Tasty Tidbits

HAPPY EASTER!

I hope you have a joyous day tomorrow.

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

We went grocery shopping together this week!! I am so excited about this cart of goodies. We've already made a little dent in them & this weekend I plan to roast the squash & sweet potatoes to prep for quick meals during the week.

Right behind the cans of organic tomatoes, there's a small box of Yogi Bedtime Caramel Tea peeking through. We tried it on Thursday night & it was delicious. I'm not sure whether I slept better or it's in my head, but it was a great bedtime treat & I did wake up well-rested.

Our next Nature Box came! We got to choose what we wanted this time, plus they sent a bonus bag of BBQ sunflower seeds. Yay! We'd already eaten one of the bags before I snapped the pic, we were that excited for this.

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

Breakfasts

• Pineapple banana green smoothies
• Peach yogurt with Homemade Coconut Cherry Granola
• Cinnamon quinoa
• Baked cherry oatmeal topped with coconut butter
• Bananas & crunchy pb

Lunches

• Leftovers
• Sandwiches
• Carrot & celery sticks
• Salad with leftover sweet potato fries, avocado & Gena's Almond Butter Dressing
• Apples, grapefruit, oranges & clementines

Dinners

Saturday:

• Jessica's Roasted Red Pepper White Bean Burgers - We loved these! They were super flavorful & actually pretty easy to make.
• Sweet potato fries
• Green salad

Sunday: 
Family dinner at our house with grandparents & parents

• Pasta bake: penne & rotini with tomato sauce, mushrooms, onions, kale & parmesan
• Green salad
• Hot cross buns

Monday:

• Out with friends: Guacamole & chips (me)
• Leftover pasta (Bup)

Tuesday:

• As Good As Gluten's Brown Rice & Flaxseed Pizza Crust topped with bbq sauce, onion, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, spinach, avocado, feta, roasted garlic & pineapple - This was my first attempt using brown rice flour in a pizza crust. It turned out so well! Lots of flavor & we never would have known it was gluten free.

Wednesday:
Out with family for my mother-n-law's bday dinner

• Pizza topped with tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, & spinach (me)
• Mushroom raviolis (Bup)

Thursday: 
Maundy Thursday Dinner + Service at church

• Lentil Soup
• Bread

Friday:

• The Kitchn's Butternut Squash & Coconut Curry, adapted
• Green salad

Treats

• Bunny Butt Cake
• Trader Joe's Sipping Chocolate

Chocolate Bunny Butt Cake + Healthy Peanut Butter Frosting

Last weekend, we had my grandparents over for dinner & to play pinochle. Since we won't see them on Easter, I wanted to have it be an Easter-ish dinner. I asked the Bup what he wanted for dessert and he said, "Chocolate cake!" Surprise! That's what he always wants...

I started thinking of how to make chocolate cake more spring/Easter themed, & stumbled on the Bunny Butt Cake, courtesy of Betty Crocker. Of course, I had to healthify it, so I made my own cake & frosting.

This cake is dense & chocolatey. It's my favorite chocolate cake - one of the few cakes that I could eat without any frosting. That's really saying something, because usually I'm a frosting nut & don't much care about the cake part. While I'm not going to say this is a health food & you should have it every day, it is fairly healthy for chocolate cake.

And the frosting!!!! It's delicious! This is my new go-to peanut butter frosting. It has no butter & no refined sugars, yet it's sweet & smooth, just like it should be. Even if you don't make the cake, you could still use the frosting for other cakes/cupcakes. Believe me, it's yummy!

If you need a dessert for Easter, I hope you'll try this!

Chocolate Bunny Butt Cake
Adapted from Eating Well
Serves 8-10

1 3/4 c white whole wheat flour or spelt flour

3/4 c evaporated cane juice (or organic sugar)

2/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 c buttermilk (I used 2 T apple cider vinegar + 1 c unsweetened almond milk)

3/4 c packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 c coconut oil, melted

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 c hot strong black coffee

1 batch Healthy Peanut Butter Frosting (see recipe below)

2-4 T shredded coconut.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat a 1 1/2-quart ovenproof bowl (8 inches across top) and 6 muffin cups from a regular-size muffin tin with coooking spray.  

Whisk flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add buttermilk, brown sugar, egg, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add hot coffee and beat to blend. Don't worry - the batter is supposed to be thin.

Pour cake batter into the muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Pour remaining batter into the ovenproof bowl.

Bake cupcakes 20-22 minutes, and the bowl 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes each before removing from muffin cups and bowl. Cool completely on wire racks.

Place large dome cake, flat side down, on a large serving platter. Coat with frosting to desired thickness, reserving some frosting for the feet and tail.  Place 2 cupcakes for feet on the bottom of the cake. Place 1 cupcake for the tail a few inches up, centered between the feet. Secure each cupcake with a toothpick through the center, pushing in until it does not show. Carefully coat feet and tail with frosting. Sprinkle shredded coconut onto the tail, pressing gently so that it sticks to the frosting.

Note: This chocolate cake can also be made in 2 round 9" or 8" pans, or a 9x13 pan. Baking times will vary.


Healthy Peanut Butter Frosting
Makes 2.5 cups of frosting

1 1/3 c natural peanut butter
16 dates
2/3 c water
1/4-1/2 tsp. salt (if your pb has salt in it, use the lesser amount and adjust to taste)
1/3 c old-fashioned oats
3 T maple syrup
1/2 c unsweetened almond milk

Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor. Process until smooth and creamy, adding more milk if necessary. Refrigerate in an airtight container for 2 hours to allow flavors to meld and frosting to thicken. This can be done ahead of time; I made mine the night before. When the cakes are cooling, remove from fridge to allow to come to room temperature for easier spreading. Extra frosting can be frozen in an airtight container for about 3 months.

Tasty Tidbits

The crocuses are up! Welcome to spring!

Although the sprinkling of snow we got here on Friday indicates otherwise, it's time to start planning & planting for the upcoming garden season. The Bup got compost this week & did some work on building up our raised beds. I'm hoping to plant some onion sets, spring peas, seed potatoes, & leafy greens this weekend. It'll all depend on the weather!

Mom made this pretty table runner. I've since ironed both it & the tablecloth in anticipation of having my parents & grandparents over for dinner on Sunday. We'll follow up dinner with our favorite: 6-handed pinochle! Hopefully the women's team wins. :-)

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

Breakfasts

• Mint Chocolate Green Smoothie
• Peach yogurt with Angela's Blissful Buckwheat Granola Clusters, Bear Naked Fit Granola, Triple Berry Crunch, & Homemade Coconut Cherry Granola
• Overnight oats with chia seeds
• Baked cherry oatmeal topped with coconut butter
• Bananas & crunchy pb

Lunches

• Leftovers
• Sandwiches
• Baked sweet potato
• Roasted seasoned potatoes
• Salad with avocado & Gena's Almond Butter Dressing - This tastes similar to peanut sauce! Super yummy!
• Apples, grapefruit, oranges & clementines

[scenes of my stove while cooking Sat. night dinner]

Dinners

Saturday:

• Ashley's Black Bean Polenta Burrito Bowls
• Green salad

Sunday: 

• Mega Salad's with carrots, onion, mushrooms, chickpeas, walnuts, kiwi, dried cranberries & Fat Free Vegan's Hidden Cashew Ranch Dressing

Monday:

• Sweet Potato, Corn, & Lentil Soup
• Homemade bread

Tuesday:

• Polenta fries (made with leftover polenta from Sat. night)
• Mega Salad with leftover black bean mixture, onion, carrots, mushrooms, avocado, dried cranberries & Fat Free Vegan's Hidden Cashew Ranch Dressing

Wednesday:

• Heidi's Skinny Spaghetti Squash Alfredo - This sauce was easy to make & we even had leftovers. I love spaghetti squash!
• Steamed broccoli

Thursday: 
Dinner at Mom & Pops' before choir

• Vegetable & Bean Jambalaya
• Italian seasoned bread
• Green salad

Friday:

• Jessica's Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa White Bean Burgers
• Sweet potato fries
• Green salad

Treats

• Peanut butter oatmeal cookies
• Dark chocolate Wilbur buds
• Trader Joe's Sipping Chocolate
• Maple frozen yogurt with peanut butter sauce (made with melted pb + almond milk)
• Katie's Copycat Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs - These are delicious!!! Luckily it only made 7 or else I'd never stop eating them!

Mint Chocolate Green Smoothie + Green Ice Cubes

I have a little secret to share! I'm sure you have all heard about the green smoothie craze that's everywhere. Maybe you've thought they're gross, or maybe you've wanted to try them, but are overwhelmed by all the fresh greens you'd need to keep on hand.

If you think they're gross, I promise you they're not! Start small, with just a handful of spinach, and I guarantee that you won't even notice it's in there. Even if you never add any more than that, at least you're still getting in some greens & all the nutrients that they hold!

If you're in the second group & overwhelmed by the vast quantity of greens you'd need to keep on hand, this tip is for you!

Whether you're a gardener or shop at farmer's markets, there's no question that greens are fresher, tastier, & cheaper when they are in season. I grow kale, Swiss chard, spinach & mixed lettuces each year. They're easy to maintain & they produce quite a lot! Toward the end of the season, I always have an abundance of kale & Swiss chard that I hate to see go to waste when the first frost comes. I take an hour one day in the fall to pick as much as possible, clean it, and make green ice cubes for our winter smoothies. It's easy & I'm always so grateful to have them when greens aren't so abundant.

Taking the time out to make the green ice cubes encourages me to make more green smoothies in the winter. I never have to worry about whether I bought fresh greens or how expensive they might be. I just reach in the freezer, pull out a handful of green cubes, & my smoothie is suddenly full of extra nutrients! I love knowing that these greens were freshly picked & frozen right away, straight from my garden.

 I know that now isn't the best time to be making green ice cubes, but I hope that you'll remember this & try it in the fall. If you start now, you could even try growing some kale yourself! Plant the seeds, water them occasionally, & watch them grow. You can dine well this summer/fall + have green ice cubes during the winter. In the meantime, if you want to try this smoothie, just use a couple handfuls of whatever greens you have on hand.

I thought this smoothie tasted like mint chocolate chip ice cream, so I just had to share. I think that if the Bup wasn't eagerly awaiting his half, I might have drank the whole thing! :-)

 
Mint Chocolate Green Smoothie
Serves 2

2 frozen bananas
6 green ice cubes (or 3-4 handfuls of spinach/other greens)
1 tsp. chia seeds
1/4 tsp. mint extract
1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I used vegan, non-GMO Pure Matters Chocolate Pea Protein)
2-3 c unsweetened almond milk

Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender & process until smooth. Pour into 2 glasses and serve immediately. Smoothie can also be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days. Shake/stir before serving.

Green Ice Cubes

3 bunches of kale, washed
3 bunches of Swiss chard or collard greens, washed
water

Remove the tough bottom part of the stems (about 1/3 up the stalk - the rest should blend just fine). Working in batches, tear leaves into pieces and blend in a high speed blender* with just enough water to allow the greens to move around. Once the first batch is blended, pour 2/3 of the greens into ice cube trays. Add more torn leaves into the 1/3 remaining mixture and blend again. By leaving some of the mixture in the blender, it allows the greens to blend more easily so that you don't need to add as much water. Continue this process until all greens are blended. Place filled ice cube trays in freezer. Once frozen (to be safe, allow at least 10 hours), remove cubes and store in zip lock freezer bags in the freezer. Remove cubes as needed, making sure to reseal the bag. Frozen green cubes should last about 6 months.

*If you don't have a high speed blender, I think you could use a food processor or a regular blender. You may need to completely remove the stems & add more water to get the greens properly blended.

Tasty Tidbits

Isn't that a gorgeous flower? It's so sneaky, hiding down in the leaves instead of on a stalk. I took a pic to show my mom while she's away. We're cat sitting & I didn't want her to miss this.

I saw this sign a few weeks ago when we were shopping at Hobby Lobby. First, have you been there? It's crammed full of inspiration!! This sign stood out to me because with 4 short words, it really has a lot of meaning. It's so hard not to get bogged down with every day life things instead of what you really love. I need to remind myself of this more & more, as we work toward living what we love. Life's flying by so quickly!

Happy weekend! March has been blustery this week, so stay warm!

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

Breakfasts

• Strawberry yogurt with Angela's Blissful Buckwheat Granola Clusters & Bear Naked Fit Granola, Triple Berry Crunch
• Tina's OMG Pancakes - These are like a combination of crepe & pancake. They took awhile to cook, but we really liked the flavor.
• EnviroKidz Organic Peanut Butter Panda Puffs Cereal + Bear Naked Fit Granola, Triple Berry Crunch with Blue Diamond Almond Coconut Milk, Unsweetened Original - I tried these together for the first time & it's such a good combo - like eating pb&j cereal.
• Bananas & crunchy pb

Lunches

• Leftovers
• Baked sweet potato
• Apples, grapefruit, oranges & clementines

Dinners

Saturday:

• Whole Wheat Rotini with Eating Well's Bean Bolognese
• Green salad

Sunday: 

• Ashley's Apple Sage Chickpea Burgers on Jenna's Potato Rolls - This was a quick dinner because I had both of these in the freezer. I love making a big batch of bean burgers & potato rolls because then future meals are so simple!
• Baked sweet potato fries
• Green salad

Monday:

• She Wears Many Hats' Quick Baked Potatoes - We don't have baked potatoes a lot because I hate to microwave them & they take forever to bake. Now that I know of this method, I think we'll be having them a lot more often!
• Roasted broccoli
• Mama Pea's Nacho Mmmm Sauce - It really does make you say "mmmm" before you realize what you're saying!
• Green Salad

Tuesday:

• Tomato Soup - Another quick meal from a frozen batch. This was like a breath of summer. I can't wait until our garden starts up again!
• Guacamole & quinoa black bean chips
• Green salad

Wednesday:

• A Food Centric Life's Smoky Black Bean & Pumpkin Soup - We liked this soup, though it wasn't the best black bean soup I've had. I think I would add chili powder next time, because it tasted similar to chili, but needed that kick.
• Pan seared Brussels sprouts

Thursday: 

• Tortilla Pizzas - brown rice tortillas topped with pesto, bbq sauce, red onion, mushrooms, olives, & spinach

Friday:

• Spinach Ravioli Lasagna
• Green salad

 

Treats

• Oh Ladycakes' Dark Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
• Fruit & Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

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!

Tasty Tidbits

Last month, I signed up for a Nature Box subscription. So far, this company has been great to work with! They just started a program where you can choose the items in your box. Part of me likes the idea of being surprised, but I also am glad to choose because now we'll definitely want what we're getting. They have a deal for first time subscribers for $9.95/month. You get 5 bags of granola, nuts, dried fruit, or snacks, so it's pretty reasonable.  (They didn't ask me to promote them, I'm just really pleased with the product & the customer service.)

As you can see, construction is still continuing. All the insulation is up & the drywall is close to being finished! We have paint samples hanging up so we can pick our color. It's amazing how many shades of gray there are (50??)!

Hope you have a happy weekend!

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

Breakfasts

• Strawberry yogurt with Angela's Blissful Buckwheat Granola Clusters & NatureBox Orange Crush Granola
• Whole Wheat Sourdough Blueberry Pancakes
• Overnight oats with chia seeds
• Bananas & crunchy pb

Lunches

• Leftovers
• Mega Salad with Tempeh, Brussels sprouts, Blood Oranges & Avocado
• Cauliflower Veggie Soup with Couscous
• Ashley's Cinnamon Peanut Butter Almond Pulp Crackers made with the pulp from homemade almond milk
• Apples, grapefruit, oranges & clementines

Dinners

Saturday:

• Lentil Bulgur burgers on homemade potato buns
• Baked sweet potato fries

Sunday: 

• Cooking Light's Red Lentil Dal - This was suprisingly creamy! I doubled the spices to make it more flavorful & it was great with the naan.
• Sourdough Naan
• Green salad

Monday:

• Asian noodles with sesame peanut sauce, broccoli, bell peppers, lima beans, & peanuts

Tuesday:

• Salsa Quesadillas
• Green salad

Wednesday:

• Leftovers

Thursday: 
Dinner at Mom & Pops' before choirs

• Gnocchi with Roasted Broccoli & Garlic Vinaigrette
• Green salad

Friday:
Dinner at Mom & Pops' with grandparents

• Homemade pizza
• Green salad

Treats

• Peach, Apple, & Rhubarb Crisp
• Mom K's Snowflake Cookies
• Trader Joe's sipping chocolate
• Oh Ladycakes' Dark Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

Tasty Tidbits

Ugh. This cat is so precious.

She was super excited when we rearranged our shelves. Her new spot is just under the workout dvd's, apparently. We had to be extra nice to her this week, because she went to the vet's to get fixed. She hated it there! I've never seen her so angry - she was meowing & hissing & growling. The vet was concerned about how we handle her at home, but she's not like that with us! So weird.

On Monday, I met some friends at Color Me Mine to paint! It's so fun to hang out & chat while we're being creative. I made a bowl for our living room. Not sure what we'll put in it yet, but it will match the colors we plan to use once the room is done.

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

Breakfasts

• Maple yogurt with Dashing Dish's Pumpkin Pie Granola
• Pineapple Banana Kale Smoothies
• Overnight oats with ground flax
• Cinnamon quinoa with blueberries
• Bananas & crunchy pb

Lunches

• Leftovers
• Jessica's Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice English Muffin Bread
• Spinach Salad with Roasted Beets & Avocado
• Ashley's Cinnamon Peanut Butter Almond Pulp Crackers made with the pulp from homemade almond milk
• Apples, grapefruit, oranges & clementines

Dinners

Saturday:

• Ashley's Cocoa Chili - This is our favorite chili recipe!
• The Post Punk Kitchen's Vegan Cornbread - We tried this for the first time & it's delicious! Very similar in texture/taste to the Jiffy boxes, but healthier!

Sunday: 

• Angela's Crispy Breaded Tofu Strips - Dinner of nuggets & fries. :-) These are so good!
• Baked sweet potato fries
• Green Salad

Monday:

• Leftovers

Tuesday:

• Gnocchi with Roasted Broccoli & Garlic Vinaigrette
  Green salad

Wednesday:

• Tortilla pizzas: brown rice tortillas topped with pesto, bbq sauce, onions, mushrooms, pineapple, & black olives

Thursday:  

• Radiatore noodles with Roasted Cherry Tomato, Mushroom & Red Wine Sauce

Friday:

• Mega Green Salad topped with tempeh, avocado, & roasted Brussels sprouts

Treats

• Jenna's Chocolate Zucchini Cookies - These are super chocolatey & chewy. So good!
• Mom K's Snowflake Cookies - These are one of the Bup's favorite cookies. I don't make them often because they aren't very good for him, but I did use white whole wheat flour & non-hydrogenated shortening to make them a little healthier. He was excited to come home to them!
• Katie's Single Lady Cupcakes - I made 2, which defeats the "single lady" bit, but it was so nice to just have 2 cupcakes & not a whole batch!
• Trader Joe's sipping chocolate