veg in the southwest

Who doesn't love the smells of the holidays? The hot cider, the fresh cut Christmas tree, the cookies, the sage stuffing, the fire...what a wonderful time of year! This easy DIY holiday room freshener is inviting, uplifting, and will welcome all who enter your home this holiday season. (And I promise you'll enjoy it, too!)

Want to know one of the most common objections that I hear regarding eating a vegan diet? "It's too expensive!" I call BS on that. Yes, it can be expensive if you buy fancy-dancy packaged (aka processed) vegan foods, but it doesn't have to be expensive at all. Beans, legumes, and grains - some of my dietary staples - are not expensive. You can trust me on this. I work for a non-profit, so yes, I actually use the strategies below every week! Read on for a few easy ways to save on groceries and stay on budget eating a vegan diet.

On a cold fall or winter day, there's nothing better than soup to warm you up and keep the blues and cold bugs away. This recipe is based on  Homestyle Vegan's Chickpea Noodle Soup  recipe - with only minor modifications. I added cabbage because I had some I needed to use, and I left out the bay leaf because I didn't have any. The result was fantastic, and I expect it to be even better once it sits in the fridge for a day or two so the flavors have more time to meld! It's hearty, comforting, and oh so satisfying.