sunny vegan » food, photography, and fun

3.10.14

healthy lasagna soup

 

Oh lasagna, how I love you so. 
But the fat and cholesterol in traditional lasagna are a big no-no. 

So what’s a hungry girl do to? 
Make a yummy soup that’s good for you too! 

Seriously, who doesn’t love lasagna?! Even Garfield knew a good thing when he ate it. But it may not have been that healthy so you shouldn’t really eat it often. What if you could take the great taste of lasagna and make it easy and healthy enough to eat all the time?! I would call that a Winner Winner, Lasagna Dinner.

Ingredients:

1 tbs olive oil
2 closes garlic
8 oz whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 can dices tomato
1 cup tomato sauce
2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons fresh basil
1 Tablespoon fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes * optional

 

Method:

in a large saucepan, combine olive oil and garlic and cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes. add next five ingredients and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until noodles are cooked per package directions. add fresh basil, oregano and pepper flakes and simmer additional 5 minutes. garnish and serve immediately.

 

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Filed in: italian inspired | kid friendly | soup
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March 11, 2014 - 7:34 pm

Jana @ The Townhouse Pioneer - This looks so good! And way easier than the other lasagna soup recipe I have! Totally putting this on the menu plan this month.

March 11, 2014 - 7:55 pm

Debbie @ Heartbeats Soul Stains - This soup sounds wonderful. I love all types of soup….mmmmmmm! Visiting from #SITSChallenge can’t wait to get to know you better :)

March 12, 2014 - 7:08 am

Barbara @ www.allmylivesnow.com - This recipe sounds delicious. I can’t wait to try it out. I’m always on the hunt for lower calorie healthy dishes. Visiting from Group 13.
Barbara @ http://www.allmylivesnow.com

March 13, 2014 - 8:25 am

Ashlee - Gah, this looks so yummy! I LOVE me some lasagna. Haven’t had a vegan lasagna since I’ve become dairy-free. I’ll have to try this one!

March 25, 2014 - 10:13 pm

Lovlie - I have to say that’s the yummiest tomato based soup I’ve ever seen. I’m not really a tomato soup person but that soup, I would wholeheartedly love to try!

2.23.14

nutritious food on the go- Tree Top Apple Sauce

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tree Top.

 

I think I’m pretty lucky that my kids eat tons of fruits and veggies, but not all kids do. When I was given the opportunity to try the new Tree Top apple sauce pouches I was excited, but my girls freaked out when they saw them! Such a cute package and great flavor options made from wholesome simple ingredients made us all happy. There are times that you need nutritious food on the go, and these apple sauce pouches are made with 100%  of the apples grown in the USA and uses locally sources ingredients.

Seriously, these flavor options are great. Cinnamon, mango and strawberry taste so good we couldn’t decide on a favorite. And while apples alone can be a good on the go snack options, when we went skiing, an apple was NOT going to travel well so we threw a few pouches in our pockets and hit the slopes. Here is the instagram photo I took of my girl with her skis and some sauce. Below are the details on how you can enter the instagram sweepstakes to win $500 and Tree Top apple sauce!

If you have a hard time getting your kids to eat enough fruits and veggies, these adorable pouches are a great way to get some great tasting nutrition into their diet. Have you tried them yet? What flavor would you like to try first?

 

 

#TreeTopMainSqueeze Sweepstakes

  • February is here and love is in the air! At Tree Top, they’ve got a main squeeze that makes our heart go pitter-patter this Valentine’s Day. Made with USA apples and nothing artificial, Tree Top Apple Sauce Pouches are tasty treats that are great on-the-go and the little ones love them! Plus, they’ll never break your heart with an unexpected mess.
  • Show Tree Top who you love the most (aka your main squeeze), and you could win $500, plus a supply of Tree Top Apple Sauce Pouches! To enter, Instagram a photo of your main squeeze using the hashtag #TreeTopMainSqueeze and tag@TreeTopInc.
  • Participants can follow along with the Sweepstakes on Instagram by searching the hashtag, #TreeTopMainSqueeze.
  • Terms & conditions for the promotion can be found here: http://on.fb.me/1bSeb0O.

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tree Top. All opinions are my own:)

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Filed in: misc posts
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February 25, 2014 - 8:13 am

Desiree Eaglin - my kids love those!

2.12.14

this Valentine’s Day is for the birds! diy bird-feeder

While so much of the country is buried in snow and we should be, it’s really summer-like here right now. Our cute birds are out early and hungry so we decided to do something about it and make them all natural diy bird-feeders to hang in the trees. With Valentine’s Day this week we made hearts and X and O’s, but the X’s cracked so we have hearts and O’s- ha ha I don’t think the birds will mind though.

Ingredients:

1 part coconut oil
2 parts bird seed – we used a wild birdseed mix that had nuts and fruit in it

Materials:

cookie cutters
tin foil
sauce pan
spoon
toothpick or skewer
hemp string or twine

Method:

over very  low heat, melt coconut oil. remove from heat and stir in birdseed and allow to cool. wrap the outside of cookie cutters with tinfoil (to keep the oil in as it cools) then spoon mixture into cutters and press contents down slightly. insert toothpick or skewer and place in freezer for 5-10 minutes until hardened. remove from cookie cutter, add string and hang in tree.

 

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Filed in: diy | valentines day
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2.1.14

game day nachos

healthy nachos use fresh ingredients and full flavor via sunny vegan

Not going to lie, I freaking love nachos! Especially the kind of nachos that are guilt free and use fresh healthy ingredients. Using fresh tomato, green onion, cilantro, lime and corn create a flavor explosion worthy to the be the center of your Super Bowl party spread.

Place additional topping into separate containers and allow guests to customize their plates. All anyone will notice is the great taste, they won’t miss the fat and cholesterol at all, I promise!

 

Ingredients:

10 ounce bag organic tortilla chips
1/2 cup Daiya cheddar shreds
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

additional topping choices:
black olives
green onion
tomato
guacamole
Sour supreme
jalapeno peppers
pico de gallo
cilantro
lime wedges or juice
Cholula or other hot sauce

Method:

layer first 4 ingredients on a large cookie sheet or casserole dish, place under low broiler for aproximately 10 minutes or just until diaya cheese melts and corn is lightly browned. top with toppings of choice and serve immediately.

 

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Filed in: appetizer | party | vegan products
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March 12, 2014 - 1:54 pm

Ashlee - I have never heard of Daiya and just went to explore their website! Oh. My. God. I’m in love! I’m about to spend way too much money on their fake cheese.

12.2.13

peppy peppermint mocha and a great giveaway!

Now what say’s the Holidays are here better then the tastes of peppermint, chocolate and coffee? Not much for me and this is one rich and delicious treat that takes about a minute to make. Just the scent of peppermint with the cocoa powder is an uplifting and holiday mood maker.

I found all natural candy canes in the grocery store, colored with vegetable juice which made my girls very happy =)

Ingredients: per serving

1 1/2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar
2-4 drops pure organic peppermint extract
1 Tablespoon warm water
1 cup strong fresh brewed coffee
3/4 cup soy or almond milk, warm

Method:

combine cocoa powder, sugar, peppermint and warm water in the bottom of a large mug and stir until combined. add coffee and warm vegan milk and stir again. top with additional cocoa powder as desired.

Now that you really want to make one of these, wouldn’t it be great if you had a brand new Keurig to brew that coffee with? I absolutely love this give-away!

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The “Comforts of Home” giveaway begins Monday Dec 2 and ends at 12:00 AM on Monday, December 9, 2013.

Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Void where prohibited.

All entries are optional with the exception of leaving a blog comment. We will never sell, distribute, or spam your email.

Three winners will be chosen by Rafflecopter (powered by Random.org). The first person chosen will choose between a KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer, Keurig K65 Brewing System, or Kindle Paperwhite. The second person chosen will chose between the two remaining prizes. The third person chosen will receive the remaining prize. 

This is a non-sponsored post. Prizes were purchased by a group of participating bloggers. KitchenAid, Keurig, and Kindle are not affiliated with this giveaway.

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to the owner of this Facebook page and not to Facebook.

This promotion is powered by Rafflecopter. Metric Feat LLC (“Rafflecopter”) does not sponsor, administer, or endorse this promotion. Participants must read and agree to Rafflecopter’s Privacy Policy before entering and participating in this promotion.

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Filed in: christmas | contests | drinks | holiday
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December 2, 2013 - 12:27 pm

tiffany - I would love a kindle… its been on my wish list for a while!

December 2, 2013 - 4:29 pm

sarahc - I want the mixer!!!

December 2, 2013 - 9:22 pm

Becca F - I would love to see the keurig! I don’t really make coffee all that often but this might change that

December 3, 2013 - 10:42 am

Abby - The three of them are on my wish list! I would love any of them!!!

December 4, 2013 - 10:18 am

jessica price - I would LOVE a standing mixer! At their cost, I will never own one on my own & LOVE to cook for my family!

December 4, 2013 - 12:06 pm

amy b - oh hey gimme dat mixa. ;)

December 4, 2013 - 12:21 pm

Julie Cruz - I’ve been wanting a mixer like that for AGES!! I would LOVE one!!! We just remodeled a teeny bit in our home, and in the process, ended up having to pay more than we had hoped for (first guy did a crappy job, so we had to pay another guy to come fix his screw ups). There went extra money….so dreams of this mixer are just that….a dream. It would be the perfect addition to our kitchen! Eeeeeek! :)

December 5, 2013 - 12:49 am

Maggie P - This recipe is wonderful! Thanks for sharing, and what a fun contest too

December 5, 2013 - 12:54 am

Maggie P - Oh, and I think a Kindle would be fantastic!

December 5, 2013 - 10:05 am

Maggie P - The mixer would be the best Christmas gift ever!

December 8, 2013 - 6:22 pm

Megan B. - I would LOVE a stand mixer…been dreaming about having one for years!
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