Right around my time of the month I got a serious insane craving for sugar! I decided to try out a vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe from Oh She Glows! They were so absolutely glorioussssssss. Granted they're pretty packed with sugar so I wouldn't call them a health food, but when you want a cookie they're much better for you than hitting up a bakery where they use dairy and eggs. But I couldn't stop just with the cookies so I made a vegan cookie dough blizzard with banana ice cream!

I adapted this recipe as I said above from OSG.
Makes about 12-14 cookies

Ingredients:

7 tbsp Earth Balance (Coconut Oil Version is my fave or use a soy-free one)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup cane sugar (or use white)
1 flax egg: (1 tbsp ground flaxed mixed with 3 tbsp water)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder ( use this instead of baking soda, which made my didn't make the cookies rise)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup spelt flour
1/4 tsp molasses (optional-but the molasses makes the cookies chewy)
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix together the flax egg and set aside.

2. With an electric mixer or in a stand mixer, beat the Earth Balance until fluffy. Fold in the brown sugar and cane sugar. Then beat in the flax egg.

3. Beat in the rest of the ingredients and fold in the chocolate chips.

4. Place the dough on the cookie sheets. Make sure to leave ample room im between cookies since they really spread out. Bake for 10-12 minutes but watch closely. Allow to cool before eating!
 

Then to make the banana ice cream just throw in as many frozen bananas as you want to the food processor and add just a splash of non-dairy milk (my favorite is coconut milk).

The first time I made these I put the dough in the food processor and mixed it in very quickly but it diluted the cookie dough-ness too much so I recommend just putting it on top in your bowl and then mix in by hand. 

Alternatively you could also make the cookies and then crush them up on top of the banana ice cream or of course eat them yourself. 

The other day I read an article on thefruitpursuit.com about how wonderful wheatgrass is for you! 

Wheatgrass is the younger, immature version of wheat. Much like other grains, before it matures into a grown up grain,  wheat grows as a grass. Veggies are the powerhouses that we never knew! Many of our friends like the gorillas and cows subsist on only greenery! Cows have shown us that grass really does do a body good (unlike their milk!) For humans though it is nearly impossible to chew grass well enough to release the health benefits. So in order to release the vitamins we must juice it! And another benefit of juicing is that by removing the fiber vitamins are easier for us to digest!

Here are some of the benefits of Wheatgrass:

• Supposedly one shot of wheatgrass (1 oz) has the nutritional equivalency of 1 kilo of fresh veggies.
• Rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, amino acids (building blocks for protein) and enzymes and chlorophyll (70%).
• Stimulates metabolism & reduces cravings (by stabilizing blood sugar)
• Helps lower blood pressure
• Neutralizes toxins
• Clears skin up 
• Boosts the immune system
• Recolors Gray Hair
• Boosts Energy
• Soothes cuts, burns, scratches, rashes, etc. 
• Restores fertility and promotes youthfulness

What does it taste like? Okay well the good news is that it's a small shot and it goes down smooth. I'm not the biggest fan but I do make myself take it as often as I can. It tastes like exactly like what you'd expect it to–grass! I can smell it across the room as soon as I enter a health food store. But it's worth it, right? If someone told you that you could take a shot of something to make you much healthier for the rest of your life you'd take it right? Well I would–and I do! Just think of it as medicine! Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go downnnnnnnnnn…

*Tip-to make it go down smoother, try finishing your wheatgrass shot with a lemon chaser and suck on a lemon wedge after you down it! It really takes the edge off!

Summer is my only favorite season for salads as a main course so I've been experimenting this sweltering fabulous summer! One of my favorites to serve with a pasta dish to ensure that I get my leafy greens is a Kale, Lemon, Parmesan salad. Yes, I know I typically stick to vegan lately but this sprinkle of parm makes this salad really pop. I adapted it from the Forge restaurant in Miami. The recipe is simple and it'll get almost anyone to eat raw kale. Swear!

1/2 head of kale
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2.5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Clove Fresh minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan Cheese (Fresh–for the love of g-d please don't eat Kraft's parm that can sit on the shelf for a year!)

Take half a head of kale (curly or dinosaur) and wash thoroughly and remove middle stems. Then put it in your salad spinner and dry it off. If you don't dry it off somehow the Kale gets a strange "cooked-like" (yes that's my word) texture once it goes through the food processor. Next,  throw it in the food processor on the shred function. Mix the dressing separately and add as much as you want. Sprinkle on a small handful of freshly grated parmesan cheese. With Kale, you want to be sure to let it marinate in the fridge for at least 10 minutes otherwise the dressing won't fully absorb. 

Try to stop your boyfriend, fiance, husband from eating this!! Also feel free to add any other veggies your heart desires!

In what is the latest effort to get children to eat their 'veggies,' Kraft has slipped "cauliflower" (yes, it's meant to be in quotations!" into its classic staple, Mac-n-cheese! According to the Chicago Tribune, "the company freeze-dries cauliflower and pulverizes it into a powder, then uses that powder to replace some of the flour in the pasta."

It is my biggest pet peeve that companies are allowed to call this a serving of vegetables! Come on! If something is that processed it's just not the same as eating a stalk of the white stuff! Vegetables lose many nutrients when freeze dried and certainly their fiber when they're ground up and processed beyond recognition.  I think it's a travesty how companies like this market the idea to parents that they're fulfilling their children's nutritional needs! I'm a big believer in "eating your vegetables" but they need to be just that, veggies! Yes, your kids may want to feed them to the dog or slip them into the plant but if you learn to prepare them the right way, your kids will eat them! Check out this recipe for Spinach and Artichoke macaroni and cheese! Not the healthiest dish fat wise but at least it's real cheese and real vegetables! Plus you can modify to add low-fat cheese, whole grain pasta and more veggies!

Allowing our youth to think that anything in a box that can sit on the shelf for a year can contain your full serving of "vegetables" is absolutely ludicrous to me!  

So, y'all know that I have mentioned Kimberly Snyder many times. Kimberly is a certified nutritionist with tons of fabulous advice for people of all ages, she's who I got the idea for the green smoothie that everyone makes fun of me for. On this blog we believe that we should eat healthy, not only to be conscious of our weight, but because we want to live full, healthy and energetic lives! Today I met Kimberly and she is just so inspirational and fantastic, I left the event today feeling inspired to become a full vegan (don't worry friends and family I won't go cold turkey) but I had to share the news about her new book with all of you. Kimberly has a back to basics type of philosophy when it comes to nutrition, raw and fruits and veggies are the best, but she doesn't push just one unrealistic program on you. She understands that people are busy and don't want to overhaul their entire food lifestyle (think celeb clientele like Drew Barrymore, Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Channing Tatum). Kimberly has easy advice that anyone can incorporate into their diet that will leave you with big changes and a smaller waist.

If Kimberly's glowing aura and svelte figure isn't a testament to how well her nutritional guidance works, I don't know what is. She is lean, bright-eyed and bursting with energy (without drinking any coffee I might add, EVER!). What does she attribute her fabulous energy and glowing skin to? Her glowing green smoothie. Sound familiar? I have been pushing this on you guys for months now! 

Her book discusses the green smoothie and how to get renewed energy and the body you've always wanted.  She explains why eating high-mineral fruits and vegetables, while avoiding dairy will help you lose weight. Did you know that the order you eat your food makes a big difference? She told me about it today and I am astonished. Kim's Beauty Detox solution can virtually turn back the clock on aging. Essentially, your body as you get older accumulates a bunch of junk. If you don't keep it clean then your body is going to have to expend alot of energy getting rid of it instead of doing other essential jobs like rebuilding collagen and keeping your fine lines to a minimum. Kim's book is about making yourself beautiful from the inside out. She gives amazing alternatives to refined sugar like her raw cacao truffle recipe. I tried them today and can't wait to eat the other little to-go package she sent me home with. 

Kim's a magna cum laude graduate of Georgetown University, she's visited over 50 countries to study health and beauty practices around the world. For more information about Kimberly, visit www.KimberlySnyder.net. 

I don't ever like to hammer you guys to do anything but I truly believe that everyone can benefit so greatly from reading this book and talking to Kimberly. She is such a beautiful person inside and out and just the sweetest person you'll ever meet! 

Here are some things to look forward to in her book: she'll tell you how you don't have to count calories if you're eating the right foods, why soy and dairy may be leading to you gaining weight even when you diet your head off, and why beauty = energy. 

To purchase her book, click HERE. 

These days when I see parents slathering sunscreen on their children I want to cringe, knowing that 85% of the concoctions going into their children's bloodstreams are chemicals. But what choice do we have if we want to have a day at the beach? Cover ourselves in a burka? Wear hats and sit in the shade? Enter COOLA, an organic suncare line that I am loving. There are two products I want to tell you about, Mineral Face and Mineral Body. Not only are both remarkable sun blocks, but MineralFace Tint is a terrific alternative to foundation. And who wants to layer products during the warm (and muggy) months?! I’m sure that you agree that products that multi-task are the best.

COOLA's moisture-rich signature sunblock and sunscreen products contain natural phyto-protectors, certified organic extracts, and age-defying antioxidants and vitamins that provide a fundamental boost to your skin's natural immune system. Every COOLA product line is uniquely formulated for different body parts, skin types, and active lifestyles – from the sensitive nature of FACE to the demands of SPORT, and all the way through to the new 100% natural BABY SPF.

All COOLA formulas are PABA/Paraben/Petroleum/Phthalate free and 100% made in the U.S.A!

COOLA Sunblocks have perfected the art of blending organic and natural ingredients. Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide are evenly distributed to maximize coverage and minimize white residue. This perfect distribution turns an opaque white Zinc and Titanium Dioxide into a transparent and greaseless application without clogging pores.

SPF 20 Mineral Face features UVA/UVB broad-spectrum protection.  It's a chemical free sunblock for all skintones. I have been using it as a light foundation and I'm loving it. It's not greasy at all, which is most important to me. 

SPF 30 Mineral Body is 98% natural and 80% certified organic ingredients. Its unique formulation features Vitamin C, helping reduce visible signs of aging by fighting destructive free radicals. 

FTC Disclosure: I received these products as consideration for a post. As always all opinions expressed are my own. I have been waiting for an organic suncare collection for ages that I could use!

So, I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to write about my favorite new "cream." Call me lazy. Get it? Like call me crazy. Anyway, I am obsessed with RMS' raw coconut oil. It's organic and 100% natural. You could actually cook with it if you wanted to. 

Here are the caveats for those of you who are unfamiliar with coconut oil in general. At high temperatures, coconut oil is completely liquid. If your house gets cold, it will turn solid. Yep. Weird little fact I learned the hard way when I spilled it all over my Juicy pants. It strangely came out though. I was shocked. Yet one more benefit of something totally natural. It also isn't completely leak proof. If you're traveling i would definitely chuck this into a plastic baggie. 

I use this stuff for everything from makeup removal to under eye cream to just plain old moisturizer. It works great. It feels a little greasy if you're not used to it but it gets sucked up immediately by your thirsty skin.

The coconut cream goes for $18 a pop, which isn't bad for an organic moisturizer. And as always you could go to the store and buy it as a grocery but it's like olive oil, you could buy a cheap version at Costco but it won't be nearly as good as the organic one from Italy. The choice is yours

rms cosmetics were created by celebrity makeup artist Rose-Marie Swift and are available on rmsbeauty.com