Author Archives: Vibrant Bean

About Vibrant Bean

I started this blog as a way to organize and share my baking and cooking adventures. I am a vegan, sweet loving, sun lover, with an addiction to travel, health & wellness, and living a lovely life!!

Wine Bottle Vases

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I don’t include DIY projects on here mostly because, well, I don’t do many projects. I have hundreds on pins on Pinterest, but like most people, rarely get around to making, cooking, organizing, etc. I finally got around to doing something creative with the numerous empty wine bottles I’ve been ~~hoarding~~ storing for the perfect project.

These wine bottle vases were surprisingly easy to make, with only a few steps. Simply soak the bottles in HOT water for about 20 minutes. This loosens the label glue allowing you to easily scrub off the label. After that, place dry bottles on a covered ground. Spray with a thick layer of primer. Allow to dry then spray with dominant color. I chose white for two and gold for one. Then tape off pattern to paint another color, i.e. teal or gold. Make sure the paint is completely dry before you tape areas off, you don’t want to pull the paint off when pulling off tape. When dry, fill with water and pretty flowers! Enjoy!

Raw Lemon Coconut Squares

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Lemons. I love everything about them. The color, the taste, the smell, and especially their healing power! I typically start my morning off with warm lemon water. Later in the day I throw one into a fresh juice. I even use them on the stove to help freshen up the house. Rarely however, do I create recipes staring these luscious beauties.

These raw lemon squares are fairly easy to assemble but to take to set. Trust me though, the time is worth it. They turned out so creamy and delicious with a sweet, not overpowering, lemony taste.

Raw Lemon Coconut Squares:
For the Crust:

3/4 cup raw cashews
3/4 cup raw almonds
2 tbsp raw, organic honey (maple syrup if vegan)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
pinch of salt

For the Filling:

1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4-1/2 cup almond milk
3 tbsp raw, organic honey (maple syrup or 1/4 cup packed and pitted dates if vegan)
Juice from 2 lemons
1 whole organic lemon * (since using the peel too, it is crucial to use organic. If not the peel tons of bad things)
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt
1 can organic full fat coconut milk, chilled in the fridge for at least 24 hours (I think this brand is the best)
1 tsp coconut oil

In a food processor, combine all the crust ingredients. Blend until well combined and nuts are very crumbly. Press into parchment paper lined tin (I used and 8×8). Place in freezer until filling is ready.
For the filling, combine all ingredients except coconut milk in (high-powered) food processor. Pulse until well combined and lemon peel is combined with other ingredients.
Add only the cream from the coconut milk. discard the remaining coconut milk/water. Blend until well mixed, but do not over mix.
Spread filling over crust. (Mine was thick but a bit runny)

Now comes the tricky part. I froze mine over night, removed and defrosted for a couple of hours in the morning, then refrigerated until serving for afternoon desert. After freezing, they need defrosting, but just leaving them out made them also ice cream ish. The fridge turned them into little lemon creamy pillows. You can try going straight to the fridge, but I recommend planning ahead and following what I did. Whatever is left should be refidgerated.

Enjoy!

Snaps!

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What a great weekend! The weather was absolutely gorgeous, which made all the time I spent with my family that much sweeter. I spent the most of the weekend hanging out with my mom and aunt, lounging, pool time, and playing in the garden. Perfect.

{ new favorite project, painting old wine bottles }

{ LOTS of dog love }

{ scrubbed up with my Homemade Coffee Sugar scrub }

{ refreshing Komucha. Not my favorite flavor, but so good for the body. }

Hope you all had a lovely Mother’s Day weekend and showered the special women in your life with lots of love!

Happy Friday!

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Found some of my favorite pictures from our trip to Roatan, Honduras. Inspiring me to get to the beach this weekend, relax, and enjoy life. Even if I am not on a tropical vacation, I have so much around me at home to enjoy and be grateful for. Hope you all have a wonderful, sunny, loving weekend. Enjoy your mamas, friends, loved ones!

Snaps!

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A day late, but oh well. Here are some fun snaps from last week. Hope you’re having a terrific Tuesday!

Spent Friday night at Perch in Downtown LA for a good friend’s birthday. Even though we had to venture out of the West side, it was totally worth it. The 20′s decor, the view, the drink list…

{ view from Perch }

{ birthday boy }

{ because cotton candy makes the best Derby hat }

{ Cinco de Mayo. Boy and beer }

{ spring }

Roasted Garbanzo Beans

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I’m a total snacker. If I could go all day with just picking at stuff, I’d be totally fine. My usual go to snack is something that is crunchy and salty. I don’t crave sweets too much. I’d gladly snatch a handful of bean chips with salsa over a cookie. I have had roasted garbanzo beans in salads before and thought it would be a yummy solo snack. It’s a nice change from using them in hummus. Roasting garbanzo beans is so easy and you can season with whatever you like, making it a great healthy snack.

Roasted Garbanzo Beans:

1 or 2 cans (15oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Seasonings of choice – for 2 cans I used 1tsp talk, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp (plus a dash) of cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 425.
After rinsing and draining, pat dry with paper towels. Pick off any loose skins.
In a medium bowl, toss seasoning and beans.
On a tinfoil lined baking sheet, spread beans.
Roast for 15 minutes, remove and toss beans around a little more. Roast for another 15-20 min. –> after 15 minutes, I increased the heat to 450 for 5 more minutes. If you do this, watch carefully as to not burn.

Why a healthy snack? Garbanzo beans help satisfy hunger and keep you fuller longer with their high (insoluble) fiber content. The fiber is also great for the digestive tract. They are high in antioxidants and great for regulating blood sugar. { source: whfoods.com } Enjoy!

Snaps!

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One of my favorite things about living in a big city is getting to try good, fun restaurants and bars. It seems there is always a new place popping up. Who knows how long I will live in southern California, so I like to take advantage of these great places while I’m here. Erik and I created a “passport” (thanks Pinterest!!) of places to try and things to do, all local. We mark a little stamp when after we go. Last week we tried one of the places, Milo and Olive. They had a sweet bakery set up which looked quite inviting for brunch. Dinner looked equally delish. While the wait was quite long since they do not take reservations and only offer small community dining or bar seating, it was worth it. We sat at the bar and watched pizza after pizza come out of the large wood fire oven. While we wanted to try several, we finally settled on a potato pizza with large side arugula salad. I look forward to going and trying some more!

{ dinner at Milo and Olive }

We also got a passport stamp for camping this weekend. Erik’s work has an annual trip and this year it was camping just north of Santa Barbara at El Captain Canyon. Not your standard campground (our rented tent came with clean towels, and travel toiletries), but it was nice being somewhat outdoors. It was gorgeous weather so we hiked down to the beach and chilled on the sand most of Saturday. Combined with some campfires, games, and plenty of vino, it was a successful camping trip. I am definitely ready for summer and more camping!

{ Angel game }

{ my garden is growing! }

{ el capitan state beach }

{ pretty posh tent }

{ beach day }

Chard Pesto

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The chard in our garden is extremely plentiful now. It is so full and no joke, chest high. I’m no shorty either, standing 5’7. While I love seeing greens grow abundantly, chard is one where I sometimes am at a loss for how to use it. It has a very distinct flavor, and can often be very bitter. I have tossed it into green juices and chopped it up for veggie bowls, but I wanted to make something where chard was the star.

I’ve seen a lot of pestos using a variation of nuts, greens, and other ingredients, so why not try one with chard?

The basil helps balance the bitterness of the chard while the walnuts add a mild nutty flavor. I mixed mine into my favorite brown rice pasta, but it would be so tasty spread on sandwich bread or mixed into a vegetable bowl.

Chard Pesto:

2 cups chopped chard – mine was 2 large leaves
2 garlic cloves – minced
4-5 basil leaves- ripped up
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1/2 cup walnuts
salt & pepper – I used a few dashes
1/4 cup parmesean ( I used a vegan mix of walnuts and nutritional yeast) or 2-3 tbsp nutritional yeast – can use regular fresh parmesean if you eat diary
juice from 1 small/med lemon
olive oil – enough to get things moving

Pack everything into a food processor. Feed olive oil in, slowly, to get things moving. blend until smooth. Smother on your favorite pasta, sandwich, veggies, whatever you can think of. Enjoy!

Benefits of chard? This beautiful green is packed with antioxidants and helps regulate blood sugar (helps pancreas too!). It is a great source of vitamins C, E, calcium (strong bones!!), beta-caretine, and rich in phytonutrients –> anti-inflammatory. Eat up!!

{ source whfoods.com }

No Bake Peanut Butter & CC Cookies

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I’m dating the Cookie Monster, not sure if I have told you that yet. He goes by Erik, but he is for sure the Cookie Monster in disguise. Though I can get him to eat heaps of veggies and fruits, I cannot keep him from his cookies. He can down a box of the big, soft, yummy Costco cookies in no time. I have NO idea where it goes (damn you genetics and being a girl!! ). Seriously though, boy loves him so coooookies!!

I’ve neglected this fact so I decided to whip something up before he turned to some boxed crap-ola from the grocery store. It happens way more than I’d like to admit.

Raw peanut butter chocolate chip cookies; tasty? Yes!! Good for you? Yes!! They are gluten-free, vegan, and refined sugar-free. Go ahead, try them out They won’t hurt ~~the waistline~~ at all!

No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies:

1 1/2 cup gluten-free oats + 1/4 cup reserved
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup (organic) peanut putter – the natural kind, no jiffy
3 tbsp agave
almond milk – enough to get things flowing in the food processor
1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips – reserved

Toss everything in a food processor except the 1/4 cup of oats and the chips. Add a little almond milk to get things flowing, just about a tablespoon. Careful not to get the dough too wet. When well combined, hand mix in chocolate chips and remaining outs. Roll into balls (it will get a little messy) and refrigerate for at least a half hour. I lightly pushed mine down with a fork to make them more flat.

What are you getting in these cookies?? A lot of good stuff, actually. Oats (good quality) are high in fiber, keeping you full longer and help fight breast cancer, help low cholesterol, and help stabilize blood sugar. Good quality, natural peanut butter is a good source of monounsaturated fat (healthy heart), vitamin E, folate (helps cells and nerves), protein, and a powerful antioxidant. Not too shabby for a cookie

Snaps!

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Oh Snap! Getting back into the posting routine is feeling pretty darn good. I’m excited to bring back snaps! my weekend week recap. Last week was pretty packed with a girls night dinner Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Apparently Erik time was on the back burner He’s a sport though and knows girl time is needed and very important! Friday I got to hit up one of my long time favorites in the OC, Habana with by bestie. The lovely spring weather made patio dining perfect.

Saturday was perfect beach weather. Erik and I hit up Santa Monica for several hours. It was the first time we’d been to a beach since our trip. I’m not sure where my tan went from laying on a beach for 5 weeks, but it definitely was not present on Saturday. Quite depressing We spent Saturday night cooking dinner, watching movies, and enjoying a delicious bottle of Frey Wine. It’s not easy to find, but if you come across it, I totally recommend it. It’s a family run winery where they grow organically and bio-dynamicly. It is different tasting though because there are no sulfates, but I think that lends to its unique flavor.

No plans on Sunday made for a productive yet relaxing time. I enjoy these days so much. We swam one of the dogs for what felt like hours and hours, planted some new vegetables, made cookies, did some shopping, cleaned, and of course enjoyed some Game of Thrones and Mad Men!

Here are a few snaps! Hope you all enjoyed your weekend, here’s to a fresh new week <3

{ planing beets. Check out those roots!!! }

{ super dog! }

{ cuddles with Ren and Erik }

About Vibrant Bean

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