I am a cold-natured person. The minute summer is over I get cold. I’m always bundled up in thick socks and electric blankies, and I carry space heaters from room to room around the house. I’ll also take a couple of hot baths a day, just to keep the circulation going in my feet. One of my other keep-warm solutions is to sip hot beverages. I love hot chocolate, but I usually make it with milk and Hershey’s syrup, so it’s high in fat, not vegan, and doesn’t even contain any of the health properties of cocoa. Sometimes I’ll also drink hot cider or hot apple juice, but that’s pretty high in sugar. I’ve mentioned before that I’m a fan of pomegranate tea, but during the holidays I like to switch it up. I really like Republic of Tea’s Hot Apple Cider Tea. It has apples and a blend of herbs, and while I’m not sure there’s any actual tea in it, it’s a great seasonal beverage with a little honey or agave nectar. Head to your local Whole Foods or health store and pick up a canister today!

I had some free time tonight, so I decided to try my hand at making an allergen-free cake. I have several friends with food allergies, and I try to limit my gluten intake, so this seemed like a fun experiment. I used Namaste Foods chocolate cake mix, which is free of gluten, wheat, soy, nuts, potato, corn, dairy, and casein. The mix does call for eggs, but I’m betting that if you’re allergic (like Lindsay) you could use unsweetened applesauce as a replacement. This particular mix calls for 2 cups of water, which led to very wet batter. The cakes didn’t cook evenly throughout, and I think this is why. The edges were a bit crispier than the middle, though not burned. 

The vanilla frosting I used is by Pamela’s Products and is wheat and gluten free. It calls for butter, which I used, but I’m sure an Earth Balance replacement could be used to make it vegan. I actually didn’t like the butter in it, and I wonder how the frosting would turn out if it were omitted altogether. In the end, the frosting tasted okay, but with a weird aftertaste.

The cake didn’t turn out to be that pretty. The frosting mix doesn’t make very much and the cake really soaked it up, so there wasn’t enough for the sides. As for the taste, my husband enjoyed it with his coffee. I thought it was okay; certainly not bad if you have food allergies. Not the best cake I’ve ever made, but I think I would try it again (maybe without the frosting; powdered sugar as a topping would be a good alternative) to serve to one of my food allergic friends.

Are you familiar with fitness celebrity Tosca Reno? She’s a Canadian fitness model who used to be an overweight housewife. About 10 years ago she revamped her diet and fitness routine, and pioneered her “Eat Clean” diet. She has published several books about the diet, and has a regular column in Oxygen magazine. It also bears mentioning that she’s married to Robert Kennedy, whose publishing company puts out her books and the magazine. This cozy relationship kinda makes me want to question her credibility, but the proof is in the pudding. She looks great, competes in “fitness” (read body-building) competitions, and her books are full of smart, healthful recipes. 

I purchased her Eat Clean Diet Cookbook about a year ago, and I recently ordered its predecessor, the Eat Clean Diet. The clean eating principles include:

• Eating 5-6 small meals throughout the day, as well as eating every few hours
• Combining lean protein and complex carbs
• Drinking lots of water and avoiding sodas, alcohol, and juice
• Avoiding overprocessed foods, sugar, and trans fats and eating lots of fruits and veggies

It’s not that her ideas are revolutionary; it’s just that she presents them clearly and logically. Her books are full of colorful photographs, and she offers a variety of recipes, including tons of soups, breakfast cookies, salads, and one pot meals. I especially appreciate that, despite her emphasis on protein, she doesn’t put a heavy emphasis on meat, and offers meals with a variety of protein sources.

She even has suggestions for healthful holiday meals, which is particularly handy this time of year. I’m excited to make the Pomegranate Fizz, which can be made three different ways, depending on how much alcohol you want to use, and how healthy you want your drink to be. I like the lightest version:

• 2 oz pomegranate juice
• 5 oz chilled sparkling water
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• 6-8 pomegranate seeds
• Grated lemon zest to float in the glass

I definitely want to bring this to my next holiday party!

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Alyssa Milano, Natalie Portman and Kristen Bell are three of my favorite actresses. I generally enjoy their films/shows, and for whatever reason, I’m just kinda drawn to their work. They are also totally gorgeous, and wait for it…all three of them are vegetarians! I’ve been a vegetarian for almost 20 years, and any time I start to wonder if I might be missing some key amino acids or something, I just take a look at how beautiful and successful these women are. Now granted, their looks and success are based on a lot more than just how they eat, but vegetarianism is more than just a diet. It’s an entire lifestyle and way of thinking (usually) and I find these actresses to be totally inspiring.