This recipe is a result of my friend Crystal's late night hankering for blueberry pie shakes. Turns out I happened to have an amazing blueberry juice (Red Jacket Black & Blue Stomp) in the fridge, so I just threw a bunch of stuff together from there! With an added touch of speculoos cookie butter, cookie crumbs and white chocolate chips, these seemed to do the trick! 
​

Ingredients
1 pint vegan vanilla ice cream (I used NadaMoo Vanilla...Ahhh)
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1/2 cup blueberry juice (I used Red Jacket Black & Blue Stomp)
3/4 cup frozen blueberries 
1/2 cup ice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
natural vegan blue food coloring or spirulina powder (optional)
2 heaping tablespoons speculoos cookie butter (plus extra for rim)
1/8 cup vegan white chocolate chips (optional)
vegan whipped cream (optional)
speculoos cookie crumbs or graham crackers
​

Directions
Blend together ice cream, milk, juice, blueberries, ice, vanilla, cookie butter and optional white chocolate chips and coloring until creamy and smooth. Spread a bit of extra cookie butter onto a microwaveable plate and heat for 20-30 seconds. Dip the rim of your glasses into the cookie butter, then roll in speculoos cookie or graham cracker crumbs until they stick to the cookie butter rim. This will act as the pie "crust". Now fill glasses with the shake mixture, optionally top with whipped cream and more speculoos cookie crumbs. You could also sprinkle on some crushed freeze dried blueberries and additional white chocolate chips  if you're feeling extra fancy. Enjoy!

The other day I was totally craving a bougie cafe-style blended drink with tons of whipped cream (vegan of course), and I stumbled upon this awesome recipe for Blended Earl Grey Lattes in the Thug Kitchen cookbook (one of my faves). Naturally I had to follow their instructions to pair them with their recipe for Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Cookies. They are such a good combo, perfect for that “it’s too hot for tea and cookies but I still really want tea and cookies” feeling. Also, impressively, the cookies don’t contain any butter or oil, making them perfect for anyone on a low fat vegan diet! I topped the shakes with a little coconut whipped cream and orange zest for extra pizzaz.

These recipes aren't currently listed online but I highly recommend checking out Thug Kitchen: The Official Cookbook for these and more ridiculously incredible recipes! The Roasted Beer and Lime Cauliflower Tacos are especially legit.

These shakes have all the sweet and tart goodness of key lime pie, made even more refreshing and delicious! I'm a big fan of making things look super fancy with minimal effort, so I gave these "pie crust" rims with melted white chocolate and graham cracker crumbs. These are best enjoyed while closing your eyes and picturing a sunny beachscape.

Directions
Blend together ice cream, milk, ice, key lime juice and optional coloring until creamy and smooth. I used a couple drops of the yellow and blue dyes from India Tree Natural Decorating Colors to make mine slightly lime-colored. Meanwhile, dip the rims of your glasses in melted white chocolate and then roll in graham cracker crumbs until coated. Fill up the glasses with the shake mixture,  and optionally top with vegan whipped cream and key lime zest. Enjoy!

Cookies are always a good idea! Besides, these are vegan and gluten free and loaded with nutritious (and delicious) ingredients like moringa, matcha, oats and pistachios. They’re perfect as breakfast cookies or just anytime cookies, because why put labels on things?

Directions
Preheat your oven to 325°F. Spin 1 cup of the oats in a blender or food processor until finely ground like flour. In a mixing bowl, stir the moringa and matcha powders together with the blended and unblended oats, pistachio flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

In a separate bowl, incorporate the coconut milk, coconut oil, flax egg, agave and vanilla. Mix the wet ingredients in with the dry, then stir in the chocolate chips.

​Refrigerate the green goodness for a half hour. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and optionally grease with coconut oil or coconut oil spray. Spoon evenly spaced balls of dough onto your pan.  Bake for about 15 minutes. Enjoy!
​

You really think I would leave you with only two mystical creature frappuccinos? I know they say three's a crowd but I've got too many cute stuffed animals to feature, so here we are. This one's minty fresh, perfect for cooling down in this warmer weather. Stark white would have been too obvious for a yeti-inspired beverage, so I've opted for a chilling bubblegum pink that really brings out Claudette's eyes. 
​

Ingredients
​2 cups ice
1/2 frozen banana
1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk 
1/2 cup coconut cream
​2 tablespoons agave
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract 
1/4 cup mini vegan chocolate chips
natural vegan red or pink food coloring or splash of beet juice (optional)
vegan whipped cream (optional)
​vegan peppermint candies, crushed (optional)
vegan sprinkles (optional)

Directions
Blend together ice, banana, non-dairy milk, coconut cream, agave, vanilla and peppermint extracts, chocolate chips and optional red or pink coloring until delightfully icy and smooth. I used the India Tree Natural Decorating Colors, but a splash of beet juice would also do the trick if you've got some handy.

Pour the delicious mixture into a cup and optionally top with whipped cream, crushed peppermint candies, mini chocolate chips and pink sprinkles. Other fantastical toppings could include mini marshmallows and white chocolate. Yeti or not, here it comes! Enjoy!

After the craze of the elusive Unicorn Frappuccino (and now possibly even the secret-not-so-secret Dragon Frappuccino), the logical next step is obviously a Mermaid Frappuccino! Plus, if you know me at all, you know I am completely obsessed with manatees (AKA real life mermaids). I kept these super refreshing and tropical with pineapple, coconut and key lime, plus spirulina for an added boost of oceanic color. Best of all, I can totally picture some babelicious manatees sipping on these by the poolside.
​

Ingredients
1 cup frozen pineapple
1 frozen banana
1 cup ice
3/4 cup coconut milk or cream
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1 teaspoon spirulina or E3Live Blue Majik, plus extra for syrup
1 cup fresh pineapple
1 tablespoon key lime juice (about 2 key limes)
​vegan coconut whipped cream (optional)
​vegan sprinkles (optional)
​

Directions
First, make the pineapple key lime drizzle by tossing the 1 cup fresh pineapple with 1 tablespoon key lime juice in the blender until smooth and creamy. Optionally, add a little spirulina or Blue Majik for color. I used a pinch of spirulina to give it a blue green "lime" hue.

For the blue smoothie, blend together 1 cup frozen pineapple with banana, ice, coconut milk (or cream), pineapple juice and 1 teaspoon spirulina. I used Blue Majik for the extra vivid aquamarine color. 

Pour the blue smoothie into a cup, optionally top with coconut whipped cream, then drizzle on the pineapple key lime syrup and optional toppings of choice (I used sparkly blue sprinkles). Lime zest would also be an excellent addition. Now find a nice cozy mangrove and enjoy! 

The Unicorn Frappuccino...the stuff of Instagram legend and childhood dreams. Now that they are no longer available, I figured it was the perfect time to debut my magically veganized recipe for those delicious mythical smoothies. And yes, I totally stole that green straw from my neighborhood Starbucks. It's here, it's queer, get used to it! 🦄💗🦄​💗🦄💗🦄
​

Ingredients
3.5 oz pink dragon fruit or pitaya (I used a Pitaya Plus Smoothie Pack)
1/2 cup frozen cherries
3 frozen bananas
1 1/2  cup ice
2 cups coconut milk or almond milk
3 tablespoons lemon juice 
1 teaspoon beetroot powder or beet juice (optional)
5 oz vegan yogurt or coconut cream (I used Kite Hill Blueberry Almond Milk Yogurt)
1 teaspoon E3Live Blue Majik or spirulina, plus extra for topping
1 tablespoon butterfly pea flower tea (optional)
1 fresh mango, pitted 
​vegan coconut whipped cream (optional)
crushed freeze dried strawberries and raspberries (optional)
vegan sprinkles or colored sugar (optional)
​

Directions
First, make the divinely sweet & sour mango drizzle by tossing the fresh mango (sans the pit and peel) in a blender with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

Next, the creamy vibrant blue swirl. Blend together 1 frozen banana with 1/2 cup ice, 5 oz vegan yogurt or coconut cream, 1 teaspoon E3Live Blue Majik or spirulina and optionally 1 tablespoon butterfly pea flower tea for added color. Set aside.

Now let's mix up that epic delicious pink layer! Blend together 3.5 oz pink dragon fruit or pitaya with 1/2 cup frozen cherries, the remaining 2 frozen bananas, 1 cup ice, 2 cups coconut or almond milk, remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and optionally 1 teaspoon beetroot powder for added color and flavor. Mmmmmm!

To assemble, casually drizzle a little of the blue layer on the sides of the cup, then pour in the pink layer until it reaches the brim. Optionally top with some lovely fluffy vegan whipped cream, then sprinkle on majestic toppings of choice! I used crushed freeze dried raspberries and strawberries and a little more of the E3Live Blue Majik powder, plus vegan sprinkles for added sparkle. Enjoy!

It's officially strawberry season, which means strawberry rhubarb everything. I decided to put a fun spin on the spring classic, pairing of strawberries and rhubarb with vibrant pink dragon fruit to make a refreshing shake. I found that the dragon fruit works well with the strawberries to subtly sweeten the flavor of the rhubarb. Think of an elevated strawberries n' cream in milkshake form!

Ingredients
1/4 cup rhubarb (about 1 stalk), chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
1 pint vegan vanilla ice cream (I used NadaMoo Vanilla...Ahhh)
1 cup non-dairy milk
3/4 cup frozen strawberries
2 tablespoons pink dragon fruit or pitaya 
1/2 cup ice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
vegan whipped cream (optional)

Directions
First, in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, "stew" chopped rhubarb with 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon water and (optional) 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Watch over it, stirring occasionally, for a couple of minutes until the sugar dissolves and the rhubarb becomes soft. Remove from heat and set aside. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before adding into the blender with the other ingredients.

​Blend together ice cream, milk, strawberries, dragon fruit, ice, vanilla and rhubarb. Optionally, top with whipped cream. Enjoy!

​

I stumbled upon a tease photo of a bakery in Detroit making Vernor's Ginger Ale cupcakes, and though I have no idea what they were made with, they looked AMAZING and made me want to come up with my own vegan recipe! You can of course use whatever ginger ale you prefer, but my personal favorite is Vernor's since it has a super unique sweet flavor with notes of vanilla and caramel, and is a nostalgic midwestern staple. (It was created in the mid 1800s by a Detroit pharmacist, making it the oldest surviving ginger ale brand in the United States!) These are by far the BEST vegan cupcakes I've ever had, and topped with the vanilla bean buttercream, the overall flavor palette is reminiscent of a creamy ginger ale ice cream float. 
​

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups vegan butter
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)
1/2 cup vegan sour cream (I used Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup ginger ale 
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 vanilla bean (seeds only)
3-4 cups powdered sugar
​

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix together the wet ingredients (1/2 cup v butter, 1 cup sugar, aquafaba and 1 teaspoon vanilla) until fluffy and thoroughly incorporated. In another bowl, mix together the ginger ale mixture (v sour cream and ginger ale) until fizzily combined. In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredient mixture (flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground ginger and salt). Gradually alternate adding the ginger ale and dry ingredient mixtures into the wet until combined. Pour about 1/4 cup batter into each cupcake liner and bake for about 22 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. The kitchen should smell like a deliciously fluffy cake batter cloud while they are baking.

In another bowl, cream 1 cup v butter on low speed and gradually add in 3-4 cups powdered sugar, remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla and and vanilla bean seeds until smooth and creamy. It is so magical watching the vanilla bean seeds perfectly disperse themselves throughout the frosting. If the texture is too thick, add a tablespoon or so of non-dairy milk (or ginger ale if you're feeling adventurous) until it reaches your desired consistency. If you plan on piping on huge bakery-style frosting mounds as pictured, you may want to consider doubling the frosting quantity. When I'm not decorating my cupcakes for pretentious photographs, I honestly prefer just a little frosting schmeared on top. 

​Allow the cupcakes to cool completely, then simply spread frosting on with a knife or fancily pipe on frosting with piping bag and large star tip. Enjoy!

My dearest friend Amy has just launched her own line of vegan bath scrubs, and they are absolutely divine! I am so in love with the scrub so far. I have super sensitive skin with eczema so most scrubs tend to irritate and sting, but this one is so gentle while making my skin ridiculously soft at the same time. This one is "Bravery", a Snow White-inspired apple-scented scrub with red rose petals. It smells soooo good -- almost too good because it makes me want to eat it.

The Virtues Collection scrubs are made with natural ingredients like organic sugar, coconut oil and essential oils. They are currently available on her Etsy shop at $15 each. There will be more empowered princess-inspired themes to come, each with their own coordinated scent and flower petals, which totally appeals to the collector in me. I could not be more excited to try them all out!