Warming Turmeric Latte

That comfort food season is upon us, and a warming turmeric latte is the just the trick to make you feel warm and cozy. Turmeric is what I like to call a super herb: it's a potent anti-inflammatory, meaning, taken regularly, it can help improve pretty much any ailment you may have. Since most diseases, skin conditions, aches and pains are caused by inflammation inside the body, turmeric helps to counteract that inflammation. 

Turmeric can be consumed in a variety of ways. I like to take it in capsule form to ensure that I get it in daily, but it is absolutely delicious in the form of a golden latte. Now, you can make your own golden mix from scratch, or you can do what I do and buy Gaia herbs mix. I'm the kind of girl who likes convenience, and making my own golden milk mix is NOT convenient in my opinion. It's a bunch of ingredients and precise measurements, and who has time for that in the morning!?

Now a bright yellow drink made with turmeric may sound disgusting, but trust me, it is far from it. Turmeric is mixed with warm fall spices and a hint of sweetness: Cardamom, Ashwagandha, dates, vanilla bean and of course, turmeric is what you'll find in the Gaia herbs mix. Oh and this isn't sponsored by the way... I just LOVE this mix and it makes it so so easy to make the most delicious drink in 5 minutes flat.

To make it is quite easy; no recipe needed if you're using the mix! Just heat any type of plant based milk over the stove top until it's almost at a boil. Stir n one heaping teaspoon of the golden milk mix, and whisk until completely dissolved/mixed. Pour and enjoy while hot!

I can't wait for you guys to try one of my favorite drinks! Please comment below and let me know how you like it. Also, if you're interested in getting a Thrive Market membership, click here for 25% and free shipping off your first purchase! xo

Homemade Kale Pesto

I am ALWAYS snapchatting about this or putting it on my Insta-stories, but I have yet to post the recipe, and I feel like I've been cheating you guys. It's such a simple recipe, and it's a delicious addition to pretty much any meal. My favorite way to eat it is mixed with quinoa and a little bit of parmesan cheese. Top it with an egg to make a "quinoa bowl", and you're set to go. I'm not sure why that's the best route, but it's just SO DARN delicious prepared that way. Pesto is also great mixed in with pasta, on top of toast or in sandwiches, and scrambled in eggs. Another one of my favorite ways to eat it is in a sandwich with egg, bacon, and avocado. Talk about a yummy breakfast. 

This recipe can be vegan if you'd like, as I usually make it without the cheese and use nutritional yeast instead. You can use either - it pretty much tastes the same. Also, the recipe below, like usual, is just my guesstimations - I'm one to just throw things in a food processor and continually taste and add to it until it tastes good. You may need a bit more olive oil, or may need extra cheese/nutritional yeast, depending on how strong you like your pesto to be. Don't be afraid to play around with this a bit - it's pretty hard to screw up (unless you add too much salt, so be careful with that one). 

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch kale, stems removed (I have used 3 different types of kale and they all work!)
• 1 bunch basil leaves
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 3/4-1 cup olive oil (or more)
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast for vegan, or 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• Juice from 1 lemon
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Throw all ingredients into a food processor and process until completely mixed/chopped up. Start with the smaller amount of olive oil, and continue to add it while the processor is running until the pesto is a smooth consistency, without being too runny. 
2. Like I said above, you can add more of any of the ingredients, like cheese/nutritional yeast, salt, lemon juice, etc. depending on what you like and how you want your pesto to taste. Make it what you want!

A few of my favorite pesto recipes:

• Pesto pasta with baked salmon
• Pesto quinoa with egg
• Grilled cheese with pesto

The Deliciously Ella Sweet Potato Brownies

I finally hopped on the bandwagon and tried the famous Deliciously Ella sweet potato brownies that everyone seems to rave about. Honest opinion? I wasn't obsessed with the flavor and texture of them, but these are almost completely added sweetener free and pretty darn healthy. That is the appeal of them though, right? Eating dessert without actually getting the bad side effects of it? I just think they taste a little more like a Luna bar then a brownie, but I'd make them again. That icing though... I'm planning on making just that and eating spoonfuls of it. It was AMAZINGGG. 

Sweet potatoes are the star of this recipe as they are the base of the brownie. Nothing like mixing some healthy starch and fiber into dessert right? This recipe also calls for almonds and coconut oil, so they're also a very good source of healthy fats. They're super simple to make and full of good for you ingredients... Read on for the recipe if you're willing to give them a try.

Ingredients:

• Brownies:
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes
  • 12 medjool dates
  • 6 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup ground almonds
  • 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup ground oats
  • 6 tbsp cacao powder
  • a pinch of salt
• Icing:
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp almond butter
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp cacao powder

Directions:

1. Preheat the over to 350 degrees.
2. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into chunks and steam them until they are soft. I believe you could also boil them in water until soft too if you'd like.
3. Place cooked sweet potato and pitted dates in a food processor together and blend until well mixed.
4. Mix remaining brownie ingredients in a bowl together and stir.
5. Next, pour the sweet potato/date combo into the bowl with the remaining brownie ingredients and mix well. 
6. Grease or line a brownie pan with parchment paper, and pour the brownie mix into the pan.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until you can pierce the brownies with a toothpick and it comes out dry.
8. Remove from the oven and let it sit for about 10-20 minutes - do not touch it! It is important for them to cool down before you cut them up.
9. To make the icing, simply put all the ingredients into a bowl and melt them in the microwave (about 30 seconds to 1 minute). Stir well and place in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes to harden it up a bit so you can spread it! 
10. Allow the brownies to cool before icing, otherwise it will melt fast! Or just eat the icing on it's own like I plan to do. :)