The Categories

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These are the transitional meals that I used to get my family "over the hump" of going vegetarian.  They are meat-free but still contain dairy, and are made with healthier oils (like avocado oil) instead of olive or canola oil, which can lose all nutritional content when cooked at high heat.  We are italian, so you'll find these dishes do contain pasta and white rice, and are generally not gluten-free, there are some things a girl just can't give up.

Snacks and sides are great to complement your main dishes as well as act as small meals or meal-replacements throughout the day.  These plant-inspired snacks will leave you and your family feeling energized and satisfied, and simply are delicious and brilliantly nutritious.   I love to exercise, my Peloton bike is my crutch for those stressful days, and the Get'em and Go Shake featured here is the best recovery you can give yourself.  My 5, 7 and 15 year old are always asking me to make this delicious smoothie, packed with organic greens and fruits.  

After the transitional period, and the kids had accepted the fact we were no longer meat-eaters, I began the shift to 100% plant-based cooking, eliminating dairy as well.  I found that recipes with whole vs. processed ingredients were much healthier, and still easy to make taste really great.  I have experimented with an arsenal of vegan recipes, using soy and what they call "tempeh" (soy-based product), and I found that it was very difficult to make the meals taste good, and wanted to stay away from processed foods (even if they claim to be vegan or vegetarian).  Rule of thumb, to quote Dr. Mark Hyman (famous nutritional doctor), "if a man made it, don't eat it!".

I use desserts to ultimately "close the deal" on getting my family to eat only plant-based foods.   I've found that most vegan dessert recipes tend to be either dry or bitter, however, these recipes that I'm sharing with you are "kid-tested" and "husband-approved".  My husband will give me brutally honest feedback, and he is a huge dessert-lover, so all of these recipes are endorsed with his stamp of approval .  Thanks honey!