Chicken & Dumplings | Veganized

This recipe is a play on one of my favorite veganized recipes: Chicken Noodle Soup | Veganized. In my opinion, chicken and dumplings are the definition of comfort food, and so delicious you’ll be surprised by how easy it is to make!

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Growing up, I remember my grandma making chicken and dumplings. It was far from a healthy meal, but it was a favorite comfort food of mine throughout my childhood.

Over the years, I’ve developed a love for integrating nutrition into some of my favorite recipes from my childhood and trying my best to create the same comfort and warmth but veganizing it without compromising on deliciousness.

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Most recipes I veganize I try to replicate exactly how I remember them, but for this one I wanted to boost the nutrition and add in lots of comforting colorful vegetables. I flipped my grandma’s chicken and dumpling recipe upside down and incorporated veggies, vegetable broth, and dairy-free milk and butter; and left out the Crisco, cow’s milk, *real* chicken, and dairy butter. It’s a lot different than her original recipe, but it still provides the same comfort, warmth, and satisfaction.

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Continue reading “Chicken & Dumplings | Veganized”

What I Eat In A Day | September 19, 2015

What a beautiful Saturday we had up on the mountain! Clear skies, a light breeze, and sunshine! My morning started off with a classic Samantha breakfast.. two slices of Ezekiel bread, one with peanut butter the other with blueberry jelly, a banana, and a cup of coffee. I added some almond milk and a few drops of stevia into my coffee, not sure why I’m still into the almond milk in my coffee considering I’ve been a die hard black coffee girl for the past six years. But maybe times are changing in my morning coffee mug. IMG_0228

After breakfast, I headed over the the farmer’s market to help our dietetics club table. We were there promoting local food, as well as sharing the volunteer work our club is doing throughout the community. It was fun getting to people watch, and listen to the beautiful music that is always playing throughout the market. While there, I bought and munched on some yummy kale!

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Some of our lovely club members! And Calvin the Carrot!

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What I Eat In A Day | August 22, 2015

For breakfast, guess what I had…? You probably guessed right, two slices of Ezekiel bread with peanut butter and jelly with a side of fruit (two peaches, and a banana). For my coffee, I added in some almond milk and a few drops of liquid stevia. I am usually a black coffee drinker, but lately I’ve been enjoying adding a little almond milk into my coffee.
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An hour or two after breakfast, I went to a few thrift stores around town. I absolutely love to go thrifting on a Saturday afternoon, because you never know what you’ll find! Also, who can beat clothes for less than a dollar?!

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Chocolate Covered Strawberry Milkshake

IMG_8385It’s hot outside! Sweltering hot weather calls for cold drinks, especially milkshakes! I love any drink that is smooth, cold, & creamy and milkshakes are one of my favorite treats to have when it’s hot outside. This recipe is a delicious chocolate strawberry flavored milkshake and it definitely doesn’t have to be for dessert, because it’s filled with tons of nutrients and is good for you!

One ingredient in this milkshake that I’ve recently discovered is a vegan, plant-based supplement powder. I’m usually not a big fan of supplements, especially protein supplements. Protein isn’t something anyone really needs any extra of, most of our diets have plenty of protein without needing to supplement. We really need only about 8-10% of our diet to come from protein,but  I’ll talk more about that in a future blog post. IMG_8391

So anyways, I was a little skeptical about this powder, but not only did it have good quality plant-based protein, but it had lots of other beneficial nutrients. It has digestive enzymes, omega-3 (from plants, not fish), minerals, vitamins, prebiotics, and is non-GMO, and is soy-free. It doesn’t have any artificial sweeteners, or colors which is also great. The serving size is 2 scoops, which has 20 g of protein, so I only used one scoop. The taste is great, and it is pretty easy to add a little bit to any type of smoothie or beverage to get in some extra vitamins and minerals, as well as probiotics/digestive enzymes. I picked up mine at CVS but you can check it out on Naturade’s website.

Now onto the recipe! Continue reading “Chocolate Covered Strawberry Milkshake”

My Refrigerator/Freezer Staples

There are several things that I almost always have in my fridge and freezer. It’s important to find your own personal staples so that you are always prepared for when you’re in a rush. Also, by having healthy staples in your house you won’t be tempted by foods that may not be as nutritious.

What’s Almost ALWAYS In My….

Refrigerator:

Unsweetened almond milk (Silk): Almond milk is a necessity in my opinion. Because I don’t eat dairy, almond milk is my favorite milk alternative. I like to buy the Silk brand because it doesn’t have carrageenan like the other brands (Almond Breeze) do. Carrageenan is a seaweed extract that can cause many digestive problems, so avoiding it is important. I use almond milk in almost everything; oatmeal, poured over frozen fruit, smoothies, and different desserts. Continue reading “My Refrigerator/Freezer Staples”