Elise

About Elise

I’m a nurse. An exercise lover. A whole foods connoisseur. A health enthusiast. And I have IBS. No need to cue the sappy violin music yet... I’ve found that eating a mostly plant-based diet has allowed me to continue to live and love life to the fullest. Although moderation isn’t something I do well, I’m 100% devoted to giving my body pure, wholesome, quality food. Nutritious and delicious, all the time. Hungry Hungry Hippie is a way for me to share my daily dealings with food, fitness, and everything in between.

Kale is the new spinach

Anyone see the latest Modern Family? Well, whether you did or didn’t, you’ll be happy to know that veg friendly foods are getting major shout-outs on sitcom TV as of late. In addition to the aforementioned episode highlighting kale as the new “it” green leafy veggie, a few weeks ago seitan was featured on Parenthood. Hooray for making vegan cuisine more mainstream!! One giant leap for vegankind… On that note, I finally got around to making a dish I’d been toying with brainstorming for a few months (yes, months). Vegan Creamed Kale Ingredients: kale, 4-6… Read more >

Elise March 8, 2011 kale, nooch, nuts Read more >

An Ode to Breaking the Fast

Rumor has it, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And when you think about it, if such decadent oats (like the almond, cashew & apple packed number above) are my morning baseline, then things are looking pretty good. This bowl makes me want to sing “on top of old smokeyyyy” and I have no idea why. Anyone else remember that song? Hmmm…may need to wikipedia it. Edited to add: On Top Of Old Smoky is about some mountain that may or may not be in the Ozarks or the central Appalachians…but the… Read more >

Elise March 7, 2011 granola, oatmeal, waffles Read more >

Chocolate deception

I can’t recall the last time I made brownies. But then, Katie got me thinking about them…and I couldn’t get them out of my mind. With brownies on the brain, I nervously set to work in the kitchen. I baked them with my fingers AND toes crossed…and then Kyle and I had a taste test. Together. Crazy dense and reallllly gooey. And super sneaky. Obviously I was aware of the ingredients, but Kyle had no idea that the main ingredient was… Beans! I have heard of black bean brownies before (chances are you… Read more >

Elise March 7, 2011 chocolate Read more >

His hummus is mac ‘n cheese

Kyle typically makes dinner for himself on school nights because our schedules rarely overlap at dinner time. Sad, but true. Good thing the boy can cook. But when we are both around on weekends, I enjoy being a good wifey (and making my husband a good meal). That said, sometimes we are super busy and making a home cooked meal is a low priority. It’s times like these that I turn to the pantry. However, just because I choose to take a more simple route, doesn’t mean it has to be a crappy meal. Annie’s… Read more >

Elise March 6, 2011 Uncategorized Read more >

Ravenous

After such a positive response from my dad’s guest post on wine pairings, it was easy to convince him to do a follow up. Here is hippie-pops again with more details on the family vineyard (plus a Healdsburg restaurant review). Elise’s grandfather Walt Dieden, 82, is the owner and resident of Dieden Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley (Sonoma County, CA). He and my mother purchased the property in 1976 when they lived in Saratoga, CA, replaced all the vines and began farming Zinfandel grapes. For years my dad commuted up on weekends to manage the… Read more >