Apple Zinger Tea-Tails

Fall spiced apple cider tea infused cocktail - alcohol & mocktail options!

Last week I had the opportunity to go on a super fun trip to Boulder Colorado to visit the headquarters of Celestial Seasonings. I’ve been drinking their tea for years so it was fun to learn more about the process of making tea and meet the wonderful people behind the brand. The trip started with the warmest welcome (the employees greeted us outside, cheering and holding signs with each of our blog names on them!). I drank about a million cups of tea (Sweet Harvest Pumpkin is totally my new favorite). After that, my highlights of the visit were: listening to Kay…

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Butternut Squash Burrito Bowls

Butternut squash burrito bowls are healthy, easy vegetarian dinner! Filled with black beans, pico de gallo, kale & avocado, they're hearty & delicious.

fall / gluten free / vegan-option

Sometimes I feel like I have a never-ending stream of ideas. One idea leads to the next and a few tangents later they multiply into lists full of recipe possibilities. Other times, I’m completely blank. This is the part where I usually talk about how I was romantically re-inspired after a stroll through the farmers market. But not this time. This weekend, we strolled and we market-ed. Still blank. Then, this idea popped into my head at Chipotle, of all places. It was a rare day that we were even at Chipotle, (we usually favor our local Freebirds). Either way, I’m a sucker for a burrito bowl and I…

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Ginger-Apple Pumpkin Soup

This Ginger-Apple Pumpkin Soup recipe makes a delicious creamy soup with coconut milk, ginger, and cardamom. It's perfect for fall.

fall / soups / pumpkin

It’s only October 1st and yet I feel like I’m already the last to post a pumpkin recipe. This time of year, pinterest is crazy for pumpkin. But don’t worry – if you’re too cool for pumpkin, you can just as easily make this soup with butternut squash. This recipe comes together pretty easily and it doesn’t even require a pot. I roasted the pumpkin, an apple, an onion and a few garlic cloves all in the oven. I put it all in a blender and pureéd it into a creamy soup with coconut milk, ginger, and the special ingredient – cardamom. If…

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Vegan Chocolate PB&J Cups

vegan / gluten free

Ever think “I’d like to combine my favorite school lunch with my favorite halloween candy?” Well neither had I – until Jeanine (this is Jack, by the way) came up with this crazy and amazing snack idea. And she even put some salt on top, just to cement it as the best peanut-butter cup idea ever. I’m sorry that this post is a bit light on the photos – I kind of… ate… the subjects before we could take more follow up shots. Sorry about that. Just make your own – you won’t regret it. These are also vegan and gluten…

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Fig & Arugula Salad w/ Pistachio Pesto

fall / salads / gluten free

A few weeks ago, I made this in pizza form… since then, I haven’t been able to get the ingredient combination out of my mind. I knew it was destined to become a really great salad, so here we have it – a late summer/early fall salad with figs, arugula, balsamic, pistachios and a few dollops of pistachio pesto. Instead of ricotta, I tore creamy pieces of burrata and added some diced avocado. (Just skip the cheese if you’re vegan – this is indulgent enough without it). For me, this salad hits every note a good well-rounded salad should – sweet, salty, creamy…

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Roasted Chickpea Ratatouille

late summer / vegan / gluten free

Everyone loves a one-pot meal. Personally, I’m a huge fan of the one-pan meal. Arrange everything onto a baking sheet, have a glass of wine, and let the oven do the work. Start with a good assortment of late summer veggies. (p.s. how cute are those little round squashes?). Chop your eggplant, squash and tomatoes so they’re roughly the same size (about 1-inch pieces). Pile everything onto a baking sheet – this time, it’s ok if things are little crowded. Normally, you’d want more space between your vegetables but you want your ratatouille to be a little juicy, so this…

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Whole Wheat Vegan Waffles

A squeeze of lemon gives these whole wheat vegan waffles a lovely buttermilk flavor and light texture. A great healthy weekend brunch!

breakfast / vegan / almond breeze

Fall happened for me last night. I stepped off the plane at Midway Airport (in shorts) and immediately thought “they really have the AC blasting here.” Until I realized, oh wait, that’s just Chicago. As I write this, I’m sitting in the kitchen I grew up in (with a few sweaters on), thinking about some of my warmest fall memories… Saturday mornings with pancakes and waffles are definitely at the top the list. Crisp, cool air, hot waffles… and most likely the Muppet Babies on TV in the background. Make-Ahead Vegan Waffles These vegan waffles are great right off the waffle iron, but lately (especially…

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Healthy Granola

This easy 7-ingredient granola recipe is a delicious healthy snack or quick breakfast. It not only tastes delicious, but it smells amazing while it cooks!

vegan / gluten free

This is my go-to healthy granola recipe. Packed with oats and nuts and naturally sweetened with maple syrup, it’s a great way to get fiber and healthy fats into your first meal of the day. Even better, it clumps well! I add a tablespoon of almond butter to bind the components together, so you get plenty of delicious nutty clusters. I like to make it on Sunday and have it on hand for yogurt parfaits throughout the week! While we don’t have kids that are going back to school this week, I’m starting to think more and more about healthy make-ahead breakfast…

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Tart Cherry & Mint Iced Tea

summer / beverage / tart cherries

We have a new superfood obsession – we’re head over heels in love with tart cherries. It started with this froyo recipe, but since then I’ve been tossing frozen tart cherries into our morning smoothies and mixing tart cherry juice into cocktails, (among other simple uses)… It’s an understatement to say that Jack and I both drink a lot of iced tea. While I usually prefer unsweetened tea – I’ve found that adding just a splash of tart cherry juice to plain black tea (or green tea) is so deliciously tangy and refreshing… and just slightly sweet, which is the way I…

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Soba Noodles with Shishitos & Avocado

vegan / vegetarian

People like to ask me “what’s your favorite recipe?” and I never have an answer. My “favorite” is often what’s most recent and/or what’s coming up next… But this one combines two definite favorites – blistered shishito peppers (which I usually make as an appetizer), and one of my go-to simple soba noodle recipes. Because my “favorites” are almost always the simple things. I brought home a bunch of shishito peppers from the farmers market, but the base of this recipe is so versatile – feel free to sub in a star vegetable of your choice. The noodles get tossed in a light sesame-soy…

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Portobello Mushroom Dogs

Skip the packaged veggie dogs at your next cookout - grill these tangy marinated portobello mushrooms instead! They're easy, healthy & flavorful.

summer / vegetarian

We’re all familiar with the ubiquitous portobello burger, so I’ll be honest: I originally planned to serve these mushrooms in hot dog buns for the novelty of it. For my money, though, portobellos really work better in dog form than in burger-form. They get more fully covered in the tangy, savory marinade, and (because they’re thinner strips) they cook a lot more quickly and more evenly. Portobello Veggie Dog Recipe Ingredients Growing up around Chicago, hot dogs were never taken lightly. A good Chicago dog has a myriad of components, including mustard, onions, a whole pickle, peppers, and more. This…

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.