Makin Taters.

Most nights Tim cooks dinner. He's better at it (seriously) and finds it relaxing and enjoyable whereas I tend to find it stressful probably because I always insist on trying a new recipe. Sometimes, like tonight, I get all domestic and homemakery and map out a whole meal plan. On today's menu it was

Turkey Burgers

Sweet Potato Tater Tots

Balsamic Broccolini

Open Faced Blueberry Pie

That's like, straight out of a Jamie Oliver's School Dinners episode. Except put together by me. BAM! And it was delicious! And healthy! Here is a grainy picture that you probably already saw on Facebook. If you want to see fancy photos, click the links above for the recipes. Also, some tips:

1. To keep the burgers from drying out, I put white cooking wine in the pan (you could probably just use water as well)
2. I doubled the Tator Tot recipe and left them in the oven probably 5-10 mins longer so they were really crispy on the outside.
3. I would use half the sugar recommended for the Blueberry Pie. I also cheated and used an organic whole wheat pastry crust for my base, because who has time for all those confusing directions on how to make your own. Not this gal.
4. Most importantly, make sure you haven't started heating up the skillet before STICKING YOUR FINGERS IN IT to spread the oil around. Brutal. I don't have any feeling in my finger tips except stinging.

I Made Scones!

If you follow me on Facebook than this is old news.  Scones with clotted cream, jam and butter was my favorite guilty pleasure while in England and I wanted to bring the cream tea tradition home with me. So I did. And I'm happy to say that despite a lack of confidence in my ability to bake the perfect scone, I felt the results were commendable considering it was a first attempt. The recipe I used can be found here,  though I would definitely increase the sugar to 2 1/2 tablespoons. Clotted cream is hard to find - the only place I know of is World Market and it's $2.99 for a tiny jar. So worth it though!

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2 cups flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
2 ½ tsp sugar
½ tsp sea salt
4 ½ Tbs butter (cold)
⅔ cup milk (+ 1 Tbs for egg wash)
1 egg yolk
1.  Mix together flour, baking powder, sugar, and sea salt.
2.  Drop in the butter in tiny cubes and work with fingers until no butter is larger than a pea. Add the milk and mix briefly, just enough to bind the wet with the dry. Do NOT overmix.
3.  Drop onto a well-floured board and knead very quickly only 3-4 times.
4.  Pat into a circle about 1 inch thick and cut out scones with a small glass or cookie cutter. Knead together remaining dough and cut out more scones until all the dough has been used.
5.  Beat the egg yolk lightly with one Tbs of milk and brush the tops of the scones with mixture.
6.  Bake on baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Serve warm with clotted cream and jam.
- See more at: http://accomplishedyounglady.com/2010/12/proper-british-scones/#sthash.GgPzrYUB.dp

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2 cups flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
2 ½ tsp sugar
½ tsp sea salt
4 ½ Tbs butter (cold)
⅔ cup milk (+ 1 Tbs for egg wash)
1 egg yolk
1.  Mix together flour, baking powder, sugar, and sea salt.
2.  Drop in the butter in tiny cubes and work with fingers until no butter is larger than a pea. Add the milk and mix briefly, just enough to bind the wet with the dry. Do NOT overmix.
3.  Drop onto a well-floured board and knead very quickly only 3-4 times.
4.  Pat into a circle about 1 inch thick and cut out scones with a small glass or cookie cutter. Knead together remaining dough and cut out more scones until all the dough has been used.
5.  Beat the egg yolk lightly with one Tbs of milk and brush the tops of the scones with mixture.
6.  Bake on baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Serve warm with clotted cream and jam.
- See more at: http://accomplishedyounglady.com/2010/12/proper-british-scones/#sthash.GgPzrYUB.dpuf

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2 cups flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
2 ½ tsp sugar
½ tsp sea salt
4 ½ Tbs butter (cold)
⅔ cup milk (+ 1 Tbs for egg wash)
1 egg yolk
1.  Mix together flour, baking powder, sugar, and sea salt.
2.  Drop in the butter in tiny cubes and work with fingers until no butter is larger than a pea. Add the milk and mix briefly, just enough to bind the wet with the dry. Do NOT overmix.
3.  Drop onto a well-floured board and knead very quickly only 3-4 times.
4.  Pat into a circle about 1 inch thick and cut out scones with a small glass or cookie cutter. Knead together remaining dough and cut out more scones until all the dough has been used.
5.  Beat the egg yolk lightly with one Tbs of milk and brush the tops of the scones with mixture.
6.  Bake on baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Serve warm with clotted cream and jam.
- See more at: http://accomplishedyounglady.com/2010/12/proper-british-scones/#sthash.GgPzrYUB.dpuf

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2 cups flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
2 ½ tsp sugar
½ tsp sea salt
4 ½ Tbs butter (cold)
⅔ cup milk (+ 1 Tbs for egg wash)
1 egg yolk
1.  Mix together flour, baking powder, sugar, and sea salt.
2.  Drop in the butter in tiny cubes and work with fingers until no butter is larger than a pea. Add the milk and mix briefly, just enough to bind the wet with the dry. Do NOT overmix.
3.  Drop onto a well-floured board and knead very quickly only 3-4 times.
4.  Pat into a circle about 1 inch thick and cut out scones with a small glass or cookie cutter. Knead together remaining dough and cut out more scones until all the dough has been used.
5.  Beat the egg yolk lightly with one Tbs of milk and brush the tops of the scones with mixture.
6.  Bake on baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Serve warm with clotted cream and jam.
- See more at: http://accomplishedyounglady.com/2010/12/proper-british-scones/#sthash.GgPzrYUB.dpuf

Sometimes I actually accomplish things....

Summer feels like it's just getting going for me. The temperatures are super hot - which I never like - but it also means that July + August are almost here and lots of exciting things are happening! We leave for our glorious 10-day British getaway next Friday afternoon and I am itching to get started on packing! I love packing for a vacation, but always procrastinate unpacking once we get home. The opposite is true when moving - I don't enjoy packing up a home, but love the process of unpacking and setting up. I have been keeping an ongoing list of things to bring so as not to forget when it comes time to put everything into a suitcase; sure I'll remember my toothbrush and passport but I might forget to pack a spare pair of contacts or my jacket if I don't write it down.

Something that I really wanted to get before we left was a new DSLR camera. My Canon Rebel was fine, but sometimes the quality wasn't what I had hoped for in such an expensive camera. As it turns out, Dodd Camera was having a "buy your old equipment" event at the same time a really nice Nikon camera I now own went on crazy sale. I still have to learn how to make the most of it's capabilities. But I'm hopeful it'll live up to my expectations.

I tested it out for the first time last week after I'd had an unusually productive day in the "being creative" department. These days are few and far between, so it was worth documenting. First, I finally got around to making a pom pom garland for our front window. It cost me all of $2 to make in about 40 mins. I found the pom poms at the dollar store (2 bags of various colors) and then strung them together using a needle and some white thread. Simple!

This isn't exactly a huge achievement, but I also figured out a way to get some vegetables in my kids! They used to love them as babies but now I can't seem to persuade them to eat anything except maybe potatoes. It's the oldest trick in the book, but I decided to blend a ton of spinach into some homemade pasta sauce. At first the color was a bit brown so they probably would have passed on it based on presentation alone, but after adding a tin of tomato paste I was back to some basic who-knew-it's-full-of-green-veg spaghetti sauce. And they ate it all! Woo! I even got a smile out of Jack.

Today was spent less productively killing a ton of flies which I suspect are coming up from our basement. SO stressful. Although I guess I was successful if you count that I'm 20 for 20 in terms of flies and their squished little bodies.

Dark Chocolate Crunch

(Confession: The actual name of this recipe is Date Crunch, but I think most people have an aversion to dates and wouldn't bother trying the recipe based on that alone. I suggest you try it with the dates first and if you don't like it maybe sub dried cranberries or blueberries. Trust me, it's SO good.)

This dessert is so unbelievably addictive. You will eat the whole pan. I adjusted the original recipe to make it gluten free, but using any of the Annie's Bunny cookies will work (except for maybe the ginger snap kind).  I made this last night when we had friends over to play cards and it's always better to eat it with other people so you can marvel over how good it tastes. Mmmmm.

Dark Chocolate Crunch

8 oz Annie's Bunnies (I used the gluten free Snickerdoodle kind)

1/2 cup chopped dates

1/2 cup raisins

2 TBSP honey

6 TBSP butter (I use a non-dairy kind)

3 oz bittersweet baker's chocolate

3 oz semi-sweet baker's chocolate

Crush the bunnies before opening the bag (or with a rolling pin). Finely chop the dates and mix with the crushed cookies along with the raisins. Melt the butter with the honey. Pour over cookie mixture and stir until well combined.  Press the mixture down into a 8 x 8 inch pan. Chill in fridge for 1-2 hours until firm. This step is key, so that you don't lose the "crunch" of the bunnies and the base won't fall apart.

Melt chocolate. Pour over bunny mixture and spread so that it completely coats the top of the cookie base. Chill in fridge for another hour until chocolate is hard. Cut into squares and enjoy!

West Side Market

Last week we visited the West Side Market with some friends. I tend to find Cleveland lacking in (free) interesting places to visit and things to do, but the West Side Market is one place that I never tire of visiting - even if it's mostly a bunch of meat stalls.

In the past we've gotten delicious cheeses, amazing bacon and super cheap fruit from the vendors. This time we bought some apple fritters, shared a dark chocolate and strawberry crepe and finally tried one of Steve's Gyros - which was voted best gyro in the country by Maxim Magazine and was featured on the Travel Channel's Man vs. Food. I don't think I've ever had a gyro before, but this one was enormous even split between Tim and I. And yes, it was good. I mean, I wouldn't rave about it - but it was worth the $7.

The Best Day of the Year

 "It's just awesome. I just love that day." 

That's what Tim said after we got home from Nature Bin's Customer Appreciation Day. Nature's Bin is a small, independent grocery store around the corner from our house. They sell lots of organic, healthy food/products so they're a bit pricey but occasionally we shop there for specialty stuff. And on Customer Appreciation Day, they hand out a ton of free samples.

This is a day that we look forward to all year. Literally. We even write it on our calendar. It's all because of the free swag. And it's quality products - the kind of stuff we usually wouldn't buy because they're expensive. Sure the samples are in doll-size bottles, but again, free. Not to mention the fact that they have little bowls set up throughout the store of food products you can taste. Here's a visual of everything we picked up this year:

Ok, so looking at it now, not all that impressive. But when you write it out, it's pretty great, right?:

We got free samples of:

chapstick

dishwashing liquid

chips

popcorn

toothpaste

tea

kitchen utensils

burts bees lotion

vitamins

nail files

energy drinks

dog treats (we left those)

chocolate covered peanuts

sesame sticks

protein bars

granola bars

energy snacks

vanilla chai green tea raisins

cooking utensils (!) 

cookies

cider

apples

laundry detergent

Ugh, this post is making feel really ridiculous for getting so excited about a bunch of tiny samples. It's like getting excited over the free shampoo/conditioner in hotels. Well anyways, we like it ok. 

We're a simple folk, what can I say.

Snacks are Good for Me.

snack |snak|

noun

a small amount of food eaten between meals.

• a light meal that is eaten in a hurry or in a casual manner.

verb [ intrans. ]

eat a snack : she likes to snack on yogurt.

Um, Webster's dictionary does a poor, poor job of describing the wonder that is "the snack." And yogurt? That's the best snack they could think of? What about pistachios, or crackers... or better yet cheese and crackers? How dare they for diminishing the snack to something to just get you through to the next meal. Don't they know that meals are the segues to more snacks and not the other way around?

I am so very much all.about.the.snack. I often get more excited about snacks then I do about meals *if you couldn't already tell. When you go on a car trip, what's the most exciting part? The soundtrack you make and the snacks you pack. What's the best part of your lunch? The snacks (also known as "sides")  I mean, ok, sometimes the sandwich and the chips are equal when its something like a turkey club. But chips always bring a certain fevered anticipation to the meal. Few people crack into them right away - usually you take those first polite, obligatory bites of sandwich as a nod to proper etiquette. But we all know that everyone is just anticipating the chips.

Snacks are also best eaten on the car ride home from buying them. I do this all the time. Tim had never even considered doing this before we got married. He still thinks it's weird that as soon as we get in the car I get the crackers out and start eating them. My mom used to let us eat in the snack in the store while she was still shopping (and then paid for it at the check out of course) so I hardly think having it on the car ride home is unreasonable. I mean, why wait?!

But I digress. The point of this post is to tell you all about the Top 5 picks in my current snack bank and why they deserve to be there. FYI: you'll want to take notes because not only are these snacks delish, they're pretty healthy (comparatively).

 Here's The Lineup:

1. Way Better Snacks Simply So Sweet Chili Tortilla Chips : I had these for the first time just the other day at my sister's house. I almost ate the whole bag. And I typically don't even like chili flavored things. Whenever Tim puts some sort of spicy snack in the shopping cart I usually make him trade it (sorry Tim). I don't know what it is about these chips, but they have just the right amount of heat, sweet and savory. And Way Better Snacks use simple, nutritious, sprouted ingredients. You can read about why using sprouted ingredients is so good for you here. Or you can just take my word for it :)

2. GoodGreens "Chocolate" Bars : Also introduced to me by my sister. I know the name"GoodGreens" doesn't bolster much confidence in the taste department. But these are seriously good for when you have a chocolate bar craving but don't want the calories. Not only does one bar provide 100% of your daily fruits and vegetables (I still find this hard to believe), they are packed with tons of other good things: see here. Oh, and Tim loves them. And Tim is not always as gung-ho about healthier options as I am. Let's just say, if Tim likes them, you probably will. FYI - my favorite flavor is Chocolate Coconut.

3. Trader Joe's Kosher Dill Pickles : Growing up, the pickle plate was a staple at the big family dinners we'd have at my grandparents. It was always set out before the meal and by the time we sat down to eat the pickle plate would be empty. My uncle once ate so many pickles the lining of his stomach started to erode - or so the legend goes. I come from a long line of pickle lovers. And not all pickles are created equal. In Canada, we always eat Bicks. For a while, I switched from dills to Claussens. Now I'm a faithful consumer of Trader Joe's Kosher Dills. With pickles, it's all about the crunch. No one likes a rubbery pickle. TJ's delivers on the crunch + taste factors, although every now and then the pickles on the very top are duds. For the most part though, they are the cream of the crop. And their the smaller size pickles, which are better for snacking. Perfect.

4. LUNA "Granola" Bars : When Tim was experimenting with making these, he kept referring to them as LUNA. LUNA bars are marketed as "The Whole Nutrition Bar for Women" that are "created by women, for women." So at first, before he realized his error, I was having a laugh over the fact that my manly husband was a vocal enthusiast of such a girl power product. And for the record, I still feel that creating a food "by women for women" seems a bit unnecessary. Is there really such a gaping hole in the market that a group of women needed to get together to create a nutrition bar with key "feminine-specific" ingredients such as.....? Anyways, these are awesome. They are delicious. They are more than a granola bar. They are an amazing, on-the-go snack. And they aren't just for women. My favorite flavor is Peanut Honey Pretzel.

5. Air popped Popcorn : This is pretty basic. Much like the dinner table, people just like to gather round the popcorn bowl. It brings communities together. Promotes world peace. What's not to love? We always ate air popped popcorn growing up. There was something so fun about watching the popcorn spill out of the machine into the bowl while my mom poured hot butter and salt on top. So good. Sure, microwave popcorn can be good in a pinch. But air popped is cheaper and way better for you (depending on how much butter you use...) Being a veganite means we use soy butter, but it tastes the same and looks the same and so...win win. Unlike the other four, this actually isn't a snack I eat "whenever." I think, like  most popcorn fans, I prefer to eat it with someone, in a giant bowl, while watching t.v. or a movie. This snack is also a family favorite - except for Moses who would probably choke on a popcorn hull.

Well that's it for me.
What about you?
What are your favorite snacks?

Hint: It's time to comment guys - 

Don't leave me hanging!

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

The other day I remembered my sister had given me a giant zucchini. It had been sitting in my fridge for a while and it was just time. So I pulled down my Happy Herbivore cookbook in hopes of receiving some direction on what to do with this monstrous vegetable and, true to form, I was not disappointed.


(I'm posting the recipe, almost verbatim, from the Happy Herbivore's website, including the image.)

Moist and chocolatey, these muffins are healthy, almost completely fat-free, and have a veggie slipped in (but completely undetectable once baked) for those of you with kids who hate eating vegetables - like my two year old. I doubled the batch, because her recipe only makes 12, which for the effort - and how good they are - you'll want more. Also, that giant zucchini left me no choice.

Ingredients

1¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
1¼ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 whole banana, mashed
½ cup raw sugar (optional, and I used maple syrup instead)
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
¼ cup non dairy milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup shredded zucchini 

1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (Trader Joe's brand is the best) 
 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease muffin pan and set aside. If using paper liners, lightly spray inside of liners with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together. In another bowl, cream mashed banana with applesauce and sugar - or maple syrup - (use extra 1/2 cup for a very sweet, dessert-like muffin). Add in  non dairy milk, vanilla, zucchini and chocolate chips. Stir until evenly combined. Add flour mix to wet mix in 3-4 batches and stir until just combined. Spoon batter into greased muffin pan and bake 18-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Vanilla Chai Cupcakes

Autumn is just around the corner. It's by far my favorite season: vibrant colors, crisp weather, sweaters, hay rides, apple picking, bonfires. Everything about fall is magnificent. And these cupcakes (from the Happy Herbivore Cookbook) are the perfect fall treat. They're best eaten over a cup of coffee and a game of cards with friends.

1 c vanilla non-dairy milk (I use Almond Breeze)
3 chai teabags
1/4 c applesauce
1/2 c raw sugar (I think I'll try subbing honey next time!)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c whole-wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp cardamom (I didn't have any, so I used nutmeg instead)
Vanilla Icing (see below)

1. Gently warm non-dairy milk on the stove, careful not to scald it. If you don't have vanilla flavored milk on hand, simply add a few drops of vanilla extract for the same effect. Once it's at a near boil, turn off heat, add teabags, and steep for 4-6 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a muffin tin or spray paper liners with cooking spray, then set aside.
3. Once milk is cool, remove tea bags and mix with applesauce, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl.
4. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt and spices together.
5. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture in 3 to 4 batches, stirring until combined.
6. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake for 15 to 25 minutes. 
7. Remove cupcakes from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack. Once completely cool, add icing and sprinkle with cinnamon.

For Vanilla Icing
1 c confectioners' sugar
1 tbsp non-dairy milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Stir ingredients together to combine.
2. Add more sugar to thicken the icing or more non-dairy milk to thin it out. Ideally, you want the consistency to be a paste-like glaze. 
3. Slather icing onto cupcakes. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Pitza!

I'm obsessed with these little pita pizzas (or pitza). They're light, tasty and the perfect little lunch on a day when you can't think of anything to make. All you have to do is....

+ Preheat the oven to 425.

+ Use a pita as the base for your pizza (we use two medium size ones per person).

+ Cover with meat free/dairy free marinara sauce.

+ Sprinkle nutritional yeast on top, and let soak in (it gives the sauce a cheesy flavor).

+ Garnish with favorite toppings (I like fresh basil, crushed garlic, tomato, and green olives).

+ Sprinkle with more nutritional yeast.

+ Bake for 12-15 minutes, until fully heated and crispy around the edges.

Enjoy!

Now let's not have any false pretenses here: I totally, whole-heartedly, 100% agree with you that the pizza pictured above does not compare in mouth-watering factor to those topped with delicious, gooey cheese and steamy pepperoni. But being vegan means satisfying one's savory cravings elsewhere. And these simple pita pitzas are pretty delish and come with the added bonus of being totally guilt-free!

Homemade Larabars

I've never had a Larabar. But Tim had one once and raved about it because it was only four ingredients and it tasted "just like pecan pie." Probably because it was the Pecan Pie flavored one. Anyways, when I brought home two slabs of date paste from a Mediterranean Market store near my parent's house, he wanted to try recreating them at home. This is what he came up with (they are a delish little snack btw):

1/2 pound of date paste

1/2 c. chopped almonds

1/2 c. chopped pecans

Grape Nuts cereal (optional)

Put the date paste and nuts in a bowl and knead together with your hands. You really need to work the nuts into the date paste, so don't be shy about getting right in there. Once its well mixed, flatten it out on a cutting board and sprinkle with Grape Nuts cereal, lightly pressing them into the paste mixture. Put into refrigerator and let them set. Cut into snack size pieces (or just keep it one huge bar that you intend to eat in a single sitting; no judgement here). Use a wet spatula to lift the bars off the cutting board if they stick (putting them in the fridge first should help with this). Wrap in wax paper and store in fridge.

*So true story - Tim has been mistakenly referring to the Larabar as a LUNA Bar, which is a whole other product. A product that's "created by women, for women." Every package is labeled with the tag line, "The Whole Nutrition Bar for Women." Needless to say, sharing that my husband is a very vocal enthusiast of said product made for some good storytelling. However, he realized his error before I published the previous (witty) entry, and so you are left instead with this very matter of fact post. But while we're on the topic, can I just say that creating a food "by women for women" seems a bit unnecessary. Is there really such a gaping hole in the market that a group of women needed to get together to create a nutrition bar with key "feminine-specific" ingredients such as.....? Baffling.

Summer Muffins (that taste like Autumn)

Last week we came into the possession of a ridiculously large amount of summer (yellow) squash. I've only ever had squash grilled or in a stir fry, so I was thankful to learn that it can be used in baking. I also had some over ripe bananas lying around (story of my life) and figured I'd whip up some muffins this morning after Jack fell asleep on his bed on accident - I say on accident because this has never happened outside of naptime hours.

Here is the recipe (adapted from here) in all its glory, and might I point out that it's vegan, oil free and plant-strong? AND DELICIOUS. Don't ignore the delicious part, because I know all you foodies out there are immediately writing these off because they have the dreaded vegan label. Eat em' before you judge em' mmmk? Yah box em', ya ship em'. (Mrs. Doubtfire, anyone?)

Summer Muffins

(makes about 18 muffins)

Dry ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg + allspice to taste)

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup chia seeds (optional - but so good for you - and it adds a nice texture)

Wet ingredients:

2 cups summer squash, peeled and coarsely grated (about two medium size squash)

1 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup apple sauce

1 tbsp honey

1 1/2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 large carrot, finely grated

Zest of one lime (secret "taste of summer" ingredient!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Use paper muffin liners if you have them, otherwise I just use a non-stick muffin pan and flour the bottoms. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl, make a well in the middle and set aside. Mix wet ingredients in another large bowl. Pour wet ingredients into center of dry ingredients and stir until just moistened (don't over-stir, otherwise muffins will be tough). Spoon batter into muffin tin - batter should be just below level with the top of the pan. Bake for 25-30 mins (check at 25 mins) until toothpick comes out clean from center of muffin. Loosen the sides of the muffin from the pan as soon as they come out of the oven and turn them on their sides (in the tin) to cool - it will prevent them from sticking. Enjoy!!

The Bad Honey and The Old Pancake Mix

Let me just preface this story by pointing out that Tim has been suffering with a lot of intense muscle/joint pain lately and the last thing he needed were the following incidents, but such is life!

Offense #1: The Bad Honey

A while back, Tim mentioned we needed to buy more honey. I pointed out that we had an unopened container of creamed honey (the solidified, spreadable kind) so we should use that first. Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I receive a text from him at work saying, "I think that honey we have has gone bad." I didn't think honey could go bad, so I asked why. "Because I had some for breakfast and I've thrown up five times this morning." Now keep in mind he'd only been gone a few hours, so that's pretty intense. Thinking I better check out the suspect honey, I grab the container down from the shelf and see to my horror that the honey that was once a solid is now completely liquified. My sister, who was with me at the time, also noticed the lid was puffed up which usually signals the presence of bacteria. No wonder, since it was not a new, unopened containter but an old, half used container that had been sitting down in the basement pantry for months. So of course I start freaking out, thinking I accidently fed my husband botchulism-infested honey and called posion control. They assured me he'd be fine.

Turns out (as he later reccounted) that the first time he threw up, he was sitting in the company truck, with his foreman, on the highway. He had to just roll down the window and barf in front of him. I found this hilarious.

And then, a similar thing happened just a few days ago - what are the chances?!

Offense #2: The Old Pancake Batter

We recently switched to a whole foods, plant-based, no-oils diet. I know, it sounds crazy. But I explain a little bit about why we made the switch here.  Needless to say, we're still experimenting with different recipes and for Tim's birthday (May 9) I decided to try and make him pancakes. Working without eggs was easy enough, but not having oil for the pan caused some issues in the flipping and sticking department. I ended up with one half successful pancake that tasted mildly like a good pancake on an ok day. However, I decided to save the batter until we owned a better non-stick pan. Because everyone knows pancake batter lasts a long time.....I think you know where I'm going with this.

A few nights ago, Tim made potato tacos with refried beans. There was quite a bit leftover so he decided to take some for lunch the next day. But instead of pouring what he thought were the refried beans on top of his potatoes, he accidently used the now week old, not good to begin with pancake batter. How he couldn't tell the difference between the two is beyond me, but as it turns out he ate the whole thing anyways with the sense that something just didn't taste right. Let me just say that again - Tim ate a whole serving of potatoes with old pancake batter poured on top. It made him throw up after work (once again, while he was in a car). Of course, we didn't figure out why until the next day when he heated the "refried beans" up in the microwave and ended up with a rubbery pancake. 

I told my sister this story last night and we laughed till we cried. And when I got off the phone and looked at Tim, I laughed until no noise was coming out of my mouth and I was out of air.

Last Week in Pictures

After my dad's heart catherization and watching Forks over Knives (its a must see!) 

some of my family and I are going on a whole foods, plant-based diet.

Tim and I are following the Engine 2 plan. So far we feel great and there's no going back!

Here's what we made for dinner on the first night. 

It was my first time trying collard greens - let's just say they taste healthy :) 

For the second time in his life, Jack fell asleep in his high chair. 

It was adorable.

These beautiful people came back into town for a short visit. 

They are so many things to us. We love them dearly.

Oh and I finally finished the boys room. Pictures coming soon!

Nanny's Chili

{Now that we're on a plant-strong, vegan diet, I replace the ground turkey with TVP granules}

Growing up, we always ate very healthy. So much so that I had to make up for lost time at my friend's houses when we'd have sleepovers. Chips and dip at midnight? Yes please! Reese's Puff Cereal for breakfast? Of course! Not that my parents forbid us from eating junk, they just tended not to buy it. Jack or Moses will be lamenting this same thing later in life because naturally, I'm a healthy or go home kind of parent myself. Come one come all for organic, all natural snacks. But woe betide you if you offer my child something with high fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated oils in it. However, I won't make them eat brussel sprouts like my mother did. No matter how many times she'd say, "They taste good!" it never resulted in my taste buds changing their minds. I still don't get why we were made to eat them. Ok sure, they're packed with vitamins or something. But so is a gummy vitamin that tastes like candy, so give me that instead and we'll call it even.

Brussel sprouts aside, I loved and still love my mom's cooking. One of my favorite dishes is her chili recipe which is healthy but hearty. I'm pretty sure it's won awards (at the chili cook-off at my parent's church). I'm probably the only one in the family that makes it now, since everyone else is making a veggie chili recipe I introduced them to when I was vegetarian. The last time I used that recipe was when we were first married and I made a giant batch. We ate it for dinner one night and then I gave it to Tim in his lunches for the rest of the week. Seriously. Poor guy. He can't take a bite of that chili now without gagging. I think its the sweet potato.

Anyways, back to the real chili. So it's my mom's recipe but I'm calling it Nanny's Chili because it sounds better than "Mom's Chili" which sounds gross, no? In our family, we call the grandmothers "Nanny" - I think it must be a Canadian thing. So naturally, my mom is Nanny to the grandkids. Unless you're Jack in which case you're "Neena" formally known as "Nee."

1 lb lean ground beef or turkey (for vegan, use TVP)
1 red pepper
1-2 onions
2 garlic cloves
3 TBSP olive oil (for plant strong, just use water or broth)
28 oz can diced tomatoes
15 oz can tomato sauce
15 oz can kidney beans
2 TBSP chili powder + 1/2 TSP black pepper (if you like your chili on the spicier side, double this)
2 TBSP paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt (or to taste)

Dice red pepper, onions and garlic cloves

Brown the meat. 

Saute the onions, pepper and garlic in olive oil until tender and brown.

Add to meat.

Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.

Rinse the beans.

Mash about half of them.

Tend to your child who has been crying the whole time.

Once child is calm, add your spices and stir.

Let simmer on low for 1-2 hours.

Mmmm. 

Serve with crusty bread. 

Best Black Bean Dip EVAHHHHHH

See that title? If I was reading it to you, I would totally yell the "evahhhh!" part because it's that GOOD. "Holy Moses is it delicious" as my Nan Cresswell would say. I mean, it's so good you should go out and buy some black beans right now, unless you're like me and always get sucked in to Heinen's 10 for $10 on cans of beans and now have thousands of legumes squirreled away.

But I digress. Here's the recipe, complete with pictures! Although if there's one recipe pictures don't do justice to (or any good for that matter) it's this, because it basically just looks like poop.

I'm calling this Judy's Black Bean Dip, because my mom discovered it while she was on a Daniel Fast and I would often show up for lunch at her house (uninvited) in case she happened to have some in the fridge.

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
3 cups of black beans, rinsed (28 oz can)
3/4 cup salsa
Shredded chedder cheese (my mom subbed in nutritional yeast since she was off dairy, so I did the same)
Sea salt to taste (1/2 tsp to start. I ended up using about 1 tsp)
Pepper to taste

Saute onion and garlic in a little water until tender.

Mash about half of the beans and add to the pan.

Add cumin, salt and pepper.

Stir in the salsa

Stir in shredded cheese. Or, you can use nutritional yeast which looks like fish food but tastes kind of like cheese and cuts down on calories.

Serve warm. Eat with corn chips!

(Thanks to Tim for his fabulous hand modeling)

Oatmeal Raisin Scones

My mom makes the most amazing bran muffins. She also makes delicious biscotti. But today I'm sharing her recipe for oatmeal raisin scones. We're having our new neighbors over for coffee so I decided to make them myself for the first time (it's really easy!). With only a 1/3 cup of sugar plus the added benefit of raisins and oatmeal, these are pretty guilt free in the way of sweets. They're also a very "comforting" snack, especially when paired with a cup of tea and a dab of jam.

1 1/2 c flour
1 c quick-cooking oats
1/3 c sugar
1 Tbsp + 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 c unsalted butter
1/3 c milk
1 egg
1/2 c raisins

Preheat oven to 400 F. Stir flour, oats, sugar, baking powder salt, ginger and nutmeg in a large bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Beat egg and milk together in a separate bowl and stir into dry mixture. Add raisins. Gather dough into a ball and place on greased baking sheet. Flatten to a 9 inch circle. Cut into 8 pie shaped wedges. Using a spatula, pull each wedge out to allow 1 inch space between the wedges. Chill for 30 mins. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

clementines, dates and yogurt.

It was this blog that inspired me to start reorganizing our apartment. She's now on a permanent (?) refined sugar and flour fast and I'm kind of inspired to do the same. Especially when she shares recipes like this! It looks so delicious; can't wait to try it out after I'm done with the gestational diabetes :)

CLEMENTINE AND DATE YOGURT CUPS

This recipe is flour free and sugar free, though you can certainly add agave or honey if you are accustomed to sweeter desserts. Try it once plain. Although yogurt can be sour for some, dates are impossibly sweet. If you get a bite of date in every spoonful, you shouldn’t need a sweetener. If 2-4 dates aren’t enough, try more.

1 cup non fat Greek yogurt

1 cup peeled and sectioned clementines, about three

2-4 dates, chopped

1 tablespoon flax seed, ground or whole

1 tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut

1 tablespoon Udo’s Oil 3.6.9 Blend (optional, but if you don’t use the oil consider regular fat yogurt)

Dump everything in a bowl. Eat.

Or, if you’re feeling fancy, divide your ingredients by halves or thirds and layer it in pretty glass dishes. Store in refrigerator or eat.

stir-fried chicken salad

I finally got around to making this tonight. Near the end of the process I was sure there wouldn't be enough marinade left over to dress the salad and I was already counting it a fail. But it turned out to be really tasty and best of all, really light and healthy. Definitely recommend.

Chicken & Mushrooms in White Wine Sauce

I can cook, but not half as well as Tim can.  Unlike myself, he rarely follows recipes using them more as a suggestive guide than a set of rules. On occasion his culinary dares don't pay off, but for the most part they exceed expectation and tonight's dinner was no exception (he even did a little dance in the kitchen after the final taste test). Here's the recipe for those of you looking for something simple and savory to cook this week. I should mention that Tim doesn't use measurements, he just pours and sprinkles at will. The portions are a guess at best (enough for two servings) so you may want to adjust where you see fit:

Tim's Chicken & Mushrooms in White Wine Sauce

2 chicken breasts
1 1/2 c. white wine
8 oz button mushrooms, sliced
7 garlic cloves, whole
6 sundried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. butter
1 1/2 cup c. chicken stock
Basil, oregano and thyme to taste
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Penne pasta

Preheat oven to 325. In a small saucepan, melt butter and then add garlic cloves, sundried tomatoes and seasonings. Simmer for two minutes. Add white wine and chicken broth. Cook at a low boil for five minutes. Place chicken in a small baking dish and pour most of the sauce on top, keeping some aside.  Cover with aluminum foil and put in oven for 50 minutes.

When there's 20 minutes left on the chicken, saute the mushrooms in a skillet with remaining sauce. Cook pasta according to package. When the chicken is done, scoop out garlic cloves and sundried tomatoes from sauce and mix into the pasta. Cut  the chicken into strips and place on top along with mushrooms and excess sauce from skillet (don't add sauce from chicken pan - it'll be too much). Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.