Don’t fret, we’re providing ALL of the essential for staying on track this holiday season! We’ve teamed up with Greens Plus to give away a bevy of healthy nutrition bars + superfood smoothie powders.

Greens Plus, founded on helping people live healthier, happier lives uses only the highest quality nutrient-rich ingredients– offering all-natural, organic and non-gmo nutritional formulas for every age and activity level!

Giveaway Details:

Visit our Facebook page to enter to win 11/12 – 11/14. We’ll choose one random lucky winner to win the following prizes! (This giveaway is only valid for entries within the United States). 

The Goods: 

1 Box Energy Chocolate (12 bars/box)

The original superfood bar that truly delivers. The chocolate energy plus bar is Greens Plus #1 selling bar. Packed with real whole foods, this is a green superfood and energy blend. The +plusbar supports energy, performance and nutritional balance– made with organic dates, organic dark chocolate, organic almond butter & Greens+ Superfoods.

1 Box Protein Chocolate (12 bars/box)

A green superfood and protein blend, the +plusbar supports energy, performance and nutritional balance. This delicious bar is made with organic peanut butter, whey protein isolate, organic dark chocolate & Greens+ Superfoods.

1 Bottle Vanilla Chai Powder (30 day supply)

Sporting a new name, this blend is now Greens Plus Advanced Multi Vanilla Chai, a fully functional wholefood multivitamin–free of soy, gluten, and dairy! This irresistible mix contains ingredients such as, sunflower lecithin, vitamin D3, algae calcium, vitamin B complex from holy basil, lemon, and guava fulvic acid for energy, and vitamin C. By combining raw green foods, organic vitamins, essential minerals, enzymes, and 1070mg of Madagascar vanilla bean along with turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, maca, & ashwagandha, Greens Plus Advanced Multi Vanilla Chai provides a fully charged blend of brain boosting nutrients.

1 Bottle Amazon Chocolate Powder (30 day supply)

Greens Plus Organic Superfood Amazon Chocolate is a certified organic blend of raw green foods, superfruits, sea vegatables, probiotic cultures, and organic cacao. Greens Plus Organic Superfood Amazon Chocolate is purely vegan, and always soy, gluten, & dairy-free. One serving delivers more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than 7 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables while supplying every color in the Dietary Food Spectrum. Greens Plus Organic Superfood Amazon Chocolate helps to promote higher energy levels, body detoxification, healthy aging and immune function.

+ 2 Bags of purely elizabeth Ancient Grain Granola– after all you need some granola to top those smoothies with!

More: 

Giveaway: Greens Plus Nutrition Bars + Superfood Smoothie Powders

…Roasted Eggplant Dip…

Ingredients 

2 eggplant, sliced in half 4 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
3 tbsp tahini

1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 lemon, juiced
Pomegranate seeds to garnish

Directions 

Preheat oven to 375°F. On a parchment lined baking sheet, place sliced eggplant and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Roast for 25 minutes. When eggplant has cooled place remaining ingredi- ents in a food processor. Pulse into creamy consistency. Serve with pomegranates seeds and a drizzle of olive oil.

Excerpt from:

Roasted Eggplant Dip

…Skillet Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie…

For those who still can’t get enough pumpkin, here is a dessert you wont be able to resist. Crispy cookie edges with a warm soft chocolate center, these cookies are to die for!

Ingredients

1 box of purely elizabeth Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix 1 cup of pumpkin puree
1/2 cup olive oil
1 egg (optional)

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix together cookie mix and remaining ingredients. Whisk to combine. Place cookie dough in a cast iron skillet and bake for 18-20 minutes. Serve warm with coconut milk ice cream on top.

This article is from:  

Skillet Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie

Wild Mushroom, Onion + Spinach Crostini

…Wild Mushroom, Onion + Spinach Crostini…

Ingredients 

1 tbsp coconut oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 pound wild mushrooms
8 oz spinach
1/4 cup white wine
Himalayan Sea Salt
8 slices of gluten-free baguette

Directions

In a large skillet, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and sauté until fragrant 3-5 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté for another 5-7 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Stir in the wine and season with salt. Set aside. Meanwhile, heat a grill pan to medium heat. Brush bread with olive oil on both sides. Grill for 2-3 minutes a side then top with mushroom mixture.

Continued here – 

Wild Mushroom, Onion + Spinach Crostini

We are thrilled to be a part of Healthy Happy Hour with Sasha Nelson and Edible Schoolyard NYC this Friday, November 14th. Proceeds will go to Edible Schoolyard NYC, a non-profit organization that partners with New York City public schools to build gardens and kitchen classrooms, creating an interdisciplinary, seed-to-table education for the students.

Please join us in supporting ESYNYC as they change the way our future generation approaches food!

Spread the wealth, spread the health. Peace, love, and healthy happy hour!

More: 

Healthy Happy Hour Yoga Benefit

Warm up with this healthy and flavor filled soup! A little coconut milk and herbs is the perfect touch to make this carrot soup different from the rest. Perfect for dinner, enjoy the leftovers throughout the week.

…Roasted Carrot Soup…

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp coriander

2 lbs carrots

4 cups vegetable broth

1 can coconut milk

2 tsp salt

Directions 

Heat two tablespoons olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, coriander and cumin and saute until fragrant, 3-5 mins. Add carrots and saute for 10-15 minutes. Add broth and coconut milk then cover pot with lid. Simmer for 30 minutes. Puree soup in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth.

See original article: 

Roasted Carrot Soup

Love this fun recipe from Addie Martanovic! We just had to share her creation.

I think this year I’ve become more obsessed with pumpkin and banana. A weird combination to most but when they’re blended together, a whole new world is opened up. The sweetness of the banana with the fall flavor of the pumpkin is unbeatable. I love having this smoothie for a snack post-class or in the morning for breakfast. It’s like having dessert in the middle of the day and is a great pick me up of energy. Whenever I make it, I never use measurements because really… who needs them sometimes? A little bit of vanilla, a dash of pumpkin spice, 3 chunks of frozen banana.. Whatever works.

I wanted to put a date in this smoothie for extra sweetness but then I realized I had bought a Pumpkin Pie Lara Bar the other day and decided to use half of it in this smoothie. I first noticed the pumpkin flavor last year and was HOOKED. Lara Bar came out with a Pumpkin Pie flavor and Snickerdoodle last year and when I first tried them, I am almost positive I kept going back to Whole Foods every week for more. Around a month ago, I kept checking to see when my Whole Foods would get them in and FINALLY, they arrived.

The pumpkin pie flavor’s ingredient list is simple and delicious (as always) including dates, cashews, almonds, DRIED PUMPKIN, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger. The best dessert around the holidays because its like a mini pumpkin pie in bar form with the best ingredients a pie could ever have. When you’re on the go and you whip out one of these bars from your purse, it’s like a portable pumpkin pie. Pumpkin pie at your desk, pumpkin pie on the subway, pumpkin pie EVERYWHERE!

With this Lara Bar and some other easy ingredients, I managed to blend together an amaaaazing smoothie that you need to make right away instead of chugging down a pumpkin spice latte… because we all know real pumpkin is better! 

If you want to you can add more milk and more ice to this to make it fill up a larger glass, along with more granola or pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews… really any super food or nut topping would taste amazing with it. I’m starting to eat/drink/blend these smoothies a few times a week because the ingredients are super simple and bananas are always in my freezer.

I buy my pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree at Trader Joe’s for suuuuper cheap and if you don’t have Purely Elizabeth granola (shame on you because it’s the best out there) you can use another brand obviously! Most people I know don’t use protein powder or know about Sunwarrior but I highly recommend it as an organic, dairy-free plant-based protein powder. I use it in this smoothie to give a vanilla flavor (aside from extra protein) but you can easily substitute with a splash of vanilla extract!

– See more at: http://chickpeainthecity.org/pumpkin-pear-spiced-smoothie/#comments

Originally from – 

Pumpkin Pear Spiced Smoothie from Chickpea In The City

This week marks purely elizabeth’s 5 year anniversary. Here we take a look back at the past + chat with company founder, Elizabeth Stein. 

10 years ago, what did you envision as being your career path? At 23 I really wasn’t clear on my career path. I was living in NYC and definitely finding my way. At the time, I was taking handbag design classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology and started a line of handbags and belts. I wrote a business plan and started selling to a few stores. As chance would have it, I was wearing one of my designs out to dinner and a woman walked up to me and complimented my bag. Conversation ensued and the next day I was interviewing for a job at the handbag company where she was employed. The following week I was hired. My life is all about moments that are meant to be.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Don’t hesitate. My dad said early on don’t wait, there can be someone tomorrow who will come in and do what you are doing. I am grateful for taking the risk and going for it when I did. 5 years ago we began the trend of ancient grains. People had no idea what they were. I just read yesterday that Cheerios is coming out with Ancient Grain Cheerios!

What are your tricks for balancing work and play? I’m a big believer in balance in everything that I do. I like to work hard and play hard as well. At the beginning this was not as easy. But today, I know that taking time away from the computer will actually be more helpful and bring a different perspective to things. I think the best in the early morning working out or at the end of the day cooking in the kitchen.

What’s your nutrition philosophy? When it comes to nutrition I’m not one for extremes or deprivation. I’m all about balance. I try to live by the 80/20 rule.  Focusing most of my diet on plant based proteins, greens and gluten-free grains. I try to limit dairy, animal protein and refined sugar. I find that this way of eating has allowed me to feel my best and maintain consistent weight. I think as soon as people put foods on a “no” list, it sets you up for failure.

What’s new and exciting at purely elizabeth? We have a really exciting 2015 ahead of us.  2015 is all about growth – new products, new retail outlets and new team members. Plus my first cookbook will launch in the Fall. I can’t wait for what’s ahead.

Favorites… 

Healthy Snack Foods: I’m actually not mush of a snacker, but if the craving hits I probably have whatever is in the office –  Our granola plus Quinn popcorn, Rhythm Kale Chips, Nuttzo, White Girl Salsa + Late July Chips. One of the best things about being in this industry is trading with other food brands. Our office is always stocked!

Breakfast: Our cranberry pecan granola with almond milk and banana- Although our newest breakfast item (launching March 2015) might soon be replacing these!

Go-to lazy dinner recipe: I’ve been traveling a ton lately so I always make sure my pantry and freezer are stocked with a good meal. My go-to, easy meal is gluten-free pasta (I’ve been really into making my own) with Rao’s Arrabiata sauce, frozen kale, hemp seeds and truffle salt. So easy but the taste is completely satisfying.

Must-have pantry staples: My pantry is stocked with 10 different gluten-free flours, about 7 different gluten-free grains and every nut, seed and dried fruit. It’s basically set up for product development at anytime : )  Oh and olive oil, coconut oil, truffle oil, gluten-free pasta and crackers.

Indulgence: Hands down wine and cheese -preferably chardonnay and midnight moon goats milk cheese.

Cookbook: I just bought plenty and am drooling over the pictures.

Nutrition Book:  Mark Hyman Ultra metabolism.

Skincare product: I’ve been obsessed with Revision Intellishade – it’s a tinted anti-aging moisturizer/sunscreen.

Workout: Right now I’m alternating days with hot power vinyayas yoga, bootcamp, running and hiking.

Morning ritual: I wake up pretty early, get on the computer and do a little work then head out for a workout. Back on the computer, eat purely for breakfast and shoot a few food pics for our blog/Instagram/magazine/cookbook… then head to the office.

Sunday activity: Going out and enjoying beautiful Colorado!  Right now the fall weather has been unbelievable, so I’ve been doing lots of hiking on some golfing. Outdoor activities followed by lots of experimenting in the kitchen.

Place to visit: I’d love to go to Napa right now.

Source: 

Purely Chatting with Elizabeth.

Have leftover pumpkin seeds? Whip up a batch of this Roasted Pumpkin Seed Hummus with homemade gluten-free Rosemary Focaccia. Our favorite online mag, The Chalkboard just featured this autumn-inspired gem- check it out!

… Roasted Pumpkin Seed Hummus … 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds

3 garlic cloves

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 can white beans, drained

1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 lemon, juiced

1 tsp salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. On a parchment lined baking sheet add pumpkin seed and spread evenly. Roast for 10-15 minutes. In a food processor, add pumpkin seeds, garlic, olive oil, paprika, white beans, lemon and salt. Blend until smooth. Adjust salt/olive oil to desired taste. Serve, drizzled with olive oil and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.

Read More – 

Roasted Pumpkin Seed Hummus with Gluten-Free Rosemary Focaccia