Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread (vegan)

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (whole wheat pastry flour works well)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2/3 cup non-dairy milk
• 2/3 cup real maple syrup (this is a pretty sweet bread and this could be reduced to 1/3 cup)
• 1/4 cup oil (canola, coconut, olive - your choice)
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups grated zucchini
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds (optional, adds protein, iron, and omega 3s)

1. Preheat the oven to 375º F (190º C). In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the milk, syrup, oil, lemon juice, vanilla, and zucchini. Add to the dry mixture and stir gently to combine. Fold in the raisins, chocolate chips, walnuts, and hemp seeds.
3. Pour batter into a loaf pan* lined with parchment paper (or lightly oiled). Bake for 45-50 minutes, until lightly browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

*Note: You can also bake this as muffins. Reduce baking time to approximately 20-25 minutes.

Blueberry Super Pancakes

• 1 cup of whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or more whole wheat)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened coconut)
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
• 3 tbsp hemp (or sunflower) seeds
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp oil (canola, coconut, etc.- your choice)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup blueberries (if using frozen, defrost them in a strainer under warm water)

1. Preheat your griddle over medium heat. Combine the flours and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Place all remaining ingredients, except for the blueberries in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients over the flour mixture and stir to combine. Some small lumps are ok- you don't want to over-mix the batter or the pancakes will be tough. Fold in the blueberries.
3. Cook on a heated griddle, flipping when the edges are bubbly.

To serve, spread margarine (I use Earth Balance) on top of warm pancakes, dust with powdered sugar, and squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the top.

Crockpot Oatmeal
Makes about 4 servings

• 1 cup oats of choice (I like oat groats)
• 3 cups of water (or recommended ratio of water +1 cup)
• Optional mix-ins: chopped apples, raisins, dried, cranberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, etc.

1. Put oats, water, and mix-ins in crockpot and turn on low overnight*.
2. To serve, I stir in 2 tablespoons of raw almond butter and top with a bit of unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

*Tip: If you find that your oats are sticking to the crockpot, try adding a bit more water the next time or use a holiday light timer to turn your crockpot off for you while you're still getting your beauty sleep!

Leftovers can be refrigerated and re-heated in the microwave with a little non-dairy milk. Feel free to get creative with the optional mix-ins!

Cherry Vanilla Muffins With Pecan Streusel
Makes 9-11 muffins

1 1/2 cups frozen cherries
1⁄3 cup flax meal (ground flaxseeds)
1 cup non-dairy milk
1⁄3 cup sugar
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour (or more whole wheat)
1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (or more vanilla)

Streusel topping:
1⁄3 cup pecans
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 margarine (preferably Earth Balance)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Coat a muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. Pulse cherries in a food processor until coarsely chopped.
3. In a small bowl, add the milk, flax meal, sugar, oil, vanilla, and almond extract. Combine well. Add the cherries and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the wet mixture and combine with a rubber spatula just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
5. Pulse the pecans, brown sugar, and margarine in the food processor to make the streusel. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and top the muffins with the streusel. Bake until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 26-28 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes in the pan before moving to a cooling rack.

For some extra cherry goodness, I'm in love with the Snow Geisha tea from Teavana. It is a loose leaf white tea that smells like cherry lollipops (it has a light cherry flavor when brewed). Awesome.

The best way to get vitamin D

When your skin is exposed to sunlight (without sunscreen), your body produces vitamin D. Just 10-15 minutes of exposure to sunlight on your face and arms each day should be adequate to ensure that you are not deficient in this essential vitamin. Keep in mind that sunscreen blocks UV rays and thus this process of vitamin D creation. So wait 10-15 minutes to apply your sunscreen if you are planning to spend more time outside. This short amount of non-blocked and non-burning time in the sun is not damaging to the skin- it is actually very healthy!

Why do we need vitamin D?

Vitamin D plays many different roles in our health, including:

• Greatly improving absorption of calcium for strong bones
• Boosting the immune system
• Protecting against some forms of cancer (colon, prostate, and breast)

Vitamin D-rich foods

If you live in a northern area or the weather is not currently conducive to catching a few rays, you can get vitamin D from dietary sources. The best food sources of vitamin D include fortified foods such as non-dairy milk products and cereals (non-vegan: dairy products, salmon, mackerel, egg yolks, and fish liver oils).

Try these combos for a vitamin D-rich breakfast or snack:

• Yogurt (dairy or fortified non-dairy) sprinkled with a fortified cereal, walnuts, and fresh fruit
• Fortified cereal with milk (dairy or fortified non-dairy) topped with fruit and slivered almonds

Makes 1 serving

1/2 cup water
4-5 ice cubes
1 large handful of raw spinach
1 ripe banana, peeled
1 orange, peeled
2 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
2 heaping teaspoons of Vega Tropical Shake and Go Smoothie mix
1 inch piece of vanilla bean (optional)