vegan

"Meal prepping" is what all the fitness people on the socials do. They plan out recipes for the week and write out elaborate lists of ingredients. Then they go to the supermarket while their ingredients list is still fresh on their mind --and they go early-- before all the kale is picked over-- and they purchase all of their already planned menu ingredients with a smile and some zeal.

An apple, a sweet potato, a carrot and some cashews enter a bar. Just kidding. They go to a mixer. That was my husband’s joke. Irl, an apple, a sweet a carrot, handful of cashews and a healthy swig of homemade hemp milk get together in a blender to become the flipping most delicious, creamy, flavorful, refreshing unfussy soup that I didn’t know I needed.

This is a zero-fuss kind of cake. It's also not made with any dairy, eggs or white sugar (the frosting has some powdered sugar but oh, well). Everything you see here: extra ultra moist dark chocolate cake and extra dark, better than buttercream frosting--is made with avocados. And it's everything a chocolate cake is supposed to be and then some with pure, organic mineral rich cacao sprinkled on top. Also, once it's frosted, it's decadent like a dark chocolate truffle.

"Water pie is a sweet pie made with just six ingredients: water, flour, sugar, vanilla extract, butter, and a pie crust. Like other recipes that originated during the Great Depression, water pie stretches a handful of ingredients by turning them into something substantial."

8 years ago around this time, I created a fast. I had done 21 day fasts like Dr. Alejandro Junger's CLEAN program for several years first. I liked Dr. Junger's program. But I felt like I needed something a bit more nourishing for more than my body. I felt like I needed a fast that considered the journey my mind and spirit would be going through also. I couldn't find anything. So I made something up. And I called it what I wanted to experience through doing it-- 40 Days and 40 Nights (So I Can Be Great). I know, not subtle. :) Looking back, I probably would have challenged myself to find a different--maybe shorter- name...but it is what it is now. If you have any ideas, I'm open.

The crazy thing is, you would never guess just by looking at the photos that these dishes are vegan.

This is an easy soup course that you can adjust the seasoning to taste, limit the salt and refined sugar and get to brag that it's not out of a can.

Stewart's Shops are as synonymous with the Capital Region as Freihofer Cookies and The Egg. Well, Stewart's is making news again by announcing a new ice cream.

Universally, people know we're supposed to eat vegetables every day. But 90 percent of Americans don't eat the recommended amount. So we said if others can make meat out of vegetables, why can't we make vegetables out of meat?

Some Central New Yorker's find the idea of a no meat wing preposterous, but Strong Hearts Cafe and their loyal vegan clientele in Syracuse begs to differ.

First of all, Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Now on to my rant.

2014 will be here in just a few days. It's a perfect time to look back at 2013. As a writer, it's always fun to look back at previous stories and see which ones were the most successful. So, that's what I did. I compiled a list of the top stories I wrote in 2013. The list is based on the page views and Facebook "likes" the stories received. Enjoy!