FRIDAY YEAH YEAH!!!!
And for your Friday, I made these awesome little raw/ vegan/ gluten free cookies.
Now wait a minute. Don’t let all the labels of what is not in these cookies scare you away. Just focus on all the stuff that these cookies are made of. Almonds, Cashews, Coconut, Cocoa, Oatmeal. They are cookies made with lots of good yummy stuff that just happened to be enjoyed by those with specific food diets as well as those who eat anything. A cookie for all! See, don’t they sound excellent? Yes, yes they do. And they are good. So, so, good. Even the mr. is into them. And he is far from being raw/vegan/ gluten free.
And because these cookies are made with all sorts of good for you stuff (lots of proteins, good healthy fats, and complex carbs) you can pretty much feel zero percent guilt eating them. They a are a no joke, healthy, energy packed cookies of goodness. A fantastic way to start the morning, eat with lunch, as dessert, post work out, or eat as a late night snack. (Just don’t eat them all at once)
Now go for it!
![]()
The raw stuff. A cup of old fashion rolled oat that have been soaking in water for about an hour. Almonds(which I spent 20 minutes deshelling) cashews, dehydrated coconut flakes, some cocoa powder and a few medjool date. If your nuts are unsalted, add a pinch of salt too.
![]()
Dump everything into a food processor. BUT WAIT! Make sure to remove the pits from the dates)I have broken a blade in the past form a date pit)
![]()
Blend unit combined and a kind of rough dough is formed. It will be a little sticky. If it;s to sticky to handle, place into the fridge for a few minutes to set up.
![]()
Now take blobs of mixture and roll into balls
![]()
And you could totally leave them as balls… you can even play with your balls….
![]()
But I think they look nicer squished flat and topped with pieces of nuts and coconut. They look almost fancy, if I do say so myself.
![]()
Now have yourself a cookie, and place the rest in the fridge (they get harder and, if you can imagine, taste even better after a few hours of cold)
Freak Yeah FRIDAY! Do fu stuff!
-C
Makes 15 normal sized cookies (you can make more or less, depending on the ball size)
- 1 cups oat fashion oats soaked in 1 cup water for at least an hour (use gluten free oats if needed)
- 1/2 cup raw almonds
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 5-6 medjool dates
- 1/2 cup dehydrated flaked coconut
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- a pinch of salt (if your nuts are unsalted)
Add all the ingredients into a food processer and blend until the mixer forms a cohesive dough. It;s going to be a tad sticky, but if it seems to sticky to handle, refrigerate for a little bit so it’s easier to handle. (I have no problem handling right away)
Scoop and roll into balls and either leave them as is or squish them flat. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and coconut
Eat one or two right away, then stick the rest in fridge.
A ok to eat as breakfast, with lunch, at dinner, as as snack, a post workout protein, or when sitting on the couch and watching TV.
The past week was freaking gross hot, like sweaty, smelly, I want to live in the Costco walk in freezer hot. But today, well today was the most lovely day. A cool dry 70 with a nice breeze and sunshine. Then around dinnertime, a little bit of rain, followed by a rainbow. It was the most fantastic perfect weather.This is why I love living in Vermont. We get weather.
.Last night, dinner was all about trying to make some more room in the fridge for the farm share pick up tonight and to make something that I didn’t have to really watch. (the mr and I were moving the beehive to the roof of the house so I wanted to make something that I could leave on the stove and not have to babysit (just stir every now and then). With the weather being so freaking amazing, with a cool crispness in the air, I was craving something a little more on the warm and comfy side. And what do you know, the stuff I had left in the fridge (there is still a basket of zucchini on the table) was what was needed for a big pot of stewed summer ratatouille with lentils. It was everthing that I ever could need and want for a meal. Full of the best veggies and lentils, easy to make, nothing fancy to do. Just stick stuff into a pot and cook until done.
Cooler, light long sleeve, kind of weather. Enough rain where I didn’t have to water the garden, the most perfect pot of the best ratatouille shared with the mr. and a feeling of accomplishment and excitement (bees on the roof!).
The perfect night.
![]()
The stuff. Zucchini, yellow summer squash, eggplant, onion, tomatoes and lentils. And we have some fresh basil, fresh oregano, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and some salt and pepper.
![]()
To get this party started, chop up the onion and toss it into a big heavy pot with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Stick on the stove on medium heat.
![]()
While the onions are cooking, mince up the garlic and chop up all the other veggie into medium sized chunks.
![]()
When the onions start to become translucent and smell fantastic, add in all the veggies and garlic. Give it a big stir and place back on the stove to cook for a few minutes to let the veggies release some of their liquid.
![]()
Then add in the lentils along with a equal amount of water and top with a lid.
![]()
![]()
After about 30 minutes, the lentils should be near done and the veggies tender, the tomatoes pretty much dissolved. Now chop up the basil and oregano and toss it in along with a few swigs of the balsamic vinegar. Give it a stir and keep on cooking for another 10ish more minutes or until the lentils are nice and tender.
![]()
![]()
Scoop onto bowl then into mouth. If you like, finish off with a bit more fresh basil or,ike the mr, top with parmesan cheese.
Have a fantastic day! So close to the weekend!!
-C
Makes 2-3 big servings (if serving with pastas or rice, its more like 4-5 servings)
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 medium yellow summer squash
- i medium onion
- 1 small eggplant
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup dried lentils
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 medium to large tomatoes
- handful fresh basil leaves
- a few glugs of balsamic vinegar
- couple sprigs of fresh oregano
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Drizzle a little olive oil into a large pot. Dice up the onion and place on medium heat and cook for a few minutes. Mince up the garlic and chop up the remaining veggies into medium sized pieces. Once the onion is cooke a bit and strting to smell oh so nice, toss the veggies and garlic into the pot. Mix, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place a lid on it. Cook for a few minutes to draw out a bit of liquid from the veggies. Now add in the lentils and the water. Stick the lid back on and let cook for about 30 minutes on medium low heat or until the lentils are starting to soften.
When the lentils are mostly soft, but still have a bit of biet, dice the fresh herbs and toss into pot with a few swings of balsamic vinegar. Stir and cook for another 8-10 minutes or until the lentils are full cooked.
Remove from heat and ladle into bowls..
Serve with rice, pasta, bread, a big old pile of fresh greens, or just as it is.
Eats fantastic right aways, or cold late at night standing in front of the fridge..
The mr. calls them the beached whales of the garden. One day you have these nice little green gems growing in the garden. You see them from a distance and think, “Oh look at those squash, those are oh so lovely” and then you look away. Maybe you leave and let them grow for a day or two. Then when you come back to look, they have turned into humongous squash that, in fact, look like giant green beached whales.
We have been eating a lot of those beached whale these past few weeks..
Take yesterday for example. I made zucchini bread, zucchini relish, zucchini pickles and these here zucchini noodles. And that was before I went to the garden and picked 4 more. And today is farm share pick up which means I’ll be receiving at least another 8-12 squash. And did I mention that there are currently 6 large zucchini sitting on my table.
My new life motto as of lately is ….When life gives you zucchini.. just eat the shit out of them.
These noodles are by far, one of the easiest, and most delicious ways to use up a butt load of zucchini. And you can do it every day. I know people that eat pasta like 5 time a week so I don’t think it’s that weird to be eating zucchini noodles every night. The mr. well he is eating them like a champ. For a guy that really likes his pasta, he really likes when I make these noodle. And as he said last night, “who wouldn’t like a bowl of carb free noodles that taste amazing and you can eat as much as you want and not feel like car?”. My responses was,” maybe some asshole? I don’t know”
So yeah, zucchini noodles is where its at.
![]()
The stuff. 2 big zucchinis, a large tomato, a few cloves of garlic, a lemon (or just some lemon juice) and a handful of fresh basil. Also grab a little olive oil and the and salt and pepper.
![]()
Firstly, turn you squash into noodles. Do it anyway you like.. I used my mandolin slicer to cut “spaghetti” but you can use a julienne slicer, a noodle maker, or even a box grater. Once made, set noodles aside.
![]()
Now chop tomato into chunks and mince garlic. Add to a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil. Place on medium heat, mix around and cook for a few minutes unit garlic becomes fragrant and the tomatoes are soften.
![]()
Now add in the noodles. Just toss right into the pan with the galic and tomatoes. Add a splash of water, the juice of the lemon and salt and pepper. Keep heat on medium and mix noodles around until slightly soft (or cooked to you liking)
![]()
Once your happy with the doneness, remove from heat.
![]()
Roughly chop or tear the basil into smallish pieces and toss into noodles.
![]()
And noodles be done. Now to eating.. and be sure to eat as much as you can, its only zucchini.
Have a good today!
-C
- 2 medium to large medium zucchinis
- a handful of fresh basil
- 1 large tomato or 2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- 1 lemon
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
Take zucchini and either with a veggie noodle maker, a juillene peeler, or madoline, a box grater, or just some sweets knife skills, make the noodles and set aside. Mince garlic and chop the tomatoes into chunks add to a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and place on medium heat and cook until the tomatoes are soft and the garlic is fragrant.Once that’s cooked, place the noodles into the skillet with about 1/4 cup water and the nice of the lemon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix noodles around and cook until slightly tender (cook longer for a more well done noodle) Remove from heat. Chop or rip up your basil and toss into the noodles and mix around.
And now it’s time.
Place in bowls and fill you mouth hole.
This time of year, there are so many reasons for popsicles, but I think that main reason is that I don’t want to willingly turn on the oven for any amount of time. It’s just to f-ing hot.
Lately, it’s been hot. And humid. And gross. Just way too hot to make anything in the oven. So when I grabbed the rhubarb out of the fridge, knowing that if I didn’t use it soon it would go bad, I immediately thought to make pie. Then I was like,” hell no, not going to happen. I need to freeze this shit”. And freeze it I did..into the greatest, slightly sweet, slightly tart, bright pink popsicles of happiness. They are really the perfect little frozen treat. Not overly sweet and sticky, have a lot a fresh clean flavor, and takes the edge off of the super summer heat and humidity, even if only for a few minutes.
I love popsicles.
But sadly this is probably the last rhubarb for the season (Or maybe the second to last..I think I saw some for sale at the coop a few days ago)
So get it while you can and make these popsicles!
![]()
The stuff. Rhubarb, a lime and a little bit of honey (or any sweetener you like). Plus you are going to need some water, but I bet you have some of that on hand.
Chop the rhubarb into inch chunks and toss into a big pot with the water. Stick on the stove and bring to a boil then turn heat to low and let simmer.
![]()
Once the rhubarb is so soft that it falls apart, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
![]()
With a fine mesh stainer, strain juice into a large jar or bowl.
![]()
Now you have the juice for the popsicles and the left over rhubarb stuff is the rhubarb butter.
![]()
Place the rhubarb butter into a jar, adding a little honey(or whatever) if you want and eat with anything and everything ( I’ve been adding it to the mr’s yogurt and just eating it with a spoon)
And now add the juice of the lime to the rhubarb juice and add a little honey or whatever sweetness to taste.
![]()
And add the rhubarb juice to your popsicle molds and stick in the freezer with sticks tops or wait two hours and add wooden sticks.
When frozen, run the mold under a little hot water and pop those suckers out.
![]()
A two for one deal here. And timed perfectly. You have the rhubarb butter to eat while you wait for the popsicles to freeze. So smart
Happy Tuesday.. Keep it cool!
-C
makes 6 4oz popsicles and about a cup of jam
- 3 cups chopped rhubarb
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 lime
- Anywhere from 4 tablespoons honey (2 for popsicles and 2 for jam)
Chop the rhubarb into inch ish chunks and stick into a big pot with water. Turn on high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to low and simmer until the rhubarb is so soft its falling apart. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Take a big jug or bowl with a fine mesh strainer,strain the liquid from the solids. You can use a wooden spoon to stir around to help get the juice flowing. Place remaining solids into a jar and add as little or as much or as little honey (any sweetener you like) and give it a stir. Thats your jam
Now for the popsicles. Add the juice of the lime and a tablespoon or two of honey (or whatever sweeteners you like) and mix around. Pour into popsicle molds and stick into freezer.Know your mold.. if you need to insert a stick, do so after about 2 hours.
When pops are frozen, remove from mold and eat your heart out.
THE LOVELY CRAZY
September 19, 2015 by maximios • Blog
FRIDAY YEAH YEAH!!!!
And for your Friday, I made these awesome little raw/ vegan/ gluten free cookies.
Now wait a minute. Don’t let all the labels of what is not in these cookies scare you away. Just focus on all the stuff that these cookies are made of. Almonds, Cashews, Coconut, Cocoa, Oatmeal. They are cookies made with lots of good yummy stuff that just happened to be enjoyed by those with specific food diets as well as those who eat anything. A cookie for all! See, don’t they sound excellent? Yes, yes they do. And they are good. So, so, good. Even the mr. is into them. And he is far from being raw/vegan/ gluten free.
And because these cookies are made with all sorts of good for you stuff (lots of proteins, good healthy fats, and complex carbs) you can pretty much feel zero percent guilt eating them. They a are a no joke, healthy, energy packed cookies of goodness. A fantastic way to start the morning, eat with lunch, as dessert, post work out, or eat as a late night snack. (Just don’t eat them all at once)
Now go for it!
The raw stuff. A cup of old fashion rolled oat that have been soaking in water for about an hour. Almonds(which I spent 20 minutes deshelling) cashews, dehydrated coconut flakes, some cocoa powder and a few medjool date. If your nuts are unsalted, add a pinch of salt too.
Dump everything into a food processor. BUT WAIT! Make sure to remove the pits from the dates)I have broken a blade in the past form a date pit)
Blend unit combined and a kind of rough dough is formed. It will be a little sticky. If it;s to sticky to handle, place into the fridge for a few minutes to set up.
Now take blobs of mixture and roll into balls
And you could totally leave them as balls… you can even play with your balls….
But I think they look nicer squished flat and topped with pieces of nuts and coconut. They look almost fancy, if I do say so myself.
Now have yourself a cookie, and place the rest in the fridge (they get harder and, if you can imagine, taste even better after a few hours of cold)
Freak Yeah FRIDAY! Do fu stuff!
-C
Makes 15 normal sized cookies (you can make more or less, depending on the ball size)
Add all the ingredients into a food processer and blend until the mixer forms a cohesive dough. It;s going to be a tad sticky, but if it seems to sticky to handle, refrigerate for a little bit so it’s easier to handle. (I have no problem handling right away)
Scoop and roll into balls and either leave them as is or squish them flat. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and coconut
Eat one or two right away, then stick the rest in fridge.
A ok to eat as breakfast, with lunch, at dinner, as as snack, a post workout protein, or when sitting on the couch and watching TV.
The past week was freaking gross hot, like sweaty, smelly, I want to live in the Costco walk in freezer hot. But today, well today was the most lovely day. A cool dry 70 with a nice breeze and sunshine. Then around dinnertime, a little bit of rain, followed by a rainbow. It was the most fantastic perfect weather.This is why I love living in Vermont. We get weather.
.Last night, dinner was all about trying to make some more room in the fridge for the farm share pick up tonight and to make something that I didn’t have to really watch. (the mr and I were moving the beehive to the roof of the house so I wanted to make something that I could leave on the stove and not have to babysit (just stir every now and then). With the weather being so freaking amazing, with a cool crispness in the air, I was craving something a little more on the warm and comfy side. And what do you know, the stuff I had left in the fridge (there is still a basket of zucchini on the table) was what was needed for a big pot of stewed summer ratatouille with lentils. It was everthing that I ever could need and want for a meal. Full of the best veggies and lentils, easy to make, nothing fancy to do. Just stick stuff into a pot and cook until done.
Cooler, light long sleeve, kind of weather. Enough rain where I didn’t have to water the garden, the most perfect pot of the best ratatouille shared with the mr. and a feeling of accomplishment and excitement (bees on the roof!).
The perfect night.
The stuff. Zucchini, yellow summer squash, eggplant, onion, tomatoes and lentils. And we have some fresh basil, fresh oregano, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and some salt and pepper.
To get this party started, chop up the onion and toss it into a big heavy pot with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Stick on the stove on medium heat.
While the onions are cooking, mince up the garlic and chop up all the other veggie into medium sized chunks.
When the onions start to become translucent and smell fantastic, add in all the veggies and garlic. Give it a big stir and place back on the stove to cook for a few minutes to let the veggies release some of their liquid.
Then add in the lentils along with a equal amount of water and top with a lid.
After about 30 minutes, the lentils should be near done and the veggies tender, the tomatoes pretty much dissolved. Now chop up the basil and oregano and toss it in along with a few swigs of the balsamic vinegar. Give it a stir and keep on cooking for another 10ish more minutes or until the lentils are nice and tender.
Scoop onto bowl then into mouth. If you like, finish off with a bit more fresh basil or,ike the mr, top with parmesan cheese.
Have a fantastic day! So close to the weekend!!
-C
Makes 2-3 big servings (if serving with pastas or rice, its more like 4-5 servings)
Drizzle a little olive oil into a large pot. Dice up the onion and place on medium heat and cook for a few minutes. Mince up the garlic and chop up the remaining veggies into medium sized pieces. Once the onion is cooke a bit and strting to smell oh so nice, toss the veggies and garlic into the pot. Mix, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place a lid on it. Cook for a few minutes to draw out a bit of liquid from the veggies. Now add in the lentils and the water. Stick the lid back on and let cook for about 30 minutes on medium low heat or until the lentils are starting to soften.
When the lentils are mostly soft, but still have a bit of biet, dice the fresh herbs and toss into pot with a few swings of balsamic vinegar. Stir and cook for another 8-10 minutes or until the lentils are full cooked.
Remove from heat and ladle into bowls..
Serve with rice, pasta, bread, a big old pile of fresh greens, or just as it is.
Eats fantastic right aways, or cold late at night standing in front of the fridge..
The mr. calls them the beached whales of the garden. One day you have these nice little green gems growing in the garden. You see them from a distance and think, “Oh look at those squash, those are oh so lovely” and then you look away. Maybe you leave and let them grow for a day or two. Then when you come back to look, they have turned into humongous squash that, in fact, look like giant green beached whales.
We have been eating a lot of those beached whale these past few weeks..
Take yesterday for example. I made zucchini bread, zucchini relish, zucchini pickles and these here zucchini noodles. And that was before I went to the garden and picked 4 more. And today is farm share pick up which means I’ll be receiving at least another 8-12 squash. And did I mention that there are currently 6 large zucchini sitting on my table.
My new life motto as of lately is ….When life gives you zucchini.. just eat the shit out of them.
These noodles are by far, one of the easiest, and most delicious ways to use up a butt load of zucchini. And you can do it every day. I know people that eat pasta like 5 time a week so I don’t think it’s that weird to be eating zucchini noodles every night. The mr. well he is eating them like a champ. For a guy that really likes his pasta, he really likes when I make these noodle. And as he said last night, “who wouldn’t like a bowl of carb free noodles that taste amazing and you can eat as much as you want and not feel like car?”. My responses was,” maybe some asshole? I don’t know”
So yeah, zucchini noodles is where its at.
The stuff. 2 big zucchinis, a large tomato, a few cloves of garlic, a lemon (or just some lemon juice) and a handful of fresh basil. Also grab a little olive oil and the and salt and pepper.
Firstly, turn you squash into noodles. Do it anyway you like.. I used my mandolin slicer to cut “spaghetti” but you can use a julienne slicer, a noodle maker, or even a box grater. Once made, set noodles aside.
Now chop tomato into chunks and mince garlic. Add to a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil. Place on medium heat, mix around and cook for a few minutes unit garlic becomes fragrant and the tomatoes are soften.
Now add in the noodles. Just toss right into the pan with the galic and tomatoes. Add a splash of water, the juice of the lemon and salt and pepper. Keep heat on medium and mix noodles around until slightly soft (or cooked to you liking)
Once your happy with the doneness, remove from heat.
Roughly chop or tear the basil into smallish pieces and toss into noodles.
And noodles be done. Now to eating.. and be sure to eat as much as you can, its only zucchini.
Have a good today!
-C
Take zucchini and either with a veggie noodle maker, a juillene peeler, or madoline, a box grater, or just some sweets knife skills, make the noodles and set aside. Mince garlic and chop the tomatoes into chunks add to a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and place on medium heat and cook until the tomatoes are soft and the garlic is fragrant.Once that’s cooked, place the noodles into the skillet with about 1/4 cup water and the nice of the lemon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix noodles around and cook until slightly tender (cook longer for a more well done noodle) Remove from heat. Chop or rip up your basil and toss into the noodles and mix around.
And now it’s time.
Place in bowls and fill you mouth hole.
This time of year, there are so many reasons for popsicles, but I think that main reason is that I don’t want to willingly turn on the oven for any amount of time. It’s just to f-ing hot.
Lately, it’s been hot. And humid. And gross. Just way too hot to make anything in the oven. So when I grabbed the rhubarb out of the fridge, knowing that if I didn’t use it soon it would go bad, I immediately thought to make pie. Then I was like,” hell no, not going to happen. I need to freeze this shit”. And freeze it I did..into the greatest, slightly sweet, slightly tart, bright pink popsicles of happiness. They are really the perfect little frozen treat. Not overly sweet and sticky, have a lot a fresh clean flavor, and takes the edge off of the super summer heat and humidity, even if only for a few minutes.
I love popsicles.
But sadly this is probably the last rhubarb for the season (Or maybe the second to last..I think I saw some for sale at the coop a few days ago)
So get it while you can and make these popsicles!
The stuff. Rhubarb, a lime and a little bit of honey (or any sweetener you like). Plus you are going to need some water, but I bet you have some of that on hand.
Chop the rhubarb into inch chunks and toss into a big pot with the water. Stick on the stove and bring to a boil then turn heat to low and let simmer.
Once the rhubarb is so soft that it falls apart, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
With a fine mesh stainer, strain juice into a large jar or bowl.
Now you have the juice for the popsicles and the left over rhubarb stuff is the rhubarb butter.
Place the rhubarb butter into a jar, adding a little honey(or whatever) if you want and eat with anything and everything ( I’ve been adding it to the mr’s yogurt and just eating it with a spoon)
And now add the juice of the lime to the rhubarb juice and add a little honey or whatever sweetness to taste.
And add the rhubarb juice to your popsicle molds and stick in the freezer with sticks tops or wait two hours and add wooden sticks.
When frozen, run the mold under a little hot water and pop those suckers out.
A two for one deal here. And timed perfectly. You have the rhubarb butter to eat while you wait for the popsicles to freeze. So smart
Happy Tuesday.. Keep it cool!
-C
makes 6 4oz popsicles and about a cup of jam
Chop the rhubarb into inch ish chunks and stick into a big pot with water. Turn on high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to low and simmer until the rhubarb is so soft its falling apart. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Take a big jug or bowl with a fine mesh strainer,strain the liquid from the solids. You can use a wooden spoon to stir around to help get the juice flowing. Place remaining solids into a jar and add as little or as much or as little honey (any sweetener you like) and give it a stir. Thats your jam
Now for the popsicles. Add the juice of the lime and a tablespoon or two of honey (or whatever sweeteners you like) and mix around. Pour into popsicle molds and stick into freezer.Know your mold.. if you need to insert a stick, do so after about 2 hours.
When pops are frozen, remove from mold and eat your heart out.