Ahhh root vegetables. I’ve been avoiding them a bit, as they are quite the typical winter go-to. They’re easy; they’re a winter regular. It’s hard to reinvent something that has been done a million times over! 

I have to admit, I am a huge canned beet fan. On salad or straight up! I love them. Before trying my hand at this recipe, I had never touched a fresh one in my life. They’re pretty intimidating! Huge leafy stalks, dirt and little hairs? You have got to be kidding me. If you’ve never tried a beet, I always explain their taste as really sweet, delicious and tender piece of dirt (which doesn’t really sell them, I know). The best thing about them: there are so many different kinds that are available anywhere, at any time of the year. 

2 medium beets

2 tbs. honey 

2 tbs. balsamic vinegar 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Wash your beets. Give them a good scrub with a soapless sponge or (even better) a brush. No need to peel them! Chop them into chunks, and place in a casserole dish. Drizzle with honey and balsamic. Cover with tinfoil and bake for 25-30 minutes or until tender. 

NOTES: You guys! I never want to buy canned beets again! I can’t even begin to explain how easy this is… I popped them in the oven, and before I knew it they were ready. Hot or cold, these are fantastic! I liked having a little extra to save for later in the week, they’re perfect just to snack on with a little goat cheese. If you’re vegan, make these with a little drizzle of agave and it will be just as (if not more) delicious! 

‘Tis the season for a good cookie recipe… and although I absolutely can’t knock the sugar cookie, they get a little old this time of year. 

Before this recipe, I had never touched a persimmon. They look too exotic, too foreign sitting there by themselves in the produce section. It wasn’t until did a little research on in-season fruit did I discover little orange guy… 

1 large (or two small) persimmons, half chopped and half pureed. 

1/2 c. dried cranberries

3/4 c. white sugar

3/4 c. sugar in the raw (for rolling!)

1/4 c. shortening 

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 c. shortening 

1/4 tsp. salt 

1/2 c. soy milk 

1/2 tsp. cardamom powder

1 tsp. cinnamon 

Pinch of nutmeg 

3/4 c. roasted almonds (optional) 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, stir your persimmon chunks, cranberries, sugar and shortening until pasty. 

Add your almonds, persimmon puree and soy milk. Slowly stir in all dry ingredients until well combined. Scoop teaspoon full balls of dough into your sugar (dough will be very wet). Place on a lined baking sheet, and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. 

Notes for perfect persimmon cookies: Cookie recipes like these are exciting; non-traditional yet delicious and festive. There are few recipes that can make one reevaluate the holiday season (at least, the baking side of things) and although I don’t think they’re the best cookies I’ve ever made, there’s always room for improvement. Again, the dough will be very soft but just avoid using your hands! The sugar gives the a nice crunch to the cake-like center. Get going!! Christmas: t-minus 9 days. ALSO: Yep, these are vegan. 

There are a few things better than waking up on a Sunday, going grocery shopping early in the morning, and realizing they have waffle irons on sale for less than $10. That said, I decided it was time to make a delicious stand-by recipe for whole wheat waffles. More importantly, I wanted a recipe that I could eat a ton of without feeling too terribly (the holidays.. ya know, they get to us all). 

2 eggs

1 1/4 c. milk (I used almond!)

1/2 c. greek yogurt

1/4 c. oil (canola or veggie)

1 tsp. vanilla 

1 c. whole wheat flour 

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. flax seed

1/2 c. wheat germ

4 tsp. baking powder

1 heaping tbs. sugar

Pinch of salt

In a large bowl, whisk all dry ingredients together. Slowly add in milk, oil, eggs and vanilla. Stir until combined, then heat up your waffle iron. Feel free to butter your iron, then cook all your waffles! 

Notes for wonderful waffles: This is a pretty basic, simple waffle recipe. I topped mine with the cranberry sauce I made around Thanksgiving! Feel free to substitute extracts (I thought almond, hazelnut or peppermint would be delicious) and add in toppings (i.e. chocolate chips, nuts, berries, etc.). I was thinking peppermint waffles with white candy-cane flavored chocolate pieces would be GOOD.  Next weekend, maybe?

I hate to say it, but my day hasn’t begun until I’ve had my cup of coffee. I’ve turned into one of them... One of those sassy “don’t you DARE ask me anything until I have this cup’a joe in me” people. I’m not proud. 

Typically, I just go for the plain strong stuff. Little cream, lots of sugar. Every once in a while (and I mean a blue moon), I like a little bit of french vanilla syrup. SO WTF: can I have flavored coffee syrups, homemade-style? Yup. Equal parts sugar and water, boil it down then add your flavoring (vanilla beans, hazelnut or mint extract, etc.).