Crisp

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

8:00:00 AM



Last summer, I made this Strawberry Pecan Crisp. While that went over really well, I decided that this year after picking fresh strawberries from a field, and borrowing my grandmother's fresh rhubarb from her garden, that one of my favorite summer treats would be made. 

Vegan

This recipe is dairy free (and vegan). It's also delicious and simple to make! 
Here's what you'll need
8x8 Pan
Bowl
2 cups rhubarb
2 cups strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup vanilla
1 tbsp cornstarch
pinch of salt
pinch of cinnamon

Topping:
3/4 cup + 1 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 and 1/4 cup oats
2/3 cup brown sugar
strawberries 

Here's what You'll Need to Do
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
In a large bowl, stir the sugar, vanilla, cornstarch and salt together 
Add strawberries and rhubarb and stir to coat. 
In a different bowl, stir flour, oats, brown sugar and salt until combined
Pour the fruit mixture into the pan and top with topping mixture. 
Top with a few strawberries, or wait until after
Bake for 40-45 minutes until top is firm and fruit is bubbly. 
Let cool for 30 minutes and serve warm!

Healthy

I used extra cinnamon in my batch (just because I like it), but you don't have to! 
It goes really well with any type of ice-cream when you serve it. 
I hope you enjoyed this recipe! 

What is your favorite summer fruit dish? This one is definitely mine and I cannot wait to make it again sometime soon! 
Make sure to comment below! 


Asheville

Wicked Weed: Asheville

7:00:00 AM


Time goes by so quickly, it actually blows my mind. Just last month I was in Asheville, North Carolina sitting in the warmth of the beginning of the summer with the idea of 12 more days of vacation ahead. One of the first places my family and I ate at in Asheville was called Wicked Weed. 

Menu

With a friendly staff, and a great atmosphere it was the perfect place to have our first real vacation dinner. The Wicked Weed is situated in Asheville's downtown area and has a wide range of menu items for everyone. I had the Eggplant wrap with sweet potato fries and it was fantastic! 
Sweet Potato Fries

Since this was our first time in the city, our extremely nice waiter recommended that we head to the chocolate lounge just down the street. Wanting to just check it out (and being in love with desserts) we decided that it would be a good idea to walk off our big meal a bit. 
Asheville

Asheville

Peanut Butter Cup

Our waiter did not steer us wrong, we each got a little treat and enjoyed a nice stroll back to our vehicle! Asheville was full of little surprises and beauty, and there is so much more to show you in the upcoming posts! 
What kind of chocolate treat is your favorite? Are you a dessert person or an appetizer person? 

Let me know in the comments! I do love hearing from you! 

Brie

Tupelo Cafe: Asheville

7:00:00 AM


If you've been reading my blog for awhile now, you already know a few things. I love to travel, and the latest place I've gotten to is Asheville North Carolina, and secondly, I love food. Visiting new places and trying local food is really fun for me. Looking for a fun place to eat while my family stayed and explored in Asheville, we found Tupelo Honey Cafe. This cafe was a recommendation by our concierge at the hotel we were at and it did not disappoint. 

Asheville NC

It was a warm and humid day that we came to the Tupelo Honey Cafe in downtown Asheville. We were just beginning our trip and had not had enough sunshine yet and wanted to be sat outside. One of the first things we were given was a homemade biscuit with blueberry jam and Tupelo Honey. 

The Tupelo Honey is SO good, and it was a great appetizer for our lunch spot. The menu at the Tupelo really has something for everyone and I would highly recommend it! 
My mom and I shared their Pear and Brie grilled cheese,with a side of Brussels sprouts and bacon. It was all delicious. 
Grilled Cheese with Pear

Brussel Sprouts

This was one place I would definitely go back to if I ever got back to Asheville. If you want a light lunch, I would also recommend splitting a dish as it was pretty big and the perfect sharing size! I would not have been able to eat all of it on my own. 
Finishing up our meals and filling our tummies with delicious food, we ventured into the town to do some shopping. Asheville has two Tupelo Cafe's in the area and you can also buy the Tupelo Honey scent, from the Savannah Bee Company as well! 

I hope you enjoyed this post! Do you like pear and brie grilled cheeses? 
Where do you eat out the most often? 
Let me know how you liked this post down in the comments! 
x Kenzie

Chickpeas

Savory and Spicy Chickpeas

6:30:00 AM


It's finally summer. Which means I'm home from University and creating new dishes and enjoying loads of time outside! Eating salads is one of my favorite things, but having salad two meals in a row just isn't my style, and thus I came up with this dish! 


A vegan chickpea dish with spices and veggies that's easy to make and doesn't take much time at all! If you're looking for a healthy, easy and quick dish to make for yourself (or one other person) this is the meal for you! 
What You'll Need:
1 can drained garbanzo/chickpeas
1 cup chopped peppers
1/4 cup mushrooms
1 cup chopped white onion
2 tablespoons Garlic Powder
1 tablespoon Onion powder
1-2 tablespoons Paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

You can 100% play around with the flavors, personally, I really have been loving garlic powder so you can take it down or turn it up with any of these ingredients!

What You'll need to Do:
Drain the chickpeas
Heat 1 tablespoon Olive Oil in pan over medium heat
Add onions, peppers, mushrooms to pan and cook about 4 minutes
Add all the spices and stir
Add chickpeas and add more spices if you wish! 
Stir continuously and cook for about 5 more minutes


I found that I split up the spices and added more after the chickpeas were added and you might want to do that as well! I hope you all love this recipe as much as I did! I really love chickpeas and want to see what other dishes will come up next! 



Have you discovered any new dishes lately? Anything that you want to try out? I hope this inspired you to create your own and I cannot wait to hear what you have to say in the comments! Make sure to send me an email if you have any suggestions for blog posts! 
x Kenzie

Bananas

5 Ways to Do Oatmeal

7:00:00 AM



If you were to ask what my favorite breakfast was, or one that I eat almost every other day, the answer would be oatmeal. It's quick, and easy, and you can easily change it up whenever you'd like. If I need something to warm up my insides on a cool morning, oatmeal is my go-to. When I was little I used to ask for "oakmilk" and requested raisins to be put into it. Since then, I've learned to say oatmeal correctly, and switch up the ingredients to keep my breakfasts different and not so boring. 

Here are a few things to consider when you make your next bowl of oats and are stuck on how to switch it up:

1. Different fruits. 

This is easier now that the weather is warmer, usually in the cooler months I go for bananas and occasionally blueberries. Strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are coming into season and will be added into my bowls! 
Oatmeal


2. Crunchy Toppings. 

I love having a bit of crunch in my oats, usually a handful of raw almonds, cashews, or even some walnuts is great! 
Oatmilk


3. Power toppings

This comes in the form of chia seeds, hemp hearts, and cacao nibs. Personally I go for chia seeds as they're more available for me. 
Oatmeal

4. Nut butters

If you love nut butter like I do, then adding a little scoop of peanut butter, cashew butter or almond butter will conquer that craving right away in the morning. Sometimes, if I know I didn't get that much protein in the week, I will use powdered peanut butter. Just put it in before making the oats and stir it up to get the not-so-overwhelming and peanut-y taste!


5. Spices

I love adding cinnamon to top off my oatmeal. I read somewhere that cinnamon is really good for your metabolism, and it tastes great. 
Organic Oats


Oats are so great for you and I love a nice warm bowl. What are your favorite toppings? What is your favorite breakfast or your most common breakfast that you have?
Have a great week! x 
Kenzie

Anjou Pear

Baked Cinnamon Pears

8:00:00 AM



There are just some foods that come into your life that you end up licking your bowl over. These baked pears had been ones that I had on my list to make for awhile. I whipped up my first batch for my mom and myself in March and we both loved them. I've remade this recipe multiple times and decided it was finally time to share!

Baked Pears

Like I've tried to make all of my recipes, these are simple and can be easily personalized to your liking! 

Here's What You'll Need:
Baking Pan
3 pears (6 people) : Anjou pears or Bosc
Bowl 
Whisk
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Toppings: Granola, sliced almonds, pecans, walnuts
Ice-cream

Here's How You Do it! 
Preheat Oven to 375*F
Spray Baking pan with lots of baking spray, or use coconut oil, or you can use parchment paper
Cut pears in half, then cut small sliver on underside so they sit flat when you place them on the pan
Inside a pear
Scoop out seeds using tablespoon
Sprinkle with cinnamon
Whisk maple syrup and vanilla together in small bowl
Drizzle over pears, leaving some for later
Bake pears for 25-30 minutes (I do 30 minutes to get them soft)
Remove from oven and drizzle with remaining syrup
Top with ice-cream
Top with other favorite toppings

Icecream

Note: 
I tried the bosc pears first, not knowing Anjou pears hold a sweeter taste. 
We like to use icecream with ours but you can also use yogurt or non-dairy options if you want to make it 100% vegan. 
I also add extra cinnamon on top but you obviously don't have to. 

Anjou Dessert


I hope you enjoyed this recipe, and don't be ashamed to lick the bowl like we do! You can mix up the toppings, like I said before, definitely a recipe you can tweak and make your own! I don't think I've used the same toppings twice! 

 I hope you have an amazing day! What are your favorite desserts? Now that it's nearly summertime are there any that you're looking forward to? Make sure to leave a comment below! I love reading them! 

 *Also, thank you SO much for finally helping me reach 100 followers on Bloglovin (you can follow me by clicking THIS or the bloglovin button on the right panel!) 

Clean Eating

Tips for Motivation

6:30:00 AM


Link
Let's face it. It can be really hard to stay motivated. I have days where I just cannot seem bothered to move from the futon, or get dressed into anything other than a pair of leggings and a t-shirt. I was having a conversation not too long ago about how to stay motivated to get or stay healthy. It had me thinking about some tips I would give, and lead me to create some Do's and Don'ts for staying motivated in life and sticking to a lifestyle change. 

1. DO start slow. This is probably the hardest. Sometimes we quit everything all at once and ban foods right away when in reality, we really should be taking out certain factors first. Slowly getting rid of milk, or slowly making sure to not have a chocolate for dessert can be really beneficial in the long run. 

2. Do remember results don't happen overnight. I'm someone who immediatley wants results. If you start working out and have only worked out for an hour the first day, you definitely won't leave the gym having a six pack. That takes time. 
Link
3. Don't worry if you slip up. I always have to remind myself of this. If I accidently eat something milk-chocolate or something not so healthy, I can't beat myself up. That's not good and you'll end up feeling worse about it. 

4. Do write down your goals. Using a notebook or planner to plan out a daily goal to set like drinking 12 ounces of water or eating more servings of veggies or adding an extra 20 minutes to your workout at the gym can be really beneficial in the long run as well. Usually if you see it, you'll want to do it. Even if you put it off until the last moment. 

5. Don't go overboard. So you want to get healthy and be more active. If you work out a lot in the beginning and don't slow down, truth is you'll get burnt out. I learned that when I started eating clean in January. I was working out everyday and then I got bored with it. 
Link

6. Do set a relaxation day. It's good to keep going and achieve things but give yourself a break once in a while. It's good to just unwind and rest before getting back to the grind. 

7.Do make a public commitment. This can help a lot of people. No you don't need to be that person who constantly posts photos of going to the gym. But if you tell people you know that you're eating healthy and enjoying it, that can be helpful too. Because you've said it out loud and you have to stick to it. 

8. Join a Group. Finding friends with common interests will help you reach your goals. You're encouraging each other not to give up and keep going. 

9. Explore new recipes. This one is for those trying to stay healthy. Exploring new recipes and looking at what other people make, makes me so much more excited to cook and everyone has been loving what I've made so far!

10. Think positive. Getting into the mindset that something might be hard will actually make it hard. If you think about the new things you'll be learning throughout the process it'll make a better result! I strongly believe that positivity is a choice, even though it can be difficult sometimes. 
Link
*Bonus Tip: Start a motivational quote journal. I did this a long time ago and it was really helpful, now I use it to write the quotes on a whiteboard where I can see them everyday!

I hope these tips were helpful! What other tips do you have for someone who is having a hard time starting up a new project or lifestyle? I have been loving veganism so much so far, there are so many different recipes?! I can't believe it. I hope you're all having a great day! Make sure to leave a comment below! 

x Kenzie
Link

Banana

"Nice"cream

8:30:00 AM


I will be the first to admit, finding foods to enjoy without any added sugars is really hard and sometimes I give in. Scrolling through my instagram feed, I kept seeing users post colorful photos of nicecream. Nicecream? My first thought was something like "it's run by someone who lives a vegan lifestyle so it must just mean it's dairy-free." I actually wanted some so bad. It looked so good! And who wouldn't want an ice-cream inspired dish for breakfast? 

 I thought I would never be able to have it because added sugars. That is, until I found out that nicecream just simply meant, frozen bananas blended up in a blender with soy or nut-based milk. SUPER easy. SUPER...nice. 

 Here are some of my favorite flavors that I've made with my mini blender (my $15 purchase is definitely getting great use.) 

 1. Peanut-Butter Banana

        -2 medium bananas, sliced and frozen
       -1 spoonful of peanut powder
       -soymilk
       -cinnamon

Banana Icecream
I totally combined the top recipe and the bottom, just with a bit less pb powder and cinnamon! 

2. Simple Berry Pick me up
  -2 medium bananas, sliced and frozen
  -berries of your choice (I used raspberries and blueberries)
  -soy/whatever nut milk you prefer

Link

3. Just Bananas

     -2 medium bananas, sliced and frozen
    -nut milk
   
Nicecream



 4. Banana Bread Nicecream

   -2 medium bananas, sliced and frozen
  -cinnamon
   -nutmeg
  -walnuts to top
  -choice of milks




5. Blueberry Banana 

    -2 medium bananas, sliced and frozen
   -handful of blueberries frozen, or thawed
  -nutmilk
 -some cacao



I like to add chia seeds sometimes to these if I think I want some more fiber. I love these so far and I can't wait to try some more! Honestly these are so simple, and so much more healthier for you than what's sold at the store, though you can still go out and get them. I like to freeze the bananas for about a day before making them, if I wait too long they'll go brown when I take them out of the freezer pretty quick. Because I live in a dorm, I like to be the courteous neighbor and make my breakfast nicecream the night before so that I'm not waking up anyone super early!

Have you ever made these before? I was so excited it worked that I nearly ran down the hall making everyone try it! You can mix and match flavors as well!
I hope you enjoy them, especially as it gets closer to summer!
x Kenzie

Bear

10 Things I learned from Clean Eating

8:00:00 AM


Clean Eating

While it's nearly March, I've realized I haven't written anything about how my clean eating is going since I've started in January. I've obviously been at it for awhile, so I guess it's about time this post went up! 

           1.)  It's easier than I thought it would be. Not reaching for those milk chocolate candies in the dish at home was really tough at first, but now my body doesn't really crave it. There's a lot of natural sugar in fruits and veggies and after switching out Reese's cups for clementines, it's going great.

           2.) You can still treat yourself. While not having processed and refined sugar maybe daunting and difficult, since a lot of our foods have it, there are plenty of websites that have treats that are just as good. I made some bars for my mom with coconut oil, oats, craisins and nut butter and you freeze them and it tastes just like candy. SO good! 

          3.) My taste buds have changed. While I used to enjoy peanut butter, and chocolate chip cookies, things that were filled with unnatural sugars are now too sweet to me. I love snacking on fruits, and adding them to organic oatmeal. I love adding avocados to my quinoa and experimenting with new dishes.  

          4.) Eating out is tricky. Within the first few days of clean eating, I was invited to go out and went out for some meals. I could still order things like salads with dressing on the sides, salmon burgers, gyros, and other fish which actually made it easy. 

          5.)I love baking. If you know me, you already know how much I love to bake. While the overload of Christmas cookies still sat in the garage and counter, I obviously couldn't make sweet treats like I used to, so I moved over to entrees. They've all been good so far. 

        6.) You can still enjoy your favorite dishes. There are a great bunch of blogs dedicated to clean eating, you just have to sift through their recipes and find some that you want to try out. That cauliflower pizza is probably still my favorite recipe I've done to date. 

        7.) Clean eating at college is a little daunting. I did so well clean eating at home, but when I came back to school, I was a bit worried that I wouldn't be able to and go back to my old ways of scooping spoonfuls of peanut butter into my mouth and eating grilled cheese. So unhealthy. But luckily, it's been a lot easier. I grabbed a few wraps from home before coming back and gather up some spinach, peppers, and other toppings that I want to fill them for dinner. It's great.

        8.) I sleep a lot better. Last semester I would have a hard time going to sleep, and my roommate would come in at 2 or 3 in the morning and wake me up with her noise and I would end up feeling exhausted the rest of the day. This semester I fall asleep fast, and wake up feeling refreshed. 

       9.) I have more energy. I have to walk at least 100 stairs after classes just to get to my dorm, and I don't feel so tired or exhausted after doing it. 

     10.) With more sleep and more energy to get me to and from classes and through the day, clean eating has also helped me feel better. I don't feel like a slug, I think that's the most important thing. It's what I set out to do when I first started this. A lot of people asked "how long are you clean eating for?" Truth is, it's not really something I plan on stopping. Why would I go back when this lifestyle makes me feel way better?
Simple Eating

Have you tried a new diet plan? How has it been going? What are your favorite healthy recipes? If you have any links I would love to see them!  

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