Vegan Sweet Potato Crust - Buffalo Chickpea Pizza

Things have been so crazy-crazy busy lately, yet at the same time pretty relaxing!  I took last Friday off to spend the day with my husband.  The last time I took a Friday off we spent it at the dealership buying a new Chevy truck, so this time I wanted to do something a little more enjoyable!  We started the day with breakfast at our FAVORITE vegan restaurant Pomegranate Café in Awatukee. Everything on the menu is amazing!  After some debate of where to spend our day we decided to drive up to Jerome.  Only a couple hours north Jerome is an old mining town, turned ghost town, turned great shopping, art and wine! I love everything about this place...except for the Grand Hotel that is supposed to be haunted....scariest night of my life was staying there!  LOL!  We spent a great day walking through the town, shopping, stopping at the Spirit Room Bar for a couple of beers, lunch at Grapes on the patio.  Perfect day!

Over the weekend I took my favorite vegan pizza crust and topped it with something a little different.  The result - OMG a new amazing recipe!! The spicy and sweet combo complements each other so well!

Vegan Sweet Potato Crust - Buffalo Chickpea Pizza

 

vegan coconut peanut butter cups

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend!  Spring is in the air here in Arizona and made for the most beautiful weekend.  Woke up Saturday and hopped out of bed ready to get in a great walk before making the darling husband (who was out washing my car...thank you honey!) a healthy Tofu Scramble with a side of Garlic-Jalapeno Potatoes.

Being Easter weekend I really wanted something fun and junky for dessert.  My number one favorite Easter treat pre-vegan days - Peanut butter cups!  OMG, there is nothing like peanut butter and chocolate....my heaven! I had this crazy idea of taking my "cheese" cake crust, some creamy peanut butter, vegan chocolate chips and shredded coconut and coming up with a vegan version of heaven!!  I not only did that, but I knocked it out of the ball park!!  My husband told me it was the BEST thing I have ever made!  LOL! I TOTALLY agree!!



Vegan Coconut Peanut Butter Cups

Vegan Coconut Peanut Butter Cups

Makes 8-12
Ingredients
Crust
1 Cup Macadamia Nuts (or raw nuts of your choice)
1 Cup pitted dates (soaked in warm water for 10 minutes then drained)
1 teaspoon Cinnamon

spicy veggie quinoa enchilada casserole

Ugh, I really dislike April 1st.  You never know who or what to believe!  I did enjoy telling my son his school was on lockdown this morning and there would be no school...heeeheehee...he wasn't that thrilled when he realized I pranked him.

Now this I promise you is NO April Fools day joke!  Last night I made the most amazing and delicious dinner!  Very easy and held together great!



spicy veggie quinoa enchilada casserole

Spicy Veggie Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients

 1 cup uncooked Quinoa
1 Onion, finely chopped
2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 Jalapeno, diced
1 Red Pepper, diced
2 Zucchini, diced
6 oz. Spinach
15 oz. can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
1/2 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Oregano
1 cup Salsa
1/4 cup Cilantro, finely chopped
 2 15 oz. cans Enchilada Sauce, medium heat
12 Corn Tortillas
4 oz. can sliced Black Olives, rinsed and drained
Avocado (optional)

vegan spicy mediterranean mac & "cheese"

I love this time of the year more than any I think.  That fresh Spring is in the air feeling.  Laying out by the pool. Cool fresh veggie dishes.  I just want to quit my job and live out by the pool right now.  BUT life does not permit me to do so.

My weekends have consisted of coffee at my favorite local coffee shop, LONG walks with my Cavalier Daphne and relaxing poolside.  I am thinking I need to rent Daphne out as she really kicks my butt when it comes to great walks! The dog NEVER slows down!

Still working away on cleaning up my health and doing great!  I am in week seven and down about 17 lbs.  -> insert happy dance!!  I feel so much happier, lighter on my feet and really positive!  I did a little tweaking with my diet last week cutting out my morning smoothie and substituting it with veggies.  I found that I feel so much fuller and the weight loss is moving again.

Last night my husband told me I knocked it out of the ball park with dinner!  Always a great complement to hear!  This was seriously like eating junk food that you might get at Olive Garden I kid you not!

vegan spicy mediterranean mac & "cheese"

Vegan Spicy Mediterranean Mac & "Cheese"

Ingredients:
1 box of Quinoa Macaroni Pasta

Sauce:
1 Cup Raw Cashews (soak for 2 hours if you don't have a Vitamix)
1 Clove Garlic
1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast
3 tbsp. Tomato Paste
2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes (less if you don't like it hot)
1 Cup of Water (or more if too thick)
1/2 Cup Fresh Basil

Spicy Green Bean-Asparagus Stir Fry

This Wednesday is feeling more like a Monday, but trying to power through it.  The best part of the work day is going home, enjoying a great walk, making my husband a nice dinner and then relaxing with him the rest of the night.  Yea, I'm rowdy that way!  Yesterday was SO beautiful out that I whipped up the below Spicy Green Bean-Asparagus Stir Fry recipe and we enjoyed dinner out by the pool.  This was a great quick weekday recipe!

Spicy Green Bean-Asparagus Stir Fry

Ingredients

• Vegetable Broth
• 1 Onion
• 1 Red Pepper, diced
• 1 Jalapeno, diced
• 1 lb. Green Beans (fresh or frozen), ends trimmed off
• 1 bunch of Asparagus, cleaned and ends trimmed off
• Lightlife Organic Smoky Tempeh Strips
• 1 tsp. Fresh Ginger, minced
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• Pepper to taste
• ¼ Cup Soy Sauce
• 2 tbsp. Sriracha
• 2 tbsp. Peanut Butter (or nut butter of your choice, I used Sunbutter I made)
• Cashews for garnish (or peanuts)
• Soba Noodles

 

fitbit charge hr review

Fitbit Charge HR Review

I have to make a confession - I am a technology nerd.  Yes, it's true I love all techy things!  Being active and healthy again really gets me thinking about my overall health 24/7 and YES there are all kind of fun techy things for being healthy!!  I have several friends who are always posting their daily workouts and steps on Facebook/Instagram/etc. so last week I started looking into Fitbit.  Just this year they came out with the new Fitbit Charge HR.  Hummm...looked interesting - tracks your steps, sleep, heart rate and some other awesome features.  Loved the plum color option and thought it would be small enough to wear daily, so after reading many reviews and searching high and low where I might find it I came up with ONLY two store options on Saturday.

will walk for food!

Are you kidding me, it's Thursday already?!?  Work has been so crazy busy and come the evenings I have no idea where my day has gone!  Arizona got hit with rain Tuesday and Wednesday, so my poor dog Daphne and I would stand outback watching the clouds just waiting for a break so we could get out and walk.  LOL!  I added up my miles this week and I have walked over SEVENTEEN miles!  I am back on that natural high and feeling great!  I remember just a few weeks ago sitting at the kitchen bar munching on a bag of chips...oooh couple of cookies....washing it all down with a couple of beers thinking to myself, "ugh, I have no desire to get outside and walk.  How did I ever do it??"  Thank God I am OUT of that crappy funk!!

So, I have to quickly share a couple of recipes I tried this pastweekend that you MUST know about!  The first is poblano “crema” enchiladas.  Now looking at my photo you may say, "Ummm...that doesn't look like enchiladas??"  Yes, I am A. Too lazy to roll them up, so instead I made mine into a casserole and B. I wanted to cut out the extra calories of putting olive oil on my tortillas to make them softer to roll.  So, there you have it.  They were maybe not as spicy as my husband and I normally like, but very good and worth making!!  The crème sauce makes a LOT of leftovers and works great as a salad dressing!!