Strawberry Smoothie *

I refuse to buy "fresh" strawberries when it isn't strawberry season because they are never actually ripe and taste either very tart or very bland. I get my off-season strawberry fix in the form of a smoothie using frozen strawberries!

You'll only need three ingredients:

1 cup frozen whole strawberries (it is okay to go slightly over)
1 1/4 cups vanilla coconut milk, such as So Delicious or Silk
1 TBSP agave

Place all ingredients in your blender. Pulse a few times to break up the strawberries some and then blend on low to medium speed until smooth. If the consistency is too thick try adding more coconut milk no more than a few tablespoons at a time until you get the thickness you prefer. Makes about 16 oz of smoothie, enough for two people or one very thirsty person.

For a treat with less sugar you can reduce or skip the agave but if your berries are tart it will affect the flavor.

NOTES: If you aren't using vanilla coconut milk and opting for plain or unsweetened instead you may need to add extra agave and little bit of vanilla extract.

Dr.'s Remedy Valentine Delight: Vegan-friendly Nail Polish

This is actually my first not-food-related post on here! Vegan-friendly nail polish brand Dr.'s Remedy has asked me to share with you their Valentines Day nail polish picks and I think they are pretty shades (can you guess which on is my favorite?)!

The colors are described as:

REVIVE Ruby Red: "A shimmer-infused, Wizard of Oz-inspired shade of crimson"

RESOLUTION Red Glitter: "A red-meets-copper spin that's sequin-look-alike laden with high-shine and sparkle"

RESCUE Red: "A classic fire engine red REVIVE Ruby Red: A shimmer-infused, Wizard of Oz-inspired shade of crimson"

These shades and other Dr.'s Remedy Shades are available at for $17 per bottle at www.remedynails.com.

In addition to being vegan, Dr.'s Remedy polishes are free of harmful ingredients like formaldehyde and enriched with beneficial ones like tea tree oil. You can read more about their formula here.

Just a little more info about Dr.'s Remedy:

"Dr.'s REMEDY is a line of doctor-inspired cosmetics that is dedicated to using clean, hypoallergenic ingredients. The brain-child of two New York-based podiatrists, Dr. Adam Cirlincione and Dr. William Spielfogel, Dr.'s REMEDY proves quintessentially-perfect for any person looking to better the condition of her skin and nails. Dr.'s REMEDY is sold exclusively at www.remedynails.com or by calling 877-323-NAIL."

Will you be painting your nails with vegan nail polish this Valentines Day?

Banana Nut Muffins

I already have a Banana Bread recipe posted here but this recipe for banana nut muffins is a bit different. It is lighter, fluffier, and is soy-free (the other recipe uses tofu). I don't actually like eating raw bananas but I love them in bread/muffin form, especially with walnuts and chocolate chips! My favorite way to eat these muffins is warm, cut in half and spread with some soy-free vegan margarine or coconut spread.

2 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
6 TBSP safflower oil (or other vegetable oil)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup So Delicious coconut milk yogurt (I use plain but vanilla would work also)
1 TBSP vinegar
2 ripe bananas, mashed (equal to 1 cup or slightly under)
1 cup walnuts (optional)
2/3 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional), try Enjoy Life to keep this recipe soy-free

Combine sugar, vanilla, yogurt, oil, and vinegar in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on a low speed until well combined. In a smaller bowl, stir together the flour and baking soda and then add this to the wet ingredients. Mix starting at low and increasing to medium speed, periodically scraping the sides and bottom with a spoon until the batter is free of lumps. Add the mashed bananas and mix, then the walnuts and chocolate chips. The batter will be thick but stir-able. Scoop into lined muffin tins and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Makes 18 to 20 muffins if both walnuts and chocolate chips are included.