Apple, Carrot & Ginger Juice Fresh Juice for Beginners

Which do you prefer? Fresh juice or smoothies?

For me, it depends on whether or not I feel like cleaning the juicer. lol

I’ve been drinking this juice combination for years and feel it perfect for beginners who may be a little nervous about drinking green juice.

I used about:

• 8 carrots

• 3 apples

• About an inch of peeled ginger

It's okay to use more apples until you figure out how you feel about having carrots in your juice.

I also like to sprinkle in a little cinnamon and turmeric. :-)

If you don’t have a slow juicer (masticating), be sure to consume all your juice within 24 hrs to get the maximum nutritional value.

I have this Breville juicer

No juicer? Blend all ingredients with about 1/2 cup of water then strain through a cheese cloth into a large bowl.

Check out the full tutorial on my YouTube channel…

If you’re interested in doing a raw foods cleanse, check out this blog post with raw juice, smoothies, and other recipes and a 7-day raw food challenge and PDF.

Random Vlog: Grocery Haul, Dr. Bobby Price Detox & She Called Me FAT

Check out the first of many (to come) random vlogs on my YouTube channel…

In this video, I chat about what’s been going on in my world, how things are going with my detox, share a small grocery haul, and my experience with being called out about my “COVID weight”

Check out Dr. Bobby Price’s detox here

Use discount code “brownvegan” to save 10% (I get nothing for this discount code. Dr. Price was generous enough to offer it to my audience).

Dr. Price was also on my podcast twice:

91. From Drug Dealing To Herb Healing With Dr. Bobby Price

107. Q&A With Dr. Bobby Price

Other links mentioned:

Bitchin Sauce

Maya Kaimal Madras Curry simmer sauce

Quinoa Salad video

Creamy Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipe

This post is sponsored by milkadamia. All views are honest and are my own.

When I started this blog many moons ago, I asked my readers which dairy ingredient they struggled with replacing the most as a new vegan.

Coffee creamer was one of the top answers.

I even remember some of my readers saying they missed coffee creamer more than cow’s cheese.

It was hard to find quality creamer back in the day!

I was vegan for several years before I even saw plant-based creamer on grocery store shelves.

These days, it’s much easier to enjoy thick and delicious creamer like milkadamia.

milkadamia creamers are made from macadamia nuts and other simple ingredients, has no weird aftertaste, and their flavor is neutral in recipes because macadamia nuts have a milder flavor and texture compared to other nut-based creamers.

When milkadamia reached out to me to show y’all their new flavored creamers, I didn’t want to just mix it in coffee or tea (my favorite).

Instead, I wanted to make a creamy drink recipe that even non-coffee drinkers can enjoy.

I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t enjoy a warm cup of hot chocolate. The creamy texture and warm chocolate taste are guaranteed to satisfy any sweet tooth.

Creamy Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 cups plant-based milk (I used unsweetened milkadamia)

• 1 cup milkadamia creamer

• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1/4 cup granulated cane sugar

• 1/2 cup semisweet vegan chocolate chips (I used the Wegmans brand)

• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• Toppings (optional): vegan whipped cream, vegan marshmallows, or dark chocolate pieces

Makes 4 cups

Instructions:

• In a medium saucepan, whisk in plant-based milk, creamer, cocoa powder, and sugar on medium-low heat.

• Whisk frequently until warm (not boiling).

• Once warm, add in chocolate chips and continue to whisk until they melt.

• Stir in vanilla extract and serve the hot chocolate immediately.

Recipe inspired by Celebrating Sweets

What’s your favorite hot chocolate topping?

I love vegan whipped cream and chopped chocolate pieces.

Enjoy!

Is it Vegan? 5 Quick Tips for Reading Ingredient Labels

I swear you have to check ingredient labels on everything these days. ⁣⁣

Case in point: A few weeks ago, my mom showed me a new spicy seasoning she got. I flipped over the bottle and saw that it contains buttermilk. ⁣⁣

BUTTERMILK. 🤦🏾‍♀️⁣⁣

If you’re new to vegan life, here are a few tips to avoid animal byproducts on food labels: ⁣⁣

• Google the product and check out the FAQ on the company’s website. I used to do this all the time right in the grocery store. 💅🏾⁣⁣

• Look for the “V” symbol (for vegan) on the back of products. ⁣⁣

• These are a few common animal product names on ingredient labels: milk, whey, casein, gelatin. ⁣⁣

• Try to eat more whole ingredients, so you don’t have to look at ingredients labels as much. If possible focus on fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, etc....foods that don’t have boxes, cans, etc.⁣⁣

• Use food allergies to your advantage - The FDA requires brands to state if their products contains milk, eggs, shellfish, & fish right under the full ingredient list. Read that bold part FIRST, to see if it contains animal byproducts...then read the full ingredient list if necessary. ⁣⁣

• Check out the Vegan Pocket app - One of my Instagram followers told me about this app and it really is a timesaver. All you have to do is scan the UPC and it will tell you whether or not a product is vegan. So handy!

⁣⁣

Don’t aim for perfection.

Do your best daily and it will become easier to spot the vegan options while grocery shopping & eating out. ⁣⁣

I hope this was helpful. 👌🏾⁣⁣

These 5 Tips Will Help You Go Vegan with A Family

We started our vegan journey as a family back in 2010.

Before 2010, I was the queen of Hamburger Helper, those frozen Voila bagged dinners and hitting up a drive-thru on the way home from work.

I used to think eating healthier would require too much time and I honestly wasn’t in the mood to hear complaints from my family.

I'll be the first to admit going vegan as a family wasn't easy for us.

My kids weren't interested at all, and even though my husband was supportive (with me doing it alone lol), he still wanted me to cook meat and potatoes.

Being consistent and patient made all of the difference in the world for us!

Instead of making my family feel like they "had" to be vegan, I focused on making a vegan version of their favorite dishes and asked them to help me grocery shop and cook. :-)

Here are some tips to go vegan with your fam....

*Replace ingredients - This is very important! Instead of feeling like you can't eat certain foods anymore, replace them with vegan alternatives.

For instance, instead of dairy milk, use almond, cashew or soy milk. And instead of pork or beef sausage, you can use a vegan sausage like Field Roast (made out of wheat and vegetables).

*Start with breakfast and snacks - If you prefer to take a baby step approach, breakfast and snacks are perfect because there isn't as much of a difference in what you're eating.

For breakfast: You can still eat toast (just check to make sure there are no eggs). Instead of dairy butter, you can use Earth Balance vegan margarine, jelly/jam, smashed avocado, etc. smoothies, grits, oatmeal, and tofu scramble, or JUST Egg instead of chicken eggs.

*Get clear on your "why" and have a candid conversation with your family about it. Is it for health? Is it for the animals or the environment? Be specific and loving. :-)

*Find your community. The Internet makes it sooo easy for us to connect with people from all over the world. Find and get inspired by like-minded people on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

*Watch documentaries and read vegan books - They will motivate you to get started and keep going. I like Sistah Vegan, Diet for A New America, and What the Health?

*Put as much of the lifestyle on autopilot as possible - The less thinking you have to do the better. Establish easy go-to vegan meals such as spaghetti & tacos.

*Don't beat yourself up - It takes time to get comfortable with a vegan lifestyle....especially with a family. Be patient and keep playing in the kitchen. :-)

Please please please be gentle with yourself as you move forward in your vegan journey.
Do you see all this Keith Sweat begging I'm doing right now? Seriously!

This is a process, so don't give up if it doesn't feel comfortable or when you don't feel like you're "doing it right"
There's a lot to learn (and unlearn), so don't expect everything to be perfect.
Progression over perfection...always.

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU:
I want to encourage you to start meal planning today.
Even if you're only adding ONE vegan meal to your meal plan this week, I promise taking this first step counts!
You don't have to be a gourmet chef every night.
Keep your meals simple, so that you can gain the confidence to move forward.

Progression over perfection…always.