Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream with Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chunks

 

Maybe it's not quite the season for ice cream, but sometimes it's the best thing even though it's cold outside! I've been known to eat ice cream in -6 degree weather, so I'm always ready!

 

A few weeks ago, I was really in the mood for some good chocolate ice cream. Rather than venture out into the cold, I made my own! It was everything I wanted - creamy & chocolatey with cookie crumbles & a fudge sauce. Yum!

 

 

The leftovers didn't last long! :-) I bet yours won't either.

Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream with Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chunks

Adapted from Minimalist Baker, Edible Perspective, PB Fingers, & Top With Cinnamon Serves 6-8

 

Ice Cream

2 (14 oz) cans light coconut milk

2/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 c coconut sugar

1 T arrowroot starch

1 T vodka

 

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until super smooth. Pour into a large container and refrigerate for 2-4 hours or until completely chilled through. Proceed with making the pb oatmeal balls and the fudge sauce.

 

Hint: No need to rinse out the blender yet. You can use it for the fudge sauce, too.

PB Oatmeal Balls

1 c old fashioned oats

1/2 c ground flaxseed

1 T chia seeds

3 T almond butter

5 T peanut butter

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 T honey

1/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

Combine everything except the chocolate chips in a bowl. Fold in the chocolate chips. Roll mixture by the tablespoon into balls. If it is too crumbly, add a touch more honey. If too wet, add a small amount of oats. Place balls on a cookie sheet and refrigerate until firm. Then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Fudge Sauce

2/3 c pitted dates

1 c almond milk (I used Silk Unsweeted Original)

3 T cocoa powder

 

Blend dates and almond milk in a blender until super smooth. Pour mixture into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring often. Mixture will thicken as it cooks. Once it thickens, remove from heat and vigorously stir in the cocoa powder until smooth. Place in an airtight container and allow to cool. Refrigerate to store until time to assemble the ice cream.

After the ice cream mixture has chilled through completely, place it into your ice cream machine (I use the KitchenAid attachment) and churn according to machine's instructions. While it churns, get out a 9"x9" baking pan (preferably metal), your pb oatmeal balls, and the fudge sauce. Crumble 3-4 pb oatmeal balls in the bottom of the pan.

 

Once the ice cream is done, spread half of it over the crumble balls in the pan. Top with more crumbled balls and a thick layer of fudge sauce. Spread the remaining ice cream on top, sprinkle with more balls, and smooth out the top into an even layer. Press a sheet of plastic wrap across the top of the ice cream. Cover the baking pan and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour before serving.

 

Ice cream is best the day it is made. In the following days (if it lasts that long!), make sure to remove it from the freezer 30 minutes or so before you plan to eat it so that it softens.

 

Top with remaining fudge sauce when serving, if desired. (It's the perfect final touch!)

Blueberry Muffin Ice Cream

I'm a die-hard chocolate ice cream fan. To the point of being obnoxious about it, I'll admit. I do not want vanilla ice cream, & get very upset when it somehow ends up in my bowl, especially when I thought what I ordered what chocolate & was led astray.

This ice cream, however, is a game changer. I saw the idea for it on Jessica's blog & couldn't get it out of my head. Her recipe calls for heavy cream & whole milk, both ingredients that I don't eat, but I had this feeling that I could do something similar with canned coconut milk. I probably considered making this for over a month, all the while knowing that I had 6 blueberry muffins waiting in my freezer. It was the perfect coincidence. I had to make this. 

It was far better than I expected it to be! While it does take some time (especially if you have to bake the muffins first), it's totally worth it! It's just the right amount of sweet, perfectly creamy, & chock full of blueberry muffin chunks.

This spells summer to me. You have to try it! And if you don't have an ice cream maker, this just might be the reason you needed to go out & get one. I got the KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment for my birthday last year. It was really the gift that keeps on giving because not only do I get to enjoy making  healthified ice cream, we also get to eat it! I store the bowl in my freezer, just in case, because it must be frozen for a full day (15 hours, I think) before you can actually make ice cream. You just never know when the mood will strike! Anyway, if you don't have an ice cream maker & don't want to buy one, find a friend who has one. :-)

Blueberry Muffin Ice Cream
Adapted from How Sweet Eats
Serves 6-8
Easily made vegan & gluten free

2 T unsweetened original almond milk
1 1/2 T cornstarch
3 T cream cheese, room temperature (use vegan cream cheese if necessary)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 3/4 c unsweetened original almond milk
1 1/2 c light coconut milk (1 can)
2/3 c evaporated cane juice (or regular sugar)*
2 T agave nectar 
1 T vanilla extract
6 of your favorite blueberry muffins (I made these - they're gluten free & yummy)

Whisk together that cornstarch & 2 tablespoons of almond milk in a small bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, salt, & cinnamon with a fork. Set aside.

Pour 1 3/4 cups almond milk, coconut milk, sugar, vanilla, & agave into a large saucepan. Whisk together, then cook over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a low boil. Stir often, simmering for 4-5 minutes. Slowly drizzle in the cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly. Continue to simmer for another 2 minutes, then remove from heat. Pour about 1/3 of mixture into the bowl with the cream cheese. Whisk together until cream cheese melts. Pour remaining mixture into the bowl, whisking until it is all smoothly blended together.

Clear a spot in your freezer large enough for a 9x9 baking pan. Pour ice cream mixture into the pan & freeze for about 1 hour. Once it is cooled completely, pour into ice cream maker & churn according to manufacturer's instructions. Using the KitchenAid attachment, mine took about 20 minutes to change to ice cream. Crumble 3 muffins & add to ice cream. Continue to churn for about 2 minutes, or until well mixed. Put ice cream back into the 9x9 baking pan & fold in remaining 3 crumbled muffins. Place a layer of plastic wrap on the surface of the ice cream to keep it from forming ice crystals. Cover pan with foil (or I used one of those elastic plastic covers that look like hairnets). Freeze for 2 hours, or overnight. The longer you wait, the harder the ice cream will be, so judge accordingly.

*When I make this again, I'll probably only use 1/3-1/2 cup sugar. We loved it, but I doubt we would have noticed if there was less sugar, and that would make it a healthier treat. You may also want to vary the amount of sugar depending on the muffin recipe you use - the one I used was very low in sugar, but if you use one with high sugar content, it may add enough sweetness to really cut back even more on the sugar in the ice cream. Part of the flavor comes from the sugar caramelizing while it cooks with the milks, so don't eliminate it!

Fruit & Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

In case you didn't already know, I love dessert! Every day, I look forward to a sweet treat after dinner & most days, we have one. Since we love dessert so much, I try to make healthy treats for us.

These bars are healthy, low in sugar, & packed full of oats, but they taste delicious & satisfy our taste for something sweet & chocolatey. I used a combination of dried fruits (cranberries, cherries, golden raisins, & blueberries), but any of those would work by themselves as well. The cranberries were my favorite in combo with the chocolate!

I was really tempted to have one for breakfast & just might do that tomorrow. Aside from the chocolate, these are very similar to a baked oatmeal, so I say go for it! Dessert for breakfast always makes the day feel special. :-)

Fruit & Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
Vegan & Gluten free (if using gluten free oats)
Serves 9

1 banana, mashed
1/3 c nut butter*
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c almond milk
1/4 c sucanat/coconut sugar/brown sugar
2 c rolled oats, gluten free if necessary
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 T chia seeds
1/4 c cocoa powder
1/3 c dried cranberries, raisins, or a mix
1/3 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, mash together the banana and nut butter. Add vanilla and milk and stir until combined. Stir in oats, baking powder, salt, chia seeds, and cocoa powder. Once combined (don't overstir), add dried fruit and chocolate chips. Spread in the prepared baking pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until top springs back lightly when touched. Allow to cool before slicing.

*Any nut butter or cookie butter (like from Trader Joe's) can be used. Cookie butter or almond butter have a more neutral taste. Peanut butter would add more flavor & make them a peanut butter chocolate bar!

Pumpkin S'mores Cake

I'm not quite ready to leave fall behind yet. It's not officially over for another week or so. Just enough time to squeeze in a few more pumpkin baked goods.

This cake is super light & fluffy, despite being made with whole grain flours. There's also banana (which you can't taste, if you're against banana flavor), pumpkin, & a variety of warming spices, all with great health benefits to get out of a yummy piece of cake.  I wouldn't call it a health food, but at least it has some healthy aspects. You won't even realize there's anything healthy at all once you take a bite!

As for the topping...who doesn't want to remember summertime with the s'more combination? It goes well with the soft, pumpkin cake; the perfect blend to remind us of summer & fall.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin S'mores Cake

Inspired by How Sweet It Is

Serves 20

2 c loosely packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 ripe banana, mashed
1 1/2 c pumpkin puree
1 1/2 c white whole wheat flour

1 c spelt flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground ginger

1/2 c unsweetened almond milk

1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c miniature marshmallows
1 full sheet graham cracker, crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray.

Whisk together the eggs & brown sugar in a large bowl until no lumps remain. Add vanilla & butter, whisking to combine. Add pumpkin puree. Once combined, whisk in both flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt & spices. Stir just until no dry spots remain, then add milk & whisk until batter is smooth. Pour into prepared baking pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean & the edges pull away from the sides of the pan.  Remove from oven & sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Once cake is cool, sprinkle with marshmallows. Broil for about 3 minutes, watching very closely, until marshmallows are lightly toasted. Do not walk away while broiling! The marshmallows will go from toasted to burnt very quickly. Top with crushed graham cracker, slice & enjoy!

Cinnamon Apple Sharlotka with Peanut Butter Drizzle

It's finally apple season! Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the apples, crisp fresh morning air, pumpkin everything, the sound of leaves crunching, & the beauty of all the colorful leaves. So to celebrate, I decided to make an apple dessert! It seemed like a good way to ease into fall flavors.

We had this for breakfast - it's definitely healthy enough! Although it does have more sugar than I normally have at breakfast, it also has fruit, whole wheat flour, eggs, & cinnamon. Plus peanut butter! And if you're like me, you'll add another spoonful of pb on top before enjoying.

Here are just a few of the health benefits from this cake:

• Apples: fiber, vitamin C, phyto-nutrients
• Whole Wheat Flour: fiber, manganese, tryptophan, selenium
• Organic Eggs: choline, selenium, folate, B vitamins, lutein, protein
• Cinnamon: calcium, iron, aids in digestion
• Sucanat: potassium, Vitamins A & C (Sucanat is a raw sugar, often used for the same flavors as brown sugar. Unlike refined sugars, it retains some nutrients, making it a healthier option.)
• Peanut butter: healthy fats, protein, staying power!

To celebrate our anniversary, I used my heart shaped springform pan. I got it awhile ago, but don't use it often because it's awkward to cut even slices from a heart. It's fun to have for celebrations, though! Just don't be jealous when I "accidentally" cut my slice bigger than yours. :-)



Cinnamon Apple Sharlotka with Peanut Butter Drizzle
Serves 8
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

6 large apples (I used Granny Smith)
3 large organic eggs
3/4 c sucanat
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2-4 T natural peanut butter, to drizzle on top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Spray the paper & sides of the pan with cooking spray. Place springform pan on a large, rimmed baking sheet to catch any leaks that may occur while baking. (I would have had a mess to clean up in my oven!)

Peel, halve and core your apples. Chop them into small chunks (about 1"x1/2" each). Place apple chunks into the pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs & sucanat until thick. Beat in vanilla. Stir in the flour, mixing until just combined.

Pour batter over the apple chunks in pan. Spread the batter to make sure it evenly covers all of the apples. Make sure to help the batter fill in the spaces between the apples.

Bake for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Remove from oven & cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove the sides of the springform pan, then flip cake onto another rack, peel off the parchment paper, & carefully flip it back onto a serving platter. Drizzle with peanut butter. Serve warm.

Dessert Plantains

A few weeks ago, we bought a plantain at Whole Foods. I wasn't really sure what to do with it, but I'd read about them a little & wanted to try one.

[source]

Plantains are a relative of bananas. They're bigger & are often used in savory dishes, similarly to potatoes. I wanted to try them grilled, but by the time we got around to using it, that wasn't possible. It was black & very ripe, making it more like a banana.

Once cooked, our very ripe plantain tasted similar to a banana but with a firmer consistency. We really liked it as a dessert! Next time, I won't let it sit on the counter for so long & we can try a savory version.

Dessert Plantains

Serves 2

1 plantain, peeled

1 tsp coconut oil

2 T toasted marshmallow vodka

1/2 T cinnamon sugar

3 T chocolate chips

Cut the peeled plantain in half. Slice each half lengthwise into 3-4 slices, depending on the size of your plantain. Heat coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add plantain slices once coconut oil is melted. Allow to cook for about 2 minutes, then flip. Pour vodka over plantains & cook until it boils off. Remove from heat & divide evenly onto 2 plates. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar & chocolate chips. Serve immediately.



Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

 I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day!

Don't let the blah colors of the picture fool you. I'm not very good at taking pictures of crisp... It just looks kinda mushy & brown. But trust me - it was delicious!!

If you read my garden post, you might remember that I'm growing rhubarb & strawberries. Both have taken off & are ready to be eaten in abundance! I'm especially excited about the strawberries. Last year, I didn't do much with them because we were so busy eating them by themselves. I have a few recipes that I'd like to try this year, but I'm starting with the usuals - crisp & shortcake.

It was SO hot over the weekend, so I tried to keep this light. The flavor of rhubarb is so often overpowered by sugar, but I wanted to showcase it's tart flavor here. The strawberries add sweetness, but not a lot.

We topped ours with a version of banana soft serve. I make this a lot, but this time I tried freezing a big batch of it & we were able to scoop it out like hard ice cream. The sweetness & cold from the bananas complimented the crisp really well. I'm sure a vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt would be good as well.

Summer is officially here. Woohoo! 

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Serves 6

For filling:
6-7 stalks of rhubarb, chopped
1 qt. strawberries, quartered
2 T honey
1/4 c white whole wheat flour

For topping:
1 c old-fashioned oats
3 T honey
2 T coconut oil, softened
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
pinch sea salt

Preheat oven to 350*F. Spray a 8"x10" baking pan (or similar size) with cooking spray. Combine filling ingredients and add to baking pan. In a small bowl, use a fork to blend the topping ingredients until combined. Topping should be sticky. Spread evenly over filling. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until bubbly and browned on top. Enjoy warm!

Coconut Cherry Crisp

We were lucky enough to be given several containers of frozen sour cherries from my in-laws. Pre-pitted & everything! We're really enjoying them, as seen with the Chewy Cherry Granola & the Cherry Infused Vodka.

This crisp was a shot in the dark...I wasn't sure how honey & coconut would go with the cherries. The answer: deliciously!

I've made this crisp a few times, with some variations. What you see below was our favorite. This isn't as sweet as some crisps are, since we found that we liked some of the tartness from the cherries to shine through. Feel free to add more honey to suit your own sweet-tooth.

Coconut Cherry Crisp
Serves 4-6

For the base:
1 3/4 lb. sour cherries, washed, stemmed & pitted (frozen is fine)
3-4 T honey
1 T white whole wheat flour

For the topping:
1 c rolled oats
3 T shredded coconut
2 T white whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 T honey
2 T raw sugar
2 T coconut oil

Preheat oven to 400*F. Spray a small baking pan (about 4"x8") with cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, mix cherries, honey, & flour. Spread in prepared baking pan. In the same bowl, combine oats, coconut, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt. Add honey, sugar, & coconut oil. Use two forks or a pastry blender to cut the wet ingredients into the dry mixture to form a crumb. Spread the topping mixture over the cherry mixture. Bake for 45-55 minutes. Crisp is done when the cherries are bubbling & the topping is lightly browned.

Enjoy warm. If you're feeling especially decadent, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate Almond Mousse Pie

      Happy Pi Day!   

Let's celebrate with really rich, really chocolately, super delicious pie!

Seriously, this stuff is amazing. I have so many ideas for variations in flavor & toppings. S'mores pie? Strawberry Truffle Pie? Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie? Almond Joy Pie? The possibilities are endless!

The chocolate almond was delicious, though. When I first tasted it (by licking the spoon, of course!), the almond flavor was super subtle. As it sat, though, the flavor really developed. I like the depth the almond brings to it, while still keeping that strong chocolate flavor.

The darker the chocolate you use, the more chocolatey the pie will be. You can use milk chocolate, but I think the dark chocolate flavor really is best with the almond flavor. For me, the darker the chocolate, the better, so your tastes will definitely vary.

I guess I have to address the fact that the first ingredient is tofu. Don't let it scare you. Even if you hate tofu, you will LOVE this. I promise. You can't taste it at all & it allows you to make a very rich tasting dessert with much lower stats than a traditional mousse has. This pie is low in sugar, high in protein, & lower in calories than traditional mousse. Yay!

Chocolate Almond Mousse Pie
Adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie
Inspired by Upside-Down Fudge-Almond Tart
Serves 8

1 (19-oz) package firm tofu (I used this)
1 T cocoa powder (I used Special Dark, but regular is fine, too)
12 oz. dark chocolate (either chopped bars or chocolate chips)
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
1 T unsweetened almond milk
1 1/2 T amaretto
1/8 tsp salt
3 T pure maple syrup
1/3 c sliced almonds

In a microwave safe dish, heat the chocolate in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted. Add all ingredients except sliced almonds into a blender and blend until smooth & creamy. Pour into a 9" round pie plate. Toast sliced almond briefly on the stove in a dry skillet over med-high heat. Sprinkle over the pie. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to chill & finish firm up.

Birthday Dinner

A few notes & a cupcake recipe from my birthday:

1. Tuesday night was spent prepping cupcakes to bring to work. I finished this messy task at 10:15pm by splitting a giant-leftover batter-not quite baked through-chocolate chip cupcake topped with a whole lot of icing with the Bup. Yum!

2. It rained on my birthday. All. Day. Long. I went roller blading anyway & barely got wet. I'll show that rain!

3. The Bup left me notes on star shaped Post-Its. My favorite was on the door heading to the garage: "Wait! You forgot your halo!" O:-)

4. All 24 cupcakes disappeared before 5pm. Most were gone before noon. Guess my co-workers like cupcakes! (see below for recipe)

5. We had Zesty Wheat Berry-Black Bean Chili, salad, and bread for dinner, prepared by the Bup. The secret's out, my love, now I know just how well you can cook!

6. After dinner, it was still raining. We went for a walk anyway & got soaked. I think the rain showed us this time.

7. Avocados were on sale for $1, so we made a trip to the store.

8. While we were out, we got ice cream, the perfect birthday treat!

9. There was some pumpkin to puree. Now I have 5 1/2 cups of puree in the fridge to eat! YES!

10. We saw Tangled for the first time & LOVED it. I think the Disney movies have been going downhill since all the Princess classics, but this one was excellent!

11. After all this cake & ice cream, I think I need to go back to green veggies & smoothies for awhile. I even found a great post for a great assortment of go-to healthy foods!

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes!

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes adapted from Can You Stay for Dinner? 

Makes 24 cupcakes

3 c white whole wheat flour

1 ½ c granulated sugar

1 T + 1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

8 T unsalted butter, melted

1/2 c unsweetened applesauce

1 cup reduced fat sour cream

4 T ground flax seed OR 4 T chia seeds, mixed with 3/4 c water* - let set for a few minutes before using

1 T + 1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 c mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Line two 12 cup standard sized cupcake tin with paper liners.

Using an electric mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add melted butter, applesauce, sour cream, flax/chia eggs, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula and continue to mix until no lumps remain. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.

Evenly divide the batter among the cups in your prepared pan. Bake until cupcake tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan carefully and let them cool on a wire rack.

*Note: You can use 4 large eggs instead, but then you lose the health benefits of the flax/chia.

Peanut Butter Icing/Filling

1 T butter, room temperature

1/3 c natural peanut butter

3 c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2-4 T milk, or more if needed

Using an electric mixer, beat together butter & peanut butter. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, alternating with vanilla & milk, until you reach desired consistency. It should be spreadable, not runny.

Chocolate Icing

4 T butter

1/2 c cocoa powder

3 c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2-4 T milk, or more if needed

　

Using an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add cocoa powder & mix in. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, alternating with vanilla & milk, until you reach desired consistency. It should be spreadable, not runny.

To stuff the cupcakes

Note: You will probably have leftover icing. I had about 1 cup of peanut butter icing left over. You can freeze it to use at another time. Or eat it with a spoon. Your choice, I won't judge! :-)
: Fill a pastry bag with peanut butter icing. Stick the tip into the middle of the top of the cupcake and gently push down. Squeeze out icing as you pull up until you see it peak out the top. Then ice the cupcake with chocolate icing either with the icing bag or using a knife.

 

Foods We've Been Loving

Apple Pie

Behold, my very first 2 crust pie!

It's a little shaggy around the edges, but the taste & texture are what pie is all about. Everyone says the crust is the worst part of making pies, but if you ask me, it's all the chopping/peeling. As you can see if you look closely at the picture, many of my apple slices still had peels on them. I did a haphazard peeling, mostly because I hate doing it, but also because the skins hold so many of the nutrients. I hate to throw them into the compost!

I followed a Betty Crocker recipe from an old cookbook I got at our church bazaar. The apples came from trees around our cabin. Most of them got made into applesauce for a grand total of 65 pints & 6 quarts of applesauce.

[Almost Chipotle Burritos]

Enchiladas

After my Chipotle burrito remake last week, I was still hungry for more beans & tortillas. I had a link saved for Roasted Butternut Squash & Black Bean Enchiladas from Daily Garnish that I was anxious to try, so I made it for dinner with my parents. I made a few changes & additions, as usual, but not as many as I do for some recipes. These were SO good. All of the textures & flavors just blended together perfectly. The prep time was long, with cutting & roasting the squash & cooking the sauce, but it was completely worth it!

Green Smoothies

Our kale crop is seriously out of control, and this is the fastest way of ingesting it (kale chips rank right up there, though!). Kale is pure health food, nourishing our bodies in so many ways. Just a few examples include Vitamins A,C & K, manganese, fiber & calcium. With the addition of the VitaMix to our lives, we're especially loving these thick & creamy smoothies.

Fresh Tomato Soup

The tomato crop is slowing down, but they're still coming in. With all the rain we've had lately, they're a little ragged & split, so I've had to use them quickly. The best use we've found so far is tomato soup. We can't stop eating it! I've made it several times already, with plans to make it again this weekend. I just chop & core the tomatoes, add a few handfuls of basil, and puree it in the VitaMix. (Can you tell I'm obsessed with this thing? It's crazy!)

Recipe coming soon!

What are you loving right now?

Celebrating Birthdays!

Happy birthday!

This makes 2 years in a row that I'm posting about baking a cake for Dad's birthday.

It's the same cake, as he requested. Same cake, one year later, and Dad's happy! I'll never forget his birthday, and now because of his birthday, I won't forget when I started blogging.

This is a very special occasion! I can't believe I've been blogging for a year!

He's always super quick to blow out the candles! Sorry for the blur.

 I don't have a fancy camera, so I don't have options for exposure or apperture or any other fancy things. It's point and shoot, adjust the setup and lighting. Repeat. The more I take, the more I learn. Better pictures to celebrate a year of learning.

I hope you can tell the differences as I learn! I feel like I've grown so much in the past year.

I even made some alterations to this cake recipe, and I think this year it was even better!

Carrot Spice Cake
adapted from several recipes from Cooking LightServes 12

Cake:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup evaporated cane juice (or substitute sugar)
2 tsps. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsps. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 T coconut oil, melted
1 large egg
1 T ground flax seed + 1 T water (or substitute 1 egg)
2 cups grated carrot (about 2 large carrots)
1 cup canned crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup golden raisins

Frosting:
2 T butter, softened
1 (8 oz.) block 1/3 less-fat cream cheese, softened
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsps. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325°. Spray 2 9" round baking pans with cooking spray & dust with flour.
Combine flours, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Combine oil and eggs; stir well. Stir egg mixture, grated carrot, pineapple, and applesauce into flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake at 325° for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let sit in pans for 5 minutes, then invert onto wire racks and cool completely.

For frosting, beat together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla just until mixed. Spread frosting between layers and then over cake.

Baltimore & The Cheesecake Factory

Last weekend I went to Baltimore with these friends! We went to Howl at the Moon, a dueling piano bar, on Friday night. They have great pianists and it's a fun atmosphere. Tiffy won a party, so we got discounts on drinks.

Since we got there right at the end of her scheduled party, we ordered both of our discounted drinks at the same time. I got a lemonade with blueberry vodka (above left) and a pineapple juice with coconut rum. Bryttani got a strawberry margarita (above right) and we ended up switching because she thought it was too sour. I love sour, so it was perfect for me!

The next day we wandered around the harbor and ate lunch on the patio at The Cheesecake Factory.

Have you ever eaten there? I might be the only person on this earth that doesn't go often. I'd been there once before, about 5 years ago, but didn't really remember it. I think maybe I split a pizza with my friend? Anyway, this was an eye opener.

Their menu is freakin' HUGE.

I don't even know how they can possible make all that food and keep everything straight. Everything we got was well-prepared, but there were just too many options!

Our waitress was only on her second day and she did pretty well, considering. We loved the brown bread (I need to make this!) and she brought us another basket with just brown bread and no white. Nice!

"Guacamole Made-To-Order - Ripe Avocado, Onion, Tomato, Chiles, Cilantro and Fresh Lime. Served with Tortilla Chips, Salsa and Sour Cream."

As an appetizer, we got guacamole. It was just okay. We asked for medium heat and it was killer spicy. Plus, I load mine with lime when I make it at home, so this was lacking in flavor to me. I still ate plenty, though!

"Fresh Baked Pizzettes - Roasted Pear and Blue Cheese: Pecans, Arugula and Caramelized Onions"

I loved this! By the time I was done with the bread and guac I wasn't very hungry, but it was perfect. I ate half plus the arugula off the other half so it wouldn't get soggy.

"Vietnamese Tacos - Steamed Asian Buns with Roasted Pork, Marinated Cucumbers, Carrots and Onion with Chiles, Cilantro and Sesame Seeds."

This was Bryttani's meal. So pretty! I tasted a carrot and the dressing on it was pretty good.

"Grilled Shrimp and Bacon Club - Charbroiled Shrimp, Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato with Our Special Dressing. Served with French Fries or Green Salad."

Tiffany & her sister shared this monster sandwich. They got a side of avocado to add to it. I've never been into club sandwiches, but they said it was delicious.

Ater we finished eating, we walked around the harbor. There was a man doing a sideshow who was balancing skateboards on his chin. He had quite a crowd but we didn't stay long. It was hot in the sun and we just weren't into it.

There was a new candy store in the shopping area, so of course we went in! They had giant versions of lollipos, rice krispie treats, jaw breakers, etc. plus some clothing.

Can you imagine putting your baby in this? Haha.

On our way back to the car, we stopped for cheesecake to go. I got the Chocolate Coconut Cream Cheesecake ("Coconut Cheesecake Topped with Coconut Cream Custard, all on a Chocolate Macaroon Crust") and the Chocolate Tuxedo Cream Cheesecake ("Layers of Our Fudge Cake, Chocolate Cheesecake, Vanilla Mascarpone Mousse and Chocolate"). The Bup always likes the Tuxedo Cream, but I wasn't a huge fan of either. They were okay, but I'm definitely a pure chocolate cheesecake person. None of that white cheesecake for me!

I'd go back again, but I wouldn't seek it out, mainly because I enjoy trying new restaurants and supporting the local businesses.

Question: Do you like eating at The Cheesecake Factory? If so, what is your favorite menu item and cheesecake flavor?