Pure Thyme

For a Balanced Life

Ultra Energy Bars + A Giveaway!

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ultrabars2 (1 of 1)

I was so thrilled to receive a preview copy of this new book and be able to share this amazing recipe with you! It’s a gorgeous book featuring 120 healthy recipes and lots of tips for a plant-based diet. A definite must have!

The Plant Power Way

There are so many good things about this book it’s hard to find a starting place. It’s a beautiful book and the recipes are easy to make and delicious! This book is a great guide for anyone who wants to move their family towards a more plant-based lifestyle.

Written by Rich Roll (a renowned ultra-distance athlete and high-profile wellness advocate – and one of PETA’s Sexiest Vegans) and his wife, Julie Piatt (a chef, yogi, singer/songwriter, and homeschooling mother of four children), THE PLANTPOWER WAY is filled with more than 120 easy-to-prepare recipes, including hearty meals, healthful smoothies and juices, and decadent desserts that will tempt you to reinvent your family table, including:

  • Ultra Queen K Performance Blend
  • Ultra Energy Bars
  • Un-tuna Wraps
  • Roasted Tomato Cacao Sauce Over Penne
  • Easy Crunchy Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

Packed with advice and practical tools like shopping lists, information on ingredients, simple cooking techniques, and more, THE PLANTPOWER WAY will help readers get back to the food that truly nourishes our bodies and souls, one healthy and delicious meal at a time.

Who loved these bars in my family? Everyone did! Especially my 5 year old son, he might have eaten the majority of them! Time to make some more.

Print
Ultra Energy Bars + A Giveaway!
Author: 
Recipe type: Breakfast and Snacks
 
Rich isn’t the only one who loves the supercharged vitality he experiences from eating these nutritious homemade bars – our kids devour them as a healthy alternative to processed store bought varieties. Power packed with healthy ingredients like nuts, seeds, coconut and dried berries that boast a plentitude of protein, healthy fats and fiber, these energy boosters will keep your engine revving all day long. Great for packing in your child’s lunchbox! Eat one of these bars and then, as Rich says, get it done.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup raw almonds or walnuts, soaked overnight
  • ¼ cup cacao nibs
  • ¼ cup hemp seeds
  • ¼ cup dried goji berries
  • 2 tablespoon cacao powder
  • ¼ cup coconut, shredded
  • Pinch large coarse Celtic sea salt
  • 7-8 dates, soaked and pitted
Instructions
  1. In a food processor, pulse nuts until mealy in texture.
  2. Now add the cacao nibs, hemp seeds, goji berries, cacao powder, shredded coconut and sea salt to the processor. Pulse again until ingredients are well-incorporated.
  3. With the motor running, add one date at a time. After seven dates, you will see the mixture ball-up on one side of the bowl. You may need to redistribute the mixture and process it again to make sure the dates are mixed in.
  4. On a piece of parchment paper, press the cookies in an even layer about ¼” thick.
  5. With a knife, score out a grid of rectangular shaped pieces approximately 2” x 3”. If desired, press additional hemp seeds or shredded coconut on the surface.
  6. Wrap in parchment paper or parchment bags. Take them out on a trail run, hike or bike ride to sustain you throughout your training session!

Avery Books has been generous enough to give me a copy of this book for a giveaway! The giveaway is open to US residents only and will run through 11:59pm on 5/8/15. Please use the box below to enter.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED =)

CONRATS TO HOLLY EDWARDS ON WINNING A COPY OF THE PLANTPOWER WAY!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!

 

xoxo,

Jennifer

Reprinted from The Plantpower Way by arrangement with Avery Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2015, Rich Roll & Julie Piatt

 

Sunwarrior Spring Detox Smoothie Bowl

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Sunwarrior Spring Detox Smoothie BowlSpring is here and if you are like me, you are ready for some beautiful, fresh looking food that fits well with sunshine and soft breezes. I want to thank the beautiful weather we are having for inspiring this smoothie bowl.

Sometimes it is difficult for my mornings meals to be as balanced as I would like. I am constantly running from the minute I wake up during the week, so I might grab a piece of toast with hummus and my cup of coffee and go! When the weekend comes and I have some more time to get some creative and healthy foods on the table I am one happy momma.

I didn’t know what to expect from my 7, 5 and 22 month old when I changed it up from our regular old smoothie and presented them with this smoothie bowl. But, they absolutely loved it, ate it up, and asked for more. They loved being able to pick and choose their own toppings and decorate their smoothie bowl, so that was a bonus! Anytime they can take ownership of the food they are eating is a win-win situation at our house.

 

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I want to thank the good people over at Sunwarrior for supplying me with their fabulous products to take this smoothie bowl up a notch. I added some of their raw, vegan, sprouted and fermented vanilla protein and raw supergreens. I love getting some extra health benefits out of my meals especially when I am feeding them to my children.

I love that smoothie bowls give us a fresh new way to enjoy our smoothies and they are so beautiful to look at, don’t you think so? I just feel good eating these types of meals and also feeding them to my family.

If you start out your day with a healthy breakfast like this one, it will give you energy, satisfy your appetite, and set the stage for an amazing day!

4.7 from 7 reviews
Print
Sunwarrior Spring Detox Smoothie Bowl
Serves: 2-3
 
Spring into wellness with this delicious protein and superfood smoothie bowl to start your day.
Ingredients
For the smoothie:
  • 2 frozen bananas
  • ½ cup frozen diced pineapple
  • 1 packet Sunwarrior Classic Vanilla Protein
  • 1 packet Sunwarrior Ormus SuperGreens
  • ½-3/4 cup non-dairy milk of choice or coconut water
Topping Ideas:
  • Fresh Fruit
  • Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
  • Granola
  • Goji Berries
  • Seeds
Instructions
  1. Add all smoothie ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
  2. Transfer to a bowl, and top with your favorite toppings! Enjoy!

Have you ever tried a smoothie bowl before? What’s your favorite smoothie to make?

xoxo,

Jennifer

Pure Voice: Ellie Bedford

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ellie (1 of 1)Welcome to the first edition of “Pure Voice”! I could not think of a better person to start this exciting new section of Pure Thyme than with the beautiful and talented Ellie Bedford. I was first introduced to Ellie, when she reached out to me about an amazing children’s recipe book she was creating with her sister Sabrina Bedford, “How to Eat a Rainbow: Magical Raw Vegan Recipes for Kids”.

This is a magical themed healthy children’s recipe book that promotes a balanced whole foods diet. This book is filled with creative, delicious recipes and it is beautifully illustrated. If you have children you must have this one in your repertoire. It really gets kids excited about healthy eating! My own children adore this book and love to make the recipes with me in our kitchen.

How to Eat a Rainbow - Magical Raw Vegan Recipes for Kids!Even though I have never met Ellie in person-and I sure hope to one day-we had an instant connection. We both are mothers of young children and have a passion for serving up healthy creations to our family. You can find Ellie working with children and teaming up with schools and youth organizations teaching about healthy eating habits, and running raw food workshops in England. She is also the author of two children’s recipe books, ‘How to Eat a Rainbow: Magical Raw Vegan Recipes for Kids‘ and ‘The Superdrink Handbook for Kids!‘

Today I am featuring a recipe from her new book “The Superdrink Handbook for Kids!”  This book features twenty exciting refined sugar-free and vegan recipes that kids will love and that will make a wonderful addition to adult diets as well.

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When I started my new blog, I wanted this to be a place where the people I meet through my journey can come share their story and help inspire us to find balance in our lives. I have been so hard on myself in the past and have worked to find “my balance” and I want to know how you find yours.

Now take it away Ellie!

Pure Voice

As a home educating Mum of two girls, and somebody who works from home, I have to admit that keeping balance in my life is something I struggle with. Being a Mum in the 21st Century has its challenges. It’s very common now to be raising our children, taxiing them around to activities, while running a household and working a paid job; and it is easy to feel that sometimes, there just isn’t enough of us to go round. While the kitchen is often a sanctuary for me, and a place to express my creative side, cooking also brings with it some challenges. I truly believe in the health-giving power of whole-foods, but there aren’t many short cuts when it comes to preparing this kind of food, and it demands a lot of my time. The smell of burning beans is (unfortunately) a frequent aroma in our household. When I’ve been deep in a project with the girls, or writing an article, and become so engrossed in it, the beans that I’d lovingly soaked the night before, and put on to simmer are quickly forgotten and far from my mind!

I have moments when I envy the housewife of the 1950’s, it seemed so much simpler then. Being able to walk to the local shops which are now all but gone, rather than struggling with busy traffic and finding that elusive parking space when you need to pop out to buy something. Imagine a time without mobile phones and email too, without being on call 24/7 and when you could really live in the moment. It was a slower pace that I often wish we still had. But of course, we are super lucky now in many ways that we just weren’t then, and so the world re-establishes its own natural balance.

For me keeping in balance means taking a break from the home and all the work that comes with it. Our home is the focal point of all we do – educating, working, cooking, cleaning, it all happens here. And while I do feel very lucky that I get this time at home when so many people don’t, I truly do need that space away too – sometimes you need some distance to appreciate what you have. It also gives me time to reflect and just be, and to enjoy quality time with the family, without having to stare at that pile of dishes in the sink.

With a background in archaeology and a lifelong passion for history, I love to escape with the family to historic houses and gardens. I enjoy walking in the beautiful grounds, exploring the different rooms of the houses, and taking in the atmosphere. Sometimes you can just imagine what it was like there all those years ago, in a time when life was slower paced. From simple Tudor family homes to18th century mansions or crumbling castles, you name it I love them all, I am a total history geek. Luckily for me, so is my husband and our girls!

So that’s where you’ll find us most weekends, exploring the past, chatting to historians about infamous characters that once inhabited the houses, uncovering long ago stories of love and bravery, browsing the gift-shops and enjoying that cup of tea in the café that I haven’t had to make myself. For me this is heaven, and it helps keep me balanced – mostly, I’m a work in progress!

This is a recipe for Nicey Spicey Hot Chocolate from Ellie’s book, “The Superdrink Handbook for Kids!”. It was a hit in our home!

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Nicey Spicey Chocolate
Author: 
Recipe type: Drinks
Cuisine: Raw Foods
 
A rich chocolate drink inspired by the Maya, a true drink of the gods. This chocolate drink has an extra vitamin and nutrient boost from the rose-hip powder.
Ingredients
  • 750 ml/26 fl. oz. cashew or coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp. arrowroot flour or purple corn flour
  • 2 tbsp. raw cacao powder
  • 1-2 tsp rose hip powder*
  • ¼ tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of ground cayenne (optional)
  • Pinch of Himalayan salt
  • Seeds of one vanilla pod
  • 1 tsp cacao butter or coconut oil
  • 2-3 tbsp. maple syrup
  • Goji berries for topping
  • 2 tbsp. cashew cream for topping (optional)
Instructions
  1. Make a paste with the flour, cacao, rose hip and arrowroot/purple corn and 4 tbsp of the milk.
  2. Heat the rest of the milk in a pan with the maple syrup, cacao butter, vanilla seeds, salt and cinnamon.
  3. When it starts to simmer, add the paste and whisk until well combined.
  4. Cook on low heat for around 10 minutes until thickened.
  5. Pour into mugs and top with a few goji berries. If you fancy, serve with a spoonful of cashew cream.
Notes
Star Local Ingredient! This grows abundantly in the wild and is easily recognized, harvested and turned into super vitamin C rich rose-hip powder. Always work with somebody who is familiar with wild foods before harvesting anything from the wild and be sure not include the seeds in the powder!

Thank you Ellie for sharing your story and recipe with us! You are truly inspiring!

You an connect with Ellie here:

website: http://www.elliebedford.com/

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ellies-Recipes/343445219195385

twitter: https://twitter.com/elliesrecipes

pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/elliebed/

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN CONTRIBUTING YOUR STORY, PLEASE VISIT “PURE VOICE” FOR MORE DETAILS.

Thumbprint Cookies (Plant-based and Gluten-Free)

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Thumbprint Cookies (vegan and gluten-free)

Post #2 and it’s another cookie recipe, and why the heck not? My kids love cookies and it’s so fun to make them together – it’s all about building fabulous memories in the kitchen with my family! And these cookies….they are just fresh and flavorful, a lovely little cookie that is like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the form of a cookie. To be enjoyed with a big glass of milk – milk moustache optional.

But, let’s talk about this new gluten-free flour I used: Otto’s Natural’s Cassava Flour. I’m so happy that the good folks over there let me try it out.

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Cassava, also known as yuca, is a delicious root vegetable that becomes the perfect alternative for wheat when dried and ground. It’s nutritious and easier to digest, plus it’s a gluten-free, grain-free, and nut-free flour with the taste and texture of wheat! You can read more about Otto’s Cassava flour on their website as well as some other recipes to try out.

I have had some serious disasters in the kitchen using gluten-free flours and I can say that this flour was so easy to use and really did bake just like wheat flour. I’m impressed!

Thumbprint Cookies (vegan and gluten-free)

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Thumbprint Cookies (Vegan + Gluten-Free) made with Cassava Flour
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 18 cookies
 
A vegan and gluten-free thumbprint cookie that is so simple to make. Full of flavor and protein, with just the hint of natural sweetness. Get yourself a big glass of milk and enjoy!
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
  • ½ cup coconut palm sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup Otto's Naturals Cassava Flour, sifted
  • ½ cup jam of choice (I used half blueberry and half strawberry)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or non-stick baking mat.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together the flaxseed and 3 tablespoons water and set aside for 5 minutes to thicken.
  3. In large bowl, cream together the first 7 ingredients with a hand mixer. Blend until smooth.
  4. Add the sifted cassava flour to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
  5. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of dough on the prepared baking sheet and make a large thumbprint in the center of each cookies. Add 1 teaspoon of jam into each well.
  6. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
Notes
Make sure you use a very creamy peanut butter or these will be too dry.

Are you excited to try Otto’s Naturals Cassava Flour?


So there it is, posting on my new blog has been so much fun and I can’t wait to share more with you all! The first installment of “Pure Voice” is coming this week so look out for it. =)

Enjoy!

Jennifer

Welcome to Pure Thyme!

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Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan) So what does a girl plan to post on her new blog for the first time? Chocolate Chip Cookies of course!!! Duh! =) Welcome to my new blog – Pure Thyme! Nourish your body with pure food, that is simple and delicious. Find inspiration to have fun, live well, find balance and embrace a more holistic life. I’m super excited to finally get this up and running. I have some really exciting things planned for this place. I can’t wait to see it evolve as I share my adventures in cooking, family life and holistic living. So, how about these cookies? These chewy, scrumptious chocolate chip cookies. They took some tweaking, but I now have my own chocolate chip cookie recipe to add to our family cookbook. They are a new family favorite, so try them for yourself and let us know what you think! You really can’t have enough chocolate chip cookie recipes! Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan)

5.0 from 3 reviews
Print
Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan)
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 20 Cookies
 
A super easy chocolate chip cookie recipe that is made with spelt flour. These cookies are lightly sweetened with maple syrup and organic unrefined brown sugar. These cookies will brighten up your day with just one bite.
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
  • 1¼ cups sifted spelt four
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 3 tablespoon organic light brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
  • ⅓ cup grain sweetened or vegan dark chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or non-stick baking mat.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together the flaxseed and 3 tablespoons water and set aside for 5 minutes to thicken.
  3. In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix well.
  4. In separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients, stir until well mixed.
  5. Add the dry mixture to the wet and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
  6. Place spoonfuls of dough (about 1 tablespoon) on the prepared baking sheet and flatten. Bake 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan)

Please visit the “Pure Me” section where I explain more on why and how this new blog came to be. I will be revisiting my recipes from Virtually Vegan Mama and reposting them here, but expect a lot of new content! Please subscribe to the new blog, follow this link.  You do not want to miss out on all the fun stuff I have planned here! Oh and please leave a comment and tell me what you think of the new blog!

xoxo,

Jennifer

Snowball Cookies

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We need cookies around here. Flavorful, fun and delicious holiday cookies that I can make with my family year after year. So, here we go! I love snowball cookies and this vegan version is super easy to make and delicious! These cookies have a perfect, soft, crunchy texture with just the right amount of pecans and orange flavor. These can easily be made gluten-free by substituting the flour for your gluten-free flour of choice too. =) My secret ingredient that made these cookies go from great to WOW, was the addition of orange essential oil. What, you say? Essential oils in cooking? Yep! Yep! Yep! I was a bit skeptical at first, but holy smokes! These cookies are bursting with the most amazing hint of fresh, pure orange flavor. It’s very subtle and just the right amount.

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Orange essential oil has plenty of awesome benefits beside making these cookies burst with flavor. Did you know that orange essential oil can be helpful to colicky babies and help them to sleep and it’s scent is uplifting, can boost immunity and induces relaxation. As a mom of three, I need everything I can to help me relax! Back to these amazing cookies. Can you be in love with a cookie? I think I most definitely am!

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Print
Snowball Cookies
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 24 cookies
 
These cookies have a perfect, soft, crunchy texture with just the right amount of pecans and orange flavor.
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar, plus more for rolling
  • 1 cup Vegan Butter, softened
  • 3-5 drops orange essential oil
  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • ½ cups finely chopped pecans (pulse through a food processor until finely ground if you have one)
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 325°F.
  2. Combine butter and powdered sugar in bowl. Beat at low-speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until well mixed. Add orange essential oil and stir well. Start with three drops and add more to taste.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour and pecans.
  4. Combine all ingredients to form a dough.
  5. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 18-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar while still warm and again when once cool.
Notes
This made 24 snowballs, but you can get more if you make smaller ones.

If you would like to learn more about essential oils, click here.

The possibilities and options available to you and your health with the use of essential oils is so exciting to me. It is my passion to help others find natural solutions and options to support their own health. Please join my private facebook group to learn more HERE. You can always contact me directly to learn more virtuallyveganmama@gmail.com Enjoy!

xoxo,

Jennifer

Cocozia Coconut Water Review and Recipe

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I was lucky enough to receive Cocozia Organic Coconut Water to review for my lovely readers. I use coconut water almost every time I make a smoothie or juice to boost my potassium and aid in hydration. Cocozia Coconut Water is 100% Organic , contains no pulp, no added sugar, no preservatives, and is not from concentrate. Cocozia is NON GMO verified, gluten-free, vegan and kosher. I found it to have a great taste, totally fresh and pure, I can actually enjoy this straight out of the container, unlike some other brands I have tried. I definitely recommend this one to try if you love coconut water!

I also love the added convenience of being able to order a case of twelve delivered to my door with my Amazon Prime membership. That way I always have it on hand and it’s one less item I have to carry home from the grocery store!

Enjoy this energizing juice to start out your morning for a vitamin and mineral boost. The added coconut water hydrates your body, contains a natural abundance of potassium and magnesium, as well as other electrolytes. This would be a great post-workout juice!

 

 

Print
Beet Blaster
Author: 
Recipe type: Juice
Serves: 1-2 servings
 
Ingredients
  • 2 raw beets, halved
  • 2 clementines, peeled
  • 1 apple, halved
  • knob of fresh ginger
  • 1 cup chilled Cocozia Coconut Water
Instructions
  1. Feed the beets, clementines, apple and ginger through a juicer. Pour into a glass, add the coconut water, stir and serve

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Jennifer

Look what I’ve found at Minted!

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Sometimes I slack when it comes to ordering my Holiday cards and sometimes I am on it and they are done so early I’m really proud of myself. I wish I could more every year, but I’m not! It’s okay I’m late this year because I was introduced to Minted, the online marketplace of independent designers (minted.com). Have you heard of it?  Have you used their services before? I’m pretty excited to give them a whirl because I LOVE what they are all about!

Minted believes that great design lives and thrives in the hands of independent artists that people do not have access to through traditional retailers. Minted uses technology to allow consumers to discover great creative talent, making Minted a place where artists can learn, gain exposure, and build their businesses. And they are not just stationary. They offer an Art Marketplace, Fabrics and Home Décor too. They even have a great blog called Julep that is loaded with inspiration. Now if that isn’t awesome, I don’t know what is!

I already have the picture of my beautiful kiddos picked out, so maybe you can help me choose from the following gorgeous designs so I can get these ordered and shipped out! I can’t decide, so I need the help of my dear readers!

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Okay, here are my choices…sorry for the small pics! Minted let’s you add a picture and it puts it on every holiday card so you can scroll through and chose, but I could only add small pics to this post!

 

 

 

I could have added more, because almost all of them looked great! But, I had to narrow it down to these six. Which one do you like the best?

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Happy Holiday Card Shopping at Minted!!

xoxo,

Jennifer

 

 

 

 

 

Vegan Lifestyle Magazine and the Winner of Vegan Slow Cooker for Beginners Cook Book

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Today I wanted to introduce you to a new AMAZING digital monthly magazine called Vegan Lifestyle Magazine.

Whether you are vegan, vegetarian, raw foodie or just looking to get healthy, Vegan Lifestyle Magazine will provide you with all the information you need to live a kind, gentle, and healthy life.

This magazine is colorful and informative, providing amazing, beautiful raw and vegan recipes from the quick-and-easy to gourmet. The magazine showcases videos, articles, news, vegan clothing and accessories, personal care, gardening, pet care, and of course travel.

I’m excited to share that in the current issue of Vegan Lifestyle Magazine, my recipe for Portobello Wellington is featured on page 79.

portwelli

 

As I recently felt utterly defeated in maintaining this blog, it was nice to get this awesome feature. Getting published is a great honor and I’m proud to share this great news. Virtually Vegan Mama will be staying around and you can expect some new and exciting things in the near future. Thank you for all the wonderful emails and comments I received, you guys rock!!!

You can subscribe to the magazine HERE

Monthly Subscription U.S $3.99

Single Issue Price U.S $4.99

Annual Subscription U.S $32.99
You can also find Vegan Lifestyle Magazine on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Definitely give them a *Like* and a *Follow* to spread the word! Thanks!
Now for the winner of Vegan Slow Cooker for Beginners:
  VSLWinnerCongratulations to Rachel who won the giveaway and thanks to all who entered. I will definitely continue to share giveaways as well, I love reviewing products and cook books.
For some reason my review of Neat Foods did not get delivered through email so please go check out the review and recipe HERE.
It’s a delicious meat substitute made of all natural ingredients, easy to prepare and versatile. If you can’t find it at a store near you, it can be purchased on their website Neat Foods or on Amazon.com links below.
Have an AMAZING day!
XOXO,
Jen

Vegan Slow Cooker for Beginners Cookbook Giveaway

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Vegan Slow Cooker for Beginners (Rockbridge Press) will take the time and frustration out of cooking vegan at home. This cookbook has 150 easy and delcious vegan slow cooker meals perfect for the busy vegan.

This is a great starter book for creating hearty vegan slow cooker meals. There are recipes for breakfast, snacks, sides, appetizers, soups, stews/chilies, beans/grains and vegetables.

Vegan crowd-pleasers, such as Black Bean Breakfast Burritos, Vegan Eggplant Parmesan, and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cake – this cookbook has it all!

I had to offer up this wonderful chili recipe for the giveaway today. It is Superbowl weekend – if you didn’t know – and who isn’t looking for a chili recipe to serve at a party? I know I am!

This is a super easy chili to make, it took no time at all to throw all the ingredients into the slow cooker and hit the timer. It’s cooking now and it smells delicious! So, make it today for Superbowl because chili is ALWAYS better the next day.

Black Bean and Chipotle Pepper Chili

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Black Bean and Chipotle Pepper Stew/Chili
Author: 
Recipe type: Stew/Chili
Serves: 6-8
 
Chipotle Peppers are ripe red jalapeno peppers that have been smoked and dried. Chipotle literally means "smoked chili." The vast majority of these peppers come from Chihuahua, a state in northern Mexico
Ingredients
  • 4 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 3 cups vegetable stock
  • ¾ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 large red onion, diced
  • 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 or 2 chipotle peppers
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
  • Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
  • Diced avocado, optional
Instructions
  1. Combine the beans, tomatoes with their juices, vegetable stock, quinoa, onion, green and red bell peppers, garlic, and chipotle peppers in the slow cooker.
  2. Stir in the chili powder, coriander, cinnamon, sea salt, and black pepper.
  3. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
  4. Removed the chipotle peppers
  5. Ladle the stew into bowls, garnish with the fresh cilantro, and serve hot with diced avocado, if desired.
Notes
I diced the chipotle peppers and did not remove them. I also cooked the quinoa separate. Reheat the quinoa when ready to serve the stew/chili and stirred it into each serving.

***** This Giveaway is now closed ******

And now for the GIVEAWAY and Good Luck!

To enter the contest, leave a comment sharing some of your favorite Superbowl recipe.

Don’t forget to leave your contact information so I can let you know if you win. =)

BONUS ENTRIES

You MUST leave each entry as a SEPARATE comment or only one comment will count.

  • Like Virtually Vegan Mama on Facebook and leave a comment on my wall.
  • Subscribe to Virtually Vegan Mama
  • Follow Virtually Vegan Mama on Twitter
  • Follow Virtually Vegan Mama on Pinterest
  • Tweet about this giveaway and tell me that you tweeted in the comments section; “I just entered to win Vegan Slow Cooker for Beginners! @virtveganmama”
  • Share this giveaway on your Facebook Page and tell me that you did so in the comments section
  • Pin it

All entries must be completed no later than Saturday, February 8, 2014,  at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Winner will be announced on Sunday, February 9th, 2014, on my blog, and the winner will also be notified via the email address they provided in the comments section.

Giveaway open to U.S. and Canada residents only. =)

Good Luck!

xoxo,

Jen

Can’t wait and you need this book now. Well, don’t fret, you can buy it here: Vegan Slow Cooker for Beginners