Hail Merry Love

If you’ve never heard of Hail Merry, you’ve been missing out.

Hail Merry is a snack food company born out of the yoga culture that celebrates raw plant-based oils.  Our truly great tasting recipes are consciously prepared to protect the integrity of the pure ingredients we source, offering an unparalleled taste experience.*

They make incredibly flavorful raw, gluten-free snacks and desserts that you need to get your hands on! And today is the perfect day to do that. As you may or may not know, Good Morning America features daily deals and today they’re offering 50% off of Hail Merry’s New Love Macaroon Tin. But the deal is only good today so get on it!

Hail Merry New Love Macaroon Tin

I can vouch for these macaroons; they’re worth it! With all natural ingredients, you can indulge without the guilt. And you can be sure they’re #plantPOWER approved!

Be sure to check back tomorrow for a fun treat featuring these macaroons as well as an even more fun surprise for my readers! 😉

*Courtesy of HailMerry.com

Strawberry Yogurt Bites

One thing I love about summer is always having fruit in the house. One thing I don’t love is letting that fruit go bad, so I’m always looking for fun ways to mix it up! And the easier the idea, the better.

Yogurt dipped strawberries are delicious, but they always get so messy! So why not stuff the strawberries and jazz it up a bit while I’m at it?

Serves 2 (or just 1.. I won’t tell!)

Ingredients
8 – 12 strawberries, depending on size
1/4 cup vanilla greek yogurt
1/2 banana
1 – 2 tbsp sliced almonds
Cinnamon
Ice cube tray or another serving piece that will allow the strawberries to sit straight up

Directions
In a bowl, mash the 1/2 banana until pureed. Add the 1/4 cup vanilla greek yogurt and mix until well combined.

Using a paring knife, cut a little bowl into the top of each strawberry. Fill each strawberry with some of the banana / yogurt mixture and set into your serving piece to sit up straight. (I used an ice cube tray!) Once all of the strawberries are filled, sprinkle the tops with the sliced almonds and a little cinnamon.

Devour!

..I mean, enjoy!

This snack is perfect for the morning or afternoon. It’s a little sweet and also has some protein from the yogurt and almonds. Next time I might toss some dark chocolate chips into the mix. Because who can say no to a little chocolate?!

Speak Up!

What’s your favorite summertime snack?

Summer Salad with Peach Mango Dressing

I love summer and of course the deliciously fresh fruits that come along with it!

I’m always looking for ways to spice up my salads and after a nice grocery haul at the farmers’ market last weekend, I had the ingredients to whip up a light and flavorful side dish for dinner.

Peach Mango Dressing

Yields about 1 cup

Ingredients
1 medium peach
1/2 mango
1 tsp champagne vinegar
1 tbsp EVOO
1/2 – 1 tbsp honey to taste
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Directions
Slice up the peach and mango. Throw all of your ingredients into a food processor except EVOO. As the processor is running, slowly drizzle the EVOO into the mixture, allowing it to emulsify.

Be sure to taste as you’re adding the honey, salt, and pepper to be sure you get the right sweetness and saltiness that you’re looking for! It’s that easy!

Summer Salad

As far as it goes adding fruits and veggies to your salads, I always try to choose the freshest ingredients I can get. This week I was able to find strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, tomato, green pepper, cucumber, vidalia onion, and crisp green onion. The lighter flavors of the vegetables I chose really accent the fresh fruit!

Toss it all together with a fresh spring mix (my favorite!) and top with dried cherries, sunflower seeds, and your delicious Peach Mango dressing.

Speak Up!

What are your favorite fruits and veggies of summer?

Summer Salsa

Remember wayyyyy back (an entire week ago!) when I mentioned dressing up my Crispy Almond Coconut Chicken? Well today we play dress up!

I have a new-found appreciation for pineapple and have been putting it in everything! With all of the fresh fruit coming into season now, I’ve been wanting to incorporate it more into our meals, rather than just snacks and a summer salsa was just the way to do that.

Summer Salsa

Ingredients
1 Avocado, diced
1 cup pineapple, diced
1 cup strawberries, sliced
2 Kiwis, diced
Salt
Pepper

Directions
Dice up fruits and veggies into approximately 1/2″ pieces and throw everything into a bowl. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and carefully stir everything so as to not break up pieces.

It’s that simple! My favorite way of eating this salsa is piled on top of the Crispy Almond Coconut Chicken wrapped up in a corn tortilla. It’s a nice, light and refreshing summer dinner. Top it off with a citrus margarita spritzer and you’re set! And just in time for Cinco de Mayo 😉

Speak Up!

Do you have any big food/drink plans for Cinco de Mayo?