a veg life

(posted by Emily) One of our favorite food experiences in Maui was stopping in to Maui Kombucha . We were totally impressed by the quality of the food, and I was inspired by the fusion bowl we tried while there. Basically, the bowl starts with quinoa on the bottom, soup in the middle, and micro greens on top. At the farmers market this weekend, I picked up some baby lettuce and veggies to roast for soup. I made a small batch of soup--cauliflower, onion, leek, and carrot, pureed with veggie broth. Roasted veggie soup is simple and easy to make (WARNING! If exact measurements are what you look for in a recipe, you may be disappointed) : roast your veggies (tossed in olive or coconut oil and S&P) at 425*, until browned. Add to a soup pot and cover with veggie stock. I let the veggies simmer in the broth for about 15-20 minutes to help the flavors meld, then puree the mixture in the Vitamix. I return the blended soup to the pot and add salt and pepper to taste. If the...

(posted by Emily) When I think about "the staples" in our house, an unconventional list comes to mind. Then again, I guess that's to be expected since our staples don't include things like eggs, bread, and milk! Thinking about the foods we buy every week without fail, here are my top ten items we can't live without.  Top Ten: Food stuffs we can't live without 1) Bananas via 2) Veggie broth made from our leftover veggie scraps in the crock pot .  via 3) Hummus via 4) Avocados via 5) Rice noodles via 6) Tomatoes via 7) Potatoes via 8) Olive oil via 9) Celery via 10) Sprouts via I hope you had a great week! Happy Friday! --E&R

Whenever we have friends who are starting a vegan diet or just dabbling in a plant-based lifestyle, they inevitably ask us for recipes. I always find that to be a tricky question to answer, because so much of the cooking I do is unmeasured and unstructured. When I find a recipe I like, I typically use it as a guide, and end up changing it in some way. One way I have found to organize and share recipes is through Pinterest . I find it so much easier to use than storing things in my email, because a picture of each finished product shows up when I am looking for something specific. The mobile app is perfect to use when at the grocery store, too! Here is a link to my recipes board: Emily's Recipes These are some of our favorites--most I have adapted for our tastes, but some I follow exactly: Mac and Cheese from VegNews BBQ/Buffalo Cauliflower Bites Orange Chicken Cauliflower This recipe is the perfect example of one I have adapted. I started with this NY Times...

A Brand New Recipe! I don't know about you, but I find cooking to be one of the most relaxing things I can do. Chopping, prepping, mixing, and sautéing everything to create a meal is therapeutic and rewarding to me. I had spent the weekend facilitating a leadership workshop for middle school girls and while we had an awesome time, I was totally ready to get home and get into the kitchen. One can only deal with some much One Direction obsession... :)  This is a recipe I created, after having seen a similar idea floating around on facebook. Just in case you haven't noticed, squash season is in full swing. I've made a little mental goal to try and eat some sort of squash at least two times a week while everything is in season. My chili recipe is a great way to incorporate squash into a fall favorite! Three Bean Pumpkin Chili A Barclay Original I like to see ingredients along with steps in a recipe, but I promise to put the full ingredients list at the end of...

We're glad to be back! Hey everyone! I know it's been a long time since I've/we've posted. There have been a lot of things getting in the way of quality blogging time, like all-day marching band shows, lesson planning, the holidays, and traveling. But, if we're totally honest, the biggest reason why we haven't posted is because..... WE BOUGHT A HOUSE! (I know most of you know this already, but oh well) We've been hating  enjoying the process of looking for homes, sending in offers, dealing with appraisals, buying appliances, finding ideas on Pinterest, picking paint, and moving through escrow. We were so lucky to have friends and family who are willing to help us with this process--especially on moving day and the week afterward. I promise to post pictures soon! Ten Things That Excite Me About Our House:  1) Palm trees in the front yard that we wrapped with Christmas lights 2) Our new fridge 3) New washer and new dryer 4) Havi...