Eat

Whether you’re planning a Halloween party this October or looking to jazz up your kids’ lunches, you will love these vegan Halloween-themed ideas. With minimal, everyday ingredients you can turn any day into a magical and spooky adventure!

1. Tofu Dog “Fingers”:

Ingredients include tofu dogs, almonds and ketchup.

-Start by making two shallow cuts about half-way down the tofu dog to imitate finger creases.

-Boil the tofu dog until cooked and then remove from water.

Sweets are often touted as bad – surefire paths into the world of obesity, diabetes, and other problems -- but there’s a way to satisfy your cravings without all those added nasties from sugar. Here are five healthful reasons to give dark chocolate a try.

Easy Mushroom Gravy (Vegan)

*Makes about 4 servings

This easy mushroom gravy is quick and only requires a few simple ingredients to make it! Any mushroom can be used, though I recommend Cremini mushrooms. The mushrooms, red wine and soy sauce blend together to create a deliciously complex and savory flavor profile. This gravy is creamy, earthy and well-balanced, making it the perfect complement to your mashed potatoes, biscuits or another main dish.

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped mushrooms

¼ cup vegetable oil

Nothing beats having fresh eggs. If you are in need of a quick dinner fix or want to add a little something to your ramen, eggs are the way to go. Having chickens at home, we add an egg to just about anything. Sometimes though, the eggs do not get used up right away and wind up getting mixed in with the new ones. This can be problematic in determining which ones are still good.

Have you ever had an amazing stir-fry or rice-dominant dinner and then didn't know what to do with the leftover rice? Here's how to make an amazing and soothing rice pudding recipe, Ayurvedic style, for breakfast out of last night's dinner. This recipe will not only support your physical body and satisfy your hunger, but will boost you emotionally as well. You'll never waste rice again!

What you will need:

Pre-cooked brown or white rice (2-3 cups or more)

Almond, coconut or other nut milk (3-4 cups or to cover rice)

It’s finally fall (only fancy folks say “autumn”). This time of year, in between summer and winter, is my absolute favorite season. I’m a horror film fanatic; this means that, leading up to Halloween, I actually have a chance at successfully convincing the scaredy cat types to let me pick the movie. Also, I’m a sucker for Halloween decorations (if I stop to look around, you’ll have to drag me out of the aisle). Don’t even get me started on how wonderfully crisp the air becomes. Are you as obsessed with the colors of the leaves as I am? Mother Nature is quite the artist.

Kale has been a buzz-word superfood for several years now, but I won’t blame you if you still haven’t taken the plunge to eat the leafy green in a raw salad. In a previous life, I worked for many years at a natural foods co-op. Their attention to organics, quality, and local foods informed much of my nutrition knowledge today, and thanks to my foodie-job, I learned a lot about scary vegetables. Kale, naturally, was a terrifying green upon first glance. Its leaves so hardy, its stems so woody, and its color so….green. How in the world can kale be delicious?

I know I’ve said it before, and I’ll continue to say it time and time again—I’m a California girl. So, what exactly is that supposed to mean? It’s simple, really. It means that nothing, and I mean nothing, can come between me and my avocados.

It may have originated in the Middle East, but once the Persians brought it to India, it was quickly adapted to the Indian palate in spicy, indubitable style…

Even though summer has come to an end, farmer’s markets across the country are still stocked with this season’s bounty of tomatoes, cucumbers and fresh herbs like parsley. This cucumber and garbanzo bean salad is the perfect end-of-summer dish, as it combines all of these farm-fresh ingredients into a healthy, tasty treat.