yogi-health:

Pumpkin Crumb Cake with Pecan Streusel: 

I found this recipe in the book Veganomicon by Isa Moskowitz and Terry Romero while in the college library the other day and I was also able to find it online and thought I’d share.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice, ground
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
• 15 ounces pumpkin, pureed
• 3/4 cup soy milk
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons light molasses
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
• 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
• 3/4 teaspoon ginger, ground
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice, ground
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves, ground

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
2. Make the streusel: Mix together the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Pour in the 1 tablespoon of oil and mix with your fingers until small crumbs form. Stir in the pecans and set aside.
3. Make the cake: Mix together the pumpkin, soy milk, oil, granulated sugar, molasses, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Be sure to mix well.
4. Add 1 1/3 cup flour, baking powder, salt, and spices to the bowl and mix with a fork to fold everything together.
5. Add the remaining 1 1/3 cup flour and mix gently until combined. Be sure to mix gently to avoid making the pumpkin gummy.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread out with a spatula. Sprinkle the streusel evenly on the top, gently pressing it just slightly into the cake batter.
7. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool, cut into squares, and enjoy!

(Source: searching-for-a-purpose93)

yogi-health:

1 banana, almond milk, baby spinach, frozen strawberries, frozen mango, frozen blackberries, and cold fresh blueberries. 

yogi-health:

That water looks so cold and refreshing.

yogi-health:

Vegan Samoas/Caramel deLites

Ingredients:

Shortbread Cookies:

• 1 cup soy butter (such as Earth Balance Original Spread)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons soy milk

Coconut, Caramel, Chocolate Topping:

• 3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted
• 15-oz soft vegan caramels, or make your own
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons soy milk (or almond)
• 8 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix together the soy butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). In a separate bowl, combine together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar. At a low speed add the soy milk and vanilla. 
2. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or in a Tupperware container. Refrigerate until the dough is as firm as a stick of butter (at least 1 hour and up to overnight).
3. While the cookie dough is in the refrigerator, toast the shredded coconut on a baking sheet for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Once the dough is as firm as a stick of butter, remove from the refrigerator while the coconut cools.
4. Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface (don’t be afraid to use too much flour). Cut out your desired shapes with a biscuit cutter, or two different-sized round cutters to make a donut shape. Or do what I did and use a glass to make the outer circle and a knife to jaggedly cut the inner. Place the cut-out cookies on an un-greased baking sheet for 5-6 minutes then rotate the cookie sheet 180 degrees and bake for another 5-6 minutes. 
5. As the cookies are baking. Place the caramel, soy milk, and salt in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 1 minute, stir, then microwave for another minute, and repeat until the mixture is melted. Or you can place in a saucepan and heat on the stove over low heat until melted. Stir the toasted coconuts into the caramel mixture. Using a knife, spread the caramel mixture on top of the baked cookies.
6. Lay out a sheet of waxed paper for the cookies to sit on once they have been dipped in chocolate. Chop up the chocolate and melt in the microwave for 1 minute, or until melted, or you can melt over a double-broiler on the stove. Dip the bottoms of the cookies into the chocolate and place on waxed paper.Using the remaining melted chocolate to drizzle stripes over the cookies.
7. Store in an air-tight container and enjoy!

Vegetables

• Baby Broccoli  
• Bell Peppers
• Bok Choy
• Black Beans (no-salt added)
• Butternut Squash
• Cabbage
• Carrots 
• Green Beans
• Frozen Mixed Vegetables
• Spaghetti Squash
• Zucchini 

Fruits

• Apples (Fuji is my favorite)
• Oranges/tangelos/clementines 
• Strawberries
• Frozen Berries
• Bananas (for desserts) 
• Grapefruit

Dairy/Substitutes

• Greek Yogurt (0% or 2% Fat) 
• European Style Yogurt (45% Calcium per serving!) 
• Almond Milk
• Non-fat Milk 

Protein

• Free-range eggs 
• Egg Whites
• Salmon, wild-caught (fresh, frozen, smoked) 
• Sardines (no-salt added) 

Beverages

• Brita water filter 
• Sparkling water 
• Green, Chai, Black teas

Grains/Seeds

• Quinoa 
• Steel Cut Oatmeal
• GG Bran Crispbread 
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Brown Rice, short grain
• Wheatberry 
• Oat Bran 

Condiments 

• Mustard 
• Cayenne Powder 
• Cumin 
• Curry Powder
• Tumeric
• Cinnamon 
• Olive Oil Cooking Spray 

Prepared Sauces 

• Salsa, chunky
• Curry Simmer Sauce (healthiest one I’ve found) http://www.spicynothings.com/sauces.php

make-it-a-lifestyle:

I love this woman, Jillian Michaels

(Source: tohappyhealth)

(Source: )

surfnrunnr:

Kelp Noodles, a surprising source of calcium! (at least I didn’t know…) 

These yummy noodles are packed with 15% of your daily recommended value of calcium, antioxidants from green tea, and only carry 12 calories a serving! They are about $2.50 for bag (3 servings) from Whole Foods. I prefer them over the tofu shirataki noodles because of they offer calcium and iodine, minerals naturally found in kelp. Lately, I’ve been having this as a side with salmon and vegetables for dinner. I’m aiming to eat the majority of my carbs in the morning when I usually work-out, and consume less carbs after lunch and dinner. These noodles help fill up my tummy without pushing me over my calorie budget. 

Sea Tangle Kelp Noodles

• 15% daily amount of natural calcium 
• Antioxidants from green tea
• Raw food 
• No cooking to quick ways to prepare
• 12 calories a serving (the original flavor without green tea is only 6 calories…but who cares about a measly 6-12 calories anyways!) 

Stirfry

12 ounces Kelp Noodles

½ cup onion
½ cup bean sprouts
½ cup carrots
½ cup red bell pepper
½ cup mushrooms
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
Tamari or soy sauce, to taste
Dash of salt and pepper
½ cup vegetable broth or water

Sautee the garlic in the olive oil. Add the vegetables and sautee until cooked. Add the rinsed Kelp Noodles along with the soy sauce, and broth and mix. Sautee until the noodles have softened. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Monday:

• 100 jumping jacks
• 50 crunches
• 20 tricep dips
• 15 squats
• 20 lunges
• 5 pushups
• 30 second plank
• 10 squat jumps