These muffins are everything! Nutritious enough for morning breakfast with a cup of tea, and sweet enough as a late night snack to curb cravings. These muffins are hearty, wholesome, and sure to have your taste-buds asking for more! I can guarantee this! Check out the recipe below!

Ingredients

Muffins:
2 Flax Meal Eggs
4 mashed bananas
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of vegan butter (Earth Balance can be purchased at Shop Rite)
1 tsp of vanilla extract
2 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of salt
1.5 cups of whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup of rolled oats
1/4 cup of chopped walnuts
1/2 cup of blueberries
1/4 cup of coconut flakes

Crumb top:
1/4 cup of brown sugar
5 tbsp of unbleached all purpose flour
2 tbsp of vegan butter

Directions:
1. This makes between 12-15 muffins. Prepare your muffin tins and turn on oven at 375 degrees.
2. Prepare flax eggs in mixing bowl
3. Add in banana and mash well
4. Add brown sugar, salt, and baking soda. Whisk well.
5. Stir in vanilla, melted butter and mix.
6. Add in flour and oats and stir with a spoon. Lastly, fold in walnuts.
7. Divide batter evenly among muffin tins.
8. Quickly wipe mixing bowl, and add in sugar, flour, and butter mashing all ingredients  together with a fork until crumbly. Generously top muffins with crumble.
9. Bake muffins for 15-20 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes. Best served warm. Store in room temperature covered container. Muffins can be frozen for long term use.

Are you baking these muffins? Instagram or Facebook your creation at #YogiVibesCook and show off what your creativity! You will have a chance to be featured on the blog! Namaste!

Comment if you would like the recipe! It’s a  one bowl creation and can easily be made into your own!

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy holidays! Stay tuned for some YUMMY vegan thanksgiving dishes!

In my cup is raw Jamaican ginger brew. I bet you couldn’t tell I love ginger!

Ginger  really  strengths  the  stomach  and  digestive  system,  also  allowing  for smooth discretion and acting as an anti-inflammatory. Ginger in tea aids in soothing coughs and headaches. Overall, ginger is definitely a powerful super food!

Be creative with your food and love it!

Namaste!

This girl right here, goes googoogaga over hand crafted unique pieces, from jewelry, clothing, to furniture. I love them all!

So I visited the newest up and coming flea market in Williamsburg- Artist & Fleas!  

I walked in the reconstructed warehouse and instantly felt at home- or maybe I just wanted to move in! The decor from bottom to top of the warehouse was creative, hip, trendy, and original; not to mention the individual touches each vendor created in their sectioned area. It was colorful and fun with so much to look at! There was something there for everyone from bow ties, jewelry, pet clothes and collars, clothing, shoes, and home appliances. The items were all so unique and beautiful. I wish I could buy one of everything. I brushed by each vendor admiring their talents and gently crafted work with a cup of lemongrass and ginger tea while starting small conversations eager to find out their story.

Immediately, I caught a view of build-able modern earrings hand crafted by the lovely Trime Modular Jewelry. Her work was remarkable and creative. We chatted for a bit and found out they are vegans also headed to the Vegan Shop Up! It was a special moment of connectedness that I appreciated deeply. You can check out her work at her website via this link.

Proceeding through the warehouse, my attention was directed towards a unique vintage gold chain with a hand wrapped amethyst stone dangling. I tried it on, and couldn’t take it off! I fell in love with its organic presence as the stone is rough and raw. I received multiple compliments throughout the day and was so happy with my purchase! Thank you Sparkle Farm!

Chase purchased a beautiful hand crafted mala bracelet by the talented Leila V. Khoury. Her work is remarkable! She was darling and sweet. I recommend anyone interested in Mala Beads to check out her Etsy shop via this link. She can also create hand made pieces as she did for chase! She is so awesome.

I continued throughout the market and behold my eyes met another meant to be hand crafted necklace, and I quickly purchase the vintage gold plated elephant necklace. Elephants are known for luck within symbolism when their tusks are raised, and who doesn’t need some “luck” in their lives? Marina at Giorgie Jewelry was super helpful and had a variety of charms and chains to choose from also available on her Etsy shop!

(Necklaces I purchased shown above)

Wow! What a busy weekend I had. It was so magical and enchanting in Brooklyn! I look forward to doing more traveling and reporting and  sincerely look forward to more trips to Artist & Flea for vintage hunting and gathering to share with my readers and Etsy shoppers!

Thanks for stopping by and reading! Stay tuned for some vintage pieces on the Etsy shop!

Imagine this, you’re walking into a bar, and not only are there magnificent hand crafted looking Bloody Mary’s in every ones hand, but a monster wave of aromatic flavors are inhaled and instantly adored. It’s macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, pizza, lasagna, empanadas, pies, brownies, donuts, and more possibilities teasing you at the tip of your tongue. Hello food heaven. You scurry around, trying one of everything. Maybe even having two of the same! You just want more. And the best part is- you can have more! No calorie counting. No fats. No additives. No GMOs. And absolutely no cruelty! It’s all vegan (plant based). You can eat a hot dog, an empanada, and three donuts while wash it down with a Bloody Mary and still feel light as a feather!

Welcome to my world- more importantly, my exciting weekend at the one and only Vegan Shop Up at the Pine Box Rock Bar in Brooklyn. It was filled with yummy new and familiar vendors offering food and beverages, and a great group of lovely individuals.

Yeah Dawg, offering vegan soy free hot dogs was present with whom I met at Catskill Animal Sanctuary featured in a previous post. I couldn’t resist a Yeah Dawg even in 30-degree weather! It was even more satisfying than the first time! Yeah Dawg is beyond wonderful and always impresses me. It is certainty my number 1 recommended vegan food vendor on the East Coast (BIG NEWS: I will be traveling out West in December to check out a few vegan restaurants and food trucks). The women are friendly at Yeah Dawg which makes it all even more worthwhile.

Proceeding, we grabbed a treat from Gone Pie, another vendor whom I met at CAS. It was great to chat and catch up! They teased me the night before with posting a picture on their Instagram of a rocky road chocolate pumpkin brownie! You better believe it was what I got! I loved every bite of it- which was followed by a nice stroll around the neighborhood. It was time for a walk to burn off the first round of food! We saw some great street art and were surprised by the glorious view of the Freedom Tour below!

I was really excited about going to the Vegan Shop up as I got wind Cinnamon Snail, a food truck out of Manhattan would be there. I have been hearing others rave about their Korean and Asian inspired dishes, which range from pancakes, to burgers, to bahn mi sandwiches, to an array of donuts! (I haven’t tasted a donuts in over two years!)

After looking through their menu the night before in preparation, I decided to go with the Gouchujang Burger Deluxe with sautéed kimchi, arugula, pickled red onions, black sesame gomasio and sriracha mayonnaise on spelt bread as they ran out of the herb grilled focaccia it normally would come on. The crowd was large and Cinnamon Snail was definitely the number one attraction so this was expected. (Picture was shot in my car as no seating available at the Pine Box Rock shop)

The burger was scrumptiously good. The flavors were infused with Korean excellence, which was the best part. I really enjoyed it as it’s not something I usually cook or eat regularly especially in the area I live in. It quickly evaporated from my hands.

Although, the serving size was small for the price, and didn’t come with any sides. The toppings were light and not as creative as I have had in the past. Literally the best innovative part was the sauce and as you can see most of it ended up on my wrapper. Would I go back and order that burger again? I wouldn’t. Yet, I would be willing to try a sandwich, as they have a big selection, yet the hoopla over Cinnamon Snail compared to my experience disappointed me.

And the donuts- how was I to pick 1 donut out of the handful they had available? I haven’t had a donut in years! I was so excited! I went with my gut (no pun intended) and I picked grand total of 6! And I regret to inform you they were all just.. Okay. The selection ranged from coffee cake twist, glazed with coconut flakes, peanut butter, peanut butter pumpkin with cookie dough, crème brulee (not enough crème in the middle), and apple cinnamon spice. I must have saved the best for last, which was the peanut butter pumpkin with cookie dough. That was a resurrection from all the others as it was moist, fluffy, and the cookie dough center was finger licking good!

Other NYC vendors were present, such as Monks Meat and She’s Got Balls. A few vendors were not present that were on the vendors list in which I was looking forward to seeing.

The atmosphere of the venue, The Pine Box Rock Shop was cozy, casual, and comfortable. The con of the venue was it became crowded very quickly due to the event. It really couldn’t handle the crowd. I ate my Yeah Dawg standing up, my burger in the car, as well as a few donuts.

All in all, I had such a wonderful time! It was great to co-create with like-minded conscious individuals and businesses. I came hungry and I left stuffed while making some great connections and relationships along the way. I look forward to the next Vegan Shop Up event in December and would definitely recommend visiting Pine Box Rock Shop bar if you are in the neighborhood! Toodles!

Namaste! Stay warm.

Friday night my fiance and I arrived at Sun in Blossom in the neighborhood of Park Slope, Brooklyn. It was delightfully charming and quaint. It had a handful of tables, all wooden with yellow daisies and dim candlelight. I instantly fell in love with its grace. The menu was full of live raw vegan macrobiotic dishes, which was what really drew me to visit Sun in Bloom! It is a conscious company dedicated to providing healthy and nutritious food, just what I am always seeking happy uplifting food from the sun and earth.

We started with the Raw Alkalizing Green Soup. Alkalizing is essential to a healthy diet. It is the opposite of acidic, which means the foods have the some of the highest pH levels. It’s really essential to eat alkalizing food rather than acidic, for acidic foods leave a lot of residue behind when they are digested, and also have been linked to diseases and stress, research suggests. Alkalizing foods consist of fruits and vegetables, while acidic food is primarily meat, eggs, diary, and sugar. So, we opted for something healthy and satisfying! The Raw Alkalizing Green Soup was just that! Mind you, this soup is served cold rather than hot. This through us for a loop, yet it was still very good-tasting. Sweet and cucumbery!

Next, we ordered smoothies. I ordered the high protein selection, while my fiance requested the goji berry antioxidant option. They were both rich, creamy, thick, and absolutely delicious! The most divine smoothies my taste buds have grabbed a hold of EVER! It is safe to say the smoothies were in our top favorites. I recommend any of their smoothie options.

Moving forward, our entrees were served. I went with the Miso Ginger Tofu Scramble w/ black beans, tomatoes, quinoa, avocado, and a side of hot sauce! It was a plateful of color and heaven! Nutritious, tasty, and savory.

Chase ordered the Shiitake Bacon BLT in a sprouted wheat wrap. I needed a bite! The shiitake bacon was flavorful and zesty, and at the suggestion of our waitress Madison, he ordered a side of their well-known home-made ginger dressing. It really accented well with the shiitake bacon. (In my previous post, Festival of Living Vegan, I have a recipe for shiitake bacon, check it out!)

We couldn’t leave Sun in Bloom without trying their dessert menu! We ordered one of their home-made pumpkin cupcakes! The first bite I couldn’t believe it was vegan! It was thick and moist. It had roasted pumpkin seeds hidden under the frosting. Just absolute delish! Additionally, we tried their chocolate chip cookie sandwich; two cookies with vanilla frosting in the middle! I could eat one of those everyday; just the perfect amount of chocolate and light brown sugar!

All in all, we left the restaurant full of nutrition. The presentation was clean and marvelous. The staff was wonderful, especially our waitress Madison who toke the time to explain the menu and was delightful to converse with. If anyone is ever in the Brooklyn area seeking a flavorsome, energizing, little hole in the wall restaurant to eat at, Sun in Bloom has everything you desire!

Namaste!

I’m not a saleswoman. I’m not here to manipulate you into buying some fancy lifestyle. I’m not here to try to convince you that your way of life is wrong.  I am not here to save you, but to teach you how you can save yourself. Consuming animal products is a socially learned behavior- I acknowledge that. And honestly, I have less than handful of individuals who I have inspired  to stray from the meat and dairy industry besides from my fiancé (who has grown to be just as passionate as myself on the topic).

Heck, my entire family sees my improvement both mentally, physically, and spiritually. They still fail to acknowledge it. Not even a meatless Monday. A fridge full of vegan eats. Butter, with no cholesterol. No thanks. Soy based meat with no fat, hormones, GMOs, or fear. No thanks. Milk from nuts. Ice cream from nuts. No thank you! You could say I may be wasting my breathe, my brother shouts across the kitchen table.

I still stand. I fear not. He will hear me soon enough. I know one day, you will hear me too. And if not, well, I will remind you of it. And I shall keep reminding you. If you do not hear their screams, I will lead you to them. If you don’t not feel their suffering, I will show you. If you do not understand them, I will translate. You may silence them, but you will never silence me.

I have created a list of the top 10 food preservatives that should be avoided:

Monosodium Glutamate or MSG information can be found by clicking on this link MSG Truth

• Artificial sweeteners including but not limited to Aspartame.

• Titanium dioxide can be found in milk, salad dressing, frosting, and coffee creamer to name a few. Titanium dioxide is also found in sunscreen as it can absorb UV rays.

• Butylated hydroxytoluene or BHT can be found in cosmetics, jet fuel, rubber, and embalming fluid. More so, it can be found in your shortening, cereals, and other foods containing fats and oils. It is used to preserve food odor, color, and flavor. Many packaging materials incorporate BHT.

• Butylated hydroxyanisole or BHA can be found in butter, meats, cereals, chewing gum, baked goods, snack foods, dehydrated potatoes, and beer. You can click this link to learn more on studies done with both BHT and BHA at Truth about BHA and BHT

• Sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate are commonly used to preserve meat products.  It prevents bacteria growth and helps meat retain its red color.

• Sodium benzoate is a preservative used in acidic liquids such as vinegar, juices or soft drinks. It is also found in food products such as margarine and fast food hamburgers. Sodium benzoate is also used in fireworks and makes a great rocket fuel.

• Potassium bromate is most often found in bread as it improves the quality of flour. A small amount is very harmful and has even been banned in Canada, Europe and China.

• Castoreum is a natural flavor enhancer that is often used in fruit-flavored products to make them taste extra fruity. Believe it or not but this comes from a beaver.

According to the FDA, preservative and additives are perfectly safe. Yet, if you are anything like myself, you don’t believe everything you’re told without doing your own research. Scientist have performed studies that lead to the belief preservatives and additives pose a major health risk. It can give us small allergic reactions such as migraines. It can alter moods, growth, and learning. It can cause deadly diseases like cancer. Regardless that the majority of these preservatives are banned in other countries, our country still supports the use of them in our food products. Our labels do not contain this information, so be mindful, for our own sake and those of our future generations, as they will be the ones to spark the revolution.

Listed below are more articles to begin your independent research:

• CNN In-Depth article with more information on preservatives and additives: Preservatives

•  This website is an easy reader with a check list of safe, cut back, and avoidable preservatives and ingredients with as an easy reader with a check list: Preservatives Checklist

On a lighter note, this past week had me occupied. I am still seeking balance and clarity in my busy days. I am proud of myself endlessly and remind myself daily that my hard work will pay off. I was able to hit the studio two times this week for my regular hot yoga classes as well have a few home practices, one in which I was able to snap a few pictures!

For instance, child’s pose massages all the major organs over the stomach. It also works the thighs and hips depending on how far your knees are separated. The closer your knees are together the more it becomes a resting pose; as to having the knees separated making it an active pose. I am a lover of child’s pose- but holding this posture without adjustments for 5 minutes was very uncomfortable. Mentally I was time traveling. Which isn’t always a good thing as it is often recapturing old emotional attachments I have yet to release, my to do list.  Sometimes, I will find tears.

How do I cope when these feelings arise? How do I find the strength to continue my yoga practice? Simple, I take one more breath, the only thing I can control, the only thing I can do, and I just begin again. I never give up; I just restart. And with that, I let it go. I am present and I am mindful.

Which brings me to the discussion of todays post. What does being mindful mean?

Being mindful is being attentive at any given moment, allowing you to be in the present moment. When I first heard the word mindful and began to make sense of the meaning, I thought it was very strange. I was surely already in the present moment, wasn’t I? I started to talk to myself, “am I in the present moment?” A few moments go by… “OK, am I in the present moment now?” I would always answer yes. But with each passing moment I had a feeling I hadn’t been in the present.

Many of us believe we are fully aware of each moment, but to be truly in the present is a very tough discipline. I mean, mindfulness is a terrifying practice. It means not thinking about the next moment. It means not dwelling on the one you just had. It means not thinking about what you could have done, or said.

In respect, I invite you to take baby steps to mindfulness. Begin with mindful eating. Next time you sit down for a meal, use these skills. Take a deep breathe in; a long exhale out. Continue breathing like this for only a short minute. Thank the universe silently in your mind. Mindful eaters sit down and appreciate their food. They eat slow and deliberately. They chew thoroughly. This can all be done silently to ourselves.

Make it a priority to implement this once daily. Comment below by simply clicking the “comment” button, and share your thoughts or experiences behind mindful eating.

Yoga fashion alert! Check out my galaxy leggings! You can find this trend on BlackMilk Clothing. My Black Surf Pro mat is from Manduka. It is the Black Surf Pro series in vibrant oceanic blue. I fell in love with the ocean blue it comes in. It is inspiring. It is also very supportive and easy on my spine, hips, elbows, and knees!