Hi friends! Happy Friday! I didn’t get in bed until late again last night, so I am even more excited than usual that it is Friday! I have plans to have a holiday weekend – decorating gingerbread houses tonight and a fun Christmas party tomorrow night! I love this time of year!

In honor of not only the weekend, but the holidays too, today I want to share a delicious drink recipe that I have been making for the past three Christmas seasons with two thumbs up from everyone: Holiday Veggnog.

Now, really I am doing this drink an injustice by titling it “Veggnog” because I know that many of you will automatically judge the drink by the name and the fact that it’s vegan eggnog. I know what many  of you are thinking, get out of here with your “Veggnog,” Ashley and bring me the real eggnog! I know you too well! Trust me on this one my friends my friends, this “Veggnog” is the real deal.

This recipe doesn’t even give traditional eggnog a run for it’s money; it surpasses it on the first lap! No dairy, raw eggs or white sugar involved!

Not only delicious but high in vitamins and minerals; what’s not to love about this yummy festive drink?! Give it a try, it won’t disappoint!

Holiday Veggnog (Vegan Eggnog)

Ingredients

• 2 cups Silk or SoDelicious (or any brand) Unsweetened Pure Coconut Original (in the carton, near the almond milk in the grocery store)
• 1.5 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 large avocado, peeled and frozen
• 1 large banana, peeled and frozen
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup pitted dates (preferably soaked for a few hours before making the recipe, but will be fine if not if using a high speed blender)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup Bourbon or Rum (optional), or to taste
• pumpkin pie spice for garnishing (cinnamon or nutmeg will work here too)

Directions

1. Peel and freeze your avocado and banana in advance. 
2. Place the coconut milk, almond milk, lemon juice, pure maple syrup and Bourbon in a high speed blender and blend to evenly combine, about 15 seconds. 
3. Add the avocado, banana, dates and spices to the liquid mixture and blend until smooth. 
4. Pour the veggnog over ice and sprinkle with pumpkin spice. Serve and enjoy!

The post Happy Friday! Holiday Veggnog Recipe (Vegan Eggnog) appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Why hello there Monday morning… you always come to soon! How are you today friends? I hope you had a fabulous weekend. We certainly did. Nothing too out of the ordinary here- Friday night we shared a delicious dinner with Dustin’s parents.

Saturday, I hit the gym first thing in the am for a weekend workout since I didn’t get to fit in a workout on Friday. After that, I headed to the grocery store to pick up the deliciousness that I am going to share with you today, as well as all of the ingredients to make our first batch of eggnog for the season (I will share that recipe this week too!).

Saturday night we did a little bit of Christmas tree decorating and then turned in for a fairly early night. Sunday we cooked breakfast, watched church from home instead of attending, bathed the pups, took care of a little bit of work that I had been putting off and then I spent the rest of the evening in the kitchen preparing food for the week! Crockpot oats, green smoothies, BBQ roasted chickpeas and a couple of casseroles for one of the hubs final road trips of the year!

Anyway, enough about the weekend and on to this yummy, savory dish your entire family is sure to enjoy! 

Years ago, I made a “Vegan Chicken Pot Pie” that certainly was tasty but very “bready” to say the least. With the help of Mama Pea, I used her recipe as a backbone and then made it work for us with a gluten-free bread-like topping but not a bread only dish like the one I made years ago! Gluten-free, vegan and full of protein, this is a dish that I will certainly make again – in fact, I already made it twice this past weekend! It’s fairly easy, pretty cheap and one that you can make in advance and then throw in the oven as soon as you walk in the door. Next time, I am going to try it in the crock pot too!

Chick Pot Pie

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 small Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
• 1 28 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, corn)
• 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 2.5 tsp gluten free flour
• 1.5 cups unsweetened plain almond milk
• 3/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth

For the biscuit topping:

• 1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 + 2/3 cups gluten free biscuit flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill… Bisquick now has their version too)
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 4.5 tbsp coconut oil (still hard, cut into chunks)
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast (or Parmesan cheese)
• 1/2 tsp dried basil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Coat a large casserole dish with non-stick spray.
2. Prepare filling first. Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil over medium high heat. Add diced onion, garlic, celery and potatoes and sauté until the mixture begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add in frozen veggies and continue to sauté, string in salt, pepper and herbs. Gently fold in garbanzo beans, careful not to mash. Turn heat to low.
3. Prepare roux next. In a separate pan, heat 1 tbsp coconut oil over medium high heat. Add 2.5 tbsp of flour, using a whisk to combine – string constantly. Slowly add the almond milk and vegetable broth, continuing to whisk until combined and thick, bringing the combination to a boil. Pour the sauce over the vegetable combination, gently stirring to evenly coat the veggies.
4. Pour the vegetable mixture into the large, well-sprayed baking dish.
5. Prep the biscuit topping last. In a medium bowl, combine the almond milk and the lemon juice and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper). Cut in the coconut oil using a fork until it is evenly distributed but still in chunks. Add in the nutritional yeast (or Parm) and basil. Pour in the soured milk and mix until just moist (remember you don’t want the combination too liquidy!)
6. Using two spoons, scoop a spoonful of the batter up with one spoon and push it onto the dish using the second spoon until your biscuits make a lovely topping for the casserole.
7. Place the casserole in the oven and bake for ~45 minutes, after 30 minutes checking every 5-10 minutes to prevent biscuits from burning.
8. Enjoy alone or with a green salad to start!

I am certain that this dish will satisfy all members of your family!

 

Version # 1

 

Version # 2

 

What did you do this weekend? Any cooking?!

 

Have an awesome Monday!

Good health!

 

The post Meatless Monday: Chick Pot Pie appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Hi friends! How are ya today!? Wednesday already? This week is flying. 

It may not seem like it to you, but this week is entirely different for me. 4am wake up calls when I’m used to waking up around 7am, meals prepped the night before when I’m used to spending hours a day playing around in the kitchen, and a solo workout before my body even realizes it’s awake. This might sound like pure misery to you, but it’s exactly what I crave and exactly what I needed in my life right now. 

Anyway, to catch you up on a few things…

So far so good on the new job front! I will be working with three other dietitians who all have 15+ years of experience as a registered dietitian, so I am incredibly excited and humbled to be able to continue my learning from these well-knowledged ladies. I will be in training for the next six weeks and then move into my role as a nutrition consultant right around Christmas time. The people here are wonderful, the location is great and building are beautiful! I couldn’t feel more blessed to have been offered this opportunity. 

Also, you might have already seen over on IG or FB that my first (of many!) article was published on over on All Women Stalk (www.allwomenstalk.com.) and you can check it out here! If you are new to AWS and are interested in easy reads covering everything from health and fitness to money and fashion you really should check out and DL the free app. It is seriously awesome!

But on to other (yummy!) things…

I talk about my love/hate relationship with Greek yogurt quite often over here. While I love that it is an easy, quick and lean source of protein and provides super nutritious probiotics, many of you know that I am not a fan of dairy in general and eat a majority vegan diet. Because of this, I am always searching for ways to amp up my breakfast (and protein intake) without Greek yogurt (which is pretty infrequent).

Enter this delicious dairy-free blueberry vanilla yogurt.

A little bit sweeter and a little less sour than Greek yogurt, this dairy-free yogurt is definitely comparable in texture and satisfaction. This version doesn’t have the same probiotic content of that of Greek yogurt (or any probiotics at all for that matter), but I’ve been doing a little bit of research on how to add them in and will share that recipe once I get it just right! 

Enjoy this dairy-free yogurt along with a bowl of oats or even as a late night snack… in our house, it goes both ways!

Or on top of pink oats! Whatever works, right?!

Dairy-Free Blueberry Vanilla Yogurt

This made two servings for us because we enjoyed it as an accompaniment to our oats. If eating alone, it might only be enough for one (depending on your appetite!)

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup  hemp seeds
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1/4 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 dates
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp water

1. In a high speed blender combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.
2. Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes to allow texture to firm before serving and enjoying.

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I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday! And also, if you haven’t already, don’t forget to join in on the giveaway for a free AquaTally reusable cup that ends on Friday at midnight.

 

Good health!

The post Dairy-free Blueberry Vanilla Yogurt appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Hi friends! Happy Hump Day!

First off, I have a giveaway winner to announce! Congratulations to…

Millicent J! Please send me your info and I will get the product shipped out ASAP!

A few months ago you might remember me talking about a scary ingredient that is used in one of my old favorite brands of almond milk. I made the switch to a brand without it, but ever since that post I’ve been itching to make my own almond milk at home. It seemed so easy and like the perfect way to ensure that there are no crazy, carcinogenic ingredients  included in my homemade almond milk. As promised months ago, I finally whipped up a batch of my own and want to encourage you to do the same!

I used Angela’s recipe from Oh She Glows as a guide and it turned out perfectly delicious!

DIY Homemade Almond Milk

Ingredients

• 1 cups raw organic almonds
• 3.5 cups of filtered water
• 2 pitted Medjool dates
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• cheese cloth or nut milk bag (I only had a cheese cloth so that’s what I used, although I have already ordered a nut milk bag to use next time since the cheese cloth does get a little bit messy)
• 1/8 tsp sea salt

Directions

1. Soak raw almonds in a covered bowl of water overnight or for at least 8 hours.
2. Rinse and drain the almonds.
3. Place them into your blender, along with 3.5 cups of filtered water and the dates.
4. Turn your blender to the highest speed and blend for 1 minute
5. Place your cheese cloth over the top of a large bowl and slowly pour the milk into the bowl.
6. Ring out the cheesecloth to ensure that all of the liquid is in the bowl.
7. Rinse your blender out. Pour the milk back into the blender, add the vanilla and cinnamon and blend on a lower speed just for a few seconds until the cinnamon and vanilla are evenly mixed.
8. Pour into a pretty glass canister or individual jars and enjoy throughout the week! Shake well before using.

Don’t forget to reserve the almond pulp to use for things cookies, crackers, oatmeal, smoothies, muffins, or pancakes! Don’t just throw it away!

Up next homemade coconut milk!

Have you ever made homemade nut milk? If so, what’s your favorite variety?

Have a great day!

Good health!

The post DIY Homemade Almond Milk + Giveway Winner Announced appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Hi there! Happy Tuesday! I’m back with round two of sweetpotato week!

As I mentioned yesterday, this week I am participating in a California sweetpotatoes: “One Word, Endless Possibilities” Recipe ReDux Challenge sponsored by the California Sweetpotato Council.

Disclosure: I received free samples of California sweetpotatoes mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the California Sweetpotato Council and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time. 

What’s the difference in the sweetpotatoes (spelled as one word) versus the other sweet potatoes and white potatoes? Quite a bit! California sweetpotatoes are an entirely different vegetable. “They are grown in soft sand and are hand sorted during harvest to minimize scarring and scratching. The result is a visually, higher quality sweet potato.” according to the California Sweetpotato Council.

Yesterday, I shared a delicious dinner side dish (or lunch or snack!). If you haven’t checked them out yet, give these Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes a try! Today, we are talking something entirely different: cookies!

Now before you judge these cookies all because of their name, remember what your mom taught you many moons ago: “Never judge a book by it’s cover,” and never judge a cookie by it’s name.

Animal products and gluten are the only this missing from this tasty recipe. And if you needed another reason to fall in love with these cookies: it’s completely safe to lick the bowl once you are finished making the cookies! No salmonella scares here!

Busted! 

Gluten-free Vegan Sweetpotato Cookies

Makes 15 cookies

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups oat flour (I just blended 1.5 cups of old fashioned oats until a fine flour was reached)
• 1 tbsp flax meal
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup Stevia in the Raw (or omit and just use 1/2 cup of granulated sugar)
• 3/4 cup cooked California sweetpotato
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (vegan if using vegan chocolate chips)
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup craisins

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, flax meal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, ground ginger, and salt. Stir until evenly combined.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the melted coconut oil, vanilla and sugars.
4. Pour the coconut oil mixture into the flour mixture and then add the sweetpotato. Stir until evenly combined and moisture is spread throughout.
5. Add in the dark chocolate chips, pecans and craisins.
6. Using a spoon, drop cookie batter on a well sprayed cookie sheet, making ~15 cookies.
7. Lick bowl.
8. Cook for ~10 minutes or to desired consistency, serve and enjoy!

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A healthier cookie recipe packed full of vitamin A, vitamin C, whole grains, healthy fiber, and good fat! Who would want to turn these delicious cookies down!? Not me!

Have a great day!

Good health!

The post Gluten-free Vegan Sweetpotato Cookies! appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Oh the Monday morning blues. I sat in front of my computer pretty much all weekend long, besides a Saturday morning run and yoga and church (well online church, so I guess that’s still me sitting in front of my computer!) yesterday, so I feel like the weekend came and went. You probably do too, even if you had a fun filled weekend behind you. I seriously need to consider investing in a standing desk like this one from The Lean Green Bean with all of this computer sitting! Dustin would love if I tried to pack that in the car too!

Anyway, today I want to share a recipe with you that will make your Monday a little bit “easier.” It’s a makeover of an old favorite, that is both nutritious and delicious too!

This peach crumble recipe takes me back to my childhood summer days when my mom would serve up a similar yet slightly less healthy treat! Now she’s cleaned it up even more with this tasty recipe and has shared it with me! It is gluten-free and vegan but you would never know by taste test alone!

Fit and Delicious Peach Crumble

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Earth Balance (preferably the red, soy-free container)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 8 peaches (preferably organic, peaches are one of top highest sprayed fruits in pesticides)
• 1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place Earth Balance and coconut oil in a medium casserole dish (~8×11). Melt in the microwave for ~30 seconds. Swirl to cover the bottom of the dish.
3. Cut up the peaches (leaving the skin on if using organic peaches) and place on top of Earth Balance/coconut oil to cover the bottom of the dish.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, oats, flax meal, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
5. Add in almond milk and pure maple syrup and stir to combine.
6. Pour flour mixture evenly over the peaches.
7. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
8. Brown the top on low broil for 1-2 minutes or until perfectly browned!

I hope you enjoy this treat as much as we did! Tonight or any night! Eating healthy is all about moderation and using good ingredients when your going to splurge a little!

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If you didn’t see yesterday, the third set of  my “Six Night General Healthy Dinner Menu” with the recipes and a grocery list was posted yesterday. Check it out in yesterdays post or over in my $5 Meal Plans Tab!

I’m off to take a mid-day gym break! I hope you have a wonderful Monday!

Good health!

The post Easy Like “Monday” Morning: Peach Crumble Recipe To Kick Off the Week! appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Happy Friday! Another week has flown by!

We hit the road yesterday for a what was supposed to be a 5.5 hour car ride, but thanks to Atlanta traffic and lots of unexpected road work, the trip took us ~8 hours. Before we even got 20 minutes out of town we stopped for a yummy lunch.

Another black bean burger topped with mango salsa for me… I’m on a BBB kick these days!

After finally making our way through the Atlanta traffic, we pushed on until we made it to Charlotte to stop in for dinner and via a quick iPhone search, Dustin found the perfect spot.

{Photo Source}

Luna’s Living Kitchen was the perfect break for our long car ride. From their website, Luna’s specializes…

“in the art of living foods, serving organic, plant-based cuisine, smoothies and cold-pressed juices. Luna’s is a ‘living’ kitchen because our food is prepared fresh each day to preserve nutrients and enzymes vital to your well-being.Luna’s supports local, organic farmers, buying seasonal produce multiple times a week from farmers markets and individual, family-owned farms. By putting living food on your plate, we hope to give life to your day and energy to your body.”

Our kind of place!

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There were so many delicious options. It was hard for me to resist another veggie burger, but when I saw the Spaghetti Bolognese, I was sold.

Zucchini spaghetti topped with a walnut-mushroom Bolognese and fresh tomato basil sauce, served alongside a spinach salad drizzled with lemon-”parmesan” dressing. I’m totally loving zucchini pasta right now!

The hub went with the “Lunasagna.” Layers of tender, crisp zucchini noodles, sun-dried tomato sauce and mushrooms, topped with with vegan cashew-basil “cheese,” served along side a local green salad.

To finish off, we split the Lemon-Berry Cheesecake, a raw, vegan cheesecake with a pecan crust. It was to.die.for.my friends.

Completely satisfied, we continued our journey and made it to our final destination a little after midnight.

While we’re on the topic of “living foods,” today I want to talk about the aging process, as well as share a “living recipe” to help slow down this process. No you cannot change the number of your next birthday but you know me and prevention is my passion.

Here we go…

Aging is something I really do not like. Not in the sense that I don’t like wrinkles, the thought of being honked at and called “an old, slow driver” (or worse), or an occasional accidental repeated story. I simply do not like what happens toward the end of life. I do not like Alzheimers. I do  not like osteoporosis. I do not like urinary incontinence. I do not like watching loved ones not be able to do the things they have done their whole lives. And I’m sure you do not either.

I’m not sure if it is just here in America or all over the world, but I don’t like the way we have just accepted the sick and cripling end to life, like that’s the way it has to be. In a nutshell, the aging process makes me sad. It makes me wonder why. Why does life have to end this way? But after long thought, I truly believe it doesn’t have to. I believe the way we choose to live our life as a youth determines how our later years will be (except for the things beyond our control). Obviously, I absolutely believe that God has a plan for each of our lives, but I also believe that we have to do our part in taking care of ourselves, properly fueling our bodies and staying active so that the aging process doesn’t have to be so saddening and life taking.

If I am blessed with a long life, I pray that my last few years are as thriving as my current years. I pray that I am able to live my life as an independent and that it is only my death that slows me down. (Not in a sad way people! Not trying to be dark at all, just literal!) I always say that “age is only a number” and one day, I hope to prove that statement to be true. And I hope that you will join me too.

I’m not trying to fight aging, I’m just trying to live every single day of my life to the fullest. And I hope you are too!

Nutritionally, there are several things we can do to aid in this process, and eating a healthy diet while we are young (and throughout our life) is one of the most beneficial things we can do. There are several foods that can help fight the aging process and improve and maintain our memory throughout life as well.

Vitamins, Minerals and Foods to Help Fight Aging

• Folate – greens (kale, spinach, broccoli), beans
• B12 – lean proteins (chicken, fish turkey, dairy), nutritional yeast
• Selenium – whole-grains (oatmeal, whole-grain bread, brown rice),nuts and seeds (Brazil nuts in particular), beans and legumes, seafood, lean meat, low-fat dairy
• Spices – cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, garlic powder, chili powder
• Antioxidants -a rainbow of color through fruits and vegetables (cherries, tomatoes, greens, berries (blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, strawberries), citrus (grapefruit, oranges, lemons)
• Healthy fats - flax, chia, walnuts, avocados, wild-Alaskian salmon
• Tea – green, black, oolong
• Water!

To add to your anti-aging efforts, here is a delicious anti-aging smoothie containing several of the foods listed above!

Add all ingredients to blender in listed order and blend until perfectly smooth and enjoy!

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I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Good health!

The post Luna’s Living Kitchen + Nutrition and Aging appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Hi friends! Happy Hump Day! After staying up a little too late last night, lost in the link world (Does that ever happen to you? You click on one link, which leads to another, which leads to another? I’m sure I’m not the only one!), I ended up sleeping a little later than I planned this morning. Even though my motivator, workout partner and husband isn’t here (he caught a flight out yesterday), I still pushed myself straight out the door and to the gym for my oh so favorite leg day. I did a workout similar to this one, but added a little something to the end that I will share with you later this week, because I’ve got something more delicious to share today!

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

This recipe is easy to make, incredibly healthy and super tasty!

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Recipe adapted from here

Serves: 3 as an entree, 6 as a side

Ingredients:

• 3-8″ long zucchini, cut in half length-wise
• 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup Vidalia onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas (if canned, drained and rinsed first)
• 1/2 cup mixed greens, packed (I used Arugula; kale or spinach would work too)
• 1/4 cup diced olives (optional)
• 1 tbsp herbs de provence or dried Italian seasoning
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Scoop out the insides of the four zucchini halves and chop it into small pieces. Melt the coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat.
2. Once the pan is hot, sauteing the onion and garlic together until the onion starts to turn clear. Next, place the bell peppers, tomatoes, scooped zucchini, chickpeas, greens and herbs into the pan and saute until the greens are wilted.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F and get a large baking dish.
4. Add the olives, salt and pepper to taste.
5. Fill the zucchini “boats” up, with equal amounts of the filling and place in the baking dish.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, and serve warm.

We didn’t add any vegan cheese/regular cheese to ours, but it would probably be pretty tasty with a tiny bit sprinkled on top!

Black bean burgers topped with avocado and homemade salsa (not pictured), stuffed zucchini boats, and green beans straight from the garden. We also had a delicious heirloom tomato salad (not pictured)- a perfect summertime recipe that I will share soon!

Easy clean up and and great leftovers!

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In other completely random news, my sister recently got a kitten and we’ve been trying to introduce the Boxers to him but are having no such luck. Any ideas? If so, please share!

I absolutely do not trust that if I put the kitten down they will not swallow him whole.

Have a great rest of the day!

Good health!

The post Wellness Wednesday, Recipe Edition: Stuffed Zucchini Boats appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

She’s backkkkkk. My cooking inspiration that is! I’ve already been at it this morning in the kitchen testing out a recipe that I wanted to share with you guys, but I messed it up just slightlyyyy so I’m going to wait until next week once I get it right! (No one said my kitchen skills were back.)

Anyway, on to more Asheville talk as I prepared you for yesterday.

I’ve been wanting to visit Asheville for quite some time now. I’ve had numerous people tell me that it is my kind of city and they couldn’t have been more right. Everywhere I look and listen lately, I’ve been hearing people talk about the cool city so it was only fitting that since we were already in Greenville that we just make the hour ride up… so we did!

After the short car ride up and over, we checked into the beautiful Bohemian Hotel, which was directly across the street from the Biltmore and we didn’t even know it.

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After checking in, we headed straight downtown to see what the buzz was all about. After reading a few online reviews, we decided to check out Early Girl Eatery for lunch, “a farm to table southern comfort food experience.”

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We certainly weren’t disappointed. We started lunch with a tasty mimosa and after a quick glance of the menu the Vegan Bean Burger with Cucumber and Onion Salad was calling my name.

After a quick return to the hotel to shower up for dinner, we headed back to the downtown scene for more exploring, food and fun.

After several recommendations, our first stop was at Wicked Weed Brewery for what turned out to be much more than just a beer.

You might already know or have already realized that I am not a huge beer fan. Not because I think it’s “unhealthy” (alcohol is alcohol) but I just don’t love the taste. Maybe if I’m sitting on a hot beach or after I’ve been working outside on a hot summer day, but other than that I’m definitely not a preferred beer drinker. However, the Wicked Weed menu certainly changed my mind. With beers titled the “Coolcumber,” “The Beets Within” and the “Empress Honeydew Tripel” you know I was an easy sell. We tried both the “Coolcumber” featuring cucumbers, basil and juniper berries and the “Empress Honeydew Tripel” infused with over 10 pounds of honeydew while brewing. Both were equally delicious.

Following Wicked Weed, we walked around and explored downtown Asheville until we finally worked up a dinner appetite. As recommended per the bellman at the Bohemian, we made our way over to Rosetta’s Whole Foods Kitchen and Cafe. Once we finally found the hidden back door, we almost didn’t go in because of the closed-looking, dark atmosphere. Boy am I glad we made our way through that dark door and up that dark stairwell.

{Photo Source}

See what I mean? That’s it under the purple awning. It definitely didn’t scream, “Come in for great food!”

Never judge a book by it’s cover though, right? This place was amazing.

Completely vegetarian, and very vegan friendly, Rosetta’s speaks to a (from the website), “constant flow of creative souls of a wide spectrum, foodies, health nuts, vegans, vegetarians, and curious tourists.”

It took me quite some time to figure out what to order since I’m not used to having so many options, but I finally settled on the Buddha Bowl featuring an organic spring mix, organic brown long-grain rice, sea veggie salad, tomatoes, avocado, organic smoked tofu topped with a sweet tangy tahini BBQ sauce and sprouts, as well as a bowl of kimchi on the side. The hub went with the House Veggie Burger with housemade organic ketchup and a bowl of the Hearty Chili on the side. Both were out of this world delicious!

Following dinner, we did a little more exploring of the town and decided to walk the two miles back to the hotel after a day of good eats and cold drinks!

You’re so right Ashevlle: Love is all you need.

We woke up the following morning ready to do it again. In preparation for what was to come, a very small breakfast was welcomed before our days journey began again. After reading about the Laughing Seed from Jen on Peanut Butter Runner a few weeks ago, I knew this was a place I couldn’t miss out on during our short trip.

The husband was an excellent trooper and let the vegan food excitement continue.

He’s seriously the most supportive guy I could have ever dreamed of finding. He’s pretty awesome to say the least.

We started with a Buchi Water Draft (fresh kombucha) and a Greener Warrior (kale, celery, cucumber, and apple) Live Juice.

Housemade Hummus of the Day with Pita Points to follow.

Raw Vegan Spinach-Pesto Manicotti for me.

And the Omega Hempnut Burger on a housemade bun with Black-eyed Pea Tomato soup for the hub.

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Holy moly! So much good food! The fun didn’t stop there, however, following lunch we ventured over to tour the Biltmore but I will save that for another day! We’re back on the road today so I have lots of packing and unpacking to do!

I hope you have an awesome weekend!

Good health!

The post An Asheville Getaway + Restaurant Reviews appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

If we are friends on Facebook or if you follow me on IG than you might have seen that Dustin and I spent the past few days in Asheville, North Carolina (more on that tomorrow!). Asheville spoke to my soul on so many levels. From foodie to vegan to gypsy to hippie and beyond, if this city did one thing it reminded me that healthy food can taste good too (more on that tomorrow too!). This trip reminded me that yes, while we should “eat to live,” in doing so, we should also eat good tasting food too.

Dustin always tells me that he “doesn’t eat for taste anymore.” Should I take that as an insult? Absolutely so, but I’m not the only one to blame. He will eat cold chicken for the “lean protein,” and you better believe I’m not the one encouraging that.

However, I will admit, our meals have been pretty boring over here when I’m the one preparing the meal, no new and exciting recipes, just plain Jane healthy stuff. But I have to change that and change it fast so that my husband will stop saying that he “doesn’t eat for taste anymore” and can start enjoying good tasting food again prepared by the hands of yours truly. I know it’s in me and thankfully, Asheville brought it out!

I’ve been lazy, scattered and uninspired in the kitchen but that’s all about to change. Asheville, I thank you (and so does my husband) for giving me my kitchen mojo back and inspiring this tasty pasta dish that I am about to share today. On our stop home between Asheville and our next destination, I was able to whip up this tasty dish that even the hub said, “Man, I’m glad Asheville inspired you to start cooking good food again!” Wait was that an insult or compliment? I’ll go with compliment.

This recipe is quick, easy, minimal on the ingredient list and would be the perfect dinner for your next Meatless Monday or any night of the week meal! The lentils give this dish a savory meat like texture as well as provide plenty of protein to keep everyone satisfied! 

Creamy Neat Sauce Penne Pasta

Gluten-free and Vegan

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1.5 cups dry lentils
• 1 jar your favorite marinara sauce (or homemade – I used Harvest Farms Organic Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce but I also like Classico’s Tomato Basil)
• 1 box brown rice penne pasta cooked
• 1 cup chopped spinach
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup flax meal

Directions

1. In a large pot, bring the water + bay leaf + lentils to a boil. Once boiling, bring to a simmer for approximately 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile cook the pasta.
3. Add the marinara sauce and spinach directly to lentils.
4. Remove bay leaf.
5. Drain pasta and add to lentil pot.
6. Stir in nutritional yeast and flax meal until evenly distributed.
7. Serve alone or alongside a tossed salad and enjoy!

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I hope you have a great afternoon!

Good health!

The post Asheville Inspiration + A Creamy Dinner Recipe appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.