Easy Vegan Granola Bars

I know you have been waiting for this moment! The waiting is over! I am introducing a new original recipe here today, Easy Vegan Granola Bars! They are absolutely perfect for snacking or for a pre/post workout fix! I made these specifically to bring to a volleyball tournament Jaimee and I had this weekend, and they were perfect! Even our teammates enjoyed them!

Easy Vegan Granola Bars

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 40 minutes
Yields: 16 granola bars


Ingredients:

-Medjool dates (15 large)
-2 tbs agave (maple syrup or honey {non-vegan} also work)
-1 tbs peanut butter (unsalted all-natural is preferred)
-2 handfuls almonds (roughly chopped)
-1/3 cup almond milk (or any non-dairy milk you prefer)
-2 cups rolled oats (gluten free is optional)

Steps:
1) Preheat oven to 350 F
2) Start by pitting your 15 dates and food process them until they form a sticky ball
3) Next, add the agave to the mix and process for a few seconds until combined
4) Add the almond milk slowly and continue processing
5) Finally, add the peanut butter and finish processing and scrape mixture into a medium sized bowl

6) Set the mixture aside and start to roughly chop the almonds

7) Pour oats and nuts into the bowl containing the date mixture and fold the ingredients together using a large spoon (make sure the ingredients are well combined)

8) Line a baking tin with parchment paper (or grease the pan with coconut oil) and leave in the oven to bake

9) OPTIONAL: TAKE THE GRANOLA BARS OUT OF THE OVEN 10 MINUTES BEFORE FINISHED AND TOP WITH A FLAX, CHIA SEED MIX & RAW BUCKWHEAT FOR GARNISH AND EXTRA CRUNCH. PRESS SEEDS INTO THE DOUGH AND THEN PLACE BACK IN OVEN AND CONTINUE TO BAKE FOR REMAINING 10 MINUTES!

10) Remove finished product from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes in order to set, then cut into 16 yummy bars!

Enjoy!

-Valentina & Jaimee xx

Vegan Cinnamon Buckwheat Clusters

Buckwheat. Regardless of whether you've been cooking for ten years or two minutes, surely you've heard of this vegan staple. It is known to reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure, increase blood flow, prevent gallstones, is chock full of magnesium and fiber, gluten-free, wheat-free...shall I continue?

One of the most astounding things, to me, is the fact that this tiny seed has so much protein. In fact, one cup of buckwheat contains 23 mg of protein. If you're a woman, that's two more milligrams than your daily recommended value. This seed is so healthy that it is constantly appearing on "Top 5 Superfoods" and "Healthiest Foods" lists.
So, where can you find this tiny seed? Surely it can't be cheap.
Alas, you are wrong!
Whole Foods sells raw buckwheat groats in the bulk section, but if you don't have a WF near you there is no reason to fret! You can easily find these superfood seeds online or at a local store near you.
Now, time for a way to use these beauties!

Vegan Cinnamon Buckwheat Clusters
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients:
-1 cup raw buckwheat groats
-1/3 cup agave nectar
-2 tsp coconut sugar
-1 tsp pure ground cinnamon

Steps:
1) Preheat the oven to 300 F
2) In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients

3) Mix with a spoon until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. This should not be a long process, but it must be well done to ensure all the groats are thoroughly coated in the mixture.

4) Spread the coated groats over parchment paper on a baking sheet. Make sure there is only a single layer of the groats.

5) Bake for 25-30 minutes, depending on how crunchy you want the clusters. If you want them crunchier, bake for 30 minutes. If you want them less crunchy bake for 25 minutes. 

6) Upon taking out of the oven, you'll need to almost immediately take out a spatula and begin lifting them up. Because the mixture is so sticky, once it begins drying it will stick horribly to the paper and cause you a mess! I simply took the back of the spatula and scraped it along the groats, lifting them in the process. 

7) In this shape, allow the groats 5-10 minutes to cool. After that, scrape them into a container and store for safekeeping! 

Your end result should be tiny, breakable clusters. You can use them to top delicious banana icecream bowls, on top of your yogurt as a granola, as a topping for your morning oatmeal, or even sprinkled over fruit for an afternoon treat. Regardless of how you end up using these delicious, warming, cinnamon-infused clusters, one thing is sure: you will love them!

Healthy Vegetarian Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Ah, jam thumbprint cookies. They're truly a holiday staple, but if you've recently come into this healthy lifestyle and are wondering how you can possibly still eat your favorite recipe, then you're in luck. Made with ingredients that are staples in almost every household, there's no doubt that even if you're snowed in, you can make these! There's hardly any prep or bake time. Trust us when we say that if you make these for your guests or family, they're sure to be a huge hit.

BLUEBERRY JAM THUMBPRINT COOKIES
Yields: 24 cookies
Prep time: 30 minutes
Bake time: 10-12 minutes

INGREDIENTS
For the cookie base:
-3 cups gluten free oats
-2 tbs flax meal
-1/4 tsp sea salt
-1/4 tsp baking powder
-3 heaped tsp coconut sugar (can be omitted-simply makes the cookie sweeter)
-3 mashed bananas
-2 splashes vanilla extract
-2 splashes butter extract
-1/3 cup agave
-1 egg
-3 splashes of almond milk

For the jam filling:
-2 cups washed blueberries
-2 tbs agave
-4 tbs chia seeds

STEPS
1.) Turn your oven on 350 F. Then process the rolled oats in a food processor until they resemble the photo below

2.) add processed oats into a large mixing bowl along with the other dry ingredients (flax meal, sea salt, baking powder, coconut sugar) and mix thoroughly
3.) In a medium mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients (mashed bananas, vanilla and butter extracts, agave, egg, almond milk) and mix thoroughly
4.) After mixing both bowl, pour the wet ingredients into the larger bowl containing the dry ingredients. Mix well until the dough begins to stick together. Set to the side and allow to set while you make the filling

5.) For the filling, pour the blueberries into a saucepan on medium heat with the agave. Give it five or so minutes of stirring until the blueberries begin to soften. At this point, begin mashing them into a jam and add the chia seeds
6.) Continue stirring for five or so more minutes, until the contents of the pot resemble a thick jelly. If it is too much of a liquid (which is unlikely), then add more chia seeds and continue to stir on a lower heat. If you're unsure what it should look like at this point, this photo should help:

7.) Take the jam off of heat and allow to sit. Return to the dough
8.) Now it's time to make your cookies! Preferably using an ice cream scooper for even cookies, dish out small, mounded cookies onto parchment paper
9.) Then, using your thumb or any finger, make small indents in the center of each cookie. These indents shouldn't poke a hole through the cookie, but should rather make a small hole to be filled with the jam
10.) Using the slightly cooled jam and a teaspoon, carefully dish enough jam into each indent. Remember: the jam should fill the indent until full, but it shouldn't be spilling over the side. If this is happening, either make the indent larger or put in less jam. Right before putting in the oven, they should look like this:

11.) Finally, time to bake! Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes. 11 minutes work best for me, but every oven varies! Keep an eye on these beauties and be wary of burning! After baking, the sweetness of the banana cookie base should contrast nicely with the bitter-sweet taste of the blueberry jam. These can be eaten both warm out of the oven and cooled hours later! Enjoy!

Vegan No Bake Cacao Almond Butter "Cookies"

Today was a do-nothing, relaxing day which consisted of sleeping in, cooking warm banana cinnamon oatmeal for my friend, mom, and I, and basically just enjoying the beautiful snow day in my pajamas. Practice was cancelled tonight, so I had a lot of time on my hands this evening.
All of this snow really got me in the spirit of making something festive! The result, No Bake Cacao Almond “Cookies!" The best part? They are vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free!

NO BAKE CACAO ALMOND “COOKIES”

Yields: 10 “cookies”

Prep Time: 20-30 minutes

Freeze Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

-4 medjool dates (pitted)
-1/4 cup raisins
-1/4 cup raw buckwheat groats
-2 tablespoons almond butter
-1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
-1 teaspoon cinnamon
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1 ½ tablespoons almond milk
-You also need oat flour (process oats in a food processor until fine)

STEPS

1.)    Add dates, raisins, and almond butter into a food processor until fully combined.

2.)    Pour the ¼ cup of buckwheat groats into the mixture and continue processing.

 3.)    Leaving the food processor running, add in the cacao powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and almond milk until the ingredients form a sticky cookie dough ball.

 4.)    On a cutting board, or the counter, lay out a large piece of parchment paper and sprinkle your oat flour on the paper before placing your dough down.

        5.)    With your hands, roll the dough in the flour until it stops sticking to your hands, then begin to flatten the dough. Make sure you don’t make it too thin.

 6.)    Using cookie cutters, you should be able to get about 10 “cookies” out of this dough!

 If you happen to run out of oat flour like I did, cacao powder will work perfectly fine!

 7.) When all of your “cookies” have been cut out, transfer them with a spatula to a small cutting board or plate lined with parchment paper and cover with another sheet of parchment paper and freeze for 20 minutes.

8.) After the 20 minutes are up, feel free to place the “cookies” into a Tupperware or leave them on the plate.

Store in the freezer for up to one week and enjoy!

Raw Pomegranate Cookie Crumble Tarts For the Holidays

As the hectic winter holidays approach, I'm sure we're all scrambling around looking for recipes that will not only satisfy our guests' bellies, but also our dietary needs. From two clean eaters to you all, we understand how hard this can be.

Today we bring you a slightly more complex, yet still manageable, recipe that will blow your company away while still being easy on the wallet and your valuable holiday time! These vegetarian tarts (can easily be made vegan with one substitution) will be your savior this winter season. 

RAW POMEGRANATE COOKIE CRUMBLE TARTS

Yields: 24 bite size tarts

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Freeze Time: 1 hour

MATERIALS

-Food processor 

-Mini cupcake pans

-Mini cupcake cups

-Mixing bowls

INGREDIENTS

For the bottom layer:

-2/3 cup gluten free rolled oats

-1/2 cup cacao nibs

-1/2 cup cacao chips (if you add non-dairy chips, this will make the recipe vegan)

-7 medjool dates

-3 tbs soaked goji berries

-2 tbs coconut oil

-3 tbs agave 

For the tart (filling):

-1 cup of fresh pomegranate seeds 

-4 heaped tbs coyo or any other yogurt substitute 

-splash vanilla extract

-1/4 avocado

-2 sprinkles cinnamon

-2 tbs chia seeds

For the chocolate mousse (to garnish):

-1/4 avocado 

-1 heaped tbs raw cacao powder 

-2 tsp agave

-2 splashes vanilla extract

STEPS

1.) Process oats, then move to a separate mixing bowl. Process cacao nibs, then move to the same bowl. Process cacao chips, then move to the same bowl. Once done, individually they should each resemble this:

2.) Put the contents of the mixing bowl back into the food processor and add coconut oil, agave, dates and goji berries. Process until it forms in a sticky mixture.

3.) In your mini cupcake pan, place 24 of the mini cupcake cups in. Then press the bottom layer dough into the mini cups, making the sides thick and the bottom deep for the filling to sit in. 

4.) Now, place these mini cups in the freezer (uncovered) and allow to sit while you make the filling. 

5.) Clean out the food processor, and for the filling add in the pomegranate seeds (whole seeds), coyo, vanilla extract, avocado, cinnamon and chia seeds. Process until the mixture is well-blended. (Will be watery...do not fret! Once frozen, these little babies will harden up nicely.)

6.) Pour contents of the food processor into a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. The bottom layer (cups) should still be freezing. 

7.) Now, for the mousse! As with before, clean out the processor and dry. Now add in the avocado, agave, raw cacao powder and vanilla extract. Process until light and fluffy. 

8.) Move to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. 

9.) After an additional 30 minutes, take out the cups and be sure they are hard enough to hold filling. Unwrap them from their paper and place on a new plate. 

10.) Take out the filling and whip it (by quickly stirring). Place a generous scoop in each cup. (Be sure not to overfill the cups, even to the top...it may cause the cup to break and be an unnecessary mess! Honestly, we couldn't even transfer the mixture to the freezer without it spilling everywhere...)

(Don't be like us!)

11.) Place the filled cups back in the freezer, uncovered, for an hour. 

12.) Finally, take out the frozen cups and garnish with the chocolate mousse! You only need a little on top of each cup for it to fit. Feel free to garnish with the remaining pomegranate seeds and some shredded coconut, which is what we did. It looks like fallen snow, which will surely astound your holiday guests!Serve immediately or keep frozen for the next day. 

Top 5 Ways to Avoid Cheating and Excessive Snacking

We’ve all fought our inner-selves at one point or another, particularly when you’re at a family party and everyone’s eyes, including those of the Dorito bowl, are on you.

Okay, totally exaggerating, but it’s still stressful! Cheating and its temptation to excessively snack are as much a part of this clean eating lifestyle as eating healthy all the time! We all have to learn that cheating is just a part of the process, and there are ways to work around it; snacking is the same. Remember this: moderation, not deprivation.Cheating shouldn’t be a frequent occurrence, but that doesn’t mean that you can never have an [insert bad food here] once in a while. Snacking, as well, is much needed but has a definitive line that should not be crossed. We decided to collaborate and write a list of our top five reasons/ways to avoid having that extra cheat!

5.) Water. When was the last time you drank it? How much have you drank today? 60% of the human body is water, yet we continually forget to nourish ourselves with it. One of the biggest reasons for cheating and binge eating is the body tricking your mind into thinking you’re hungry when, in fact, you’re simply thirsty! Drink half a bottle 30 minutes before you plan on eating a meal or a big snack. If you’re only eating because you’re bored or need something to do, which can often be hard to figure out, then doing this will tell you the definite answer. If it was out of boredom, then by the time 30 minutes rolls around, your stomach will be fuller. (Tip: If you’re unsure how much water you should be drinking a day, divide your body weight in half and drink that much in ounces a day. For example, if your weight is 150, then 150/2=75. You should drink 75 ounces of water per day, or 75/16.9=4.4 bottles.)

4.) Creativity is key. Still feeling hungry after a snack or meal? This is when most cheating or binging is most likely to occur. If it’s not that you are thirsty, try a piece of fruit or some cut up veggies? Sound boring? Spice it up! Instead of having a few berries, make a smoothie! Smoothies will fill you up more and keep you satisfied longer. If you feel veggies aren’t enough, try making a yummy and filling avocado dip! This can be done by either just blending (or food processing) a plain avocado or try adding some lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil to the mix for some fun flavor. (Tip: Make sure you get at least 3 snacks a day or 5-6 small meals a day. You won’t feel the urge to binge or cheat because you will feel fuller and more satisfied.)

3.) What have you eaten today? If that insatiable food craving just won’t go away and you’re on the verge of cheating, consider this: what have you eaten today? If you think back and it has mostly consisted of fruits and vegetables, or was water based, then maybe it’s time to feed your body some more complex carbs! Have that sweet potato or avocado! Have you eaten mostly carbs? Have some fruit! Not enough protein? Throw a scoop of whey protein into your favorite smoothie! It’s all about striking a balance that your body will reward you for. It’s a matter of trial and error, but you can do it! (Tip: Having trouble keeping up with all of those confusing nutritional labels? Try downloading the app MyFitnessPal to get you started. It will keep track of how much of each food category you’re eating, what you need more of, and even lets you share it with friends! Use this for a couple weeks and see what your eating has been like, then adjust it.)

2.) Don’t skip meals. Have you ever thought, “I’ve eaten so much today, I just won’t have dinner?” If you have, this is definitely not the way to go! Skipping meals is not healthy, despite seeming so, and can actually cause you to gain weight at first. This is because when your body isn’t fed the proper amount of nutrients a day, it will digest the next thing it receives as fat. By skipping a meal you are more susceptible to cheating or binging later on in the day. A binge is your body’s way of calling out for what it needs that you have failed to provide it with. So don’t skip; steadily nourish! (Tip: Like mentioned before, you should be eating 5-6 small meals a day or a breakfast, lunch, and dinner, consisting of at least 250-300 calories each, as well as 3 snacks throughout the day.)

1.) Don’t fear the silly “preoccupations.” Ever heard that you should avoid snacking by counting to a hundred? No? How about by painting your nails? Doing your makeup? Going for a run? If you have a hunch that you’re about to cheat out of boredom, and that’s truly what it is, then doing any number of these things should help to pass the time and make you forget about this faux-hunger! Clearly, you can’t go for a run if you’re that hungry. Your body will protest it, and then you’ll know that you truly do need that snack. Try any number of these things to pass the time, and if, say, half an hour later you’re still hungry, then eat! Refer to #4 on how to eat these snacks. (Tip: Community is key! Comment below with any ideas you have about how to pass the time that adds to the ones listed above. If we like one you write, then there’s a chance we will post it on our Instagram and attribute it to you!)

This is a small list of ideas compared to all of those out there. There are so many reasons against cheating, but there are also reasons for it! Cheating can renew your willingness to continue on this lifestyle, particularly when you feel like it’s depriving you of what you love. As said earlier, remember: moderation, not deprivation. As for snacking, pay attention to the tips we provided about how to avoid having too many, but also how to know when it’s boredom snacking versus real snacking. If you can implement these things into your amazing clean eating lifestyle, we are confident that your journey will get that much simpler! Have an amazing week nourishers!

xoxo Valentina and Jaimee

Restaurant Review: Blue Sage Vegetarian Grille in South Hampton, PA

For my sixteenth birthday the other week, Valentina and I decided that it was the perfect time for us to drive a little further to try out an extremely recommended restaurant. Blue Sage Vegetarian Grille in South Hampton PA, located in a quaint shopping center with its pleasant service and delicious food, turned out to be all that we'd hoped for, and then some. They serve a variety of vegetarian and vegan dishes that are marked according to what they are, and the simplicity of the restaurant offers an entirely new take on how we eat.

To start, we went with Organic Stash tea. Basically, they bring out boiled water to you in a cool layered tea kettle, along with packets of different Stash teas, and you can choose them and pour your water at your leisure. We really enjoyed this for a few reasons. One, we could try out flavors we didn't normally drink. Two, we didn't have to ask the waitress for more drinks when we ran out. Last, it was delicious! Nothing is more calming than enjoying warm tea and a chat with friends in a bustling restaurant.

There were tons of appetizers to choose from, but we decided on the only vegan one available-the Mediterranean Sampler. Four small bowls (hummus, falafel balls, guacamole, ??) plus pita bread made this appetizer extremely tasty and extremely filling, pretty much to the point where it should have ideally been our meal. The pita bread, salted and most definitely white bread, was delicious but not desirable for vegetarians and vegans. I came here expecting everything to be prepared to the utmost health standards, and I was disappointed with the bread with this "vegan" app.

 Now, silly old me accidentally deleted the pictures of our main meal without sending it to myself...looks like you're going to have to imagine what it looked like!
For our main meal, we got the Blue LT to split. It consisted of metropolitan whole grain, yellow tomato and avocado crispy Asiago "bacon," pea leaves, crumbled Maytag, green Tabasco aioli, served with the house root chip mix. This was available to order dairy-free (omits the "bacon"), but we also screwed that up and ended up ordering the full meal and taking off the "bacon," which we both found too strong and unsettling. The "chips," which consisted of potato and beet mixtures, were tasty but too greasy to be our idea of "vegetarian." Once again, we had a hard time calling this a fully vegetarian restaurant when half the things we ordered were fatty and full of grease. However, we both finished our meals and called it a day. 

So, what exactly did we think of this restaurant as a whole? Well, the food was delicious, I will tell you that. We disliked the overuse of grease, but we enjoyed the simplified vegan/vegetarian/dairy-free menu that fit so many diets. The service was slow, but they were busy and the meals were beautifully prepared. The staff was extremely kind, and the small, homely setting made the restaurant a one of casualty. Out of ten,we'd reward it a seven. If you ever find yourself in South Hampton, PA, we'd highly recommend checking it out! 
-Jaimee