Adding a pungent and tangy flavor dimension, these pickled onions are one of my favorite toppings for my DIY Salad Bar. So easy to make and even more amazing with vegan bacon bits!

Quick Pickled Red Onions
By Allison Rivers Samson 

Makes: 2 cups

Ingredients
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon coconut sugar (or regular sugar)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 medium red onions, thinly sliced (try my easy DIY Salad Bar technique!)

Directions

1. In a mason jar, combine vinegar, water,...

I thought I'd be terrified and nervous.

Instead, as I donned the headset and stepped into the magic that pulled me like a wave, I surfed ecstatically in my body, mind, emotions, and spirit. 

With ~50 students, including 38 of my fellow trainees, I got to occupy the esteemed spot of my teachers, right up front and center, as I taught in the bright studio I've long held in deep reverence.

Immersed in my own self-care in one of my favorite cities, I spent 6.5 days...

I'm curious. When were you first silenced? Do you remember how old you were? Were you told to settle down, shut up, or act like a lady? Were you labeled as stubborn, difficult, rigid, or inflexible? Did anyone ever tell you to smile because you're so much prettier when you smile?

If you said no to all of that, my guess is that you may be one in ten million. More likely, you said yes to more than one.

Back in March of this year, I first heard a song that is now my anthem. Although my story...

A 30-foot mango tree. 1977. Coral Gables, Florida.

One of my favorite things to do at my grandparent's house was gather mangoes from their 30-foot tree. At least that's how big it seemed in my kid mind. Funny how different our perspective can be when we're smaller. Maybe it was only 20 feet, but it was HUGE!

One day, I decided to collect the juicy treasures and sell them on the side of the road. Lemonade stand? Bah! I was 7 and my entrepreneurial genes had been activated....

I love my silver jewelry, but I don't love having to use nasty chemical silver polishes when it tarnishes.

To keep my silver sparkly bright, I found a way to make chemistry work for me by using ingredients in my kitchen so I don't have to use toxic chemicals that are bad for me and have been tested on animals.

As a homeschooling mom, I love this trick as a way to teach kids (of all ages) about the brilliance of chemistry. Bonus!

Check out my video above to get the details...

Today, I’m introducing a new series, Ask Allison, where you can ask me anything about health, wellness, self-care, vegan recipes, vegan parenting, etc.

The first question comes from Alice, who asks:

"I’ve been vegetarian for a while now and was recently told that I’m borderline anemic. What are good vegan sources for iron?"

This is a question I hear often and have even experienced myself in my early days of being vegetarian.

As a holistic wellness coach, I help people make...

If you've ever wanted an easy way to get more greens into your diet, this is the recipe for you!

With tangy sweet pineapple, the goodness of greens, antioxidants like vitamin C and bioflavonoids, superfood chlorella, and some surprise ingredients, this smoothie is every bit as delicious as it is healthy.

I've also got some great kitchen tips for you on keeping greens fresher longer, how to prevent your coconut milk from molding, and a way to make sure you're not throwing away a valuable...

Many of you have asked how I did my Digital Detox and what were the specific things I was doing instead of being online.

I've also heard you saying that you like the video format, so I made another one for you! Watch it here.

If you have a question I didn't address, feel free to post it below.

Enjoy!

So many of you expressed interest in the Digital Detox I did that I thought I'd make a quick video for you telling you more about it.

In the Digital Age, our sympathetic nervous systems (the one responsible for the fight or flight response) are constantly ON. No wonder stress, fatigue, and burnout are so rampant.

A Digital Detox can give you the space to notice and evaluate whether or not you're living what you say your priorities are. Once you know that, you can adjust your actions...

How was your July? Splendid, I hope!

Along with my yearly trip to Vegan Summerfest, our family enjoyed time in DC (including the new African American Museum, where I just had to join in the Step Dance fun), and a sweet visit with my dad in Florida who in April was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. 

When we got home, I did an enlightening two-week Digital Detox. That meant no screens. At all. So, I didn't use my phone, computer, iPad, or even Netflix.

Have you ever done a...