Sure, you can buy Annie’s Goddess Dressing in stores—but why not use more pure ingredients and save money by making it at home? A perfectly delectable mixture of creamy and tangy, this dressing can instantly elevate any salad to a heavenly state.

Sesame Goddess Dressing
By Allison Rivers Samson

Makes: 1 1/3 cups

Ingredients
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup raw tahini (sesame butter)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sunflower or safflower oil
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1...

I still remember the last time I apologized for taking too long to return a friend's call, bemoaning my “ridiculously busy schedule” (formerly one of my favorite phrases). He stopped me and said rather matter-of-factly, “It’s not that you didn’t have the time. Calling me back just wasn’t a priority for you.” 

All at once, I felt guilty, ashamed, and relieved.

It was true. He wasn’t my priority. And it wasn’t personal.

We all know that...

Have you ever thought there was something wrong with you or that you're somehow broken?

I have. And for most of my life, I believed it. That was until several years ago when my teacher gave me a whole new perspective.

She said that culturally, we swim in polluted waters, and we have been conditioned by the culture to see the cause as ourselves or someone else.

But when a fish who is swimming in polluted waters gets sick, we don't first say, "Oh that fish, there's really something wrong with...

Have you ever tried steel-cut oats? Years ago when I first tried them, I wasn't impressed. They were undercooked and unpleasant. All that's changed now. Get ready to turn your breakfast world on end with a new kind of oatmeal that's satisfyingly chewy, healthy, and delicious.

More "whole" grains than oatmeal, steel-cut oats are oat groats that are simply cut, while oatmeal is whole oat groats that have been steamed and rolled. The quicker they cook, the more processed they are.

Most people...

It's a hot afternoon here in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. And it's only May. Please summer, please...let spring have her way with us just a little longer?

The heat inspired me to make a deeelish vegan mocha milkshake and share it with buddha.  You want some too? See how to make it below.

Homemade Vegan Mocha Milkshake
By Allison Rivers Samson

Serves 2

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups ice
1/2 banana (frozen is great, but not necessary)
1/2 cup coconut milk
3-4 tablespoons strong...

There's a big problem lurking in one of our most intimate rooms and it’s depriving many couples of harmony. Once and for all, it's time to put to rest the “Great Toilet Paper Direction Debate.”

Years ago, a couple shared with me that this was one of their biggest and most long-standing fights. To me, the answer was so obvious that I couldn’t believe my ears. Since then, I’ve discovered that toilet paper direction is so controversial that there are a shocking...

Mother's Day is this Sunday and I want to recognize all the wonderful mothers out there. Whether your babies are humans or have fur, feathers, or scales, you deserve celebration.

I also want to acknowledge all the mothers who will never get to be with their babies, including mama cows entangled in the dairy industry whose babies are taken away shortly after birth so that humans can consume their milk.

If you are a mother or you have or have had one, this very personal video of my...

Today, I have a very special video for you. It's one of the creations I'm most proud of. I hope you’ll watch it to see just how much power you really have—multiple times every day.

As children, we're taught that there are "dairy cows" that magically and automatically have milk—even that we're doing cows a favor by milking them. They don't, and we're not.

Of course, none of us would ever want to intentionally harm an animal. But what if you discovered that even though you were...

Lately, many people have been asking me for help and resources to learn how to go vegan. Since this has been a passion of mine since 1997, I’m overjoyed at the request.

I’m all about efficiency, and I know that if ten people are asking, at least five times more folks have the same question. If you're one of them, here are my hints to help you on your way. And if you're already there, please share!

IS IT HARD TO GO VEGAN?
One of my friends recently wrote to me feeling...

Why have “Earth day” when we can have "Earth EVERY day!"? You can help make that a reality with the powerful climate change fighting tools that live right in your kitchen drawer! Down below, I’ll share a link to a very special short video I helped make about this.

It’s easy to feel helpless when political policies are made in direct conflict with our personal values. It’s terrifying to see the erosion of environmental protections.

Believe it or not, you have...