Freshly brewed espresso is poured over creamy vanilla ice cream to create Affogato, an Italian dessert that is a marriage made in flavor heaven.

Affogato

As a bona fide, lifelong lover of homemade ice cream, Affogato is an absolute dream come true. It’s the perfect blend of hot and cold, as the warm espresso meets cool ice cream.

Because the ingredients are not mixed or blended, you end up with a wonderful range of colors, textures, flavors, and temperatures in this recipe. Eating it is such a treat, because each bite is a slightly different experience.

What is an Affogato?

If you’re wondering “What is an affogato?”, it’s really quite simple. Affogato is simply a shot of espresso poured of a scoop of gelato or ice cream. That’s it. No stirring required, just start eating.

The hot and bitter espresso is cooled and sweetened by the ice cream, while the freezing cold ice cream is softened and warmed by the espresso. Together, they become something more, something magical.

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Weekly Menu Plan – Sept. 25 to Oct. 1

Here is your menu plan for next week!

Monday: Greek Chicken Kabobs

Tuesday: Creamy Zucchini Sausage Casserole

Wednesday: Sloppy Joes

Thursday: One Skillet BBQ Chicken

Friday: White Chicken Chili

Saturday: Beef Stroganoff

Sunday: Coconut Curry Burger

READ: Weekly Menu Plan – Sept. 25 to Oct. 1

‘Tis the season for all of the comfort food! If you want to enjoy your favorite fall flavors without dairy or eggs, I’ve got you covered. I’ve gathered up 10 delicious vegan recipes for fall.

Hi friends! Anyone else feeling SO EXCITED for fall? Last year, I felt like I was going through the motions, but this year, I actually feel myself really looking forward to the upcoming season. I can’t wait for some fun celebrations with the fam and fall and winter activities.

I also feel like my cooking mojo has come back, so it’s been fun to finally enjoy cooking again and trying new recipes. For today’s post, I wanted to share some vegan recipes we love or new ones that are on our radar. Please shout out any fave fall vegan recipes in the comments below!

10 Vegan Recipes For Fall

1. Pumpkin Pie Protein Bowl

A delicious and healthy high-protein breakfast option that tastes like pumpkin pie! It’s gluten-free, vegan, and an awesome breakfast for busy mornings.

2. Apple Pie Walnut Baked Oatmeal

This apple pie baked oatmeal is gluten-free, vegan, and an incredibly delicious make-ahead breakfast option. This is perfect to make as part of meal prep for busy weekday mornings. Simply reheat and eat.

3. Vegan Eggnog

Anyway, let’s talk about this recipe! It’s a holly jolly holiday beverage, minus some of the ingredients that can make us want to crawl into hibernation. (Don’t worry, there’s still some booze in there if you want it!) For a creamy egg-less eggnog, I used my favorite strategy for awesome texture minus the dairy: soaked cashews, plus a little turmeric for that light golden egg-ish color.

4. Pumpkin Pie Mousse

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Roasted sweet potatoes, crisp warm baby spinach, and spicy breakfast sausage are all topped with an egg in this Sweet Potato Hash with Eggs.

Sweet Potato Hash with Eggs

I prepared this recipe so many times over the course of my boys’ childhood. They always cleaned their plates when this was on the menu.

This breakfast hash first made its way to my table over 10 years ago. I can still remember the pride that my boys demonstrated when they figured out how to stack a little taste of everything onto their forks with each big bite.

They proudly informed us that doing so made the spinach taste so much better. I can empathize, as I well recall how much I disliked spinach as a child. I’m grateful my kids enjoy it most of the time now.

A spinach breakfast is a great way to get started on those leafy greens early. And, if you haven’t already been converted to the awesomeness that is eggs and spinach, I recommend trying my boys’ beloved Power Eggs too.

Sweet Potato and Spinach

With an egg on top, hash is one of my favorite meals for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I often make a double recipe just to have leftovers in the refrigerator.

I don’t think I’ve tried a single version of hash that I didn’t like. Sweet potato and spinach hash, crispy hash with bacon, potatoes, and vegetables, Read more

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Hands in the air if you’re equally excited to be back in a routine, but also lamenting the end of summer. We are officially back in school, back to the dance-horses-homework extravaganza, and while I thrive on a schedule, things are busy, as I’m sure many of you can relate.

I’m here trying to make the week as streamlined as possible, and here are some of the things that have helped:

– Doing anything I can the night before. This means packing lunches, setting out uniforms (including hair accessories and shoes), packing snacks, and setting out water bottles to be filled. I also make a mental note of what the kids are having for breakfast, so I can make anything in advance.

– Start dinner in the afternoon. Many nights, Liv is finished with dance late, so I have dinner waiting for the crew when they’re done with their activities for the day. I’ve found that late afternoon, before school pickup, is the best chance to get some veggies chopped, and make anything I can before pickup.

– Snack prep! I try to make snack staples at the beginning of the week, so that the kids have lots of options.

Here are two favorites that they’re loving lately!

Lemon Blueberry Muffins and Chocolate Coconut Energy Bites

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

These lemon blueberry muffins have a bright and zesty flavor. P says they taste like pancake muffins! I also like that they’re not too sweet. You can absolutely increase the sweetness by adding more coconut sugar or maple syrup. Make a batch and freeze to have on hand for the week. I’ll heat them up and serve with pre-boiled eggs for a quick school morning breakfast.