tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83128032529400200412024-03-05T14:38:02.646-05:00For the Love of Food!With a passion for cooking, I will take you on a journey to exploring different and new recipes with hopes of eventually coming up with original recipes to call my own. With your support I am hoping to gain the inspiration to create amazing dishes to pass on to others!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-67807906816908468862011-06-06T19:03:00.000-04:002011-06-06T19:03:37.998-04:00New Blog: Love'n Sweets Home BakeryTo all of my fellow blog followers,<br />
<br />
I have decided to make a new blog, "Love'n Sweets Home Bakery." I am passionate about baking, and one of these days I would LOVE to open my own bakery! I just need to finish grad school first, Ha! <br />
<br />
So I will be taking a long-term break from this blog. Please follow me on my new one! I would love to show you all what I am making these days!<br />
<br />
You can check out my blog at <a href="http://www.lovensweetshomebakery.com/">http://www.lovensweetshomebakery.com/</a> and email me at <a href="mailto:lovensweetshomebakery@gmail.com">lovensweetshomebakery@gmail.com</a>.<br />
<br />
I hope you all like my new blog and follow me on this journey! Thank you for all your support!<br />
<br />
RachelRachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-49207414267838185962011-04-26T12:03:00.000-04:002011-04-26T12:03:36.384-04:00April 17, 2011 Recipe #12: Baklava<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsvr2ubr8QLqgpWnam6DBpVxOkE2Fe_3NBnbzOmruqqTWUR5UmLAVxGM1xVHbhHR0VcpCagconWHb8j96kn2h-hwLxlpRT4GrWA9KT-zAKy3uttfwWHRAgtk0j4kcfu5ke0l4cxd95Rs/s1600/IMG_3120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="200" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsvr2ubr8QLqgpWnam6DBpVxOkE2Fe_3NBnbzOmruqqTWUR5UmLAVxGM1xVHbhHR0VcpCagconWHb8j96kn2h-hwLxlpRT4GrWA9KT-zAKy3uttfwWHRAgtk0j4kcfu5ke0l4cxd95Rs/s200/IMG_3120.JPG" width="191" /></span></a><span style="color: black;">My parents came to visit on their way down to Pompano Beach. They usually travel down this way, by car, three times a year and we usually get together for a bit of lunch before they reach their final destination! So I began brainstorming of what to make for lunch.... I decided on Greek! Vegan Greek! The menu consisted of: </span><a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2011/03/hummus-how-do-you-eat-it.html"><span style="color: black;">homemade hummus</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and </span><a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/vegan-tzatziki-239629"><span style="color: black;">vegan tzatziki sauce</span></a><span style="color: black;"> served with lightly toasted pita wedges. a traditional greek salad (no lettuce) with a </span><a href="http://happyherbivore.com/2010/06/vegan-feta-cheese/"><span style="color: black;">vegan feta cheese substitute</span></a><span style="color: black;">, and fresh fruit! Of course we can't forget the dessert! Vegan Baklava! Another great recipe included in <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2011/01/here-we-have-it.html"><span style="color: black;">The 2011 Cookbook Challenge</span></a>!</span></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFji3gJGqgIytxIvjM1MXRj0YvzTkjH2qXFPU-4iDlAKmpj-YS3wRAZyRvdCBOpFnU1c4PYc2edF5zDWOCjQPWspCpefLZ0HNoZvdebWHgczukRGcWX7Yj403G2ly663gHPTkkjbv7JVU/s1600/IMG_3115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="225" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFji3gJGqgIytxIvjM1MXRj0YvzTkjH2qXFPU-4iDlAKmpj-YS3wRAZyRvdCBOpFnU1c4PYc2edF5zDWOCjQPWspCpefLZ0HNoZvdebWHgczukRGcWX7Yj403G2ly663gHPTkkjbv7JVU/s320/IMG_3115.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;">"Hello Ladies! Fresh baklava!" </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Quoted from My Big Fat Greek Wedding</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><span style="color: black;">Lunch turned out great and everything was delicious! I was in heaven over the baklava! Let's just say it was definite sweet tooth satisfaction! The vegan recipe actually called for agave nectar in the sweet syrup, but I decided to use honey instead. I know it's not considered vegan, but I use it anyway :) I also used raw sugar in the syrup, rather than the granulated sugar the recipe called for. I chose to make this recipe with only two types of nuts: almonds and walnuts. Perfect! Next time though, I think I would try more of a variety - maybe hazelnuts, pistachios, almonds, and walnuts. Yum! I also used a soy-free non-dairy butter to brush over the phyllo dough. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Now one major change I made, which really made a difference on the sweet tooth scale! I ended up halving the recipe (half the phyllo dough, which was only a quarter of the package I purchased; half the butter, 8x8 pan instead of 9x13) BUT I used the full amounts of the syrup and nuts... which meant OVERLOAD! This made the baklava very rich but I seriously loved every bite of it. </span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44pTiZPA6vIhymt_nN5pcA73cxjQdLi2MCuCH3grLyFxDXC3ysKINgms-cyj8rqsC6hFM2MF7XqhJFQdHSn1GXoCJJQ7GjibxMNfH-HBXuZbsHkDjsvJuT6_JGC15bLamM7qWufmFUSQ/s1600/IMG_3119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="162" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44pTiZPA6vIhymt_nN5pcA73cxjQdLi2MCuCH3grLyFxDXC3ysKINgms-cyj8rqsC6hFM2MF7XqhJFQdHSn1GXoCJJQ7GjibxMNfH-HBXuZbsHkDjsvJuT6_JGC15bLamM7qWufmFUSQ/s320/IMG_3119.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: black;">However, I will be making this recipe again without halving any of the recipe, just to see how it compares! </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: black;">This recipe is a definite keeper so let me know if you are interested in getting your hands on this recipe!</span></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-14668621017983650022011-04-10T15:55:00.000-04:002011-04-10T15:55:41.450-04:00And the mystery recipe is....Stuffing? In April?! Oy Vey...<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwx2zSV4ozogrTXwRrQJn81IIjdPHYEv4VqLGq0o8M2GGPMKJepGoH47KN_QgMRSWDc-c4RGeXT4-kfQSSJInly8eqwBXB9EEX0_S6Q3sZJq0GTzHTbtbJkXzfnX1pIdifQupEZkHUAY8/s1600/IMG_3093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwx2zSV4ozogrTXwRrQJn81IIjdPHYEv4VqLGq0o8M2GGPMKJepGoH47KN_QgMRSWDc-c4RGeXT4-kfQSSJInly8eqwBXB9EEX0_S6Q3sZJq0GTzHTbtbJkXzfnX1pIdifQupEZkHUAY8/s320/IMG_3093.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I'm browsing through one of my new vegan cookbooks, <span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Color-Vegan-Antioxidant-Rich-Fiber-Packed-Color-Intense/dp/1592334393">Color Me Vegan</a></span>, and BAM, there it is... a recipe for stuffing. Mmmm... okay, now I want some stuffing! So all I can think about is stuffing, and I started thinking back to past Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts, remembering how much I enjoyed the stuffing David's mom always prepares... using muffins in place of stale bread!! Delicious! Last Christmas I actually made the <span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2010/12/freshly-baked-muffins-for-jackis.html">muffins</a></span> for Jacki's stuffing and it was as good as ever!<br />
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This time though I was ready to take on my own stuffing. I tried making stuffing once before; not bad, but not great either. Let's putting this way, I wouldn't go out of my way to make it again. So I decided NOW was the time to master stuffing (yes I'm a big dork), with two goals in mind: 1.) Use Muffins and 2.) 100% Vegan! Where would I get these vegan muffins though? What could be better than making homemade muffins using recipes from <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2011/01/here-we-have-it.html"><span style="background-color: white;">The 2011 Cookbook Challenge</span></a></span>! That's right! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQROJph7HHne1ih_5Znn0GYrSG2E1rrxcKeRlO7PW3PvXzS_fsm_WOIPOOzmKKQ4GiCe1kAuw2NBO4CXnA8zog_8dtciH4iVki5DVfGEe_KRKEOgD6m-5HsQ7Lrg0uS6lS0vOv1b9_TcA/s1600/IMG_3075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQROJph7HHne1ih_5Znn0GYrSG2E1rrxcKeRlO7PW3PvXzS_fsm_WOIPOOzmKKQ4GiCe1kAuw2NBO4CXnA8zog_8dtciH4iVki5DVfGEe_KRKEOgD6m-5HsQ7Lrg0uS6lS0vOv1b9_TcA/s200/IMG_3075.JPG" width="133" /></a><br />
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So I decided to make three kinds of muffins: <a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2011/04/april-2-2011-recipe-10-corn-muffins.html">corn</a>, <a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2011/04/april-2-2011-recipe-11-apple-walnut.html">apple walnut</a>, and <a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2011/04/april-2-2011-recipe-9-pumpkin-spice.html">pumpkin spice</a>! I wanted to try something new - the addition of pumpkin bread into stuffing was intriguing!<br />
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I made a fantastic stuffing! Normally I'm not so confident about my recipes but this was seriously delicious! I found that making the stuffing moist enough was the key to making this so wonderful!<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5Kwl7FqqWk0CnI_HvnrjVBEGsCgtVIXaSyre0Qo0XyjnROwun8zHITlQwRw6SfGZlmtlWnW2BaVtIv1Zx21RDIc3vEoKCoRGo_g-DQ9t6wuHqcL92Y0G7ixiKdoigJXxFsgv0wuCvbQ/s1600/IMG_3076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5Kwl7FqqWk0CnI_HvnrjVBEGsCgtVIXaSyre0Qo0XyjnROwun8zHITlQwRw6SfGZlmtlWnW2BaVtIv1Zx21RDIc3vEoKCoRGo_g-DQ9t6wuHqcL92Y0G7ixiKdoigJXxFsgv0wuCvbQ/s200/IMG_3076.JPG" width="200" /></a>So here's the recipe! I used the recipe from my vegan cookbook as a base and changed it up the way I wanted it. I hope you enjoy it! If you want the vegan muffin recipes that I used feel free to let me know and I'll send the recipes your way!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHr6479rV4jVjfZ7l-zSChEZipYL56LE8rZdgoM4SA3D0F2pUyB-de-Jg1OI0aCJVZ_N7_kloYVkKjIgudGqdAj3rUh7oN-CjmhWfcWeNBNgSwu9BAHDJ4vUHi5PAFLyHYg3wEa6k0D8/s1600/IMG_3083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHr6479rV4jVjfZ7l-zSChEZipYL56LE8rZdgoM4SA3D0F2pUyB-de-Jg1OI0aCJVZ_N7_kloYVkKjIgudGqdAj3rUh7oN-CjmhWfcWeNBNgSwu9BAHDJ4vUHi5PAFLyHYg3wEa6k0D8/s200/IMG_3083.JPG" width="200" /></a> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><u>Apple, Cranberry, and Walnut Stuffing</u></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Ingredients</div><ul><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">6 regular-sized corn muffins, cubed or crumbled</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">3 large (or 6 regular-sized) pumpkin muffins, cubed or crumbled</li>
<li>6 regular-sized apple walnut muffins, cubed and crumbled</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1-2 tbsp grapeseed oil</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 large yellow onion, chopped</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">3 stalks celery, finely chopped</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2 tsp dried sage</li>
<li>1 tsp dried rosemary</li>
<li>1/2 tsp dried thyme</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1/2 tsp dried tarragon</li>
<li>1/2 tsp dried parsley</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">sea salt, to taste</li>
<li>fresh ground black pepper, to taste</li>
<li>1 tart apple, cored, chopped, and unpeeled</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">5.2 oz container dried cranberries</li>
<li>1 cup walnuts, chopped</li>
<li>1-1/2 - 2 cups vegetable stock, or more if needed</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2-3 tbsp nondairy butter (Earth Balance, soy-free), melted</li>
</ul><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Directions</div><ol><li>Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In a large bowl, combine all of the muffins. Set aside.</li>
<li>Heat oil in a large skillet and add the onion and celery. Cook on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. </li>
<li>Add the sage, rosemary, thyme, tarragon, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the mixture to the bowl of bread.</li>
<li>Stir in the apple, cranberries, walnuts, and vegetable stock. Mix thoroughly. </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Add more vegetable stock if mixture is not moist enough. </li>
<li>Transfer mixture to a casserole dish and drizzle with melted butter. </li>
<li>Bake for aproximately 1 hour , or until the top is a golden-brown color.</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Serves 8-10.</li>
</ol><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Yummy!! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Now for those of you who do not like all the fruity/nutty stuff (a.k.a. David), I also made a vegan traditional stuffing! I made it the same exactly way except the bread consisted of 6 corn muffins and 1/2 loaf of <a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2011/02/valentines-day-2011-recap.html">French bread</a>, omitting all the fruity muffins, chopped apples, cranberries and walnuts. Still great! </div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-27795831679526404772011-04-09T21:54:00.000-04:002011-04-09T21:54:55.191-04:00April 2, 2011 Recipe #11: Apple Walnut Muffins<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3vZcFUzfAkLrx3GdMdng5l6IKLm6RCDg_laDfzZOSelfiIkkNzYWnMvBs9cYRlLvcU7y1j_fyu_N_IQPlEWHJEdU8Epn9FyFhruivJUO5IIDqHTPjgVD4ObhQtfuiK3KEIof940qe_q0/s1600/IMG_3083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3vZcFUzfAkLrx3GdMdng5l6IKLm6RCDg_laDfzZOSelfiIkkNzYWnMvBs9cYRlLvcU7y1j_fyu_N_IQPlEWHJEdU8Epn9FyFhruivJUO5IIDqHTPjgVD4ObhQtfuiK3KEIof940qe_q0/s320/IMG_3083.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I'm on a roll with <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2011/01/here-we-have-it.html">The 2011 Cookbook Challenge</a></span>! And ooooh, don't these look yummy?! The original recipe was actually "apple pecan muffins" but due to a slight allergy to pecans, I used walnuts instead. Aside from the walnut substitute, the only change I made was the use of grapeseed oil, rather than canola oil. Grapeseed oil can be used for baking and frying. Want to know a little more about it? Check out these websites:<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><a href="http://www.sadaf.com/Grapeseed.html">Grapeseed oil</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-grapeseed-oil.htm">Wise Geek: What is grapeseed oil?</a><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6GpCi6BVww0IQr8U5KJ0zS2bJpPBuPVd5RfpVDDBR_ucmNSztv-_oH9vcsp2rH-_ek6yNkHSY0Ocn3yaCOkhj44EFvymTVXAVmmupBIBREjIQ_CXrQit9TF3RuPvQSQboifZvoJp2G0/s1600/untitled.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6GpCi6BVww0IQr8U5KJ0zS2bJpPBuPVd5RfpVDDBR_ucmNSztv-_oH9vcsp2rH-_ek6yNkHSY0Ocn3yaCOkhj44EFvymTVXAVmmupBIBREjIQ_CXrQit9TF3RuPvQSQboifZvoJp2G0/s200/untitled.bmp" width="200" /></a>I liked this recipe because it used half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour, as well as a limited amount of oil. This recipe used unsweetened applesauce, which is actually a healthy substitute for oil. I went with a Granny Smith apple since it's a tarter apple and good to use in baking!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7O_PeqUKdaH6ffMtMic-RrLJJkg9IuhADeags9Z2stGJl35iS90kCaGF3GtNB1WLQrkXq3IgK8AOHTzFmCn7f8ebEs9rEiBtS0i94iGiGwD-KkobrV18yMqL8zcxmQFM0GsaQKDA2-s/s1600/IMG_3088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7O_PeqUKdaH6ffMtMic-RrLJJkg9IuhADeags9Z2stGJl35iS90kCaGF3GtNB1WLQrkXq3IgK8AOHTzFmCn7f8ebEs9rEiBtS0i94iGiGwD-KkobrV18yMqL8zcxmQFM0GsaQKDA2-s/s200/IMG_3088.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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<br />
So guess what? These muffins were ALSO used in the mystery recipe that I have been talking about for the past couple of blog entries! Don't worry, I promise, the next recipe will be the revealing of the tasty, fabulous mystery dish I can't stop talking about!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-50467527827147320852011-04-08T17:51:00.000-04:002011-04-08T17:51:48.968-04:00April 2, 2011 Recipe #10: Corn Muffins<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Bl_j3ExyQPbz_PhSdjgqLFuoziL0VLsikOaNkya0gjUZ4lZkZNx7IZMtqRA7ExcoF3pOgV1bZ_7mwtDLqsI32TU8MLHq7oWID3jhUOuWdzqa03Q-W7H3EyPnmygwP0CYQxW29_BkGwE/s1600/IMG_3080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Bl_j3ExyQPbz_PhSdjgqLFuoziL0VLsikOaNkya0gjUZ4lZkZNx7IZMtqRA7ExcoF3pOgV1bZ_7mwtDLqsI32TU8MLHq7oWID3jhUOuWdzqa03Q-W7H3EyPnmygwP0CYQxW29_BkGwE/s200/IMG_3080.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjlUZNaZBK_zCMcLNTY3Pa2WgIIu2BYj2puP6Kof39Z7pBngTtO2K5weCNVcW1b578dGXx8as5k1YvzDfqJNgYwDxZQmkZi4evRKTN8NcJT5mp6tLo-KM9ytbzjOJNDhcYdGRE5zYG9A/s1600/IMG_3075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjlUZNaZBK_zCMcLNTY3Pa2WgIIu2BYj2puP6Kof39Z7pBngTtO2K5weCNVcW1b578dGXx8as5k1YvzDfqJNgYwDxZQmkZi4evRKTN8NcJT5mp6tLo-KM9ytbzjOJNDhcYdGRE5zYG9A/s320/IMG_3075.JPG" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="212" /></a> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Leave it to <a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2011/01/here-we-have-it.html">The 2011 Cookbook Challenge</a> to give me something to complain about. I can't complain about this recipe too much, because everything worked out in the end, but something did go very wrong. Since I was making these muffins with the mystery recipe I will be sharing with you very soon, I decided to omit the addition of corn as well as the suggested addition of blueberries. I used a flax/water mixture for the egg stubstitute which I think may have been my problem. The original recipe called for <a href="http://www.ener-g.com/gluten-free/egg-substitute.html">Ener-G Egg Replacer</a>, which I didn't have on hand, so when I made the "flax eggs" I don't think I made enough of an egg-like consistency. The flax to water mixture probably could have used a bit more water. My batter ended up being too dry, making it difficult to incorporate the dry with the wet ingredients. Grrr. I had also substituted the flour, originally calling for all-purpose flour, but I did half whole wheat and half all-purpose. I don't think this substitution would make the batter too dry though. Anyway, I went with what I had and contined on to baking them. The muffins baked for a shorter amount of time, but when they were done baking you could tell they seemed a bit too dry. Fortunately, they were perfect for the mystery recipe! Stay tuned! And well, you live and learn, right?</div><img height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjlUZNaZBK_zCMcLNTY3Pa2WgIIu2BYj2puP6Kof39Z7pBngTtO2K5weCNVcW1b578dGXx8as5k1YvzDfqJNgYwDxZQmkZi4evRKTN8NcJT5mp6tLo-KM9ytbzjOJNDhcYdGRE5zYG9A/s320/IMG_3075.JPG" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 585px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 298px; visibility: hidden;" width="64" />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-11331776733816495052011-04-07T21:23:00.000-04:002011-04-07T21:23:48.683-04:00April 2, 2011 Recipe #9: Pumpkin Spice Bread or Muffins<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJOjzsoUqRMqagt9dFJDrnYm1xLeeIhXASHKODNWHqiNagK9Ri0TIHz1WDUkcAjwpU3MqxPjDysdxUnfsxh5SWuWN1HuA9LXH8CU_7gOOrdGaavG8Dnv2lQv1OoUa9TJdzWWNu99nPTM/s1600/IMG_3081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJOjzsoUqRMqagt9dFJDrnYm1xLeeIhXASHKODNWHqiNagK9Ri0TIHz1WDUkcAjwpU3MqxPjDysdxUnfsxh5SWuWN1HuA9LXH8CU_7gOOrdGaavG8Dnv2lQv1OoUa9TJdzWWNu99nPTM/s320/IMG_3081.JPG" width="320" /></a>You can't go wrong with pumpkin muffins! Yum! In the past when I've made <a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2010/12/happy-hanukkah-special-dinner-for-first.html">pumpkin bread</a>, I only used cinnamon, but this time, as part of </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2011/01/here-we-have-it.html">The 2011 Cookbook Challenge</a>, I decided to follow the spices exactly: cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg! These smelled delicious and were nice and moist when they came out of the oven!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkN3QAZET_wRCr0vdiYvjJf9sj-_1ILchTJGfCU4h0RH_04sKiZCvDfe_Af_Ldas_ie8BL2f9kvQaPDHMoLFLcA-LS0T8TNcynN1M3Ba-sDicbDjww2L5EP788FpXIb1K33WmaySVTXns/s1600/IMG_3076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkN3QAZET_wRCr0vdiYvjJf9sj-_1ILchTJGfCU4h0RH_04sKiZCvDfe_Af_Ldas_ie8BL2f9kvQaPDHMoLFLcA-LS0T8TNcynN1M3Ba-sDicbDjww2L5EP788FpXIb1K33WmaySVTXns/s320/IMG_3076.JPG" width="320" /></a>Now I did make a coupe of changes. The recipe called for 2 cups granulated sugar. Instead, I used 1 cup raw sugar and 1 cup brown sugar. Also the original recipe recommended using 1-1/2 cups applesauce or 1/2 cup applesauce plus 1/2 cup canola oil. I took the equal parts of oil and applesauce, but decided to use grapeseed oil in place of the canola as well as homemade unsweetened applesauce that had been sitting in my freezer waiting to be used in a recipe. I also used ground flaxseeds and water to make the equivalent of eggs, but rather than follow the directions, I mixed the two together and let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes until it was thickened, looking more like an egg consistency. Last but not least, instead of using all-purpose flour, I went with whole wheat flour and the remainder of whole wheat pastry flour that I had on hand. Mmm, mmm, mmm.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Unfortunately, I can't tell you how these tasted, alone; however, I incorporated them into a recipe that will be coming soon! And let me tell you - you aren't going to want to miss this one! Amazing!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The pumpkin muffins here do not have any extra add-ins because of how I was using them in the recipe to come, but nuts and/or chocolate chips would be a delicious addition!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Enjoy!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-3098519296427466372011-04-06T17:24:00.000-04:002011-04-06T17:24:40.658-04:00March 13, 2011 Recipe #8: Irish Soda Bread<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgGW-0laqewNJId3BptLST4i4bMEDTSOPiqSjFINM3gbpjhkty0bv_o8ImXePCafom7vQl_R98wVxe-o-PjVcc4V5kFo5Yazw5VG0hyphenhyphenOCt0ic-eV7x1hxoLMa5BroSKT9sSi3I7EQNYY/s1600/IMG_3033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgGW-0laqewNJId3BptLST4i4bMEDTSOPiqSjFINM3gbpjhkty0bv_o8ImXePCafom7vQl_R98wVxe-o-PjVcc4V5kFo5Yazw5VG0hyphenhyphenOCt0ic-eV7x1hxoLMa5BroSKT9sSi3I7EQNYY/s320/IMG_3033.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Ah-ha! The culprit of not following the recipes of <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2011/01/here-we-have-it.html">The 2011 Cookbook Challenge</a> </span>according to my sequence generator! Honestly though, it makes sense to make Irish soda bread for St. Patrick's Day! Doesn't it?! And it's exactly what I did :)<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-o7mlztFxe7qjfujD1vYzZ3zxzkF1HQ4yxSc_WmOzWvP48ay2tjnoVJcGI335yX07gxmk_TF58_zfk6ledsQCG5I4wHG8Ia_7cIFxljzzi8u6KMBitgXoBsoIwYRJW7RrAzMb1RMJ0E/s1600/IMG_3034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-o7mlztFxe7qjfujD1vYzZ3zxzkF1HQ4yxSc_WmOzWvP48ay2tjnoVJcGI335yX07gxmk_TF58_zfk6ledsQCG5I4wHG8Ia_7cIFxljzzi8u6KMBitgXoBsoIwYRJW7RrAzMb1RMJ0E/s320/IMG_3034.JPG" width="320" /></a>I had never had Irish soda bread... it was delicious! Just spread a bit of butter (vegan butter) on it and, oh man, yum! Since I had made it for St. Patrick's Day, I served it with <a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/corned-beef-and-cabbage-i/Detail.aspx">corned beef and cabbage</a> (thanks to <a href="http://allrecipes.com//Default.aspx">Allrecipes</a>)! Yes, I'm still sticking to the vegan diet, so I didn't have the main dish, but David and his mom seemed to enjoy it!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This bread is also good lightly toasted with peanut butter and jelly! Mmmm... </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>I guess I do have one slightly negative comment about this recipe though. The directions have you knead the dough for only 10-12 strokes, but my batter was so wet, that I wasn't quite sure how to knead it with the consistency it was, so I decided to add a bit more flour to work with it a little better. The addition of more flour may have been a mistake though - the batter became tougher than expected, and once baked, the bread seemed a little dense. It was still good though! Also, the addition of raisins or nuts would be good in this bread!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-56780720451116761232011-04-06T16:24:00.000-04:002011-04-06T16:24:59.600-04:00March 12, 2011 Recipe #7: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj82-SnzA6R6q2rHYRzf1YTttX3h4EyuHV3KSahSS2LpRpnuQdclFP4_aaHAXblXPKhrxSUrMdym0Go1Jm_-X-dD1J986-_-NJu-3uOl_qMZnWafScM55RePnewWABUKMs5q19UWELJNQg/s1600/IMG_3030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj82-SnzA6R6q2rHYRzf1YTttX3h4EyuHV3KSahSS2LpRpnuQdclFP4_aaHAXblXPKhrxSUrMdym0Go1Jm_-X-dD1J986-_-NJu-3uOl_qMZnWafScM55RePnewWABUKMs5q19UWELJNQg/s320/IMG_3030.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Moving right along with <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2011/01/here-we-have-it.html">The 2011 Cookbook Challenge</a></span>, I was definitely in the mood for some chocolate! Where did I go wrong though?! These cupcakes look delicious! BUT, I did it... I screwed them up. However, the chocolate peanut butter frosting on top was delicious! And I decorated them with some confectioner's sugar :)<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvRR13h99BPouFW7TBcVgFTi-KnUKipuFqbXPP_3G-IlsEFB2c3di-OilDkjgRc4cjUbjjsJqlHUeA40NWJ16gRHcaL26Z2012fKQ8Vvo4SL4-OLdHh6eWlvloKw_FmWLxFaF2bWaa_0/s1600/IMG_3029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvRR13h99BPouFW7TBcVgFTi-KnUKipuFqbXPP_3G-IlsEFB2c3di-OilDkjgRc4cjUbjjsJqlHUeA40NWJ16gRHcaL26Z2012fKQ8Vvo4SL4-OLdHh6eWlvloKw_FmWLxFaF2bWaa_0/s320/IMG_3029.JPG" width="320" /></a>So on to these cupcakes though.... just awful... I've been reading how whole wheat flours are better for you than white all-purpose flours, so I decided to use whole wheat pastry flour in place of the all-purpose flour. BIG MISTAKE. The cupcakes ended up a bit too dense and weren't flavorless, but the flavor just wasn't there. I ended up throwing them all away :( </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Now, I will tell you though, there are certain recipes where you can make this clean substitute, using whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour. Unfortunately, it just doesn't go over so well when making cupcakes. Muffins, on the other hand, taste great with this substitution!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Well I knew this was bound to happen sometime with this challenge... some are winners, and some not so much. Moving on!</div><img height="95" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvRR13h99BPouFW7TBcVgFTi-KnUKipuFqbXPP_3G-IlsEFB2c3di-OilDkjgRc4cjUbjjsJqlHUeA40NWJ16gRHcaL26Z2012fKQ8Vvo4SL4-OLdHh6eWlvloKw_FmWLxFaF2bWaa_0/s320/IMG_3029.JPG" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 205px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 329px; visibility: hidden;" width="96" />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-71481602452270992742011-04-03T09:22:00.000-04:002011-04-03T09:22:01.345-04:00Fun with Fondant! Spending Quality Time with Family!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9EyKKGjrV5q_eYnEpDidniwPFMnaDuxIRfyRJFyzpzSV_BrZY1ZftM4n2nOSZjS5nEMAnW13lLBdeQ7xUZwiQp3cjPWHMRJr-IJZpm4ZG_mUYW6-j961u7p-mWxGBHUJs54HYUO4Zf3A/s1600/IMG_2968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9EyKKGjrV5q_eYnEpDidniwPFMnaDuxIRfyRJFyzpzSV_BrZY1ZftM4n2nOSZjS5nEMAnW13lLBdeQ7xUZwiQp3cjPWHMRJr-IJZpm4ZG_mUYW6-j961u7p-mWxGBHUJs54HYUO4Zf3A/s320/IMG_2968.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Mishkie and Mom came out to visit in February and we decided to have a little fun with fondant! We've been wanting to play around with fondant lately to practice for my bestfriend's (or maybe I should say other sister's) wedding cake! To stay away from any time conflicts we could possibly have the week before her wedding though, we decided we will just make her a 1-year anniversary cake, which will be put on display at her wedding! So until then, we all decided it's best to keep practicing! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6hjmdhsPXs0qjaJYhGUUyEait3nFzL03vH1tX4_xI9XMHl-rIEaaulHrPoPLliQkSriNDS15q_n-v3Lrf0QU7zsmxhyphenhyphenB1t5tRenqPGtmLmBWhtRqeAx7Ya5_evNMWMrHOXBhzVAzYeXI/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="98" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6hjmdhsPXs0qjaJYhGUUyEait3nFzL03vH1tX4_xI9XMHl-rIEaaulHrPoPLliQkSriNDS15q_n-v3Lrf0QU7zsmxhyphenhyphenB1t5tRenqPGtmLmBWhtRqeAx7Ya5_evNMWMrHOXBhzVAzYeXI/s400/Untitled.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Previously, I made <a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2010/12/to-liz-happy-birthday-to-newest-grad.html">fondant</a> for the first time from a marshmallow base. It was a little tough to work with, but overall, I had a good experience with it. So for the next homemade fondant, we decided we wanted to try making one that might be a little easier to work with, plus we wanted to see if there was a recipe out there that called for ingredients we had on hand. Leave it to <a href="http://allrecipes.com/">Allrecipes</a> to give us something to try! Yay!</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><u>Rolled Buttercream Fondant</u> (<a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Rolled-Buttercream-Fondant/Detail.aspx">Original Recipe</a>)</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Ingredients</div><ul><li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup light corn syrup</div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup shortening</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 teaspoon salt</div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract</div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1 lb. confectioners' sugar</div></li>
</ul><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Directions</div></div><ol><li><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">In a large bowl, stir together the shortening and corn syrup. </div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Mix in the salt and vanilla flavoring.</div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Gradually mix in the confectioners' sugar until it is a stiff dough. Add more confectioners' sugar until it is smooth. </div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator until ready to use. </div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">*Note: This recipe is best made with a stand mixer, using the dough hook attachment.</div></li>
</ol><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This fondant recipe had it's advantages and, unfortunately, disadvantages. The fondant was extremely easy to work with and mold, making it less stressful on first-time fondant users. AND we happened to have the ingredients already available, so we didn't need anything too special to put this together. But it was a softer type of fondant, so if you played with it too much, it just got softer, almost to the point of melting (but not quite). Now, there are actually solutions to this, but we didn't figure them out until we were done, such as the addition of more confectioner's sugar (but careful on the amount added, as you don't want the fondant to crack) OR the addition of cornstarch (I really wish we had tried the cornstarch!). </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Enjoy! </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp9uAXGe86H7TXnR2h44jdCg1r0s_Ve5Ovz2Y_3n2GcqrR9egT7fcXWwSPPE1yUAuJUTPb70JONeR47LIFwHVbGFq60iQ_AuTyMXyn-VAZ0MgNAk6EWB5Tc0gZ5Jw7puejkUWnMw-2WBg/s1600/IMG_2977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp9uAXGe86H7TXnR2h44jdCg1r0s_Ve5Ovz2Y_3n2GcqrR9egT7fcXWwSPPE1yUAuJUTPb70JONeR47LIFwHVbGFq60iQ_AuTyMXyn-VAZ0MgNAk6EWB5Tc0gZ5Jw7puejkUWnMw-2WBg/s320/IMG_2977.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-14196207840577956012011-04-01T16:08:00.000-04:002011-04-01T16:08:54.098-04:00March 8, 2011 Recipe #6: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07J8EsS-Zf4HLBciAwyAhHNi-qZvwTcN9gPAKZP1bdpnXgKd43_EBDrT64PCV7mLohvWWz2R-QYa5Z7uu3f8qR9JVEEsTURWxU6nAROZBCJPBhpE1gAZjJWiKLlDuf6KsBS-316HjbYA/s1600/IMG_3018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07J8EsS-Zf4HLBciAwyAhHNi-qZvwTcN9gPAKZP1bdpnXgKd43_EBDrT64PCV7mLohvWWz2R-QYa5Z7uu3f8qR9JVEEsTURWxU6nAROZBCJPBhpE1gAZjJWiKLlDuf6KsBS-316HjbYA/s320/IMG_3018.JPG" width="313" /></a></div>Here's another great recipe from <a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2011/01/here-we-have-it.html">The 2011 Cookbook Challenge</a>! Banana chocolate chip muffins - could this get any better?! Well yes it can! I added cinnamon (because when you have bananas, you have to have cinnamon - they just pair so well together!) and some shredded unsweetened coconut. Yummy! Even the non-vegans loved this recipe! <br />
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This muffin recipe called for unbleached all-purpose flour, but I decided to change it up a little bit. Instead, I used whole wheat pastry flour, which some people tend to use instead of all-purpose flour. It's definitely a healthier option! When making muffins, this substitution works great, but not for all recipes, especially cake/cupcake recipes (I'll fill you in on a future post). <br />
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The addition of banana has two purposes in this recipe: 1) flavor and 2) binding of the ingredients to create a moist muffin (no one likes a dry muffin!). I used turbinado (raw) sugar rather than granulated sugar and there is a limited amount of vegetable oil. I happened to find nondairy semisweet chocolate chips at a health food store, which are quite yummy, and walnuts topped off this great muffin! Enjoy!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-25992837814341949632011-04-01T15:44:00.000-04:002011-04-01T15:44:24.408-04:00March 7, 2011 Recipe #5: Strawberry Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9X7dSdAdP3ChaSPw5EvqHXiB-8XDW_S39AUnyng54fu9Jg6g8YTNK0PZzhUXwbABPpu09Adxof4HfDH7BaeBjaInql4JZFAzAsViEmhSQ9gznGNjga6kntdNwFGmrt9IrXYmflN6-ycg/s1600/IMG_3011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9X7dSdAdP3ChaSPw5EvqHXiB-8XDW_S39AUnyng54fu9Jg6g8YTNK0PZzhUXwbABPpu09Adxof4HfDH7BaeBjaInql4JZFAzAsViEmhSQ9gznGNjga6kntdNwFGmrt9IrXYmflN6-ycg/s320/IMG_3011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It's about time I updated you on my <a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2011/01/here-we-have-it.html">2011 Cookbook Challenge</a>! Yes, I know... it has been too long and I broke my promise by screwing up the recipe order from the sequence originally generated. I have a good excuse though! I got stuck on a recipe that I wasn't in the mood to make at the time (it was one of those recipes better to make during the holidays...) so I procrastinated. And well, if any of you know me, I put the PRO in procrastination! UNTIL, I decided that the order didn't really matter, as long as I eventually did all of the recipes in <a href="http://www.joyofveganbaking.com/">The Joy of Vegan Baking</a> before the end of the year. BUT, if I do happen to be clueless of what recipe I want to make next, I'll go back to my generated sequence and follow that. Deal?! LOL</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIa0jSSmpDyUHN6q7HlxgdGDm3GcipU3aTs0xiLdcCwC7O5ixNWPd9uGLVX76vkICBwbnjHATDqq9QUjSFYMINoBWxSAR6KPhSXFHUwUWSsP9CORJADwA_YWP9-umHiYJQpi7zr7Ps74/s1600/procrastination-fortune-cookie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIa0jSSmpDyUHN6q7HlxgdGDm3GcipU3aTs0xiLdcCwC7O5ixNWPd9uGLVX76vkICBwbnjHATDqq9QUjSFYMINoBWxSAR6KPhSXFHUwUWSsP9CORJADwA_YWP9-umHiYJQpi7zr7Ps74/s320/procrastination-fortune-cookie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs4ga6T6dAxGtGiOf6mV1LPrqoErpWRCofYfXHTWdw5GE8jJ6y6G_HoofFEyP-m1W9Vv1eKa-66vf3u94WzILGFcl7wrS39TowPmcaNu2QdiOBVyoorjYZ_E-1veS_d0ScSt6ehMHH70s/s1600/AAAAAtN5ncQAAAAAAVctwA.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs4ga6T6dAxGtGiOf6mV1LPrqoErpWRCofYfXHTWdw5GE8jJ6y6G_HoofFEyP-m1W9Vv1eKa-66vf3u94WzILGFcl7wrS39TowPmcaNu2QdiOBVyoorjYZ_E-1veS_d0ScSt6ehMHH70s/s1600/AAAAAtN5ncQAAAAAAVctwA.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Ok, enough about my kvetching....<br />
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Let's get to the topic of strawberry cupcakes!! Mmm, mmm, mmm....</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">DELISH!!<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JIAJGfod6zC2Qsq9C9zEkXpRDW7dfCfwXznUl_nMEBMvrt1_0ruGzm-znHM3EORz53cHEHBZ42V_jWtehCrNMqxxxiXU6HBZB4U_CpqUD4av32hu7P8y-iCXlN9af0j3rVjlwk5vRY4/s1600/IMG_3004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JIAJGfod6zC2Qsq9C9zEkXpRDW7dfCfwXznUl_nMEBMvrt1_0ruGzm-znHM3EORz53cHEHBZ42V_jWtehCrNMqxxxiXU6HBZB4U_CpqUD4av32hu7P8y-iCXlN9af0j3rVjlwk5vRY4/s320/IMG_3004.JPG" width="244" /></a>While Mallory, Eric and Sloane were visiting, the <a href="http://www.brevardhabitat.com/news/strawberry.php">Strawberry Festival</a> happened to be in town, so we all went to check it out. Of course, we couldn't come home empty handed.... we brought back lots and lots of delicious strawberries!! Perfect for the strawberry cupcakes! </div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The cupcakes were amazing. I haven't always been huge on "fruity" baked goods but the amount of strawberries used in this recipe was just right! Sweet, not too fruity, and so delicious! </div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The strawberries were pureed in a food process before being added to the batter. The cupcakes were topped with a vegan buttercream frosting and a fresh strawberry! This recipe is a keeper! Let me know if you want this recipe - I'd be happy to share!</div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Jg7jeJ1v6-ZyftMz53rHgRO6opbINZYf41JLiVaMKZjJXJBSY-m8bhqXS04duzx7knUxr2DbspzWa5jr9nZxwt9CydSDPbojzQP74t4UFVq7Bp7_h9pTlaN5u2qr8FIczpd3ij2E4q0/s1600/straw-fest-flyer2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Jg7jeJ1v6-ZyftMz53rHgRO6opbINZYf41JLiVaMKZjJXJBSY-m8bhqXS04duzx7knUxr2DbspzWa5jr9nZxwt9CydSDPbojzQP74t4UFVq7Bp7_h9pTlaN5u2qr8FIczpd3ij2E4q0/s640/straw-fest-flyer2011.jpg" width="345" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><img height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNaqcNEFytRUIDkOoGpAE4NZ_Rk9v6RjYIe9IrFT5PXQfCxvaxo_EHHmUtgCxwwDPlw95gF0SWK62vzNzI38JrbaZL2CJ4s2OL9Rm261SUtCDkK6ezwuCmVrAVoloM-sYK7zuiKuypOSc/s320/IMG_3004.JPG" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 427px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 1027px; visibility: hidden;" width="73" />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-24353017397481039132011-03-29T20:19:00.000-04:002011-03-29T20:19:37.776-04:00The Unnamed Dessert = Bad News!<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjarsbHnDNEu3XT9odNSiisTRv3vTGpwE-bmItWO-QeAUBWLm85asQacntGtZocE61NA6lrcXdf38z0p391lYRGPOKfJDG1Yx1bHc17KuCGFk3SvLN9G1tu2WzuTCcVX4siujq_d_BndYA/s1600/IMG_2937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjarsbHnDNEu3XT9odNSiisTRv3vTGpwE-bmItWO-QeAUBWLm85asQacntGtZocE61NA6lrcXdf38z0p391lYRGPOKfJDG1Yx1bHc17KuCGFk3SvLN9G1tu2WzuTCcVX4siujq_d_BndYA/s320/IMG_2937.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This is the #1 dessert you go to when you are craving something bad! Chocolate and almonds made into a rich, raw, frozen dessert that will make you say MMMMMM!! The best part: only natural ingredients are used... it's naturally sweet and full of the good fats! Careful not to have too much though, as this dessert is packed with calories! I am guilty for overloading on this! Shhh... Once you try this, you will understand :)</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Here it is... It's called <a href="http://healthygirlskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/engine-2-diet-superbowl-parties-ideas.html">The Unnamed Dessert</a>! I came across this recipe on <a href="http://healthygirlskitchen.blogspot.com/">Healthy Girl's Kitchen</a>. If I were to name this dessert though, I think I would call it "The Satisfy-Your-Chocolate-Crave Brick." Ha! This is delicious and I love it, but definitely dense!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRDC-7uj05Bqh1otyqj_5eNCisejqf0fsz-eIrFpdyzYeIOQY4eBQ-Tdr49muQ_AHppyejr6kGygrQdQ3zwbiup9L6xmug5OYWFoGoLpt7rBn2rGEdrEmKQ-loeOjJidEmf7uvl3orJY/s1600/IMG_2935.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRDC-7uj05Bqh1otyqj_5eNCisejqf0fsz-eIrFpdyzYeIOQY4eBQ-Tdr49muQ_AHppyejr6kGygrQdQ3zwbiup9L6xmug5OYWFoGoLpt7rBn2rGEdrEmKQ-loeOjJidEmf7uvl3orJY/s320/IMG_2935.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><u>The Unnamed Dessert</u></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Ingredients</div><ul><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">16 ounces Medjool dates, pitted</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2 cups of almond milk</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">10 oz almond butter </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 tsp vanilla</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2/3 cup cocoa powder</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2 cups raw almonds, chopped</li>
</ul><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Directions</div><ol><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Place the dates in a container and pour the almond milk over the dates. Place the container in the refrigerator and allow to soak overnight.</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Pour the dates and almond milk mix into a food processor. </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Add the almond butter, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Blend until the mixture is smooth and spreadable.</li>
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeFqFjsJNxah_ou2MnnDYlbjN3C6brSgT4oQRJRxElYJtcWJx_D1d6oF1IsrY9G4qyDtFu51uCjUvOnqBOsDGUsY9e7wFDHfCZGuYfKpRXek3Cl6fXYLzoP4mFPzGIOBxtymv-KZidhg/s1600/IMG_2938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeFqFjsJNxah_ou2MnnDYlbjN3C6brSgT4oQRJRxElYJtcWJx_D1d6oF1IsrY9G4qyDtFu51uCjUvOnqBOsDGUsY9e7wFDHfCZGuYfKpRXek3Cl6fXYLzoP4mFPzGIOBxtymv-KZidhg/s200/IMG_2938.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Into a 9x9 casserole dish, sprinkle a thin layer of almonds on the bottom of the dish. </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Pour the date mixture on top of the almond layer. </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Add the remaining almonds to the top of the date mixture.</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Freeze overnight or until frozen solid before serving.</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Cut into squares and serve frozen.</li>
</ol>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-11981445946022694272011-03-29T19:45:00.000-04:002011-03-29T19:45:03.673-04:00A new kind of salad, full of flavor!<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBW52byAnxYL_IlvbCzeczQ5sUFXbi-Zyp9S2L4DAhxXHPGxmNMvJ8lLSPhVLCio7MPrLcbXVOooDNnpCYTh7cyqP3CLlLgCBnxUMvVnodLWXk9KrppVcS3ELhDv5c9LxXAAdg_IkDckY/s1600/IMG_2917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBW52byAnxYL_IlvbCzeczQ5sUFXbi-Zyp9S2L4DAhxXHPGxmNMvJ8lLSPhVLCio7MPrLcbXVOooDNnpCYTh7cyqP3CLlLgCBnxUMvVnodLWXk9KrppVcS3ELhDv5c9LxXAAdg_IkDckY/s320/IMG_2917.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>So I'm always on the lookout for new recipes. Recently, I have been a little more daring with flavor though! Crazy how herbs and spices can really make a dish top notch, huh?! <br />
<br />
I have been following the blogs of many cooks/chefs these days, most of them vegan, but friendly for all eaters! I am always finding recipes "I just have to try!". <a href="http://www.holycowvegan.net/">Holy Cow Vegan Recipes</a> has some great recipes, which is where I found <a href="http://www.holycowvegan.net/2010/03/strawberry-avocado-black-bean-salad-and.html">strawberry avocado black bean salad</a>! Not only are her recipes different, but they are delicious and fun! Hope you all enjoy this as much as I did!<br />
<br />
<u>Strawberry Avocado Black Bean Salad</u><br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
<br />
<em>For the salad:</em><br />
<ul><li>1 cup strawberries, quartered </li>
<li>1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced </li>
<li>1 (15-oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained</li>
<li>1 bunch scallions, chopped</li>
</ul><em>For the dressing: </em><br />
<ul><li>1 tbsp olive oil </li>
<li>1 tbsp balsamic vinegar </li>
<li>A pinch of cayenne pepper</li>
<li>1 tbsp agave nectar </li>
<li>Salt, to taste </li>
</ul>Directions<br />
<ol><li>Mix the ingredients for the dressing together. </li>
<li>Place all the prepared vegetables and beans in a bowl. Drizzle the dressing over, and mix. </li>
<li>Serve at room temperature. </li>
</ol>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-9310991898610466802011-03-22T21:17:00.000-04:002011-03-22T21:17:56.453-04:00Hummus: How do you eat it?<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jsz1FYjmJD3k2ipNKkvYGteSDLZT0E1n8A8JR_7Xraz464T3E2ShmBLZiK9fR0EjjrC5SllIVYgpzNP7Xv41slrbaPfKWwzRZ25523JLGiZ1BGVgXpld22XeDPvIMTGgr1gw366n43o/s1600/IMG_2915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jsz1FYjmJD3k2ipNKkvYGteSDLZT0E1n8A8JR_7Xraz464T3E2ShmBLZiK9fR0EjjrC5SllIVYgpzNP7Xv41slrbaPfKWwzRZ25523JLGiZ1BGVgXpld22XeDPvIMTGgr1gw366n43o/s320/IMG_2915.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>For all those who like hummus... how do you eat it? With fresh vegetables? Pita chips? On a pita sandwich? Or maybe even by itself?! Ha!<br />
<br />
Well... let me tell you... I LOVE hummus! And I found a great recipe in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Veganomicon-Ultimate-Isa-Chandra-Moskowitz/dp/156924264X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300840137&sr=1-1">Veganomicon</a> that I insist on sharing with you all! This is a classic recipe that is just perfect with fresh veggies! I also used this hummus recipe in my <a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2011/02/too-good-to-be-true-healthy-nori-rolls.html">Too Good-To-Be-True, Healthy Nori Rolls</a>! Yum, yum, yum!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Veganomicon-Ultimate-Isa-Chandra-Moskowitz/dp/156924264X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300840137&sr=1-1">Veganomicon's</a> Hummus Recipe:<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
<ul><li>2 (15-oz) cans chickpeas (I used slightly more than this, one 15-oz can and one 19-oz can)</li>
<li>1/3 cup olive oil</li>
<li>1/4 cup fresh lemon juice</li>
<li>3 tbsp tahini</li>
<li>3 cloves garlic, crushed</li>
<li>1/4 cup water</li>
<li>Pinch of coriander</li>
<li>Salt, to taste</li>
<li>Pepper, to taste</li>
<li>Paprika (optional)</li>
</ul>Directions<br />
<ol><li>Puree half of the chickpeas and olive oil in a food processor by pulsing serveral times and stirring a few times in between. </li>
<li>Add the remaining chickpeas and olive oil, as well as the lemon juice, tahini, garlic, water, coriander, salt, and pepper.</li>
<li>Pulse several times and stir, until the desired creamy consistency.</li>
<li>Transfer to a bowl and garnish with paprika.</li>
<li>Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat. Serve with fresh vegetables or pita chips or use as a spread on a sandwhich.</li>
</ol>To the cooks of Veganomicon, Isa and Terry: Thank you so much for the wonderful recipes!!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-11828532235240908992011-03-21T21:32:00.000-04:002011-03-21T21:32:24.437-04:00Yummy Teething Biscuits!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QX66izQk0BaYrybK4VSG74gpjmprn25LleJsAXGzl7CPxGxX-UG-BPOsTXJTz76W2SC6fEqiI9NR2yUUHyP53nbahT-IPASBKWKYySZykPY8CqjCr1mYg-aVh42E9wQuBVsxkv0vAok/s1600/IMG_3022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QX66izQk0BaYrybK4VSG74gpjmprn25LleJsAXGzl7CPxGxX-UG-BPOsTXJTz76W2SC6fEqiI9NR2yUUHyP53nbahT-IPASBKWKYySZykPY8CqjCr1mYg-aVh42E9wQuBVsxkv0vAok/s200/IMG_3022.JPG" width="200" /></a>Yes, this is it! A recipe for teething biscuits! A great way for babies to take their mind off of those aches when their teeth are beginning to come in. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Now why would I want to make teething biscuits? Well Mallory, Eric and the newest addition, Sloane!, came to visit! Fabulous company, fun times, and Sloane is too cute for words! She's adorable! But Miss Sloane had it rough one night. Poor thing. It was possible she may have began teething, so we starting searching for home remedies and Eric found a recipe for <a href="http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/teethingbiscuits.htm">Teething Biscuits: Oats & 'Naner Drops</a>. Of course I had to make these for Sloane! Anything to make her feel better. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkk6B-_YMTnZpUDjFChtsY0v3FiTFcxbUKkVaeZwNtoSq2ICiCMPNVeCrEkNEZBRJvntPZq7s49usnOocB1aIc0zj3ug85d6QMNehY-vTLoLVOJxq05xh9xW_0vLTjfkaKbSq5_Cty1IE/s1600/IMG_3020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkk6B-_YMTnZpUDjFChtsY0v3FiTFcxbUKkVaeZwNtoSq2ICiCMPNVeCrEkNEZBRJvntPZq7s49usnOocB1aIc0zj3ug85d6QMNehY-vTLoLVOJxq05xh9xW_0vLTjfkaKbSq5_Cty1IE/s200/IMG_3020.JPG" width="200" /></a> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><u>Teething Biscuits</u></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Ingredients</div><ul><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 cup quick oats</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 cup ground oats (grind oats into a flour-like consistency)</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1/4 tsp salt</li>
<li>1/2 tsp cinnamon</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1/4 tsp ginger</li>
<li>1/4 t nutmeg</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 tsp baking powder</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2 ripe bananas, mashed</li>
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDY7A1cZC9i7LT3vIuWYgeJC3tkshuYylSsuSC8qPV2DlG6ubxlcd1uhkRUqntgRiYNU2p6e5kLQId284bkAdnOB6daXXDXRFuWbWEqM5eNEmsX7WOdn8EVNjj7BwTIwcCQhpC9oSLcQE/s1600/IMG_3021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDY7A1cZC9i7LT3vIuWYgeJC3tkshuYylSsuSC8qPV2DlG6ubxlcd1uhkRUqntgRiYNU2p6e5kLQId284bkAdnOB6daXXDXRFuWbWEqM5eNEmsX7WOdn8EVNjj7BwTIwcCQhpC9oSLcQE/s200/IMG_3021.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 tsp vanilla extract</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">3 tbsp oil</li>
</ul><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Directions </div><ol><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and baking powder. </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In a separate bowl, mix together the bananas, vanilla extract, and oil.</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Add the banana mixture (wet) to the oat mixture (dry).</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Drop by the spoonful onto a greased baking sheet. </li>
<li>Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 min.</li>
<li>Let cool on a cooling rack. </li>
</ol><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_YbmLoPy9irUnYCJJYtjM0k3i3ty2iFNDY3c-ZTT5tOYt9gvmuta1qQ4O2tjPWUBp9oVFVcGZQsbstYSqYirQN941mLdZrv5VTlXZr8OQsqWfQVOII5lbAlDkCwGqT8c4RG713UpXfg/s1600/IMG_2986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_YbmLoPy9irUnYCJJYtjM0k3i3ty2iFNDY3c-ZTT5tOYt9gvmuta1qQ4O2tjPWUBp9oVFVcGZQsbstYSqYirQN941mLdZrv5VTlXZr8OQsqWfQVOII5lbAlDkCwGqT8c4RG713UpXfg/s320/IMG_2986.JPG" width="320" /></a>These were like banana bread bites! This recipe was actually adapted from a vegan cookbook. And guess what? Sloane loved these! They fit perfectly into this great new invention: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-Fresh-Food-Feeder-Colors/dp/B000GK5XY2">The Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder</a>. It looks like a pacifier, but a mesh-like bag is attached to it, where you can put food in! It's really neat because you don't have to worry about the baby's safety (i.e. choking) while he/she is biting down or sucking on it. </div><br />
I'm not sure who liked these more though... Eric or Sloane! Ha!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-66655040652879606982011-03-20T20:51:00.000-04:002011-03-20T20:51:06.286-04:00Vegan Rice Crispy Treats<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2hZL-Sh7Ju7rT6utsLSUSmYg5twRlIghw4saEoRhf0rKDHzgcNpt9NPxVm6TtVnvLVWXSLNbGqOibdAXeV2JE1zTIv4HTr-kWmVmCuuyFH1uk-0bSnNnZm0owHjqu81ALMPu6dvfziJE/s1600/IMG_2925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2hZL-Sh7Ju7rT6utsLSUSmYg5twRlIghw4saEoRhf0rKDHzgcNpt9NPxVm6TtVnvLVWXSLNbGqOibdAXeV2JE1zTIv4HTr-kWmVmCuuyFH1uk-0bSnNnZm0owHjqu81ALMPu6dvfziJE/s320/IMG_2925.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Here's something new for ya! I decided to veganize the recipe for <a href="http://www.ricekrispies.com/recipes/the-original-treats.aspx#/recipes/the-original-treats">The Original Rice Krispie Treats</a>! So how did I get this crazy idea? Well, I happened to be shopping at a local health food store with my friend Meagan, and we came across <a href="http://www.suzannes-specialties.com/khxc/index.php?app=ccp0&ns=prodshow&ref=ricemellow">Suzanne's Ricemellow Creme</a> a.k.a. vegan mashmallow fluff! Thinking about it for a second, we wondered how this would be in rice krispie treats.... hmm... Now all we needed was rice krispies... so we went on the search for a healthy rice cereal and found <a href="http://www.usmillsinc.com/usmills/productview_description.php?id=141&back=BCkOIFYmADwEblU%2FUjgCcwUsViQBNVNkUnMHNlM9VysBc1xvAXIHaVc2USUBZgdrVTcEOFMz">Erewhon Brown Rice Cereal</a>! Though these treats weren't quite the real thing, they didn't taste too bad. They were sweet and tasty, BUT the vegan fluff didn't hold the rice cereal together enough. It was very delicate! As soon as you picked them up they would try to fall apart on you. Okay, so not the greatest reviews, but I still had to share! If anyone has suggestions of how to keep the treats together a little better, advice is welcomed this way!</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><u>Vegan Rice Crispy Treats</u></div><br />
Ingredients<br />
<ul><li>3 tablespoons soy-free vegan butter (Earth Balance)</li>
<li>1 (10-oz) container vegan fluff (Suzanne's Ricemellow Creme)</li>
<li>6-7 cups rice cereal (<span id="btAsinTitle">Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Cereal)</span></li>
</ul>Directions<br />
<ol><li>Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan with cooking spray.</li>
<li>In large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the vegan fluff and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.</li>
<li>Add rice cereal. Stir until well coated. Pour into greased pan.</li>
<li>Use wax paper to evenly press mixture into the pan. Allow to cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.</li>
</ol>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-74194099579487557342011-03-13T14:05:00.000-04:002011-03-13T14:05:56.460-04:00Lentil Marinara Sauce: Super Thick and Yummy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgbrjNMZ_gIwGOX2Z0105waXKdziFyM41FtEJDzfZUARR1EPWehyTCA7UPqPyAJwjDkKL3Kvb_zk7sGWBdxkRbqcAMSoGE8Yci2Gzcfie54Y74EFao8LVCLS70c75OdelmBDY7mPItqc/s1600/IMG_2930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgbrjNMZ_gIwGOX2Z0105waXKdziFyM41FtEJDzfZUARR1EPWehyTCA7UPqPyAJwjDkKL3Kvb_zk7sGWBdxkRbqcAMSoGE8Yci2Gzcfie54Y74EFao8LVCLS70c75OdelmBDY7mPItqc/s320/IMG_2930.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I am back! Sorry it has taken me so long to update my blog. It gets a little busy when you have family and best friends visiting, and unfortunately, those unexpected events. But here I am, ready to share my fun and fabulous dishes with you all!<br />
<br />
I adapted this lentil marinara sauce recipe from <a href="http://roadlesstraveled2010.blogspot.com/">Mrs. J</a>. She had given me this recipe months ago and I finally got the chance to check it out! As I was cooking it though, I decided to turn it into something a little bit more than sauce! More like a stew, but it was a nice, thick sauce perfect over pasta, sauteed veggies (my preference for a healthier dish), or even rice! I love marinara sauces, and to me, the thicker, the better! Yum!<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
<ul><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsRMCCVivBq-BwCTboPjCh0OkO28AQ-nI1Cy-oHericIAl7kS1aydkKgzlNUSceK6KBJX4IAp0-xbSC0FvSMQ1QXWUWzoJfSxMU95_vV2NEi3l7Cw4qhDbc4PP9mvnZUNWlKoYPBNnd8/s1600/IMG_2927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsRMCCVivBq-BwCTboPjCh0OkO28AQ-nI1Cy-oHericIAl7kS1aydkKgzlNUSceK6KBJX4IAp0-xbSC0FvSMQ1QXWUWzoJfSxMU95_vV2NEi3l7Cw4qhDbc4PP9mvnZUNWlKoYPBNnd8/s320/IMG_2927.JPG" width="320" /></a>1 large onion, chopped</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">3-4 fresh garlic cloves, minced</li>
<li>1-2 tbsp olive oil</li>
<li>4 cups vegetable broth</li>
<li>1-1/2 cups lentils, uncooked </li>
<li>1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne</li>
<li>4 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped</li>
<li>3 (6-oz) cans tomato paste </li>
<li>2 (14.5) oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained</li>
<li>1-2 cups broccoli florets</li>
<li>3/4 salt</li>
<li>pepper, to taste</li>
<li>1/2 tsp basil</li>
<li>1/2 tsp oregano</li>
<li>1/2 tsp parsley</li>
<li>1/2 tsp Italian seasoning</li>
<li>3 handfuls of baby spinach leaves</li>
</ul><br />
Directions<br />
<ol><li>In a large pot or dutch oven, saute the onion and garlic in oil on medium-high heat until tender.</li>
<li>Add the broth, lentils, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 40-45 minutes covered. </li>
<li>While the lentil mixture is cooking, steam the carrots for roughly 20 minutes, then puree or mash them. This helps to thicken the sauce. Set aside.</li>
<li>Once the lentils are done cooking, to the lentil mixture, add the pureed/mashed carrots, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, broccoli florets, and spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes. </li>
<li>Add the spinach leaves, cover the pot and simmer for 5 minutes more, until the spinach is wilted. </li>
<li>Serve over sauteed, julienned vegetables (i.e. zucchini, squash, carrots) or rice or pasta. Top with fresh basil.</li>
<li>Enjoy!</li>
</ol>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-66572192265904999782011-02-16T09:23:00.000-05:002011-02-16T09:23:31.644-05:00Valentine's Day 2011 Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOPA6PzPV6U-P27Bo21D5I30qv57qsripfGGvclPiU2Xzfvt8R__VwyGtEiGAYBI-DpiAh1fk_2BDW1NGzJA9BHy_SdeAk2-RSZRFZg5RP_ZtslUW0vaRngWHFPXONWSb9m2Cg5ONbFkM/s1600/IMG_2940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOPA6PzPV6U-P27Bo21D5I30qv57qsripfGGvclPiU2Xzfvt8R__VwyGtEiGAYBI-DpiAh1fk_2BDW1NGzJA9BHy_SdeAk2-RSZRFZg5RP_ZtslUW0vaRngWHFPXONWSb9m2Cg5ONbFkM/s320/IMG_2940.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day! It's always nice spending this special day with loved ones (or talking on the phone), whether it's a significant other, family, or friends! Of course we always celebrate year-round, being surrounded by our loved ones, but I like to make this day extra special with David (all though, come to think of it, we have quite a few extra special days)!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So David woke up the morning of Valentine's Day with post-it notes EVERYWHERE! In the pockets of his work pants, the pocket of his work shirt, in his shoes, on the bathroom mirrors, on his car, in his lunch bag, on his coffee mug... I mean EVERYWHERE! Ha! I had wrote little love notes on about 20 post-its and put them in random places for David to find. What can I say? I love the guy, and I wanted to do something cute and cheezy! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">David had tulips sent to the house... my favorite :) One day, I want to be able to grow my own tulips - they are so beautiful, but I feel I don't have the space to grow my own garden right now. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We decided to spend our Valentine's Day with a special homemade dinner. David had requested pasta with a meaty marinara sauce and garlic bread. The day before Valentine's Day I decided to take on a challenge and make my own French bread to make the garlic bread. I found a great recipe on <a href="http://allrecipes.com/">Allrecipes</a>! Turns out, French bread is for everyone! Vegans and non-vegans! It is very simple to make too! The only non-vegan step involved in making this bread is an egg-wash that is brushed on the dough before baking it - this is to just give the bread a nice, crusty, dark color though, which can also be done with milk! Since I wanted to try this French bread too, my "egg-wash" substitute was almond milk - perfect!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRve_LOyVBON4R-Emf3gx-MCLnMuOVm6ebhJAmlnkWaysFn8vKYADxEa4vcuZjKjwKooOt3wZ2Xi2tQ1yWVADE3OwHGAnPawa17Yt8V4s7O6eKHBMXUTRQa67PKkZvrIYIE9JLEAWCfLI/s1600/IMG_2943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRve_LOyVBON4R-Emf3gx-MCLnMuOVm6ebhJAmlnkWaysFn8vKYADxEa4vcuZjKjwKooOt3wZ2Xi2tQ1yWVADE3OwHGAnPawa17Yt8V4s7O6eKHBMXUTRQa67PKkZvrIYIE9JLEAWCfLI/s320/IMG_2943.JPG" width="242" /></a><a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Crusty-French-Bread/Detail.aspx">French Bread</a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Ingredients</div><ul><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 pkg active dry yeast</li>
<li>1 cup warm water</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2 tbsp sugar</li>
<li>2 tbsp vegetable oil</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 tsp salt</li>
<li>3 cups all-purpose flour</li>
<li>Cornmeal</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1-2 tbsp almond milk</li>
</ul><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Directions</div><ol><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, allowing the yeast to activate.</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Add the sugar, oil, salt and 2 cups flour. Stir the mixture until well-blended. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough. </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning it on all sides so the dough will not stick to the bowl. Cover, with a piece of plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour (I usually place my dough in the oven. I warm up the oven a little, but not too much, before setting the dough in there). </li>
<li>Punch the dough down. Allow the dough to rest for about 10 minutes, then cover the bowl and let rise again for 30 minutes. </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Punch the dough down again. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape it into a loaf (16 in. long x 2-1/2 in. wide) with tapered ends. </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Sprinkle a greased baking sheet with cornmeal and place the loaf on the baking sheet. Cover the dough and let it rise until doubled, about 25 minutes. </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Brush almond milk over the dough. With a sharp knife, make diagonal slashes 2 in. apart across top of loaf.</li>
<li>Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. </li>
<li>Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool. </li>
</ol><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvyotoe04oCD1RFYJaOeMPHj0f3MERSW8cMWTlJa4zzr_-KghyphenhyphenwaPmSGIdWIl_CkzxGByZGv1xvwrrxdrPcWneSZIao5gsUC7n1lqj2CxZ3daR2O9ekmDjYspdyIH5VVdGhyA73vSXuo/s1600/IMG_2946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvyotoe04oCD1RFYJaOeMPHj0f3MERSW8cMWTlJa4zzr_-KghyphenhyphenwaPmSGIdWIl_CkzxGByZGv1xvwrrxdrPcWneSZIao5gsUC7n1lqj2CxZ3daR2O9ekmDjYspdyIH5VVdGhyA73vSXuo/s200/IMG_2946.JPG" width="178" /></a>Unfortunately, my bread didn't rise as much as I would have wanted it to, so I didn't take a picture (to spare my embarrassment LOL). I don't know if my yeast wasn't activated enough (water may have been too warm, potentially killing the yeast) or if I had accidently formed the dough into something too long and wide. Who knows, I will do better next time!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The day of Valentine's Day I sliced up the bread and layed the slices on a baking sheet. I minced fresh garlic and put it in a small pan with vegan butter, allowing the garlic to saute a little in the melted butter. I then brushed the butter-garlic mixture on the tops of the sliced bread and sprinkled veggie parmesan cheese on top. All vegan and you would never even know it! I turned the broiler on and put the garlic bread in the oven for about 2 minutes - Perfect! David loved it!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQw45bq5_er602uMDyp_9NC1ABa5W1CHlIQyGg7aEw5I51gFTfOM7k-zxZ_F94a7YDkNdPWG36G0oGvKSRdrv9MoA3d6hl0jYxcpIjVS3bGYpX1ih0oetc66YyafOSAiOMthDfDgM7ss0/s1600/IMG_2948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQw45bq5_er602uMDyp_9NC1ABa5W1CHlIQyGg7aEw5I51gFTfOM7k-zxZ_F94a7YDkNdPWG36G0oGvKSRdrv9MoA3d6hl0jYxcpIjVS3bGYpX1ih0oetc66YyafOSAiOMthDfDgM7ss0/s320/IMG_2948.JPG" width="320" /></a>For dessert, I made David's favorite... <a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2010/12/happy-holidays-homemade-gingerbread.html">Gingerbread Cookies!</a> I made one big cookie for him with lots of little heart-shaped cookies on the side. Since this was all for David, I did not "veganize" the recipe... they are perfect the way they are :)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I love Valentine's Day because it gives me a chance to get all creative and gives me a GREAT excuse to be beyond CHEEZY! LOL. I love it!</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-77757034473068094182011-02-10T21:06:00.000-05:002011-02-10T21:06:19.073-05:00Too-Good-To-Be-True, Healthy Nori Rolls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3ize9zBVaRpVg4fPnQFw9AxguoiE6AkYOs9zSfVe_yg_-aq3k2-uy3t17i5GLgCL_YSIq2siYIaL_V6sr1OS-M14kfYBVEmQfpoXpAqNh-i8xYm4-5iMF7HheDaixDQz6fc8EjJmfPM/s1600/IMG_2921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3ize9zBVaRpVg4fPnQFw9AxguoiE6AkYOs9zSfVe_yg_-aq3k2-uy3t17i5GLgCL_YSIq2siYIaL_V6sr1OS-M14kfYBVEmQfpoXpAqNh-i8xYm4-5iMF7HheDaixDQz6fc8EjJmfPM/s320/IMG_2921.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Liking the idea of a lower-carb nori roll, I came up with this yummy recipe! I don't think you could have a healthier nori roll! It's loaded with nutrient-rich foods, antioxidants, and get this, it tastes fantastic! I uploaded my recipe to <a href="http://vegweb.com/">VegWeb</a>, so check it out!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=37884.0">Too-Good-To-Be-True, Healthy Nori Rolls</a><br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
<ul><li>2 nori sheets</li>
<li>1/2 cup prepared hummus, divided (recommended: Veganomicon's "A Hummus Recipe")</li>
<li>2-4 tbsp pine nuts, divided</li>
<li>avocado, thinly sliced</li>
<li>carrots, julienned </li>
<li>cucumber, julienned</li>
<li>red bell pepper, thinly sliced</li>
<li>1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts, divided</li>
</ul>Directions<br />
<ol><li>Using a bamboo mat, place a nori sheet on top of it, spread approximately 1/4 cup hummus on 2/3 of the nori sheet (closest to you).</li>
<li>On top of the hummus, sprinkle with 1-2 tbsp of pine nuts, then top with avocado, carrots, cucumber, and red bell pepper in a thin row. Top the vegetables with 1/4 cup alfalfa sprouts. Be sure not to pile too many veggies on top, as it will be difficult to roll (my recipe is very close to overload though!).</li>
<li>Take the end of nori sheet closest to you, and begin to roll up and over the vegetables. Use the bamboo mat to tighten that portion of the roll. Continue to roll (with the use of your bamboo mat) until the entire sheet is rolled up. Place the roll on a plate, and begin making the next roll. Place the second nori roll on the plate.</li>
<li>Refrigerate the nori rolls for at least 30 minutes before slicing. </li>
<li>Once chilled, slice the nori rolls. Wet a knife and cut each roll into 6-8 pieces. Wetting the knife aids in the slicing process. </li>
<li>Enjoy!</li>
</ol>* Note: The amounts of vegetables in this recipe depend on your preference. Be careful not to overstuff the nori roll though! Recommend using 2-4 slices of each vegetable per roll.<br />
<br />
<div> </div><br />
<div> </div><br />
<div> </div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-53214734353034472232011-02-08T15:03:00.000-05:002011-02-08T15:03:35.364-05:00Super Bowl XLV Hors d'œuvre Night!What's better than hors d'œuvres for Super Bowl Sunday?! Woohoo! Although the Pittsburgh Steeler's didn't quite make the spotlight, we still had a nice and fun dinner watching the game, especially those commercials!<br />
<div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
The Super Bowl XLV Menu:</div> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSSHvTuBT5Lk_EuawbL4AODzUtrW-L9JaOOFiX5VwePI2TYnFA1WN_5dmgVmTY9LzcnwgPdBfwSiHXKrsVfgZyewQfGyI7R-DNBHIYaDILTXsmNPUhWLNdv__nzTKyQI753I3YU9wXdU/s1600/IMG_2911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSSHvTuBT5Lk_EuawbL4AODzUtrW-L9JaOOFiX5VwePI2TYnFA1WN_5dmgVmTY9LzcnwgPdBfwSiHXKrsVfgZyewQfGyI7R-DNBHIYaDILTXsmNPUhWLNdv__nzTKyQI753I3YU9wXdU/s320/IMG_2911.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tuscan Bean Dip with Assorted Fresh Vegetables</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVzQadATO8RvtpLjZBRiVeAXvAubk0oXXdDBRUsJhjEcsEzImxZJ83IlO7ru_Pr99f88Rmeciaim91e1uUSFfZ4euccJfJseMiA5mSahbyGu75SIAoc7pgJSChZf-gosthI06g9oXxOM/s1600/IMG_2904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVzQadATO8RvtpLjZBRiVeAXvAubk0oXXdDBRUsJhjEcsEzImxZJ83IlO7ru_Pr99f88Rmeciaim91e1uUSFfZ4euccJfJseMiA5mSahbyGu75SIAoc7pgJSChZf-gosthI06g9oXxOM/s320/IMG_2904.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loaded-Veggie Nori Rolls</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPlasng1WIXYV6LiHzya6vo4M9kJznKF1jfyqAOs6fIlRRs6hzOdMMju5kzGEZ_XJyk8E4VkloZW9jDZSN1Rd8rIrs9q5feVI8XcZIpZFRihiil5DevHUqNDRMHSdakKkTYY8ZjPqeYo/s1600/IMG_2903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPlasng1WIXYV6LiHzya6vo4M9kJznKF1jfyqAOs6fIlRRs6hzOdMMju5kzGEZ_XJyk8E4VkloZW9jDZSN1Rd8rIrs9q5feVI8XcZIpZFRihiil5DevHUqNDRMHSdakKkTYY8ZjPqeYo/s320/IMG_2903.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Crazy-Healthy Experimental Nori Rolls</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyIV297JE_69jIalyRcTxIdO2XECeu9gp_D27RXw7FisQwmtOoBGiDKc8swMFLhKr6N6eDOZIx2gjOssyq0T0tkYqBYO_U6sj3MGqMRTgjH1nu-fp_PWlGrtoPxQ2TADUOksVH-2NgQF4/s1600/IMG_2906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyIV297JE_69jIalyRcTxIdO2XECeu9gp_D27RXw7FisQwmtOoBGiDKc8swMFLhKr6N6eDOZIx2gjOssyq0T0tkYqBYO_U6sj3MGqMRTgjH1nu-fp_PWlGrtoPxQ2TADUOksVH-2NgQF4/s320/IMG_2906.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baked Spring Rolls</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJg6MO5PnIO0uLejaTUG1MYPL5FaU_hXrAfppg9IKBDKC3mR2POE6xwzSuDWPEmJqoqmhVMQKOr5X6XNAl8tmmEDgvSuJpbJydiUpo5luzrEaitbEm6yd7WM_HfvnuL32-Mz-nk4pgwUk/s1600/IMG_2908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJg6MO5PnIO0uLejaTUG1MYPL5FaU_hXrAfppg9IKBDKC3mR2POE6xwzSuDWPEmJqoqmhVMQKOr5X6XNAl8tmmEDgvSuJpbJydiUpo5luzrEaitbEm6yd7WM_HfvnuL32-Mz-nk4pgwUk/s320/IMG_2908.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade Nutella Spreads with Assorted Fresh Fruit<br />
Front: Hazelnut Nutella<br />
Back: Almond and Cashew Nutella</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">#1 <u>Tuscan Bean Dip</u> by <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/tuscan-bean-dip-recipe/index.html">Food Network</a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<div> Ingredients</div></div><ul><li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2-4 tbsp olive oil</div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">4-6 cloves garlic, minced</div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1-2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves</div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 (15-oz) can cannellini (northern) beans, drained and rinsed</div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1/2-1 tsp sea salt</div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Pinch cayenne pepper</div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Fresh vegetables for dipping: carrots, celery, red and green bell pepper, cucumber, broccoli</div></li>
</ul>Directions<br />
<ol><li>Heat oil and garlic in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Stir garlic until golden, about 3 minutes.</li>
<li>Pull skillet from heat; stir in rosemary and cool slightly. </li>
<li>In a food processor, add the beans, salt, cayenne pepper and rosemary oil. Process until smooth.</li>
<li>Scrape the puree into a serving bowl.</li>
<li>Serve dip with fresh raw veggies!</li>
</ol>This bean dip is so delicious! A friend brought it over one time and I just loved it! I used to be all over blue cheese when fresh vegetables were near, but I'd never go back after trying this bean dip! I also never cared for rosemary until I tried this dip. Let me tell you, fresh rosemary is very different than dried, and it adds a wonderful flavor to this bean dip! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Yum!<br />
<br />
<div> </div>#2 <u><a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2011/02/rachels-loaded-veggie-sushi-rolls.html">Loaded-Veggie Nori Rolls</a></u><br />
<u></u><br />
<div> </div>#3 <u>My Crazy-Healthy Experimental Nori Rolls</u><br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
<ul><li>4 nori sheets</li>
<li>1 recipe Veganomicon's Sun-Dried Tomato Dip</li>
<li>Sun flower seeds</li>
<li>Carrots, julienned</li>
<li>Cucumber, julienned</li>
<li>Red bell pepper, thinly sliced</li>
<li>Avocado, thinly sliced</li>
<li>Alfalfa sprouts</li>
</ul>Directions<br />
<ol><li>Using a bamboo mat, place a nori sheet on top of it, add approximately 1/4 cup tomato dip on 2/3 of the nori sheet (closest to you). On top of the dip (on the closest part of the nori sheet to you), sprinkle sunflower seeds on top, then top with remaining ingredients. Be sure not to pile too many veggies on top, as it will be difficult to roll!</li>
<li>Take the end of nori closest to you, and begin to roll up and over the vegetables. Use the bamboo mat to tighten that portion of the roll. Continue to roll (with the use of your bamboo mat) until the entire sheet is rolled up. Place on a plate, allowing the nori roll to soften, while you continue making the next rolls. </li>
<li>When all 4 nori rolls are made, starting with the first one made, wet a knife and cut each roll into 6-8 pieces. Wetting the knife aids in the slicing process. </li>
</ol>I won't be posting Veganomicon's Sun-Dried Tomato Dip recipe unless it is requested. Unfortunately, I didn't really care much for it. I would like to try this same nori roll with hummus next time, maybe some pine nuts, and fresh basil! I will post this if I do! <br />
<div></div><br />
<div> </div>#4 <u>Baked spring rolls</u> (<a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/baked-egg-rolls/Detail.aspx">Click to view original recipe</a>)<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
<ul><li>2 cups grated carrots</li>
<li>1 (14.5 ounce) can chop suey vegetables, drained</li>
<li>1 (8-oz) can water chestnuts, chopped</li>
<li>1/2 green pepper, chopped</li>
<li>1 bunch green onions, chopped</li>
<li>1 garlic clove, minced</li>
<li>1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed</li>
<li>4 teaspoons cornstarch</li>
<li>1 tablespoon water</li>
<li>1 tablespoon light soy sauce</li>
<li>1 teaspoon vegetable oil</li>
<li>1 teaspoon brown sugar</li>
<li>Pinch cayenne pepper</li>
<li>16 rice paper wrappers (can purchase at an Asian market)</li>
</ul>Directions<br />
<ol><li>Heat a large skillet with olive oil and add the first six ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until vegetable are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the beans; heat through. </li>
<li>In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, water, soy sauce, oil, brown sugar and cayenne until smooth; stir into the vegetable mixture and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes; remove from the heat. </li>
<li>Fill a large bowl with warm water. One at a time, dip the rice paper in the water for 20-30 seconds until it becomes soft and flexible. Lay on a flat surface. Spoon 1/4 cup of the vegetable mixture on the bottom third of the rice papper; fold sides toward center and roll tightly. Place seam side down on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Repeat with remaining rice paper wrappers and filling. Spray the tops of the spring rolls with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 425 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.</li>
</ol>These spring rolls were DELICIOUS! I highly recommend them! The only issue I had was with the rice paper wrappers... I had made all of the rolls early in the day, so I refrigerated them in a tupperware container. As they sat in the fridge, each roll clung to one another, so when I went to take them out of the container they were stuck together! The rice paper is very delicate once it gets soft, so it tore easily when I tried to separate them all. Due to this issue, we had to eat these rolls with a fork, but this didn't take away from the delicious flavor at all! I will definitely be making these again!<br />
<br />
<br />
#5 <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/place?rlz=1T4SKPT_enUS406US406&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=frankies+wings+and+things+melbourne,+fl&fb=1&gl=us&hq=frankies+wings+and+things&hnear=Melbourne,+FL&cid=5048696294186005047">Wings from Frankie's Wings & Things</a><br />
<br />
Of course when you have appetizers, and you're around David, you can't forget the wings! These are great but unfortunately I didn't get to have any this time around due to my recent vegan choices. They smelled delicious though, as always! My saliva glands were going crazy when I was serving them LOL! <br />
<br />
<div> </div>#6 <u>Homemade Nutella Spreads</u> (<a href="http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2011/02/homemade-hazelnut-spread-world-nutella.html">Click to view original recipe</a>)<br />
<br />
<em>Hazelnut Nutella:</em><br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
<ul><li>1/2 cup hazelnuts</li>
<li>1/4 cup powdered sugar</li>
<li>1 tbsp cocoa powder</li>
<li>1-2 tbsp vegetable oil</li>
<li>water (optional)</li>
<li>Assorted fresh fruit for dipping: sliced banana, sliced granny smith apples, sliced braeburn apples, strawberries, green grapes </li>
</ul><em>Almond and Cashew Nutella:</em><br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
<ul><li>1/2 cup almonds, blanched</li>
<li>1/2 cup cashews</li>
<li>1/2 cup (scant) powdered sugar</li>
<li>2 tbsp cocoa powder</li>
<li>2 tbsp vegetable oil</li>
<li>Assorted fresh fruit for dipping: sliced banana, sliced granny smith apples, sliced braeburn apples, strawberries, green grapes </li>
</ul>Directions<br />
<ol><li>Place the nuts in a food processor and process until the nuts start to clump together in a ball, at least 5 minutes, if not more.</li>
<li>Add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and process again for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture is well combined. </li>
<li>Drizzle in enough oil to make a spread. If the consistancy is not right after the addition of oil, add a bit of water (I had to do this for the hazelnut spread). </li>
<li>Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 weeks. Serve with fresh fruit, graham crackers, or spread on bread!</li>
</ol>The homemade nutella spread was posted from <a href="http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/">One Perfect Bite</a>, who seems to always be posting fun and exciting recipes!<br />
<br />
Hope you like the menu! Some of the hors d'œuvres were a little time-consuming, but all worth it! Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<div> </div><br />
<div> </div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-69657431415276178042011-02-07T09:42:00.000-05:002011-02-07T09:42:22.817-05:00Eggplant and Chickpea Curry<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCYjqCbiCXreO8qS28vwwJ6i8OCE2zmTprBVCZclsOkIHJW9y1aGSvZhsyJ3u8I_55bPyu6OaoyRmFkR-2wgmmm5b6IeLCUXTxiXVGm0YyoCLcXQx7UP3DHv5dq0V3wqpF2XYn9RRDY8/s1600/IMG_2895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCYjqCbiCXreO8qS28vwwJ6i8OCE2zmTprBVCZclsOkIHJW9y1aGSvZhsyJ3u8I_55bPyu6OaoyRmFkR-2wgmmm5b6IeLCUXTxiXVGm0YyoCLcXQx7UP3DHv5dq0V3wqpF2XYn9RRDY8/s320/IMG_2895.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>In the mood to try something new, I came across <a href="http://healthygirlskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/07/vegan-indian-eggplant-curry.html">Healthy Girl's Vegan Indian Eggplant Curry</a>. It looked good and I had all of the spices that needed to go into it (minus the fenugreek, which is more of an optional flavor), so I gave it a shot and it was delish! I added a little protein into the dish (chickpeas!) so it could be a more nutitionally-balanced entree! I served this with sticky brown rice for David and he enjoyed it! I plan to make this again this week! Yum!<br />
<br />
<u>Eggplant and Chickpea Curry</u><br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
<ul><li>1 Tbsp coconut oil</li>
<li>1 large onion, peeled and diced</li>
<li>4-6 garlic cloves, minced</li>
<li>1 (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated on a microplane</li>
<li>1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced</li>
<li>2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped </li>
<li>1/2 cup vegetable broth</li>
<li>1 large eggplant, peeled and cubed</li>
<li>1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced </li>
<li>1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced</li>
<li>1 (15-oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed</li>
<li>1 tsp sea salt</li>
<li>1 tsp turmeric</li>
<li>1 tsp ground coriander</li>
<li>1/2 tsp ground cumin</li>
</ul>Directions<br />
<ol><li>Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions, garlic, ginger and jalapeno and cook for 10 minutes. </li>
<li>Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. </li>
<li>Add the broth, eggplant, peppers, chickpeas, salt, turmeric, coriander and cumin and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 70 minutes. </li>
<li>Serve immediately or reheat before serving. </li>
<li>Optional: Serve over brown rice.</li>
</ol><br />
<br />
<div> </div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-20099447041438058712011-02-06T21:34:00.000-05:002011-02-06T21:34:28.610-05:00Raw Chocolate-Mint Pie<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfl3zGNp5ZhpsWH_rMjwo2whXw6e1xBUu1MuMK1QTXTYZxESU5eOLU9urwUQy_EHDm4lMoIQMwSKoOAprEa_5iebGtHoov7oanZ95pezw0dYvn6es1JWplzv2lZjv1YYer6H_Gy-MuQM/s1600/IMG_2893.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfl3zGNp5ZhpsWH_rMjwo2whXw6e1xBUu1MuMK1QTXTYZxESU5eOLU9urwUQy_EHDm4lMoIQMwSKoOAprEa_5iebGtHoov7oanZ95pezw0dYvn6es1JWplzv2lZjv1YYer6H_Gy-MuQM/s320/IMG_2893.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So I saw this raw dessert on <a href="http://vegweb.com/">VegWeb</a> and just knew I had to try it. I mean come on, a dessert that has avocados in it?! I would never imagine such a thing! And from the picture, would you even guess it was avocados? Let me tell you - you would never know they were in this! This dessert was great chilled in the refriegerator or as a tasty frozen treat! I think my favorite part was the crust though - the combination of nuts, dates and cocoa powder was just delightful! </div><br />
This recipe was posted by <a href="http://sketch-freeveganeating.blogspot.com/">Sketch-free Vegan Eating</a> and I decided to start following their blog - they post a lot of fun and healthy vegan recipes!<br />
<br />
When I made the raw chocolate-mint pie, I made a few changes, but it still turned out wonderful! Hope you enjoy this!<br />
<br />
<u>Raw Chocolate-Mint Pie</u> (<a href="http://sketch-freeveganeating.blogspot.com/2011/01/raw-chocolate-mint-pie-vegan-gf.html">Click to view Sketch-free Vegan Eating's original recipe</a>, <a href="http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=36885.0">Click to view recipe posted to VegWeb</a>)<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
<br />
<em>For the crust:</em><br />
<ul><li>1/2 - 3/4 cup <a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2011/02/homemade-almond-milk-take-3.html">almond milk pulp</a></li>
<li>1/2 cup packed Medjool dates (~ 8 dates)</li>
<li>1 (8-oz) container cashews</li>
<li>1/4 cup cocoa powder</li>
<li>2 tablespoons coconut oil</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract</li>
<li>pinch sea salt</li>
</ul><em>For the filling:</em><br />
<ul><li>2 large avocados</li>
<li>1/2 cup melted coconut oil</li>
<li>1/4 cup agave syrup</li>
<li>1 tsp peppermint extract</li>
<li>1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped</li>
<li>1 teaspoon lemon juice</li>
</ul><em>For the ganache:</em><br />
<ul><li>1/2 cup cocoa powder</li>
<li>1/4 cup agave syrup</li>
<li>2 tablespoons water</li>
<li>2 tablespoons coconut oil</li>
<li>pinch sea salt</li>
</ul>Directions<br />
<ol><li><em>To prepare the crust:</em> In a food processor, add all of the crust ingredients and process until well combined. Press into an 8-inch pie pan. Chill in the refrigerator until firm. Clean the food processor for the next step.</li>
<li><em>To prepare the filling:</em> In a clean food processor, add all of the filling ingredients and process until well combined and creamy. Pour the filling into the chilled crust; chill in the refrigerator until it is set. </li>
<li><em>To prepare the ganache:</em> In a small bowl, add all of the ganache ingredients and combine until smooth. Pour the ganache over filling. Use the back of a spoon to help spread it out over the pie. This must be done pretty quickly - the ganache will start to harden once it touches the chilled filling. Chill the pie until ready to serve. Can freeze or refrigerate. </li>
</ol><div> </div><br />
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<div> </div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-91027064119392214642011-02-02T13:04:00.000-05:002011-02-02T13:04:15.370-05:00Rachel's Loaded-Veggie Sushi Rolls<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqBKX0s9eKe8OIRyiqsWo9Lrx_JNmCXXNdlTvUQBe9gH07GuUZgl1JI8yqJPRbIdM_NaXhMmtZ1eTUOxXYXl13BquSBEJ6su2UQ2rcXSj59J9LW51d7yvsq94Q-r5P3Dw-qDRH1jFaZU/s1600/IMG_2891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqBKX0s9eKe8OIRyiqsWo9Lrx_JNmCXXNdlTvUQBe9gH07GuUZgl1JI8yqJPRbIdM_NaXhMmtZ1eTUOxXYXl13BquSBEJ6su2UQ2rcXSj59J9LW51d7yvsq94Q-r5P3Dw-qDRH1jFaZU/s320/IMG_2891.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Saturday night we decided would be sushi night! But I really had an urge to try making sushi myself! I got a few pointers from <a href="http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=35009.0">VegWeb's Healthy Avocado Sushi with Brown Rice</a> on how to make the sushi rice. <a href="http://www.healthyveganrecipes.net/video/avocado-sushi">Healthy Vegan Recipes</a> has a great video which shows you how to roll sushi and I recommend watching it if you're a beginner! Here's what I came up with!<br />
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<u>Rachel's Loaded-Veggie Sushi</u><br />
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Ingredients<br />
<ul><li>1 cup short-grain brown rice</li>
<li>2 cups water</li>
<li>2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar</li>
<li>5 nori (seaweed) sheets</li>
<li>Assorted vegetables*: Avocado, thinly sliced; Scallions; Red bell pepper, thinly sliced; Bean Sprouts; Zucchini, julienned; Carrot, julienned</li>
<li>Low-sodium soy sauce (optional)</li>
<li>Pickled ginger (optional)</li>
<li>Wasabi (optional)</li>
</ul>Directions<br />
<ol><li>In a small pot, bring the rice and water to a boil. Once boiling, stir rice once, cover pot and reduce heat to a simmer for 50 minutes.</li>
<li>When rice is finished cooking, transfer to a bowl. Gently stir in the vinegar until it is well-mixed into the rice (rice will stick together). Place a piece of plastic wrap over the bowl and allow rice to sit for 10 minutes, letting it cool, before making the sushi rolls.</li>
<li>Here is where the <a href="http://www.healthyveganrecipes.net/video/avocado-sushi">video</a> will really help you: Using a bamboo mat, place a nori sheet on top of it, add 1/5 of the rice on 2/3 (closest to you) of the sheet. On top of the rice (on only the closest part of the nori sheet to you), stack the vegetables in a thin row on top of each other. Take end of nori closest to you, and begin to roll up and over the vegetables. Use the bamboo mat to tighten that portion of the roll. Continue to roll (with the use of your bamboo mat) until the entire sheet is rolled up. Place on a plate, allowing the rice to soften the nori, while you continue making the next sushi rolls.</li>
<li>When all 5 sushi rolls are made, starting with the first sushi roll made, wet a knife and cut each roll into 6-8 pieces. Wetting the knife aids in the slicing process or else the rice will stick to the knife, making it difficult to cut.</li>
<li>Serve with soy sauce, ginger and wasabi. Yum!</li>
</ol>*Note: I did not put amounts for the vegetables I used because it is really all your own preference! You really don't need a lot of veggies to make one roll, let alone the 5 rolls I made, so I highly recommend these few friendly tips before preparing your own sushi and deciding on amounts:<br />
<ol><li>Warning: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO STUFF YOUR SUSHI ROLL. Stuffing your sushi roll makes it very difficut to roll up and slice. Yes, I am speaking from experience but was not about to take a picture of the disaster! </li>
<li>Wrap sushi roll as tight as possible with bamboo mat. The tighter your roll, the easier it is to slice.</li>
<li>Wet knife before slicing sushi roll into pieces (the rice sticks to the knife, making it difficult to cut).</li>
<li>Don't forget to have fun!</li>
</ol>Enjoy!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-61526681008517691572011-02-01T21:01:00.012-05:002011-02-02T08:15:06.538-05:00Homemade Almond Milk: Take 3<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwW4iHHsmIOrKIhW5bm66AmXLrfs9u9QVwQ7CKRE28NenZNtPwZ_-BoBg_bRGZywz4Lp1WMpFHKokvyxmHocQP7tRnXu5RL5C7nbdL_Ad0_0GbXgYBEkEBJIyZOzFmXhpKez56zvzzuP0/s1600/IMG_2898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwW4iHHsmIOrKIhW5bm66AmXLrfs9u9QVwQ7CKRE28NenZNtPwZ_-BoBg_bRGZywz4Lp1WMpFHKokvyxmHocQP7tRnXu5RL5C7nbdL_Ad0_0GbXgYBEkEBJIyZOzFmXhpKez56zvzzuP0/s200/IMG_2898.JPG" width="160" /></a></div>Happy with the recommended ratio of almonds to water for almond milk from <a href="http://runhardeatclean.blogspot.com/2011/01/almond-joy.html">Run Hard Eat Clean</a>, I decided the missing ingredient from <a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2011/01/homemade-almond-milk-take-2.html">Homemade Almond Milk: Take 2</a> was sweetener! Rather than using sugar though, it is a little healthier to use natural sweeteners such as agave nectar or honey! Now most vegans eliminate honey from their diet, but I'm keeping it in mine! If you are curious to know why honey is not vegan, <a href="http://www.vegetus.org/honey/honey.htm">click here</a>. <a href="http://roadlesstraveled2010.blogspot.com/">Shannon</a> calls me a psuedo-vegan, but I'm okay with that!<br />
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<u>Homemade Almond Milk </u></u><br />
<div></div><div><br />
Ingredients </div><ul><li>1/2 cup almonds, <a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2011/01/homemade-almond-milk-take-2.html">blanched</a></li>
<li>2-1/2 cups water, divided</li>
<li>1 tbsp honey (or agave nectar)</li>
</ul>Directions<br />
<ol style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In a blender, add cups of water, almonds, and honey. Blend until a creamy consistancy forms. Depending on how creamy you prefer your almond milk, you may need to add more or less water or almonds. It's your preference though! </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Hold a mesh strainer over a bowl and strain the almond milk. Store the almond milk in a jar/pitcher/plastic bottle and keep refrigerated. Keep the pulp refrigerated until ready to use (good to use in raw desserts!). Shake milk before using if it separates while sitting in the refrigerater. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17PvwROTLcVA7MjMqZ5alZDRJJXNQEeub94p94nDvULtu3jtKsJh4phOUEsYYQhYIes_bAXXSlbrFUlbRAAyQtPLKPz_NQgMRfMugB7x1ZdifJ7CAMAGc7ATb6PSTAZpUow8NfJjoQKk/s1600/IMG_2890.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="166" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17PvwROTLcVA7MjMqZ5alZDRJJXNQEeub94p94nDvULtu3jtKsJh4phOUEsYYQhYIes_bAXXSlbrFUlbRAAyQtPLKPz_NQgMRfMugB7x1ZdifJ7CAMAGc7ATb6PSTAZpUow8NfJjoQKk/s200/IMG_2890.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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</ol><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The addition of honey gives the milk a perfect touch of sweetness! I use it in cereal, which I love! Yummy and oh-so fresh!</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8312803252940020041.post-76069243074241381172011-02-01T09:30:00.000-05:002011-02-01T09:30:04.070-05:00The Herbivore's Out-of-this-World 5-Bean Chili<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwS5xjWUOQ31PybE64caa7lb3nIpulvL6q7GTRYFL6EP6EVCwwyaySavQYFzr7vm2OwmPxCAHHqXPe8EVgWeNzvzzbX094S0CauS3mBi7WmcwF8WGwdPeM6xAF4MMOmWjflL3ZRAa7z1I/s1600/IMG_2872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwS5xjWUOQ31PybE64caa7lb3nIpulvL6q7GTRYFL6EP6EVCwwyaySavQYFzr7vm2OwmPxCAHHqXPe8EVgWeNzvzzbX094S0CauS3mBi7WmcwF8WGwdPeM6xAF4MMOmWjflL3ZRAa7z1I/s320/IMG_2872.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Okay, so <a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2011/01/january-25-2011-recipe-4-cornbread.html">Recipe #4</a> of <a href="http://rachel-fortheloveoffood.blogspot.com/2011/01/here-we-have-it.html">The 2011 Cookbook Challenge</a> required a little something extra. We need some chili to go with our cornbread! So I came up with a new chili recipe. I just love experimenting! I decide to post this on <a href="http://vegweb.com/">VegWeb.com</a> and soon after they gave a special announcement on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/VegWeb">Facebook</a> about my recipe! How exciting! You can really find some really good vegetarian/vegan recipes on their website. Hope you enjoy my latest creation!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcyNENUuRKqbmpdmk8mDJ70eU3IVP9J7FBIWGYC3EXeBEbIfAq3ufqc0xgR3ejpvhbQO1XQvyMgIxzJsW3TyN7OmdySslxgdFUbOeESuA60jYbqmlwo6VFC1gkBpzZJ6wNmJqcgTyS8CA/s1600/CHILI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcyNENUuRKqbmpdmk8mDJ70eU3IVP9J7FBIWGYC3EXeBEbIfAq3ufqc0xgR3ejpvhbQO1XQvyMgIxzJsW3TyN7OmdySslxgdFUbOeESuA60jYbqmlwo6VFC1gkBpzZJ6wNmJqcgTyS8CA/s320/CHILI.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=37625.0">The Herbivor's Out-of-this-World 5-Bean Chili</a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Ingredients</div><ul><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2 tbsp olive oil</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1-1/2 yellow onions, chopped</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">4-5 garlic cloves, minced</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 celery stalk, diced</li>
<li>5 (small- to medium-sized) carrots, peeled and diced</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2 (14.5-oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 (15-oz) can organic garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 (15-oz) can organic soy beans, drained and rinsed</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 (15.5-oz) can dark red kidney beans, undrained</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 (15.5-oz) can light red kidney beans, undrained</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 (15.5-oz) can black beans, undrained</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 jalepeno chili pepper, seeded and finely diced</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1/2 tsp hot sauce</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2 tbsp chili powder</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1-1/2 tsp ground cumin</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1/2 tsp cumin seeds</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 tsp garlic salt</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1/2 tsp dried oregano</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Fresh cilantro (optional)</li>
</ul><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Directions</div><ol><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In a dutch oven pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and saute the onions, minced garlic, celery, and carrots until tender (about 5-7 min). </li>
<li>Stir in the diced tomatoes, beans, red bell pepper, jalepeno and hot sauce.</li>
<li>Add the chili powder, ground cumin, cumin seeds, garlic salt, and oregano. Stir to combine.</li>
<li>Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes.</li>
<li>Optional serving suggestion: Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro. Stir into chili for a delicious flavor.</li>
<li>Serves 4-6.</li>
</ol>The cilantro mixed into the chili brought out an amazing flavor. Cilantro is an acquired taste. It has a very distinct flavor and most people either love it or hate it. If you bring up the word cilantro to my sister she freaks out and will go on and on about how much she despises it. I will admit, I did not like it at first, but after quite a bit of experimenting with different foods and flavors, I have realized I do in fact like this little herb! And again, it is AMAZING when stirred into this chili! Enjoy!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016500410269004841noreply@blogger.com2