There seems to be a reoccurring theme on coaching calls this week around foods that we are afraid to have in the house. 

Foods that we fear we will lose control around.

Foods that never seem to last more than a day. 

That whole, "once I pop, I can't stop" thing.  

One bite turns into the whole box/carton/bag. 

Maybe it's cookies, peanut butter, ice cream, chips, chocolate covered coconut cashews from Trader Joe's. Whatever.  

But here is the thing, we don't end up feeling "out of control" around a certain food unless we are actively trying to be in control of it in the first place. 

Our fear of the food is reflective of our level of restriction around it.

That means, to some degree you are shaming, guilt tripping, calling it bad or forbidden, judging or limiting yourself and that food. You wished you didn't want it or you're afraid you will gain weight.  

Whenever we say we can't or shouldn't have something, we create a charge around...

I don't think this recipe needs much of an introduction..., it speaks for itself, really. 

I mean- smokey, maple-y marinated mushrooms, layered with avocado, tomato & lettuce, between two slices of toasted bread slathered in mayo and you've got yourself a dream team. 

And it will take you to the Sandwich Championship. 

#winning

Serves 2

Ingredients

Mushroom Bacon:

2 Portobello mushrooms 

1/4 cup grapeseed or avocado oil

1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 1/2 liquid smoke 

black pepper and salt 

To serve:

4 slices of toasted bread

mayo

lettuce

tomato

avocado

To prep the mushrooms, remove the stems and carefully peel of the thin layer of brown skin around the cap. Then in a plastic bag or large wide bowl, combine the mushrooms, grapeseed oil, tamari, maple syrup, smoked paprika, liquid smoke, black pepper and salt. Mix well and occasionally for 30 minutes, up to overnight, covered in the fridge. 

Then pre-heat...

It is with overflowing excitement that I share this news with you! 

Vegan Buddha Bowls is a book that I dreamed about writing and I can not believe it is about to be released. Wow. 

What a ride it has been!

Truly, I am so humbled and so grateful to have been given this incredible opportunity to share a book full with my creative energy and love for food.

To give you a taste of what you can expect, I am sharing an insanely delicious pasta bowl recipe with you today (it is below the pre-order details)! 

Whether you are vegan or simply looking to enjoy more vegan eats, you will likely fall in love with the recipes in this book. My goal was to create recipes that were delicious without being a huge undertaking. Like many of my readers, I value meals that come together quickly.

Another valuable element to this book is that *most* of the recipes are great for meal prep and keep well in the fridge. 

And of course, everything is served...

Fall is such an awesome season, the smell of cinnamon, the cozy hot coco by the fire, pumpkin spice everything.

And I really want to embrace the season but I kid you not, it was 90f degrees in LA yesterday so I went to the beach! 

Not complaining at all- the weather is reason #1 why I live here. 

But it has meant that I've been craving summer-ish foods with the desire for fall flavors.

So when I saw the Spice Apple Cider at Trader Joe's I knew I wanted to use it in a marinade for tacos (which I am ALWAYS in the mood for) and then this recipe was born. 

It's actually really freaking good!

The Spice Apple Cider adds sweetness as well as complexity in flavor that really shines through. I'm pretty sure you are going to love it. 

xo C

TACO THINGS

6 portobello mushroom caps, sliced in half

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup spiced apple cider (can substitute OJ but dude, the cider is #worthit)

1 (4-oz) can diced fired roasted green chiles

4 clo...

Now that I am officially done writing my first cookbook (it will be out January 2020) EKKK!

I am back in the kitchen making up recipes for the blog. I made this the other night and it was so good that my boyfriend asked me to make it a second night in a row.

Whip this up and then spoon-feed yourself this glorious dish.

You won’t regret it. 

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp coconut oil 

1 medium onion, diced

2-3 chopped medium-sized carrots 

Salt and pepper 

5 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 tsp grated fresh ginger 

1-2 tbsp harissa paste 

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

5 cups bite-sized, cubed sweet potato 

1 (13.5oz) can of coconut cream

2 cups vegetable broth 

1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans

2-3 big handfuls of fresh spinach 

GARNISH

Chopped fresh mint

Sliced green onions 

Lime wedges 

DIRECTIONS 

In a medium soup pot, melt coconut oil over medium high heat. Once hit add onion & carrot, season generously with salt & black pepper. Stir occasionally for 3-5 mins.

Then add in the garlic & g...

Its Brussels Sprouts Season and I am STOKED!

Wanna know a funny story. When my boyfriend and I first started dating he told me he hated Brussels sprouts and never wanted to eat them. 

I told him everyone in their right mind loves Brussels and he probably just hasn't had them prepared correctly. 

Turns out I was right. DUH.

Now that man requests them! 

Here is an easy, delicious banging Brussels salad. 

INGREDIENTS:

SALAD:

2 coconut oil

1.5-2 lbs shaved Brussels Sprouts

salt and pepper to taste

1-2 tsp onion powder

1-2 tsp garlic powder

1 cup corn fresh off the cobb preferred, if in season, otherwise frozen

2 cups roasted bite-size cubed sweet potatoes

1 cup coconut bacon (store bought or homemade) 

DRESSING:

3/4 cup toasted walnut oil

1/4 red wine vinegar

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp Dijon Mustard

2 Garlic cloves

salt & pepper to taste

GARNISH:

Toasted walnuts

Coconut Bacon

DIRECTIONS:

For the salad, heat the coconut oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat....

THIS IS NOT SELF-CONTROL.

 
I know- we’re led to believe the key to eating healthfully is willpower, discipline & self-control but it’s not. 

I don’t try to control myself around food at all.

Its not what has me reach for nutrient-dense foods like these bowls over other foods, and it's not what helped me heal from my eating disorder either. 

Back in the day, the more I tried to control myself, the more out of control I became around food.

The reason I no longer binge eat is not because I developed superhuman willpower and control, rather it is the result of a profound shift in perspective towards food and weight. 

It wasn’t until I let go and shifted my mindset to self-care that all of a sudden things began to change. 

I started to look from the perspective of taking care of myself and my body, not trying to control it or change it. I started to see myself and my body as already inherently worthy and enough as they were, in the here an...

I spent years living within the illusion that thinness and the perfect body would magically solve the riddle of my unhappiness.

I thought the confidence and empowerment I so craved was on the other side of a body covered in stretch marks, cellulite and jiggle, roll, jiggle.  

I clinged onto this belief even though I would look back at pictures of myself when I was thinner and tighter and remember that even then, I wasn’t truly happy.

It wasn’t until I realized that I was trying to solve an internal dilemma with an external reality that things started to shift.

I realized that happiness is a state of mind, not a body size.

Real happiness doesn’t come from shedding pounds, it comes from shedding society’s expectations of your body.

And your life.

 It comes from being in your truth, choosing your own path, and living life on your GD terms.

We don’t actually want thinness, thinness is a smoke screen, a distraction.

What we want is sovereignty, the ability...

*Paid partnership with Daiya, all opinions are my own

Growing up there was this place called The Good Egg in Scottsdale, Az that my mom and I would always go to after hiking together on the weekends. 

We both always ordered the "Bacado" omelette and would typically gossip about whatever we had just read in the latest tabloid magazines. While there is nothing nostalgic for me about that last part (tabloids contributed to my ED. See episode #1), the combination of bacon, cheese and avocado that made up the omelette absolutely is. 

It's a classic combination that showcases just how delicious food is when it is rich with ingredients high in fat. And what better fat is there then that from an avocado? lol. 

The cheese and the bacon bits are plant-based but you wouldn't know it from the flavor. Daiya Foods does an incredible job with satisfying this girls cheese cravings since real dairy cheese doesn't work well for my body. 

That said, you could t...

*(Paid Partnership with Daiya, all opinions are my own)

I often get asked if it's possible to be an intuitive eater with food sensitivities.

The short answer is yes.

I have a sensitivity to dairy products (butter seems to be fine but cheese or milk, forget about it. I'll have an upset stomach and likely be in the bathroom later) and yet, I am absolutely an intuitive eater with a normal relationship with food. 

This is why I use dairy alternatives like Daiya, which is my favorite vegan cheese brand (more on that later)!

The Power of Choice

First thing to understand is that regardless of your food sensitivities you really CAN eat the foods that you are allergic or sensitive too.

I am not saying there is not a consequence, you might feel like crap or get sick, but you are totally capable of putting the foods in your mouth. (more on that here)

Fundamentally, we always have a choice, and when we operate from the place of  "I can't eat that" we wire...