Love Muffins- Vegan & Gluten-Free

02 Friday Aug 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in breakfast, dessert, gluten-free, homemade gifts, vegan

Tags

fruit, gluten free, local, nuts, oats, peanut butter, vegan

Food:

Love Muffins- makes 12

8 oz. buckwheat flour or oat flour (you can use your blender or flour mill to grind your own flour, that is what I do, or find at grocery store. Also, I did use my scale to measure the flour. It’s slightly over a cup.)

1/2 c. local honey (I use Clifford Farms)

1 T. baking powder

1/2 tsp. real salt

1 1/4 c. nut milk (I use homemade)

1/3 c. heaping, favorite nut butter (I used Barney Butter Chunky Almond Butter)

1 T. chia seeds mixed w/ 3 T. water

2 T. coconut oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 c. heaping of your favorite jam (I used Amour Spread Raspberry Jam, this would be a great recipe to use your own canned jam)

Directions:

1. Start by pre heating your oven to 400 degrees. Next line your muffin tin with parchment muffin liners, or if you are like me and ran out of liners oil your muffin pan with coconut oil.

2. In a medium size bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a small saucepan heat the coconut oil, nut butter and honey until smooth and mixed well. Do not over heat or let the mixture come to a boil. Take off the heat and add nut milk, vanilla and chia seed mixture. Mix. (I was able to skip this step and just mix everything in a bowl with a whisk because it has been so hot!)

4. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and fold all of the ingredients together. Don’t overmix.

5. Using a big spoon, spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tin, only half way. Next, add a teaspoon of jam to the middle of each muffin. Then spoon more of the batter over the jam, fill to the top.

6. Bake for 22 minutes. Let cool and then devour!

Love:

I call these ‘Love Muffins’ for a few reasons, 1. Who doesn’t love nut butter and jelly? 2. I got to use my favorite local jammer Amour Spreads! 3. I have been working on this recipe for sometime and finally cracked it. These are super easy to throw together, are a crowd pleaser and totally worth turning on the oven for. My husband was so happy when he walked in and saw these fresh out of the oven, he immediately shoved one in his face. (Notice in the pic below that one is missing!)

Amour Spreads and I are getting ready to work on a little project together (stay tuned!) and I wanted to make and share these with them. I hope they like how I used their love to share a little love with all of you.

I think these would be amazing with your own canned jam or jelly, you could attach this recipe to one of your jars of jam and give it as a gift. ENJOY!

Black Rice Coconut Pudding w/Dates

18 Thursday Apr 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in breakfast, dessert, gluten-free, Side dish, Snack, vegan

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

coconut milk, dates, gluten free, rice, vegan

Love:

Do you like rice pudding? Until this week I didn’t, I am really funny about textures, soggy bread, tapioca, bloomed chia seeds- ick! I had always put rice pudding in the same category, until now.

I am a part of Slow Food Utah’s book club, what is great about our book club is that all the books we read are about food. Our last book was ‘An Everlasting Meal, Cooking with Economy and Grace’ by Tamar Adler. When we meet for book club we usually bring dishes based on something featured in the book, this particular book had a number of recipes to choose from but for some reason the Rice Pudding was speaking to me. I have never made rice pudding and as I said I don’t even like rice pudding, but for some reason I was compelled to make it. I changed quite a bit of the recipe to appeal to my needs and what I had on hand, which is exactly the premise of the book. This book is so hopeful in learning how to make a meal using what you already have in your house or in other words, learning how to just wing it and not necessarily having to follow a recipe. This book teaches you to use what you have and even has recipes for when you mess something up, like we all do. Even those of us who blog and cook all the time mess up, but learning how to recover from those mess ups makes all the difference in your pocket-book as well as your confidence.

This rice pudding is delicious! It is warm, comforting and healthy which is always at the top of my list. I had everything on hand which was a major bonus, and even my friend Amber Billingsley head pastry chef at Vinto loved it. Amber is an award-winning pastry chef, had I known she was coming to book club I probably wouldn’t have brought dessert! I am however grateful she was there to help me. Also grateful that I got over my fear of rice pudding and added a new recipe to my list of how to use up what is leftover. Enjoy!

Food:

Black Rice Coconut Pudding w/Dates serves 4-8

2 1/2 c. leftover rice (I used Forbidden Rice)

3 c. canned coconut milk (full fat)

1/4 c. pure maple syrup

3/4 c. chopped medjool dates

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

few healthy grates of nutmeg

healthy pinch of real salt

*top with coconut butter (you can find this at Whole Foods or Good Earth, usually next to coconut oil)

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a medium heavy bottom pot. Let it heat to just under a boil. As soon as you see the first bubbles, lower the heat to a quiet simmer.

2. Cook with the intention of the rice absorbing everything. (I kept mine a little juicy) After 50 min, it should be very pudding-y, with a tiny bit a swim left to it. Hot or cold it is delish!

Nutrition:

Black Rice/ Forbidden Rice- The purple color is associated with anthocyanin antioxidants, which are also found in blueberries, but with more fiber and more vitamin E present than in the berries. Plus black rice even outdoes the healthful properties of brown. Here is another recipe using Black Rice.

Dates- Dates are one of the best natural sources of potassium, an essential mineral needed by the body to maintain muscle contractions, and smooth functioning of the heart muscles. As potassium does not get stored in the body, a regular consumption of dates will continually replenish the body and aid in maintaining a healthy nervous system and the right balance of the body’s metabolism. Calcium and magnesium present in the dates ensure healthy bone development and energy metabolism. Important vitamins, like vitamin A and a variety of B-complex vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, etc) help fight off many infections to maintain and develop a healthy body. Dates contain vital amino acids that aid in smooth digestion and the adequate nicotinic content in them helps cure intestinal disturbances. Here is another recipe for dates.

Coconut Milk- 1. helps maintain blood sugar 2. keeps skin and blood vessels flexible and elastic 3. aids in strong bones 4. helps prevent anemia 5. relaxes muscles and nerves 6. helps control weight 7. decreases risk of inflammation 8. helps lower blood sugar 9. helps maintain healthy immune system 10. promotes health of prostate gland. Here is another recipe using coconut milk.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

03 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by cosmohippiechef in breakfast, cake, cookies, DIY, homemade gifts, seasonal

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

bread, chocolate, gluten free, pumpkin, seasonal

Love:

I need pumpkin bread in my life, here’s to hoping you do to. ENJOY!

Food:

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread- makes 2 loaves

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Dry ingredients:

2 3/4 c. oat flour, (you can make your own by placing thick raw oats into the food processor or blender and grinding down into flour)

3/4 c. coconut flour (can be found at Whole Foods, Harmon’s, Good Earth, adds fiber, flavor and can replace up to 20% of flour in a recipe)

1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. clove

1/4 tsp. ginger

2 c. chocolate chips (semi-sweet)

1. Sift all dry ingredients together in a bowl. Toss in the chocolate chips and set aside.

Wet ingredients:

4 eggs

3/4 c. almond milk (I used homemade)

1 c. applesauce (I was given a jar of homemade from my favorite apple farmers’ wife this summer at the Farmers Market)

3/4 c. honey (I used Clifford Family Farms)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. fresh pumpkin puree (*recipe to follow)

2. Place all the wet ingredients in the food processor or blender and pulse till all wet ingredients are mixed together.

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well, be sure not to over mix.

4. Pour into two greased loaf pans (regular sized, not small) and bake @350 for 1 hour.

5. Let cool completely before diving in!

*Fresh Pumpkin Puree

1. Wash your pumpkin. Cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds (dry seeds and make roasted pumpkin seeds). Place cut side down on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake @400 degrees for about an hour. Half way through turn right side up.

2. Let pumpkin cool enough to a handle, scoop flesh out into your food processor or blender. Puree. You may need to add a bit of water to get things moving.

3. Place a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth over a bowl, scoop the pureed pumpkin into the strainer. Let this strain for about 1 hour. Ready to use!(I use my leftovers in our hot cereal or our raw oatmeal!)

Nutrition:

Pumpkin- Winter squash especially the darker-fleshed varieties like pumpkin and acorn provide exceptional amounts of carotenes, which as been shown to exert a protective effect against many cancers particularly lung cancer. In addition to cancer and heart disease, diets rich in carotenes also appear to offer protection against developing type 2 diabetes, with pumpkin consumption being the most protective. Pumpkin seeds have also been shown to be helpful in reducing symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Monday Housewife Day Roundup

17 Monday Sep 2012

Posted by cosmohippiechef in breakfast, DIY, quinoa, Snack

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

gluten free, quinoa, salad, seasonal, tofu

Love:

I posted the picture above on Instagram with a caption that read “I can’t tell you how many dishes I wash on Monday’s!” I lovingly refer to Monday’s as ‘Monday Housewife Day’ and this day is by far the busiest day in my kitchen. Most weeks I feel lucky to have a day that is dedicated to the prep of our meals, other weeks I feel like a slave to my kitchen. Today was one of those days that I just wanted to bust out of here and get lost in Lululemon (which I actually did but quickly got my butt home and back to work!). Our weeks tend to be busy and having breakfast, lunch and dinner prepped makes things a whole lot easier. Even though it’s sometimes a struggle to get through all the recipes I have for myself, I’m always thankful the rest of the week is easy in the kitchen department. I thought I would share the recipes I am using this week to make my life a little easier. Who know’s maybe one of these ideas with help make your life in the kitchen a little easier.

Food:

Here’s what I have going on in the fridge-

1. DIY Coconut Granola: Breakfast is organic plain yogurt, blueberries (farmers market) and granola topped with chia seeds and Dandy Tea to drink. *I should mention that I like to pre-portion out the blueberries into conatiners so in the morning all I have to do is add the yogurt, granola and chia seeds. This makes them portable, which is great when your sweetie is running out the door!

2. Lunch: Brown rice, steamed broccoli (farmers market) and sautéed Bok choy (farmers market) and Caramel Cooked Tofu.

3. Dinner: tonight is Toasted Millet Salad, this is a new favorite in our house. I made it last Thursday and made extra which is what we ate tonight. BUT, we will probably be having it again this week! Easy and super delish.

4. Dinner for tomorrow (I made this ahead because I have a very long work day tomorrow) and leftovers for lunch later in the week: Roasted Potato Onion and Rosemary Crustless Quiche. I thought I could just warm it up when I get home and serve it with a quick arugula salad. (We had a little slice with our Toasted Millet Salad tonight and it was very delicious.)

5. I make a batch of Gluten Free-Vegan Zucchini Muffins for my clients this week, as well as DIY Almond Butter to dip my apple slices in!

6. Snack: last but not least I made Pan-Fried Quinoa Cakes that I found in the Oprah Magazine at work (shh… don’t tell them it was me who ripped out that page!). I actually baked mine @375 degrees for 35 minutes. I had to eat one to make sure they were okay and they were fabulous and will make a great snack on the go.

Well, that just a taste of what it looked like today in my kitchen on Monday Housewife Day. Hope you all enjoy these new recipes as much as me.

Zucchini Muffins- Gluten Free and Vegan

27 Monday Aug 2012

Posted by cosmohippiechef in breakfast, dessert, homemade gifts, seasonal, vegan

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

bananas, gluten free, quinoa, seasonal, vegan, zucchini

Love:

Every summer aren’t we all trying to figure out what to do with all the zucchini growing in our gardens?! Or maybe you have a friend or neighbor who keeps gifting the git of zucchini that just keeps on giving. Well, I thought why not make Oatmeal Zucchini Chocolate Bread and Zucchini Muffins and do a taste test to see which one my peeps prefer, the muffins were the winner. They were my favorite, but I do this all for you so I was glad they were a hit. I think this is the third batch I have made, the first batch was to test out, the second batch we took camping and this third batch is for my cute friend Ashton who just had a baby. They are perfect for any occasion and they are great to grab on the run. Maybe you could make these for whom ever keeps bringing these beauties to your door, ENJOY!

Food:

Zucchini Muffins– makes 12

3/4 c. quinoa flour

3/4 c. buckwheat flour

1/3 c. coconut flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 very ripe bananas

1 medium zucchini, shredded

1/2 c. nut milk

6 T. coconut oil

6 T. local honey or pure maple syrup

2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with muffin liners.

2. In a large mixing bowl, sift all the dry ingredients together.

3. In a food processor pulse together the banana’s, nut milk, coconut oil, honey or maple syrup and vanilla until mixed.

4. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir well. Don’t over mix. Next add the shredded zucchini and mix again until the zucchini is well incorporated.

5. Fill the muffin liners with the batter and bake for 20- 25 minutes until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Double Chocolate Everything Bars- Travel Food

06 Wednesday Jun 2012

Posted by cosmohippiechef in beans, breakfast, dessert, Snack, vegan

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

almond meal, beans, dates, gluten free, nuts, seeds, vegan

Food:

3/4 c. buckwheat flour (you can grind your own or find in the bulk section of health food stores)

3/4 c. almond meal (you can grind your own or find in the bulk section of health food stores)

1/4 c. coconut flour (find in the bulk section of health food stores)

1/4 c. raw cacao powder (find in the bulk section of health food stores)

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

1/4 c. hemp seeds

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

big pinch, cloves, pumpkin spice, nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. chickpeas (fresh or canned)

2/3 c. nut milk

1 banana

1/4 c. coconut oil

2 T. tahini (you could use almond butter)

1/3 c. pure maple syrup

1 1/2 tsp.vanilla extract

1 tsp. almond extract

2 carrots, shredded

1/2 dates, chopped

3/4-1 c. vegan chocolate chips, or carob chips

Directions:

1 Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, lightly oil a 13×9 baking dish with coconut oil. In a large mixing bowl mix the buckwheat flour, almond meal, coconut flour, cacao powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin spice and salt. Whisk to combine.

2. Next add walnuts, hemp seeds, grated carrots and chopped dates to the dry flour mixture. Toss to combine.

3. In a food processor or high-speed blender mix the chickpeas, nut milk, banana, coconut oil, tahini, pure maple syrup, vanilla extract and almond extract. Mix on high until well combined. Add this mixture to flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips. Mix well but don’t overmix!

4. Scrape the well mixed mixture into the lightly oil baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes. Let cool, cut and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Love:

These ~~little~~ BIG nuggets of love have been a life saver in my life. They are full of yummy healthy ingredients like chickpeas, cacao powder and gluten-free flours! They are super easy to whip up and travel well, l I even packed them for our travels this week to Denver. They are like indulging in a moist chocolate brownie with the goodness of a granola bar or protein bar. I eat five times a day and these have been a great mid morning or late afternoon snack, I will even throw one in my purse if I think I might need something to hold me over. This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite blogs, My New Roots. She posted this recipe in an effort to help all of us with the wows of traveling and the sometimes limited choices when it comes to eating right on the go. These are a new staple snack in my house, and as I sit in a hotel surrounded by chain restaurants I am thankful I packed these morsels of love to keep me nourished.

Smoked Salmon Dill Egg Cups- Happy Easter

04 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by cosmohippiechef in breakfast, Fish

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

almond meal, broccoli, cheese, eggs, fish, gluten free, parsley

Food:

Smoked Salmon Dill Egg Cups Makes 12

8 oz wild smoked salmon, chop into smaller pieces

2/3 c. low-fat organic cottage cheese

4 eggs (mine came from my buddy Dean’s chickens)

1/4 c. water

1/4 yellow onion, grated

1 c. raw broccoli, chopped (sub with asparagus)

1/4 c. each dill, parsley

zest of one lemon

3/4 c. almond meal

3/4 c. Parmesan or Pecorino cheese

freshly grated pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, line a 12 serving cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl combine cottage cheese and grated onion, add some freshly grated pepper and mix together. Next add the salmon, broccoli, dill, parsley, lemon zest and mix until well combined.

3. In a separate bowl whisk the 4 eggs and the 1/4 c. water. Lightly season with salt and pepper, add this to the salmon mixture. Mix to combine. Lastly add the almond meal and mix one more time.

4. Using a 1/4 c. measuring cup fill the each of the cupcake/muffin liners with the salmon mixture. Top each one with 1 tsp. of either Parmesan or Pecorino cheese. Place in the oven and bake for about 28 min, or until set and golden brown on top. I like mine cold, so let them cool completely and place in an airtight container in the fridge. Serve alone or along side a big green salad.

Nutrition:

Wild Salmon- Omega 3 fatty acids, High Quality Protein, Essential Amino Acids, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B, Vitamin E, Appreciable amounts of calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, and phosphorus (Courtesy of Wild for Salmon)

Eggs: In my opinion eggs sometimes get a bad rap. They are an excellent source of low-cost high quality protein. They are a great source of vitamin K and very good source of selenium and vitamin D. Some eggs contain omega-3 fatty acids depending on what they eat. Commercially produced eggs contain virtually no omega-3’s. Local eggs are your best bet. (The eggs pictured above came from my buddy Dean’s chickens. These chickens live in a healthy happy environment, they are so fresh that there is a feather in the egg carton!)

Love:

I have made these little egg cups a number of times, usually for a snack mid morning or late afternoon. But when I was thinking about this up coming Easter weekend I thought they would be great for brunch, maybe with a big green salad and fresh fruit. You can bake them of the night before, place them in the fridge and they will be ready to go the next morning- genius! I love recipe that make Sunday morning a breeze and this one will definitely do that. Also, its Spring so sub out the broccoli for asparagus. Good luck and I hope you all have a beautiful Easter weekend, for other Easter ideas check out my post below for last years menu.

Crepes- Happy Easter

Twice Baked Potatoes- Easter Dinner

Oatmeal Banana Bread

25 Sunday Mar 2012

Posted by cosmohippiechef in breakfast, dessert, vegan

≈ 16 Comments

Tags

bananas, chocolate, coconut milk, gluten free, nuts, oats, seeds, vegan

Food:

Oatmeal Banana Bread

1c. oats (preferably gluten-free)

3/4c. walnuts, divided

1/3c. coconut flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

4 ripe bananas

1/2c. nut milk (I used Homemade Coconut Milk)

2 tsp. vanilla

6 T. coconut oil (if solid gently melt)

6 T. pure maple syrup

1/4c. sunflower seeds, hemp seeds and whole almonds- chopped

3/4c. vegan chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Start by lining a loaf pan with parchment paper and preheating the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Next place the oats and 1/2c. walnuts in the food processor, process until it looks like flour. Be sure not to over mix.

3. Place the oat/walnut flour into a large bowl, one that is big enough to add the other ingredients to. Add the coconut flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder to this mixture and mix well with a whisk or fork.

4. Next place the banana’s, nut milk, vanilla, coconut oil and pure maple syrup into the food processor, process until all the ingredients are mixed well. The scent of this mixture is heavenly. Add this mixture to the dry mixture. FOLD all the ingredients together, DON’T OVERMIX!

5. Now add the chopped almonds, the remaining 1/4c. walnuts, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds and chocolate chips. Fold these in gently. Pour the batter into the lined loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes. (Check the banana bread by inserting a toothpick into the center, if it comes out clean it’s ready) Let cool completely before slicing.

Nutrition:

Nuts and seeds- With their gold mine of healthy minerals and their niacin and folic-acid contents, seeds are an excellent nutrition package. They are among the better plant sources of iron and zinc. In fact, one ounce of pumpkin seeds contains almost twice as much iron as three ounces of skinless chicken breast. And they provide more fiber per ounce than nuts. They are also good sources of protein. Each seed has its own individual bang for its bite, reasearch each on and be amazed.

Coconut Flour- Coconut flour has a low glycemic index, which means it’ll keep you fuller for longer and gives you steady, balanced energy. Not to mention its 58% fiber content, ranking it the higher than bran!

Banana’s- They soothe the stomach and strengthen the lining against acid and ulcers. Has antibiotic activity. Bananas feed the natural acidophilus bacteria of the bowel. They are high in potassium which benefits the muscular system.

Oats- Oats provide and abundance of antioxidants and lignans which help protect against cancer and help stabilize blood sugar levels. Rolled oats, which are minimally processed are slightly less beneficial than steel-cut or whole oat groats.

Love:

This yummy, decadent, GLUTEN-FREE, VEGAN Oatmeal Banana Bread will blow your mind, it is very similar to my Banana Date Muffins, but without the dairy. With the addition of the oat/walnut flour (which I learned about from My New Roots, and was the inspiration for this heavenly creation) this Oatmeal Banana Bread is on a whole other level. I have made it twice now and we (me, Billy and everyone who I served it to last week) are in love. Get in the kitchen and make a loaf, it’s easy-I SWEAR! Enjoy!

Super Smoothie- Recovery Spa Week

05 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by cosmohippiechef in breakfast

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

fruit, gluten free, kale, spinach, vegan

Food:

Power Smoothie- Serves 2

1/2c. chopped kale

1/2c. chopped spinach

1/2c. parsley leaves

10 chunks of pineapple (about 1/2c-3/4c)

1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped

1/2c. frozen organic blueberries

1c. coconut water

1/2c. water

*optional add ins*

2 tsp. bee pollen

2 squirts, marine phytoplankton

2 tsp. maca powder

Directions:

Everything goes into the blender, blend until mixed well. Divide between two glasses Serve immediately!

Nutrition:

Kale- Kale is beneficial to the digestive and nervous system and is a rich source of various atni-cancer chemicals.

Spinach– A super source of antioxidant and cancer antagonists, containing about four times as much beta-carotene and three times more lutein then broccoli.

Parsley– A blood builder and purifier. Helps release retained water from the body.

Ginger– Ginger is a great tonic for the digestive tract, it stimulates digestion and keeps the intestinal muscles toned. Acts as an anti-inflammatory.

Pineapple– Helps detox the body, an anti-inflammatory. The greatest value lies in its digestive power, which closely resembles that of human gastric juices.

Blueberries– Blueberries contain silicon which helps protect the pancreas, also has anti-viral activity.

Love:

I have fallen in love with smoothies again, I say that because smoothies used to be a HUGE of our diet but they were loosing their appeal after years of having them. Now days we start our days with raw oatmeal (during the week) or hot steel-cut oats, 10 grain and our newest amaranth porridge (on the weekends). But a couple of weeks ago I started to mix up some fun new creations, as well as this week wanting to cleanse our systems and shake things up a bit. This recipe is adapted from whole living’s 28 day challenge. Smoothies are a great way to get an abundance of vitamins, minerals and a big chunk of veggies/fruit servings in one sitting-yay! Enjoy!

What’s Cookin’

26 Sunday Feb 2012

Posted by cosmohippiechef in beans, breakfast, DIY, quinoa, salad, seasonal, Side dish, vegan

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

cheese, gluten free, kale, lentils, local, nuts, oats, quinoa, salad, seasonal, soup, vegan

Love:

You know what I love about blogging? Other blogs! Do you ever wish you could live in someone elses kitchen? Well, I do. That’s what I get from other blogs, they do the work and I look fabulous. My hope is that I do that for all of you.

So have fun seeing what I have been busy in the kitchen whipping up, and thanks for the other blogs I follow for inspiring me to get in the kitchen keep cookin’.

Food:

Lentil Meatballs

I found this fun recipe on Pinterest, which lead me to this great new blog Sprouted Kitchen. These Lentil Meatballs were easy to whip up, and there was also a recipe for a Lemon Pesto to go with them (I switched parsley for basil and walnuts for pine nuts). Billy loved these. They were what was for lunch last week.

Quinoa Spinach Bake

I thought I had a pic of the finished project, sorry. I found this great recipe on Whole Living. I love all things quinoa, it is so versatile. I thought this Quinoa Spinach Bake would be great with the Lentil Meatballs and I was right. I chopped up some fresh spinach, tossed in the Lentil Meatballs, topped it with the Quinoa Bake and finished it off with the Lemon Pesto. Voila! Lunch was fantastic.

Banana Walnut Pancakes (I call them love pancakes)

Raw Slaw w/Tahani Dressing

Homemade Goat Milk Ricotta

Raw Cashew Dreamcake

All four of these recipes came from the same blog, My New Roots! I know, I know a little obsessed, but I don’t care. The creator of this blog is into Holistic eating, living, being, cooking just like me! I have to say that I hope my food is as awesome to y’all as hers is to me.

The Pancakes are vegan, gluten-free and are made with walnut flour. We have made them two weeks in row-yum! New favorite.

The Raw Slaw is great for this time of year, all the ingredients are seasonal (bonus). We had it last Monday for Soup and Salad Night. I strive to have a balance between raw and cooked foods in my diet and this salad is perfect for that. Not to mention that it is fabulous to look at!

Homemade Goat Milk Ricotta was too easy to make and went perfect with my Roasted Bell Pepper Tempanade for Oscar night on the couch. This recipe will definitely make another appearance in my kitchen, so good. I made my own cheese!!! Bonus: I got to use local Drake Family Farms Goat Milk.

Raw Cashew Dreamcake, you had me at hello. A raw dessert that taste like cheesecake? Sorry people this one is a no brainer, and the bonus is that I got to use honey from my buddy Dean’s bees and local raspberries that I had in the freezer.

Thanks for the blog love. Enjoy!