TWO INGREDIENT VEGAN COOKIES!?! Say what!? Yes, it’s true. They are also VERY Weight Watchers friendly. The best part about these bad boys is they are easily customizable. On the latest episode of My Dancing Kitchen my mom and I made tons of varieties and variations- experimenting with banana to oatmeal ratios and adding other ingredients like cinnamon, peaches, peanut butter- the list goes on. We played with egg whites one day and turned them into pancakes and topped them with fresh berries- AMAZING! Obviously if you add egg whites they are no longer vegan, but still super Weight Watcher friendly and delicious. Have fun with your creations and let me know if you make any at home or have a version that’s particularly BOMB. 

Gotta Go!

The last few weeks have been rough with the passing of my uncle. I don’t think I’ve ever been this drained in my life- dealing with a death while your pregnant is a roller coaster ride I hope never to be on again. When the Four Seasons Westlake and the California Health & Longevity Institute invited me to experience their Taste of Wellness “Relax & Rewind” package I jumped at the chance. It included a massage, Soma Dome, life strategies consultation and a sustained living lunch in the Lobby Lounge. Yes please!

Spending the day getting my mind off of everything and being pampered was EXACTLY what I needed. My morning kicked off with a life consultation session with Dr. Illana Kukoff, Ph.D.  The last time I spoke to a professional about my problems I was an angry brat in Jr. High. I had no idea what to expect when I walked in this time. After some brief introductions we began with an actual session. I started by telling her what my family was going through followed by my current ups and downs with work and then venting about my level of exhaustion.  In a short period of time we covered everything from dealing with the loss of a loved one to career advice. I left with an action plan for my life and was super pumped. It was equal parts therapeutic and motivational. Thanks Dr. K!

My lunch consisted of a perfect quinoa bowl that was filled with pistachios, mint, sun dried tomatoes, avocado and topped with expertly cooked salmon.

After lunch it was time to experience the Soma Dome. I’m a hug fan of unique beauty and wellness treatments. (If you’ve seen my show The SASS than you know what I’m talking about!) What is a Soma Dome you ask? It’s a meditation pod that you relax in for about 20 minutes. It is designed to help you get rid of all the noise and distractions in your life, all while sitting under healing light. You can have a voice guide you through a variety of mediations or you can guide yourself. I chose a guided manifestation session.  I’m not sure if I was actually meditating, but I can tell you I was in a peaceful place and it went by way too fast.

The maternity massage was nothing short of amazing. I’ve been lucky to have several maternity massages in the past and I always favor the ones that have a special pregnancy pillow so I can lay on my stomach as opposed to my side. I was in such a mellow state of relaxed bliss when I left the FS Westlake.

If you need to hit restart on your life for whatever reason, I urge you to check out the wellness packages offered at FS Westlake. For even more of a wellness geared individual they offer a ton of programming options and are the only Four Seasons with a full dedicated medical center on site. You can receive anything from a full physical, your teeth cleaned, a mammogram, a massage and end the day with a Wine Wed cooking demo in the Wellness Kitchen.

Gotta Go!

Good things are bound to happen when you combine a Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen with My Dancing Kitchen! Recently my friend Kathy Patalsky came over to share this easy, delicious vegan chocolate pudding recipe. It’s SO SO SO freaking good. My  fam and I love this guilt free treat. Kathy is one of the top (if not THE TOP) vegan influencers on the internet and dare I say the WORLD. She has a vegan cookbook with killer recipes and multiple websites about all things vegan. She’s such a pleasure to collaborate with and her dance moves are always on point. Check out all her info below including this fabulous recipe.

CHECK OUT KATHY:
Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen
Smoothies Book
Finding Vegan
Instagram: @kathyPatalsky
Twitter: @LunchboxBunch
Facebook: Lunchboxbunch
YouTube: Little Lost Grape

Here is the RECIPE:

Double batch Easy Chocolate Avocado Pudding

4 avocados (medium), peel removed
1 cup maple syrup (add about another 1/3 cup to taste if desired)
1 cup vegan chocolate chips (add 1/3 cup more for extra chocolate-y results)
2 Tbsp Virgin coconut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla bean pod, scraped) – optional
Salt to taste (1/8 tsp is minimal)

Add avocado and maple and vanilla to blender.
Melt chocolate and coconut oil together in microwave until silky smooth (heat at 30 second intervals and stir).
Add chocolate mixture to blender.
Blend until silky smooth.
Salt and add additional sweetener to taste.

Serve warm and freshly blended or chilled!
Consume within a few days – slight darkening will occur next day as avocado oxidizes.

On the latest episode of My Dancing Kitchen I created 3 Vegan Holiday treats that are perfect gifts for the special people in your life. I also paired the goodies with adorable, festive Holiday Cards from Hallmark. Click the picture below to see me in action!

The first recipe was Maple Chili popcorn that I got from MyRecipes.com. I substituted coconut oil for butter to keep it vegan. I loooove the way it turned out.
The Rice Crispy Treats were from Detoxinista. I also want to experiment with Vegan marshmallows next time. Last, but not least my Roasted Rosemary nuts. This dish was inspired by Meg from What’s Up Moms.

Let me know if you try any of them. Have a beautiful day!

Happy Friday! As some of you know I have a new YouTube series called My Dancing Kitchen where I create easy, healthy, mostly vegan dishes and of course, bust out dance moves. My latest recipe would be the perfect addition to any Thanksgiving table-it’s bursting with Fall flavors and totally guilt free. Watch the episode below to see how I create my Sweet Potato and Pomegranate Salad. Be sure to subscribe to my channel so you can be notified when new videos go live. Click the photo to watch!

Here is the ingredient list:
1 Cup Roasted and Diced Sweet Potatoes
Arugula (as much as you want!)
1 Cup Cooked Quinoa
1 Cup Pomegranate
1/2 cup Chopped Pistachios
Dressing
1 Tbsp Agave
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp White Wine Vinger
A few tablespoons Olive Oil
1-2 Cloves Raw Garlic
1 Small Raw Shallot
Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix everything together and enjoy!

Have you heard of Blue Apron? You may remember me talking about this amazing meal planning and grocery delivery service a few months ago. Michael and I are huge fans and have been religiously using it. Once a week we get a shipment of perfectly proportioned ingredients to make fresh, unique, tasty meals three nights a week. We’re on the Pescatarian plan and each meal takes 25-45 minutes to prepare and cook and they are anywhere from 500-700 calories. You can stay on track with healthy eating and learn a TON of cool cooking tricks. I feel so much more confident in the kitchen and using Blue Apron really got me out of my cooking comfort zone. I’ve experimented with veggies and grains I never knew existed. I’m talking to you Einkorn. Want to know a little secret? One of the things my hubby and I usually argue about is what to eat for dinner. I know that sounds lame- but it’s true. Planning meals, grocery shopping and cooking can be a bit stressful from time to time. With a service like Blue Apron all the dumb bickering about dinner is eliminated and we get to enjoy the process together. In today’s video I decided to shake things up and cook with my mom since we were visiting her last week. She’s clearly a fan as well! Watch as we make Parmesan Ratatouille.

First 100 viewers will get two meals off their Blue Apron order free! Click HERE.

*Thank you Blue Apron for sponsoring this post.

When I first moved to LA (over 13 years ago) the thought of going downtown repulsed me. Fast forward to now and I’m dying for excuses to make the trek. Sexy restaurants are popping up everywhere and I have a long list of places I’m desperate to try. I’m happy to report that I can cross Zinc Cafe & Market off my list. I went twice actually, once for dinner and once for brunch. Holy shizballs. It’s a vegetarian paradise. 

I’m really into lists right now, so I’m going to make a list of all the things I love about Zinc.
1) The outdoor patio. It’s so airy and chic with a fire pit and twinkling lights. I could spend hours there.
2) This place is 100% Vegetarian and the food is delish.
3) The menu is unique and offers things like Mushroom Nut Loaf, Stuffed Peppers and an Asparagus Sandwhich. (YUM to everything)
4) There is a variety of fresh cocktails and a great beer and wine selection.
5) The service is friendly and welcoming. No snobs up in here!

Gotta Go!

I’m constantly looking for ways to make healthy versions of my favorite foods. Allow me to introduce you to zucchini pasta. I promise it’s delish, especially when served with the right toppings.  Today I decided to go with vegan walnut pesto, organic cherry tomatoes and a fresh farm egg. Keep scrolling for the vegan/raw version.
Vegetarian 
You’ll need 2 medium sized zucchini’s sliced into “pasta” using something like this.
1 Fresh Farm egg per person
1 cup organic cherry tomatoes
For the Vegan Walnut Pesto you’ll need
1/2 cup walnuts
2 cups basil
2-3 cloves raw garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of one small lemon
Salt & pepper to taste
Blend all the pesto ingredients in a food processor
Lightly sauté the zucchini with olive oil spray (or leave it raw)
Slice several cherry tomatoes and top everything with a fried egg and salt & pepper

Vegan & Raw
Use all the ingredients except the egg and don’t sauté the pasta. BAM. Healthy, fresh and colorful! Enjoy.

Right around 7-8 months pregnant I noticed some serious joint pain happening, especially in my wrists. I figured it was due to the fact that I gained a ton of weight. (Hi 55 pounds) Fast forward to now, I’ve lost a decent amount of weight (still 15 to go) but my wrist pain has gotten worse. After multiple trips to the doctor I decided it was time to freeze myself. Wait, what!?! I know, so random right? Apparently freezing yourself is great for inflammation, arthritis and a ton of other ailments. I headed to the Cryo Health Care Clinic in West Hollywood and hopped in a machine that was set at 220 below. Repeat -220 degrees. You’re going to have to watch the video to see what happens!

Gotta Go!