Every year about this time I have a small panic attack. When I realize that another summer has passed and that fall is just about to kick off, I start obsessing about all of the "summery" things that I still haven't done. Instead of driving myself nuts as usual, I decided to fully embrace the change of the seasons this year. We had a couple of cooler days this week so yesterday was a great day for pumpkin muffins!

Big bites:

Even though he can talk, he is also using his baby sign for "more" just to make sure that I understand that he needs another muffin ASAP!
Thumbs up:


Number 1! Kid-Tested Pumpkin Muffins
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 cup non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon chia seeds, ground flaxseeds, or 1 egg
1/3 cup packed brown sugar (*see note)
3 tablespoons oil (whatever kind you prefer to use)
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
1/4 cup protein powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk together the pumpkin, non-dairy milk, chia or flaxseeds (or egg), brown sugar, oil, and molasses and set aside.
2. Combine the flours, baking powder, protein powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl. 
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine (don't over-mix).
4. Pour batter into a lightly oiled or paper-lined muffin pan. Bake until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes.

*A note about sugar: These muffins are not super sweet. If you prefer a sweeter tasting muffin, I recommend using 1/2 to 2/3 cup of packed brown sugar.

I was really craving something different for lunch today and I had some farmers' market and CSA veggies to use up too. I decided to make some zucchini pancakes but, when I looked around online for a recipe, I couldn't really find anything that seemed like what I wanted. I made this recipe up as I pulled things out of the refrigerator and the pancakes turned out great!

Quinoa (pronounced "keen-wa") is a grain that frequently shows up on "super foods" lists. While it may not actually give you super powers, I do love it because it is high in protein (considered a "complete protein" because it contains all nine essential amino acids), iron, complex carbohydrates, B vitamins, zinc, and magnesium. Also, it cooks in only about 15 minutes!

Are you confused about which kind of oatmeal or oats to buy? It might surprise you to learn that a faster cooking time doesn't necessarily mean a healthier choice.

I encourage you to avoid "quick oats" that contain added sugar and/or salt. Otherwise, choose the oats that you enjoy the most based on texture and cooking time.

You may have already figured out that I have a bit of a love affair with muffins after my gushing over my "Best banana muffins in the history of all banana muffins". I will admit, though, that I'm a muffin snob- it has to be low fat, vegan, lower in sugar, contain a bit of protein, and taste great. This doesn't happen often, people! That being said, though, it happened for me this week with these blackberry orange muffins. These are amazing!

I use protein powder in smoothies, pancakes, muffins and baked goods, and in a few other ways. It seems like there are a million product choices out there so I thought I'd share a few of my favorites. I do not use powders that contain whey (I'm 99% vegan it isn't) or soy (I prefer to get my protein from other sources when possible and it can irritate my stomach in large doses). I choose products that are natural and I avoid overly processed or artificial ingredients.

Here are the products that I like:

Vega:
Smoothie Infusion: Great in smoothies or for adding to baked goods and pancakes (replace up to 1/3 of the flour in a recipe). Not sweetened.

I just had the best lunch that I've had in awhile! I was rummaging around in the fridge trying to use up a few things and came up with this awesome quesadilla!

Beans and other legumes are essential to vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. They provide healthy amounts of plant-based protein, fiber, and iron. That being said, though, many people avoid them for fear of the gas and bloating that they can cause. Here are five ways to help improve their digestibility and minimize gas factor:

Dispelling a myth: Vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike are often looking for ways to increase their iron levels. Many pregnant women (maybe as many as 85%) struggle with low iron or anemia, as well. I have heard it said that it is hard to get enough iron when eating a vegetarian diet because the plant form of iron (non-heme) is not as readily absorbed as iron from animal foods (heme). That is only half true: non-heme iron is less available to our bodies, however, it is quite possible to get enough iron despite that.

Here are 17 ways to increase your intake of iron:

Seeds are small but incredibly nutritious! Adding them to your daily diet is a great way to add protein and various vitamins and minerals. You can add seeds to your cereal (hot or cold), salads, smoothies, granola or trail mix, pancakes, and baked goods. Here are my favorites:

Chia - Very rich in omega-3 fatty acids (even more than flaxseeds) and an excellent source of fiber. Try adding them to yogurt or make "chia fresca".

Flaxseeds - Rich in omega-3 fatty acids and fiber. Be sure to grind them before eating them.

Hemp - Excellent source of iron, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Pumpkin - Just a quarter cup of pumpkin seeds provides ~25-30% of the RDA for iron! They are also rich in manganese, magnesium, and several other vitamins and minerals. Eating pumpkin seeds (and other iron-rich foods) with foods containing vitamin C will greatly increase your iron absorption.

Sesame - Sesame seeds aren't just for buns (hamburger that is)! They contain a ton of calcium, copper, manganese, magnesium, and iron. Try them in hummus or stir fried veggies.

Sunflower - Loaded with vitamins E and B1, manganese, magnesium, copper, folic acid, and more.

Many of these are available in the bulk food section of your grocery store (or online). Look for raw seeds rather than dry roasted or otherwise cooked versions and keep them in the refrigerator. The oils in nuts and seeds are delicate and will begin to smell a bit like paint if they have gone rancid.

You will get the most nutritional value from consuming raw nuts and seeds. However, if you wish to toast them, please use a temperature that is 300°F or less to preserve the value of their delicate oils.

I'm not crazy about salad dressing. I know that might sound odd coming from a vegetarian whose diet, some believe, is mostly salad (that, by the way, couldn't be further from the truth!). There are a few dressings that I like but I prefer to top my salads with ingredients that add value instead of just flavor. The contents of my salads vary quite a bit, but here are some of my favorite toppings (including a few recipe links):

This burger recipe was inspired by Brendan Brazier's Thrive Diet. If you enjoy it, you can get creative by substituting different nuts, seeds, seasonings, etc. to create different kinds of nut burgers.

Raw Nut Burger
Serves 2-3
1/2 cup raw pecans
1/2 cup raw walnuts
2 Tbsp ground flaxseeds
2 Tbsp hemp seeds
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 Tbsp raw sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 medium carrot
1 garlic clove
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Several leaves of fresh basil
Dash of sea salt

You can crumble this over your salad, form it into patties and eat raw in a wrap, or cook and eat the patties as a burger (fry until lightly brown on both sides or bake at 300° for about 15-20 minutes (flip mid-way).

Did you know...? Nuts and seeds contain monounsaturated fat. This good fat helps to raise your "good cholesterol" and improve your overall cholesterol ratio (HDL to LDL). Nuts and seeds are also a great source of protein, iron, and vitamin E.

What is tempeh?
Tempeh, like tofu, is made from soybeans. It is more dense and grainy than tofu and contains more nutrients because it is made from whole fermented beans. A single 4oz. serving provides around 16-20 grams of vegan protein, 9 grams of fiber, and 15% of the RDA for iron. Even fellow vegetarians sometimes struggle with how to prepare and eat tempeh.

Here are two ways that I enjoy it.

Tempeh salad:
Makes 1 large or two small servings 4oz. tempeh cut into very small cubes or crumbled
Olive oil or cooking spray
1 stalk of celery, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
2-3 Tbsp vegan mayonnaise (I use Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise)
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Did you know...? 1/4 cup of sesame seeds contains 350mg of calcium (35% RDA) and 5mg of iron (29% RDA)!

Tempeh sandwich or wrap:

Three great places to find more tempeh recipes:
101 Cookbooks tempeh recipes
VegWeb.com (search for tempeh to find recipes)
FatFree Vegan Kitchen (search for tempeh to find recipes)