Curry with Chickpeas, Couscous, and Veggies.

Mmm...want to see what I had for dinner last night??

Curry, chickpeas, couscous, chard, zucchini, and red onions.

I modified this recipe from Healthy Vegan. I used coconut oil to saute the veggies (I added zucchini to the recipe). I didn't have coconut milk so I had to use almond milk. There are plenty of Indian spices you can use but I just bought a curry spice that pretty much includes all of them.

Tone It Up Check In & Snacking on Kale Chips!

Hey guys! Just wanted to post a video since it's been a little while. Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays and getting ready for the New Year that is approaching us. I'm staying on track with my workouts and just wanted to share with you what I worked on today and the healthy snack I gobbled up! Can you guess what it was??? :-)

Kale Chips!

Looking for a delicious snack that won't break the bank??? You should try making your own kale chips! As many of you know, I LOVE kale. It's packed full of nutrition and flavor and when I first tasted kale chips, I knew I found a friend for life...lol...yes, I'm a little crazy. The first time I tried making these delectable snacks it did not turn out so well. The sauce on the kale was too soggy and a few of them came out crispier than I wanted. So, I gave in and bought some Alive and Radiant kale chips from Whole Foods. They were delicious! Alive and Radiant uses a dehydrator so their chips are raw, with natural ingredients, and tasty. I was hooked and treated myself to a bag of the tasty chips once in a while. But, after a few bags you realize that these treats are way more expensive than you would like them to be. So, I decided to try and make my own again. As much as I would like a dehydrator, I do not have one yet, so I baked my chips. For the sauce I used red bell pepper, nutritional yeast, soaked cashews, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. I blended everything up in my blendtec and mixed the sauce together with the kale. I threw them into a 210 degree oven for about 2 hours.

Russian Banana Potatoes

I believe this is the first time I've received Russian Banana Potatoes in my CSA box, but I was happy to find that they weren't something crazy or odd. Just nice little potatoes ready for me to eat. I found a recipe on the CSA newsletter for them and decided to make it for dinner last night.

Here's the recipe:
Slice the potatoes in thin rounds. Destem and chop the chard or kale (I used chard this time). Slice mushrooms and green onions. I also added some zucchini. Heat a pan on medium heat with coconut oil. Add the potatoes and cook until you can stick a fork in them and they're soft. Add the mushrooms and green onions, once the mushrooms are amost cooked, add the greens and cook for about another 2 minutes. Season. 

Merry Christmas!

Hey Everyone! I hope you all are enjoying this Christmas time with your family and friends. :-) I just wanted to do a quick video to show you what I'm up to while getting ready for some Christmas cheer. I have an awesome recipe for you from The Tolerant Vegan. The delectable treat is a Cranberry Pecan Sheet Cake...oh my gosh, I'm still drooling over how delicious this dessert is! I'll leave the recipe below the video. Have a Merry Christmas Everyone!



Cranberry Pecan Sheet Cake

Cake ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread
• 1 1/2 cups refined sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 1/4 cups vanilla almond milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar (I didn't have white so I used apple cider vinegar)
• 2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen, chopped
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped
• 2 tablespoons orange zest

Frosting ingredients:

• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/3 cup dairy-free cream cheese, softened (I used Trader Joe’s This is Not a Tub of Cream Cheese)
• 1/3 cup Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, mix together the Earth Balance and refined sugar on low-medium speed until combined. Stir in the applesauce, almond milk and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and flour. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on low-medium speed until fully combined. Stir in the vinegar and then gently fold in the cranberries, pecans, and orange zest. Pour the batter into a 9×13″ pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted and removed cleanly. Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the frosting. To make the frosting, place all ingredients in a bowl and mix on low-medium speed until combined. Spread the frosting on the cake and take a big bite!

Eat Pastry Cookie Dough!

Yum Yum Cookie Dough! I heard about Eat Pastry through other vegan blogs and they raved about how delicious this vegan cookie dough is. So, I tried it and I have to agree with all of them. This cookie dough is scrumptious! My absolute favorite is the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip...drooling...it's just so yummy! I usually make cookies from scratch but sometimes you just have to take the night off!lol

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip!

Mmm Hot Chocolate!

Has anyone made hot chocolate yet? I made some last night to get into the Christmas spirit! I used some Almond Milk, a scoop of unsweetened cocoa, a scoop of cacao powder, cinnamon, and some maple sugar. Oh, and I added some vegan marshmallows! :-) How do you prepare your hot chocolate?

My absolute favorite mug!

Bodyrock Workout!

Tone It Up Quinoa Snack & Sandbag Workout!

Hey Peeps! I had a crazy workout today! I'm still all over from yesterday's workout.lol I finally got to make and use my new sandbag, which was awesome and really helped me feel the burn. I used it for my body rock workout this morning and for my Tone It Up Humps workout. I made a snack today from Tone It Up's site. They have this great recipe for Maple Quinoa Cereal. It's tasty and very easy to make, so check it out!

Snack, Healthy Dinner, & Tone It Up Christmas Workout!

Hey guys! I made some delicious dinner tonight before my Tone It Up Christmas workout. So, now I'll be nice and fit for the holidays...well, at least until I get a hold of some cookies! :-) All in moderation of course.lol

I sauteed some green peppers, zucchini, red onions, green onions,  and garlic. 

I added a can of organic diced tomatoes and let simmer. 

I scooped the finished product onto some black beans and rice. 

I made the black beans in the crock pot for about four hours. I used dried black beans and let them soak the night before. I rinsed them this morning and threw them in the crock pot with some garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, herbamare, and some broth I saved from the collards and lentils I made. So easy to make. I love my crock pot!lol :-)

Tone It Up Protein Shake, Workout, & Healthy Snack!

Hey guys! I had a great workout this morning from Bodyrocktv. I did day 2 of their Christmas workout count down. For breakfast I made a Tone It Up Peanut Butter Protein Shake. It was so yummy and creamy, but the banana did upset my stomach a little, so I'll probably only use half of one next time. For a snack this week I made Tone It Up's Krazy Koconut Bites. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they are raw and vegan. So, I'll snack on those yummy bites for the week. Check out the video and pics below. Have a great day! :-)

Krazy Koconut Bites (minus the coconut) 

Tone It Up Booty Call, Protein Pancake, Workout 2, and Quesadilla!

Hey Peeps! Got some good workouts in today. I did a Tone it up stairs workout and a Bodyrocktv Christmas workout. I finally made the Tone it up protein pancake. I've been dying to try it out and so I got the chance to make it this morning and it was pretty good. Check out my video for the step by step recipe.

Finished the rest of my Kale salad from Veggie Grill for lunch.

Quesadilla for dinner. I sauteed some shiitake mushrooms with green onions, kale, and a little organic salsa. 

I added some daiya cheese, pinto beans, and brown rice. 

Topped it with some fresh guacamole. 

Breakfast Burrito & Back to Veggie Grill!

Hey guys! I did a quick video of a breakfast burrito my husband and I made for the morning. I also shot some footage of me taking another delightful trip to Veggie Grill. Check it out below!

Breakfast burrito with daiya cheese, pinto beans, red onions, tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, and lime. 

Christmas tree at Universal City Walk. 

All Hail Kale salad. 

Chill out wings.

Buffalo wings. 

Sweet potato fries and my husband ordered the All American Stack.

Yummity yum yum!

Tone It Up Challenge & Healthy Dinner!

Hey guys! I had my Tone It Up Challenge today and it was to do 10 reps of any workout every hour. I chose to do push ups into knee lifts. I show you how I did it in the video. I just finished my last set, so I did about 120 today. Man, I know I'm going to be feeling it in my arms tomorrow.lol But, I know that my arms are going to be stronger so I'll take the pain. I also made a delightful dinner tonight. So, check out the video and the pics to see some workout & dinner goodness.

Sauteed spinach with shiitake mushrooms, garlic, fresh basil, onions, and celery.

Cabbage with carrots. 

I also had some leftover potatoes from last night.

Oh So Yummy Dinner!

I was starving when I got home today and so I decided to make something scrumptious. Recently I posted on  munching on my favorite veggie burgers (California Veggie Burgers) with lettuce instead of a bun and that seemed like a perfect meal for tonight. So, I grilled them on my foreman grill, made a huge salad, and roasted some potatoes. Check out my yummy meal below! What did you have for dinner?

Veggie burger with daiya cheese, avocado, tomato, and organic ketchup. 

Roasted potatoes instead of french fries. I tossed them in some olive oil, pepper, herbamare, and garlic powder. 

Salad with kale, romaine, spinach, fresh basil, avocado, tomato, red onion, purple carrots, celery, and green onion.

Here is the link to the video of the veggie burger http://veganwhat-stephanie.blogspot.com/2011/12/veggie-burger-tone-it-up-booty-call.html.

Tone It Up Tuesday workout & Stuffed Yam for dinner!

Hey guys! Got my tone it up tuesday workout in before munching on a stuffed yam for dinner.

Carrot, Celery, Leek, and Potato Soup & Quick cardio before a meeting!

Hey Peeps! Want a hot bowl of yummiess??? Check out this soup in my video:





Oh, and here's the salad I got from Whole Foods for lunch!

kale, spinach, romaine, broccoli, tomatoes, chickpeas, carrots, and pomegranate vinaigrette.

Here is the link for the recipe to the soup: http://hobbyandmore.blogspot.com/2011/12/carrot-celery-leek-potato-soup-vegan.html.

Veggie Burger & Tone It Up Booty Call!

Want to know what a Tone It Up Booty Call is? Check out my video!

My Tone It Up Workout & some "cheesy" potatoes for dinner

I'm still pretty sore from my double workout yesterday but I just had to get in some exercise today! Check out which workout I did and what I had for dinner.

Zumba class and late night dinner!

Crock Pot Cooking - Lentils and Collards

I got this recipe from Melomeals blog. I had to modify the recipe because she doesn't use a crock pot. Oh, and I didn't use quinoa for this one. You can check out the original recipe on her blog but for this recipe check out the ingredients below.

Crock-pot Lentils and Collard Greens 

1 teaspoon cumin
A couple dashes of cinnamon
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 large onion diced
6 cloves of garlic
2 cups of lentils
1 bundle of collard greens
4 cups of water (you might need more or less depending on your crock pot)
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
A few drops of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or 2 tablespoons of lemon juice

Combine all the ingredients and slow cook for about 6-8 hours.

Sprouts Market & Morning Workout!

Toning up with Tone it up!

Hey guys! New Years is just around the corner and I know everyone is getting ready with their New Year's resolutions to get fit and healthy. I'm beating New Years to the punch and starting early with my goal to tone up my body and get some muscle definition going on. I love how becoming a vegan has slimmed down my body and brought me to eating more healthy foods, but I know that I could be doing better. I want to see more muscle definition in my body. Check out my video to see how I'm going to make some changes!

Crock Pot Cooking - Chili

It's getting so chilly out here in Cali! Perfect weather for a nice hot bowl of chili. Thank God for a crock pots. All I had to do was chop a few veggies, open some cans, and add some spices and viola! Chili is such a yummy comfort food. You can top it with some vegan sour cream, green onions, or some daiya cheese. I added a sprinkle of daiya cheese to mine. :-) Check for the recipe below the pics!

-2 14-ounce can Kidney Beans
-1 14-ounce can Black Beans
-2 14-ounce can Pinto Beans
-1 Chopped Red Onion (medium)
-2 14-ounce Can Tomatoes
-4 teaspoons Chili Powder
-2 teaspoons Cumin
-2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
-1 pinch Cinnamon
-1 Chopped Carrot
-2 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
-2 cups Water

Chop your veggies, open your can of tomatoes and beans (make sure you drain your beans first), and add them along with your seasonings to your crock pot. Cover with water and mix everything until blended. Place your crock pot top on and select your time. Open halfway through cooking to taste and stir and then leave until finished cooking. Enjoy! :-)

Veggie Soup & Kombucha in the morning!

I made some veggie soup for lunch yesterday and decided to have it for breakfast this morning. I added some leftover quinoa for that added protein quick and I had a bottle of Kombucha. Now I know some people can't handle Kombucha. It has a very strong flavor that can be overwhelming to some, but I love it! It's so nourishing and full of antioxidants, vitamins, and probiotics. So, check it out one day and let me know what you think.

Tofu Scramble!

This morning after my workout I wanted to mix up my protein intake so instead of a smoothie I made a tofu scramble. I mixed in some tomatoes, red onions, green onions, spinach, black pepper, parsley, and garlic powder. Although tofu is not my favorite thing to eat, it can pretty tasty at times. Check out my video for the recipe:

Rice and Beans!

I looooovvveee Mexican food! I grew up in California so that shouldn't be too surprising. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love all different types of food, but there's just something about rice & beans, burritos, tacos, Mexican pizzas, YUM! I'm very glad you can't see me drooling right now. I had some avocados I needed to use before they went bad, so what better dish than rice & beans with some avocado on top? I added some pico de gallo and daiya cheese.

Breakfast Smoothie!

I got my box from CSA yesterday and it had a couple of apples in there. I don't really like apples much...except for in apple pie, then yum! Whenever I do receives apples in my CSA box I usually just give them to my husband for his lunch. But, this time I thought they might be tasty in my after workout smoothie. So, I dropped them in my blendtec along with some other fruits, veggies, and some water. Tasted pretty good!

Smoothie with apples, carrots, celery, broccoli, kale, fresh squeezed orange,  strawberries, and water. 

Nom Nom Truck!

Have you guys spotted the Nom Nom Truck yet? If not, then you're missing out. Ever since they made their appearance on The Great Food Truck Race last year, business has been booming for this Vietnamese food truck. They serve Banh Mi sandwiches as well as tacos. I semi-stalked their site for a while until I finally had to the chance to go to one of their locations and check  out some nom nom goodness. Did I mention that I didn't find their truck until after I became a vegan? So, I was thankful that their menu included tofu options. I tried a very tasty sandwich with some good flavors. It will be great though if they had some gardein to throw on there, but you never know, it could happen some day. :-) The video and pics below are from my most recent visit.

tofu taco.

Bahn Mi tofu sandwich. 

Home made Sushi!

I've been craving sushi for a while. It's been months since I've been to Shojin, my favorite vegan sushi place. It's not because I haven't wanted to. I'm salivating right now just thinking about their dynamite roll, but I've either haven't had someone to go with or lack of funds. So, yesterday, the hubby and I decided to pick up a few things from Whole Foods and make our own sushi at home. Yum! It was so scrumptious and oh so easy to make. It almost made me not miss Shojin...almost.

Some brown rice noodle soup to start. 

Sticky brown rice.

I pickled some carrots and cucumbers in some rice vinegar for a few hours. I also added some Sophie's Kitchen shrimp and avocado on top. 

Some organic Shoyu for dipping. I like to squeeze lime juice in mine. 

Veggie Pot-stickers. 

So, next time you're craving sushi and you're on a budget, just make it yourself! :-)