Tastes like December

That's because I made gingerbread pancakes! Yum! Here is the recipe for these tasty delights....

Gingerbread Pancakes

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes


Servings: makes 12 smallish to medium pancakes


Ingredients:


• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• Pinch of sea salt
• 2 tablespoons evaporated cane juice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• Sprinkle of nutmeg
• Sprinkle of cloves
• 1 cup almond milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses


Directions:


1. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in a small bowl. Combine all ingredients and mix until most of the lumps are gone.
2. Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Scoop about ¼ cup of batter into the pan. (I can usually fit 3 or 4 at a time)
3. Cook until bubbles start to form on top, then flip and cook for a few more minutes. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
4. Eat, drink, and be merry!


Notes: I drizzle mine with some Grade A real maple syrup…you gotta splurge for the real stuff…sorry Aunt Jemima. Feel free to play around with the amounts of spices. I went heavy on the cinnamon since it’s my favorite spice, but lighter on the nutmeg and ginger since they are not my faves.

There was just enough batter left over to make 3 mini pup-cakes. He loves him some pancakes!

Onto the next recipe....

Check out my bountiful harvest for this dish!

Ratatouille Wraps

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Total Time: 30 min


Servings: 6


Ingredients:


• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium eggplant, diced into ½ inch cubes
• 2 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise then thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow onion, cut in half then thinly sliced
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 lb. tomatoes, chopped
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• Whole wheat tortillas


Directions:


1. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
2. Add 2 more tablespoons olive oil along with zucchini, red pepper, onion, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, for about 6 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and thyme, partially cover, and let cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Remove the lid and simmer for just about another 2 minutes.
5. Place a tortilla on a plate and place as much of the veggies you can fit into it, and wrap it up.
6. Eat, drink, and be merry!

Notes: Ratatouille is a traditional French veggie dish…it’s also a very cute Disney Pixar movie. I think next time I’m going to add some marjoram and perhaps some carrots. These veggies would also be good served over brown rice.

A nice helping of veggies before they got all wrapped up.

And I made the BEST salad in the history of salads to go with it.....

This was just some pre-packaged Spring Mix greens, cucumber, light red kidney beans, raw pumpkin seeds, and the following delicious dressing....

Cumin Vinaigrette

Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 0
Total Time: 5 min


Servings: 12


Ingredients:


• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup water
• Pinch of evaporated cane juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Pinch sea salt


Directions:


1. Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight fighting lid. Shake well. Chill in refrigerator before serving.


Notes: Yum! I halved the amounts here since I didn't need 12 servings of salad dressing, although I did still use 2 cloves of garlic since I LOVE it.

This went perfectly with the above meal. I love me some Sam Adams.

Check out this awesome food and water stand type thingy my dad made for Barney. Raising their dishes off the ground is supposed to aid in digestion...come to think of it, he has been burping a lot less lately....

I'm very impressed with the craftsmenship..bravo Bob!

Lots of exciting things happening around here folks. I just signed a contract the other night to purchase my first home! It's new construction so it won't be ready until October probably, but then I can finally move out of this crapartment and be a real grown up with a mortgage and everything! Also, I'm in the process of working with the Boston Terrier Rescue of NC on finding the right dog for me...so Barnes will be getting a brother or sister very soon hopefully!!

I rented a bunch of movies, When In Rome (thought it was pretty cute) and It's Complicated (great movie..highly recommend it!) and I have one more to watch. Hope everyone is having a fantastical weekend!

Happy Belated Summer Solstice!

Just in case you were unaware, yesterday was the Summer Solstice, which is the day of the year with the longest period of daylight, blah blah blah, some science stuff, blah blah. Anywho, I can't believe I keep forgetting to mention the fact that Starbucks now has vegan options for frappuccino lovers! I used to love those icy treats once in awhile, and now I get to have one anytime I want since you can get soymilk in the mix. I sampled a caramel soy frap (no syrup or whip) on my way to Georgia last month and it was just as tasty as I remember...aahhhh...those will come in handy during these hot summer months! Alright, here is some yummy food I made....

Tempeh Sloppy Joes



Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Total Time: 30 min


Servings: 6


Ingredients:


• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup onion, diced
• 2 8 oz. packages of tempeh
• ½ cup green bell pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce (I use Agostino’s)
• 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper


Directions:


1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes while it softens.
2. Crumble the tempeh into the skillet and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Add green pepper and garlic and cook another 2 minutes.
4. Add tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, cumin, coriander, thyme, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Eat, drink, and be merry!


Notes: This is a different twist on the standard sloppy joes. It’s full of protein from the tempeh and tastes great on whole wheat hamburger buns. I had mine on a piece of Ezekiel sesame toast...yum!

Next.....

BBQ Oven Fries



Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Total Time: 40 min


Servings: 4


Ingredients:


• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 6 tablespoons vegan barbecue sauce (I used Jack Daniels No.7)
• ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 baking potatoes


Directions:


1. Preheat the oven to 450 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Mix olive oil, barbecue sauce, pepper, paprika, and cumin in a large bowl.
3. Cut each potato lengthwise into 8 to 10 wedges. (The smaller the pieces, the crispier they will get in the oven)
4. Place the potatoes in the bowl with the sauce and mix well. Place the potatoes on the baking sheets in a single layer.
5. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, turning halfway through.
6. Eat, dink, and be merry!


Notes: These are an easy and tasty little addition to any meal. Plus a healthy dose of Vitamin C from the potatoes. And face it, who doesn't love fries???

And finally....

Balsamic Beans



Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Total Time: 15 min


Servings: 4


Ingredients:


• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb. frozen green beans, thawed


Directions:


1. Mix soy sauce and balsamic vinegar in a bowl and set to the side.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet and add green beans and garlic and cook over high heat for 5 minutes or until the beans start to brown.
3. Lower the heat the medium and add soy sauce and vinegar and simmer until the liquid reduces, about 5 minutes.
4. Eat, drink, and be merry!


Notes: This is a really fast and easy way to eat your green beans, which are a good source of Vitamin A. This is also one of my favorite go-to veggie side dishes.

**Product Review**

I wanted to share with you a product I've recently tried, Kiss My Face Moisturizing Shave Cream. This was one of the most moisturizing creams I've tried, and it made for a really close shave. I tried lavendar and shea, but they have a variety of different scents. But this is the best part: This product contains no animal ingredients, artificial colors, or unnecessary chemicals and was not tested on animals. As with all of my beauty and cleaning products, I try to only buy from companies who do no animal testing.


And finally, here is a delicious and somewhat healthy milkshake I concocted

All amounts are approximate as I just kind of test it as I go:

3/4 cup ice

1/2 cup almond milk

2 tablespoons peanut butter

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 squirt vanilla

1 squirt agave nectar

Put it all in the blender and whiz around until it reaches your desired consistancy...yum!!

In honor of the season, I leave you with this lovely quote from a lovely song (ironically titled Winter Song) from two of my favorite songstresses, Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles

"I still believe in summer days,

The seasons always change,

And life will find a way." 

Eenie Meenie Broccolini

It is apparent that summer is upon us. All the signs are there, the fireflies are glowing in the twilight, Barney's shedding has quadrupled, and regular Yoga For Beginners in my living room felt like bikram yoga. So naturally I decided to make soup for dinner! Nothing cools you off like a piping hot bowl of soup. The truth is, I love soup. I eat it year round. There's just something comforting about a nice bowl of soup. And there are so many different ways to make soup. Ok, I've typed the word soup too much, I'm done. The two dishes I prepared tonight might be one of the most random food pairings in the history of food pairings. One was like comfort food, the other was kind of fancy schmancy. Oh well, they were tasty!

Barley and Potato Soup



Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 50 min
Total Time: 1 hr 5 min


Servings: 6-8


Ingredients:


• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped
•2 large carrots, diced
• 3 cups potatoes, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups vegetable stock or water (I used a combo)
• ¾ cup barley
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon marjoram
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Pinch of sea salt


Directions:


1. Heat oil in a LARGE stock pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, potatoes, and garlic. Sauté until the veggies start to soften, about 5-7 minutes.
2. Add stock, barley, herbs, salt, and pepper and simmer on low to medium for 45 minutes.
3. Remove bay leaves…don’t forget, there are two of them!
4. Eat, drink, and be merry!


Notes: I normally don’t peel my potatoes since that is where most of the nutrients are, but obviously feel free to peel them if that is your preference. If you don’t peel them, be sure to scrub them very well. Those little buggers can be dirty! This made a lot of soup, which I like, since I will be able to get a few meals out of it and freeze some for a later date. But if you’re looking for something on a smaller scale, just half all of the ingredients, I’m sure it will be just as delicious. Next time I might throw some beans in there for a protein boost.

Balsamic Broccolini



Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Total Time: 25 min

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• 2 bunches broccolini, stems trimmed
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Pinch of sea salt


Directions:


1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add pine nuts and toast for about 5 minutes. Watch them closely or they will BURN….trust me.
2. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.
3. Place pine nuts in a bowl and put to the side. In the same skillet, add olive oil and shallots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
4. Once water is boiling, add the broccolini and cook for about 5 minutes.
5. Drain broccolini well and add to shallots. Add white balsamic vinegar, pepper, and salt and stir for about 2 minutes, until vinegar reduces.
6. Remove from heat and add reserved pine nuts.
7. Eat, drink, and be merry!


Notes: This little fancy pants recipe was pretty good. However, next time I think I will save some pennies and just make the poor man’s version using regular broccoli, regular onion, regular balsamic vinegar…..mmm better keep the pine nuts!

This lil' veg came with it's own introduction...no need to google! What this card fails to mention is that broccolini carries high amounts of vitamin C, potassium, iron, fiber, and vitamin A. Yay!

It looks like a little forest on a plate.

What exactly is white balsamic vinegar you say? Well I'm glad you asked. Grape musts...hhhmmmm.

Roasty toasty pine nuts...yum! It is my firm belief that all nuts are better toasted. It brings out the flavors and makes the kitchen smell yumtastic...yes, I just made that word up.

Final product. It tasted great and was very filling.

Here's a little tip for any of you dog lovers out there...they love banana chips for a treat...at least mine does. It's fun to watch him eat them because they're so crunchy. Just make sure to get some that don't have too much sugar, as it is not good for pooches, or humans for that matter.

He looks like a little old man. A little old man that loves banana chips!

And finally, I realize that I have not made a dessert or anything sweet to post on here, and that is just unacceptable. Perhaps I will bake something up this weekend to share with you, but until then, I leave you with this photo of delightful cupcakes that I made for an Easter gathering.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter, oh my!

Back to "normal"

Hello all! I would like to apologize to my blog for neglecting it for so long. It has been a crazy couple of weeks. Memorial Day weekend I went to Georgia to pick up Barney and spent a nice long weekend there. My always accomodating and lovely mother made me some delicious vegan meals, to which I will post some pics and recipes below. I returned to Charlotte that Tuesday evening, and walked in to find, not one, but BOTH of my bathrooms flooded and parts of the ceiling falling down! I almost had a nervous breakdown, but I held it together, called a friend, and threw my suitcase and Barney back in the car to stay elsewhere while they fixed it. At first I was having a pity party for myself, walking around like a displaced Katrina victim, but then I snapped out of it....things could be a lot worse. Even though it's all fixed now, don't think I don't eyeball the ceiling everytime I walk into one of the bathrooms...just in case. Anyhow, I am happy to be back in my own kitchen cooking up yummy stuff.

This is what I came home to....

...and this...groooossssss!! I'm pretty certain I did not leave the

bathtub half full of dirty water when I left town.

Black Bean Burgers for the Grill

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 16 min
Total Time: 31 min


Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup onion, grated
• ¼ cup red bell pepper, grated
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ cup raw almonds
• ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 15.5 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons water
• ¾ cup wheat germ

Directions:


1. Grate the onion and red pepper, and then place in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Place the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, almonds, seeds, and oil in a food processor and pulse until the texture resembles bread crumbs. Transfer to the bowl with onion and pepper.
3. Place black beans and water in food processor and blend until smooth.
4. Transfer to the large bowl along with wheat germ and mix all ingredients together (with your hands!) completely. Separate into four balls and form patties. Make sure they’re not too thin or they will fall apart.
5. Grill for 8 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned.
6. Eat, drink, and be merry!

Notes: These were the first bean burgers I’ve made that actually stayed together. They were so good I didn’t even eat them on a bun or with any condiments.

Along with the bean burgers I had veggies that had been simply marinated for a few hours in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced onion, dried oregano, garlic, sea salt, and pepper.

This is the little bbq assistant.

I brought along with me my new BFF Daiya non-dairy cheddar cheese and mommy made me the BEST grilled cheese sandwich with carmelized red onions and tomato...I want one right now!

She also made me some tasty Raspberry and Lime muffins!

Muffins!

In conclusion, I will try not to neglect dear little blog for so long again, however, seeing as how I'm in the midst of adopting another dog, and in the process of looking for a house to buy, something tells me things are only going to get crazier!!