Tasty Tidbits

 

We had our first winter campfire last Sunday night! It was a gorgeous day with the perfect temps for it. And the rain even held off until we were almost done.

 

 

I missed having campfires. It's so relaxing to feel the warmth, watch the sparks, & spend time together.

 

 

And the when we looked around, there was still snow! So fun!

This weekend, we won't be quite so lucky...but that's ok. I'm not quite ready for winter to end, although this frigid cold is a bit much. I'm tired of sweaters. 

 

Happy weekending!

 

Here's what we've been eating in the last week:

Breakfasts 

• Strawberry banana peanut butter smoothies
• Veggie & egg sandwiches on rye bread
• Sunflower seed coconut granola
• Baked oatmeal with vanilla cashew butter
• Ashley's Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins - These were fantastic! It was perfect, because the recipe makes 2, so we didn't have tons of muffins around getting stale before we got to them all (although I do often freeze half the batch). Plus we were eating chocolate for breakfast, which is a win!
• Bananas + pb

 

 

Lunches

• Twice baked potatoes with green salad
• Pickled beets
• Sandwiches
• Leftovers
• Grapefruit, oranges, apples & clementines

Dinners

Saturday:

• Vegetable stir-fry with brown rice
• Green salad

Sunday:
First campfire cookout of the year!

• Pizza mountain pie sandwiches
• Veggie foil packets (onions, mushrooms, zucchini, & Brussels sprouts)

Monday

• Apron Strings' One Pot Wonder Thai Peanut Pasta - This was super easy to make & it was delicious; super creamy with lots of flavor! I think next time I'd add more carrots & peppers, just cause I like lots of veggies, but the sauce was spot on.

Tuesday:

• Happy Healthy Life's Maple Chili Beans over Sweet Potatoes
• Green salad

Wednesday:

• Grilled cheese sandwiches
• Brussels sprouts
• Green salad

Thursday:
Dinner at Mom & Pops' before choir

• Broccoli & wild rice casserole
• Green salad

Friday:

• Grilled Portobello caps
• Glazed carrots
• Brussels sprouts
• Green salad

Treats

• S'mores over the campfire - We tried a new organic chocolate bar that had chopped hazelnuts in it. It was soooo good!
• Ashley's Chocolate Peanut Butter Creamy Chia Pudding - I've tried chia pudding in the past, but it was never blended. I much prefer it blended! Plus this was a healthy treat that didn't taste healthy at all - bonus!
• Tasty Yummies No-Bake Smore’s Energy Bites - These were the perfect snack! Sweet, but still healthy, with lots of omega-3s from the walnuts.
• Anise & peach schnapps pizzelles
• Trader Joe's Sipping Chocolate

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!)

Tasty Tidbits

 

Last weekend we went to the cabin. So much snow! I thought we had a lot here, especially after last week's Thursday craziness, but they have so much more there.

 

 

We did some cross-country skiing, which was lots of fun. The first time we went out, it snowed the whole time. It was so pretty.

 

This is the view from inside the cabin, right next to the fireplace. That's the best spot to be!

 

In the afternoon, we baked cookies. Mom & I made these Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies that we made every Valentine's Day when I was growing up. We turned a few into a linzer version by stuffing them with chocolate glaze. Yum!

 

Dad & W made pizzelles, which always requires wine. :-)  They made 2 kinds: anise & peach schnapps. Both were delicious.

 

When we got home on Sunday, we did some shoveling & then took Tink out to explore a bit. She's always right at the door when we come in, trying to sneak out. Apparently she didn't mind the wet, cold snow under her paws, because she was wandering around the patio.

Here's what we've been eating in the last week:

Breakfasts

• Mom's blueberry buckwheat pancakes
• Top with Cinnamon's Whole Grain Banana Bread Waffles
• Jenna's Elvis Granola
• Quinoa with cinnamon & strawberries
• Baked oatmeal with vanilla cashew butter
• Bananas + pb

Lunches

• Classic hummus
• Eating Well's Quinoa Mushroom Soup - This was perfect for lunches during the week. The flavors improved each day!
• Tomato Basil Soup (from the freezer) with dipping bread
• Eating Well's Quinoa Peanut Soup
• Sandwiches
• Leftovers
• Grapefruit, oranges, apples & clementines

Dinners

Saturday:

• Black bean, zucchini, & kale enchiladas
• Green salad

Sunday:

• Once Upon a Cutting Board's Buffalo Chickpea Quinoa Burgers on oatmeal whole wheat buns
• Roasted sweet potato & red potato wedges
• Green salad

Monday:

• Sweet potato & bean chili with Popcorners dipping chips
• Green salad

Tuesday:

• Polenta with roasted broccoli & coconut "bacon"
• Green salad

Wednesday:

• Tortilla pizzas - brown rice tortillas topped with bbq sauce, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, & raw milk smoked cheddar cheese
• Green salad

Thursday:

• Brown rice fusilli with kale, white beans, onions, & mushrooms

Friday:

• Leftovers
• Green salad

Treats

• Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies
• Anise & peach schnapps pizzelles
• Chocolate cake (from the freezer)
• Trader Joe's Sipping Chocolate
• Angela's Peanut Better Balls