Simple Pumpkin Soup w/Roasted carrots

"Let food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food."

-Hippocrates

Hellooooo!

So, I just got home from Boston, where I was visiting my family for the holidays, we got hungry, and had no food in our home...dilema! I looked in the cupboard, pulled out some stuff, and ended up making a delicious pumpkin soup! Here's the recipe which will make enough for two adults and a kid:

Ingredients (organic if you can):This is what my soup ended up looking like.

2 cans of pumpkin puree

Himalayan salt (to taste)

fresh ground pepper (to taste)

a couple of dashes of cumin, coriander, and nutmeg

large garlic clove

3 cups or so of Pacific organic vegetable broth (low sodium)

5 carrots (peeled and chopped into bite size pieces)

olive oil (first cold pressed)

Hass avocado (cut into pieces)

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Portobello Mushroom Pizza

WHAAAAAT?! Now here's a recipe that even the pickiest of eaters will love!

Recently, my friend Shandi Finnessey (who I crowned Miss USA in 2004...little fun fact) introduced me to an EVEN HEALTHIER homemade pizza that I thoroughly enjoyed a couple of weeks ago. Here's how to make it:

Whenever I was in the mood for pizza, before Shandi shared her awesome recipe with me, I usually made my own at home with fresh organic ingredients:

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My Organic Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate

ALAS! ...hot chocolate that's yummy and healthy! This is a winter treat that I love to make as a dessert during the chilly winter months. My favorite part is that it's 100% organic and dairy-free so no animals are harmed during the making of my hot chocolate : ) I love it THAT much more!

What you'll need:

Organic Pacific Almond Milk

Organic Cacao Powder

Agave (to taste)

Optional: Cinnamon, pure vanilla extract, or nutmeg

And here's how to make it:

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Coconut Curried Sweet Potato

"Let food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food."
- Hippocrates

Helloooo!

I found this delicious recipe that I wanted to share with you all, courtesy of nutritionist Stacey Kennedy from the wonderful site Reboot Your Life (if you haven't checked it out, it's a must! The founder, Joe Cross, also made an excellent documentary called "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" that is a must watch). Reboot Your Life is a great resource for those who are interested in juicing, doing a juice fast, etc. They have a great blog with lots of juice recipes. 

Here's the recipe for sweet potatoes with an Indian twist!

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato, washed and peeledI eat a lot of sweet potatoes/yams and prepare them in different ways. They are much healthier than potatoes!1/2 cup coconut milk
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ginger (or 1/4 tsp fresh mined)
1/8 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp coriander
1/8 tsp cumin
(you can substitute a yellow curry spice blend for these individual spices)

Directions Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Wash and peel sweet potato. Pierce with fork
Bake sweet potato 45-60 minutes or until

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Juicing Tip & Recipe

Hello, My Fellow Veggie Juicers!

This past May, I celebrated my 6-year juicing anniversary! Ever since my nutritionist (now dear friend) Natalia Rose, explained the tremendous health benefits of juicing, the first thing I put into my body each day is my fresh, organic veggie juice. It infuses my body with all the vitamins, enzymes and minerals that my body needs. No need for dietary supplements! It's invigorating and my body thanks me for it every day with a strong immune system :)

So, I wanted to share an easy little juicing tip that helps make the cleanup faster:

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Homemade Almond Milk

Moooooo! ...well, not really.

I found this wonderful recipe for homemade almond milk from a wonderful blog, called Happy Foody, that I recently discovered. The writer, Sara Janssen (who lives an incredible life of conscienceness with her husband and two beautiful children), shared this recipe and I think it's one of the best I've found. I think y'all will find it delish! I altered the recipe a tiny bit to sub in a healthier salt. If you don't already, you may want to start using Himalayan Salt or Celtic Sea Salt. Both are chockful of beneficial trace minerals that table salt does not contain. Table salt is a completely refined, man-made substance full of harmful chemicals. Click here to learn more about the health benefits of sea salt.

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My Favorite Vegan Ice Cream

"We select the finest organic ingredients to honor the earth and ourselves, as we are one and the same." -Cafe Gratitude

I scream, you scream, we all scream for VEGAN ice cream! LOL!

My wellness journey has opened my eyes to some wonderful REAL food and I'm grateful that I can share them with you via my blog.

I was a HUGE ice cream lover, but after learning how inflammatory dairy is in the human body, I wanted to cut it out of my diet ASAP! After trying several organic vegan ice creams on the market, I found some wonderful alternatives to help satisfy my craving whenever it pops up. These are delicious...and you can actually pronounce all of the ingredients (unlike all the toxic ingredients in most dairy-based ice cream)! Imagine that!

 

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Viva La Vegan Tacos!

"To become vegetarian is to step into the stream which leads to nirvana." -Buddha

Hola amigos and fellow foodies!

Five years ago, before my personal food revolution and WAY before I became vegan, I regularly ate Mexican food. In fact, a big burrito filled with chicken, white rice, cheese and beans was probably the food I missed most for a long time. I'm happy to report that I no longer miss it because I came up with my own organic and vegan Mexican meal that left both my husband and I saying "Awww, yeaaaah!" ;oP It is THAT delicious and I know you will love it too! It may seem involved but once you make for the first time, you'll see how easy it is.

Instead of nasty white rice that sticks to your intestinal walls, I use millet, one of the planets naturally alkaline grains. Millet is so versatile. I use it as rice and will just add marinara sauce when I make pasta dishes.

Back to my tacos...this recipe is dairy free and tasty as can be!

Vegan Mexican Tacos

Ingredients:

1 package of Food For Life Sprouted Corn Tortillas

3 ripe Hass avocados

3/4 cup finely chopped sweet yellow onion

3-4 diced Roma tomatoes

Finely chopped cilantro (about 1 cup total)

1 can of pinto beans (drained and rinsed)

*if you can take the time to soak dry beans overnight, do so. All canned products contain the toxic chemical PBA.

1 cup of millet or quinoa

Himalayan or Celtic Sea Salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons of raw coconut oil

2 teaspoons of organic spicy taco seasoning

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Portia de Rossi's "Aha Moment"

Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace." 
- Albert Schweizer

So, this is one of the most incredible stories about animals I've ever read. It's Portia de Rossi's story (from Nov. 2010, O Magazine) on what made her stop eating meat and ultimately become vegan. I found it moving because it gives a glimpse into the souls of the millions of animals that are tortured for human consumption everyday; animals we'll never see or meet. But we should absolutely be thinking of them every time we consume their meat or use products derived from them.

I adore animals and recently adopted the vegan lifestyle as I believe it's a more peaceful and kinder way to live...not to mention healthier, as outlined in The China Study.

This is Portia de Rossi's story on what made her go vegan:

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Vegan Vanilla Milk Shake

"As is always the case, when we go against nature's laws, we suffer the consequences. The chemical composition of cow's milk is different from that of human milk, and therefore our bodies are not designed to break it down." - from The Beauty Detox Solution by Kimberly Snyder

Hola amigos!

Have I told you that I love my Vitamix blender? It's pricey but I can honestly say that aside from my juicer, it's the BEST kitchen appliance ever! I make everything from smoothies, to sauces, to soups in that and am healthier because of it.

So, I've concocted another yummy dairy-free, dessert-like, milk shake that I'm sure will be your new go-to drink to cool off this summer. You just throw all the ingredients in the blender and you have a sweet treat that I'm sure even kids will enjoy and love to make too!

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