Frozen Chocolate Bananas

This is Jack – the “and” in Love and Lemons – and this is my first post. For awhile now, Jeanine has been mentioning that I should make some posts. But I didn’t want to tread on her writing territory, and I’m used to the “video gamer” view of the internet, where people are mean and petty. This “food blog internet” where people are sweet and polite is frighting and confusing to me. As the one year anniversary of the blog has come and gone, my apprehension went from “what do I say” to “what do I make?” I can…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Coconut Mint Ice Cream

Dairy free mint ice cream - a delicious holiday treat with vegan chocolate magic shell topping.

spring / vegan

Let me start by saying that mint chocolate chip has never been my top choice. It’s always been my sister’s favorite, I was more of a cookies & cream kind of girl. But this blog makes me try things I might have otherwise not… For example, I bought turnips the other day at the farmers market just because they looked cute. When I saw this green mug, I craved just one thing: Mint ice cream. To my surprise (and Jack’s too), mint ice cream made with fresh mint is amazing! It’s a completely different ice cream flavor altogether. First off,…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Chocolate Chip Carrot Cookies

Sneak some veggies into your chocolate chip cookies! These are the perfect mid-afternoon vegan treat.

spring / vegan

I’ve been baking a lot of chocolate chip cookies lately. I’m not sure what prompted the obsession, but what I’ve learned is that once you start a 3 o’ clock cookie habit, it’s hard to break. This particular day I had carrots, so I worked those into the mix. I quickly realized that grating carrots by hand was a tedious task, so I turned to the food processor. And instead of dirtying another bowl for my wet ingredients, I just mixed them straight in there. (My mom uses the same method for her carrot cakes). A couple of notes… these…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Nutella Stuffed French Toast

breakfast / holiday

This might be the most unhealthy thing I’ve made for this site thus far. It’s not “surprisingly” vegan or “by the way” gluten free. And I didn’t make my own Nutella, although I thought about it. But… it’s fast, easy, and super delicious. We’re having some Nutella-loving friends over for Easter brunch next weekend, so I’m thinking this will be sure to impress. If sweets are too much for you in the morning, this can double as dessert with a scoop of ice cream on top. (If you’re reading between the lines here, yes… we ate these for breakfast and…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Carrot Muffins with Coconut Whip

Healthy non-dairy muffins packed with carrots and topped with coconut whipped cream.

spring / dairy free

Spring is in the air (at least, here in Austin it is), and I’ve been getting non-stop carrots in my Farmhouse Delivery box. Which means one thing to us… carrot cake. This time, in muffin form. I topped these with coconut whip lightly sweetened with maple syrup. It’s airy, yet creamy… much less indulgent than a more traditional cream cheese frosting, but it was exactly what I was in the mood for this time. With a dusting of cinnamon on top.

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Chocolate Almond Breeze Smoothie

Rich & creamy chocolate smoothies made with banana and almond milk. Vegan and Gluten free.

vegan / gluten free / almond milk

Now that January is over and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, I think it’s time to trade in our kale drinks for rich & creamy chocolate-y treats. Because we’ve been good after-all… haven’t we? Something you might not expect that’s a fixture in our fridge is chocolate almond milk. Jack drinks a mocha with it every morning. And he occasionally makes us milk-less milkshakes (kindly accommodating for my my lactose intolerance). He doesn’t cook often but two of his designated tasks are: 1. Coffee Pour-er, and 2. Blender-man. This is his most recent blended treat… frozen bananas with chocolate almond milk and…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Chocolate Cupcakes & Avocado Icing

These vegan chocolate cupcakes are a healthier dessert. The avocado icing is so rich and yummy you'll want to eat it by the spoonful!

vegan / holiday:

It’s my birthday and I baked myself a cake. Actually, cupcakes… and technically I baked them last night so I could make this little b-day post today. I’m thirty-four today (ouch, that hurts to type). It’s the age that you start to forget what age you are… the age when you realize how silly you were when you felt old at 28. And it’s the age that you have to start taking really good notes because you just can’t keep “it all” in your head anymore. They say avocados and chocolate are brain foods right? (I don’t know who says,…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Pistachio Ice Cream

You only need 6 ingredients to make this creamy pistachio ice cream! Its coconut base is the perfect rich complement to its nutty pistachio flavor.

vegan / gluten free

I’m starting to get the feeling that it’s time to travel again… and this pistachio ice cream recipe takes me right back to Italy. Last year I destroyed myself on gelato (when in Rome, right?). I know everyone has their favorite spots, but I visited Giolitti every single day, and sometimes twice in a day. I somehow convinced myself that lactose intolerance can’t possibly exist in Italy… Though I paid the price for my delusion, I enjoyed every bite nonetheless. My Pistachio Ice Cream Recipe This at-home version turned out super creamy, nutty & delicious. To avoid any dairy side effects,…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Vegan Almond Shortbread Cookies

A vegan shortbread cookie recipe with Christmas flavor from almond extract. Incredibly easy and fun - delicious with your favorite add-ins on top!

holiday / vegan

One of my most cherished childhood memories is baking Christmas cookies with my mom. She would pull over two kitchen chairs for my sister and me to stand on so we could reach the countertop and get our hands in the flour. We’d watch her line up all of the ingredients, preheat the oven, and prepare the cookie sheets. She’d flip to the back of the recipe rolodex and pull out three cards that were stained with butter splotches and a dusting of flour. It was holiday tradition that we would start with spritz cookies, a butter/sugar cookie that was made special…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Vegan Pistachio Coconut Truffles

Vegan truffles are an easy & healthy holiday dessert! A creamy coconut and chocolate base rolled in pistachios makes a yummy, no-bake, gluten-free treat.

holiday / vegan / gluten free

All you non-bakers out there, this one is for you. So far in this holiday season I haven’t baked one cookie, shopped for one gift… and I have a tree somewhere in a storage unit. So, today, I have the perfect busy-person dessert that’s fast & easy, yet tasty & impressive. And you likely already have these few ingredients in your kitchen. It’s a super basic recipe, but feel free to get creative and make a few variations. Add liqueur into your chocolate if that’s your thing… cinnamon, chiles, orange zest, espresso powder… whatever you like. Your pantry is the…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Cubes of challah are baked in a richly spiced pumpkin custard to make this dairy-free bread pudding. Perfect for fall gatherings on cool nights.

dairy free / favorite

A few days ago, my mom and I were out shopping for dinner again. As we stood in the bakery section at Whole Foods snacking on bread samples, we kept reaching for more and more pieces of this sweet potato bread. We didn’t buy any… it’s the sort of thing that’s best eaten in the store because it’s far too dangerous to have around the house. However, that night I went to bed and had a dream about making this dessert with that bread… along with pumpkin puree and coconut milk that I had leftover in my fridge. Now, I…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Welcome to Love & Lemons!