As a self-proclaimed grocery snob, I know what it means to spend in the upwards of $200 on one trip to the store. Did I mention that I’m single?? It makes NO sense to spend that much on groceries. I’m changing my ways. Ya’ll pray for me okay, because while I could care less about designer clothes and bags, I love labels at the grocery store.

After several strong suggestions from my Godmother, I recently started shopping at label-less Aldi. Guess what? I low-key love Aldi! Let me explain:

• Cauliflower Rice (my current obsession) is under $2
• Thick and Chunky Salsa is delicious
• Three kinds of vegan veggie burgers
• Their coconut granola cereal is yum
• Organic veggies and fruit are super cheap

Like any relationship, there are peaks and valleys. There are a few things that are questionable:

• Paying 25 cents for a cart
• The crowding around the produce. Shoppers are hella pushy!
• The variety of vegan-specific items

Aldi is not the place to go for nutritional yeast, coconut aminos or tofu, but it is the place to go for delicious red grapes, almond milk and hummus! Give it a try and thank me later. 

It was a grand tradition! Friday nights at home with Mommie – cornmeal fried fish, Kraft deluxe mac & cheese, “fancy” canned green beans and TGIF on ABC (Full House, Family Matters, Step-By-Step and Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper) on the tube. My Mama was far from a chef, but she could fry some fish bay-bay, so I always looked forward to seafood Fridays. It was our moment.

I grew up as a typical DMV girl – crabs, fish, shrimp, crab cakes, etc! In fact, I could open my own crabs at 3 years old. Ma used to say “if you are old enough to eat it, you are old enough to learn how to eat it.” My Mother could get down on some crabs, so she did not have time to get hers and help me get mine in the process.

When I stumbled upon Daiya’s Mac & Cheeze at Publix, I thought that it would taste chalky, but I was so wrong! It was very reminiscent of Kraft’s Mac & Cheese, thus very reminiscent of seafood Fridays with Mommie. I started to wonder what would go with the mac & cheeze. I searched the fridge and all I had on hand was kale, mushrooms, onions and carrots, so I made a stir-fry. Not exactly ideal, but whatever. . .
After thinking about it a little more, I discovered that I could pair my favorite vegan crab cakes with it or better yet, my favorite vegan fish – Gardein Golden Fishless Filets! Ya’ll, these filets are theeee best! You must try! They are sold anywhere that veggie burgers are sold.
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Caveat: This is not a healthy vegan meal, but it’s soooo satisfying! Live a little and get your grub on this week. Oh, if you want something green, throw in some frozen green beans or fresh spinach. This is the perfect quick and tasty meal! Go for it. 

​Last month I had the honor of guest blogging on the Fabuleux Living blog. How exciting, right? I talked all about how to start and maintain a vegan diet in a three-part blog post.

Part 1: New Year, New Choices

Part 2: The Great Organic Debate 

Part 3: Vegans Eat Out Too

Lately, I have been diligently working on the skincare line (now on Etsy as well), so it felt great to switch my focus back to my very first love - fruits and veggies! As a vegan you can eat out, stay in and cook and even take the notion of veganism beyond January weight loss resolutions. Click on the links and view my tips for beginning a vegan lifestyle. Let me know what you would add in the comments section below.

Happy Winter and Happy New Year Everyone!

Allow me to confess something. . .I don't do much to my skin, but it's the thing I get complimented on the most. In all honesty, my Mom had beautiful skin and my Dad also has beautiful skin so genetics are at play. But, studies have proven that we can change the effects of our genetics by creating and following a daily regimen. This is why I was scared that my lack of a daily regimen would disrupt my favorable skin genetics. Growing up my skin was just okay. I didn’t know how to properly care for it because every time I would try to use products that the other girls I knew used, I would break out. I discovered very early on that I had sensitive skin but I didn’t know how to care for my largest organ. It wasn’t until I turned 29 that I finally found a routine that worked for me - making my own natural skincare products.

In 2013, I started making the products in my tiny bedroom in Mount Rainier, Maryland with two Tupperware containers and a spoon. I used to volunteer at Glut Food Co-Op, which was right up the road and I received store credit. I used the credit to purchase fruit, veggies, shea butter and coconut oil. Coincidentally, the base of my products for the Darilyn Tyrese Collection are shea butter, coconut oil and other essential oils.
My goal with the Darilyn Tyrese Collection is to create an online marketplace that lends itself to my holistic brand. In 2018 I am presenting products and services dealing primarily with natural skincare, holistic plant-based consulting, speaking, blogging, workshop facilitation and I’m also working on a book!

Let’s never forget that topical products are fab, but your routine trumps any product that you could ever use. The lack of dairy in my diet and the increase of water-rich foods in my routine has a lot to do with the appearance of my skin. Dairy is extremely inflammatory and removing just one form of dairy from your diet will improve your skin and lessen the tummy aches that you have experienced. Additionally, refreshing foods like cucumbers, oranges and spinach provide the necessary hydration and vitamin C that your skin needs.

The cold weather is here to stay for a while, so we must prepare our skin with heavier butters, oils and creams. My line is the perfect complement to the winter season. Give it a try!

Enjoy 2018! 
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Holiday shopping can be exhausting! By the time you get home from a long day of work (and from workin' your credit card at the mall), the last thing you want to do is stand over a stove for an hour. Also, it's cold outside!! You want something that will stick to your ribs. 

Salad? Naw!

How about a creamy pasta dish that mimics Alfredo noodles? Sign me up for vegan and gluten-free nooch noodles, please! 

The vegan community loves nooch (short for nutritional yeast). It is a powdery inactive yeast that smells cheesy but packs a colossal boost of B12. Everyone can benefit from more of this central nervous system protecting vitamin, so this dish is a must-try! 

Here's what you'll need:
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​1. Earth Balance (2 tablespoons) 
2. Nutritional Yeast - Nooch (1/2 cup)
3. Almond Milk (1/2 cup)
4. Veggie Broth (1/2 cup)
5. Bay Leaf (2 leaves)
6. Herbes de Provence (1 tablespoon)
7. Granulated Garlic (2 teaspoons)
8. Black Pepper (1 teaspoon)
9. Pink Himalayan Salt (2 teaspoons) 
10. Parsley (1 tablespoon) 
11. Crushed Red Pepper (optional - 1 teaspoon) 
​12. Gluten Free Pasta

Cook pasta with bay leaves as directed. Drain and rinse pasta in cold water. Remove the bay leaves and add in the ingredients above and BAM BAM TAM - yummy, quick and comforting nooch noodles! 

The bible tells us that there is a time for everything. That is true indeed, you see, I don't want sweet potatoes in August - I want them between November and March. Sweet potatoes scream comfort food and I automatically think of my Nana's recipe for sweet potato casserole during this fabulous time of the year. I've veganized it for you and I trust that your family will enjoy it year-after-year just as I have. 

I love the fact that there is a vegan version for almost everything on the market and marshmallows are no exception! Dandies marshmallows are FANTASTIC and free of gelatin which is a "yellowish, odorless, and nearly tasteless substance that is made by prolonged boiling of skin, cartilage, and bones from animals. It's made primarily from the stuff meat industries have left over — we're talking about pork skins, horns, and cattlebones."

SO happy that this delicious recipe is free from the above! WHEW!!! 

Ingredients:
-6 large sweet potatoes
-2 tablespoons of Earth Balance vegan butter
-4 tablespoons of agave nectar (or the sweetener of your choice
-Dandies vegan marshmallows (sold at Whole Foods or Amazon. Trader Joe's also has vegan marshmallows.)
- 1 tablespoon of cinnamon
-1 teaspoon of nutmeg
-1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
-Potato masher
​-Baking dish 
-Large stockpot for boiling the sweet potatoes
-Cooking spray

Directions:
1. Coat the baking dish of your choice with cooking spray and pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Boil your sweet potatoes in a stockpot on high for 30 minutes or until soft. 
3. Drain the sweet potatoes and then run cold water over them for about one minute. The sweet potatoes will be hot, so please be careful.
​4. Peel off the skin of the sweet potatoes and mash them. 
5. Stir in agave nectar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and earth balance. 
6. Pour the sweet potatoes into your oil coated baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. 
7. Pull the sweet potatoes out of the oven and then adjust the oven temperature to the broil setting.
8. Arrange the Dandies marshmallows to your liking on top of the sweet potatoes. 
9. Put the sweet potatoes back in the oven on the broil setting for no longer than 3 minutes. 
10. WATCH the sweet potatoes closely during this last step, if you don't the marshmallows will burn. Pull them out when the marshmallows are browned to your liking. 
11. Eat up! Serves 4.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! 

I spent my Thanksgiving enjoying the home cooked flavors of yesteryear. If you've ever heard me talk about my love of cooking, you know that I learned everything I know from my Nana. The first thing I ever made was Jiffy cornbread, so today when I veganized a boxed Trader Joe's cornbread, I couldn't help but smile from the inside out. 

The holidays force me think of my Pa-Pop, Nana and Mommie. They have all gone on to glory and admittedly, the holidays are still fun for me, but they will never have the exact same allure. I've made peace with that, and I won't let family traditions go because they are the foundation of my love for the season and for cooking in general. 

Side dishes are the essence of the holidays. Sure, folks like meat dishes, but if the sides aren't right, it's all wrong! This is the only time of the year when it's appropriate to be a side piece! :-)

My favorite Thanksgiving side dish is cornbread dressing! Below are my pics from today's culinary experience. I pray that you are enjoying the holidays with your family and friends. If you're anything like me, you don't mind enjoying it with yourself and movies on TVOne either! 

I can't wait to veganize more of my favorite family dishes for Christmas. Stay tuned! Follow me on Instagram for more vegan holiday meals, sweets and snacks. 

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The mushroom is hiding under the dressing, but trust me, it's there and it was filling and delicious!
​Turkey who? 

I went back to my east coast family in early October for vacation and honestly, I'm still buzzing from the experience. I needed to see the people that fuel me. I needed to experience the places that molded me and I needed to eat the home cooked food that satisfies me. 

"Delicious" is not even the proper terminology. It was scrump-dilly-uptious!!! Everything made was vegan (of course) and cooked/baked/sauteed especially for me by my Godmother. How blessed am I? She's not even vegan!! 

There was banana bread (I ate the whole loaf), peanut butter cookies (I ate about a dozen), delicious breakfast foods, homemade lemonade and tortilla chips, and vegan biscuits!! Ummm, why did I ever move to California? What was I even thinking?

While the food was beyond good, my true fullness came from staying with my Godmother. We laughed, talked, walked and ate. THAT's what a good vacation is made of if you ask me! Until my next vacation to the east, here are some "samples" of her home cooked goodness! Enjoy! 

Fall is all about cozy socks, warm drinks and easy recipes that make you feel cozy and satiated. . .at least in my eyes. 

I'm 33 years old with no kids and no husband but I STILL don't have time to be in the kitchen all day. I've got stuff to do. . .

This rice dish requires minimal ingredients and minimal time on your part, you just have to do a couple of things the night before. 

1. Soak your lentils 
2. Think good thoughts :-)

Ingredients:

• Lentils
• Instant Brown Rice (preferably Trader Joe's Brown Balsmalti Rice)  
• Various Spices (bay leaves, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper, etc.)

Directions:
1. Rinse the water and residue from the lentils that you soaked the night before. 
2. Add the lentils and 1 1/2 cups of brown rice to a large pot. Pour in 1 cup of veggie broth and 2 cups of water. 
3. Add in the desired amount of spices and seasonings.
4. Cook on high heat and stir consistently until the lentils and rice have finished cooking. 
5. Serve with raw spinach or another leafy green and garnish with tahini sauce (optional)

I was shocked by how easy this dish was to prepare. It took no time at all and it's because I soaked my lentils the night before. Soaking your beans the night before cooking help to alleviate frequent flatulence and and it also helps to the beans to cook quickly. Eat uppp and stay cozy this fall.

The kids are back in school in the bay area and it’s exciting to see their new clothes, bookbags and lunch boxes. I love watching them because it takes me back to a time (now many moons ago) where I indulged in picking out my new backpack and lunch box for the brand new school year. I can’t remember any of my choices, but I remember how those choices made me feel. Everything was brand new and fabulous! It seemed like even my lunches got better from one year to the next. Nobody likes whack snacks, so with a new lunch box comes new responsibilities.

Way too many studies have proven that what children eat at lunch and at snack time greatly contribute to their productivity in the classroom. If you have children, you are raising our future thought leaders, athletes, educators, entrepreneurs, entertainers, authors, doctors, public defenders, artists and financial planners. Let’s give them food made with love and not with chemicals.

Here are several ideas. . .

Baby Plums:
Grab these babies while they are still in season. I bought a bag of 15 from Trader Joe’s for next to nothing. Throw three of ‘em in a sandwich bag and help your kids fight icky germs and improve their concentration at the same time.

Strawberries:
Keep their vision sharp with a snack bag of strawberries. The kids only need about 3 or 4 strawberries to reap the delicious benefits.

Popcorn:
Yes, some popcorn is loaded with an insane amount of salt and preservatives, but the Organic Olive Oil popcorn from Trader Joe’s (I shop there for everything if you can’t already tell) is only about $1.99 and contains natural ingredients (no, seriously).

Cherry Tomatoes & Guacamole:
Okay, YUM! Besides being delicious, this snack is nutritious. It contains good fats and skin softening vitamins that will keep your child cute by the time picture day rolls around. HA! You can buy the individually packaged guac from T_a___ J_e's. :-) 

Dates:
These promote digestive health! You know I'm a stickler for regularity. It's VERY important for kids and adults to release. A constipated kid is a miserable kid. #NoTummyAchesThisSchoolYear

Peanuts:
Nuts are a snack that you can take anywhere and enjoy . . .unless your child has a peanut allergy. . .yikes! They are totally portable and convenient for a quick energy boost.

Larabars:
Fave. They are high in fiber and add a sweet note to your child’s afternoon. My favorite peanut butter and chocolate Larabar tastes like a decadent dessert, but it’s really a nutrient dense snack. 

​Happy Snackin'! Don't forget to take some of these with you to work. . .