Everything from burning my finger on my coffee pot that I thought was cool to dumping a bag of frozen edamame all over the floor to Skylar ripping her favorite pair of pants and having her own snag-alicious day. Nothing that’s earth-shattering but it’s time for a… Deep breath. Regroup. And time to think about chocolate. Dark Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Cookies Stuffed with Chocolate Covered Strawberries Fudgy Nutella Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting...

I also picked up a new hairdryer over the weekend. Gosh I am posting a lot about hair. Remember yesterday’s new Gluten Free Vegan Shampoo & Conditioner? Now for a Couple TJ’s Finds in Review… Anyway, I have had a Hai hairdryer for a few years but it was on it’s last leg. In my non-parent days, I would have popped for another $150 Hai since they rock. But these days, naw....

comment icon 63 more comments Answer: TWO PERSON RASPBERRY CRUMBLES. These sweet, jammy, buttery, lip-staining red berry crumbles are my summer everything right now. They are conveniently sized for just two people so that you don’t have to make a full pan of raspberry bars when the hardcore craving for a juicy, berry-forward, summery dessert strikes, which, for us, is, like, nightly? It’s fine. We’re fine. Okay, let’s discuss the layers here....

Rather than making more “Cheater’s” Guacamole… …I went for an Vanilla Avocado Banana Smoothie in a Bowl It may not be pretty food, but it sure tasted pretty! [print_this] Vanilla Avocado Banana Smoothie in a Bowl 1 ripe avocado 1 small/medium banana 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 c milk (nut milk, vanilla flavored nut milk, milk, cream, or vanilla Coffeemate. <– I used that) 1/4 c sugar (add/reduce/omit as desired, or use stevia or vanilla NuNaturals stevia drops, to taste) 2 c ice cubes Blend everything in Vita-Mix or blender until smooth....

My basic hummus recipe follows, and from there I tweak it. [print_this] Four-Ingredient Hummus (vegan, gluten-free) Ingredients: 1 Can Garbanzo Beans (Drained about 80% of the way. You can make your own beans but I frankly don’t have the time or desire and for 99 cents, I use TJ’s organic garbanzos, happily) 3/4 of a Tsp of Salt (increase to taste, if desired) Juice of half a lemon (1-2 Tbsp) 3-4 Tbsp olive oil (Note: Some people would drizzle it in at the end but I add it with everything else) Directions: Combine everything in the canister of a food process or blender and blend until desired texture is reached....

In case you missed my last post where I recapped the previous week’s treats-n-eats in Highlight Reel format, I’ve got plenty of non-HFCS treats coming out of my largely raw vegan bakery kitchen. Check it out in case you missed that post. The format’s been a crowd-pleaser so thanks for all your great comments, glad you enjoy it and feel like you’re up to speed on everything from cookie dough to squash fries....

As in, the foods I eat when I’m just… living life. Like a person. Not in food blog mode. My eating this month has been a little bit all over the place. I had a weekend birthday binge of very delicious, well, birthday-type foods, and then I ate raw vegetables in the form of this brussels and kale caesar for, like, a week straight. A little bit healthy, a little bit French fries… such is my life....

The Storyteller, The Book Wow. What a read. After finishing this book this summer at the cabin (sorry to hold out on you this long), I felt this strong need to do something to learn more about the Holocaust. My sister had also just read a book about the Holocaust so we decided to book a trip to Washington DC to visit the Holocaust museum this winter. Jodi Picoult has always been one of my favorite authors, and this is by far the best book of hers I’ve ever read on so many levels....

I have fond childhood memories of devouring egg rolls. The crispy fried shells, the saltiness, the subtle crunch of the cabbage, so good. I also would literally use a cup of sweet and sour sauce on my egg rolls. As a condiments and sauce aficionado, the sugar-laden sauce was total perfection. Fast forward to adulthood when fried food, sodium, and sugary sauces aren’t necessary the best things for your waistline or health....

Quick and Easy Shrimp Stir-Fry Recipe This stir-fry combines the best parts of any takeout dinner — a slightly spicy, umami sauce, succulent shrimp, and perfectly crisp-tender veggies — but it’s made at home in 25 minutes! The shrimp stir-fry sauce steals the show for me. It’s not shy on garlic flavor, and it coats every nook and cranny of the broccoli florets and shrimp with sticky, saucy flavor. The flavors of garlic and toasted sesame oil take center stage in the stir-fry, and the sweet snow peas and bell pepper are the perfect fresh and crispy flavor balance to the stronger flavors of the sauce....

Creamy Salmon Florentine Recipe You don’t need to go all the way to Florence, Italy for this luscious and fabulous Italian-inspired salmon Florentine recipe. Tender flaky salmon is bathed in a cream sauce made with heavy cream, garlic, white wine, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and butter. Along with that all that decadence, there’s fresh spinach and baby portobello mushrooms to add texture, flavor, and lighten things up a bit. However, make no mistake this is more of what I would call comfort food rather than lighter fare....

Creamy Whipped Feta Dip Recipe This easy whipped feta dip is going to be your new favorite quick-and-easy appetizer or snack recipe! Literally it’s ready in 5 minutes, thanks to tossing all the ingredients in your food processor and letting it do the work! It reminds me of Classic Hummus where you just toss in and blend. What I love about this whipped feta cheese dip has a fresh flavor and you can clearly taste the lemon thanks to using both lemon zest and lemon juice....

If you love appetizers, try our Hawaiian Meatballs, Tomato and Basil Bruschetta, Blistered Shishito Peppers, and Bacon Wrapped Dates. Why I love Air Fryer Wings: Faster than the oven: my oven baked wings are amazing, but they can take 30 minutes to an hour to cook and get that great crispy skin. This air fryer chicken wings recipe only takes about 20 minutes. Crispy Skin: Like my other air fryer recipes, you end up with a crispy product that’s just as good as if it were truly “fried”, but without the extra calories....

Almond & Cream Cheese Cookie Bars I love almond extract more than almonds themselves. I could bathe in it. And I can eat frosting that’s made with almond extract by the spoonful. Although it doesn’t take almond extract for me to eat frosting by the spoonful, it’s the literal icing on the cake for these easy, no-mixer, one-bowl layered almond shortbread bars. There’s a buttery shortbread crust that’s topped with a cream cheese and almond extract-based filling before frosting the bars and adding slivered almonds....

comment icon 44 more comments But can I tell you what’s actually consuming my mind right now? It’s that I hate bad lunches. Today I ate this horrible tasting, horribly colored, overpriced boxed lentil soup from a health food store. Don’t feel bad for me – it was an American-brand-name-impulse-buy after a few too many scoops of ice cream. Hey, did I already mention both of my lunch oranges were also devoid of any juice?...

comment icon 63 more comments There are so many things happening right now that are just making me cray-zie. I have the excited jitters and I haven’t even had any coffee today. Except the two cups from this morning, swirled with that dreamy heavy whipping cream to help me perk up when I excitedly woke up sans alarm at 5am. I’m a liar. I don’t wake up at 5am naturally, ever....

High Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls No Bake Coconut & Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites Raw Vegan Peanut Butter (or Sunflower Seed Butter) Vanilla Balls Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites No-Bake Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls (with a High Protein Option) Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Balls No-Bake Vegan Maple Flaxseed Cookies High Raw Vegan Sugar Cookie Dough Balls No-Bake White Chocolate & Mango Cookie Dough Bites...

This is an easy, no mixer recipe for banana bread that’s spiked with juicy blueberries in every bite. Your house will smell like a bakery as the bread bakes. Zucchini is one of my favorite secret weapon ingredients because it keeps everything very moist and tender without imparting much flavor. If you close your eyes so you can’t see the green flecks, I doubt you’ll be able to taste it....

Easy Recipe for Lemon Crinkle Cookies If you love lemon bars, you’re going to love these lemon crinkles! They’re very lemony thanks to the combination of lemon juice, zest, and lemon extract. Using just one wouldn’t make the cookies taste very lemony, but when used together they’re a triple threat of lemon flavor! Before baking, the cookie dough balls are rolled in a powdered sugar coating, and as the cookies expand in the oven they develop that signature crinkle effect....

I’ve got cake recipes for every occasion and tastebud! Some of my favorites include, German Chocolate Cake, Gooey Butter Cake, Classic Yellow Cake, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake, Homemade Rum Cake and more! What is Better than Sex Cake? This infamous cake is also referred to as, “Better than Anything Cake” and “Is it really better than sex cake?”. It’s a chocolate cake with caramel and sweet milk poured throughout and topped with whipped topping....