Vegan Zucchini Bread

The temperature is dropping, the holidays are here, and it’s time to get cozy with a warm piece of deliciously moist zucchini bread. As you guys know by now, I’m always on a mission to make foods that are vegan for my husband, but I definitely don’t want them to taste any different than the original. I tired a few versions to get this recipe right and believe it or not - the best one ended up being oil free, plus it’s packed with the PB2 Performance - Peanut Protein (Dutch Cocoa) Powder.

Todays blog post is amazingly sponsored by PB2 who I’ve had to absolute honor of working with since 2017! See other recipes I’ve made with them here, here, here, and here.

VEGAN ZUCCHINI BREAD

[ INGREDIENTS: ]

• 1 Zucchini (yields 1 cup), grated on smallest setting & ever so lightly squeeze the excess liquid out

• 1/2 cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce (if you don’t have apple sauce, 1/2c canola/vegetable oil also works)

• 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

• 1 tablespoon Flaxseed Meal mixed with 3 tablespoons of water. Mix together and let sit for 5 minutes before adding. (This is your egg replacer and it’s my go-to in baking)

• 1/2 cup Vegan Sour Cream

• 3/4 cup PB2 Performance - Peanut Protein (Dutch Cocoa) Powder

• 1 cup Coconut Sugar (if you don’t have coconut sugar, 1/2c brown sugar and 1/2c regular granulated sugar is delicious as well)

• 1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour

• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

• 1/2 teaspoon Salt

• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

• 1 cup Vegan Chocolate Chips

[ INSTRUCTIONS: ]

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease loaf pan and add parchment paper for easy removable at the end.

2. Make flax egg by combining 1 tablespoon of Flaxseed Meal with 3 tablespoons on water. Stir together and set aside for about 5 minutes.

3. Wash zucchini and grate. I used a box grater on the smallest setting. Ever so lightly squeeze the excess water out with your hands - you still want it nice and wet though so barely do it.

4. Combine and mix all of the wet ingredients in one large bowl (shredded zucchini, unsweetened apple sauce, vanilla extract, flax egg, and sour cream.

5. Combine and mix all of the dry ingredients in a separate large bowl (PB2 Protein Powder, sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

6. Combine both mixed bowls together.

7. Fold in vegan chocolate chips.

8. Pour batter into greased loaf pan.

9. Bake in the middle oven rack for 45-55 minutes. I like my zucchini bread to be as soft as possible so I’m on team 45 minutes, but Zach likes the outside to be a little more done so he likes it at 55 minutes (of course this depends on how hot your oven cooks).

   Note: The toothpick method doesn’t work with this zucchini bread. I tried baking it until the toothpick came out clean and ended up at an hour with a wet toothpick before I gave up. That loaf ended up having too tough of an outside for my liking. 45 minutes is my ideal time. The entire loaf is soft and moist which is the goal!

10. Remove from oven and let loaf cool for about 30 minutes. As delicious as it is warm, it’s also AMAZING the next day. Enjoy!

If you guys make this, please tag me on IG because that makes my day! Also, if you have any questions or just want to say hey, please use the comments section or DM me on IG and I will always get back to you. Lastly, make sure you follow me on Instagram @MaeElizabethG as I post on there almost daily!

Have a great rest of your day!

HOW TO MAKE A HOT CHOCOLATE BAR

With Christmas coming and the Winter season here for several more months, I thought it would be a great idea to share my hot chocolate bar with you! I sourced my goodies from all over (mostly Home Goods and Kroger) but I will link as many similar items as I can find.

This was a hit at our annual Christmas party, but the only other recommendation I have to add to the list below is to get some Kahlua or Bailey’s to add some alcohol to the mix!

ITEMS USED:

SERVINGWARE:

• Two Tiered Marble Server is from Crate and Barrel

• Bonavita Electric Kettle (ours has a traditional spout and I can’t find it, but the linked one is similar

• Mason Jars

• The little plastic bowl for the chocolate spoons is from the Dollar Tree

• Small serving tongs are from the Dollar Tree

• Measuring spoon to measure the hot chocolate powder, these are similar

• Gold tray - this one, this one, and this one are similar

• Napkins are from Home Goods, but these are cute and so are these.

• Cups with lips and sleeves are from Home Goods, but these are similar and cute

INGREDIENTS:

• The multi-flavor chocolates are from Home Goods, but these are similar

• Chocolate spoons are from Home Goods but Amazon has them as well (linked)

• Sprinkles from the grocery Store

• Cinnamon Sugar from the grocery Store

• Marshmallows from the grocery Store

• Candy Canes from the grocery Store

• Creme Filled Stick Cookies from the grocery store or Home Goods

• Whipped Cream from the grocery Store

• Optional Kahlua or Bailey’s

DECOR:

• Gold tree is from Target and they sell two sizes

• White feather boa

I hope you guys love this as much as we did! I will for sure be setting up another one of these are our next party this winter season!

Epic Overnight Oats - Vegan (Blueberry, PB2, cinnamon)

Hi guys! How are you? I hope you’re having an amazing day wherever you are!

This is my first blog post since being a married woman - woohoo! Will I ever get used to saying “my husband” or my new last name? Only time will tell!

Anyhoo! I am back with a new quick and easy plant-based breakfast recipe. This time I’ve teamed up with PB2 (who are wonderfully sponsoring todays post - you rock!) to use their new Performance Almond Protein Plant Powder. After a bit of testing with various ingredients and amounts of each, I came up with this delicioussss fall inspired overnight oats recipe that you have to try! It’s perfect for anyone on the go and is packed with 17g of protein!

This is now my ideal overnight oats breakfast. If you guys aren’t familiar with overnight oats (don’t worry my husband wasn’t either and thought it was weird that I was making cold oatmeal), but I promise you this is SO GOOD and now he is a believer. It’s a few simple ingredients that you toss into a jar, mix together, put on the lid, and put in the fridge overnight. The next morning you can add some extra milk if you want and you’re ready to go - it’s seriously that easy.

That face below is 100% a reflection of my feelings towards this food.

The Most Epic Overnight Oats:

Serving: 1

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

• 1/2 cup old fashioned or “rolled” oats

• 2 tbsp (or use the container scoop, once and leveled) of PB2 Performance Almond Protein Plant Powder

• 1 tsp chia seeds

• 1 tbsp agave

• 1 pinch of cinnamon

• 3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Instructions:

1. In a mason jar or something similar, add almond milk, oats, PB2 Almond Protein Plant Powder, chai seeds, agave, and cinnamon.

2. Stir these ingredients until they are well combined and then stir in your blueberries.

3. Place the lid on your jar and pop it into the fridge overnight or for about 6+ hours.

4. The next morning you can eat exactly as is, or splash a bit of milk for a creamier texture - your choice!

5. Enjoy!

Nutrition Per One Serving:

Calories: 393 // Fat: 7g // Saturated Fat: 0g // Cholesterol: 0mg // Sodium: 67mg // Potassium: 35mg // Total Carbohydrates: 68g // Dietary Fiber: 8g // Sugar: 28g // Protein: 17g

If you guys make this, PLEASE tag me on IG because that will make my day! Also, if you have any questions or just want to say hey, please use the comments section and I will 100% write back. Also, make sure you follow me on Instagram @MaeElizabethG as I post on there almost every day. Bye and see you next time!

Bonus photo for all of you who love my dogs! Sweetpea says hi!

Growing food indoors with Miracle-Gro

*This post is sponsored by Miracle-Gro but all opinions and obsessions are my own. :)

Hey guys! Today I’m going to show you how we have been growing kale inside of our living room for the past month with the Miracle-Gro Twelve Indoor Growing System. You’re going to see how we started with four tiny seedlings (pictured above) and in four weeks how they have EXPLODED with growth! We already use Miracle-Gro soil for our house plants so it was a no brainer to give the indoor growing system a try. Spoiler alert, we are obsessed!

The Miracle-Gro Twelve Indoor Growing System allows you to grow fresh food year round. It’s a hydroponic based system which means the plants actually grow in water allowing them to grow faster than plants grown in soil. Growing our own food is perfect for us since we cook from home several times a week and because Zach is vegan, leafy greens are a big hit in our house. You can grow arugula, kale, swiss chard, leaf lettuce, mustard greens, parsley, cilantro, mint, basil, oregano, dill and sage - yum!

Putting the unit together is super easy and took less than 15 minutes. The box comes with everything you need and includes a book with step by step directions. You can either grow from a seed, a seedling (like we did!) or from a plant that’s already been started for you, like a Bonnie Plant you can pick up from the store. You just add the plant nutrition directly to the water and it’s good to go for four weeks. The most convenient part of all is the app. It allows you to change the light schedule (ours is 6am-8pm), reminds you when it’s time to add more plant food, tells you the water level and the light will gently blink on the unit if you need more water, and it tells you what date you can start harvesting.

Step 1 : Fill with water.

The day we started the system.

Step 2: Add plants. Step 3: Add plant food.

3 weeks later.

Not only are you growing food inside of your house, but the unit also doubles as furniture. Another option would be to purchase the stacking kit which lets you put two growing system on top of one another so you can grow even more! What would you grow in your Miracle-Gro Twelve Indoor Growing system?

Snowboarding at Beech Mountain

In early February, I drove from Atlanta to visit Beech Mountain, North Carolina and the Beech Mountain Ski Resort with Zach and six of our friends. Based on my experience, I’m going to give you a few tips for food, lodging, your first time on the slopes, and how to dress accordingly. Spoiler alert, we had an incredible trip.

Lodging
There are plenty of places to stay and several options to choose from : Bed and Breakfasts, hotels, property rentals, and so on. We used Beech Mountain Realty and Rentals and stayed in a dog-friendly house a little over a mile away from the resort. Regardless of how you book, if your main itinerary is to ski/snowboard, I would recommend you stay in a place that has walkable slope access. Our friends did this and we ended up using their house as home base because it was ridiculously easy to get to and from the slopes. In total, it was about a 45 second walk from the slopes to their house. This allowed for everyone in our group the ability to stop for a break, eat, etc on their own time without having to gather the whole crew to get in a car and coordinate leaving and coming back. If you take one piece of advice let it be this: stay slope side, especially if you’re with a group.

Food
The mountain offers a decent amount of food options including pizza, Mexican food, BBQ, and so on. We did a mixture of eating out and cooking at the house, but I'll be honest I never found a breakfast place that I loved. I opted for eating at the house in the morning and grabbing straight espresso at the coffee shop located in the resort village - I think it was called Beech Mountain Cafe. If you need that caffeine kick, this is the only place that opens early and serves espresso drinks that I could find. Heads up though, they only make hot drinks (they literally don't have an ice machine) so if you're a year-round iced coffee lover you'll need to plan accordingly. However, if you are a late riser, I saw that Brick Oven Pizzeria has a coffee shop inside, but I asked and they don't open until 11am. Can you tell that finding strong coffee was very important to me?

Alright, on to lunch. So, if you're like me and want as much time on the slopes as possible, there is a cafeteria style place called The Lodge located at the resort that offers food and alcoholic beverages. It's your basic chicken tenders, fries, chips, burgers and such - but the convenience of just walking in with your big ole boots, covered in snow, and safely leaving your board/skis outside made it worth it. Also worth noting was Valle De Bravo which is a short drive from the resort and is where we stopped and ate as we left to go home. It was by far the most reasonably priced place so if you're on a budget (or not) and want some good Mexican food definitely hit this place up.

We only tried two places for dinner and I recommend them both. Brick Oven Pizzeria is a cool and casual little place that also has the previously mentioned coffee bar inside and a small arcade geared towards kids. The serving sizes are generous, the food is good, and they have PLENTY of desserts to pick from (I got a cookie the size of my face). Lastly, my favorite place of all was Beech Mountain Grille. It's considered casual upscale dining and the food is amazing. It's perfect for large groups, the service was spot on, and the menu was the most extensive that I found. These two places are only about a half mile from the resort and as I didn't do any night riding, it was nice to shower and go out to eat after a long day of snowboarding.

When it comes to alcohol there is no short supply at Beech Mountain Resort. They have a brewery in the resort village called Beech Mountain Brewing Company who put on cool events like "Girl Scout Cookie and Beer Pairing" nights and have live music. During the day you can take the ski lift to the very top and grab a drink from the 5506' Skybar, but you have to be able to ski down from the top so choose wisely.

Food from Beech Mountain Grille

Food from Brick Oven Pizzeria

Rentals
You can rent everything from snowboards, ski gear, boots, helmets (highly recommend), bibs (which are your waterproof pants and you will want these), waterproof jackets (also highly recommended), and lockers to store your stuff.

First time on the slopes?
Besides lift tickets and gear, I HIGHLY recommend lessons at Beech Mountain Resort. They offer lessons several times a day and keep the groups small. We each got personal attention and the guy who taught us was a really good instructor. I’ve been snowboarding once before and didn’t take a lesson which resulted in a full day of falling. Believe me when I say that a GOOD lesson makes a MASSIVE difference. I went from being terrible and having no coordination to snowboarding from the very top - all in one day! Total game-changer. I still suck at getting off the lift, but hey, can't have it all.

Clothing
Proper clothing is arguably one of the most important things that you need to have on the slopes. In my opinion, it can make or break your experience because if you're cold and wet you're probably not going to have the most enjoyable time.

At the very least, you need:
- waterproof bibs or pants
- a waterproof jacket
- waterproof gloves
- tall warm socks
- ski goggles
- a moisture wicking base layer

Depending on how cold it is, you'll want to add layers such as:
- a beanie or warm headband that covers your ears
- scarf, neck gaiter or balaclava
- glove liners to make your fingers even warmer
- another jacket or sweater
- leggings under your bibs

The first day I snowboarded it was 14 degrees and snowing. I wore a beanie under my helmet, goggles, an Under Armor long sleeve base layer, a lightweight insulated jacket, a waterproof snow jacket, a Lululemon Vinyasa Scarf (I forgot my Buff so opted for this and it worked great), Lululemon Fast and Free tights, waterproof snow bibs, thick knee high socks, snow boots, and waterproof gloves.

The temperature shot up by the third day and at the hottest point I was only in a casual sweater, bibs, socks, boots, helmet, and gloves. It made for quite the look. Oh, speaking of look. If you're wondering what people wear - literally anything goes. I saw people in t-shirts, crazy outfits, and even someone shirtless at one point. So dress in whatever makes you feel comfortable, but you know, keep it waterproof so you aren't soaking wet from falling in the snow.

Lastly, see the yellow ski suit in the top photo? Yeah, don't wear that. I found that places like ASOS will list items as "ski" but it's definitely all for the looks and isn't actually meant to be skied in. I would recommend sticking to trusted snow sports shops and always look for the word "waterproof." I've said it a bunch already, but trust me you don't want to be wet and cold - not worth it. Real ski jackets and pants/bibs are expensive, so if you can't afford to get your own just rent them from the resort, borrow from a friend, or buy second hand.

Tip: There is ski shop in the resort village. You can literally ski up to it, it's so close. They sell helmets, boards, goggles, skis, clothings, layers - you name it. I ended up grabbing my own helmet and an ear warmer headband.

Miscellaneous things worth noting
Although I didn't do these things so I can't elaborate on them, the resort does have ice skating and tubing at an extra cost; a terrain park if you're, you know, talented like that; and a children's nursery.

We had such a fun time that two of my friends, who were brand new to snowboarding, ended up buying their own boards! We will be back next year that’s for sure!

This trip was kindly gifted to me, but my experience and opinions are always my own. I take a lot of pride in only recommending places and products that I TRULY love.

TRAVEL: A WEEKEND GUIDE TO AUGUSTA, GA

Zach and I had the pleasure of being invited to Augusta, GAby the Augusta Convention & Visitors Bureau team for a weekend trip a few weeks ago and I Insta-storied the whole thing. Incase you missed it, or are planning a trip there yourself, I figured a blog would be a good choice to reference so you can see what we got in to. If you don’t know, Augusta is a small city about 2.5hrs away from where we live in the suburbs of Atlanta so it was an easy drive to get there, and we brought the dogs along to make it a nice family getaway. I’m going to break up what we did in sections: lodging, activities, and food, but feel free to visit the official Augusta, GA website to see a lot more options!

LODGING:

We stayed at the Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center. This hotel is right in the middle of Downtown on the Savannah River. The staff was nice, the room was very modern and clean - plus, we had a killer view. In addition, the hotel lobby is really nice, it features a coffee shop and restaurant, they have a pool, and they are pet-friendly!

ACTIVITIES:

We did various activities, and changed up our itinerary, because it was raining the day we got there. I’ll categorize everything by indoor and outdoor in case this happens to you as well.

OUTDOOR:

• Stroll along the Riverwalk : we did this at sunrise and took the dogs for a walk since it was literally right outside of our hotel. Plus, it was a gorgeous view.

• Kayaking and Stand Up Paddle Boarding at Betty’s Branch with Outdoor Augusta : this was on our list of things to do but because of the weather we didn’t make it.

• Phinizy Swamp Nature Park : this was about a 15min drive from the hotel and we took the dogs there for a nice walk. You get to see the swamp waters, they have a kids playground, and really easy walking trails.

• The Carolina Georgia Fair : this one is a bit more seasonal since I believe it is only there in October, but we went on a whim and had a good time. Plus, who doesn’t love a good ole funnel cake?

INDOOR:

• Augusta Candle Co - This place was awesome. You smell A TON of scents, write down your favorites, pick out a candle container, and go to the bar area where someone helps you create your own custom scented candle. It takes about 2 hours for the candle to harden so we ate lunch and killed time before we picked them up.

• Fitness classes - again, we didn’t get to go, but it was recommended that I check out Oxygen Fitness Studio. They offer: yoga, pilates, spin, barre, cross-training, and HIIT classes.

• Shopping (sort-of) - to be honest we didn’t really shop, but I got several messages on Instagram saying that I should check out Final Cut. It’s an “Anthropology/Free People Outlet” from what I understand. The place is huge and smells kind of funny, but if you’re into funky furniture and sifting through boxes of clothes - it might be your jam.

FOOD:

• Humanitree House: we got really, really delicious cold-pressed juice and smoothie bowls. It’s all vegan, organic, and local. The place is super eclectic with art everywhere, and they even have a few vendors set up selling items and more food.

• The Southern Salad: another really tasty spot with plenty of healthy options. Zach ordered the Grain Burrito Bowl and I had Toast + Lox. The also have salads, smoothies, more grain bowls, more toast options, snacks, and desserts.

• Sole: This was our dinner spot and I highly recommend sitting outside. They have strings lights, heaters, and you can hear the extremely varied, yet awesome, music choices. This place isn’t very vegan friendly so Zach managed with a veggie roll and edamame, but if you’re into sushi and tapas they have you covered! I ordered a few of the speciality rolls and one of their signature cocktails. The service was also really great!

• New Moon Cafe: This place was an awesome breakfast spot, but they serve lunch as well. They offer vegan, gluten free, and Keto options! They were quite busy when we got there, but the food came out quick. Zach got the avocado toast and espresso, and I got cheese grits, a lox bagel (again, I know), and a vanilla latte.

We only went for a weekend, so if you’ve been to Augusta before and have even more recommendations please leave them in the comments below!

Making good choices while eating out

When it comes to food I’m all about balance. First, I don’t meal prep and I don’t restrict - but I am mindful about what I’m putting in my body. Secondly, my boyfriend is vegan so we only go to places that are upfront and knowledgeable about their ingredients so he knows what he can actually order. You have no idea how many restaurants don’t have a clue what is in their food! For this post I teamed up with On The Border to talk freshness while eating out. 

We had to start with the Guacamole Live because it’s a given for us. If fresh guac is an option, it’s getting in our bellies! I love table side because I can see exactly what’s in it, and always ask to make it a bit spicier. My two “splurges” were the Border Queso and the Prickly Pear Margarita. Side note, if you’re like me and love a fruity girly drink, this is the bev for you. Cheese dip and alcohol are rare for me so I save them for special nights out. We just so happened to be on a double date with our friends so I enjoyed every minute of it! I must admit though, I resisted the urge to order the firecracker stuffed jalapeños and I’m still having major FOMO about them. 

Now on to the main course. I ordered the shrimp fajitas and Zach ordered the portobello and vegetable fajitas. I typically choose fajitas because they have all of the goodies on the side (sour cream, cheese, pico, guac) and I can build each little taco myself. This is also great for Zach because he can leave out the dairy himself. The black beans and rice were served family style so I didn’t feel like I had a massive plate to myself. I am really working on breaking the mentality of not having to eat every single thing on my plate and busting my pants open, so family style really helps. 

We had a great time unwinding from work with drinks and enjoying a delicious meal. If you’re near an On the Border I definitely recommend checking it out, especially if you’re particular about fresh ingredients or you’re with a picky eater. :)

Protein Bite Balls - Recipe

Well, as someone who is a self proclaimed snackaholic, I should probably share another recipe as it's been way too long!

Between taking indoor cycling classes, training, and commuting to and from the studio, I grab these since they are easy to make and easy to take with me. BEHOLD, the seriously addicting, but also seriously easy, OLLY NUTRITION protein bites. Although extremely customizable, I'm more of a quick and easy kinD of girl, so I stuck to the basics, BUT Feel free to add dried fruit, nuts, or chocolate chips. However, I tend to stick with these four ingredients because I usually have them on hand.

CAFE MOCHA PROTEIN BITES

Makes 12 balls

- 1/2 c instant oats

- 1/2 c protein powder (I used OLLY Nutrition in Cafe Mocha)

- a heaping 1/2 c nut butter

- 1/4 c agave syrup

Mix all four ingredients together in a bowl and BOOM, you're done. Refrigerate or eat immediately.

Caution: I don't recommend eating more than 1-2 at a time. They taste very good, but it's A LOT packed into a little ball and you don't want to stuff yourself. Trust me, been there done that. <3

Thanks to OLLY Nutrition for providing the Smoothie Blend and sponsoring this post to create these delicious bites!

Enter their contest to win OLLY Smoothie, $500 Target, $200 Athleta and Pasternak Blender click HERE