Recently, I read this article called Dear Polly: “Why is everyone succeeding but me?” in NY Magazine and it hit the nail right on the head.

I have always felt that someone I know is always one step ahead of me or if I started something after me, they instantly became a pro at it while I struggled in the background. I know this all sounds so whiny but bear with me here. The person that wrote in to Dear Polly could have been me. It wasn’t but the things they wrote about easily apply to my life, especially about setting goals. I think it is great to have goals, something to aspire to. However, setting mini-goals like “I am going to go for a run everyday” or “I am going to start eating super healthy….tomorrow,” are the kind of goals I seem to make to distract myself from pursuing real life changing goals. Mini goals should be tools to pursuing your main goal, not crutches or distractions. 

I admit, I am terrified of pursuing these things out of fear of rejection and feeling unqualified or inadequate. It is easy get sucked into the trap of feeling comfortable, and that is where I am at. The restlessness I feel about not pursuing what I want is now too much to handle. Setting these mini-goals is great but what is it going to do for you long term? Is it distracting you from pursuing other things?

“It takes a lot of stops and starts to figure out what you’re really committed to and what you really love enough to work hard on without much reward in sight,” -Quoted from Dear Polly. 

I have had a lot of stops and starts in my life to figure out what I want to do and I still haven’t figured out all of them but that is ok. It means I started at all but I haven’t started those life changing ones- not yet anyways. I am giving myself this month to make the arrangements I need to make before starting my life changing goals. I need to write some emails, make some phone calls, polish up some documents, and then start. This is not another distraction but required steps I need to make in order to pursue what I want. I am tired of waiting for things to happen, I need to make them happen for myself. I have to stop comparing my journey to other people’s successes.

Comparative anxiety is so real to me and it makes me feel like trying new things isn’t always worth it since there are so many people who are so much better at the things I want to pursue. This is just that little voice telling me I am not good at anything, like somehow experts weren’t once beginners.

I hope you find the NY Magazine article inspiring or at least, comforting to know that others do not always feel successful. Ask yourself what you want to do. What is your main goal? What thoughtful steps can you take to pursue them?

5 recipes down, 25 more to go! See you tomorrow for Day 6: Recreation of a Restaurant Meal. Missed Day 4? Check it out here.

Stay connected on the daily by following me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.  Made this recipe? I would love to see it! Use the hashtag #screcipe on your social media. 

Sweet Potato Sandwich w/ Sumac Miso Mayo

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Vegan MoFo Day 4: Sweet Potato Sandwich with Sumac Miso Mayo. A vegan sandwich does not have to suck. Sweet potatoes dressed with salty and earthy mayo.

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Recipe type: Sandwich

Cuisine: Vegan

Serves: 3

Ingredients

• For the Sweet Potatoes:
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon sumac
• For the Sumac-Miso Mayo:
• 3 tablespoons vegan mayo
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon white miso
• ½ teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil
• ¼ teaspoon sumac
• Sandwich Toppings:
• 6 slices of your choice of bread
• Tomatoes, sliced
• Avocado
• Pea shoots
• Lettuce
• Sriracha

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Slice the sweet potatoes into about ½ inch coins with the skins left in tact. In a bowl, toss the sweet potato coins with oil, salt, and sumac. Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time. The potatoes should be soft but have some brown spots.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the mayo. In a small dish, add all the ingredients for the mayo and mix well until fully incorporated.
4. Spread the mayo onto the top slice of your bread of choice, I used grape spelt bread but sourdough would be good. Add sweet potatoes to the bottom slice and pile on your additional toppings. I used pea shoots and tomatoes.

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The post Vegan MoFo Day 5: Sweet Potato Sandwich w/ Sumac Miso Mayo appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

3 recipes down, 27 more to go! See you all tomorrow for Day 4: Weird Food Combo. Missed Day 2? Check it out here. 

Stay connected on the daily by following me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.  Made this recipe? I would love to see it! Use the hashtag #screcipe on your social media. 

Savoury Za'atar Socca

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

16 mins

Total time

26 mins

 

This savoury chickpea pancakes takes less than 30 minutes to make from start to finish- including the sauce! This dish is filling, protein packed, and delicious. Perfect for a savoury breakfast or light lunch. Top with whatever vegetables you like! In the winter, roasted vegetables would be a great toppings. Feel free to use any toppings you like. This recipe is vegan, gluten free, nut free, and soy free. This recipe makes 2 9-inch crispy soccas + extra sauce.

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Recipe type: Breakfast, Lunch

Cuisine: vegan

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• For the Savoury Socca:
• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon za'atar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper chili flakes + more for garnish
• 
  
• Za'atar Tahini Sauce:
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white miso
• ½ teaspoon pure maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon za’atar + more for garnish
• Splash of filtered water to thin out if necessary
• 
  
• Toppings:
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 10 fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons
• ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch of fine grain sea salt
• Sliced avocado
• Pea shoots
• Za'atar

Instructions

1. In a bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, water, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, baking powder, and salt. Whisk for about 15 seconds until it is completely smooth with lots of bubbles. Set aside while you make your sauce.
2. Add all the for the sauce ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth. Set aside until ready to dress your soccas.
3. In a bowl, mix together the tomatoes, basil, oil, and salt. Set aside until the socca is ready.
4. In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, heat ½ tablespoon oil until hot. Add ¾ cup of the socca batter and cook for 5 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for 3-4 minutes. Keep the socca warm while you cook the second one. Add the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil, heat, and cook the second socca.
5. Top with tomato basil mixture, avocado, pea shoots, Za'atar Tahini sauce, and extra za'atar.

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The post Day 3 Vegan MoFo: Savoury Za’atar Socca appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

I hope these recipes will come in handy for those hungry kids after school!  Day Two is all about recreating a childhood meal. This one always hits close to home because my mother, a single parent, did not cook. The only time my family had a sit down meal together was around holidays or birthdays. I admit, reading narratives from other blogs about spending an afternoon with their family around their dining table making homemade ravioli or their Sunday traditional roast always made me a little jealous.My early life was not surrounded by homemade food and perhaps this is why I have committed my adult life to good and wholesome meals. This is no fault of my mother’s, she worked 2 jobs to support my sister and I and we never went hungry. Our meals were usually from a package so it was quick and easy for my mother to make between her two shifts that day. My sister and I went to a Catholic high school so it let out an hour earlier than most, which meant our lunch hour was at 10:40am. By the time we got home, we were so hungry and could not wait for dinner. My mother, standing in the kitchen, wearing her server uniform, would be chopping apples, slicing cheese, and piling crackers onto a plate for us to eat as soon as we got home. We chatted about our day, my mother would tell us what she prepared for dinner and how to reheat it for later, we started our homework while my mother sipped Earl Grey tea, and then she kissed us goodbye to leave for her other shift. This was our family time and I did not appreciate it when I was younger. I wanted the typical nuclear family that I saw on television, the kind that had pancakes from scratch on Sundays, and the mom that made cookies for bake sales at school. 

I did not get that kind of mom. I got a fighter, a woman who sacrificed and pushed to make sure her kids had the best childhood she could provide. There were times that she and I did not see eye-to-eye but looking back now, I can see all the hardships she took on by herself.

This is not your typical childhood meal recreation. These recipes were not passed down from generation to generation on an old faded cue card. My mom did not make the best Mac & Cheese or the best chocolate chip cookies but she did make the best with the short time we had with us, which suits me just fine.

2 recipes down, 28 more to go! See you tomorrow for Day 3: Quick, Easy, and Delicious! Missed Day 1? Check it out here.

Stay connected on the daily by following me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.  Made this recipe? I would love to see it! Use the hashtag #screcipe on your social media. 

5 Nut-Free Afterschool Snacks: Avocado Sourdough Toasts

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

 

Avocado toast is da' bomb and I eat it as a snack on the regular. The creamy, green avocado pairs wonderfully with the tang of sourdough bread. I add on red chili flakes but you can omit them unless your child likes spice!

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Recipe type: Snack

Cuisine: Vegan

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• Avocado Sourdough Toasts:
• 2 slices sourdough bread, toasted
• ½ ripe avocado
• ½ teaspoon hemp hearts
• Fat pinch of fine grain sea salt
• Pinch of red chili flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. With a fork, smash the avocado onto the toasted sourdough bread. Sprinkle with hemp hearts, salt, and red chili flakes. Cut the toasts into halves or even sticks. Serve and enjoy!

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5 Nut Free Afterschool Snacks: Fruity Pink Smoothie

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

 

Bright and fruity, I tested this recipe out with my 8 year old nephew and he loved it! This raw smoothie will keep their energy up to do some homework but won't ruin their dinner. This recipe makes 2 cups.

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Recipe type: Drinks

Cuisine: vegan, raw

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• Fruity Pink Smoothie:
• ½ cup fresh or frozen strawberries
• 1 frozen banana
• ½ peeled orange
• 1 cup seed milk
• 2 tablespoons hulled hemp hearts
• Ice (if your fruit is fresh vs. frozen, you will need to add ice)

Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients to a high power blender. Blend until smooth. Serve with strawberry garnish and enjoy!

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5 Nut-Free Afterschool Snacks: Apples with Cinnamon Date Caramel

 

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Prep time

7 mins

Total time

7 mins

 

I love this easy finger food for kids. All natural sugars, easy to make, and kid approved. This Cinnamon Date Caramel is a great after school snack.

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Recipe type: snacks

Cuisine: vegan

Ingredients

• Cinnamon Date Caramel:
• 10 soft medjool dates, pitted
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons melted coconut oil
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Water
• Pinch of salt
• 
  Apple wedges to serve

Instructions

1. Add the pitted dates, lemon juice, coconut oil, cinnamon, and a teeny pinch of salt to a high power blender. Turn on the blender and slowly add water, 1 tablespoon at a time until you have reached your desired consistency. I added about 7 tablespoons of water so the caramel would stick to the apples when dipped. Serve with apple wedges and enjoy!

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5 Nut-Free Afterschool Snacks: Celery & Cheese Dip

 

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Prep time

2 hours

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

2 hours 5 mins

 

Say no to Cheese Whiz! That jar of bright orange spread haunted most of my childhood since my sister loved it. This one is nutritious, delicious, and kid approved. This recipe also makes awesome salad dressing on my Big Ol' Texas Bowl Salad

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Recipe type: snacks

Cuisine: vegan

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• For the Nacho Dip:
• ½ cup sunflower seeds, soaked for 2-8 hours*, drained and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• ½ red pepper, chopped fine
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon ancho powder (use regular chili powder for a flavourful but not spicy nacho cheese)
• ¼- ½ teaspoons fine grain sea salt
• 4-6 tablespoons warm water
• 
  Celery Sticks to serve

Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients to a high power blender and blend until completely smooth.
2. Serve with celery sticks.

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5 Nut-Free Afterschool Snacks: Frozen Grape Skewers

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

 

Literally just one ingredient and so easy to make. Don't have skewers? Just freeze them on a baking sheet instead.

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Recipe type: snacks

Cuisine: vegan

Serves: varies

Ingredients

• Grapes

Instructions

1. Add the grapes onto the skewers.
2. Place skewers onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and place in the freezer. Once the grapes are frozen, serve!

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The post Day 2 Vegan MoFo: 5 Nut-Free Afterschool Snacks appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

Thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart.

If you want to receive a free copy of my eBook, subscribe on the right hand side bar or at the bottom of this post. Redefining Sprouts & Chocolate was a bit terrifying and I tried to convince myself out of it. Just 12 ingredients? For ALL future recipes? Once I started making lists of the recipes, it wasn’t as hard as I imagined. Starting is the hardest part but do whatever it takes to get your ideas in motion. You got this! Minimalist living has been on my mind for a little while but I did not know how to put it into practice for my life and not just in my recipes. As I looked around my apartment, I felt burdened by my possessions but felt like I couldn’t part with them. Mark and I live in a 600 square-foot apartment so space is tight. We felt like we were outgrowing this apartment at an alarming rate but it wasn’t the square footage that was the problem, it was the stuff. Just the stuff piled onto more stuff, littered around with more stuff. On Friday, my copy of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing came in the mail and during the weekend I read it cover to cover. After each chapter, I could feel my mindset shifting and it became easier to accept discarding my possessions. Mark and I turned our teeny apartment upside down, giving our cramped space some much needed breathing room. In a single afternoon, we managed to get rid of:

• 5- 45L bags of clothes to donate
• 4- 45L bags of junk and garbage
• 40 books (that one was tough)
• 38 old food magazines
• 35 VHS tapes
• 28 DVDs
• 2-68L Rubbermaid containers with duplicate or unused kitchen supplies
• 1 large unused cabinet

Every object Mark and I own now has a specific place instead of just cramming something wherever we could find room. This is just the start but like anything, simple living just takes a bit of habit reforming. Sure, I don’t live in one of those Tiny Homes and I did not want to part with all my books but it is a step toward something greater. If you are interested in minimalist living, start by looking around your home and see what it is collecting dust. Do you love it? Does it serve a purpose? Do you use it? If not, I suggest you donate if possible or discard the item. It became also thrilling to see the unneeded things leave my space and I hope you find the same joy. 

What is one thing you can do today, just today, to achieve your goal?

FYI: This post contains an Amazon Affiliate link but I really love Marie Kondo’s book! 

Stay connected on the daily by following me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.  Made this recipe? I would love to see it! Use the hashtag #screcipe on your social media. 

Buffalo Chickpea Caesar Salad

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

A revision on an old favourite! I wanted to recreate an older recipe of mine with new life, less ingredients, no oven, and that had a nut-free dressing. Sunflower seeds, when soaked and blended, are wonderfully creamy, light, and delicious. The extra oil in the dressing is needed since sunflower seeds are naturally lower in fat than cashews. The chickpeas crisp up well in a cast iron skillet, however if you do not own one, they will do just fine in a regular pan, it might just take an extra minute or two. This recipe is vegan, gluten free, nut free, and serves 2 generous salads or 4 light sides.

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Ingredients

For the Nut Free Caesar Dressing

• ½ cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked for 2 hours
• Juice of 1 lemon, about 4 tablespoons
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• ½ tablespoon white miso
• 5 tablespoons water, or to desired consistency

For the Buffalo Chickpeas

• 2 cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Frank's Hot Sauce
• 2 heads of Romaine lettuce, chopped, washed and dried
• Extra lemon wedges (optional)

Instructions

For the Nut Free Caesar Dressing

1. Add all the dressing ingredient to a high power blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. The blender is faster but the food processor will do the trick.
2. Transfer dressing to a glass jar or bottle and chill in the fridge until ready to use. You may have to add a splash of water to the dressing since it will thicken as it cools.

For the Buffalo Chickpeas

1. Dry the drained chickpeas between two sheets of paper towels. Gently roll the beans between the paper towels until the chickpeas are fairly dry. Do not skip this step! Your chickpeas will not crisp up if they are wet.
2. Transfer the dried chickpeas to a medium bowl, add the arrowroot, paprika, salt and olive oil and gently stir to coat the beans.
3. Heat up a skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the chickpeas, and cooked for 10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes so they do not burn. Wipe out the medium sized bowl that you dressed the chickpeas in.
4. Try a few chickpeas before taking the pan off the heat to check if they chickpeas are to your desired crispiness. I like mine just crispy on the outside but still meaty on the inside. If you desire a very crisp chickpea, add a few minutes to the cooking time.
5. Transfer chickpeas to the clean medium sized bowl and add the buffalo sauce. Toss to coat.
6. Dress the lettuce with the Nut Free Caesar Dressing, top with Buffalo Chickpeas, and serve with additional lemon wedges. Enjoy!

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The post Buffalo Chickpea Caesar Salad {Nut Free} appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

Five months ago, I published a post about my Champagne Birthday, styled by the wonderfully talented soon-to-be-mama Holly Bowman. In the post, I wrote down some goals I wanted to accomplish before my next birthday. A little recap:

Some major goals I have for this year are:

-Write and develop an e-book   (To receive your FREE copy, subscribe along the sidebar!)

-A full layout redesign including my recipe index (HUGE thanks to Minimalist Baker for their video tutorials)

-Posting more frequently (this will much easier when I am not in school full time)

-Taking more photographs besides food

-Find a form of exercise I enjoy (just signed up for a ballet class! Yes I am going to be terrible but that’s ok!)

-Take an overseas trip

-No more buying coffee (especially since I buy excellent coffee beans for home) 

-Get my drivers’ license (yeah I know…)

I keep a little notebook with me everywhere I go so I can write down goals as I think of them and better yet, crossing them off as I accomplish them. For me, it is the best way to stay on track. Every few weeks, I write down my action plans to best accomplish these goals and it is wildly satisfying to cross them off my list in ink. So my progress so far:

-The eBook in is the works and I have an editor! I recently attended a “How to Build an eBook” seminar lead by David from The Healthy Maven which was an invaluable source of inspiration.

-The redesign is coming soon with a much better recipe index layout.

-With school officially done (for now), posts will be more frequent. I am aiming for twice a week minimum.

– The season has changed and green things are popping up all over the place. My camera will be making trips with me outside of my kitchen!

-Finding a form of exercise: I tried a 7-week ballet class and it wasn’t for me. I did sign up for hot yoga with my best bud. We actually became friends after working out together for a 5K run and it has been amazing to reconnect with her through this experience. Exercise regimes are made better with a support group or friend.

– My overseas trip has been cancelled but for good reason! I opted to go to Texas for Vida Vegan Con instead of an overseas trip. I feel that this trip would benefit my other goals better than a vacation. Plus, I get to meet some of my favourite vegan bloggers in person! I will probably fangirl so hard that I will be too shy to actually speak to any of them.

– The daily trip to the café near my house has been made much easier since they moved across town so no more coffees that I did not make at home. I have saved $60 a month times 5 months = $300!! 

– I have not done a single thing to get my driver’s license. Yikes!

But I have added the goal of writing at least 500 words a day and not just about food related things. I was recently tagged on Instagram by Amy Le to reveal some things about myself that may not have come up on my site. I confessed that I originally started this blog to become a better writer but because of school, my non-blog related writing has taken a backseat. With school being over now, this is the time to get into a writing routine and creating the habit of sitting down to write. No more excuses! This is my time to better myself and I plan use every moment I can.

This guacamole is a favourite among my friends that I work with (We are all too close to call each other “coworkers”). I brought it into work and we all devoured the container in a matter of minutes. Restaurant servers are always hungry since no one actually gets a break from work and our dinners usually consist of cold fries and maybe a slice of garlic bread with buffalo sauce. They kept asking when this recipe would make an appearance and their persistence has paid off. Roasting the jalapeño adds complexity to this guacamole but the avocado maintains its buttery taste. I originally added 2 full roasted jalapeños to this recipe but found it overpowered the fresh taste of the guacamole and left my mouth on fire. One jalapeño was still fairly mild so I used one and a half peppers but if you like it hot, feel free to add two.

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Yum

Roasted Jalapeño Guacamole

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

• 1-2 jalapenos
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large ripe avocados, pitted. 1½ to smooth and the other half diced.
• ½ cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1/3 cup diced fresh tomato
• 1 small shallot, minced
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt*
• Serve with:
• Corn chips*
• Veggie sticks
• Cherry Tomatoes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a small baking sheet with tinfoil or parchment paper. Drizzle the peppers with the olive oil on the sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, turning halfway through the cook time. Set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor add 1½ of the avocado, cooled roasted jalapeno, cilantro, limejuice and garlic and blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and add the tomatoes, minced shallot, cubed avocado and ¼ teaspoon of sea salt. Mix until just combined.
3. Cover and press the guacamole with plastic wrap, refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the flavours meld together. *If you are serving it with salted corn chips, try some of the guacamole on the chip before adding more salt.

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