Written by: Heather Crosby
My dear friend, and YU contributor, Kathy Beymer and I made some homemade organic baby food the other day and she wowed me again with her crafting genius. To store our fresh apricot puree, she pulled out recycled and reusable glass jars with easy-to-make chalkboard lids to label and record the date the food was made! This idea can be used for all types of fresh food storage (leftovers, kimchi, nut butters, hemp milk)—it’s an adorable and sustainable way to make sure that food never goes to waste. Get Kathy’s free step-by-step photo instructions for making these smart storage jars at her crafting website, Merriment Design. And read on for the simple and delicious apricot baby food instructions. Read more…
Tags: Baby Food, Blender, Family, Food Processor, Gluten-Free, Kathy Beymer, Kids, Vegan Food, Vegetarian Food, Wheat-Free
Dessert,
Family,
Gluten-Free,
Kids,
Lunch,
Raw Food,
Salads,
Snacks,
Vegan Food,
Vegetarian Food,
Wheat-Free
Written by: Heather Crosby
This fresh ground flax and sunflower seed fruit salad is simple to prepare, it’s sweet with a hint salt and totally summery. It makes a great snack pre-workout and its a good way to get in those Omega 3’s. Bonus: it takes 10 minutes at the most to prepare. Read more…
Tags: Dessert, Family, Gluten-Free, Kids, Lunch, Raw Food, Salads, Snacks, Vegan Food, Vegetarian Food, Wheat-Free
Blender,
Dehydrator,
Dessert,
Family,
Gluten-Free,
Kids,
Raw Food,
Snacks,
Vegan Food,
Vegetarian Food,
Wheat-Free
Written by: Heather Crosby
When I was a kid, I couldn’t get enough of Fruit Roll-Ups. Chewy, colorful food that you could play with—magical stuff. Plus, mom felt good because she thought she was giving me a serving of fruit. Sadly, as many of you know, most foodstuffs out there on the shelves, especially those being marketed to families as “natural and healthy,” are full of processed sugars, preservatives and additives.
I am here to tell you that you can make delicious, wholesome fruit leather with only two ingredients. Shoot, you can make it with only one if you like—just the fruit. What a fruit leather should be made of.
I am a big believer that as adults, we should still be able to enjoy the same things that filled us with joy as children. From the fun foods we ate, to the fun fitness we incorporate into our lives (I am a hoopdance instructor after all). You know you loved fruit leathers too, bring that fun back!
Read more…
Tags: Blender, Dehydrator, Dessert, Family, Gluten-Free, Kids, Raw Food, Snacks, Vegan Food, Vegetarian Food, Wheat-Free
Written by: Heather Crosby
The other day, my sweetie came in the kitchen and saw some almonds soaking on the counter and said suggestively. “I bet those would be good with chocolate on them.” Genius. I grabbed a bag of gluten-free, vegan chocolate chips from the pantry and whipped up a simple and delicious almond bark that night. It didn’t last more than 24 hours. I guess Mikey liked them. A lot.
I use raw, soaked and dehydrated almonds, but you can use regular raw almonds or toasted almonds. But be sure to read up on why soaking and dehydrating is optimal. Read more…
Tags: Chocolate, Dessert, Family, Gluten-Free, Vegan Food, Vegetarian Food, Wheat-Free
Written by: Heather Crosby
All summer long in my neighborhood—Viva Pilsen!—you can hear the bells ringing from either the bicycle-powered or pedi “paleta” carts. For one dollar, you can choose from a variety of frozen popsicle flavors like strawberry, coconut, mango, lime—even tamarind. My all-time favorite flavor is arroz con leche—basically rice pudding or horchata on a stick. It had been a long time since I had a taste of that cinnamon creaminess (with the chewy bits of rice), until today. Here’s my dairy-free, soy-free version that tastes even better than my memories. And the best part is, I didn’t even need popsicle molds. Read more…
Tags: Blender, Dessert, Family, Gluten-Free, Ice Cream Maker, Kids, Vegan Food, Vegetarian Food, Wheat-Free
Written by: Heather Crosby
So you went to the Farmers’ Market, got seduced by all the beautiful colors and your fridge is now full of more vegetables than you know what to do with. You’ve had a busy week and your plans for eating up those beauties is becoming just that—only plans. Don’t fret, you can use every last vegetable to make the most delicious veggie broth or veggie puree you ever tasted. It’s simple to prepare, makes a great base for soups of all kinds and you can freeze it for future use. Now you can feel good knowing that no vegetables will sit lonely and unused in the fridge, only to meet their fate at the bottom of the trashcan. Read more…
Tags: Detox, Family, Gluten-Free, Vegan Food, Vegetarian Food, Wheat-Free
Dehydrator,
Family,
Gluten-Free,
Kids,
Lunch,
Raw Food,
Sauces Condiments and Toppings,
Snacks,
Vegan Food,
Vegetarian Food,
Wheat-Free
Written by: Heather Crosby
I spent many years eating meat, and the one that I miss the most (flavor-wise) is bacon. With this veggie bacon recipe, I have been able to bring a special, salty crunch back into my life. It almost makes me feel like I’m enjoying bacon again, which is pretty great since there really is no 100% taste replacement (natural, anyway).
You can prepare this recipe two ways, either enzyme-rich and raw (optimal, and shown above) or baked at a low temp in the oven. Perfect for a Veggie BLT! Read more…
Tags: Dehydrator, Family, Gluten-Free, Kids, Lunch, Raw Food, Sauces Condiments and Toppings, Snacks, Vegan Food, Vegetarian Food, Wheat-Free
Written by: Heather Crosby
I eat this salad once a week, and when I’m not eating it, I’m craving it. Who knew that a girl who ate her first salad at 19 years old would be loving kale one day? As much as I want to say that it’s the kale itself, I have to admit that it is the rich and cheesey non-dairy sauce that is the true kryptonite. This is a great recipe to try out on the folks that think kale is just a garnish. Feel free to swap out millet for quinoa—both are delicious and work well with this easy to prepare recipe. Don’t have kale around? Try spinach instead. Read more…
Tags: Blender, Dinner, Family, Gluten-Free, Kids, Lunch, Vegan Food, Vegetarian Food, Wheat-Free
