients are mixed in. Careful not to over mix. 

Spread evenly into the greased pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool 15 minutes before frosting. Serve at room temperature. 

Vegan Minestrone Soup

When it's raining, cold or I'm felling under the weather this is my all time favorite go to recipe. My husband absolutely loves it as well. Today I'm making a huge batch of this soup in hopes to fight off this head/sinus cold. Please don't fail me now soup!! 

You will need:

1 28oz container of diced tomatoes 

2 32oz boxes vegetable stock

2 large russet potatoes peeled and diced 

into bite size pieces

2 medium zucchini peeled and diced

2 15oz cans kidney beans, cannellini beans or both drained and rinsed 

1 cup diced carrots

4 cups kale or spinach 

1/2 pound of cooked ditalini pasta 

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Ground black pepper 

Garlic powder 

Basil

Nutritional Yeast (optional)

Italian bread for dipping (optional)

Directions:

In a large soup pot heat a few splashes of olive oil on medium low heat. Sauté carrots and potatoes for 10 minutes or until they start to soften. Add in the zucchini. Cook for 5 minutes.

Once they are almost fork tender add in the diced tomatoes and vegetable stock. Boil for 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile cook your pasta according to the package directions. Set aside. 

Add the beans to the soup. If using kale you can add your kale now. If using spinach stir into the soup the last few minutes. 

Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and nutritional yeast. I just eyeball it because I've made it so many times. Season to your taste and remember you can always add more seasoning, but you can't take it out. 

Simmer on low for another 15 minutes.

Ladle a spoonful of pasta in each soup bowl. I prefer to do it this way so my pasta doesn't get soggy. Serve with Italian bread if desired. 

Vegan Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

So last night I noticed we had a lot of ripe bananas and I wanted to use up some of our bananas by making muffins. I also was having a sweet tooth moment which is not uncommon. Basically what happened was this recipe. I hope you give it a try! 

3 Ripened organic bananas 

1/2 cup organic pure cane sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract 

2 flax eggs (2 tbs ground flax meal mixed with 6 tbs water)

1/3 cup melted non dairy butter (I used earth balance)

1/2 cup cocoa or cacao powder 

1 1/2 unbleached all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or line a muffin pan. (This recipe makes 12 muffins) make your flax eggs by mixing in a small bowl two tablespoons ground flax meal with six tablespoons water.. Allow mixture to sit for at least 5 minutes. 

In a medium bowl combine the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips. Set aside. 

In a large bowl mash the bananas. Mix in the sugar, melted butter, vanilla and your flax eggs. Once well combined stir in the flour mixture. Mix until all the dry ingredients are wet, careful not to over mix. 

Next fill up your muffin tin. I like to use an ice cream scoop so they come out the same size. 

Bake for 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool before removing from the pan. 

I hope you enjoy!!

My Favorite Things:In My Bag

Well I finally sat down and wrote a blog post. I know, I know I've been M.I.A for a while since my last post. I've been consumed in starting my business. There are a lot of details that go into starting a business. I am enjoying the whole process though. My best friend who is an artist just finished my logo which is very exciting. I am literally watching my dreams come to life and it's a great feeling! I don't want to go to far off the topic of this blog post though so let's get to it. What does an entrepreneur in the making keep as her go to purse essentials?!

I was cleaning out my pocket book the other night and it got me thinking about the things I always have to have on hand. So this weeks favorite things are my favorite items in my pocket book. I know I'm not the only one who can't leave home without certain things. So here are my 3 must haves when heading out the door. 

First and foremost has to be lip balm. It is a serious addiction and I can't live without it. I mean of course I could live, but life without lip balm is awful, dry, rough and chapped. No thank you! So if I'm leaving the house I always have at least one on hand. Right now my favorite lip balm is from Crazy Rumors in there Amaretto flavor. All of their 40 Flavors of lip balm are Vegan and Cruelty Free. So glad I came across this company on Instagram. I really love the way social media can bring people with the same interests together. I've discovered so many wonderful Vegan companies through Instagram. Be sure to check out Crazy Rumors, they really are the balm!! 

http://crazyrumors.com/

Next on my list of must have items are Clif Energy Bars and Larabars. When I'm hungry in between meals, there aren't any Vegan options on hand or I need something fast I'm always thankful I have a Clif Bar or Larabar on hand. Some of my favorite flavors of the Clif Bars are: Crunchy Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Raisin Walnut and Blueberry Crisp. (See my blog post "Top 10 Fast Faves" for my favorite Larabars)

Last, but most import are sunglasses, sunnies, shades whatever you want to call them!! My eyes are sensitive to light so it's super important to have a pair on me at all times. They are also one of my favorite accessories!! 

So there you have it! All I need is a good lip balm, energy bar and pair of sunglasses to take on the world. ;-)