The Smoothie Vegetarians

(photos by Danielle) A lot of people feel like transitioning to a healthier lifestyle will make it more difficult to be in situations like eating out. Going on to eat does not have to be difficult and there are so many articles and youtube videos showing you how to eat healthier/vegan/vegetarian when going to chain restaurants, even when there are not a lot of options. For a while, when I was going out to eat I was eating plant based at home, but struggled to stay that way when I went out. However, this does not have to be the case. You can still go out with friends and family and join in while still staying true to your morals and personal health goals.  I will be naming some restaurants that I frequently go to and also tell you what I got along with some pictures. I will let you guys know how I navigate the menu when I go out to eat. First of all, I am unable to eat dairy to begin with and get very sick if I happen to have it. To combat this issue, many restauran...

(photos by Danielle) Pizza is not something that you have to cut out on a plant-based lifestyle! Good news! There are so many amazing alternatives out in stores that are so amazing and that I enjoy using in many of my recipes. I have found so many recipes recently and there are still so many out there that I have not yet tried. I love doing pizza, especially when friends are over. Pizza seems to be a common food at casual gatherings, however, it can create a problem for people like myself who are unable to consume dairy. If you are the type of person who gets stomach pains from dairy, are allergic, or cut it out for ethical reasons, do not worry about it! There are so many new vegan cheeses that will not complicate your health for consuming. Also, if you are trying to stay away from the more processed ingredients, there are also so many recipes that you can make it homemade. I find a lot of recipes on youtube and Pinterest that are really helpful in finding delicious veg...

I cooked a lot for Easter with my family and we had a lot of different things at the table. Of course I got some Gardein, some Daiya cheesecake, and some snacks. I also made a pasta salad and I will be glad to share with you everything I put into my recipe and it was wonderful for my family. Everyone enjoyed everything that was there.  For snacks, we had crackers, Chao cheese, and grapes. I made a Gardein Turkey and it comes with gravy packages so that you do not have to buy extra. I love making the Gardein Turkey cutlets because they are so crispy and they taste amazing.  Also, at the table, we had some veggies like sweet potatoes and corn. We had dinner rolls that went great with everything we had as well. I had some mango pineapple juice that I also blended.  I made a pasta salad in the morning as well that was a hit. First I roasted some bell peppers in the oven and then got the skin off to have some roasted red pepper to shop up for this...

(photos by Danielle) I love trying out new breakfast recipes! I have found so many new recipes in the past year and I love making these. They are so delicious and I love making food for my family. It is exciting to wow people with delicious recipes and create new dishes that people will love.  One of my favorite things to make is pancakes in the morning. I put some syrup on and usually have a sie of fruit with it. For my pancake recipe, I take two packets of oatmeal and blend them in my ninja for a few seconds to make flour. Then I add a quarter cup of non dairy milk. I usually use almond milk or rice milk, but there are so many more you can try. If you want extra flavor you can use a flavor that is either vanilla or chocolate flavored. Then I add one banana and blend the mixture again. If it is not too think, you can let it sit for a few more minutes and when it gets think, put it in the pan and cook it. Then I top it with anything I want for the morning and if ...

(photos by Danielle) Planning for meals during the week can be a challenge but since the internet has so many recipes, it becomes so easy. I find so many recipes on social media including websites like Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. I also love following food blogs and getting their monthly list of posts in my email inbox. I always save recipes that I enjoy. I also just recently got a recipe book to write down recipes that have worked out for me or ones that I want to try in the future.  A lot of my favorite recipes have zucchini in them. The first recipe was inspired by a time when I had a lot of zucchini in the house. I also had leftover sauce from spaghetti night earlier in the week, so I was trying to make something out of leftovers and create a delicious, but still healthy meal. I made some zucchini boats and they were great.  How do you make these??? Start by cutting the ends off of the zucchini. Then slice the zucchini down the middle like...

(photos by Danielle) A lot of people think that you have to give certain foods up for this lifestyle. The good news is that you do not. I find this incredibly easy. The one thing I find interesting is people give the excuse "...but I could never give up x,y or z". However it is becoming so much easier. People continue to try out new recipes and the more they try out new recipes the more common it is for them to find new flavors that they like just from playing around with different spices and other ingredients in your house you can find a lot of flavors that you really like it can be important to play around and find new things that you enjoy based on all the recipes that you liked in the past you don't have to give anything up and you can find plenty of substitutes. (photos by Danielle) All of these recipes are so flavorful and I enjoy these so much. I will be making these again and every time you remake a recipe, you get better each time. You can ...

Over the holidays, people struggle with many things. One of them being staying healthy with so much buffet style food at gatherings. Other people may deal with challenges as well. For myself, I sometimes take for granted having such a supportive family when others do not. I want to extend my love and positivity to those who need that, especially over the time of the holidays. A lot of people in my family know that the choices I am making are helping and have reversed what I was dealing with health wise. I feel amazing now and the other people in my life notice how much better they feel when they try my cooking. I do not mind sharing because I am so open to showing people anything if they have any questions and I love helping others. I also love hearing about how much better people feel when they tell me they try a recipe or food that I have recommended. A lot of people in my family are open to trying these dishes even if they do not plan on making a transition to a vegan, veg...