November 23, 2013

Tasty Tidbits


Why is she getting so big???



She blends right in with our blanket. I love when she comes over when we're sitting down & wants to curl up with us. So sweet! 


On Sunday, Mom & I made homemade spaghetti. W & I are going to try making linguini this weekend. It seriously tastes SO much better than the store bought stuff. Loads of flavor & chew!


Dad was feeling pretty pleased with dinner. :-)

I'm looking forward to a weekend at home with W. This is his only weekend off all month, so we're happy to be spending it together doing projects around the house. What are you planning for this pre-Thanksgiving weekend?

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

Breakfasts

Lunches
Dinners

Saturday:
50th anniversay dinner at church
  • Pasta primavera
  • Veggie quinoa soup
  • Wheat rolls
  • Green salad


Sunday:
Dinner at Mom & Pops'
  • Homemade whole wheat spaghetti
  • Dad's tomato mushroom sauce
  • Green salad
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Dinner at Mom & Pops' (choir night)
  • Tomato mushroom tortellini soup
  • Green salad
Friday:

Treats
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November 19, 2013

Healthy Spiced Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies


I seem to have an abundance of cookie recipes on here, but I like to make cookies & W likes to eat cookies, so I'm always trying new ideas. Cookie recipe testing is really just an excuse to eat the dough...and my love for cookie dough is the main reason I bake vegan cookies. No raw egg for me!

Another reason I keep making new variations is because I want to find a fairly healthy cookie recipe that doesn't taste that way. And since some people don't like banana or coconut or oats or need gluten free, etc., I keep baking. It's a real hardship. ;-)

They don't always turn out good enough to post about. I made a batch awhile ago that were kinda gummy & didn't keep well at all. I spared you from those.

This batch was my attempt at a seasonal chocolate chip cookie, hence the spices. We both really liked them. The peanut butter flavor is pretty subtle, as is the banana. They worked great together as a substitute for oil/butter (although I did use just a little) & sugar. Feel free to add more chocolate chips if you want, although I do tend to be heavy handed.

Enjoy!


Healthy Spiced Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 16 small cookies (vegan & gluten free, if using GF oats)

1 ripe banana, peeled & mashed
1.5 T coconut oil, softened
1/4 c natural peanut butter
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of ginger
3 T coconut flour
1 c rolled oats (gluten free if needed)
3 T unsweetened almond milk
1/3 c semi sweet chocolate chips (vegan if needed)

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix mashed banana, coconut oil, and peanut butter. Add sea salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and coconut flour. Stir well. Add oats and almond milk, mixing just to combine. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Using a fork, gently flatten balls. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until cookies no longer appear wet and are lightly browned on the edges. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
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November 16, 2013

Tasty Tidbits


This is totally how Tink is! I found it on Pinterest & had to take a pic to send to W. (He doesn't have Pinterest...guess that's for the better.) She seriously will be laying there, practically asleep, & then get up & dash into another room, only to dash back. Crazy cats... 


We tried another new beer this week! Atwater Brewery in Detroit makes this VooDoo Vator. It was a dark beer (a doppelbock), but didn't have that smoky flavor some do.  I was glad - that's the main thing I dislike about dark beers. It was great to split, especially because it has a high alcohol content (ABV 8.5%).

This weekend is our church's 50th celebration. We're having a dinner tonight & then a special church service tomorrow. It should be a great time!



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

Breakfasts
  • Coconut Peanut Butter Green Smoothies
  • Veggie & egg sandwiches on asiago bagels - W made me breakfast! :-)
  • Tropical Granola
  • Minimalist Baker's Peanut Butter Flaxseed Pancakes - I was impressed with how light & fluffy these were, while also being filling. They re-heated well in the toaster, too.
  • Stovetop oatmeal with chopped apples
  • Bananas + pb

Lunches
Dinners

Saturday:
  • Baked portobella caps
  • Sauteed kale
  • Kath Eats Real Food's Sweet Potato Gnocchis - I made a full batch of these & froze some for meals in the future. I wish I had doubled the recipe because once I was in the roll/slice/boil/ice/freeze process, it would've been easy to keep going! They were super creamy & I can't wait to eat the rest!
Sunday:
  • Pizza - 3 kinds:
    • pumpkin dijon sauce with roasted squash, carmelized onions, & apple chunks
    • bbq sauce with carmelized onions, chopped peppers, & mushrooms
    • peso with roasted squash, carmelized onions, & chopped peppers
Monday:
  • Leftovers
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
  • Black bean & roasted squash enchiladas
  • Green salad
Thursday:
Dinner at Mom & Pops' (choir night)
  • Cornbread stuffed squash
  • Roasted cauliflower, onion, cranberry medley with balsamic vinaigrette
  • Jalapeno cornbread
  • Green salad with chickpeas & roasted red peppers
Friday:
  • Date night at Lancaster Brewing Co.

Treats
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November 14, 2013

Vegan Cuts Snack Review


My Vegan Cuts Snack Box arrived a couple weeks ago! It was a one of the better ones...what's not to love when it includes chocolate?


Despite being excited about the chocolate, the first things I tried were the fruit snacks & sour beans. Both are made by Yum Earth Organics. I wasn't in love with the banana flavor, but the rest were really good. As far as fruit snacks go, these are a great choice. All of their products are organic, contain no artificial dyes, are allergen friendly (tree nut-free, gluten-free, peanut-free, soy-free, dairy-free, fat-free), & most products are vegan, plus they're made with real fruit extracts. Not a bad profile! 

I liked the sour beans better than the fruit snacks - I don't usually go for fruity candy (chocolate for me, please!), when I do, I love sour. These would be fun for an Easter basket, since they're tons better for you than jelly beans, plus they have the fun addition of being sour.


I was also impressed with these crackers. They're lighter than most multi-grain crackers, but not lacking in flavor. I think the reason they're less dense is because they don't use wheat (they're gluten free). They were good on their own & also good with with hummus. Crunchmaster, the company who makes these, is verified GMO free. Apparently, they just released their line at Wal-Mart, so these should be fairly easy to find for most people.


This was good...VERY good. Sooooo much better than just about any pb chocolate I've ever had! It's hard to describe the texture. The peanut butter is super creamy & melts in your mouth, but there's also a crunch from the toasted rice that's in it. I wanted more! Rescue Chocolate gives 100% of its profits to animal rescue, which is awesome! Plus they're organic, fair trade, vegan, & kosher. All that, plus delicious. Yum!


I originally thought I'd dip these lentil chips into hummus, but ended up eating them on their own. Mediterranean Snacks makes these gluten free chips that are made with lentils & beans instead of wheat or corn. They come in a variety of flavors & this cracked pepper version was good. They reminded me of pita chips, but thinner & lighter. While chips aren't a super healthy snack, these are better for you than pita or tortilla chips. I think they'd pair well with hummus, salsa, or an artichoke dip, but I did enjoy them on their own, too.

I haven't tried this yet, but have had RawSnacks bars in the past & love them. So much flavor! Can't wait to have this one...I'm saving it for a special occasion. Not sure what that'll be yet!

If you want to try any of these delicious snacks for yourself, Vegan Cuts has them all on their website! Try one or a Snack Box of your own!



Disclaimer: Some of these are affiliate links. That means that if you choose to purchase a box or an item from Vegan Cuts, I will make a small amount due to your purchase. All opinions are my own, with no compensation from those companies. Thanks for the support to both Vegan Cuts & me.
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November 11, 2013

Tropical Granola



I make a batch of granola just about weekly because it's W's favorite breakfast food. Sometimes when I'm in a rush, I just make a plain cinnamon granola, nothing fancy. Last week, though, I had some extra time, so I made a fun flavor: tropical! 

Having this to eat brings a little sunshine back into this chilly weather. :-)

I used a mashed banana to add flavor & sweetness, plus coconut oil for crunch. Then at the end of baking, I threw in raw sunflower seeds. I don't like to bake the seeds with the batch from the beginning because they often burn first, meaning either I have to take the granola out before it's done or the granola ends up with lots of burnt parts. Once it cooled, I added flaked coconut & dried pineapple pieces for lots of chew & flavor. Yum!   


Breakfast is served!

 Tropical Granola
Yields about 5 cups

4 c rolled oats
3 T agave nectar
3 T coconut oil, softened
1 banana, peeled & mashed
1/4 c raw sunflower seeds
1/2 c flaked coconut
3-4 rings of dried pineapple, chopped (or about 1/4 c chopped dried pineapple)

Preheat oven to 350. Spread oats over baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix together agave, coconut oil, and banana. Pour over oats and stir to coat oats evenly. Spread oats into an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes. Stir, then bake another 10 minutes. Add sunflower seeds and stir again. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and add coconut. Allow to cool, then stir in dried pineapple. Store in an airtight container.
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November 9, 2013

Tasty Tidbits



These are the last of our flowers. This weeked I'm going to have to clear out the frost-bitten plants that remain in the garden & start raking leaves. I do love the crisp fall air, but I hate to see everything starting to look barren & brown.

On the bright side, we still have some lettuce & spinach growing. We've been eating salads with greens solely from our garden for several weeks now. It's so nice to go out & pick fresh greens instead of buying them in the store. They're really crisp & taste amazing.


Our church bazaar went well last weekend! We ate a gigantic (and by we, I mean that I had barely 1/3 of it before it was suddenly all gone!) bowl of spicy vegetarian chili. It's so fun working in the kitchen.

No major plans for this weekend, since W is working. It'll be nice to have some quiet time to get things done around the house & to relax. Have a wonderful weekend!

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

Breakfasts

Lunches
  • Sandwiches
  • Leftovers
  • White bean & kale soup with rosemary
  • La's Surprise 30th party - quinoa salad, bean salad, veggies with dip, grapes, cauliflower salad
  • Apples & watermelon
Dinners

Saturday:
Dinner with family friends
  • Lasagna roll-ups
  • Bread
  • Green salad
Sunday:
  • Kabocha squash curry
  • Brown rice
Monday:
Tuesday:
  • Sauteed Brussels sprouts & tempeh with garlic
  • Green salad
Wednesday:
  • Leftovers
Thursday:
Dinner at Mom & Pops' (choir night)
  • Creamy sweet potato soup
  • Tomato roll-ups
  • Squash bread
  • Green salad
Friday:
  • Roasted sweet potato
  • Roasted broccoli

Treats
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November 2, 2013

Tasty Tidbits



Still finding fun childhood pictures! Somehow I actually had some little curls on the end of my hair. Barely, but they're there. Wish they'd come back!


We tried a new restaurant last Friday - Babe's Grill House + Sports Lounge. It's new in Palmyra, has 16 beers on tap, & we can walk there. What's not to like?? I tried a sample of a cucumber cream ale. I'm glad I didn't order the whole glass, because the cucumber flavor was very overwhelming, but it was quite refreshing. Maybe in the summer it'd be a nice choice to sip in the sun. We loved the Stone Brewing - Arrogant Bastard Ale and the Southern Tier - Pumking. Both were perfect for fall & had great spiced flavor.


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

Breakfasts

Lunches
  • Sandwiches
  • Leftovers
  • Mega salads with lettuce, spinach, carrots, onion, mushrooms, apple, almonds, roasted cauliflower, & roasted delicata squash
  • Apples & pineapple
Dinners

Saturday:
Campfire cookout with friends
  • Mountain pie pizzas
  • Carrots, celery, & blue corn chips with artichoke dip
Sunday:
  • Late lunch of spaghetti squash with peppers & onions in a cheesy sauce
  • Popcorn at the Bears' hockey game
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
  • Mega salad with lettuce, spinach, bell pepper, red onion, & roasted baby sweet potatoes, topped with peanut sauce & roasted peanuts
Thursday:
Dinner at Mom & Pops' (choir night)
  • Stuffed peppers
  • Tomato Eggplant Pie
  • Green salad
Friday:
Church bazaar!
  • Vegetarian chili

Treats
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