Veggie Staples

dairy free, gluten free, refined sugar free, plant based recipes

Mizuno Wave Rider 21

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What gets you out the door for a run? Running buddies, alone time, sanity? For me it’s all of that and an amazing new pair of sneakers. Mizuno recently shipped me their new Wave River 21 I was so excited to try a new shoe! I wear a neutral shoe, and could not wait until these showed up on my door step!

Aren’t these such an awesome color? Besides the fact that they are super comfortable, I love that they are purple! So fun!!

I love these Mizuno’s because they are a great shoe not only for marathoners, but for any runner! New runner, seasoned runner, these are a great neutral shoe! They are extremely comfortable and I feel they gave me a lot of support through out my foot, something that is difficult to find in a shoe. They also breathe really well - designed with “Triple Zone” engineered mesh! Whatever your reason for running may be, I highly recommend checking these Mizuno’s out. Feel good (and look good) in them!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Mizuno. The opinions and text are all mine.

Fall into PrAna!

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I was recently given the opportunity to review some amazing PrAna clothing! If you have never heard of PrAna, they are a clothing company that creates versatile, stylish, and sustainable clothing and accessories that you can wear during every activity, every day. They create these clothes for everyone, made to last and outdo any adventure!

I was able to test drive the Rockaway Jacket and the Mantra Pant. The Manta Pant is linen, my absolute favorite. I love linen because you can dress it up and dress it down, and you can wear them in the Spring, Summer and Fall. Is is soft and flattering, and I can wear it with pretty much anything! It pairs perfectly with the Rockaway Jacket, easy to throw on over any top - cozy and comfortable. Both of these will be in heavy rotation for me for my fall wardrobe! In both the Jacket and the Pants - ALL. THE. POCKETS. Enough said!

I also love working with PrAna because of what they stand for. They create and make sustainable, recycled, and fair trade certified items! All purchases made through PrAna have a positive impact on the planet, and PrAna gives back to communities all over the world. They do so through several charities which you can find out about here!

PrAna’s main mission is to give back while creating a versatile and classy clothing design that can be worn for both work or adventure (and both in the same day, in the same outfit!). This vision lies deep in the root of their company.

If you like something you see on the website, use promo code MSF17MS for 15% off your purchase! I know you would love these clothes as much as I do, and they are product that you can feel good about purchasing from as well.

 

 

*all owned blog posts and social media posts that content created for the campaign is “Sponsored by prAna.”

EverlyWell DHA Test Review

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Are you a breastfeeding Mama? Have you heard of EverlyWell? Or DHA? DHA is a vital Omega 3 Fatty Acid that a baby needs to grow during their first 2 years of life! DHA is crucial in a child’s early development, in particular for their visual acuity and cognitive development.

I had Will 4 months ago. He is the happiest little baby, always full of big smiles and laughter (and I’m not just saying that)!!! As a breast feeding mama to this little boy, I wanted to know I was doing all I could to do to get him all the nutrients he needed!! Often times, as a busy mom (especially when you also have a toddler at home) you neglect your diet, and it’s important to your health as well as your baby’s health, to keep up a diet rich in proteins, veggies and fruit! This test helped me with adding more DHA rich foods to my diet.

Everlywell does at home testing, which only requires a few drops of breastmilk placed on a collection card for their labs to review. Measuring the DHA in your breastmilk can help you know if your dietary supply of DHA is within the recommended, healthy range for breastfeeding mothers and your baby! The test kit is shipped for free, with a pre paid return label. No waiting, no copays, with easy to understand results online in just a few days. You use the dropper provided to add a few drops of your breastmilk to the sample card and letting it dry. Then you seal it and send it off! Easy peasy! When you get the results, they send you the link in your email, which you can also share with your doctor!

I got mine in the mail quickly, and I sent it out the next day. I found out within a few quick days that I was in the medium range for my DHA levels. EverlyWell gave me great suggestions to eat more foods rich in DHA include fatty fish such as salmon, or tuna, cod, halibut, and eggs! My husband and I love salmon and cod, especially now that summer is here! One of our favorite summer recipes is fish tacos! Yum! I’m also going to talk to my doctor about talking an Omega 3 supplement.

 

You can use this link to get your own test, and 15% off with the code VEGGIE15!! Generally, an FSA/HSA account will cover the costs of this at-home test (personal coverage varies for insurance).

I really loved finding out what my DHA levels were from Everlywell, and I think that if you are a breastfeeding Mom at all concerned about your levels, this test is perfect to find out if you are eating the right foods for providing your baby with what he or she needs!

Running on the Wall Virtual Race

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If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I am a very avid runner! I recently had the opportunity to run a virtual 5K with Running on the Wall, and it came with some pretty awesome swag!

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Check out that awesome medal, shoe tag, bag and medal! It also came with some awesome temporary tattoos that say “RUN”!!! Does it get any better than that? I think the best part about doing a virtual race is that you can run on your own time and with your friends or solo. With a toddler, and being pregnant, and a full time job, finding time to even run 3 miles can be difficult! I really loved running this virtual race, and I have a shirt I love I know I will wear over and over again. (You can also run a 10K or a half marathon)! Running on the Wall also carries medal hangers and displays, clothing, recovery sandals and jewelry. Perfect swag for you or the runner in your life!

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Have you ever run a virtual race? Did you like it?

Paleo & Gluten Free Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

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The Holidays are here! What is your favorite way to celebrate? My friend is hosting a cookie swap in a few weeks, and these Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies (Gluten Free & Paleo) are an oldie but goodie for any holiday party! They incorporate that lovely combination of chocolate and peppermint that everyone is sure to love! And better yet, they are sweetened with natural honey! I was lucky enough to get some Nektar Honey Crystals on my hands from Nektar Naturals! (Thank you Nektar Naturals!) I used this as a healthy sugar substitute, (as I always do), and they still were a big hit. How awesome is that?

Who can resist such cute spirals? I had a few mishaps (I decided to use coconut sugar, which is brown… guess what? brown sugar does not take color dye, whoops!). I found these awesome natural food dyes after scouring the internet, and they worked really well! I was really impressed with the coloring, I wasn’t sure if they would turn out muddy or too dull. I would have been upset if I had ended up with pink instead of red! Anyways, if you are into Chocolate Peppermint (my whole family is obsessed) you will really love these cookies! Did I mention they are also gluten free and paleo? Note: If you do use coconut sugar in this recipe, the color will not turn out! Don’t learn the hard way like I did! I recommend using Nektar Naturals honey crystals!!

And don’t forget to head on over to my instagram account for a Nektar Naturals giveaway!

*Nektar Naturals can be found in any Walmart!!

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5.0 from 1 reviews
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Paleo & Gluten Free Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies
Author: 
Recipe type: Cookie
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 24 cookies
 
Ingredients
  • 3 cups almond flour
  • ¾ cup honey crystals, stevia or truvia
  • 1 egg
  • 4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
  • 1 tablespoon almond or coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • green & red food coloring to liking
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, whisk flour and baking soda.
  2. In a large bowl or in an electric mixer, beat honey crystals and coconut oil until fluffy (around 3 minutes)
  3. Beat in egg and vanilla into the honey crystals and coconut oil
  4. Add flour and baking soda, reduce mixer to low or beat until just blended
  5. Divide dough in half and place in two bowls
  6. Stir in cacao and milk into one bowl, stir in peppermint into the other bowl
  7. Divide peppermint dough in half and place in separate bowls
  8. Mix the red food coloring into one peppermint dough, green into the other
  9. Divide the chocolate dough in half
  10. Shape all the dough pieces into 3 X 5 inch rectangles, set on wax paper or parchment paper and place another piece of paper on the top for easy rolling
  11. Roll out dough into 9 X 12 inch rectangles.
  12. Refrigerate rectangles in the refrigerator for at least an hour
  13. Place 2 chocolate rectangles on a floured work surface (I like using arrowroot or tapioca flour)
  14. Remove from sheets of wax paper
  15. Lightly brush the chocolate dough with water (helps with sticking)
  16. Place red dough on top of one chocolate dough, place green dough on top of the other
  17. Trim edges if the dough shapes are uneven
  18. Roll dough together (from the long side) into a log form (both green and red dough)
  19. Roll dough tightly so the log is compact
  20. Wrap dough in plastic wrap/saran wrap for at least 3 hours
  21. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  22. Remove logs from refrigerator and unwrap
  23. Cut logs into ¼ inch thick cookie slices
  24. Place 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheet or Silpat
  25. Bake 10-15 minutes, until the edges begin to brown, rotating half way through

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Gluten Free High Protein Pumpkin Cranberry Mug Cake

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I know we are well on our way into peppermint and gingerbread season, but pumpkin will always be my favorite. I recently teamed up with Sun Warrior, a company that makes delicious, gluten free, vegan, non GMO, no soy protein powders and supplements! I love their protein powder and was excited to get in the kitchen to create some recipes using their products!

One thing I haven’t yet made my for my blog, but love and eat all the time are mug cakes! Sun Warrior gave me the perfect opportunity to incorporate their awesome products into a mug cake. Like I said, I’m still wayyyyyy into the pumpkin, so with the fresh cranberries I just picked up at the store, pumpkin cranberry it was! (You could also swap out the cranberries for chocolate chips). This is easy to throw together, and it’s a super healthy treat with almost 30 grams of protein packed into it, between the protein powder, egg whites, pumpkin & coconut flour! How could you go wrong? I really hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as I do, and give Sun Warrior products a try, they truly are one of my favorite protein powders out there!

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Gluten Free High Protein Pumpkin Cranberry Mug Cake
Author: 
Recipe type: Mug Cake
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 1 mug cake
 
Ingredients
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • ¼ cup fresh cranberries
  • 28 grams (one scoop) Sunwarrior Vanilla Protein Powder
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
  • 3 tablespoons liquid egg whites
  • 1 tablespoon coconut flour
  • 1 heaping teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
  • *optional: ½ teaspoon stevia for extra sweeteness
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl
  2. Grease the inside of the mug you are going to use (I like using a tiny bit of coconut oil)
  3. Add ingredients to mug and heat on high in the microwave (3-4 minutes)
  4. Enjoy immediately!

 

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Protein Packed Apple Snack Bites

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If there is ever way to pack in some extra protein for a snack, I’m looking for it. As someone who doesn’t eat much more than fish, I add it in when I can. Have you ever heard of Manitoba Hemp Hearts? Manitoba is a company that makes hemp hearts, an amazing plant based protein made from hemp seeds! I love using them in everything from baking to smoothies, to give food a subtly nutty flavor or an extra crunch! Yum! Each serving has 10 grams of protein, and 10 grams of Omega 3 & 6! Amazing!

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As a mom of a 1 year old, I’ve always got snacks with me. Between my husband and my daughter, someone is always hungry (or hungry). After making your own almond butter (super easy and inexpensive, directions below), swirl in some hemp seeds to make it crunchy and add more protein! And then dip your apple slices in more hemp hearts once you slather them in almond butter too! This is a really awesome snack packed full of protein that everyone in my whole family can munch on while we’re out! Everyone wins and we’re all eating something healthy!

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Protein Packed Apple Snack Bites
Author: 
Recipe type: snack
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3 apple snacks
 
Ingredients
  • 3 cups raw almonds
  • *optional: 2 tablespoons of honey or oil for sweetness or creaminess
  • 4 tablespoons Manitoba Hemp Hearts
  • 3 apples, washed and sliced
Instructions
  1. If making your own almond butter, blend almonds in blender or food processor until smooth. Stopping as needs to push down what has stuck to the sides with a spatula or spoon (blend in honey, oil or extra hemp seeds if desired)
  2. Once apples are washed and sliced, dip in almond butter and roll them into the hemp seeds (1-2 tablespoons at a time)
  3. I doubt the snacks will last 24 hours (in the refrigerator) but you can try!
  4. *recommended to store your almond butter in the fridge!

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Pumpkin Pie Pancake Bites

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Okay, you all know how much I love pumpkin, right? Well, my newest obsession since training for a marathon is pancakes. Something so easy and simple yet so delicious after running 18, 20, or 22 miles! Especially with blueberries! Well I’ve recently found Fit Body Bakery High Protein Pancake Mix! Fit Body Bakery is dedicated to helping people meet their health and fitness goals in delicious ways. The mixes are packed with 6g+ protein per serving (11g for the pancake mix, more if you use egg whites instead of eggs!!) to satisfy hunger and keep you going all day long. The mixes are sweetened with coconut sugar and stevia, and made with 100% gluten free whole grains our mixes have no preservatives or artificial ingredients! Score all around! These pumpkin pie pancake bites are a healthy post run breakfast and something I can feel good about eating and feeding Zoey for her equally as bad pancake addiction! (and that recurring theme of pumpkin lately….) These are pumpkin pie snacks to eat anytime!

Want to try Fit Body Bakery and all of their awesome baking mixes?! Use Code SP15 for 15% off at FitBodyBakery, Expires 11/30/15

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Pumpkin Pie Pancake Bites
Author: 
Recipe type: Pumpkin Pie Pancake Bites
Cuisine: Breakfast
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8 pancake bites
 
Ingredients
  • Fit Body Bakery Pancake Mix (you need eggs or egg whites & milk)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup fresh pumpkin puree
  • 3 tablespoons non dairy milk (I used almond)
  • 1 tablespoon stevia or coconut sugar
  • ½ tablespoon all purpose gluten free flour
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • coconut oil for greasing muffin tins
  • Cranberries for garnish (optional)
Instructions
  1. Create pancake mixture and make pancake from Fit Body Bakery box as instructed, set pancakes aside for baking (I got 8 pancakes out of one batch)
  2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
  3. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well
  4. Grease muffin cups slightly with coconut oil
  5. Press pancakes into bottom of the muffin tin being careful not to rip them
  6. Place 1-2 tablespoons of the pumpkin mixture into each pancake depending on the sizes of the pancake you made
  7. optional: ⅔ cranberries on top of each pancake for garnish
  8. Place pancake bites in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean in the middle of the pumpkin pie mixtures
  9. Best if enjoyed warm!

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No Bake Peanut Butter Apple Bites

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Well, my marathon is now over and I’m back in blog mode. Marathon training is time consuming! But I had so much fun accomplishing such a lofty goal - and finished with a smile on my face!

I had the opportunity to hook up with Peanut Butter & Co. - White Chocolate Wonderful anyone? They have a side company called Mighty Nut and have tons of awesome flavors! They just came out with powdered peanut butter, and I had the opportunity to try the Flax & Chia! Just delicious! I will be using this in a lot of my recipes, and definitely in my banana smoothies! I developed this no bake peanut butter apple bites recipe so I had easy, healthy snacks this week to munch on while I get back into my groove. Peanut butter and apples are probably one of my favorite snacks anyways, so why not make them into a snack bite?! These are perfect for kids, adults, and for on the go! And best of all, they are gluten free and vegan! Does it get any better than that?

I’m also hosting a mighty nut giveaway!! Find Mightynut on Twitter or Instagram (@GoMightyNut) and follow them, tweet about the giveaway (ex: I would LOVE to create recipes with @GoMightyNut! #EatMighty @fitapproach #sweatpink mightynut.com) or pin a photo from Mightynut.com!

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No Bake Peanut Butter Apple Bites
Author: 
Recipe type: Snack
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12
 
Ingredients
  • 3 apples, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 cup gluten free oats
  • ¼ cup Mighty Nut powdered peanut butter (I used flax & chia)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons Peanut Butter & Co peanut butter
Instructions
  1. Peel and finely chop apples
  2. Add all ingredients into a bowl and mix until well combined
  3. Roll small handful of mixture into a ball for easy snacking! (Mine batch made 12, amount will vary based on how big you make the bites!

 

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Easy Gluten Free Banana Pumpkin Muffins

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Well fall has finally rolled into town. Temps down in the 40’s at night, high 60’s & low 70’s during the day. I am in the mood to bake again. 90 degree temps until the 3rd week in September + being back at school +  marathon training = not really wanting to be in the kitchen (and no time). So sorry for the lack of blog posts. Now that things have settled into a routine, and marathon training is tapering, I’m hoping to get back into the blogging routine. I miss it, and I hope you’ve missed me too! Summer was hectic (lots of traveling) so I decided to take a little break from Veggie Staples, although I feel like I need a vacation from all of my vacation traveling! Do you ever feel like that sometimes?

Well along with fall, pumpkin season is also back in full swing (and anyone that knows me knows I love my pumpkin). I had some mushy bananas in the bowl on the counter so I decided to whip up some pumpkin banana muffins - Zoey was into them! I love that she eats ‘regular’ food now, and I can make food or other treats like these muffins that she can eat! I made these for a baby shower - also a big hit! I know you will love them too!

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Easy Gluten Free Banana Pumpkin Muffins
Author: 
Recipe type: Muffin
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8 muffins
 
Ingredients
  • 1 very ripe banana
  • ¾ cup pureed pumpkin
  • ¾ cup almond flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 2-3 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice (depending on how big of a pumpkin fanatic you are!!)
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • optional: 2-4 tablespoons stevia, or enjoy life chocolate chips!
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
  2. Mix all ingredients together in a whole (that easy!!)
  3. Grease or line muffin tin
  4. Fill cups (this batch will make ⅞ muffins)
  5. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

 

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