Phoenix Recommendations | 2019

I had a great time in Phoenix, and will be happy to return. I always look for others blogs to find recommendations when traveling to somewhere new, so when I can add my own little recap or recommendation to a city I’ve been I like to. 

So today I want to share my favorites in three categories: coffeeshops, food and hikes in and around the Phoenix area. 

But I was only here for two separate two week periods, so like a month in total. So I couldn’t make it to all the different places there is, and I guarantee I missed quite a few cool places. 

Coffee — Michael and I work a lot from coffeeshops when we’re traveling and we usually find a few that we keep returning to. 

+ Songbird — when we came down to check Phoenix out we went almost every day to get coffee here and work. It’s in an old house, has a great vibe and yummy chia seed pudding. 

+ Schmooze — probably my favorite place overall to work from. It’s in Scottsdale and is literally a workspace cafe, so you’re not going to get any dirty looks for pulling out your laptop to get some work done. 

+ Be coffee + Food + Stuff — only went here for coffee once but it was such a neat space. I would love to host an event there. 

+ Ollie Vaughns — this was the coffeeshop around the block from the first place we stayed during our last trip and we went here quite often to work. They have really reasonably priced avocado toast and for that I’m a fan. 

Food — We tried to cook some meals at the places we were staying but there are so many great veg options here. 

+ Vegan House — if you like Thai food and are veg this is a great place. They’ve got the classics as well as some different combination as well. Plus the people who work here are super sweet. 

+ Simon’s Columbian Hotdogs — this is one of my favorite places we ate. We would go here for lunch after working the morning away at Schmooze. They have vegan hot dogs, coleslaw and all those things you can’t have at grandmas anymore. 

+ Shady Park — I have had a hankering for ramen, and this hits the spot. So often it’s hard to find vegan ramen because of the broth, and I’m not a fan of having a bunch of extras in my ramen. I literally just want the broth and a pile of noodles. And this place delivers!

+ The Coronado — Everyone loves this place. I appreciate it for their vegan biscuits and gravy. I’ve gone there three times and that’s what I got every single time. 

+ Ikes Sandwiches — the Handsome Owl was my favorite. If you want an easy delicious vegan sub this is your place. Plus they give you a sucker with your sandwich, what’s not to love.

+ The Cutting Board — this is a random one we went to twice while we were staying with Michael’s parents out in Mesa. Simple, vegan and delicious. I had their biscuits and gravy and a burrito or something like that another time. 

Hikes — one of the biggest factors that drew me to spending our time in Phoenix. 

+ Flat Iron via Siphon Draw — My favorite hike here by far. It was challenging, but doable. We tried it once but didn’t give ourselves enough time so we came back with friends and tackled it. And it’s one that you feel super accomplished when you make it to the top. 

+ Jacobs Crosscut (and anything at Lost Dutchman) — this one was great for a little trail running, or a leisurely stroll. You’ve got a beautiful mountain backdrop as you wind through a desert wonderland. 

+ Cholla Trail on Camelback — Camelback is a popular hike, but one worth doing. Michael took us up the Cholla trail, which I came to find out was the more difficult path. But it was a fun, rocky challenge. 

+ South Mountain — Michael’s cousin took us on a hike here while we were visiting, and its a nice quiet place to go on a hike. 

And there we have it, a handful of my favorites from our time in Phoenix. 

Spring Additions to My Diet

I recently wrote a blog post about how my diet changes with the seasons, just with what’s available and what I feel like when it’s cold vs. hot outside. 

We’ve finally just slipped into summer officially, even though it’s felt like summer most of the spring here in Iowa anyway. 

Today I wanted to share some of the things that I added into my days these past few months. I know it will change more over the summer, but I always think it’s interesting to look at and share. 

So the first one, and the biggest change is probably fruit. I am a huge fruit fan, but it seems the only thing available in the winter is apples, which are fine. They’re good with peanut butter and on their own, but too much of anything gets old. 

Lately I’ve been really craving and enjoying mangoes and watermelon, as well as different berries (blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries). 

Fruit makes for a great addition to meals and is a great snack on their own. 

Now that the weather is nicer we’ve been going over to one of our friend's houses, as well as Michael’s parents to grill out and sit on the porch to enjoy the nice weather. 

Our favorite go-to thing to grill is definitely the vegan beer brats from Tofurkey. I mean I like veggie patties too, but I ate so many of those over the winter that it’s been good to have something different to eat. 

And it’s nice to still “participate” in things like grilling or a BBQ even though people don’t think plant-based people can. 

One of my favorite summer dishes, even though it’s really just a side dish is this chip dip that I make. It has everything from avocados, onions, black beans, corn, hot peppers, tomatoes and any other veggies you want to add. I season it up, and then have to keep myself from eating the whole bowl I’ve just made. 

It’s also a fan favorite for any type of potluck or "bring your own dish" sort of event. 

Finally, I love trying new recipes, and I’ve been really loving all of the recipes I’ve tried from Ellen Fisher’s eBook “Epic Vegan Food”. She’s one of those healthy vegans (aka doesn’t eat vegan processed junk food), so you know anything from her is really good for you. 

Not to mention her family is the cutest. 

I’ve been loving her Pad Thai recipe. I’ve only made it twice so far, but the sauce makes it so much better than other versions I’ve tried. The Pad Thai noodles seem to soak up all the juice and moisture so if you don’t have enough in your dish then it gets too dry. 

Other recipes from her book that I’ve enjoyed are her Creamy Kraut Salad and her Lentil Curry. 

And we can’t forget about her vegan nacho cheese recipe, which I’ve made and ate way too much of. She shares the recipe for this in a video of hers. 

I know that’s not a huge change or a ton of new recipes, but my diet doesn’t change too too much. I just slowly crave more and more fresh foods as the weather gets warmer. 

What have been some of your favorite recipes this season? 

How My Diet Changes From Winter to Summer

While there are plenty of foods that I eat year round, my diet definitely changes with the seasons. Not necessarily through each of the four seasons, but from the warm months to the cold months. 

I shared this winter what I was eating, and so I thought it would be interesting to share how it’s changing once again now that the weather has gotten warmer (much warmer at the moment). 

I go from eating much heavier meals in the winter to much lighter meals in the summer. I crave those comfort foods of pastas, breads, and rice dishes when it’s cold out, but when it’s summer I want fresh and light things.

While I’m still cooking plenty of meals, I mean, I do love a good cooked meal, I’m adding back in fresh dishes like salads and such. (For some reason I don’t gravitate towards salad in the winter). And I get back into smoothies when it gets hot out. I love a good smoothie in the morning or post workout, but since I’m a cold being I just can’t do them when it’s freezing out or I’ll never warm back up (even if i’m inside, wrapped in a blanket with gloves and hat on).

I eat smaller, more frequent meals in the summer, grabbing plenty of snacks in between. During the winter I often have two larger meals and possibly a snack at some point throughout the day.

And another thing that’s changed in the past month is I’ve started dabbling in meal prepping. I went all in the first time I tried it, spent hours cooking, portioning, seasoning and putting into the fridge. I had multiple options for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in between. 

I’ve also done it where I created 4-5 portions each of two different meals for lunch and dinner, and then made a bigger batch of oatmeal for breakfast to last the week. 

Meal prepping surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. You get such a sense of accomplishment when your fridge is full of meals ready to go, and it makes life so much easier when you can just grab, heat and eat. 

This past grocery trip I bought much more fruit than normal, mostly for snacking. I love a good bit of fresh fruit to snack on. I got blueberries, strawberries, watermelon and mango. I also bought kale and romaine for salad dishes and possibly raw tacos. 

The difference between fresh meals and cooked meals is I don’t like meal prepping the fresh meals because I think they can get a bit soggy or wilted by the time I go to eat them. 

I’ve also got the remaining bits of heavier foods to finish up from the winter like a bag of rice (I’m so close to finishing that 25 lbs!), or there’s still some ingredients that are still appealing to me like potatoes that I’ve still got in stock for things like vegan cheese (drool). 

I wish I could eat more frequent, lighter, fresher meals throughout the seasons because that is definitely when I flourish. But I don’t reach for salads when it’s cold, not to mention it’s hard to get your hands on things like fruit and avocados in the winter. 

I’m never too hard on myself when it comes to eating with the seasons and what I find myself reaching for. I just try to make sure I am getting in fresh fruits and veggies here and there. And at the end of the day if I can stay mostly away from processed foods I know I’ll feel just find, regardless of the meals I’m making.

How does your diet change from the cold to warm months? What are some dishes you’re excited to start making again? 

My Period is a Morning Person

I’m not here to brag, even though it kind of feels like that. 

I just want to share something positive about my period. So here we go. 

My period is very polite in her arrival, and what I mean by this is I never seem to start my period in the middle of the day or the middle of the night. 

It always starts first thing in the morning when I go to the bathroom.

It’s like it waits for me to wake up, walk to the bathroom and to sit down to do my business, and then she’s like “Oh hello, good we can begin." 

And each time I’m like oh hello, thank you so much for being so patient and freaking polite. 

But just because it starts so easy doesn’t mean I don’t have my difficulties with my period. 

I still get cramps which require me to plug in my heating pad and take hot baths to soothe. 

I still leak and bleed through things, a lot. 

I still get tired, and emotional. 

But my period is a breeze compared to what it used to be. And I have a few things to thank. 

+ Going vegan — I truly believe diet has so much to do with how well your body functions. And I think going vegan played a huge role in lightening up my periods, calming the PMS and all that jazz. 

+ Getting off hormonal birth control and learning about my body — Yup, finally understanding how and why my body does different things made life so much easier. I felt empowered by this knowledge. 

+ Switching to menstrual cups and period underwear — Getting all the irritants that come with disposable products away from my vagina made everyone involved just so much happier. 

So you may be thinking “Screw her and her perfect period” but I’m here to share that even though it’s such a chill period I still have period problems. But also know that it hasn’t always been this easy and that if you have a period you’re not happy with it doesn’t have to be like that. 

I’m not saying what worked for me will work for you, or that there’s a right or wrong way to deal with cycle issues. I just want to encourage you to keep searching for your solution because I truly believe it is out there. 

What is something you’ve done that’s improved your period or cycle? 

Intuitive Eating + Listening to Your Body

I just made a video this week about my five year anniversary of going vegan, which includes how it’s changed over the years for me. 

But I think one of the most amazing things I’ve learned, now that I know everything I can eat and what makes me feel the best, is how to listen to my body and what it needs/wants. 

There’s a place for treats and junk food just like there is a place for nourishing meals filled with fresh veggies and fruit. 

What I eat changes with the seasons and what’s available. 

I eat a bit heavier, with more cooked meals, during the colder months, and lighter, more fresh meals when it’s warm out. 

And I think that’s one of my favorite things about being vegan/plant-based. I can eat whatever I want and not have to worry about calories or any of that. I can just eat what my body wants and not worry about it. 

Yes, I’m blessed with a fast metabolism, but that didn’t stop me from getting clogged up and bogged down when I ate a Standard American Diet. Not to mention being almost 20 pounds heavier than I am now when I lived in Thailand. I wasn't veg then, and I drank pretty regularly, but not excessively.  

But now I’m conscious of what I eat, I know what makes me feel good and what weighs me down. 

I know you hear it all the time but it’s about balance. If I go a few days eating heavier, more processed stuff I find myself really craving/needing something fresh and light and that’s what I eat. 

I think it’s so important to listen to your body and to recognize what makes you feel good. 

I’m not a fan of food journals unless it’s to track what you’re eating and how that’s making you feel in order to discover some sore of digestive irritant. 

This is how I originally realized it was meat that was causing all my digestive woes. 

Seriously, I used to only go number two once a week. Once a week! That is insane for me to think about now, but that used to be my norm. I always had a stomach ache, was always tired and felt bogged down, especially after meals. 

Why it took me so long to realize that wasn’t normal, or good, baffles me. 

But now I know. I’ve put in the time to listen to my body, and I can balance the things that make me flourish and still get my fix of a little bit of junk food. 

What foods make you flourish, which make you feel not so great, and how do you find the balance between them?

Cheap, Lazy Vegan Meals

There are so many amazing, delicious vegan dishes out there that are an elaborate work of art. 

But what about when you’re not feeling cooking, and want your food now?

While there are days where I don’t mind putting in the effort to make something like pierogi, there are so many days where I just want something quick and easy. Because I’m a lazy vegan.

So, here’s some options for when it comes to making something easy, that’s not full of fancy, expensive ingredients. 

chickpea toast: I have to start here. It’s the easiest thing to make. Literally just pop in some toast. Open a can of chickpeas, drain it, microwave it for 1 minute and season it with whatever you like.

nachos: Put chips on a plate and whatever you want on top of it. I like cooking and crumbling up a veggie burger, or some black beans. And then I top it with things like tomato, onion, banana peppers, avocado, salsa, sriracha. Yum. 

salad: People think these are more complicate than they actually are. I like either kale or romaine as my base, and then I’ve been cutting up half an avocado, throwing a fork full of kraut in, along with some spices and then massaging it into the greens to soften it all up, and the avocado becomes a nice sauce. 

veggie burgers / veggie brats: These are great to have on hand for those days you just want to grab one, cook it in a skillet and throw it in a bun (or slice of bread in my case). And then you know the drill, top it with whatever you like. 

cous cous and soup: Cous cous cooks really really fast, around the same amount of time it takes to warm up a can of soup. I like to just get a box of cous cous and a can of minestrone soup, and voila, a meal. 

pasta: You can throw in some veggies or you can literally just do noodles and sauce. 

burrito: Sauté up some veggies, open up a can of beans, chop up some lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, throw in some salsa and sriracha and roll it up. 

Fries + vegan cheese sauce: This is a recent discover thanks to Ellen Fischer. It does take 30ish minutes to cook the potato fries, but I just mix them around in the pan every 10 minutes so it's not hard. Check out her video for the vegan cheese sauce recipe and get ready to drool

Smoothie: This is a summer thing for me. Throw a banana, some frozen fruit and whatever else in a blender. I love this either first thing in the morning or after a run.

Watermelon/Fruit: Another summer thing for me. I love just eating a nice spread of fruit for a smaller meal. I know some people don’t consider fruit a meal, but if you eat the right amount it totally is. And this is what I do for lunch when I want something on the lighter, fresher side. 

So, I know none of these are revolutionary. But they are so stinking easy. People think being vegan or plant-based is hard, or expensive but it doesn’t have to be. 

What are some of your go to lazy vegan meals?

Meals I've Been Eating Now That I'm Bored

I don’t know about you, but winter is a season full of comfort foods. They’re heavy, filling and not always the most healthy options. 

And while I try to eat intuitively, giving my body what it wants, it always gets to this point at the end of winter when I find myself weighed down and sick of what I’ve been eating. 

I wrote earlier this month about how I was over what I’d been eating for winter so today I wanted to share what I’ve been eating lately to balance out those heavy meals. 

I’ve been craving more light meals, fresh fruits and vegetables and basically foods that wouldn’t have me wanting a nap after I finished them. 

The easiest one is adding a salad to your day. People cringe when they’re told to eat salad. They think it’s so boring and unsatisfying. But that just means you’re doing it wrong. Sometimes I love salads full of other ingredients like tomato, onion, black beans, etc. and other times I just want a basic kale salad with a tasty dressing. 

Seriously, I’ve been craving salad that is literally just kale that I mash with some avocado, kraut, salt, pepper, balsamic and sriracha. There’s so much you can do with salad. If you’re not feeling greens try something like a cucumber salad with onion tomato, vinegar, salt pepper and a dash of oil. (There’s a ton of recipes online for this). 

Get on Pinterest and feel the inspiration!

Another thing that I’ve been craving and loving lately is fresh juices. Recently it’s been a basic combo of grapefruit and a few clementines that I needed to use up. And it is one of the most refreshing juices I’ve tasted. Juice is also a great way to squeeze more greens into your day. 

Along the line of liquids, I always find I come out of winter dehydrated and dry. When you’re feeling bogged down I think just drinking water is such a great trick. I always feel so much better when I’m adequately hydrated. 

But plain ol’ water can get boring. If I’m chilly I’ll make a cup of herbal tea, but now that it’s warming up I’ve been loving this light lemonade I’ve been making, and it’s so easy. Just squeeze a bit of lemon or lime into a glass of water, and mix in a bit of honey or maple syrup. You’ll be slurping that down easy. 

I’ve been avoiding pasta, potatoes, and too much bread, which were all staples in my winter diet. So many potatoes. 

Instead, I’ve been really loving rice dishes. Curries, veggie bowls, you name it. There are so many amazing recipes to try.

Last week I made a buddha bowl with roasted chickpeas that was on point. And I also made these to die for veggie rice bowls with my sister. 

Really, I’ve just been trying to listen to my body and what it wants. What are some of your favorite spring recipes to shake off the winter blues? 

I'm Bored With My Winter Meals

I wrote last week about how I was over winter and ready for spring to come. 

The same goes with my eating habits. I eat many more “comfort foods” or meals in the winter.

I’m not sure why, but I’m not super into eating fresh veggies in the winter. I much prefer warm, cooked things. I’m a cold being in the winter, and I need to warm myself with what I eat and drink. That’s why I have a problem drinking enough water in the winter as well. 

But it’s getting to that point in the season, where we’re coming to the end of winter and I’m bored with what I’m eating. I’m over the meals I’ve been making, and I’m ready to change things up. 

I also wrote a post in January about What I’ve Been Eating This Winter if you’re curious about what some of those meals are. 

And I’m at the point where I’m not craving these filling, comfort foods. I find myself wanting fresh, light meals. 

I haven’t made the transition yet into eating this way. 

To be honest I just made a huge batch of potato and onion pierogi (so good). But I did buy kale and avocados to make a quick salad to add to my diet each day. I also try to have some sort of fruit in my house to snack on when I need a little kick of something fresh. 

I’ve got a huge bag of jasmine rice that I want nothing to do with, as well as a pretty big container of couscous that I also don’t want at the moment. I know I’ll make my way through both of those eventually in the coming months, but for now, no thanks. 

I’m over bagels and oatmeal. I’m nearly over potatoes. All those heavy things I craved, hold little desire for me right now. 

I’m ready for it to get warm so I can have smoothies for breakfast, salads for lunch, and don’t even get me started on watermelon. Could I eat these things in the winter? Yes, but like I mentioned before I’m a cold person in the winter and would be miserable drinking a smoothie in the morning. 

I need to spice it up with the meals I’m making (obviously, duh). So if you have any favorite meals, share them! I also just need to get on Pinterest and do a little meal hunting. 

My Diet + My Period

There’s no one size fits all approach to diet and menstruation. Different foods react differently person to person. And it takes a little trial and error to find your sweet spot. 

I started educating myself about nutrition my last year of college. I was having a lot of digestive issues, where I almost constantly had a stomach ache, that got worse after I ate, not to mention I would get quite bloated as well as only have a single bowel movement a week. Yeah, not good. 

Through education as well as adding and subtracting different things from my diet I have found I feel my absolute best with a balanced diet of whole plant based foods. The less processed I eat, the better I feel. 

Not only has this revolutionized how I feel, but also has shined through in my menstrual cycle as well. 

I’m no where near perfect, and there are a million different ways to be “vegan” and unhealthy. And so I can tell you there’s a huge difference between a period where I focus on staying hydrated, avoiding sugar and processed foods and jam-packing my diet with as many fruits and veggies (mostly veggies) as possible, and a period where I’m eating processed foods, breads, pastas, sugars, etc. 

My diet definitely changes with the seasons (as it should due to what plants are available and in season) but you can adapt a whole foods plant based diet to any season. 

While we usually crave comfort food in the winter as well as on our periods there are so many incredible “healthy” options. I love to make giant batches of veggie soup in the winter. I try to limit my coffee intake around my period as well as the amount of sugar I'm consuming. We all hit a wall whether it’s cold and gloomy out, or if we’re going to be starting our periods. I do my best to listen to my body instead of forcing it through the day jacking myself up on coffee. 

Avoiding sugar and grabbing something refreshing like some fruit as a snack is a great afternoon pick me up. Getting outside to run some errands or get a bit of exercise are other great options to get that pep back in your step for the rest of the day. But then there are those days (and I have at least one a month) where the only answer is a 30 - 60 minute nap (guilt free). 

Obviously, if you work in a more traditional job a nap during the work day might be out of the question, but maybe a quick cat nap when you get home and before you start your evening activities is the solution for you. Or maybe it's staying in that evening and having a low key date with yourself on the couch. 

You have to listen to your body around your period. Make sure you are eating enough, drinking enough and moving enough throughout the day. 

Some of my favorite meal/snack options:

+ noodles and veggies

+ rice and veggies

+ a big, hefty salad (yes that’s a thing)

+ veggie soup

+ fruit like clementines or grapes

+ bagel with hummus 

+ oatmeal (I'm currently burnt out on this but it's an option worth including)

+ smoothie (if it’s warm out or I’ve worked out)

+ chickpea toast/sandwich (avocados are gone for the winter, and this is the next best thing)

I say this all the time and I’ll say it again, pay attention to what you’re eating and how it makes you feel afterwords. Screw counting calories, if you’re focused on eating as many whole foods as you can, then there’s no worry about calories. 

What are some of your favorite plant based meals for the colder season?

If you're curious to learn more about your cycle, hop on over to my Chart Your Cycle course and sign up for the next session. 

Not Losing Your Cycle While Training

When deciding whether to train for a marathon I knew I didn’t want to screw up my cycle , and so I knew if I was going to do this I needed to do a bit of research.

According to a few different sites, at my current pace and weight I burn around 90 calories a mile, which means:

- 3 miles = 270 calories burned 

- 5 miles = 450 calories burned 

- 10 miles = 900 calories burned

While I’ve never really tracked calories, I have been more conscious of the need for me to consume more during this little adventure I’m on. 

Now, let’s talk about why it’s important to incorporate that information into your diet. 

Turns out that when you don’t have enough fuel, your body starts choosing to support functions that are vital to survival. And would you guess it? The menstrual cycle doesn’t make that list. So, your body can shut down your cycle if there’s not enough nutrition, which results in a hormonal stress response, lowering the levels of estrogen, messing up your healthy cycle. 

When you cycle starts not showing up it’s because you don’t have the necessary energy to ovulate. 

At first you might not notice anything, but that doesn’t mean it’s not affecting you. Low estrogen affects bone loss, which means stress fractures can be the first sign that something is wrong. 

If you keep training under these conditions it’s going to affect how your recover, your energy, and your running, which seems quite detrimental doesn't it?

I have found that my body (obviously) just naturally started needing more fuel as I started running more. I’ve gone from two meals and one snack a day to three meals and two snacks a day. 

I remember to eat breakfast, to fuel up before and after runs, and I eat when I’m hungry. And I’ve been keeping an eye on my menstrual cycle. 

Because I view the cycle as the canary in the coal mine. If things head south there then I know something is up. 

Loosing your period isn’t a good thing, it shouldn’t be a moment of success or relief, or a “I’m doing this right” moment. 

If your cycle disappears you need to reassess what you’re doing. Up the calories and lower the amount of exercise. And remember it took a few months or so for this to happen so it will take a few more for it to get back in order. 

While there are certainly other factors at play, time and time again it comes back to nutrition. So if you're having issues I alway suggest starting there. 

And it should be worth noting the quality of some calories over others. Make sure you are getting enough of your nutrients for good sources. Head to the produce aisle, through in some beans, rice is always easy and great, and happy eating. 

Not to mention, coming home from a long run and being able to replenish (stuff your face) with delicious, nutritious meals. 

Happy training!

"The Kind Mama" | Book Review

My older sister is currently pregnant with what will be the first baby born in my family since my youngest brother was born…21 years ago. 

Let’s just say I’m very, very excited for that little munchkin to arrive. 

And at the same time I’ve had so many thoughts and questions popping into my head about pregnancy and birth. So, naturally I’ve turned to books. Honestly, people probably think I’m the pregnant one!

One of my favorite baby related book I’ve read so far is “The Kind Mama” by Alice Silverstone. The whole time I was reading it I found myself just shaking my head “Yes, yes!”

It was incredible how right everything she was saying felt to me.

She takes you through using a vegan diet to boost your fertility, nourish your pregnancy and heal you after birth. I found this book because I was researching books about having a vegan pregnancy because obviously that is something I want to do, but I want to do it correctly. 

She also talks about breastfeeding and kind parenting, keeping toxic chemicals and other not so good for you things away from you and your family.

Not to mention nourishing, delicious looking recipes to support you through the entire process. 

I loved how open and honest she was about everything. And on top of that how positive and loving she was. While many women are very excited to be pregnant they seem to have a very rough go at pregnancy, labor and birth. 

Reading through this book sparked so many internal questions I had about when that time comes for me. I’ve known I want to do it a certain “way”, but actually seeing the potential for what that could be was amazing.

Things like having a vegan pregnancy, natural home birth, breastfeeding, healing after birth and raising happy, healthy kiddos free of dangerous ingredients and chemicals. 

I’m definitely romanticizing motherhood, but to be honest it’s something I can’t wait for. Especially now that my sister has started her journey.

And when the time comes The Kind Mama will be one of the books I pick up to reread. 

Three Different Chickpea Sandwich Recipes

Chickpea sandwiches are one of my favorite things to make. They’re so simple, delicious and you can do so many different things with them. 

While I normally craft them from whatever leftovers I have sitting in my fridge or pantry I wanted to share three of my favorite combos with you today.  (AKA tweak these however you want).

Sweet and Spicy Chickpea Sandwich

+ 1/2 cup of chickpeas

+ 2 T dijon mustard

+ 2 T sriracha

+ salt and pepper to taste

+ 2 slices of toasted bread

+ jam/jelly

I got the inspiration for this one from a local vegetarian cafe here in Des Moines. The trick to this one is to put your favorite jam/jelly on both slices of your toasted bread. Then make your chickpea spread spicy by adding dijon mustard and sriracha (or something comparable), as well as a bit of salt and pepper to your chickpeas, heating them up and smashing them till they’re broken up but not complete mush. Put it all together and enjoy!

Spiced Chickpea Sandwich

+ 1/2 cup of chickpeas

+ 1 T dijon

+ 1 T sriracha

+ 1 T veggie broth

+ 1 T nutritional yeast

+ 1 tsp curry powder

+ 1 tsp chili powder

+ 2 T diced jalapeños 

+ 2 T diced onion

+ salt and pepper to taste

+ 2 slices of toasted bread

+ romaine, spinach or kale

+ 1 sliced tomato

I normally make my chickpea spread with quite a few spices and sauces, but you can use whatever you have in your cabinet that you like. I also use sriracha and dijon to give it flavor and help smooth it out. 

Add your spices and sauces to chickpeas, heat them, smash them, and then add onions. Top with some sort of greens (romaine, spinach or kale) and tomatoes. I like the crunch that romaine or kale gives the sandwich. 

Chickpea and Red Cabbage/Pickled Beet Sandwich

+ 1/2 cup of chickpeas

+ 1 T dijon

+ 1 T sriracha 

+ few tsps of favorite spices

+ 2 slices of toasted bread

+ 1/4 cup of pickled red cabbage and/or pickled beets

Make the spiced chickpea spread the same as the previous recipe, but the key here is topping it with pickled red cabbage or pickled beets. Trust me. 

And there you have it. As you can see I’m not one for structured recipes, but I wanted to give you an idea of some of the ways I like to play around with chickpeas in my sandwiches. 

And while I made all these recipes to make one sandwich, I usually double it and make two sandwiches. 

Some chickpea nutritional facts for you (per 1 cup):

+ 268 calories

+ 14.5 grams of protein (1/4 of my daily protein need)

+ 12.5 grams of fiber (almost 1/2 my daily need)

+ minerals — calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium

+ vitamins — K, B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B5 (pantothenic acid) B6, B9 (folate).

I wanted to share a bit of this nutritional stuff to show you how easy it is to get a variety of those different things you need day to day as a vegan/vegetarian. People always wonder, "What do you eat?" and "Where do you get your protein and calcium??" Well, one place is chickpeas. Yum!

Searching for Nutrition + Supplements For Your Cycle

Three great books on this topic:

The two I reach for most often — 

+ The Period Repair Manual, for women with things like irregular cycles, PMS, etc. “Natural treatment for better hormones and better periods"

+ Fertility, Cycles and Nutrition “self-care for improved cycles and fertility, naturally"

Where I point women with more serious menstrual issues like PCOS and Endometriosis — 

+ WomanCode “Perfect your cycle, amplify your fertility, supercharge your sex drive and become a power source” 

It was through these books that I knew I needed to start better supporting my progesterone. And I knew I could do it through food and a few supplements. 

Whenever women reach out with some sort of menstrual issue I always point them towards one of these books. One day I hope it will be within my wheelhouse to offer dietary and medical advice, but for now I feel completely confident and comfortable with my ability to point women towards different resources that will give them the information they need. 

If you’re experiencing an issue with your menstrual cycle I always suggest first digging into your diet. What are you eating? You’d be surprised to realize that even when you think you’re eating what you should be, there are certain things that could be causing your woes. Things like dairy, sugar, processed and packaged foods. 

So before you go looking for some pill to swallow to rid you of all your problems, make sure you have a solid foundation full of nutritious vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, seeds. 

And then maybe you realize you need a little extra assistance from a few, well thought out, supplements. This doesn’t mean you can let go of the focus on your diet. Nope, that needs to be and should be a lifestyle change. I went vegan almost exactly four years ago and I have been continuously learning about nutrition and improving my diet ever since. 

A book that I’m currently working my way through that I’m enjoying is The Kind Mama. It’s all about vegan nutrition, fertility, pregnancy, birth and having some cute kiddos. I think the information in this book surrounding vegan fertility is valuable to any female vegan looking to boost her menstrual cycle. And not in a “I’m ready to start popping out the babies!” sort of way. But you should reach for supercharged fertility even when you’re trying not to get pregnant because you want your body to be in its best shape possible. 

So, with a continued focus on diet and nutrition you can move into looking at possible supplements. And while there will be countless supplements that could help, you'll want to narrow it down to just a few. Which are going to have the biggest impact? Offer the most potential? 

You want to make sure you’re getting quality supplements, and in a form that your body can best absorb. This requires a bit of research but I enjoy that aspect of it. 

And if you don’t feel comfortable making these decisions yourself you can find a local naturopath near you to aid you along the way. Because sometimes there are issues we can’t figure out how to heal by ourselves. And that’s OK. 

A Fresh Juice Recipe For Each Phase of Your Menstrual Cycle

Now, I’m not promoting juice fasts, but I love making juices and thought it would be fun to look into creating a recipe to support each phase of your cycle. Obviously you can just choose to each any of these veggies and fruits fresh if you don’t feel like juicing them!

And remember fresh juice is best, not bottled juice or stuff that was juiced hours, or days ago. And if you don’t have a juicer feel free to whip up a smoothie based on these recipes as well!

Menstrual Phase Juice

My goals — nourish, rest + renew

Veggies: beet, kale

Fruits: blackberry, blueberry, grape, watermelon

I love beet, kale and watermelon, which I think would be a great combo for a juice. And I like to balance out my veggies and fruits so it’s not to sweet and not too “earthy”. 

+ 2 beets

+ 4 - 6 sticks of kale

+ 2 - 3 cups of watermelon (I find that the easiest way to juice watermelon is to just toss it in a blender and pour that through a strainer)

Follicular Phase Juice

My goals — reenergize + motivate

Veggies: carrot, parsley

Fruits: grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange, pomegranate

Carrots are one of my favorite veggies to juice! I think a great combo would be carrot, orange and then lemon or lime (depending on if you have a preference). 

+ 4 - 6 carrots

+ 2 - 4 oranges

+ 1 lemon or lime

Ovulatory Phase Juice

My goals — outgoing, stamina + motivation

Veggies: chard, spinach, tomato

Fruits: cantaloupe, coconut, raspberry, strawberry

I’m not a fan of chard, but if you are throw it in there! I think a great combo would be spinach, tomato, cantaloupe and strawberry. 

+ 2 handfuls of spinach

+ 4 tomatoes 

+ 1/2 cantaloupe

+ 2 handfuls of strawberries

Luteal Phase Juice

My goals — slow down, let go, + calm down

Veggies: celery, cucumber, ginger

Fruits: apple, peach, pear

I love love love ginger, and apples in juices. But I’m not a fan of celery. A great combo would be cucumber, ginger, apple. 

+ 2 cucumbers

+ “thumb” sized portion of ginger

+ 4 apples

+ 4 stalks of celery (if you’re into that)

I don’t know about you, but I’m drooling just thinking of these. I’m going to go whip up a carrot, apple, ginger juice because that’s what I have sitting in my fridge right now. 

What are your favorite juice recipes? 

Some Cold Weather Vegan Recipes

The weather is getting colder so I wanted to share some vegan recipes for the season. Enjoy!

Vegan Biscuits and Gravy

One thing that I find myself craving from my pre-vegan days is biscuits and gravy. And then found this recipe on The Southern Vegan. Yum. Obviously not an everyday breakfast recipe but gosh sometimes it’s nice to have some warm, comfort food. 

Buttermilk Biscuits

2 C flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 C vegan butter

3/4 C cold dairy free milk

1 tsp vinegar

— Preheat oven 450

— Mix milk + vinegar. Put to side to curdle. 

— Put dry ingredients into bowl, mix in vegan butter with a fork.

— add milk/vinegar mixture + quickly stir until dough forms

— make dough into ball + refrigerate for 20 - 30 minutes

— roll dough to 1/2” thick + cut into circles

— put on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 - 12 minutes. 

Sausage Gravy

1/2 C flour

4 C non-dairy milk

4 vegan sausage patties or links

1/2 C oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

— Saute vegan sausage, until cooked and browned, crumble into smaller pieces + set to the side

— add oil, flour and black pepper to pan + stir over low heat until brown and creamy (mine formed into an almost dough)

— slowly add milk, stir until creamy and thicker + add in sausage  crumbles

— serve hot over biscuits

Vegan Chili

There are so many great variations on this but I love recipes that use squash as well.

1 onion

1 bell pepper

1 large sweet potato

butternut squash

4 cloves garlic

1 can black beans

1 can of pinto beans

1 can diced tomatoes

2 1/2 C vegetable broth

chili powder

cumin

paprika

cayenne pepper

salt

(I don’t measure the last five ingredients, I just put some in and taste it as I go, usually adding more and more)

— cut up all the vegetables first

— put your large pot over medium heat, saute onion and bell pepper for 6-7 minutes.

— add sweet potato, squash, and seasonings, for 3 minutes

— add garlic for 1 minute

— add broth and tomatoes

— add rinsed beans

— bring to boil, then cover, lower heat, simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally

— add more seasoning if you want

— scoop into bowl and add any toppings you want (avocado is delicious if it’s in season)

Vegan Cookies

My mom makes the most delicious chocolate chip cookies, and I stole her recipe and made it vegan. 

Preheat oven to 350, grease cookie sheet.

2 sticks vegan butter

3/4 C white sugar

3/4 C brown sugar

— cream these together with whisk

2 vegan flax “eggs” 

tsp baking soda

tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

mix two T of flax seed with 3 T of hot water, set to side for a minute until it becomes an “egg like” consistency. then mix all of this with butter/sugar mixture. 

3 c flour

1/2 C (or more) dark chocolate chips

slowly mix in flour 1/2 a cup at time, then add chocolate chips. 

Bake for 12 - 14 minutes each depending on how gooey or firm you want your cookies.