Making date balls feels like one of my few secret tricks in life. When I have a stash of date balls in the freezer, I feel ready for anything - school lunches, a hike, a rushed breakfast. They’re also a great way to get kids to eat nuts if they’re adverse to the texture (my oldest, for example, doesn’t love almonds). They’re a bit time consuming to make, but just go for it. Once you get started it’s really not that bad (can you tell I often need to give myself a pep talk, too?). And you’ll be so comforted to know they’re in the freezer.

Here are three of my go-to recipes. I’m starting with simplest, and then the second and third recipes are just a tad more complicated. But not much. Don’t be scared.

Coconut Apricot Balls

3 cups dried apricots (if they’re not very moist, soak in hot water first)
2 cups raw cashews or blanched almonds
1/2 cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut (desiccated coconut)
2T maple syrup or honey
1t vanilla extract
1/8t salt

one / Add all the ingredients to a food processor. Pulse until well combined. Add water if the mixture seems dry.

two / Roll into balls, place on a cookie sheet or plate, and freeze until solid. Store in the freezer in an airtight container. Leave out at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before eating.

Apricot, Date, and Cashew Balls

1 cup cashews
pinch of salt
16 dates
1/4c dried apricots
1T almond butter
1/4c sesame seeds
1/2t cinnamon

one / Process the nuts and salt in a food processor until the nuts are coarsely ground.

two / Add the dates, apricots, almond butter, sesame seeds, and cinnamon. Keep processing the mixture until it starts to stick together a bit. When you can make a ball and it stays together, you’re good.

three / Roll into balls, place on a cookie sheet or plate, and freeze until solid. Store in the freezer in an airtight container. Leave out at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before eating.

Date, Cranberry, and Cashew Energy Bites

2 cups raw, unsalted cashews
1 1/3 cups lightly packed pitted dates
1 cup dried cranberries (or dried cherries, if you're feeling spendy!)
1-2t cocoa powder
1/2 cup raw pecans
1 or 2 pinches fine sea salt, to taste

one / Process the cashews in a food processor until they are finely chopped. Leave a few bigger pieces, but take care not to process the nuts so much that it becomes flour.

two / Remove 2/3 cup of the processed cashews and set aside for the final step.

three / Add the dates and cranberries to the food processor and process until finely chopped. The dough will start to become sticky.

four / Add the cocoa powder, salt, pecans, and the reserved 2/3 cup cashews. Pulse as needed to incorporate.

five / At this point, the dough should be sticky enough to roll into balls. If it is too dry/crumbly, add a teaspoon of water at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.

six / Roll the dough into small balls and place on a plate or cookie sheet. I use a 1T cookie scoop. (Unlike cookies, though, it doesn't matter if the balls are uniform in size since you won't be baking them.)

seven / Freeze balls on the cookie sheet or plate. Once frozen, store in a jar in the freezer. Leave out at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before eating.

//

What’s your favorite recipes for energy bites or no-bake cookies?

I love cake. Deeply.

Back in the days when we went to kid birthday parties I was always internally outraged if there was only cake for the kids and not the adults.

I like cake for special occasions and also just because.

During the pandemic, we started celebrating half birthdays in our family. Cameron and Zoë’s half birthdays are in April, and in April 2020 we needed some pick-me-ups. We’ve continued the tradition: half cakes for half birthdays.

Despite loving cake and loving baking, I’m not into precious cakes. I don’t have the patience for beautiful decorations (even though I love it when others do it!); I’m mostly about taste.

That said, here are five of my favorite recipes for easy, vegan cakes you can make for a holiday, or just because! I highly recommend you make one ASAP.

one. // Gluten-Free Zucchini Cake {Minimalist Baker} - I am not gluten free, but this is hands down my favorite zucchini cake/bread/muffin. I’ve made it as a cake, and also as muffins. It works well both ways. It’s actually not vegan as written, but I make flax eggs to substitute and it works great (1T flax meal mixed with 3T water = 1 egg). I also usually omit the frosting because I think the cake is sweet enough as is, and not dry at all thanks to the zucchini, but if you wanted to spruce it up for a festive occasion, I’m sure the frosting would be delightful. I often double or triple the recipe; muffins or cake pieces freeze well.

two. // Vegan Chocolate Olive Oil Cake {Mamalina} - I made this the other day for Zoë’s half birthday. It’s super easy to make (one bowl!) and works great even at high altitude. I usually use a mix of 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 white and cut back the sugar a bit. As written, this recipe makes about 1.5 standard 9” cake pans so you can use smaller pans or make a few extra cupcakes.

three. // Vegan Coconut Cake {Nora Cooks} - I found this recipe after I bought a bunch of coconut flour with no real plan for what to do with it. Coconut flour can be a bit tricky to bake with, but if you follow this recipe exactly, you won’t be disappointed. I highly recommend the frosting, too: the cake is a bit dry without it.

four. // Vegan Coconut Cornmeal Cake {Bad Manners, formerly known as Thug Kitchen} - This recipe is from the Thug Kitchen cookbook. I love how simple this cake is, but it totally satisfies a cake craving. I recommend including the coconut frosting; remember to put your can of coconut milk in the fridge the night before!

five. // Vegan Banana Bread {The Simple Veganista} - Ok, I suppose technically this is banana “bread,” not “cake,” but honestly, where’s the line? It has sugar in it and it’s a sweet treat. Cake-ish in my book. I’ve tried dozens of banana bread recipes over the years and this is my favorite. Works well as muffins too.

Which will you make first? What’s your favorite kind of cake?

After completing our kitchen renovation and having the space to cook again, I’ve really been enjoying trying new recipes (for months it was a steady rotation of pasta and rice with veggies!). Here are five vegan dinners I’ve made recently that I highly recommend!

one. // Pineapple Rice {101 Cookbooks} - This was a huge hit with the whole family. The dressing is made with pineapples, but I also set some aside to go in the rice itself (the recipe doesn’t do this but I think it improves the dish!). Be sure to make your rice ahead, as cold rice is best for fried rice!

two. // Orecchiette with Creamy Carrot Sauce {Feasting at Home} - My kids kindly call this “mom’s mac and cheese” but there’s absolutely no cheese in it. The creamy carrot miso sauce is the orangish color of mac and cheese, but much healthier. The sauce freezes well, so double it for multiple meals. The carrot top gremolata is delicious if you have time to make it. I often add sautéed mushrooms as a side, or fresh greens.

three. // Roast Squash Salad with Crispy Chickpeas {Bon Appétit} - Not a kid-pleaser, but the adults in our family (all two of us!) adored this dish. The recipe makes a good amount of dressing, so there might be enough leftover for a salad lunch the next day!

four. // Kung Pao White Beans Skillet {Full of Plants} - This is one of my favorite recipes I’ve discovered in the past few years. I cook a lot of Asian food, particularly Chinese, and this bean dish replicates delicious flavors of “traditional” dishes with the health benefits of legumes. I’ve made it with black-eyed peas, too, and it was equally delicious! Serve with rice or noodles.

five. // Kitchari {Goop} - Awhile back, I shared this recipe on my Instagram, and my best friend gently mocked me for the source. But I have made this mung bean and rice dish too many times to count and I adore the simultaneous simplicity and complexity of it. Add whatever veggies you have on hand (carrots and potatoes are always good) and eat it for any meal of the day.

What’s the best dinner you’ve made lately? Will you try one of these recipes soon? If you do, let me know what you think!

one // Buy an ethically-raised turkey. Or skip it all together. Don’t support large-scale factory farms; order at least an organic turkey but perhaps go a step further to get one that was humanely raised, like a “pasture-raised.” These practices improve the health of the turkey and the health of the farm. However, don’t be hesitant to skip meat if possible. The environmental impact of raising animals is very significant, so eliminating meat from the meal would go a long way towards reducing your impact.

two // Use reusables not disposables. Food always tastes better off a real plate with a real fork. It’s a great time to bust out the china, if you have it. Your ancestors definitely weren’t eating with petroleum-based silverware!

three // Don’t buy any new decorations or clothing. Use what you have! Be grateful for what you have! Holiday decorations are the single-use plastic of home decor. If you already have some, great, but no need to go out and buy more. Especially during a pandemic!

four // Minimize food waste, and try to compost whatever you can. I’m always the person who takes compost home from a family party. Even though we’re having small gatherings this year, perhaps there’s someone who can collect the food scraps in a paper bag if you don’t have a way to compost yourself. Alternatively, there’s likely a compost drop-off point near you.

And nip food waste in the bud at the outset by making sure you don’t cook too much food, fill your plate too high, or forget to properly store what’s leftover. Also, make turkey broth from the carcass or send it home with someone who will.

five // Enjoy mashed potatoes! Did you know potatoes have one of the lowest carbon footprints of any food we eat? It only takes 3 gallons of water to produce one potato. They’re super sustainable, so be proud of your second helping.

six // Get outside. A walk or a “trot” before or after the Thanksgiving meal is always a good idea. The more we connect with nature, the more we think about the ways can help be good stewards for the earth.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A few weeks ago, some friends and I were talking about what we feed our kids for breakfast. One mentioned waffles, and I thought to myself, “geesh, I cannot get it together enough to make waffles on a school day.” It honestly didn’t occur to me right away that she meant frozen waffles you buy from the store!

I don’t say that to be holier-than-thou, it’s just representative of how much my thinking has shifted on food preparation. I certainly don’t make waffles every day, but when we do have waffles, they’re homemade.

A big part of reducing waste from the grocery store is making your own food. And a big part of making your own food is having easy, reliable, recipes at your fingertips. Waffles aren’t something you can just wing. If the ingredient ratios are off, they’ll stick to the waffle maker (the key is plenty of fat!).

Finally, after many misfires, I’ve found a simple recipe that works for us. Maybe it’ll work for you, too? The recipe makes just enough for our family of 5. Double if you want leftovers!

Whole Wheat Waffles

1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (120g) whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups milk, any type (or use yogurt whey!)
1 cup oil (olive, grapeseed, coconut…)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

one / Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.

two / Add milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla to a bowl or blender. Whisk or blend until well combined.

three / Add dry ingredients and continue to whisk or blend until batter is uniform.

four / Cook on a waffle iron to desired crispiness.

In the past year or two, cashew cream sauce has become one of my go-to condiments. I put it on pasta at least one night a week, and also love using it in place of cheese in dishes like enchiladas or lasagna. It’s great as a vegetable dip or salad dressing, too. The recipe below includes nutritional yeast, which gives it a cheesy flavor, but you could omit that and add fresh herbs instead. Or any other flavorings you desire! Smoked paprika might be good…

Cashew Cream Sauce

2 cups of cashews (raw or roasted both work fine)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

one / Soak cashews in water. It’s best to soak them for a couple hours, but 20 minutes in boiling water will do in a pinch.

two / Drain about half of the water out, and place the cashews with water in an immersion blender, upright blender, or food processor.

three / Add olive oil, garlic, salt and nutritional yeast to the blender.

four / Process until smooth. At this point, add more water to make the sauce whatever texture you’d like. It will thicken up over time too, so no worries if it’s a bit liquid-y.

five / Enjoy immediately, store in the fridge up to a week, or freeze for later use!

Lentil soups are the one of my top choices when I need to make something that’s fast, healthy, hands-off, and cheap. I always keep lentils in my pantry (hey-o, zero waste!) and they can be made into a delectable soup with only a few other ingredients. And often you can throw everything in the slow cooker.

Last fall, I made so many lentil soups that they all started to blend together in my brain. When a friend asked me to send her the recipe for a soup I’d mentioned making, and I hadn’t the foggiest idea which of the myriad of lentil soups that might be.

So, to keep everything straight, for me and for you, here’s a compilation of my favorites. A few are a tad fancier and a couple are quite simple. But they’re all remarkably delicious. And easy. And healthful.

These are listed in order of easiest (or perhaps, simplest) to fanciest. But none are much work relative to many other dishes. I recommend doubling them all; they freeze remarkable well.

Moroccan Red Lentil Stew {Parents Need to Eat Too}
This comes from a cookbook and I can’t seem to find it online. It’s super simple, like most of the recipes in the book, but remarkably good for minimal effort. You put everything in the slow cooker and walk away. I highly recommend this cookbook if you are short on time but want to make healthful dishes to please a variety of palettes.

Red Lentil Soup {the kitchn}
This is one of my go-to recipes. It’s super simple as written, but you can jazz it up by adding other ingredients. I’m always amazed at how delicious it is for such little work.

Freezer Meal Detox Lentil Soup {Pinch of Yum}
Make this. And all of the freezer meals on this blog. So good. I rarely freeze the ingredients together; I usually just make the soup. It’s a good one to take to a friend who needs dinner. Healthy and yummy.

Wild Rice Bowl with Lentil Curry {The Kitchn}
This is easy and tastes great with wild rice or red rice. I add fresh tomatoes and greens at the end.

Glowing Spiced Lentil Soup {Oh She Glows}
Can’t go wrong with this one. A touch fancier than the above recipes, but still quite easy.

Healing Thai Butternut Lentil Soup {ambitious kitchen}
This recipe is a bit different than the others because of the Thai flavors, the coconut milk, and the nut butter. It’s richer but not in a bad way. In a way that is comforting after a long day. I’ve used potatoes (sweet or regular) in place of the squash on occasion and it’s worked out very well.

Spicy Red Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk and Spinach {Milk Street}
Milk Street recipes are amazing. This one is no exception. Definitely double it.

Popcorn is one of our go-tos salty snacks. It’s cheap, easy, and crowd-pleasing. I usually make it in the microwave, but recently decided to re-learn how to do it on the stovetop. The stovetop definitely produces better results, but it takes more time and attention. I need to write down the stovetop method here, so I don’t forget it. But a few friends mentioned to me that they’ve never done it in the microwave, so I’ll share that too. Get poppin’ folks!

Homemade Microwave Popcorn
one / Add 1/4c (approximately) kernels to a paper bag. I save used ones from a bakery or wherever for this purpose!

two / Fold or roll down the top of the bag to close it, but leave plenty of room inside the bag for the expanding kernels.

three / Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, until there are several seconds between pops.

four / Season and enjoy!

Homemade Stovetop Popcorn
one / Heat 3T olive or coconut oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium high heat.

two / Once the oil is hot, add a few kernels to the oil. When those kernels pop, it’s go time.

three / Add 1/3c kernels to the pan, cover, and remove from heat. Shake it as you count to 30 (approximately 30 seconds).

four / Return pan to heat, crack the cover just a smidge, and wait for the popping to start. Shake the pan occasionally to keep things moving around.

five / Once there are a few seconds between pops, it’s done. Season and enjoy!

A few years ago, my mom passed along a recipe for an easy overnight-rise yeasted bread. My mom is a fantastic cook. She is not, however, much of a baker. I’m sure she could be a great one if she wanted to be, but sweets just aren’t her thing. This bread, however, was GREAT. Really really good.

I started making it occasionally for dipping in soup or if we had friends over for dinner. But a year or so ago, when I came out of the fog of having a newborn, I started making it regularly as our only bread. I use it for sandwiches for the kids. I doubled the recipe my mom had given me, and played around with the proportions of whole wheat flour until I got it just right.

I make the dough about once a week. It makes two loaves; we usually eat most of one right when it comes out of the oven. Sometimes I freeze a few slices of bread for sandwich backup. Especially important now that school has started and making lunches is a daily occurrence!

Overnight Whole Wheat Bread

375g / 3c white all-purpose flour*
360g / 3c whole wheat flour
20g / 1t salt
1t yeast
3c room-temperature water

one / Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl with a lid (alternatively cover with a towel or beeswax wrap). Dough will look a bit scraggy but if it’s super dry, add a tad more water.

two / Wait 12-18 hours for dough to rise, depending on how hot your kitchen is. It should have at least doubled in size.

three / Place a large dutch oven (such as a Le Creuset) in the oven and turn the heat to 450 degrees. Leave the empty pan in the oven while the oven heats, at least 30 minutes.

four / Remove dutch oven and line bottom with a small circle of parchment paper.

five / Remove lid from rising dough, and sprinkle the top with flour. Use your hands to divide roughly in half. Make a loose ball with half the dough. Drop in dutch oven on the parchment paper.

six / Bake for 25 minutes with the lid on the dutch oven. Remove lid and bake for 5 minutes longer or until the top is nicely browned. (Make sure your kids are a safe distance when you open the oven; it’ll be HOT!)

seven / Let cook for a couple of minutes, and then grab a bread knife and enjoy straight away.

*You need 6 cups of flour, total. Feel free to change the proportions if you prefer a whiter bread, or you are short on one type of flour.

What about you? Do you bake bread? Do you have a go-to recipe? Do you use the oven or a bread maker?

I love breakfast. I would say it’s my favorite meal of the day, but I really like lunch and dinner, too. And snacks.

But there’s something particularly special about that first morning meal when you’re hungry from fasting overnight. Ya know, breaking fast.

Here’s what I don’t love: cooking elaborate breakfasts while my tummy is grumbling and my children are clamoring for food beside me. “Can I just have a little appetizer?” they ask. Usually I throw them a banana.

Enter: pancake mix. Make your own combination with bulk ingredients. Keep it stocked in your pantry and all you have to do in the morning is add eggs and milk and then cook ‘em up.

It works especially well for camping trips. Before our recent trip, I finally found a mix recipe that was a keeper. I combined a few different recipes and the result struck just the right balance of healthy and hearty:

Make-Ahead Whole Wheat + Almond Pancake Mix

one/ Make the mix by combining all the ingredients in a jar:

3 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup almond meal/flour
1/8 cup chia seeds
1/8 cup flax meal (or seeds)
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, blueberries, apricots…)
1/4 cup baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

two/ When ready to make pancakes, combine 2.5 cups of the mix with 2 eggs and 2 cups of milk of your choice.

three/ Drop approximately 1/4 cup of batter on a hot skillet with melted butter or oil. Flip over once bubbles appear on the top of the batter.

four/ Top with syrup or jam or nut butter and ENJOY.