I don't make muffins that often. Well... never, actually. I guess if I'm going to go through all of the tedious work of making the batter, filling the pans with cups, then filling said cups... I might as well just make cupcakes. I always keep bananas in my freezer, though, and instead of making chocolate banana bread I was craving muffins. I guess there's just something about cutting them in half right out of the oven and smothering them with butter. Or peanut butter. Or nutella.







vegan chocolate chip banana muffins

1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 T baking powder
1 t. baking soda
pinch of salt
1/2 cup pure cane sugar
2 ripe bananas
1/4 cup almond milk
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
vanilla
chocolate chips


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with muffin cups or grease with oil. 2. In a bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, soda, sugar, and salt. 3. In another bowl mix bananas, almond milk, coconut oil, and vanilla. 4. Add to dry ingredients and stir until combined. 5. Stir in chocolate chips (I used carob for these). Scoop into muffin pans, about half full, and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Happy 50th post to me! Wow, 50. That seems like a lot. Maybe not. Well, it's at least an accomplishment for me. I love having this blog and taking pictures for it. My next project is to fix the layout and make it a teeny bit more appealing to the eye.

That being said, lets talk about this mess right here. They're goopy. And soggy. And deeeelicious. I'm talking about... overnight oats. Why have I never tried these before? Is it the anticipation? The restlessness while trying to go to sleep, dozing off dreaming about the peanut butter goodness in the fridge....



These are packed with protein, so they make a great post-workout meal. Or dessert. I use steel cut oats in mine, but you can use rolled oats if you prefer. I like steel cut oats mostly because it takes longer for your body to digest them versus rolled oats, and the longer it takes to digest, the longer it takes to convert to sugar. Plus I swear that they taste yummier. I also used Califia Farms almond milk which is literally the greatest almond milk of all time. I found it at whole foods months ago and would buy it as a 'treat', seeing as how its a dollar and some change more than the brand I usually buy. It's so much richer, and flavorful than, say, Silk or other non-dairy brands. They just came out with a line of iced coffees that I really do have dreams about (salted caramel mmm). I haven't tried their juices yet but I'm greatly anticipating the warm summer night I get to kick back with some limeade.







vegan peanut butter chocolate overnight oats

1 cup steel cut oats
1 cup almond milk
4 T chunky peanut butter
2 T cocoa powder
1/4 t vanilla
pinch of salt

1. In a small saucepan, melt peanut butter over low heat and stir in vanilla, salt, and cocoa. 2. Remove from heat and add almond milk and oats. Stir until smooth. 3. Drop into a mason jar and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until oats are soaked. Top with bananas!

I know. You're probably over kale chips by now. You've had them spicy, sweet, plain, lemony, and salty. Well... I haven't. I've seen them in the store but they never seemed appealing because it made me think of those 'veggie chips' which is really just... batter that's baked/fried into the shape of vegetables. No thanks. I tried to make kale chips a couple of years ago, but tossed them in far too much lemon and oil, which resulted in a wilted and chewy... chip. The other day I had a hankering for something sweet and salty and since we've been (kind of) detoxing, I also had an overabundance of kale in the fridge that I had been using for salads. These turned out light and crispy with notes of sweet brown sugar and a spicy kick. I'm using curly kale but any variety will work!






sweet and spicy kale chips

one bunch of kale
olive oil
1 1/2 T brown sugar
salt to taste
1/2 t. lemon juice
cumin
smoked paprika
cayenne flakes/powder

1. Preheat oven to 300. 2. Separate kale leaves from ribs. 2. Toss in a bowl with lemon juice, salt, and brown sugar. Add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. You want the leaves to be lightly coated, but not drenched. Add more if necessary. 4. Toss with spices. The amount is up to you, did about 1/4 a teaspoon of cumin, a shake of smoked paprika, and a scant teaspoon of cayenne powder. You can use flakes if you want but, I prefer powdered here. 5. Arrange on baking sheet and bake for 12-16 minutes. They can burn easily so keep an eye on them. You can lightly dust with a little more smoked paprika here if you'd like. Enjoy!

These. Are. Delicious.

I've had a jar of matcha powder sitting in my cupboard for... oh, maybe 6 months. Other than putting it in smoothies (and maybe milkshakes), I haven't had much use for it. Rick and I went to the Sacramento flea market over the summer, and there is a woman there who has a booth set up with jars and jars of herbs and spices. I don't remember if she grows most of them herself, but she has strange spices and her tea blends are amazing. Matcha is a powerful antioxidant, as well as a weight loss supplement. It also detoxifies, which is helpful while Rick and I are on our 'diet'. He has quit smoking so we are on a whole-foods, liver and kidney healthy, lots of fruit and veggies diet. It's been challenging, to say the least. I've already comprised a long list of healthy desserts to help curb my sweet tooth cravings when I have them. There's also a dark chocolate stash somewhere. It's comforting, you know. To know it's there if I need it. Anyway.

The bars. They're chewy. Sweet and just a little salty. Rick says they're healthy versions of almond joys but pft, please. These are way more decadent. And they take maybe 20 minutes to make!


raw vegan matcha coconut bars with dark chocolate drizzle

3/4 c. rolled oats OR almond flour
3 t. matcha powder (iherb.com)
1 T. flax seed meal
1/4 t. salt
14 oz. shredded coconut
3 T. coconut oil, divided
5 T. agave (or honey for non vegan), divided
dark chocolate


1. You can either use a loaf or tart pan, or you can use an 8x8 for thinner bars. I've done it both ways but prefer the 8x8 pan. Line pan of your choice with plastic wrap.
2. In a food processor, pulse oats into a fine meal. Transfer oats (or almond flour) to bowl and stir in matcha powder, flaxseed meal, and salt. Add 1 tablespoon of soft coconut oil and stir until combined. Add 3 tablespoons of honey and stir.
3. Transfer to prepared pan and stick in freezer to harden.
4. In a food processor, pulse coconut into small flakes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and 2 tablespoons of agave. Spread over frozen oat mixture and place back in freezer.
5. Melt dark chocolate in a double boiler. I melted about 1/2 a cup's worth. It helps to add a tiny amount of coconut oil so it drizzles a little bit easier. You can also melt coconut oil, then add honey and cocoa to taste if you'd like to keep this entirely raw. Drizzle (or completely cover like I did) over coconut mixture and place back in freezer.

I take mine out and let sit for 10 minutes before cutting into bars. You can also cut them into bars first, and then keep them in the fridge, they will just be a little soft.

I love cookies in any form and to me, the blondie is the ultimate cookie experience. These served warm with ice cream on top is one of my favorite desserts. I'm always wanting to try new cookies and bars but most of the recipes I come across call for absurd ingredients, and take a little more time than I'm willing to spend when the cookie urge hits. Even though these have a cup of sugar, they're slightly more healthy than the ones I'm used to making.


chewy vegan blondies

2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
1/2 t vanilla
4 T melted earth balance/margarine
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup dark chocolate chunks


1. Preheat oven to 325. 2. Combine sugars, vanilla, and almond milk. Add melted earth balance. 3. Mix powder, soda, salt, and flour, then add to wet ingredients. 4. Stir until combined, then stir in chocolate chunks. 5. Press into greased or lined 8x8 glass dish and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

I hope I'm not the only one that scrolls through Pinterest trying to figure out what to do with lentils other than make... soup. Or stew. Or crockpot mush. After awhile all the green soups end up looking the same and soon my lentils dont look all that appetizing. Neither does this 'taco meat,' but it sure is yummy. I'll be fair and admit that I've made shepherds pie with lentils before but other than that, I haven't been very adventurous. The lentil taco 'meat' is mushier than regular beef of course but gives in flavor what other substitutes lack, tofu for example.









lentil taco meat


2 c lentils
5 c water
1/2 c white onion, chopped finely
3 T tomato paste
olive oil
salt
pepper
cumin
cayenne pepper (optional)
hot sauce (optional)



1. Begin by rinsing the lentils and then bringing them to a boil, along with the chopped onion. I used mostly green but added a handful of red 'cause they're pretty. 2. Once they're boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes until soft. 3. Drain and set aside half of the lentils. Take the other half and process in a food processor along with the tomato paste and about a tablespoon of oil. 4. Once pureed, add to a heated & oiled skillet along with the whole lentils. 5. Season with salt, pepper, & cumin to taste. I also added a sprinkle of cayenne and a couple of shakes of hot sauce :)

Pardon the random forthcoming posts, but we had to move suddenly (I never would have guessed it'd be so suddenly) and I've been so stressed and tired and all the other things that come with packing and moving. I almost pulled my hair out when it came to searching for a new place, with barely any money to give for applications. I have come to realize that Rick and I are not the best budgeters, so after this storm of cardboard boxes and emptying our pockets dies down, I must figure out a way to create some type of budget. I barely buy things for myself anymore, I've come to spend more money on baking and cooking food. Which is perfectly fine with me, but my love of all things coffee has me spending almost $15 a week. That's crazy to think about. Also, disgusting. Who really knows whats in those starbucks jars I get while I stop to get gas. I think I need to invest in a large cold to-go cup and a giant french press. I'm sure they make those. Anyway, between moving out and our apartment 'getting ready' we're staying with family. Our new place has lots of light, which is a huge change from our previous 2-windowed apartment. I can just feel the drafts already. And there's a walk in closet and (wait for it)... a fireplace! Granted, it's gas, and probably gives off no heat whatsoever, but it'll still be perfect for marshmallow roasting. I have 3 days off after surviving black friday retail hell, so I finally have a chance to breathe. Unfortunately I'm nursing a sore throat and achy head, but I get to look out at the snow swirling and sip hot chocolate. Not too shabby. In the spirit of the peppermint bark I'm going to make later, here's another recipe for a quick, chocolatey treat.



I freaking love no bakes. The ones that I used to make would consist of butter, sugar, peanut butter, oats, and not much else. They had so much sugar in them they'd make my teeth hurt. But I love how they melt in your mouth and the possible variations, and I think I thought putting oats in them somehow made them good for me. These are 1000x better than the sugar-packed ones of the past, and they have Ricks three favorite things in them (peanut butter, coconut, chocolate) soo it was a win-win for both of us. The coconut oil helps them solidify better than butter, and the cinnamon adds a nice spice.



vegan coconut chocolate no bakes

1 1/2 cups carob chips (or dark choc for non vegans)
2/3 cup peanut butter (i used chunky)
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup honey
2 T cinnamon
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup oats

1. Turn oven to 400 and toast coconut until lightly brown. Set aside to cool. 2. In a saucepan, melt peanut butter, carob chips, and coconut oil and combine well. 3. Turn heat to low and add honey and cinnamon. 4. Remove from heat and add oats and coconut. 5. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and drop heaving tablespoons of mixture onto sheet. I place mine in the freezer for 20 minutes to help them set, then put in fridge to keep.

This bread will change your life. I'm fairly certain I've started off a post like that before but no, no.. really, this bread is extraordinary. I almost want to call it a cake because it's so moist and flavorful, I don't even feel compelled to top it with butter. Not to mention it has a delicious crumb topping that melts and crisps perfectly and even seeps into the middle a little bit. I may or may not have made this twice in one week.



vegan pumpkin bread

3/4 cup pumpkin
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pure cane sugar
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 T agave or honey
1 T vanilla
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
3/4 t. cloves
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 1/4 cup flour
2 t. baking powder

crumb topping

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter (or earth balance), softened
about 1/2 cup flour
sprinkle cinnamon


1. For the crumb topping, mix all ingredients and set aside.
2. In a bowl mix pumpkin, sugars, oil, milk, agave, vanilla, and spices.
3. In a separate bowl mix flour and baking powder, then add to wet mixture.
4. Grease a loaf pan with coconut oil and lightly flour.
5. Pour mixture into pan, it'll be slightly thick.
6. Sprinkle crumb topping on top and bake at 375 for 40 minutes! My ovens a little weird with temperatures so I use a toothpick to check. It's okay if the topping falls into the middle. Actually, it's preferred. Enjoy :)

I suppose it's no secret lately that I love squash. I made butternut squash mac and cheese and since then, I've been hooked. It has such a full, distinct flavor yet is very versatile. I usually eat squash with butter and brown sugar, so it's been fun trying out more savory recipes. Acorn squash has been a long time favorite of mine and zucchini too, of course. There's spaghetti squash in the fridge right now and I'm already trying to think what sort of dish I can make for dinner next week. This soup is soo yummy and filling, and perfect for when we needed to warm up one of these recent chilly afternoons. I'd love to try it with apples and gorgonzola next!


vegan butternut squash soup

2 T coconut oil
1 diced carrot
1 diced stalk celery
1 chopped small onion
1 medium squash, cubed
1 t chopped thyme
salt and pepper
about 6 cups vegetable broth

1. Heat oil in soup pot and add carrot, celery, and onion. 2. Cook for about 4 minutes, then add thyme and squash. 3. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add broth and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Squash should be easily mashed. 4. Puree with an immersion blender (or if you're poor like me, you can blend in batches in a blender). I garnished mine with a little bit of thyme and nutmeg!

Can I just say that besides the pumpkin, cinnamon, and spices, I crave foods that are completely inappropriate for fall. It's okay though, I'm sure I'm not the only one. Do people really eat foods that are 'supposed' to be eaten seasonally anyway? I'm all for buying veggies when they're in season, but I have no objection to making thanksgiving dinner in summer. I made these a couple of weeks ago but have been dreaming about them the past few days. They're moist (ugh I hate that word), chewy, and the chocolate drizzle is perfect. I suppose if you want to make them 'autumn appropriate' you could add nutmeg and cinnamon, maybe a pumpkin drizzle instead. Or pumpkin ones with white chocolate drizzle?!

coconut macaroons with chocolate drizzle

1 can condensed milk
2 egg whites
2 t vanilla
salt
2 bags coconut (14 oz)
chocolate chips


1. Preheat oven to 300. Whisk egg whites with a pinch of salt until foamy, 2-3 minutes. Stir in vanilla, and condensed milk until combined, then stir in coconut. 2. Drop 'dough' into table spoon-sized mounds onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake about 15-20 minutes. I did larger sized ones and baked for about 25, so adjust time accordingly. You want them golden brown. 3. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler, in in the microwave. If you're doing it by microwave, heat for 30 seconds and then stir every 15 seconds after that. Wait until your macaroons are completely cooled before drizzling!

Now that it's getting darker earlier, I have to take pictures under the harsh yellow glow of our one light in our tiny kitchen. Which is fine, I don't see myself making dinner at 4 or so. I just don't have the greatest camera for low light conditions but I'll do what I can. Anyway, with fall here I thought it was suitable to make something with squash in it since the prices are so cheap right now, but I don't necessarily like eating it by itself unless it has brown sugar on it. I've had butternut squash in ravioli before, so I was hoping this would be just as delicious. It was. And then some. And it's healthier than traditional mac & cheese, plus more flavorful.


butternut squash mac & cheese

3 c pasta shells
1 small butternut squash, cubed, uncooked
2 T coconut oil
1 t pepper
1 t salt
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 c vegetable stock
1 1/2 c milk
2 T butter (i used smart balance)
1/4 c plain nonfat yogurt
1/2 c parmesan
1 c roughly chopped spinach
breadcrumbs
herbs


Prepare pasta shells and set aside.

1. Preheat oven to 400. Toss squash with coconut oil, nutmeg, pepper, and salt. Add stock and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring until the squash is soft. 2. Reduce heat to low and mash squash, smooth until creamy. 3. Add milk, butter, yogurt, and cheese. The first time I used parmesan, but you can use white cheddar or any cheese really. 4. Add pasta shells and spinach to mixture until coated, and place in 9x9 baking dish. Top with breadcrumbs and herbs (and maybe a little more cheese) and bake for 15 minutes.

This bread will change your life. I'm not kidding. You know that little dance you do when you take cookies out of the oven and you can tell they're perfect? I did that. It's crusty. And chewy. And amazing by itself, smothered in butter, or dipped in soup. I bet you could even put raisins in it with some cinnamon and it'd be delicious. I chose to make a cheesy garlic version, though, because there's not much I love more than garlic bread. I warn you though... it's easy to make, too. And addicting. I had a dream where I served this at a party and everyone asked me which store I got it from. Just kidding. Sort of.



no knead artisan cheesy garlic bread

1 1/2 t salt
1/4 t yeast
3 c flour (all purpose)
8 coarsely chopped cloves of garlic
1/2 c shredded jack cheese
about 1 3/4 c warm water


1. Combine salt, yeast, and flour in a large bowl. Add the water and fold until it's sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit overnight. I set mine on the counter while I slept, but you want it to sit for about 12-16 hours.
2. Flour the counter and set your dough on it. Sprinkle it with some flour and fold it in itself a couple of times. This is where you make a little pouch and put your garlic and cheese in, then fold the sides around it. Shape it into a ball. Cover with a towel and let rise for another 2 hours.
3. Give yourself some time to heat your oven to 450 degrees. Place a pot inside with a lid, mine was a ceramic fiestaware bowl but you can use cast iron if you'd like.
4. When ready, take the dough and place it inside the hot pot. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for 15 minutes more, or until the top of your loaf is golden and crispy.