Keepin' It Kind

And the Winner of the Nut Butter Universe Giveaway is…

Lauren Manzano! Lauren, please email me (kristy @ keepinitkind . com – just remove the spaces) your address so I can get this book to you as soon as possible! Thank you to all of you who participated! I’ve got another giveaway starting tomorrow, so stay tuned…

Dining in LA: Shojin

Not too long ago, you had to go to the more eastern end of LA to have an array of vegan options. Between Silverlake, downtown, and Hollywood, there is a plethora of vegan goodness to explore. However, more recently, the west side’s vegan selection is growing pretty rapidly, especially in Culver City. Most recently, Shojin, … Continue reading »

Mizuna Pesto Farrotto with Oven-Roasted Olives

This time of year, we get a lot of different types of greens in our weekly CSA delivery. I’m not complaining- I love my greens! Kale, chard, collards, spinach, mustard greens, arugula, cabbage, and more- I love them all! The problem arises when I get more greens than I have time to eat. I put … Continue reading »

Nut Butter Universe: Review & Giveaway

When Dianne Wenz, Veggie Girl herself, contacted me to do a review of Nut Butter Universe, Robin Robertson‘s newest cookbook, I could not say no. Nut butters are probably one of my most favorite ingredients in my kitchen so an entire cookbook revolving around them sounded like a fantastic opportunity. I’m sure that for most … Continue reading »

Vegan St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

I’m not going to lie. St. Patty’s Day is just not my thang. I’ve always been the girl who walks into the classroom/office/gym/wherever and people start exclaiming “You’re not wearing any green! We’re going to pinch you!” Then I try to come back with some sort of witty remark that falls flat and I have … Continue reading »

One Year of Keepin’ It Kind

One year ago today, I posted my first post on Keepin’ It Kind. I felt both exhilarated and scared of what I may have gotten Chris and myself into. As I said in that first post, I am always writing, though it’s mostly just in my mind. All throughout my day, I’m writing stories in … Continue reading »

Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

Sometimes, I get a hunger that only something sweet and lemony will cure. There’s just something about a little bright and lemony dessert that makes my senses sing. It’s an interesting thing because it’s rarely something I’ll choose, unless I’m really craving it. If given the choice between a blueberry muffin and a lemon poppy … Continue reading »

Chanterelle, White Bean & Cheesy Roasted Kabocha Tacos

This month marks nine years of living with Samantha, my canine companion. Nine years and she still never ceases to amaze me. When I found her in a shelter in northern California, I fell in love with her as soon as she tried to crawl inside my coat. I knew right then that she was … Continue reading »

Winter Citrus Green Smoothie

Do you know what’s awesome on a dreary winter day? Yes, okay, warm soup. And a fireplace. And a warm blanket that your mom crocheted for you (maybe that’s just me). And hot cocoa. I get it- warm stuff is really nice on a cold day. But do you know what will brighten your day … Continue reading »

Chocolate Caramel Macchiato Truffles

I’ve never had an actual Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks or some other fancy coffee house, so it might seem odd that I would make caramel macchiato truffles. I once, however, had a plain macchiato while living in Italy. It was right after I got fired for the first (and only) time in my life. At … Continue reading »

Miso Cumin White Bean Hummus

So, have you all seen the PPK Top 100 of 2012 yet? It’s full of basically a lot of vegan awesomeness. I was turned on to several things that, sorry, I must have been living under a rock to have missed! Carrot Bacon?! Pumpkin Pie Filled Muffins?! I mean, come on! I was also excited … Continue reading »

Vegan Travel: Brooklyn, NYC

During the first week of January, Chris and I were fortunate enough to be able to spend a week in New York City. We had so much fun and enjoyed so much great vegan food! New York City, without a doubt, has Los Angeles beat when it comes to incredible vegan food. We were just … Continue reading »

Roasted Beet, Blood Orange & Fennel Pizza with Mixed Herb Tofu Chèvre

The first truly embarrassing moment (of many) happened when I was six. My friend, Andrea, and I were really into sleepovers. Every weekend, we were begging our parents to let one of us spend the night at the other’s house. We would eat dinner, play endless games of Clue, lip sync to Billy Joel songs, … Continue reading »

Vegan Travel: East Manhattan, NYC, Part 2

Carrot Cake Waffles with Cinnamon Maple Cream Cheese Spread

My grandfather was a tile setter and owned his own tile setting company. In the 1960′s, he hired a young high school boy to be his helper. My grandfather and his whole family, except for one of his daughters (who thought he was ugly and obnoxious), loved this boy. The young boy was smitten by … Continue reading »

Chewy Apricot Almond Oatmeal Cookies

Remember when I said that I’ve abandoned oatmeal as my breakfast of choice? Well, that’s still the case. The very thought of it is turning me off. The thought of the plain, wholesome taste of Morning O’s (Cheerio’s, Whole Foods style) in a bowl of cold almond milk, however, is what makes me rush home … Continue reading »

Spinach Artichoke Soup

How awesome is spinach artichoke dip? Right? Back in the day, my best friend and I used to make a spinach artichoke dip in a bread bowl for every party we threw, so we spent many a night in our early twenties staying up all night, talking and eating the dip leftover from the party. … Continue reading »