Easter Made Easy - Vegan Donuts {Thanks to YumEarth and Nora Cooks}

Vegan Easter Cinnamon Sugar Jelly Bean Donuts - Nora Cooks and YumEarth

I recently made vegan cinnamon sugar donuts from scratch and just had to shout out this amazing recipe by Nora Cooks. Her recipes are always a hit at my house. To bring in some seasonal fun, I added a bit of vegan frosting and YumEarth’s vegan jelly beans.

Instructions

1. Follow Nora Cook’s Cinnamon Sugar Vegan Donut Recipe

2. Let cool and then decorate with your favorite vegan icing and YumEarth vegan jelly beans and that’s it!

This recipe was recently featured on YumEarth.com!

Vegan Easter Cinnamon Sugar Jelly Bean Donuts - Nora Cooks and YumEarth

Easter Made Easy - Vegan Sugar Cookies {Thanks to YumEarth and Sweet Loren's}

Vegan Easter Cookies - Sweet Loren’s and YumEarth

I made these adorable Vegan Jelly Bean Easter Sugar Cookies in about 15 minutes thanks to Sweet Loren’s and YumEarth.

Ingredients

• Sweet Loren’s Sugar Cookie Pre-Cut Dough

• YumEarth Jelly Beans

Instructions

1. Place Sweet Loren’s premade cookies on a baking sheet and bake according to instructions. I baked them for 15 minutes for a chewier cookie. You can leave them in for up to 18 minutes for a crunchier cookie.

2. Let cool for a couple of minutes and then place YumEarth Easter Eggs on top and that’s it!

This recipe was recently featured on YumEarth.com!

Vegan Easter Cookies - Sweet Loren’s and YumEarth

Vegan Valentine's Day

Candy and chocolate based holidays can be tricky to navigate. Here are a few things that help me and my five year old enjoy the holiday.

• Know your brands. I find it extremely helpful to know which brands carry vegan (or mostly vegan) products. YumEarth is my go-to candy brand and they even have chocoyums now as a chocolate candy option similar to m&ms. I also love Partake, Made Good, Enjoy Life, Emmy’s, and Dandies. I check all labels always in case anything changes but with these brands, I know I can pretty much grab and go without the worry.

• Know the big brands and what to avoid. I avoid almost all big brands because I find that even if the ingredients look to be plant-based, they almost all use artificial dyes which freak me out and/or “natural flavors” which can be anything. Plus, while we do eat some “accidentally vegan” candy, I really love to support the ones who are doing it with purpose.

• Find non-consumable ways to enjoy the holiday. My son is a big fan of painting projects so I often gift him a simple wooden holiday-themed piece or a canvas with some holiday paint colors and that’s a really fun activity that has nothing to do with what we’re eating.

• Stock up on the goods and let your kid swap out gifts that aren’t vegan. If your classroom allows for candy and chocolate, you are probably going to receive non-vegan valentine’s. I just buy one extra bag of the candy or chocolate that my son loves most and then let him swap it out. I carry some in my bag and leave some at home. I always have extras to share with friends. The more they try the non-vegan items and become aware of the brands, the more I see them making those purchases in the future.

• Advocate with your dollars. I know that the non-vegan items can sometimes be less expensive and so I know that this won’t work for everyone but if you have the disposable income to do so, I would love to recommend making purchases that align with your values. Even if you aren’t the ones consuming the item, (say giving as a gift or in a classroom) you are still speaking with your dollars. The companies that we all back are the ones that will grow.

I hope these tips are helpful. Please feel free to add more in the comments below.

Vegan Hot Chocolate Charcuterie Board

Whether for a holiday gathering or at home with the kids, a hot chocolate charcuterie board is a fun and elegant way to spice up your hot chocolate game. It’s easy to keep this safe for your family and friends by only including your favorite allergy-friendly treats. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• YumEarth Holiday Organic Candy Canes

• YumEarth Holiday Organic Mini Canes

• YumEarth Choco Yums (any flavor)

• YumEarth Holiday Organic Candy Cane Lollipops

• Equal Exchange Organic Dark Hot Chocolate Mix

• Plant Based Milk of Choice

• Dandies Vegan Marshmallows (Large and/or Minis) 

• Vegan Whipped Cream

• Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips

• Emmy’s Organics Cookies

• Made Good Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

• Cinnamon Sticks

• Sprinkles

Instructions

1. Choose your board. You can use a serving tray, cutting board, or even just a large dish.

2. Choose your ingredients. Start with a hot chocolate mix (I love Equal Exchange Organic Dark Hot Chocolate Mix) and a plant based milk (I use soy) and design from there. My favorites are listed above - YumEarth Holiday Organic Candy Canes, YumEarth Holiday Organic Mini Canes, YumEarth Choco Yums, YumEarth Holiday Organic Candy Cane Lollipops, Dandies Vegan Marshmallows (Large and/or Minis), Vegan Whipped Cream, Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips, Emmy’s Organics Cookies, Made Good Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cinnamon Sticks and Sprinkles, but you can get creative here with your favorites.

3. Style. Place your bowls. Smaller items and those that require a spoon to scoop up should be put in bowls. Start with your hot chocolate mix (and include a tablespoon for easy measuring), mini chocolate chips and Choco Yums. Add in your other toppings directly onto the board, filling in the spaces between the bowls.

4. Enjoy! Scoop your mix into your mugs, mix with plant based milk or water, heat up, and top with your favorite toppings!

Letting a YumEarth Holiday Organic Candy Cane dissolve into my hot chocolate (voila, peppermint hot chocolate!) along with some mini Dandies marshmallows and vegan whipped cream is my favorite way to enjoy a hot chocolate this season.

This recipe was recently featured on YumEarth.com!

Post Halloween Pumpkin Plan

Do you have a post Halloween pumpkin plan? It may sound strange but Halloween pumpkins are a huge source of food waste and there are some great alternatives to dispose of your pumpkins that don’t involve throwing them in the trash.

Ways to reduce pumpkin waste:

• Feed the pigs! Call your local farms to see which accept pumpkins. Many of them will let you feed them to the pigs or other farm animals. Or, you can drop them off.

• Compost them!

  • In your backyard compost.

  • In your municipality. If your town doesn’t offer composting, now is a great time to ask them to start.

  • Local gardens and farms often have programs to accept them.

• Eat them! If you haven’t turned them into Jack O'Lanterns (or if you only just did so), you can roast pumpkin flesh and make all sorts of delicious dishes. My favorite are these pumpkin muffins by Minimalist Baker. I also recently tried these pumpkin muffins by Nora Cooks and they were like mini cakes. You can also roast the seeds. And, since the famous Pumpkin Spice Lattes are not vegan, you can go ahead and make your own Vegan PSL, too.

Remember, when bringing to the farm or to compost, check with each place if you have painted your pumpkins as many may not accepted painted pumpkins.