First Day Of Summer - Must Have

I wear sunblock year round - to keep my skin safe and my tattoos looking good for years to come. I have had some crappy sunburns in the past that left me always stocking up on SPF when the sun comes out. Today is the first day of summer I hope you are ready!
If you are not ready go pick up a bottle of Sun Bum Original SPF 30. It is affordable - a bottle is around $10 - $15 (though on sale a lot of the time). It is vegan, cruelty free, offers broad spectrum protection, water resistant for up to 80 minutes, hypoallergenic and photostable (retains protection after sun exposure).
Matt and I have been using this for a few weeks now when we venture outdoors. It has a subtle sunscreen scent which does not linger all day, absorbs nicely, does not feel heavy or greasy (no chest breakout for me!) and has not bothered our sensitive skin. I like the lotion formula more than the spray I picked up last year. The nozzle kept getting clogged and I felt it did not spray evenly, making me worried if I would get a burn. You might have better luck than me with spray formulas though.
If you are looking for an all around good sunscreen pick up a bottle. Follow sun smarts like wear sunglasses, reapply sunscreen as needed, drink water and have fun. If you have a favorite sunscreen please let me know. I am always looking for ways to stay sun smart!

I Love Tutti Frutti!

The heat is on - literally one can step outside their front door in the Central Valley and turn into a pile of goo. When you need to cool off seriously head over to a Tutti Frutti - you know how much I love the vegan soy frozen yogurt by now.
Over the weekend I tried the Stockton location (5756 Pacific Ave # 12) - previously I had only been to the East Bay locations. The Stockton location was super clean and had a large assortment of toppings including loads of fresh fruit (seriously when we arrived someone was filling up the strawberries from a huge bucket), whole Oreo cookies and a lot of Asian toppings like boba pearls and lychee fruit (I did not try any because I wanted all the berries!). My cup was under $4 and so worth the price!
I wish Modesto would get a Tutti Frutti - until then when I am out of town I will be grabbing Tutti Frutti whenever I see one pop up! From the kawaii smiling fruit people that grace the store on posters to the fresh fruit toppings I love walking into a location and feeling happy. Thanks Tutti Frutti for the soy option - if only more frozen yogurt places offered vegan options vegans would be a lot happier - especially on hot summer days!

Recent Eats - Tofu Pizza, Greek-ish Salad & GF Ice Cream Sundae

Pizza night last week: garlic pizza dough from Trader Joe's (soooo good) topped with pizza sauce, Daiya, savory baked tofu and balsamic vinegar. To go with it a nice side salad!

A scoop of Purely Decadent Coconut Cookie Dough, smothered in chocolate sauce ontop of Lucy's brownies makes this one tasty vegan & gluten free sundae!

Summer calls for salad! This was on last night dinner plate: organic baby greens and a large organic tomato dressed in lemon juice, olive oil and herbs. Topped off with marinated balsamic tofu and zucchini slices and pine nuts. I used The Vegan Foodie's balsamic glaze recipe but adjusting a few things. It was so good. I had extra marinade so In tossed in a sliced zucchini and baked it for 15 minutes...I served the salad with some cheezey garlic bread and I can't wait to have it again!

Let's Get Jammy With It

 

Lately I have been on a jam kick!  I make a batch every week and serve it up pretty much daily. It is easy, tasty and does not require a degree in canning.

Easy Chia Berry Jam

1 package of frozen berries of your choice (I like mixed berries or strawberries, make sure you buy organic when it comes to berries because berries are sprayed heavily)

about a tablespoon of water or a bit more

a squeeze of fresh lemon juice 

a hefty squeeze of maple syrup or agave

2 tablespoons of chia seeds

In a small saucepan place berries, maple syrup/agave, water and lemon juice and set the heat to a low medium heat. Stir and cover. Check back in about five minutes. Take the back of a fork and see if the berries are becoming unfrozen by squishing some against the pot. Mix in any juice you got out. Cover with the lid and cook for another five minutes. Squish more berries, by this time you can get most of them broken down into a nice mushy texture, keep breaking down any large clumps.Take the mix off of the heat and mix in chia seeds. Let cool for a few minutes, place in a clean jar (I use recycled food jars that have been cleaned). Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the jam set up and enjoy. You have about two cup of yummy jam at your call! Eat it up - it will keep for a week in the fridge!

No need for pectin in this recipe, chia seeds act like a powerhouse binder. You get a chunky seedy jam that is not full of sugary crap and is super fresh and tasty. I serve it up over oatmeal. The above photo was for Matt's birthday breakfast. Oatmeal, strawberry chia jam, a sliced banana, maple syrup and Hemp Hearts. Yummy! 

You can use fresh berries, it will be less cooking time. I find frozen berries are cheaper and fresher than what I find at the market sometimes.Trader Joe's has an excellent price on frozen organic berries!Shop around, try your farmer's market and the store, see what is fresh and on sale!