Vegan Brownie in a Mug. You’re welcome.

It’s late at night. You’re watching Lord of the Rings. Things are getting emotional. You need chocolate.

Enter…the mug brownie.

Now, I know this recipe is nothing new. But I had no idea what I was missing until, by some stroke of genius the other night, I remembered that I had all the ingredients necessary to make myself a brownie in a mug in under five minutes. That’s right — there’s no waiting around for the oven to preheat with this recipe. You don’t even need measuring cups! With some basic ingredients and a microwave, you can get back to your movie in no time.

Short and sweet, just like this post.

So go ahead and treat yourself tonight. And stay tuned for my next post; a spotlight on Portland’s own Nike Run Club!  I’m really excited to get the word out about this fantastic group.

The easiest pumpkin pie you’ll ever make. Period.

Who else is loving fall?!

I think that I’ve finally figured out, after almost 24 years, that fall is my very favorite season. It just calls for oversize sweaters, colorful scarves, piping hot coffee to go, and of course…

Pumpkin pie!

But how do you make pie vegan? Don’t you need eggs and butter?

My friends, “veganizing” your food is so easy to do. I know the holidays are all about gathering and sharing food with your friends and family. But vegan food doesn’t have to be a burden to make or a step-down for your taste buds. I tested this recipe last weekend and now that I’ve perfected it, I’m confident you could serve this at Thanksgiving dinner!

Wait a minute…tofu in my pie?

Don’t be nervous. Embrace the wonders of tofu! In this recipe, it simply serves as a binder for the pie and gives it that distinctive ‘soft-yet-solid’ pumpkin pie mouth-feel. You will not taste any tofu in your pie.

*As an added bonus, all the protein you’re getting from the tofu will keep your body from metabolizing the sugar too fast, and help you to avoid a spike in your blood sugar, which will keep your insulin response in check. Aaaand end dietitian-talk!*

To make this recipe even easier, I used frozen pie crust. And if you don’t own a rolling pin, a cold bottle of wine works just as well!

So whether you have a fall potluck on your calendar, or you’re just craving a night alone with a delicious pumpkin pie, you can whip this up in about 20 minutes. It’ll stay in the oven for around 50 minutes, or until the middle is somewhat firm. Let it cool, then serve with some Coconut Bliss Salted Caramel ice cream (I’m dying over their new flavors!) or in its own solo pumpkin-y goodness 🙂

There’s just nothing better.