The mr and I were suppose to go to our weekly dinner at my sisters house the other night, but when I texted her to double check that wet were still on, she informed me that her two kids had been sickos.. but we were still welcome to come.
Yeah, no. We stayed home.
But before I was informed of the ill littles, I started making these biscuits to bring over. And whoa, am I glad that we didn’t go cause if we did, I would have brought these and maybe killed a kid. See, one of the littles is very allergic to nuts, and I used almond milk in these, so if I had brought them over to the houes, he would have surly ended up with one of those epi pens stuck in his ass and a trip to the nearby hospital. And that would have sucked. I am usually so good about making sure there is not nut anything near anything that goes into that house, but the almond milk.. it just slipped by my awareness. Maybe cause I usually use soy milk, or maybe I am subconsciously out for the kid, but I am now more aware the ever. I think I might even make a little sign to go over the baking stuff that says “Watch your NUTS!” The mr or and any boy would like that.
So yeah, good thing we didn’t go, and now we have lots of biscuits, but that is also a good thing. The mr has had the pleasure of enjoying them all to his lonesome. for dessert, then for breakfast, then for lunch, and now for dessert again. He is a biscuit man through and through. And yeah.. APPLES!
To the biscuits!
The stuff. For the biscuit itself we got some flour, baking soda and powder, cold almond milk, cold earth balance. salt and a little brown sugar. Then for the filling we have more brown sugar, cinnamon, a little more earth balance and of course apples*.
*These apples, oh they are good. Nice and crisp and slightly sweet. They are also very little. I picked them off one of the many trees at our community garden. Unfortunately I have yet been able to identify them, so apple variety here is up to you. A granny smith, gala, or even a mac should do just swell.
To start off, thinly slice and chop up your apples.(I think peeling is a waste, but if you want to, I guess you could peel them). Add the apples to a pot with the earth balance and brown sugar.
Place on medium heat and cook until the apples are soft and the liquid sugar is starting to thicken. Add in the cinnamon and set aside.
Flour, baking soda and powder and salt are whisked together in a large bowl. Add in the cold earth balance and cut in with a fork or pastry cutter until it makes the flour crumbly.
Now add in the cold almond milk and mix until just incorporated. If the mixture seems to dry, add in another tablespoon or two of almond milk
Dump mixture onto a flour surface ands gather into a ball.
Side note.. SEE MY BOWL!!! It’s it amazing? My grandmother gave me here set of vintage ptyex mixing bowls last time I saw her. (It came with a medium red and a little blue one too!) And the best part, my dad remembers them from when he was a little. How fantastic is that.
Roll dough out into a square thats about 1/2 inch thick
Spread the apple mixture on half the dough, leaving a little boarder.
Fold dough over, press the sides tougher, roll the rolling pin over the dough, just to give it a little flatten pat, and cut into squares.
Place on a baking sheet and wash the tops with a little almond milk and sprinkle with more brown sugar.
Into the oven they go!!
Baked until fluffy golden brown. Remove and let cool for a minute or two.
Apple cinnamon biscuits heck yeah!
To share or to hoard.. all up to you..
Happy apple time!
-C
makes 8
For the biscuits
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/3 cup cold earth balance
2/3 cup cold almond milk (or any milk)
1 tablespoon lwmon juice
For the apple cinnamon filling
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1-2 tablespoons Vietnamese cinnamon (I like lots of spice so I used 2 tablespoons, but if you like a more subtle cinnamon flavor, use a little less. Also can use regular cinnamon if you don’t have viteneme cinnamon)
2 tablespoons earth balance
1-2 gala, granny smith or mac apples (about 2 cups thinly sliced)
a little extra almond mild to brush tops and bit of brown sugar to spindle the tops with.
Preheat oven to 425.
Slice and chop apples into small thin chunks and place in a pot with the 2 tablespoons of earth balance and sugar. turn heat on medium high and cook until the apples have soften and the sugar an butter have turned into a thin syrup. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and powder, salt and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Cut in the cold earth balance until flour is crumbly. Add in almond milk and mix until combined If dough seems way to dry, add in an extra tablespoon of milk . Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and bring together. Take your lightly floured rolling pin and roll dough out into about a 1/2 inch rectange. Take apple mixture and spread evenly on half the dough then fold over and press sides and ends together. Cut into 8 equal pieces. Place on a baking sheet (Iit might be a good idea to line it with parchment) and wash tops with a little almond milked and sprinkle with brown sugar.
Place in oven for 12-14 minutes until golden brown.
Remove and let cool for a minute and then eat them all. Or eat a few and save the rest for later.
Lasts for 2-3 days in air tight container, but will not be super crispy biscuity after being stored.
It’s official, all of the littles started school yesterday……HOORAY! (I say hooray cause school is cool and the start of school means it’s going to be fall so soon!. Also I like hanging out with the littles more when they are in school. There is more to talk about and any time away from school is cool time so they like to do more stuff and not just be summer bums)
One of the littles had his very first ever day of school. So me, being the bestest most awesomest aunt ever, made that little a celebration, hooray for school, banana ice cream cake.
This little has been bugging me for a while now to make him an ice cream cake. It all started a few months ago when I gave him a bowl of banana ice cream and told him that when he sleeps over he can have ice cream for breakfast That blew his little mind. We then proceeded to have a converastawtion about healthy food and what was ok to eat for breakfast. (He is very interested in being healthy) I then told him that whenever he sleeps over I would make a banana ice cream cake for breakfast cause bananas are healthy. But every time he is over, I never seems to have enough bananas.
Well I had the bananas and there is no better excuse then the first day of kindergarten to make a cake.. A very delicious peanut butter banana ice cream cake! And no, it wasn’t for breakfast, but the left overs can be! (there were no left overs here)
The stuff… Crispy rice cereal, peanut butter (I have some chiunky stuff at the moment, but any nut butter is good) and 4 frozen chopped up bananas.
Rice ceareal goes into a food processor with the peanut butter. Pulse until everything is all combined and starts to come togerter.
And ump the mixture into a spring for pan. If you do not have a spring form pan, a pie plate will work just as well.
Such a nice looking crust if I do say so myself. Now stick it in the freezer while you make your ice cream.
Frozen bananas go into the processor, get blended for a few mounters, and come out as ice cream…. freaking magic!
Now dump the magic ice cream into the crust.
And smooth it all nice like..and into the freezer it goes until its frozen.
After a few hours, you take it out of the freezer, remove from the pan (or leave it in the pan)
And gather your toppings. A handful of the rice cereal, some melted peanut butter, and a little melted nutella. (use whatever you want.. fruit would be great, some nuts, graham crackers, sprinkles. You get the idea)
Now, Wait for it….
Go crazy! Toppings all over!
And serve up, and watch out.. I almost got my hand eaten for kids going for seconds..
Have a fantastic day and happy back to school. to littles and parents alike!
-C
Makes a 6 inch cake
For the cake
4-5 frozen bananas
2 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal
4 tablespoon peanut butter
To garnish (use any, all or none of what you would like… and maybe not the super sugary ones if a breakfast cake)
melted peanut butter
melted chocolate
Nutella
handful of rice cereal
fresh fruit
jam
coconut flakes
sprinkles
anything else you would like!
Place cereal and peanut butter into a food processor and pulse until crumbly and combined and starts to come away from bowl.
Dump mixture into a 6 in spring form pan (or if you not have one, a pie plate works too) and press it down evenly on the bottom. Stick into freezer
Take bananas out of freezer and place into food processor. Blend until smooth. If needed, you can drizzle a tiny amount of water into it if you think it needs a little help to blend.
Once smooth, take crust from freezer and dump the nanaer ice cream on top and carefully smooth it out. Stick back into freezer (a pier of plastic over to prevent ice crystals )for at least 2 hours, or until the ice cream has completely frozen.
When it’s time to serve, remove cake from spring form (or leave it in the pie plate).and drizzle the top with melted peanut butter, melted, chocolate and another handful of crispy cereal. Or leave it bare. Or add sprinkles… the toppings are all unto you!
Eat like a camp, for breakfast or dessert.. Or eat some for dessert and then some for breakfast.
I never use to eat breakfast. Or I would drink a pot of coffee and call that my breakfast. (which still happens every now and then) But as I get older I have realized the importance of a eating a healthy morning meal.. If I eat breakfast I have more energy throughout the day. I go to the gym in the mornings and find that if I eat before or right after that I feel so much better and stronger and am less likely to have a major energy crash.. I also made breakfast a routine, where I read while I eat, which is one of my favorite parts of the day. This bowl of greatness has made me wake up hungry, to the point that sometime I go to bed excited to wake up and eat, and i’ll be honest, to drink coffee.(that’s totally not weird)
And I know, this might seem like a strange combination to some, that lentils should not be a breakfast food. But really think about it. Why not? I am a firm believe that anything healthy that provides a great amount of nourishment is good breakfast food.
This breakfast bowl is full of everything that I love. It’s backed full of proteins and all sorts of other hearhtly vitamins, minerals and antioxidants (I am not going to list everything) and is the optimal form of nourishment…. The perfect breakfast.
Still skeptical…Well don’t be because I am telling you, this is oh so tasty. Just trust.
The stuff*…. Cooked and cooled lentils, a carrot, a couple strawberries and a small apple, all chopped up. And cinnamon. Don’t forget the cinnamon.
*Note.. I always start with the lentils and carrots but will change uo the mix ins. I like peaches, blueberries, cherries, pears, roasted sweet potatoes. I’ll use pretty much whatever I have for fruit in the house. So what I am saying is use whatever you like.
Take you stuff, and pile into a bowl all nice and pretty.
Sprinkle on a spoonful of cinnamon..
This is for real, the best breakfast ever!
Start your morning right and have a great day!
-C
Between 1/2- 1 cup cooked and cooled lentils
About a cup of mix ins. (use whatever you like.. apple, pears, any type of berry, roasted sweet potato, cherries, peaches, nuts, carrots, mango)
Cinnamon
Place lentils and mix in’s into a bowl. Sprinkle on desired amount of cinnamon. Mix together and eat.
Can be made the night before so it is all ready for the morning.
Use a spoon or your fingers, Always chew with mouth.
Guess what guys ….I got myself a sick vintage waffle/ griddle iron. I couldn’t be more thrilled!!! I found this thing at the local recycled goods store the other day, along with a very beautiful old white pyrex mixing bowl. It was one of my best thrift store scores! (Checking out the inventory and the condition of all the old things that day, I would say an old lady had just died and all her perfectly keep, mint condition kitchen stuff had just been donated. But it’s cool, cause I get the feeling that she was at least 90, with a big loving family, and was happy until the day she died. And I am sure she would be pleased that I have taken over the waffle maker. Thanks old lady!)
And now I am pretty sure that everything I make for the next week will be cooked on said waffle/griddle. I am serious, I already have a list of things to try and cook on it; cookies, biscuits, granola bars, potatoes, fruit, some type of pasta situations…. the list of possibilities is endless and I bet that at least 1/2 of these things will be totally awesome and amazing.
But first thing first. I need to make dinner.
So waffles for dinner!!
Note. These waffles are completely 100% fantastic for any meal you want to make them for. They consist of nothing more then beans, a shit ton of veggies, and just a bit of cornmeal. But don’t let that fool you because they are super packed full of so much flavor, have a really soft tender inside, with a nice crispy outside and are so super pretty. They are wonderful! The stuff. First, we got a big old pile of shredded up veggies which include; carrot, beet, sweet potato, onion, parsnip, celeriac, and a little bit of kale. A we got a bowl of rinsed and strained white beans, a little bit of cornmeal and salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
The makings of something amazing!Before you do anything. get your waffle iron out and preheat it.
While thats going on, take you beans, add 3/4 cup water and puree until smooth with whatever blending device want to like to use. (I used my hand blender…less to clean)Now collect all the shredded veggies and dump into a big bowl with the bean puree, the spices and the cornmeal. Mix until combined. The batter should be thick, but not dry. If its seems to wet, add more corn meal, or too dry, add a little more water.
Note how my batter turned a magical pink… I love beets, they make everything pretty! And check out that bowl!When your waffle iron is preheated, oil it if needed (if your not sure, add a little oil just to really make sure your waffles don’t stick) and take appropriate size spoonfuls of the batter and stick on iron. Close it and wait…..My iron has a little light that turns on when the waffles are done cooking, so I waited patiently (ok iI did open it a few time) until light tuned on and removed the perfectly cooked waffles.
Did I mention how awesome my new/old vintage iron is?
SO AWESOME!!
I made a little gaucamole and gave the mister and little bowl of plain Greek yogurt with lemon juice, but feel free to top, drizzle, or dump whatever you want onto these beauties…
Happy waffle Wednesday!!!
-C
Veggie Bean Wonder Waffles
Makes 8-10 waffles (in my iron) feeds 2-3 peeps
1 small carrot shredded
1 small parsnip shredded
1/2 a small celeriac root
1 small beet shredded
2 kale leaves chopped into tiny bits
1/2 an onion, shredded
1/2 a small sweet potato shredded
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 cups(or 1 can) cooked, rinsed and strained white beans
2 teaspoons garlic powder
teaspoon each salt and pepper
oil for iron(if needed)
Note on veggies… I used what I had in the fridge and shredded, it came to about 3 cups. If you don’t have these specific veggies or only want to use a few.. go for it. Just make sure to have 3 cups of whatever veggies you use.
Take you beans and blend them up with whatever device you would like to use. Once creamy, add to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Stir until combined.
Once the waffle iron is preheated, oil it( if needed) and place the recommended amount of batter right on it there. Close and cook until golden brown and waffly.
Serve on a plate with topping of your choice, A few suggestions.. Guacamole, salsa, hummus, mustard, greek yogurt… anything that tastes good to you.
Eat as breakfast, lunch or dinner…
Fork into face
My contribution to last nights dinner at my sisters…. Freshy fresh veggies spring rolls.I had about 30 minutes between work and getting over to my sisters house to throw something together so it needed to be something fast, easy, and something I could make without going to the store. She was making the main course (some teriyaki situation and rice) so I was doing up the veggies.
I had just bought a package of spring roll wrappers…. Bingo! The perfect and logical choice. I grab the wrappers, a variety of veggies and after spending 12 of my 30 minutes trying to scrub the oil based paint off of my face and hands, I still managed to completely prepare, construct, and take pictures of these lovely tasty spring rolls. and get over to my sisters in time for dinner.
Impressed?
Damn right!
The stuff. Carrot, beet, asparagus, red cabbage, and kohlrabi, which all (except asparagus, which I just cut into thirds) got cut into matchstick sized pieces with my mandoiln. Then there are the rice spring roll wrappers that we need to make the veggies into rolls. Also a bit of red wine vinegar to drizzle onto the veggies for a little extra zing. And lastly, soy, fresh ginger, and a couple cloves of garlic for a spicy salty dipping sauce.Start by having everything set out and ready to assemble. Fill a large shallow dish or baking sheet with really warm water. Working with one at a time,place a rice wrapper into water and let sit for about 10 seconds or until the paper starts to soften. Remove from water and place on a damp surface (just splash a little water on the counter) Take a little bit of everything and and place on the lower middle part of the paper. Fold in the sides first, then tuck and roll the wrapper as tightly as you can without ripping the wrapper.
Repeat until you have used up all you veggies.For the dipping sauce. Finely grate ginger and garlic and add to soy sauce. Stir… and it’s done.Freshy, pretty and fantastically delicious. And for real, took about 8 minutes to make. (I even had enough time to wash the dishes before we left!)
I am so awesome!
Hump Day Pow!!!!!
-C
Fresh Veggies Spring Rolls
Makes 8-10 but can easily be increased or decreased to desired amount
8-1o rice spring roll papers
Splash of Red wine or rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy or tamari sauce
2 cloves of garlic
teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 medium carrot
1 medium beet
1/4 head of purple cabbage
10 thin fresh asparagus
1 small kohlrabi
Note… I used the veggies that I had in the fridge at the moment. If you have a bunch of veggies but not these particular ones, use what you have. Pretty much all veggies taste good inside a spring roll!
Gather your veggies and prep by either using a mandolin, a grater, or some sick knife skills, and julienne, shred, or slice you veggies into thin match sticks. Once all the veggies are prepared, sprinkle a little vinegar over the top.
For the rolls…Grab a large shallow vessel (a rimmed baking sheet works great) and add in warm water. Working one at a time, place the wrapper into the water for about 10 seconds or until the wrapper starts to soften. Remove and spread onto a clean, damp work surface. Gather a bit of each veggie that you are adding and place towards the bottom middle of the wrapper. Now fold the sides in over the pile of veggies. Then with the side closest to you, tuck and roll wrapper away from you, trying to keep it tight, but not to tight that it rips.. (Hopefully that makes since.) Place finished rolls onto a damp surface to keep from sticking and if not serving right away, drape with a damp towel or paper towel to keep from drying out.
For the soy ginger dipping sauce. Add grated ginger, minced garlic, and soy into a bowl and mix together. Serve with spring rolls.
Eat one, two, or a plateful. It’s nice to share but not a necessity.
It’s Mother’s Day weekend which means that you and I and everyone out there should feel the slightest bit obligated to at least do a little something nice for your mom for the mere fact that you were borned. And really what better way to celebrate mom than with food… It really is the least that you can do. (I think mom’s also like flowers and cards and handmade pasta necklaces) My mom is defiantly about the food. (she has had her fair share or pasta necklaces) A many years back on Mother’s day, this sweet little girl (me) made her mother a special breakfast treat…blueberry scones. And ever since that day, for every freaking holiday, birthday, whatever day, my mother requests (demands) a batch of those scones. She is always saying that these are her favorite treat and that no one has ever made them as good as I do. (I guess that just reiterates that I am her number 1 child)
And for the last few months my mom has been up my butt, trying to get me to make her some. Not going to lie, I have been saying I’ll get her a batch, but for some reason, I haven’t gotten around to making them. So two birds here.. Make the scones and she gets off my back for a least a little while (a month.. maybe 2) and I give her a fantastic Mothers day gift that I know she will love.
So here they are , oh mother of mine. Blueberry scones!
The stuff. Flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. A bit of sugar, vanilla, buttermilk, and butter (use vegan butter and nut milk if you want to make them vegan) And of course we need the blueberries which can be fresh or frozen. I usually use fresh, but the store I stopped at only had really big containers of fresh that were like $1000 dollars a piece and the organic frozen happen to be on super sale. So you know, the cheap in me won that battle. So into the bowl goes all the dry stuff; flour, baking powder and soda, salt, and the sugar. Give it a good whisk.
Now for my special trick for a perfectly distributed cold butter in a pastry. Freeze your butter and grate it!
With a large wholed grater, grate the frozen butter directly into the bowl with the dry, stoping a few times to toss the butter chunks around so you don’t end up with a huge pile of grated butter. When it’s all grated, gently toss around so the butter is evenly distributed. Now dump the blueberries into the flour mixture. Toss them around to give them a coat of flour. Add in the buttermilk and vanilla and give a little mix until liquid is absorbed. We are trying to handle the dough as little as possible.Turn mixture onto counter. It’s very loose, but thats what it should look like. Very gently and with as little handling as possible, gather dough up, knead a few times till everything just comes together. Press dough into a disk that is roughly an inch thick…. and it doesn’t need to be perfect. Cut the disk into even sized pieces. Do 6 big, 8 normal, maybe even 10 smaller. Whatever size you like. (I did 8) Place the scones onto a baking sheet, using a spatula to transfer, and sprinkle the tops with a little bit of sugar. Into a preheated oven for about 20 minutes.And when the scones look all nice and browned and a tester comes out clean. remove and either serve right away warm, preferably with huge cup of coffee or tea, or stick on a rack to cool before storing in air tight container.
Perfect to serve as a breakfast pastry, at brunch, or even as a dessert. A nice little treat for a special lady. (dudes can eat them too)
Happy Mothers Day Mom! Thanks for having me!
And Happy Weekend!!!
-C
Blueberry Scones
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons to sprinkle on top
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter frozen or really cold (use non dairy butter like Earth Balance for vegan)
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk (use non dairy milk for vegan)
Preheat oven t0 400 degrees
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Take the frozen butter and grate directly into flour mixture, tossing around to evenly disrupted. Add in blueberries and toss around till coated with flour, then lastly, add vanilla to buttermilk and mix into mixture until just barely coming together. Turn mixture out onto counter and with your hands, knead mixture a few times until it forms a solid dough. Shape into a disk and smoosh down until about an inch thick. Cut into 6-10 triangles and place on a non greases baking sheet and sprinkle tops with remaining sugar. Stick into oven and bake for 20 minutes or until tops start turning a golden brown and a tester in the middle of a scone comes out clean.
Remove from baking sheet and serve warm or let cool on a rack.
Mom gets first dibs, and if she is willing to share, eat one yourself with your face.
And that’s how I know that this is a winner. As an awesome aunt, when I have any of my nieces or nephews, I feel the need to make something special for dinner, something that the kiddos might not get very often, but also keep it on he healthy side. I have 2 littles for the night which gives me the perfect opportunity for a trash food recipe. You know trash food, things like boxed mac and cheese, beefaroni in a can, or, in this case, sloppy joes.
Sloppy yes, trashy, not so much. These are made with beans and bulgur. No meat.
And I figured it is nice enough out that I can make the kiddos some messy food and then just bring them out back and hose them off… I mean, why not right?
The stuff… We start with onion and green pepper, chopped into pieces. Black beans, bulgur, can crushed tomatoes. Chili powder, garlic powder, a bit o apple cider vinegar (which I forgot to picture) ,and some salt and pepper. Oh and cheese if you want… Plus a bun of some sort is necessary. Toss the chopped onion and peppers into a deep skillet or pot with a drizzle of oil. Cook on medium heat until tender and toss in the spices. Give a stir. Add in the beans, bulgur, and tomato, a splash of vinegar. Stir it all up, cover, and let simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the bulgur has absorbed the liquid and is nice and tender.
If you are a bun toaster… toast while waiting. If not, just get the buns ready And Then dump a good heaping pile right onto a bun. Add some cheese, or not..and eat with wild abandonment, making sure to get as much on your face as you get in you mouth.
Fantastic Friday!! Live it up.
-C
Black Bean and Bulgur Sloppy Joes
2 cups or 1 can cooked black beans
1 16 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup bulgur
1/2 cup water
1 small onion
1 green pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper
a splash of apple cider vinegar
olive oil
4-6 burger or bulky buns
cheese (optional)
Dice the onion and the pepper and toss with a drizzle of olive oil into a large skillet. Sauté on medium heat until veggies become tender. Add in the spices, stir in and let cook for a minutes, then add in the beans, the tomato,water and the bugler. Cover skillet and let simmer until bugler becomes soft.
When the slop is ready, either toasted or not, scoop a generous portions onto buns. If so inclined, add some cheese.
Eat with hands… Sloppy is good.
Chomp Chomp Chomp… The sound I make as I eat this freaking fantastic crunchy granola. You know it’s good when the person sitting next to you is annoyed by the sound of you face while eating. I eat a lot of crunchy stuff. And I am pretty sure I annoy the mister a lot.
Oh well, he will live, and he eats his fair share of annoying stuff too so we can just call it even.
So granola. I love it. I make a batch every few weeks or so, and I usually make it just for me. (I almost never make things just for me) I like to keep it simple but flavorful. A tad sweet, but not really, and crunchy, without the oily fried taste. I also like a variety of sizes, some big clusters and some small pieces.
This granola fits the bill perfectly. Made with 5 ingredients, no oil, and the perfect sweetness level. It’s one of my favorite flavors yet. And I know I said I made it just for me, but the mister really liked it too. (I can’t help sharing)
The simplest of stuff. 1 smashed banana, a cup of pureed butternut squash, Vietnamese cinnamon*, honey, and old fashion oats. (and a dash of salt, not shown)
*Note. I only ever use Vietnamese cinnamon because once I start using it, regular old cinnamon just won’t cut it anymore. It is a bit sweeter and a lot more spicy. If you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, use regular cinnamon and add in 1/2 a teaspoon of all spice.Toss the cinnamon and salt with the oats. Mix together the banana, squash and the sweetener and combine with the oats until full incorporated.
Another note. Because I made this granola for me and no body else, I actually omitted the honey (I think that banana abs squash make it sweet enough) But if I was making this for lets say, the mister, or a friend, I would use add a bit. The sweetness level and sweetener of choice is up to you, but 2-3 teaspoons of honey or maple syrup is usually sweet enough for people.
Dump the mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet and give it a little pat, you know, to settle all the bit and pieces together, all cozy and evenly spread out. Now stick into a preheated oven and after about 20 minutes, take out of oven and give the granola a toss, breaking apart any super big chunks or overly wet pieces. Put back into oven for another 20 minutes. (I like my granola super crispy crunchy so I cook it a little longer, like 30 more minutes)And when you are happy with the crunchiness of you granola, remove from oven and let cool, trying not to eat all of it while it sit’s on the counter looking all pretty and smelling like happiness.
Grab a bowl, stick the rest into a jar with a lid, hide it from others, and chomp chomp chomp away!
-C
Banana Butternut Granola
3 cups old fashion oats (use gluten free oats if needed)
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 cup butternut squash puree (can use canned)
2 tablespoons Vietnamese cinnamon (or 2 tablespoons regular cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of allspice)
1-3 tablespoon honey or sweetener of choice (use greater amount for sweeter)
dash of salt
Preheat oven to 375
In a large bowl, mix together oats, cinnamon and salt. Mix the mashed banana, squash, and sweetener of choice together and combine with the oats. If the mixture seems really dry, add in a very small splash of water to loosen just enough to mix.
Dump mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet and evenly disperse the mixture. Give it a kind of smoosh to compact the oats and to make sure all its all the same thickness on the pan.
Stick into oven for 20 minutes. Remove and give granola a little toss, maybe breaking apart any really big chunks (unless you like really big chunks) and put back into oven for another 20 minutes. (30 for a crunchier granola) Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet before storing in an air tight container. If you find that it is not as crunchy as you would like or is a few days old and lost some of its crunchiness, just stick it back into the oven for a few minutes to re crunch.
Eat as is, as a cold cereal, dip in peanut butter, add to popcorn or whatever way you want to eat it. No utensil required.
THE LOVELY CRAZY
September 19, 2015 by maximios • Blog
The mr and I were suppose to go to our weekly dinner at my sisters house the other night, but when I texted her to double check that wet were still on, she informed me that her two kids had been sickos.. but we were still welcome to come.
Yeah, no. We stayed home.
But before I was informed of the ill littles, I started making these biscuits to bring over. And whoa, am I glad that we didn’t go cause if we did, I would have brought these and maybe killed a kid. See, one of the littles is very allergic to nuts, and I used almond milk in these, so if I had brought them over to the houes, he would have surly ended up with one of those epi pens stuck in his ass and a trip to the nearby hospital. And that would have sucked. I am usually so good about making sure there is not nut anything near anything that goes into that house, but the almond milk.. it just slipped by my awareness. Maybe cause I usually use soy milk, or maybe I am subconsciously out for the kid, but I am now more aware the ever. I think I might even make a little sign to go over the baking stuff that says “Watch your NUTS!” The mr or and any boy would like that.
So yeah, good thing we didn’t go, and now we have lots of biscuits, but that is also a good thing. The mr has had the pleasure of enjoying them all to his lonesome. for dessert, then for breakfast, then for lunch, and now for dessert again. He is a biscuit man through and through. And yeah.. APPLES!
To the biscuits!
The stuff. For the biscuit itself we got some flour, baking soda and powder, cold almond milk, cold earth balance. salt and a little brown sugar. Then for the filling we have more brown sugar, cinnamon, a little more earth balance and of course apples*.
*These apples, oh they are good. Nice and crisp and slightly sweet. They are also very little. I picked them off one of the many trees at our community garden. Unfortunately I have yet been able to identify them, so apple variety here is up to you. A granny smith, gala, or even a mac should do just swell.
To start off, thinly slice and chop up your apples.(I think peeling is a waste, but if you want to, I guess you could peel them). Add the apples to a pot with the earth balance and brown sugar.
Place on medium heat and cook until the apples are soft and the liquid sugar is starting to thicken. Add in the cinnamon and set aside.
Flour, baking soda and powder and salt are whisked together in a large bowl. Add in the cold earth balance and cut in with a fork or pastry cutter until it makes the flour crumbly.
Now add in the cold almond milk and mix until just incorporated. If the mixture seems to dry, add in another tablespoon or two of almond milk
Dump mixture onto a flour surface ands gather into a ball.
Side note.. SEE MY BOWL!!! It’s it amazing? My grandmother gave me here set of vintage ptyex mixing bowls last time I saw her. (It came with a medium red and a little blue one too!) And the best part, my dad remembers them from when he was a little. How fantastic is that.
Roll dough out into a square thats about 1/2 inch thick
Spread the apple mixture on half the dough, leaving a little boarder.
Fold dough over, press the sides tougher, roll the rolling pin over the dough, just to give it a little flatten pat, and cut into squares.
Place on a baking sheet and wash the tops with a little almond milk and sprinkle with more brown sugar.
Into the oven they go!!
Baked until fluffy golden brown. Remove and let cool for a minute or two.
Apple cinnamon biscuits heck yeah!
To share or to hoard.. all up to you..
Happy apple time!
-C
makes 8
For the biscuits
For the apple cinnamon filling
a little extra almond mild to brush tops and bit of brown sugar to spindle the tops with.
Preheat oven to 425.
Slice and chop apples into small thin chunks and place in a pot with the 2 tablespoons of earth balance and sugar. turn heat on medium high and cook until the apples have soften and the sugar an butter have turned into a thin syrup. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and powder, salt and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Cut in the cold earth balance until flour is crumbly. Add in almond milk and mix until combined If dough seems way to dry, add in an extra tablespoon of milk . Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and bring together. Take your lightly floured rolling pin and roll dough out into about a 1/2 inch rectange. Take apple mixture and spread evenly on half the dough then fold over and press sides and ends together. Cut into 8 equal pieces. Place on a baking sheet (Iit might be a good idea to line it with parchment) and wash tops with a little almond milked and sprinkle with brown sugar.
Place in oven for 12-14 minutes until golden brown.
Remove and let cool for a minute and then eat them all. Or eat a few and save the rest for later.
Lasts for 2-3 days in air tight container, but will not be super crispy biscuity after being stored.
It’s official, all of the littles started school yesterday……HOORAY! (I say hooray cause school is cool and the start of school means it’s going to be fall so soon!. Also I like hanging out with the littles more when they are in school. There is more to talk about and any time away from school is cool time so they like to do more stuff and not just be summer bums)
One of the littles had his very first ever day of school. So me, being the bestest most awesomest aunt ever, made that little a celebration, hooray for school, banana ice cream cake.
This little has been bugging me for a while now to make him an ice cream cake. It all started a few months ago when I gave him a bowl of banana ice cream and told him that when he sleeps over he can have ice cream for breakfast That blew his little mind. We then proceeded to have a converastawtion about healthy food and what was ok to eat for breakfast. (He is very interested in being healthy) I then told him that whenever he sleeps over I would make a banana ice cream cake for breakfast cause bananas are healthy. But every time he is over, I never seems to have enough bananas.
Well I had the bananas and there is no better excuse then the first day of kindergarten to make a cake.. A very delicious peanut butter banana ice cream cake! And no, it wasn’t for breakfast, but the left overs can be! (there were no left overs here)
The stuff… Crispy rice cereal, peanut butter (I have some chiunky stuff at the moment, but any nut butter is good) and 4 frozen chopped up bananas.
Rice ceareal goes into a food processor with the peanut butter. Pulse until everything is all combined and starts to come togerter.
And ump the mixture into a spring for pan. If you do not have a spring form pan, a pie plate will work just as well.
Such a nice looking crust if I do say so myself. Now stick it in the freezer while you make your ice cream.
Frozen bananas go into the processor, get blended for a few mounters, and come out as ice cream…. freaking magic!
Now dump the magic ice cream into the crust.
And smooth it all nice like..and into the freezer it goes until its frozen.
After a few hours, you take it out of the freezer, remove from the pan (or leave it in the pan)
And gather your toppings. A handful of the rice cereal, some melted peanut butter, and a little melted nutella. (use whatever you want.. fruit would be great, some nuts, graham crackers, sprinkles. You get the idea)
Now, Wait for it….
Go crazy! Toppings all over!
And serve up, and watch out.. I almost got my hand eaten for kids going for seconds..
Have a fantastic day and happy back to school. to littles and parents alike!
-C
Makes a 6 inch cake
For the cake
To garnish (use any, all or none of what you would like… and maybe not the super sugary ones if a breakfast cake)
Place cereal and peanut butter into a food processor and pulse until crumbly and combined and starts to come away from bowl.
Dump mixture into a 6 in spring form pan (or if you not have one, a pie plate works too) and press it down evenly on the bottom. Stick into freezer
Take bananas out of freezer and place into food processor. Blend until smooth. If needed, you can drizzle a tiny amount of water into it if you think it needs a little help to blend.
Once smooth, take crust from freezer and dump the nanaer ice cream on top and carefully smooth it out. Stick back into freezer (a pier of plastic over to prevent ice crystals )for at least 2 hours, or until the ice cream has completely frozen.
When it’s time to serve, remove cake from spring form (or leave it in the pie plate).and drizzle the top with melted peanut butter, melted, chocolate and another handful of crispy cereal. Or leave it bare. Or add sprinkles… the toppings are all unto you!
Eat like a camp, for breakfast or dessert.. Or eat some for dessert and then some for breakfast.
I never use to eat breakfast. Or I would drink a pot of coffee and call that my breakfast. (which still happens every now and then) But as I get older I have realized the importance of a eating a healthy morning meal.. If I eat breakfast I have more energy throughout the day. I go to the gym in the mornings and find that if I eat before or right after that I feel so much better and stronger and am less likely to have a major energy crash.. I also made breakfast a routine, where I read while I eat, which is one of my favorite parts of the day. This bowl of greatness has made me wake up hungry, to the point that sometime I go to bed excited to wake up and eat, and i’ll be honest, to drink coffee.(that’s totally not weird)
And I know, this might seem like a strange combination to some, that lentils should not be a breakfast food. But really think about it. Why not? I am a firm believe that anything healthy that provides a great amount of nourishment is good breakfast food.
This breakfast bowl is full of everything that I love. It’s backed full of proteins and all sorts of other hearhtly vitamins, minerals and antioxidants (I am not going to list everything) and is the optimal form of nourishment…. The perfect breakfast.
Still skeptical…Well don’t be because I am telling you, this is oh so tasty. Just trust.
The stuff*…. Cooked and cooled lentils, a carrot, a couple strawberries and a small apple, all chopped up. And cinnamon. Don’t forget the cinnamon.
*Note.. I always start with the lentils and carrots but will change uo the mix ins. I like peaches, blueberries, cherries, pears, roasted sweet potatoes. I’ll use pretty much whatever I have for fruit in the house. So what I am saying is use whatever you like.
Take you stuff, and pile into a bowl all nice and pretty.
Sprinkle on a spoonful of cinnamon..
This is for real, the best breakfast ever!
Start your morning right and have a great day!
-C
Place lentils and mix in’s into a bowl. Sprinkle on desired amount of cinnamon. Mix together and eat.
Can be made the night before so it is all ready for the morning.
Use a spoon or your fingers, Always chew with mouth.
Guess what guys ….I got myself a sick vintage waffle/ griddle iron. I couldn’t be more thrilled!!! I found this thing at the local recycled goods store the other day, along with a very beautiful old white pyrex mixing bowl. It was one of my best thrift store scores! (Checking out the inventory and the condition of all the old things that day, I would say an old lady had just died and all her perfectly keep, mint condition kitchen stuff had just been donated. But it’s cool, cause I get the feeling that she was at least 90, with a big loving family, and was happy until the day she died. And I am sure she would be pleased that I have taken over the waffle maker. Thanks old lady!)
And now I am pretty sure that everything I make for the next week will be cooked on said waffle/griddle. I am serious, I already have a list of things to try and cook on it; cookies, biscuits, granola bars, potatoes, fruit, some type of pasta situations…. the list of possibilities is endless and I bet that at least 1/2 of these things will be totally awesome and amazing.
But first thing first. I need to make dinner.
So waffles for dinner!!
Note. These waffles are completely 100% fantastic for any meal you want to make them for. They consist of nothing more then beans, a shit ton of veggies, and just a bit of cornmeal. But don’t let that fool you because they are super packed full of so much flavor, have a really soft tender inside, with a nice crispy outside and are so super pretty. They are wonderful! The stuff. First, we got a big old pile of shredded up veggies which include; carrot, beet, sweet potato, onion, parsnip, celeriac, and a little bit of kale. A we got a bowl of rinsed and strained white beans, a little bit of cornmeal and salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
The makings of something amazing!Before you do anything. get your waffle iron out and preheat it.
While thats going on, take you beans, add 3/4 cup water and puree until smooth with whatever blending device want to like to use. (I used my hand blender…less to clean)Now collect all the shredded veggies and dump into a big bowl with the bean puree, the spices and the cornmeal. Mix until combined. The batter should be thick, but not dry. If its seems to wet, add more corn meal, or too dry, add a little more water.
Note how my batter turned a magical pink… I love beets, they make everything pretty! And check out that bowl!When your waffle iron is preheated, oil it if needed (if your not sure, add a little oil just to really make sure your waffles don’t stick) and take appropriate size spoonfuls of the batter and stick on iron. Close it and wait…..My iron has a little light that turns on when the waffles are done cooking, so I waited patiently (ok iI did open it a few time) until light tuned on and removed the perfectly cooked waffles.
Did I mention how awesome my new/old vintage iron is?
SO AWESOME!!
I made a little gaucamole and gave the mister and little bowl of plain Greek yogurt with lemon juice, but feel free to top, drizzle, or dump whatever you want onto these beauties…
Happy waffle Wednesday!!!
-C
Veggie Bean Wonder Waffles
Makes 8-10 waffles (in my iron) feeds 2-3 peeps
Note on veggies… I used what I had in the fridge and shredded, it came to about 3 cups. If you don’t have these specific veggies or only want to use a few.. go for it. Just make sure to have 3 cups of whatever veggies you use.
Take you beans and blend them up with whatever device you would like to use. Once creamy, add to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Stir until combined.
Once the waffle iron is preheated, oil it( if needed) and place the recommended amount of batter right on it there. Close and cook until golden brown and waffly.
Serve on a plate with topping of your choice, A few suggestions.. Guacamole, salsa, hummus, mustard, greek yogurt… anything that tastes good to you.
Eat as breakfast, lunch or dinner…
Fork into face
My contribution to last nights dinner at my sisters…. Freshy fresh veggies spring rolls.I had about 30 minutes between work and getting over to my sisters house to throw something together so it needed to be something fast, easy, and something I could make without going to the store. She was making the main course (some teriyaki situation and rice) so I was doing up the veggies.
I had just bought a package of spring roll wrappers…. Bingo! The perfect and logical choice. I grab the wrappers, a variety of veggies and after spending 12 of my 30 minutes trying to scrub the oil based paint off of my face and hands, I still managed to completely prepare, construct, and take pictures of these lovely tasty spring rolls. and get over to my sisters in time for dinner.
Impressed?
Damn right!
The stuff. Carrot, beet, asparagus, red cabbage, and kohlrabi, which all (except asparagus, which I just cut into thirds) got cut into matchstick sized pieces with my mandoiln. Then there are the rice spring roll wrappers that we need to make the veggies into rolls. Also a bit of red wine vinegar to drizzle onto the veggies for a little extra zing. And lastly, soy, fresh ginger, and a couple cloves of garlic for a spicy salty dipping sauce.Start by having everything set out and ready to assemble. Fill a large shallow dish or baking sheet with really warm water. Working with one at a time,place a rice wrapper into water and let sit for about 10 seconds or until the paper starts to soften. Remove from water and place on a damp surface (just splash a little water on the counter) Take a little bit of everything and and place on the lower middle part of the paper. Fold in the sides first, then tuck and roll the wrapper as tightly as you can without ripping the wrapper.
Repeat until you have used up all you veggies.For the dipping sauce. Finely grate ginger and garlic and add to soy sauce. Stir… and it’s done.Freshy, pretty and fantastically delicious. And for real, took about 8 minutes to make. (I even had enough time to wash the dishes before we left!)
I am so awesome!
Hump Day Pow!!!!!
-C
Fresh Veggies Spring Rolls
Makes 8-10 but can easily be increased or decreased to desired amount
Note… I used the veggies that I had in the fridge at the moment. If you have a bunch of veggies but not these particular ones, use what you have. Pretty much all veggies taste good inside a spring roll!
Gather your veggies and prep by either using a mandolin, a grater, or some sick knife skills, and julienne, shred, or slice you veggies into thin match sticks. Once all the veggies are prepared, sprinkle a little vinegar over the top.
For the rolls…Grab a large shallow vessel (a rimmed baking sheet works great) and add in warm water. Working one at a time, place the wrapper into the water for about 10 seconds or until the wrapper starts to soften. Remove and spread onto a clean, damp work surface. Gather a bit of each veggie that you are adding and place towards the bottom middle of the wrapper. Now fold the sides in over the pile of veggies. Then with the side closest to you, tuck and roll wrapper away from you, trying to keep it tight, but not to tight that it rips.. (Hopefully that makes since.) Place finished rolls onto a damp surface to keep from sticking and if not serving right away, drape with a damp towel or paper towel to keep from drying out.
For the soy ginger dipping sauce. Add grated ginger, minced garlic, and soy into a bowl and mix together. Serve with spring rolls.
Eat one, two, or a plateful. It’s nice to share but not a necessity.
And for the last few months my mom has been up my butt, trying to get me to make her some. Not going to lie, I have been saying I’ll get her a batch, but for some reason, I haven’t gotten around to making them. So two birds here.. Make the scones and she gets off my back for a least a little while (a month.. maybe 2) and I give her a fantastic Mothers day gift that I know she will love.
So here they are , oh mother of mine. Blueberry scones!
Now for my special trick for a perfectly distributed cold butter in a pastry. Freeze your butter and grate it!
With a large wholed grater, grate the frozen butter directly into the bowl with the dry, stoping a few times to toss the butter chunks around so you don’t end up with a huge pile of grated butter. When it’s all grated, gently toss around so the butter is evenly distributed.
Now dump the blueberries into the flour mixture. Toss them around to give them a coat of flour. Add in the buttermilk and vanilla and give a little mix until liquid is absorbed. We are trying to handle the dough as little as possible.
Turn mixture onto counter. It’s very loose, but thats what it should look like. 
Very gently and with as little handling as possible, gather dough up, knead a few times till everything just comes together. Press dough into a disk that is roughly an inch thick…. and it doesn’t need to be perfect. 
Cut the disk into even sized pieces. Do 6 big, 8 normal, maybe even 10 smaller. Whatever size you like. (I did 8) Place the scones onto a baking sheet, using a spatula to transfer, and sprinkle the tops with a little bit of sugar. Into a preheated oven for about 20 minutes.
And when the scones look all nice and browned and a tester comes out clean. remove and either serve right away warm, preferably with huge cup of coffee or tea, or stick on a rack to cool before storing in air tight container.
Perfect to serve as a breakfast pastry, at brunch, or even as a dessert. A nice little treat for a special lady. (dudes can eat them too)
Happy Mothers Day Mom! Thanks for having me!
And Happy Weekend!!!
-C
Blueberry Scones
Preheat oven t0 400 degrees
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Take the frozen butter and grate directly into flour mixture, tossing around to evenly disrupted. Add in blueberries and toss around till coated with flour, then lastly, add vanilla to buttermilk and mix into mixture until just barely coming together. Turn mixture out onto counter and with your hands, knead mixture a few times until it forms a solid dough. Shape into a disk and smoosh down until about an inch thick. Cut into 6-10 triangles and place on a non greases baking sheet and sprinkle tops with remaining sugar. Stick into oven and bake for 20 minutes or until tops start turning a golden brown and a tester in the middle of a scone comes out clean.
Remove from baking sheet and serve warm or let cool on a rack.
Mom gets first dibs, and if she is willing to share, eat one yourself with your face.
Sloppy yes, trashy, not so much. These are made with beans and bulgur. No meat.
And I figured it is nice enough out that I can make the kiddos some messy food and then just bring them out back and hose them off… I mean, why not right?
If you are a bun toaster… toast while waiting. If not, just get the buns ready
And Then dump a good heaping pile right onto a bun. Add some cheese, or not..and eat with wild abandonment, making sure to get as much on your face as you get in you mouth.
Fantastic Friday!! Live it up.
-C
Black Bean and Bulgur Sloppy Joes
Dice the onion and the pepper and toss with a drizzle of olive oil into a large skillet. Sauté on medium heat until veggies become tender. Add in the spices, stir in and let cook for a minutes, then add in the beans, the tomato,water and the bugler. Cover skillet and let simmer until bugler becomes soft.
When the slop is ready, either toasted or not, scoop a generous portions onto buns. If so inclined, add some cheese.
Eat with hands… Sloppy is good.
Oh well, he will live, and he eats his fair share of annoying stuff too so we can just call it even.
So granola. I love it. I make a batch every few weeks or so, and I usually make it just for me. (I almost never make things just for me) I like to keep it simple but flavorful. A tad sweet, but not really, and crunchy, without the oily fried taste. I also like a variety of sizes, some big clusters and some small pieces.
This granola fits the bill perfectly. Made with 5 ingredients, no oil, and the perfect sweetness level. It’s one of my favorite flavors yet. And I know I said I made it just for me, but the mister really liked it too. (I can’t help sharing)
*Note. I only ever use Vietnamese cinnamon because once I start using it, regular old cinnamon just won’t cut it anymore. It is a bit sweeter and a lot more spicy. If you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, use regular cinnamon and add in 1/2 a teaspoon of all spice.
Toss the cinnamon and salt with the oats. Mix together the banana, squash and the sweetener and combine with the oats until full incorporated.
Another note. Because I made this granola for me and no body else, I actually omitted the honey (I think that banana abs squash make it sweet enough) But if I was making this for lets say, the mister, or a friend, I would use add a bit. The sweetness level and sweetener of choice is up to you, but 2-3 teaspoons of honey or maple syrup is usually sweet enough for people.
Grab a bowl, stick the rest into a jar with a lid, hide it from others, and chomp chomp chomp away!
-C
Banana Butternut Granola
Preheat oven to 375
In a large bowl, mix together oats, cinnamon and salt. Mix the mashed banana, squash, and sweetener of choice together and combine with the oats. If the mixture seems really dry, add in a very small splash of water to loosen just enough to mix.
Dump mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet and evenly disperse the mixture. Give it a kind of smoosh to compact the oats and to make sure all its all the same thickness on the pan.
Stick into oven for 20 minutes. Remove and give granola a little toss, maybe breaking apart any really big chunks (unless you like really big chunks) and put back into oven for another 20 minutes. (30 for a crunchier granola) Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet before storing in an air tight container. If you find that it is not as crunchy as you would like or is a few days old and lost some of its crunchiness, just stick it back into the oven for a few minutes to re crunch.
Eat as is, as a cold cereal, dip in peanut butter, add to popcorn or whatever way you want to eat it. No utensil required.