Vegetarian Chili.

by Filed Under: Chili, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Mexican, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

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Today was a rainy, dreary day.  Now, it has turned into a lovely, sunshine-filled afternoon.  Once again, this fall weather has me perplexed.  It is however the beginning of my rest days as I prepare for my half marathon this Sunday.  I admit, I’m not a fan of “rest” days as I get very antsy and prefer to keep myself active either running or at the gym but for now – I’m taking it a bit easier, hydrating and eating lots of protein in preparation.

If you’ve been a follower of my blog, you know that about seven months ago I opted to change my diet and focus on becoming more vegetarian based foods.  To my chagrin, I haven’t missed the meat at all.  Actually, I’ve felt better without it.  Now my family however, are quite the carnivores.  My kids especially.  They swim a lot and I realize that the best option for protein (as they don’t consume the amount of beans/veggies I do) is lean meats (organic).  I do have one caveat and that is that a few times a week, everyone eats vegetarian or vegan.  No one seems to mind or really even miss the meat as I make hearty options that are super filling.  Plus the homemade cornbread is always a hit/distraction.

This recipe is very versatile using up whatever veggies you have on hand or like in your chili.  Adjust the spices to your taste as well.
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— Knead to Cook

Oatmeal Nut Granola Bars.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Cookies, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Nuts, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wheat Free 1 Comment

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I’m coming up on my one year anniversary or epiphany that changed the way I was eating.  It was last November.  I had put on a ten extra pounds and basically was disgusted with how I felt.  I worked out 6 days a week – running, weights, spinning, cardio – you name it!  Then one day it all changed.  It all came into focus and I realized that it wasn’t my effort that needed to change it was my diet.  In particular, how much I was eating.  You know, snacking here or there.  Walk by and grab this or that.  I started to keep track and I have to admit, I was flabbergasted.  I just changed.  I was tired of it.  I had lost 20 lbs two summers prior and I knew I just wanted a change.  I was also sick of hearing how when you turn 40 it’s all over.  If you know me well… I don’t take well to accepting things that I can change.  I don’t roll over and play dead easily.  I’m a fighter by nature and this was not going to knock me down.

So one year, here I sit.  I’m now a vegetarian for the past 7 months.  I’m down 30 lbs total.  I run about 1.5 minutes faster than I did before.  I feel awesome.  I’ve discovered through my evolution the friends who support me and those who sadly don’t.  I’ve inspired people so that they can do the same and receive hundreds of emails that inspire me to continue from fans of my page.  It’s a cycle… pay it forward.  Pay your energy forward.  Pay you knowledge forward.  Build up and don’t tear down!  That’s the whole gist of my blogging.  Inspire others to do good, eat good and pay it forward.

Okay now off my soapbox (for now).  So here sits this granola bar.  Doesn’t look more special than any other granola bar out there I’m sure.  But when I created this granola bar I strived to make it as healthy and clean as possible.  Packed with tons of vitamins and minerals.  Great for recovery after a walk, a run or a workout.  It can be made vegan or simply vegetarian.  It’s packed with goodness.  No preservatives.  No ingredients that you can’t pronounce or let alone be able to identify like the store bought counterparts.  It’s also gluten free.  Even the crumbles that break off the bars when slicing can be stored and used to top yogurt or eat straight up.  Okay enough… time to move onto the recipe.

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— Knead to Cook

Roasted Apples and Fall Vegetables.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Potatoes, Side dish, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian, Wheat Free 6 Comments

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This was the last of my apple week posts that trickled into this week.  I love roasting veggies and last week I added a few apples into the mix to add a level of sweetness to the mixture.  My kids loved it, and so did the adults.  Roasting vegetables brings out their flavor, sweetness and pairs nicely with your protein or served alongside quinoa makes for the perfect vegetarian (vegan actually) meal.  If you’re looking for a great side dish for Thanksgiving, this would also be a nice change of pace too.  Another great fix it and bake it/forget it type of recipe.  Leftovers served alongside eggs also is delish!
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— Knead to Cook

Quinoa Wheat Berry Very Veggie Salad with a Dijon Vinaigrette.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Salads, Side dish, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian, Vinaigrette 2 Comments

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I haven’t eaten meat in about 6.5-7 months.  I enjoy salads for dinner because they are relatively light but packed with vitamins/protein.  I whipped up a big batch of this salad that works for me for lunch or dinner and as a side for my carnivore family.  This recipe, like most of mine, is very flexible and can be made to suit your taste or what’s in your refrigerator.  I added the veggies I had but would vary that week to week.  Also using roasted veggies would also be wonderful.  This salad is perfect served at room temperature or straight out of the refrigerator.  Perfect for your holiday buffet.

 

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— Knead to Cook

Cinnamon and Spice Apple Chips.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fruit, Gluten Free, Holiday Baking Ideas, Homemade Chips, Party Foods, Vegetarian, Wheat Free 2 Comments

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After a wonderful fall weekend, we finally got to the apple orchard and managed to pick 40 lbs of various apples.  Sunday was then spent cooking, baking and drying apples.  This week I’m going to be posting all apple recipes, hope you love apples as much as I do!  Today I’m starting with a super easy, healthy, vegan apple chip.  Kids love them!  Adults can’t stop eating them.  Perfect for after-school snacking, treats to pack in lunches or a healthy afternoon snack for you.  This is a totally fix it and forget it recipe.  Fall perfection!

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— Knead to Cook

Roasted Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Mash.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Holiday, Potatoes, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian, Wheat Free 3 Comments

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This would be perfect for Thanksgiving dinner!  Yes, I have that on my mind already.  I roasted some sweet potatoes and a lovely homegrown butternut squash my friend gave to me earlier in the day and was thinking of how I wanted to transform them.  Mashed potatoes came to mind and from there I whipped up a sweet version of a mashed potato combo that was so delicious I had to walk away before I consumed the entire bowl!
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— Knead to Cook

Perfectly roasted spaghetti squash.

by Filed Under: Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Italian-inspired, Pasta, Side dish, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wheat Free 3 Comments

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I’ll be honest, I’ve always stayed away from the spaghetti squash for some reason, not sure why but it scared me.  My self psycho-analysis is I had this fear because anything that replaces pasta could never compete with the real deal.  But since my new found love of everything healthy, avoiding as many processed foods as possible- one night I bought one and roasted some tomatoes and figured I would suppress my Italian pasta girl and try this with my sauce.  Funny, when I served dinner I asked my husband if he wanted to try it too with sauce and he obliged.  He did half pasta and half squash.  He actually loved it.  YES!  These little victories make me happy.  Another foodie fear conquered.

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— Knead to Cook

Pineapple Spinach Yogurt Protein Smoothie.

by Filed Under: Beverages, Breakfast, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fruit, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Smoothies, Snacks, Vegetarian, Vitamix, Wheat Free 4 Comments

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Sneaking vegetables into your kids has never been so easy!  I say this over and over again but your kids will not detect the spinach as the other flavors over-power it and make it virtually undetectable.  Plus, if you are trying to add more leafy greens to your diet, this is yet another fun way to do it.

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— Knead to Cook

Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk.

by Filed Under: Beverages, Breakfast, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Nuts, Vegetarian, Vitamix, Wheat Free 14 Comments

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I’ve never really been a fan of cow’s milk, even when I was a child.  Now cheese – I love and often proclaim that I can eat my body weight in it!  When almond milk hit the scene a few years ago, we switched over to that and my family enjoyed and actually preferred it.  Because I’ve cut out most sugar in my diet, I switched over to the unsweetened milk.  I’m not a cereal eater but I do make overnight oats for breakfast and eat that everyday and use the milk to soften the oats in the recipe.  I started making my own almond milk about a year now, since I got my Vitamix machine and I love it.  First, it is so easy to do and two, it costs less to make it at home – win, win!  It also only contains three ingredients, which I clearly can pronounce.  Now, if you want to sweeten the milk you can easily add some maple syrup or honey versus using a refined sugar (start with a 1 tablespoon) and add to your preference.  Okay now onto the recipe…

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— Knead to Cook

The best clean eating granola bars.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Nuts, Snacks, Vegetarian 23 Comments

 

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My youngest starts her new school on Tuesday!  Wait, where did the summer go?  Ha!  Well I’ve had healthy snacking ideas on the brain as this time of year approaches and whipped up a batch of these clean eating granola bars that you can customize to your taste or exactly what your kids love!  Face it, granola bars from the grocery store are packed with ingredients that you can’t pronounce or don’t want to eat.  So why eat it?  These bars take minutes to make and last all week or longer (in the freezer).  These are the best tasting granola bars you’ll taste, I promise!!  Snacking, breakfast on-the-go… perfect.  Mine are chilling now and I can’t wait to have one.

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— Knead to Cook