A Side of Sweet

Beautiful Food, Travel & Design

Our 2016 Holiday Cards + Minted Review

A look at our 2016 Holiday Cards, which is a special annual tradition for us! In order to support independent designers, we chose Minted for our cards.
Best Christmas & Holiday Cards that Are Foil Pressed and High Quality - Minted Cards Review

Every year, I look forward to shooting our holiday photos for months. We always try to do something that reflects our personalities and highlights the beautiful city we live in. We have some pretty special shots, like the time I convinced Pat to wrap ourselves in vintage christmas lights. This year’s shoot took us to Land’s End, which is one of the most beautiful places in San Francisco…. Read More »

Easy Healthy Toasted Muesli + a2 Milk Review

Vegan

An easy healthy toasted muesli recipe with nuts and dried fruit that is gluten-free and vegan, plus a review of the evidence for a2 Milk® versus traditional milk.

Easy and Healthy Museli Recipe with dried fruit, nuts and coconut flakes. Gluten Free & Vegan

After our most recent international trip, we officially made the switch from granola to muesli. The difference between granola and muesli is that muesli is typically uncooked. So basically before I even get started I’m already breaking the rules. That being said, this toasted muesli is basically lightened-up granola. It has way less sweetener than our usual granola recipes and no added fat. It’s also looser than granola, without the clumps and clusters. So even though it’s technically not muesli at all, it’s a definite switch from how we usually make granola AND it tastes amazing. You aren’t sacrificing anything taste-wise by cutting down the fat and sweeteners in granola.

Maybe I should have stuck with skinny low-fat gluten-free vegan granola? I just feel like that would have done such a disservice to how awesome this recipe tastes.

I can’t imagine eating muesli without milk! I’ve had a couple of patients ask me about a2 Milk® recently. Traditional milk has two types of protein in it: A1 and A2. There is evidence that A1 protein breaks down into a specific byproduct that causes many of the symptoms of lactose intolerance, like bloating and gas. a2 Milk® comes from cows that don’t produce the A2 protein.

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Curry Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk

VegetarianVegan

This curry lentil soup recipe with coconut milk and cashews is rich and creamy, plus it’s healthy and vegan. It’s so easy to make – and delicious!Healthy Vegan Curry Lentil Soup Recipe with Coconut Milk

This time five years ago, Pat and I were in Thailand, where coconut milk is added to everything. Since that trip, coconut milk has been a more consistent addition to our cooking, including in this curried soup. Even though the spices aren’t necessarily Thai, it still makes me think of all the amazing food we ate on the trip. It has a richness that makes it perfect for winter and it’s filling enough to make it for a main dish. It’s also gluten-free and vegan.

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Peppermint Infused Gin Cocktail

A festive peppermint infused gin cocktail recipe that is easy to make and ready to serve immediately. No need to wait days for the gin to infuse!

The perfect Christmas cocktail - peppermint martini recipe with candy cane infused gin

Infusing liquor with delicious things is always one of those things that I intend to do. Regretfully, it never seems to make it to the top of my ‘to do’ list. Inevitably, the party rolls around and I’m once again left without infused alcohol, wondering what to do for a cocktail recipe.

The peppermint infused gin in this recipe should really be peppermint “infused” gin (those are air quotes folks). The peppermint gin is actually made in a blender and is ready to serve immediately! That means this cocktail has all the deliciousness of an infused cocktail with none of the waiting…. Read More »