Michelle was one of the recipients of the Oh She Glows cookbook from my Christmas Day give away. Michelle started reading this blog back in 2013 when I was training for my first half marathon – why? Because she was training for her first half marathon at the same time. Get this – it was the SAME RACE! We both ran the Diva’s Half Marathon in DC’s Wine country with similar finishing times. Michelle finished four minutes before I did, and I shudder thinking about the hills, sun, and 90 minute race delay that had us all running in less than optimal race conditions. (Remember those slanted, rocky dirt roads Michelle? Let’s not think about it.)
It’s amazing to hear from Michelle. It’s several years after that first half marathon and now we’re making the same recipes just like we once ran the same race. The connections I’ve made through this blog have been so rewarding. I love thinking of you all out there, experiencing similar challenges and thrills of running, cooking, living.
Michelle has already tried four recipes from the book – here are her thoughts and photos! How gorgeous is that lentil bowl the way she plated it with the addition of the hummus, salsa and scallions? Yum.
Thanks, Michelle! I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed seeing photos and reviews of recipes come in. I knew giving away cookbooks would be fun, but I had no idea how much! Best investment ever 🙂
Here’s what Michelle Thought of the Recipes She Tried:
Loaded Savory [oatmeal and] Lentil Bowl Loaded Savory Oatmeal and Lentil Bowl: Finally sending you a picture of the recipe I just made from the Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon: Loaded Savory Oatmeal and Lentil Bowl. I should just call mine Loaded Savory Lentil Bowl since mine was made with only lentils. I couldn’t find gluten-free rolled oats, but I wasn’t worried because I LOVE lentils. The dish took no time at all to put together, and while the lentils were simmering, I made the Effortless Anytime Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing (I’ll send you picture of the dressing on a salad later). The lentils smelled great as they were cooking and I had no idea that such few ingredients (lentils, vegetable broth, garlic, shallot) would have so much flavor! My goal was to make the dish in advance and have some for lunch; however, as I am typing this, I am devouring the lentils for breakfast! I just added a little hummus, salsa, and scallions. Yum! Lentils sure are a nice change for breakfast instead of cold cereal.
Effortless Anytime Balsamic Vinaigrette: I made a double batch and it fit perfectly inside the canning jar I used. My husband and I just love the dressing. Such a nice change from ordinary oil and vinegar!
Effortless Anytime Balsamic Vinaigrette
Cream Vanilla Almond Milk: So good! I’ve made almond milk before, but never used in Medjool dates. I really liked the sweet taste as an alternative to Stevia. I was hesitant to put in cinnamon, so I only used 1/8 of a teaspoon. Just a hint of it in the background and very tasty. I might bump it up to ¼ of a teaspoon the next time I make it.
Who wouldn’t want a gorgeous pitcher of date-sweetened vanilla almond milk in their fridge?
Crowd-Pleasing Tex-Mex Casserole: I followed the recipe for the most part, but since I don’t like cheese, I didn’t use it. Next time I will try to make the casserole with the recommended cashew cream That sounds yummy! I didn’t use as much kale as the recipe stated, only because I’ve never cooked with kale before, and I wasn’t sure if I was using too much. I loved all of the spices used in the tex-mex blend…so fragrant! Attached are pictures before the oven, and after. I just ate some for lunch. Wow, this dish is definitely a do over!
Crowd Pleasing Tex-Mex Casserole w/o the daiya “cheese”
About Becoming Vegan: Just so you know, I am not vegan nor vegetarian, but it sure would be easy to become one, with all of the yummy recipes in the Oh She Glows Cookbook! Thanks again for sending me the cookbook, Kelly! There are still tons of recipes I want to try. I’ve given up trying to mark the pages in the cookbook since it’s just about EVERY page 🙂
I’ve been a fan of you and your blog from when I started training for my first half-marathon (which was also your first half! We finished the race at similar times :). I really enjoy your blog and look forward to reading more about running, plant-based eating, and your adorable little boys!
To good health and happiness in 2015 and beyond,
Michelle
Almond milk! Thirsty?Cream Vanilla Almond Milk in the blenderTex-Mex Casserole in the works. (I have the same pan at my house!)I don’t have this pan. I also leave the daiya out of this recipe most of the time and think the spices add enough flavor without it!
In keeping with the initial purpose of this post, sharing the amazing smoothies bloggers have created for Williams-Sonoma “Not Your Typical Smoothie Week”, which ran from the last week of October through the third week in January, I’ve rearranged this post to share the smoothies first. The background story and updates are in chronological order below them.
Backstory: I was recently contacted by the Community Coordinator for Williams-Sonoma and asked to participate in “Not Your Typical Smoothie” week. A quick google search for “Not Your Typical Smoothie” led me to discover that it’s evidently been Not Your Typical Smoothie week for several months, with bloggers developing recipes and linking to Williams-Sonoma blenders throughout both November and December. I found dozens of participating bloggers. Searching the Williams-Sonoma website, the Williams-Sonoma blog, and the Williams-Sonoma twitter account came up with no evidence that they’ve ever shared anyone’s recipes that they developed. So I e-mailed Williams-Sonoma and asked them why they hadn’t shared any of this amazing work with anyone. Their reason? The original e-mail I received wasn’t from Williams-Sonoma.
I don’t understand why someone would impersonate a company to solicit recipe blog posts and pressure bloggers to put links to Williams-Sonoma blenders on their website. I do agree that the practice seems inconsistent with what I’d expect from a company like Williams-Sonoma. When I wrote about companies soliciting blog posts yesterday, it hadn’t even occurred to me that someone would be impersonating the company.
The downside is that people put in work to develop a recipe for nothing in return. The upside is there are a ton of really great smoothie recipes out there with fun ingredients, showing the creativity and talent of tons of bloggers, and I’ve now found them via this google search. Which brings me back to the downside, that Williams-Sonoma didn’t solicit these posts and therefore they won’t receive publicity from the company. Their readers still get to enjoy these recipes, but I think they should get more than that!
The more I sifted through search results, the more amazed I was at the creativity, passion and enthusiasm of these bloggers who so generously took time to create posts on this topic, thinking it was for Williams-Sonoma. They should be seen, and I’m going to share them with you here. I’ve labeled the ones that are vegan so fellow plant-based enthusiasts can find them more easily. Enjoy!
PS – If you participated in Smoothie Week for Williams-Sonoma and your post isn’t featured here, please let me know in the comments section and I will add it! There were so many that it’s taken time to compile them all, and I am sure I’ve missed some.
One of many e-mails from bloggers I reached out to saying they’d added links to Williams Sonoma as well as developing the recipe, but never received anything in return.
1/14/2015 12:30 p.m. Update: The @WilliamsSonoma twitter account is telling me that the “Not Your Typical Smoothie” campaign is actually being run by Williams-Sonoma. They’ve promised to explain the process. I hope these bloggers get publicity for their work!
1/14/2015 evening update: I’ve received an e-mail from Williams-Sonoma and responded with some questions and an urge for more transparency in the future. They will be featuring selected recipes as part of their #30Days30Ways and #wswellness campaigns this month. I am pleased that some of the participating bloggers will get publicity from Williams-Sonoma, that’s a big deal, and they have some incredible smoothie posts to choose from!
My take-away is that for bloggers and companies to have positive and mutually beneficial partnerships with one another, clear communication of expectations on both sides in advance of content creation is key.
I encourage participating bloggers in “Not Your Typical” Smoothie Week to give Williams-Sonoma feedback. Communication could help shape the way they run future campaigns.
Update 1/16/15: I received an e-mail last night from Williams-Sonoma stating they have selected recipes to share via Facebook and Pinterest, and their digital media team will notify bloggers in the coming days.
I look forward to seeing the ones they’ve chosen.
Update 1/23/15: Williams-Sonoma sent a tweet this morning with a link to their pinterest board “Not Your Typical Smoothie” where they’ve featured 27 smoothies from their 3 month “Not Your Typical Smoothie Week” campaign. They promised a Facebook compilation album also, still waiting for that to go live. When it does I’ll post a link there, also.
As this whole thing unfolded, four goals developed.
1. To make bloggers more aware of the need to ask questions before working with companies.
2. To make Williams-Sonoma aware of the way their partner Heather handled the campaign, ie that she was running “the first installment of Not Your Typical Smoothie Week” for several months running, pressuring bloggers to add links to Williams-Sonoma blenders on their website in exchange for social media coverage they then went months without receiving, and setting artificial deadlines for bloggers who worked hard to develop recipes at busy times in their lives because they were excited to participate…. only to discover the next week was again “smoothie week”.
3. To encourage Williams-Sonoma to provide the social media coverage Heather promised bloggers they would receive. (Some of these bloggers have been waiting since before Halloween.)
4. To encourage Williams-Sonoma to finally end “Not Your Typical Smoothie week” and improve how clearly they communicate with bloggers about deadlines and what bloggers will receive (and when) in terms of social media publicity if they decide to participate in future campaigns.
Conclusion:
Williams-Sonoma has continued to correspond with me via e-mail. I believe they’re now aware of how this campaign was managed, and how many bloggers feel about it. They’re going to provide social media coverage to selected bloggers this month.
All that remains to be seen is whether “Not Your Typical Smoothie” Week is finally over, and if they’ll run better campaigns in the future. I’ve sent them one (hopefully last) more e-mail asking if Heather will stop sending out e-mails asking bloggers to participate in “Smoothie Week”. This is what I received in reply:
Thank you, Williams-Sonoma for continuing to correspond with me, for featuring some of these recipes on Facebook and Pinterest, and for considering changing the nature of future campaigns.
Best wishes to all my fellow bloggers.
You may enjoy this post from another blogger that Williams-Sonoma reached out to:
The Congo Square, a warm rum beverage inspired by the collision of Haitian and New Orleans cultures and the people who used to gather in Congo Square to preserve their traditions and be together.
Afro-Vegan by Bryant Terry: Add Bryant Terry to my list of favorite food authors. I recently purchased his cookbook Afro-Vegan, and was treated to a group of plant-based recipes that are rich in flavor and history. He takes the Afro-influenced cuisines of the Caribbean, American South, and South America and gives them a vegan update. His recipes contain the rich, comforting flavors and textures I grew to love while at school at Emory University, without the animal products or grease that have worked their way into Southern cuisine.
His food is beyond anything I ever ate in Atlanta or the Caribbean, filled with warmth, flavor and health. It’s opened my eyes to entirely new types of cuisine, adding a vibrancy to my meal-planning that was only possible by welcoming in a rich, new (to me) type of cuisine. His recipes rely on whole foods, and get their flavor from spices and fresh herbs rather than salt or fat.
More than just a cookbook: Each recipe has a description that shares Bryant Terry’s inspiration and the history of the dish or the people who brought it with them from the African diaspora.
The Black Bean and Seitan stew I made was inspired by feijoada, a Brazilian dish that legend attributes to the nearly four million enslaved Africans brought to Brazil by the Portuguese, people who figured out how to get the most out of their rice and bean rations.
Black bean and seitan stew, with salty lemon cream and parsley. The black bean stew was so good I almost started crying – have you ever tried a recipe like that? Will said “This is amazing! I could eat 100 bowls of this!” which is the highest culinary praise I’ve ever received from my four year old.
The warm rum beverage Greg and I savored one cold afternoon, called a Congo Square, pays homage to the shared history and connection between New Orleans and Haiti, with mention of Toussaint L’Ouverture and the Haitian revolution. Bryant Terry even includes a soundtrack pairing for his recipes, and for some, a book or film in addition. His recipes are not just food, they are a history lesson, a whole cultural experience.
This book is about the flavors, people, and history that originate in the African diaspora. It is packed with history that every American should know, and recipes that would enrich all of our lives and make us healthier. It brings a lot more to the table than just food.
Food Justice: Bryant Terry is a passionate advocate for food justice. In the words of Alice Waters, “Bryant Terry knows that good food should be an everyday right and not a privilege”. Reading the forward to his cookbook, I was struck by his commitment to helping African Americans in particular return to cooking plant-based foods that are not just culturally and historically theirs, but that could save their lives by way of healthy eating.
Bryant Terry said in his forward that “To be clear, Afro-Vegan is for everyone.” I agree. We all have much to gain from the history lessons and food lessons in Afro-Vegan. If you’re looking for another healthy cookbook to add to your shelves, Afro Vegan’s a great one.
Thank you, Bryant Terry, for bringing everyone this beautiful compilation of healthy recipes that are so rich in flavor and history.
In the back of the cookbook, Bryant Terry has recommendations for menus and this is one of the things he suggests you serve with the black bean seitan stew. It’s a citrus arugula salad, it’s fresh and delicious, and it’s on pg 71.Spicy mustard greens, pg. 25. I didn’t put all the chiles in because I’m not great with a lot of heat. The result was that these still had a ton of flavor with some kick, and I could put a lot on my breakfast sandwich, soup, seared tofu, into a mango breakfast burrito, etc. The recipe lasts a week in the fridge and is an incredible way to always have instant flavor to add to your meals. It’s like the perfect condiment, because it’s ridiculously healthy and flavorful at the same time.Stewed tomatoes and black-eyed peas with cornbread croutons, pg. 53. I served collard greens on the side. The cornbread croutons were some work, I had to make cashew cream for an ingredient, make the skillet cornbread from scratch, then slice and bake the croutons. They were worth it – they added texture and a different flavor to break up the main dish, giving this comforting dish a major WOW factor.
Salty lemon cream – it was recommended with the seitan black bean stew (which was so delicious it could also stand on its own). I drizzled it on salads and in wraps the next few days and was pleased I’d put in the effort to make it.Sweet potato and lima bean tagline, served with mustard greens. I had to substitute cannelini for lima beans because I couldn’t find lima beans (even at Whole Foods, weird, I know). The spicy mustard greens are now a staple in our house to serve on seared-tofu breakfast sandwiches for a spicy green kick. They last in the fridge for a week, and you have NO idea how good they are at adding flavor to anything until you’ve made them yourself! (page 25.)Pumpkin peanut fritters, pg. 133. I made them a little too big… and they still tasted amazing. Fried in coconut oil for healthy fats, these are one of the most delicious things I’ve eaten in months.Making the pumpkin peanut fritters. I should have used the amount of oil he recommended, but I’m not used to frying things! Um, I could get used to it for special occasions because these were fantastic.
Curried Corn and Coconut Rice (pg. 107) – I hesitate to even add this photo because you can’t tell whatsoever from looking at it how delicious and simple this recipe is. The curry on the corn complements the sweetness just so, and served over the coconut rice it is a rich and comforting dish that my kids enjoyed and Greg and I couldn’t get enough of. You just don’t know. You really don’t.This breakfast burrito I made with mango, tofu and leftover arugula would have been boring without the addition of the spicy mustard greens. Suddenly, it was over the top delicious. Did you know that a little heat pairs perfectly with a cup of black coffee? You do now.
Mmm, home fries. Hot, crispy pieces of well seasoned potato next to a steaming cup of coffee is a fantastic way to start the day. On mornings when the boys are up at 6:30, I can throw them in the oven and know they’ll be done by the time Greg is ready for work. This morning I gave my home fries a healthy twist by adding diced yellow bell pepper for the last ten minutes of cooking, and serving with a side of seared tofu topped with avocado and cilantro. Delicious, fresh tasting, and packed with protein and healthy fats. If the avocado and cilantro doesn’t give the tofu enough flavor for your liking, add some salsa or hot sauce on the side!
Bell Pepper Homefries & Pan-seared Tofu with Avocado & Cilantro
Serves 2 generously
2 waxy red potatoes
1 T grapeseed oil
1 yellow pepper
1/2 carton of extra-firm tofu
1 avocado
handful of chopped fresh cilantro
old bay spice to taste (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
hot sauce or salsa for serving (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Slice the tofu into two rectangles and press for 20 minutes.
Wash, dry, and cut the potatoes into small cubes. 1/2 inch cubes take about 40 minutes to cook, the ones pictured in the photo were a little smaller because I was short on time. Toss the cubed potatoes with the grapeseed oil on the baking sheet and sprinkle with old bay (if desired). Roast until crispy and cooked through, about 40 minutes, shaking the pan or stirring occasionally to produce even browning.
Meanwhile, dice the yellow bell pepper. Set aside. Add them to the potatoes when they have about ten minutes of cooking time remaining.
When you have 15 minutes remaining on the potatoes, preheat a cast iron or stainless steel skillet on medium and oil it extremely lightly with grapeseed oil. Brown your tofu on each side. For very detailed instructions on dry-searing tofu, see Isa Chandra’s article from the ppk.com.
Plate the tofu and top it with avocado and cilantro. Serve next to the bell pepper home fires, and top the tofu with salsa or hot sauce for extra flavor, if desired.
On Christmas I gave away some cookbooks to readers who were interested in trying some healthy, whole foods, plant-based recipes! It was even more fun than I thought 🙂 In return, I asked for a picture of a recipe they decided to try from the cookbook and permission to post it on here for everyone to see. I’ve already gotten my first response!
Mair: I was truly thrilled when Mair e-mailed me on Christmas in response to my cookbook give-away. Mair has been a regular reader and commenter on my blog, and I’ve enjoyed connecting with her about running. Greg laughed on October 11th, because I knew Mair was running her half marathon, and I was excited all morning! Check out this amazing picture of her running the race below – how gorgeous is that?!
“Almost at the finish line of my first half marathon. After experiencing lackluster finishes in previous races, this time people are cheering and clapping, and I can’t stop smiling. I came in 25th place… out of 26 runners.” -Mair “Small races typically attract hard-core runners, Mair would have had HUNDREDS of people behind her if she’d been running the race I chose for my first half!” – Kelly
Mair chose the “Oh She Glows” cookbook by Angela Liddon, and made the Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes with Easy Mushroom Gravy for her family.
Here’s what she said:
I am not vegan or vegetarian, but my family and I all want to eat healthier. So last night when my husband said he had a craving for takeout pizza, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to try a side dish from The Oh She Glows Cookbook because if it didn’t turn out well, we still had our pizza. I chose “Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes with Easy Mushroom Gravy” because the picture looked so delicious.
Although I’m a fairly good cook, I cannot make gravy. I have tried and tried and tried (and failed and failed and failed) and I’ve basically given up and buy canned/jarred gravy. “Easy Mushroom Gravy” is exactly that – easy.
The potatoes turned out light and fluffy and very flavorful. The gravy was absolute heaven.
I had to substitute a few gravy ingredients:
Kosher salt instead of fine-grain sea salt
Dried rosemary instead of fresh rosemary
Soy sauce instead of low-sodium tamari
Everyone loved it. This is a direct quote from my husband as he enjoyed his first taste, “Mmmm, wow!”
Can’t wait to try another recipe – maybe “life-affirming warm nacho dip”, or maybe “broccoli & cashew cheese-quinoa burritos”…
M
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I can’t wait for her to try the nacho dip and broccoli and cashew cheese quinoa burritos either – because those are two of my favorite recipes from the Oh She Glows cookbook, and I bet her family will love them!
I can’t tell you how good it felt to get this email from Mair. What fun to share my favorite healthy cookbook with someone, and hear back that they’ve enjoyed it! Thanks to the amazing talent of Angela Liddon who wrote the cookbook, and to my enthusiasm for sharing good food, and to Mair’s willingness to try something new, her family ate cauliflower… and loved it 🙂 Not only that, but now Mair has a gravy recipe that is made from whole foods and is easy to make! We can all use a recipe like that in our repertoire 🙂
A big thanks to Mair for being enthusiastic about trying recipes from Oh She Glows! All of us can benefit from some whole foods, healthy recipes that don’t have meat or cheese in them, you don’t have to be a vegan or vegetarian to incorporate healthy plant-based meals into your routine.
I hope you all have a wonderful New Year’s Eve, and enjoy reflecting on the fun and happy times you had in 2014, as well as thinking about areas where you hope to continue to grow in 2015. I had a wonderful 2014, and anticipate 2015 will be even better!
Happy New Year 🙂
Thanks again, Mair! Happy New Year to you and your family 🙂
