Oh yes I did. Popcorn made out of cauliflower? You had to see it coming. I mean, I’m the girl who puts kale in her brownies and spinach in her chocolate shakes. So really, cauliflower popcorn isn’t so far-fetched, is it?

Join me at The Balanced Platter for the recipe!

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A Few Favorites

There are a few things I’m loving lately that I thought I’d share with you.

• Hemp seeds! You may have seen me Instagram them a couple of days ago. Hemp seeds are a new food for me and I’m loving them. Sprinkled on salads, tossed into smoothies, ground up in pesto…so many uses for this super food!

• Eggs. Weird, right? I’m totally on an egg kick. I am so glad that I can tolerate them. I’ve been having them for breakfast many days, but also enjoy them for lunch or dinner from time to time. The other day at one of my cooking classes we made cauliflower “rice,” and I was telling the attendees just how much I love cracking eggs over the “rice” and topping it all off with salsa and avocado slices. Yum!

• Carbonated mineral water. It’s gotta be the warm weather that’s getting me in the mood for all things fizzy. I’ve been loving plain carbonated water with lime juice lately. Perfect afternoon pick-me-up.

• Boot camp workouts! I found a new class at the gym that I love…and I’m so excited! I normally work out on my own because I find that I can challenge myself more that way than through group exercise classes, but boot camp has changed all that. For 45 minutes, I just tune everything else out and do what the instructor tells us. It’s hard, it’s sweaty, and it’s so fun. Monday afternoons have gotten a whole lot better!

• Daily walks. You know how much I love walking, but since the weather is nicer now my love for daily walking has been rekindled. Nothing is more invigorating than a brisk morning walk!

Is it too early to jump into ice cream season?

I hope not, because this Snickerdoodle Ice Cream is to die for. Really and truly! With Memorial Day right around the corner, I think it’s high time we all scream for ice cream.

My obsession with dairy-free ice cream began last summer when I really made a point of using my ice cream maker. It cost about $40 when I got it on sale, I think, and it’s paid for itself time and again. This may be news to you, but dairy-free ice cream (or good quality ice cream in general) doesn’t come cheap. The high quality brands will usually run you $5 to $8 per pint. So if you really like dairy-free ice cream, this could be a problem!

By making your own ice cream at home, you’ll get a much healthier treat in the end. Naturally sweetened and made with only the ingredients you choose, homemade ice cream bypasses all of the junky fillers, artificial flavorings and preservatives, and GMO ingredients that hang out in the store bought stuff—not to mention the hefty price tag.

This Memorial Day, I’ll be making Snickerdoodle Ice Cream to celebrate summer. This recipe packs all of the flavor of the beloved snickerdoodle cookie into cool, creamy, indulgent but secretly healthy ice cream. Get out the spoons and prepare yourself. This stuff is seriously good.

Ice Cream Lover’s Tips

• You have a couple of options when it comes to serving your ice cream. I like to transfer mine to a container and freeze it for a few hours before serving to get that true ice cream consistency. Straight out of the ice cream maker, it has the texture of soft-serve…equally delicious, but not quite as “authentic.”
• The longer you freeze dairy-free ice cream, the harder and more icy it becomes. I suggest eating it up within about a week.
• Allow the ice cream to soften at room temperature for 20 minutes or so before serving. It will be softer, less icy, and much easier to scoop. I know patience is difficult when you’re sitting there salivating over the container, so just try your hardest to wait it out!
• Want some fun topping ideas for your ice cream? Try cacao nibs, chopped nuts, fresh berries, a drizzle of melted chocolate, or a little fruit sauce. In all honesty, I’m sort of an ice cream purist and like nothing but the ice cream, but have fun playing with toppings if they’re your thing.

Swing into summer with more chilled treat recipes like these:

• Banana Cream Pie from Elana’s Pantry
• Raw Lemon Cheesecake Bars from Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free
• Dairy-Free Peach Cherry Yogurt Pops from Lexie’s Kitchen

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Earlier this week, I shared my recipe for Spicy Sesame Sweet Potato “Tots.” Every tot needs a sidekick, right?

I call this avocado dip “light and easy” because it so easily complements just about any light summer dish that I’d be silly not to share the recipe with you. I’ve been making this exact dip or variations of it for years. I make old stand-by recipes like this so frequently that they just sort of fade into the fabric of my cooking and I forget to tell you about them.

Not today. Today, you get Light & Easy Avocado Dip to enjoy all summer long!

The other day there was a sale at the store: 10 avocados for $10. People everywhere were piling them into their carts like supplies before a storm. Fortunately, you don’t need 10 avocados to make this dip. Just a couple will do ya. Add a splash of lemon juice and a few seasonings and—POOF. You’re done.

I told you it was easy.

For the creamiest results, I like to puree the dip in my food processor or blender. Short on time or don’t feel like dirtying an appliance? Just smash it up with a fork and call it “rustic.” I’ll never know.

The cool and mellow avocado dip is the perfect foil for the crunchy, lightly spiced tots. But don’t stop there. You can use this recipe as a dollop for soups and stews, tacos, omelets, baked sweet potatoes, and whatever else your mind can dream up. Pairing a little healthy fat with vitamin-rich vegetables will actually help your body absorb the nutrients more effectively.

A few more of my favorite avocado recipes you might like:

• Peach Breakfast Parfait with Avocado Lime Cream
• Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
• Radiant Glow Antioxidant Smoothie
• Crunchy Vegetable, Avocado & Basil Toss

Now available!

Crazy for Kale: Glow from the Inside Out with 40 Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Recipes.

E-book; $5.99
40 gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, refined sugar-free recipes
More information here. Or click here to purchase.

Is there anything that can’t be done with the humble but oh-so-versatile sweet potato?

You can turn them into chips, you can turn them into dips.

You can slurp them through a straw, you can even eat them raw.

You can toss them in some curry, you can hash them in a hurry.

You can turn them into chili, or make them look a little silly.

You can bake them into bread—

Now I think enough is said.

Okay, that’s my best shot at poetry. (It’s been a while since high school English class…)

Goofy poem or not, sweet potatoes really are kitchen rock stars. Their versatility and jaw-dropping nutritional profile make them a staple in my kitchen. They should be one in yours, too.

I often steam or roast up a few sweet potatoes at a time to have on hand for tossing in salads or as a quick side dish to go with dinner. I was feeling a little bored with my usual routine, though, so I decided to try making a way healthier but still delicious version of sweet potato tots to change things up.

These sweet potato “tots” are probably nothing like what you’re used to…if you’re used to tots at all. I’m not. I don’t think I’ve ever actually had one before. All I know is that they’re floury, doughy, and fried—all of which just shouts heart disease and clogged arteries, yes?

To make my “tots” healthier, I nixed the wheat flour and the frying method altogether. By coating the sweet potato balls in a mixture of spiced sesame seeds, you get a little crunch and texture plus some spicy flavor. Sweet potatoes and chili anything are a match made in heaven.

I paired my tots with a cool and creamy avocado dip…the perfect contrast! Want the recipe? Stay tuned. It’s coming ‘atcha later this week.

For now, have fun making the sweet potato tots. They’d also be great with salsa or a creamy tahini dipping sauce. And of course they’re just fine on their own, too. But nothing is more fun than dip-able finger food.

Now available!

Crazy for Kale: Glow from the Inside Out with 40 Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Recipes.

E-book; $5.99
40 gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, refined sugar-free recipes
More information here. Or click here to purchase.

I think I love apples a little too much. They are definitely one of my desert island foods that I can’t live without. So I’m always trying to come up with new ways to enjoy them, although that’s not too hard because I will eat them in just about any way, shape, or form.

There was a beautiful bowl of strawberries sitting in the fridge a few weeks ago, so I decided to team up my favorite fruit with the luscious berries and turn them into sauce. (You may have seen me mention it on Instagram.) The entire batch was gone in about 2 days…and I didn’t even bake with it. Spoonful by spoonful, it just sort of disappeared!

My favorite apples for making sauce are McIntosh, but those are usually only around in the fall. So I improvised and just used a blend of Gala and Golden Delicious apples for this sauce. Any kind will do so long as they are on the sweeter side. (Don’t use Granny Smiths!)

The strawberries lend a lovely pink hue to the sauce and plenty of spring flavor, too. I could eat my weight in berries, especially in the spring and summer when they’re ripe, juicy, and sweet. Other than a few frozen berries once in a while in the winter, I really try to eat berries only when they’re in season for the best flavor and nutritional profile. As soon as organic berries go on sale, I buy in bulk and freeze what I don’t eat right away.

Beyond eating applesauce straight off a spoon, I love to slather it on pancakes, use it in baking, top a bowl off with nuts and raisins—

Whoa! Just had a great thought. Spoon some of this applesauce over some of this ice cream. Top it off with some cacao nibs and maybe a few thinly sliced mint ribbons…..yes yes YES!

Savor the season’s beautiful strawberries with more healthy recipes like these:

• Strawberry Bliss Cookies
• Strawberry Shortcakes with Orange Fennel Biscuits from The Balanced Platter
• Roasted Strawberry & Basil Agua Fresca from Healthy Green Kitchen

Now available!

Crazy for Kale: Glow from the Inside Out with 40 Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Recipes.

E-book; $5.99
40 gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, refined sugar-free recipes
More information here. Or click here to purchase.

Food allergies and desserts just don’t seem to mix, do they? There’s nothing worse than craving a sweet treat, heading into the kitchen, and finding yourself completely at a loss as to what to make.

I tried to help you out in the cookie department with Super Healthy Cookies…but I really don’t think there’s such a thing as too many dessert recipes. That’s why I’m excited to share about a new resource with you today: Dessert Freedom, a brand new e-book by the very talented Leanne at Healthful Pursuit!

I’ve been following Leanne’s blog for years and love her fresh, creative, energetic approach to cooking. When she generously sent me a copy of Dessert Freedom to review, I couldn’t pull myself away from the computer. I wanted to make everything!

Dessert Freedom is a collection of 20 recipes and 20 health-promoting techniques designed to help readers conquer their cravings, embrace their food allergies, and find freedom from the dessert dilemma. And get this! Every recipe is…

• Egg-free
• Wheat-free
• Gluten-free
• Grain-free
• Refined sugar-free
• Dairy-free
• Corn-free
• Soy-free
• Peanut-free
• And 50% of the recipes are nut-free

Every recipe is accompanied by gorgeous full-color photos (Leanne is quite the photographer). As a PDF, it can be read on your computer, iPad, iPhone, Kindle, and Android devices. You can take Dessert Freedom with you wherever you go!

So how was I to decide what to make first from the e-book? It was tough, believe me. In the end, I decided to go back to my cookie-loving roots and give Leanne’s No-Bake Snickerdoodles a whirl.

True to my food-loving nature, I took a few liberties with the recipe and add in chopped dried cranberries and cacao nibs for a little variation. I loved the no-bake cookies both ways, both plain and with the add-ins. It was such a simple recipe to throw together, but the flavor was right on point. They really did taste like snickerdoodles! These cookies are the perfect solution to a sweet treat when you don’t feel like cranking on the oven and dirtying a bunch of dishes.

I can’t decide what to make next. I think I’ll try the Strawberry Chia Squares, or maybe the Fruit & Nut Biscotti. Although Leanne told me that the Coconut Joy Squares were one of her favorites…so that one is high on the list, too!

Are you ready for Dessert Freedom?

You can learn more about Leanne’s wonderful cookbook and purchase it for $14.95 right here.  Thanks, Leanne, for putting forth a great resource!

Over the past year and a half, fitness has become a larger part of my life than ever. It’s something that I had to learn to love. If you would have told me three years ago that I would be one of those people who exercises on almost a daily basis, watches Youtube workouts for fun, and wakes up thinking of ways to make one-leg squats more challenging, I would have thought you were crazy. Me? A fitnessista? No way.

Once I found a few forms of exercise that I enjoyed doing, fitness began to grow on me. I realized that getting fit didn’t mean logging hours on a machine at the gym or spending gobs of money on a personal trainer. I could be my own trainer! As I started to see progress in my own fitness over the months, I became more and more excited to keep pushing new limits and challenging myself in new ways.

Nowadays I exercise 5-6 days a week, sometimes 7 if I feel like it! There’s definitely a place for rest days, but I just love how working out makes me feel, which is why I make it a daily habit.

Trial and error, a lot of research and observation, and talking with others has taught me tons about exercise in the past few years. So today, I want to talk about 5 common fitness beliefs and why they’re wrong. I’m by no means an expert, but learning from my own mistakes has given me insight in so many ways! I used to buy these myths hook, line, and sinker—this is until I tried them and they didn’t work.

So let’s get to it.

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Myth #1: Running is the best way to get in shape.

This is probably the biggest hurdle to get  your mind over when it comes to fitness: running is not the best way to get in shape! Pick up any running magazine and of course they’ll tell you it is, but if all you do is log miles day in and day out with minimal or no cross training, your body will not change shape nearly as quickly or as drastically as you may want it to. Running is an effective way to get your heart rate up (if you’re going fast enough) and your blood pumping, but it also comes with a laundry list of drawbacks, including greater risk of injury, tight muscles (especially the IT bands, hamstrings, calves, and feet), and heart damage over time.

Am I completely anti-running? No. I think it’s a great element to toss into your fitness routine here and there, especially if you’re doing interval runs where you’re really pushing yourself for a short amount of time and then recovering. And if you enjoy the mental release of running (hey, I do!), it can be a healthy activity to do when you’re stressed or looking for a change of pace.

But daily running and running alone is not going to increase muscle strength, core stability, or flexibility in the long haul. You might get faster with practice (if you can avoid injury), but if you truly want to get in shape and tone your body all over, you’ve got to do some resistance training. Which brings me to myth #2…

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Myth #2: Resistance training (or lifting weights) will make me bulky.

Maybe it will if you’re a man and you’re eating TONS of protein and you’re super, super, super consistent with your training regimen. But if you’re a woman? No way. You just don’t turn into The Hulk from lifting some weights, girls. Adding an extra 10 or 20 pounds to your shoulders when you’re squatting won’t give you gorilla legs. Firm, lean muscle, yes. But gorilla legs, no. Doing push-ups, pull-ups, and a few isolated free weight exercises won’t give you bulging biceps. You’ll get toned, long, lean arms instead. (I’ve been doing anywhere from 10 to 100 push-ups in a variety of forms for the past year and a half and my upper body is still taking it’s sweet time to put on a little muscle.)

Resistance training—whether you’re doing push-ups, squat jumps, weighted walking lunges, tricep dips, or something else—is cardio in disguise. Lean muscle mass burns through more energy than fat. In other words, the more lean muscle you build the more energy (aka calories) your body will take to just exist. So more muscle equals more calories burned, which leads to more fat loss over time and a leaner physique in the long run.

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Myth #3: Crunches will give you six-pack abs.

If there was ever an over-rated, over-used movement, it’s gotta be the crunch! I see so many people crunching themselves to oblivion in the gym, and yet they all still have a spare tire around the middle. Crunches work a very small part of the abs, but they don’t strengthen the core as a whole. Your core consists of your entire trunk: upper abs, lower abs, low back, obliques (side abs), chest, shoulders, and even your hips. Working your core as a whole is the very best way to get more defined ab muscles. Simply doing crunches won’t cut it.

I’ve built all of my core strength without doing a single crunch! I’ve still got a ways to go, but I love the improvement that I am seeing in my core strength and stability. My two all-time favorite ab exercises: planks and push-ups. There are literally dozens of ways to do planks and push-ups, so I never get bored. If I’m short on time or space, I can squeeze them in lickety split. If I have more time and really want to push hard, I can do nothing more than planks and push-ups in different forms and totally wipe myself out!

All that said, if you truly want defined abs, the age-old saying has still never been truer: Abs are made in the kitchen.

Myth #4: The more the merrier.

When it comes to exercise, I believe that less is more. It’s not the duration or the quantity that matters (more miles, more reps, more weight, etc.). It’s the intensity. I can go for a long run, finish, and barely be breaking a sweat. In contrast, I can do a set of 4 intense exercises over and over again for 12 minutes and be completely beat by the end. It’s all about pushing  yourself to your limits (safely, of course).

You don’t have to spend 2 hours in the gym every day to see results. Put in twice the effort, give it your best 20 minutes, eat clean, and watch your body change shape.

It works.

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Myth #5: I need sports drinks to refuel me after workouts.

Most sports drinks are absolutely jam packed with sugar and chemicals! I say avoid them at all costs.

In truth, most of us “everyday exercisers” don’t workout hard enough to need a specially formulated “recovery drink” afterwards. If you really feel spent, eat a meal made with real ingredients (protein, vegetables, clean carbs, and/or healthy fats) to refuel you. If you want to replace minerals lost through sweat, add a little sea salt to your water and drink up.

When I’m feeling particularly spent, fatigued, and maybe a little overheated after a workout, I love a little organic coconut water as a treat. This is my favorite brand.

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BONUS Myth #6!

There’s just one more fitness myth that is so critical I couldn’t live it out. And it is…

I can exercise my way out of a bad diet.

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I’m convinced that one of the reasons so many people have fallen in love with cardio is because they’ve bought into the lie that endurance training burns MEGA calories, so if you do it you can eat whatever you want. Fantastic, right?

If only.

While cardio does burn calories, it also revs up the metabolism and therefore increases the appetite. We’re hungrier, so we eat more. It ends up being a wash because even though we may be burning more, we’re also eating more!

What’s worse, most people end up doing some not-so-accurate mental math in their heads that goes something like this: calories out equals calories in. Six mile run equals two brownies after dinner. Long weekend bike ride equals extra wine. Killer spin class equals cheesecake and pizza!

While there’s nothing wrong with a treat, I think we start falling down a slippery slope when we exercise for the sole purpose of burning calories so that we can eat whatever we want. For one, most of the foods we want are nutritionally empty to begin with and are a far cry from good fitness fuel. And secondly—and perhaps more importantly—we start playing mind games with ourselves that set us up to have a bad relationship with both exercise and food. We end up exercising in a “work equals reward” fashion, which does not lead to optimal physical/mental health or fitness longevity in the long run.

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Do you have any fitness myths to add to the list? What do you do to stay active?

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A few weeks ago on my Facebook page, I mentioned that I threw together some amazing veggie burgers for dinner one night on a whim. I told folks that I’d be happy to make them again if they’d like the recipe. And the answer was a resounding YES!

So to the kitchen I went to remake the burgers and get some good photos. I tweaked a few tiny things and they turned out even better the second time.

What I love about these veggie burgers is that they’re actually made with—get this!—veggies. I know, shocker. But seriously, most veggie burgers in the store are made with anything but vegetables. Just take a look at the ingredients I jotted down from a veggie burger I spotted in the store the other day:

Textured vegetable protein (soy protein concentrate, wheat gluten, water for hydration), corn oil, egg whites, calcium caseinate, contains two percent or less of modified tapioca starch, onion powder, mixed triglycerides, canola oil, hydrolized vegetable protein (corn gluten, wheat gluten, soy protein), dextrose, soy protein isolate, natural and artificial flavors, salt, yeast extract, sugar, caramel color, whey, methylcellulose, spice, garlic powder, maltodextrin, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, soy sauce (water, soybeans, salt, ethyl alcohol, wheat), autolyzed yeast extract, ascorbic acid, thiamin hydrochloride (vitamin B1), niacinimide, sesame seed oil, soy lecithin…

…AND THAT WASN’T EVEN EVERYTHING!

Forgive the all caps—I try not to yell at you very often—but seriously. Where are the vegetables in these “veggie burgers”?!

Care for a little disodium guanylate with your lettuce and tomato? How about a little whey and autolyzed yeast extract with that side of sweet potato fries?

In contrast, here are the ingredients in my veggie burgers:

Cauliflower, onions, celery, carrots, sweet potatoes, garlic, almond flour (or ground nuts or seeds), extra-virgin olive oil, flaxseed, cumin, poultry seasoning, sea salt, black pepper, eggs.

That’s it. And there’s even an option to make them egg-free. True, my burgers don’t have as much protein as the packaged kind, but 14 ingredients compared to 36-plus?  I think I’ll take the homemade version and have a little more protein at my next meal, thank you very much.

Seriously, folks. When are we going to wake up and realize that the stuff marketed to us as “health food” is actually nothing more than the result of a science experiment and a whole lot of tinkering around in a lab? You want health food? Start in the produce department, or better yet, the farmers’ market. Cook from scratch. Eat REAL food, stuff that you can pronounce or that you can imagine growing in nature.

I read this article last week and was reminded again just how much work there is to be done in this country in regards to reclaiming our health. I often throw my hands up and sigh, feeling like there’s not much I can do to bring about positive change in our world of food terrorism. This is precisely how I was feeling when I asked the Facebook community if they’d like the recipe for these burgers.

Well, 70 “likes” and 32 comments later, I realized that there are a lot more people out there like me who get fed up with the food system and want to clear the clutter from their cooking, too. And if giving people a super healthy veggie burger recipe on my little blog is going to take them one step closer to optimal health (and one step further away from the frozen food aisle…), then I’m in.

So here you go. A veggie burger made with veggies. Revolutionary to many of us, perhaps, but hopefully not for long.

Grab that apron, head to the kitchen, and get cooking. I’ve seen a quote flying around Facebook and Pinterest quite a lot lately, and maybe you’ve seen it, too. It goes something like this:

“You are what you eat, so don’t be fast, cheap, easy, or fake.”

Can I get an amen?

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New Calendar!

By the way, it’s almost May, so that means it’s time for a new Daily Bites Motivational Calendar. Click HERE to download the free PDF. Have a great start to the new month!

Last week I had the pleasure of sampling a variety of fresh juices from one of the leading organic juice companies in the industry, Suja. And my oh my, were these beverages an absolute delight!

If you’re not familiar with Suja juices (you may have seen them available in the refrigerated beverage section of your Whole Foods Market), let me give you some details. Suja produces 100% raw, organic, cold-pressed juices in a wide variety of ingredient combinations. Pressed using the High Pressure Pascalization (HPP) method, the juices are processed using high pressure instead of heat, so all of the nutrients remain intact. From the Suja website: “Unlike pasteurization, pascalization is an external process; the raw product itself is never touched. After the products are in their final packaging, our pressurizing method uses only evenly distributed pressure of cool water (44°F) to short circuit any potential harmful invaders, such as Listeria, E. coli, Salmonella, lactic acid bacteria, yeast and mold.”

The cool thing about the HPP method is that it extends shelf life beyond the typical 3 days that you’ll find with most other fresh, raw juices on the market. All of my juices came stamped with expiration dates, most of which were a good 3 weeks out.

I received Suja’s 3-Day Cleanse to sample, which included 18 beverages. So did I actual live off of juice and juice alone for 3 days? No, I didn’t. Although the package is designed to be consumed over the course of 3 days (6 beverages per day), I know that for my body type and activity level it just wouldn’t be smart for me to go without solid food for that long. I have relatively sensitive blood sugar. Eating only fruit or fruit/vegetable juices makes me spacey. I also exercise regularly and need more fuel for recovery.

That said, it didn’t matter in the least that I didn’t drink all of the juices within 3 days, because like I said, they last for weeks when stored in the fridge! I eat a very clean diet as it is, so I had a blast incorporating the juices into my healthy diet each day. So, let’s talk about the taste.

Suja’s juices incorporate a wide variety of fruits and vegetables into every bottle. Most of the juices tasted quite sweet to me, so they would be a fabulous starting point for anyone new to the world of juicing. The Green Supreme, a blend of kale, green apple, and lemon, was amazing! I could drink that every day. (You know me. I’m crazy for kale!)

If there’s one thing I noticed right away about Suja’s juices, it’s that they are incredibly smooth. I don’t have a great juicer, true, but my homemade juices come nowhere close to tasting as smooth as Suja’s.

I also loved the Purify blend, which included carrot, apple, celery, cucumber, lemon, and beet. The lemon added a perfect punch to offset the sweetness of the roots and apple. I could see even mixing some of this with a little carbonated water for a “clean cocktail.” Even though it looks pretty “beet-ish,” it didn’t taste overly beet flavored at all.

I should mention that with every sip of Suja’s juices, it was almost as though I could feel my cells soaking up the nutrients. I’ve tasted a lot of raw juice, both bottled and fresh from various restaurants all over the country, but I knew from my first sip that Suja’s juices were extremely high quality. I could just taste it.

Based on some other reviews I read, the Vanilla Cloud was apparently heaven in a bottle, so I couldn’t wait to try it! This nut milk is a blend of almond milk, coconut milk, vanilla bean, honey, and water.

I think I was expecting something more like a milkshake or smoothie. The nut milk was thinner than I had imagined it would be, but the sweetness and flavor from the vanilla bean were right on point. It’s a good thing I gave away one of the Vanilla Cloud bottles to a friend, because this could be seriously addicting for nut-lovers like me!

My favorite juice in the entire box was this bright orange beauty: Fuel. And that’s how I felt after drinking it: fueled, energized, and glowing! If I could have a special refrigerator stocked with this stuff for the rest of my life, I would be very happy. It’s a blend of carrot, apple, pineapple, orange, lemon, and turmeric. I know, mostly fruit and mostly natural sugar…but my oh my, it was so amazingly good, and absolutely PACKED with vitamin A!

A few final facts:

• Cost: A 3-day juice cleanse is $54 per day, not including shipping. Some might think that’s expensive, but when you consider the quality of the product I think it’s actually very fair. For me to purchase as many organic fruits and vegetables as it would take to yield all of the juice I got, plus invest in a high-end juicer to get good results, and put all the time and effort into making the juices everyday—that would all be a ton of expense and hassle. Suja takes the hassle out of the equation and makes it easy to enjoy the benefits of fresh juice.
• Delivery: Suja ships nationwide! Check out this FAQ page for more information regarding shipping. You can also pick up Suja juices at many Whole Foods Market stores across the country.
• Dietary: All of Suja’s juices are 100% raw, USDA organic, gluten-free, and vegan. (Check out this FAQ page for more information regarding specific health concerns.)

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In a nutshell: I love Suja! Their juices are amazing, especially for someone who wants to get their feet wet in the world of juicing. Since these blends are more fruit-based, they are all sweet without being overpowering. I would have preferred a few less sweet options, but I’m certainly not complaining! Every beverage I tasted was flavorful, unique, and I just felt good drinking them.

For an abundance of great information about Suja, visit their website or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

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(Disclosure: I was generously provided with juices from Suja at no charge for the purpose of review, but my opinions are my own.)

Spring is finally getting its act together and showing up a little bit more around here. I actually wore flip-flops (!!) this week to run errands, and even braved a walk in just a lightweight long sleeve t-shirt (!!!). Pretty major.

A few weeks ago  when we were still in the tumultuous throws of Will Winter EVER End? syndrome, I was just plain fed up and decided to bake my way through an afternoon because I didn’t know what else to do with myself. I had a very bad case of spring fever!

I came up with these sublime Lemon Meltaway Cookies. Talk about a heavenly springtime treat. I couldn’t stop at just one. I went back for another without even thinking about. They’re that good.

Traditional meltaway cookies literally do just that: melt away the minute they touch your tongue. I wanted to recreate a healthier grain-free version. These treats fit the fill. If you’d rather not bake them, they’re egg-free so you can eat the dough raw. My personal favorite is the baked version, but both ways—baked and unbaked—are delicious.

I kid you not, had I made these cookies a year sooner, the recipe would have gone into my cookie book. I really love them and they are definitely what I would deem book worthy.

But lucky for you I didn’t file the recipe away for a future book, so you can get it right now! Head on over to The Balanced Platter and prepare to have your taste buds wowed.

(And while you’re there, enter to win a copy of Crazy for Kale!)

Below are a few more of my favorites.

• Honey Almond Chai Wafer Cookies
• Strawberry Bliss Cookies
• Chocolate Buckwheat Heart Cookies

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For more healthy cookie recipes—make that super healthy cookie recipes—check out my cookie cookbook.