You have a small budget (or not) and you want to host a gathering at your place. 

I truly believe at the core of wellness is utter simplicity.  Less is always more (well except for cupcakes).

Roast organic (or non) veggies in a pan with a sprinkle of olive oil, sea salt, pepper and whatever spices you have in your pantry.

Buy your favorite crostini's.

Head to Whole Foods for some beyond budget friendly delish One Hope wine or as I call it  'I promise you this is the best' wine. 

Invite four friends over albeit family, loved ones - whoever makes you happy (and whoever is hilarious)!.

And my darling? You have a simple - classy - whimsical - fun - gathering. 

Hey, let's keep rolling on the most simplistic recipe theme today! Shall we?

Here is what goes on in my head when I want a snack 'I am soooo hungry. Grrrr there is nothing to eat......doughnuts...I love doughnuts.....don't do it Kel. I don't want another protein bar - ugh. Oh wait, chia pudding'.

Chia Pudding, Kelly Style:
Fill any size cup half way with almond milk.
Take a spoonful and a half of chia seeds and swirl in - swirl, swirl, swirl
Put in fridge for however long you want.
Add whatever you want to add this pudding - maple syrup, crunchy oats, blueberries, walnuts, honey, etc.
Eat.
Smile.

So I wanted to be original and share one of my own recipes! I am always sharing recipes from other sites so, here goes my own!

Mash an avocado in a bowl
Sprinkle Sea Salt
Spread on Ezkiel Toast
Eat.
Smile.

The Spiralizer.  Mom, if you are reading, I want a spiralizer for Christmas.  Please Santa! It's going to change my eating habits (aka carb loving woman right here)!

So I am primarily plant based because it's kind -so good for me - and makes me feel fab-u-lous to value animals!  And I like simple - healthy - QUICK - EASY - recipes (notice the bold letters).  I get overwhelmed by 20 ingredients or when I see a recipe taking up an entire page.  In walks the spiralizer, zucchini pasta and this girl is looking more chipper then the norm. 

I am sharing this zucchini pasta recipe today from Vegangela.com (Thank you Angela, I absolutely LOVE your site). Note I tweaked the recipe to only have 5 ingredients.  I left out more than half the ingredients b/c that's just who I am and what I do! I also borrowed a spiralizer from a friend for a few days who was going to be out of town.  I know, typically women borrow dresses, shoes, etc. and I am borrowing a spiralizer. 

Here is this delicious recipe that is perfect for fall! Kids will love this dish too mom!

And Angela, if you are reading, I cannot believe I have not come across your site sooner! It's amazing! You have a new follower!

Fresh Tomato, Basil and Lemon Zucchini Pasta from Vegangela.com:

Zucchini "noodles" sautéed with fresh cherry tomatoes, basil and lemon makes a wonderfully fresh and fragrant dish. Vegan and Gluten-Free!
Serves: 2 Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• ½ tsp crushed red chili flakes
• ½ lb (250g) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4-6 small zucchini (courgettes) (if possible, a mix of yellow & green ones)
• freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon
• fresh basil leaves
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Use a julienne peeler or vegetable spiralizer to prepare the zucchini "noodles"
2. Heat olive oil in a frying pan, add garlic, lemon zest, and crushed red chili flakes and cook for one minute.
3. Add cherry tomatoes and zucchini, and cook for one minute.
4. Add lemon juice, fresh basil, salt and pepper and toss to combine.

Notes Serves 2

Snapshots of Wellness is being revamped via blog design and content!  I am working w/ the MOST amazing blog/web designers! Stay tuned! There is so so so much going on behind the scenes! It is going to take time though and I anticipate a return to blogging on the site sometime late fall/early winter! Snapshots of Wellness is alive & thrivin' on Instagram though so, we are not going anywhere - read on..

While the site itself is being completely reconstructed to literally my very own personal dream blog and hopefully one of yours, follow along with Snapshots of Wellness on Instagram @snapshotsofwellness where I will be posting daily!!!  You can also follow me on Twitter at @@snapshotsofw.  If you want to find more of my writing in the meantime, I will be primarily writing for MindBodyGreen.com for awhile (you can find my particular articles here)  and I have some exciting Eco-Vegan Gal editorials coming your way!

If you are a regular follower, you will notice that my social media handles have changed.  And if you are a NEW follower, welcome and thanks for browsing (0:

So excited for this new season which is bringing tremendous change for Snapshots of Wellness! Relishing falling into newness, change and of course, the season of fall itself (0:

Hi everyone! Happy Labor Day!!! I am distracting myself with comfort food....a la pancakes....because I do not want to come to terms with the fact that summer is over.  So, I am going to eat these delish pancakes and then I am going to get on my bike, ride to the lake and enjoy this day.

Pancakes are so delicious but I eat them so rarely.  My favorite all time breakfast is a bit of 'everything', spoonfuls of oatmeal, a few bites of vegan seitan sausage (OK, all of the vegan sausage), three or four big bites of pancakes slathered in maple syrup and earth balance & an egg substitute scrambled with crisp veggies.  And what I love about my friends is that they are always up for this smorgasbord of goodness.

So, on this fine Labor Day mornin', let's get to making vegan pancakes, shall we?  There are SO many vegan pancake recipes on the web but, the best I have tasted are from the recipe below!  Debbie's recipe below is incredible! She said she even fooled her parents as they couldn't believe they were 'vegan' (shhh)!

Debbie's link is provided at the end of this article.

Serves: 2
Yield: 6-8 pancakes 

1 cup flour (whichever kind you prefer)
1 tablespoon sugar (I used organic cane sugar)
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup soymilk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:

Set out all your ingredients.

Set a stove element with a pan to medium heat.

Combine the 4 dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, two Tablespoons, not two Teaspoons as some have suggested, salt) in a bowl.

Add the soy milk and vegetable oil to your mixture.

Mix until smooth.

Now the pan should be ready for your batter, so spoon one pancakes' worth of the mixture into the pan.

Flip [carefully] when you see bubbles in the middle of the pancake, or if the edges are looking stiffened.

Repeat until the batter is gone, and try not to eat them all while you're cooking them.

Read more at:  http://www.food.com/recipe/5-minute-vegan-pancakes-132263