Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

2020 Holiday Gift Guide Small Businesses.

by Filed Under: Gift ideas, Holiday, Holiday Gift Guides

I keep saying I’m done but yet, here we are again. I couldn’t forget my favorites. Small businesses you can support online! Great gifts. Great prices. Let’s go!

I couldn’t resist the White Paws dog toys. They are a bit more resistant to soft toy destroying dogs. So they do last longer! Squeakers added for more dog fun 🙂 Funny spin for the adult dog parents who love their White Claws.

Admittedly, I love smudging my house. It’s a way to energetically cleanse a space. Negative energy, I smudge. New home… you bet I’m doing it. I have a jar on my windowsill with my Palo Santo. This is a small business owned set of Palo Santo and it’s a great price and a great way to help a small business out.

Anyone who needs a fun little stocking stuffer or small under $15 gift (closer to $11 with the coupon code). This lip scrub I personally own, need more of, is phenomenal. Small business and black owned company.

Recycled wine bottle glasses. Calling all wine enthusiasts! What a lovely gift for newlyweds, parents, friends, relatives… $25 and it really is a unique gift idea.

Beard balm for the guys! Great stocking stuffer or small gift exchange idea. Maybe even Santa would love this one!

One of the most on-trend styles now and this version is quite affordable. Personalized necklace. Think of a new momma on your list, teen, young lady. It’s lovely, great price and so thoughtful.

This hair mask is on my gift list for someone special. Perfect self care gift or stocking stuffer.

Any sports fans on your list? Kids? Teens? A small business owner, who is also a teen, created these in various sports and they are adorable!

Another great black owned small business. This Piri Piri seasoning is phenomenal on roasted vegs, tofu… or whatever protein you’re using. Great for the cook on your list. Stocking stuffer idea for the grill master. Something a bit different than the usual.

I’m trying to squeeze as many ideas on this guide as possible. A military owed business that creates yummy, healthy dog treats. Various flavors but these are our pups favorites apple and hemp. Vegan too!

I bought this set for Bill (hopefully he doesn’t see this). I love the meaning behind it and wanted to share. Great price. Would work for males and females and let’s face it… who doesn’t need protection from negative right now?


This Tibetan bracelet puts focus on the Red colors in the jewelry, which is known to be able to attract good fortune both in your personal life and in your business endeavors. 
By wearing this bracelet all of the time, you can ward off all of these negative effects to help improve upon the quality of your life. This is all due to the belief that the red string helps to absorb negative energy to transmute it into something positive for you to enjoy. 


That’s a wrap! Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving! ~ox



— Knead to Cook

2020 Holiday Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffers

by Filed Under: Holiday, Holiday Gift Guides

You all know I’m big fan of the ear cuffs. This cuff adds a fun bit of interest without an additional piercing. Would work any teen, young lady right on up as a gift! And the price point is perfect.

This has been on my Amazon list forEVER and a day and once we move, I need to buy it. A USB charged lighter for candles. Genius and reduces waste. I’m here for it! ANYONE (well not kids, on your list would fully use this!).

When I stumbled upon my favorite masks on line, I started to check out their other products. I bought these hair ties and immediately fell in love as they don’t create bumps and humps in my hair. They last a long time and let’s face it, anyone who has medium to long hair always needs new ties! These don’t damage the hair. The coils hold it perfectly in place. Great price too!

Harney and Sons has been my go-to tea for about 10 years. It’s pretty much all I drink. This set is perfect for the holidays, being peppermint flavored, however also serves as a lovely digestive aid during the period of over consumption during the holiday season.

Not being a fan of animal products, I found a satin option. Satin pillowcases help prevent wrinkles, damaging your hair etc. This set includes 2 and is priced below $10 and has over 86k reviews 4.5 star reviews!

CBD. In particular, my favorite Ikthus CBD gummies or tincture make the perfect gift! I use daily to restore balance, help with pain management, reduce stress and anxiety and help me sleep. Win. My discount code gets you 15% off (code: Knead) and it’s on sale!

This mix is the BOMB! Its so good and I have it on repeat purchase. Hot cacao with turmeric mix. I put it in milk frother or just add hot milk. Top with whipped cream. It is so good and a lovely gift.

Blue light glasses. Everyone needs them! This set of 2 is less than $11 on sale now. Over 14k 4.5 star reviews. Another staple when we are at home on the computer or watching tv. Great as a gift or stocking stuffer.

I dare you to go look at this product, watch the video (a must) and tell me this isn’t the coolest thing ever! Like a cathartic activity for teens or adults. I may need this.

Final items and when don’t we need to calm the body? Hello 2021 isn’t looking any better than 2020. Baths on tap to relax and restore the body. EVERYONE can use this one. A indulgent item that will be appreciate by you or whomever you gift this to.

~ox

— Knead to Cook

2020 Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts under $50

by Filed Under: Gift ideas, Holiday

This neck massager is something everyone can use during this year of stress. This massager can be moved in multiple different areas of your body to help soothe, warm and relax tense muscles. We should all be so lucky to get this one!

Candle set is from Illume and these scents are something I clammer for each and every holiday season. The wood fire captures the aroma of a blazing fire. Winter white encapsulates everything reminiscent of the holidays. And balsam and cedar takes you to the great outdoors. Refreshing and fresh.

Ultimate joy in this milk frother I use this each and every morning. We use it for matcha and turmeric lattes. It froths and warms perfectly. It is the ultimate comfort gift.

The quintessential travel mug. Water to coffee… whatever you need to stay hot or cold to get you through the day! Hydroflask for the win!

I think a lot of people got into puzzles during quarantine. And with that not being over, this puzzle is actually on my list for someone special. Difficulty is up there! Plus 1000 pieces. Great price for a nice gift that will surely be enjoyed for many hours.

I’m a sucker for food gifts. How about a more indulgent, high quality maple syrup paired up with a pancake mix? Something a little different but I promise, something that will be enjoyed for weekend brunches at home.

This collection of dried fruit and nuts, I’m here for it. I love food gifts, go figure. I feel like it isn’t something most splurge on but they appreciate when they receive it.

Wine lover on your list? At Winc you can build a box for under $50 (first box promo). Perfect sampler wine gift idea. This is on my gift list for a special duo.

And the final gift idea is super luxe and cozy, perfect for the holidays, snuggling and quarantining under this furry blanket. Netflix and chill!

Two gift guides down… 2 to go!

~ox

— Knead to Cook

2020 Holiday Gift Guide: For the hard to buy for…

by Filed Under: Gift ideas, Holiday, Holiday Gift Guides

This sleep headphones headband

Admittedly, this is a very random gift but one that will intrigue. A set of lightbulbs that when on, looking like flames. How cool to put outside on your light post or porch light? Reminiscent of the old gas lights. I’m digging these.

Okay if you haven’t gotten a Ring doorbell now is the time! We were hesitant forever to get it and now our new house will be completely outfitted with this magical recording device. You can monitor activity outside your home, verbally respond to someone at your door… records activities with night vision so yeah. It’s a fun yet practical gift you won’t want to live without.

I may have gotten this for my girls. How cool is this USB charger???? I’m dying. So unique and so fun. Under $15! Who couldn’t you give this to?

Think about the people on your list who walk early or late. Have a dog that they are strolling around the neighborhood with? Someone who loves to tinker around and needs extra light? This hat is perfect and a bargain around $10!

We have the small screenless Alexa‘s but now is the time to upgrade. The price is great. Think about family, social distancing and video calling??!! Watching cooking videos… sky’s the limit.

Have a coffee or tea drinker? In laws? Grandparents? This heated mug is perfect. Keeps the beverage in the cup hot for 1.5 hrs on a single charge. I feel like this gift works for pretty much everyone!

I wanted to share a gift for kids or adults! These bike wheel lights. So much fun! Great pricing. Great gift under $15 for any bike riders on your list.

~ox

— Knead to Cook

2020 Holiday Gift Guide for the Fitness Lover.

by Filed Under: Gift ideas, Health & wellness, Holiday, Holiday Gift Guides

I’ll be honest… we aren’t doing a big production Christmas this year. We sold our house a month ago (pending) and close mid December. We close on our new home the same day. We are downsizing, like BIG time, and because we bought a row home in the city, built in 1857 but completely gutted and renovated, we need to downsize our lives and furniture to fit! We’ve been selling every bit of furniture, donating and tossing possessions. With that, we have warned everyone in our family that the holidays will be quite simple this go-around. Plus with Covid, it will only be us, no in-laws, extended family or friends. No parties. Nothing. Small and simple is the theme, pretty much for all of 2020.

With that in mind, I wasn’t planning on gift guides but have had a ton of requests so I’m going to do a few good ones for you all. Let’s get started. Affiliate links to each product listed below.

Links:
These fitness cards would be an awesome addition to anyone’s gym. Perfect for the newbie or experienced fitness lover. Great new exercises or old favorites.

Always a winner, the newest Apple watch. This is on my wish list. My watch is a few versions ago and the oxygen blood level monitoring is mind-blowing. A tech fitness fan favorite for sure! And I gravitate towards the 44 because I love a big watch.

Thera guns are great but can be quite pricey! This version is a mini with a more tolerable price point! So great on sore muscles all over your body!

Apple air pod pro’s are on my daughter’s list this year. They are one of my favorites. They stay in my ears without causing ear pain. Sweat doesn’t cause them to fall out. Pair nicely with my Peloton and phone. My go-to!

This weighted jump rope is the PERFECT addition to your gym. Weighted jump ropes far exceed traditional jump ropes to boost your muscle and fitness. Built to boost muscle, fitness and endurance!

I cannot forget my runners out there. The phone dilemma. Carry it or not?! I hated to but the safety aspect is huge nowadays. This arm band has been receiving great reviews! Great price point and the perfect gift for anyone who hikes or runs!

I got a pair of these leggings and also here for more color options earlier in the year and I have to admit they are a dream! Wash and wear perfectly. Not see-through. So amazingly comfy! Tons of colors! I’m a convert.

Bill owns these. I got a pair. Then I loved them so much I got my dad a pair. Seriously one of the best pairs of sneakers (and here) I’ve ever owned.

And my favorite of all, the Peloton. We upgraded to the bike + in September. We received it in October. We are in love. The speakers, the swivel screen, the Apple connectivity. ALL OF IT. No words. When ordering, if you desire, you can use my referral code, which gets you and me $100 credit to use towards accessories or apparel.

Code: EY2RNX

So one gift guide down… more to come! Stay tuned.

~ox

— Knead to Cook

One bowl Pumpkin bread. Vegan.

by Filed Under: Breads, Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Nuts, Quick Bread, Vegan

With listing & selling our house last week, I’ve had no bandwidth for recipe testing to be quite honest. I wanted to make something different and landed on this lovely recipe from Nora Cooks. I made this oil free and adjusted a few things from her original. See notes below.

Ingredient:
1 tbl ground flax or chia seeds
3 tbl water
1 can 15 ounce of canned pumpkin puree
1 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of applesauce (I used pumpkin apple sauce from Whole Foods) or 1/2 cup of coconut or other neutral oil
1/4 cup of plant based milk
1 and 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbl ground cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin spice

Optional:
1/2 cup of vegan chocolate chips or walnuts for mixing in
For topping: walnuts, pecans, hemp hearts, pepitas etc.

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray you loaf pan with oil and set aside. In a small bowl or measuring cup, add your ground flax or chia seeds with 3 tbl of water. Stir and allow to congeal for 6 minutes or so. It will thicken up and replace the need for eggs.

In a large bowl, add pumpkin puree, sugar, oil and milk. Whisk to combine. Sift, flour, powder, soda, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin spice into the wet mixture. Whisk to just combine.

If wishing to add chocolate chips or nuts, add to the batter. Pour into your prepared pan. If using pepitas, walnuts etc. – add to the top of your batter. Bake for 75 to 85 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Every oven is different, I baked closer to 77 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 30 minutes prior to slicing.

Happy weekend!

— Knead to Cook

Upside down apple cake bake. Vegan.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Snacks, Vegan

When the world leans toward pumpkin, mad respect & I do love it, I’m leaning towards apple. I love apple things. So good. Plus having an abundance of them in my produce drawer… this was a no brainer for me. I made it in my cast iron pan I use for everything & legit it was gone in 2 days! Bill and my dad couldn’t stop. Not a big fan of chatting forever or wasting time so let’s get to it…

Ingredients:

6 smaller Fugi and honey crisp apples, peeled and diced pretty thin
1/3 cup of brown or coconut sugar
2 tbl of vegan butter
1 tbl ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg

Cake batter recipe:
1 cup of whatever plant based milk you prefer
1 tbl of apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup of oil (avocado, coconut or olive work great)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda


Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray your baking sheet with oil & set aside. If using a cast iron pan to bake in omit spraying with oil and just move forward to heat over medium flame to heat up the pan. Add your butter and allow that to melt. Once melted, add your apple slices, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook for about 4-6 minutes, stirring gently. This will allow the sugar to melt, flavors to combine and apples to soften. Set that aside. If using a baking pan, cook the apples in a separate pan. Then add them to your prepared pan and set aside.

Grab 2 mixing bowls. You’re going to mix your wet ingredients first. So add your milk and apple cider vinegar together and stir. Allow that to “curdle” for 1 minute. Then add your oil and vanilla. Whisk to combine.

In your separate dry bowl, add your flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and powder. Whisk to combine. Then add your dry mixture to wet and blend until just incorporated.

To prepare to bake,
Add your cooked apples to the bottom of the pan or if using cast iron just leave the apples in the pan. Spoon the batter over top carefully. Bake for 38-40 minutes or until set when you touch the top of the cake.

Serve warm or room temp. I left this covered on my countertop until the boys devoured the entire thing in 2 days.

Look at that steam rising. So good and perfect served with vegan ice cream.

Hope you enjoy and happy almost weekend!
~ox

— Knead to Cook

Healthy Broccoli Slaw (no mayo).

by Filed Under: Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Holiday, Party Foods, Raw, Salads, Side dish, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vinaigrette, Wheat Free

My husband picked up a bag of broccoli slaw from Trader’s and I wanted to take a stab at a non-mayo (vegan, of course) version. I knew I wanted to pair this with a jackfruit carnitas sandwich and it was perfect! A nice crunchy cold side with a hot sammy.

Let’s get to it!

Ingredients:

1 bag of your favorite cole slaw or veggie slaw mix (I used broccoli)
1/4 cup of a good quality olive oil (you can use a scant amount and add a tablespoon of sesame oil if you prefer)
3-4 tablespoons of your chosen acid (lemon, lime juice or I used apple cider vinegar, champagne or even rice wine vinegar works)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Optional:
Add some fresh cilantro
sesame seeds (I garnished with that)
sliced jalapeños

Method:

I take a big bowl and make my dressing first, olive oil through salt/pepper. Whisk to combine. Then add your slaw mix and toss to coat. I allow this to rest and marinade in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours.

Before serving, toss again and garish as you please.



Enjoy!
~ox

— Knead to Cook

Whole Wheat Carob Chip Cookies. Vegan.

by Filed Under: Cookies, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Vegan

My friend was sharing a recipe with me and it turns out it is from one of my favorites Cookie and Kate (here is the original recipe). I modified it a bit and they came out perfectly! Plus using carob chips made this allergy-friendly for my sweet hubby who is allergic to chocolate! However, this recipe would clearly work beautifully with whatever chocolate chips you have on hand. They are the perfect soft and gooey on the inside, crunchy on the outside cookie. Heaven! Okay, less talking and more baking! Let’s go!

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup of all purpose (try to buy organic whenever possible for your flours)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 heaping tsp of course sea salt
1.5 cups of carob chips
3/4 cup organic white sugar
1/2 cup of coconut or brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tbl of walnut oil (you can use coconut as well)
1/4 cup plus 2 tbl of water
Optional: top with sea salt before baking

Method:

Into a stand mixer, paddle attached, add your flours, baking powder and soda and salt. Blend to combine. Then add the remaining ingredients – I hold off and add the carob chips last. Blend until just incorporated.

Scoop onto a prepared cookie sheet (lined with a silpat liner) and freeze for about 20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and once the cookies are chilled, bake for 16 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

Enjoy!

Enjoy! ~ox

— Knead to Cook

Tahini Medjool Date Cookies. Vegan. Gluten free.

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

I was seeking & searching for a unique cookie. Bill was sick last weekend with bronchitis. We had a winter storm. I was tired of being stuck in the house so my go-to was reading alternating with baking. I found this recipe on Feasting with Fruit. I tweaked a bit and they were truly heavenly. Everyone loved them. A little bit savory with a hint of sweetness from the Medjool dates. The perfect combination.

This recipe made a lot of cookies, which was great for the week! I used a tiny scoop so it made about 36 cookies or so.

Ingredients:
2 cups of rolled oats
1/2 cup of oat flour
1/2 cup of almond meal
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp of salt
1 cup of tahini
1/2 cup of maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract or 1 tsp of almond extract
12 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
Sesame seeds for rolling, optional

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Then in a separate bowl, mix your tahini through extract of choice.
Add the wet ingredients to dry and blend. Then proceed to add the dates.
Scoop out the cookie dough and roll into your sesame seeds and then place on to your baking sheet.
Bake for 11-12 minutes or until golden around the edges. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
I put under my cloche for one week or until devoured.

Hope you enjoy this recipe!

— Knead to Cook