Hi, this is Whitney, Lisa's husband, stepping out of the gray shadows to tell all of you this is her most famous and requested recipe of all. If I had a $1 for every time these granola bars departed the very busy GITNB kitchen for happy parts unknown, then I'd have enough to afford her for another 32 years :)

“Kale Yeh!” This recipe is easy and delicious. Yes, Kale is everywhere now, but it is sooooo good for you. 

Cashews are a vegans best friend, allowing us to make all kinds of cheeses, sour cream and even amazing ice cream, giving dairy some competition. I've had great success with many of these recipes but was unable to find a good quality and easy yogurt recipe. Until now!

My husband craves chocolate, especially after meals. He's not too particular about what kind, homemade, or out of a box. Last week he told me to stop buying cookies with so much sugar. So, the next time I went to the grocery store, I looked for some better options in the health food section - with no success whatsoever.  Sugar is in everything! Defeated, I came home and informed him that he was on his own for buying cookies as they all had sugar! 

Finding my way to better health wasn’t an easy or direct path... but I got there and that’s the message I want to share.

Get on your own health journey and stay the course, don’t give up and make it fun. It will look different than mine. 

A close friend surprised me recently with a copy of the "Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen", and it instantly became my new fav. The recipes are easy and delicious!... my criteria for cooking. I also love a recipe that gives you the flexibility to adapt to your particular cravings.

Thanks to the amazing people that filled our house last weekend. It brings me so much joy!

We inspired each other, formed new friendships and reconnected with old ones. We started a knitting group, worked on a future “wellness retreat” (if you’re interested let me know) and tasted some vegan treats.

Indeed, raw pumpkin pie tarts! I may have gone a little pumpkin crazy lately, but when Halloween came and left without any trips to the pumpkin patch or carved pumpkins, I realized I was in a pumpkin deficient (not yet an official medical diagnosis). Plus, I would rather eat pumpkin than decorate with it!

I finally hung my American flag this week, just in time to celebrate the 4th of July, that annual time to celebrate our birthday with food, fun, and friends.

My patriotic treat, (vanilla ice cream topped with raspberries and blueberries) will cool you off, taste amazing and is good for you!

Rarely do I eat food from a can, yet this healthy salad is an exception to the rule. It's as easy as 1-2-3 and oh so good! 

I am not sure when my love affair with fruits and vegetables started. Perhaps it is my deep rooted farming heritage as both my grandfather and father were farmers. It certainly did not impact me at an early age because I was the princess of slow roasted BBQ pig, raw hotdogs and frozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts!

I’ve never done a cleanse or been a fan of them. Maybe because I LOVE to eat and my attempts in the past to fast or cleanse for even just a day have failed.  My other excuse not to cleanse is, “I eat healthy anyway, why do I need to?” But, over the holidays I had minor surgery and was not able to exercise, have caffeine or enjoy a glass of wine.

If you've had too much holiday cheer and the plethora of sweets that go with it,  or if you are like me, you are craving something sweet, try this delicious raw healthy cheesecake I first enjoyed years ago - and still make all the time. This is a simple recipe and one even my non-vegan friends love to eat!

A plant based diet works great for me. I get excited about preparing fruits and veggies in new creative ways. I even catch myself dreaming about which ones I want to enjoy next. But sometimes after a crazy day at work, I need comfort food for dinner. My "go to" comfort food is not mac and cheese or Krispy Kreme doughnuts, like in my younger days; it’s better!

I recently discovered this great new recipe and tweaked it a little to make it vegan. Now I make a batch every week that I can't wait to enjoy, mostly for breakfast along with fresh fruit and Ancient Awakenings plain coconut kefir (which I am crazy about). If you want to be truly inspired to live a healthy, holistic life, read the Ancient Awakenings story - a company based in Woodstock, Georgia. I found this kefir at the Alpharetta Farmer's Market, but now buy it at Whole Foods.

It feels a little like fall today, cool and crisp - a perfect time to enjoy our local farmer's market and summer's final offerings.

Call me crazy, but these days when visiting my daughter in NYC, I would rather spend my time and money in all the cool, healthy grocery stores and organic restaurants in NYC, than at the theater.

I spend a great deal of time searching for creative ways to make veggie burgers.  After numerous failed attempts, (just ask Whitney) I usually revert back to the Garden Burger recipe; I got during a Whole Foods cooking class years ago. I even packed up a batch and took to girls weekend recently. (along with a good bottle of red wine)

As a “plant based enthusiast,” getting enough protein is crucial for me. Preferably, I get my proteins by eating whole foods, instead of anything processed. But adding protein powder to my morning shake is a convenient way to make sure I get enough protein in my diet. 

I owe a wholehearted "Thank you!" to those brave souls that stopped by to help launch my blog last Sunday. 

What was my life like before my best friend bought us Vitamixers at Costco 7 years ago? "Quieter," my husband would say. 

Growing up in the South, I ate almost anything fried. The only raw food I loved was cold, uncooked hotdogs straight from the refrigerator! It's crazy to think about now; my husband still can't believe it.