Flora & Vino -

Vegan Bratwurst with Sauerkraut

Vegan Bratwurst with Sauerkraut made with oats, legumes, and spices pan-fried and served with Eden Foods Organic Sauerkraut and fried apples.

Everywhere around me there are fall festivals, pop up markets, and Oktoberfests happening.

Life has been such a blur lately (summer, where did you go?!), that I haven’t had the chance to attend to any community fall events.

If you’re in a busy season, too, I see you!

And there’s no need to leave all of that fall flair for outside the house.

I decided we could bring Oktoberfest to your house, and make it vegan and gluten free (a feat in itself, if you know traditional German food!).

While I can’t pretend that my version of Bratwurst is authentic, it is delicious and looks enough like the real thing to be a charming stand in.

Most of you know that my boyfriend, M, is originally from Germany so he keeps me honest when it comes to my German inspired recipes.

He also happens to be my chief taste tester and F&V HQ.

And while he did remark that these Vegan Brats, and I quote, “aren’t real bratwurst”, he did say they were quite tasty and scarfed down a couple.

So, I give you, an Oktoberfest meal for your next busy weekend that you don’t need to leave the house to make.

This Vegan Bratwurst with Sauerkraut is made with oats, legumes, and spices pan-fried and served with Eden Foods Organic Sauerkraut and fried apples.

It’s delicious for an Oktoberfest at home that’s both vegan and gluten free!

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Pumpkin Turmeric Waffles

Pumpkin Turmeric Waffles made with oats, pumpkin purée, and Navitas Organics Turmeric Powder. Serve with melted cacao for breakfast!

Two weekends ago I had to miss my yoga teacher training because I was sick with the first cold of the season.

It’s been an ongoing goal of mine to connect with more local yoga studios in the area.

The hope being that I find a place that I can practice regularly and perhaps even one day teach at.

Ever since the pandemic, I’ve been all too comfortable practicing yoga from the room I fondly refer to as…the yoga room.

I am so fortunate that I have a space to work out at home, but, as my teacher said when encouraging me to connect locally, the energy just feels different in the studio.

So I’ve been pushing myself to get outside of my comfort zone and take classes with the public.

After the third class, I started to feel a connection to the community and myself I hadn’t felt in years.

It was like realizing a version of myself that I’d forgotten; a Lauren that went out for evening yoga regularly because it lit me up.

However, with the public yoga comes the public germs.

I remember looking askance during my third class at the girl next to me, sniffling heavily in downward facing dog.

She sounds unwell, I thought to myself, and then went on with my practice because what else can you do when you’re flowing next to a germ monster?!

So now I’m on the upswing of a bad cold, sitting with the irony that a public yoga class potentially caused me to miss my yoga training weekend.

However, I have to believe that that striving for connection, community, and movement outside of my house is worth the risk.

Being sick, I’ll admit, I haven’t been the most creative with food.

However, I did come up with a new waffle recipe for you that’s perfect for upcoming “spooky” season.

These Pumpkin Turmeric Waffles made with oats, pumpkin purée, and Navitas Organics Turmeric Powder.

Serve them with melted cacao drizzle for an elevated breakfast!

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Coconut Curry Rice Bowl

Coconut Curry Rice Bowl made with curried coconut Jasmine rice topped with charred vegetables and seared tofu in a chili garlic sauce.

This week we checked out a new coffee house in our area on a weekday morning before work.

It felt like a bit of a hassle at the time, because we (read:I), get into these routines that feel nonnegotiable.

Like, how am I supposed to brave the Maryland traffic without a coffee at 7 AM?!

The horror.

To be fair, I do have a successful morning routine at home which involves coffee, meditation, gratitude, movement, and planning my day.

Oh, and of course getting to at least level “Amazing” on the NY Times App Spelling Bee game, because Genius is just too much work.

Next I walk with M and Flora and then we eat breakfast and I set up for my day, either a photoshoot, recipe testing, or computer day.

It’s true, we have fine-toned our mornings to achieve the intersection of maximum productivity and enjoyment.

However, I think it’s important to remember that we’re actively *choosing* this routine, or otherwise everything just becomes a chore.

That’s why breaking the routine for something like a coffee date felt so disruptive, rebellious, and in the end, fun.

So, your assignment for the week from your friend Lauren is to disrupt your routine a little.

Because you create your routine, your routine doesn’t create you.

And you always have the authority to change it.

For example, perhaps this week we turn our rice a vibrant yellow.

You rebel, you!

This Coconut Curry Rice Bowl is made with curried coconut Jasmine rice topped with charred vegetables and seared tofu in a chili garlic sauce.

It’s delicious for a cozy dinner as the weather transitions from summer to fall!

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Vegan Bratwurst with Sauerkraut

Pumpkin Turmeric Waffles

Coconut Curry Rice Bowl

Healthy Snacking

“Cheesy” Vegan Popcorn