Here is another post I wrote many months ago. I don't make this recipe as often as I should, but I whipped up a batch of it yesterday so I could take photos for this post, and it reminded me how much I still like it!
I have finally jumped on the chia pudding bandwagon. And welcome to the year 2009! Seriously, I feel like chia pudding is what everyone around me (or at least the foodie blogger people) have been making for several years now as an alternative to the traditionally unhealthy, high-sugar dessert. I tried it a while back and it didn't wow me, and actually seemed to upset my digestion a bit. I recently gave it another shot, and low and behold - loved it! And thankfully so did my digestive system, which is why I have been recently playing around with some recipes until I finally hit a home run. Look no further, your chia pudding recipe has arrived. And what's that you say? You can't ever decide between chocolate and vanilla pudding? Well, now you don't have to! You can have it both ways, and get some pretty damn good nutrition at the same time! (Read about chia seed benefits here.)
chocolate + vanilla chia pudding
serves 2
ingredients:
1 cup non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened soymilk)
4 tbsp chia seeds
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp maple syrup (less if your milk is sweetened)
1/4 tsp vanilla
3 tsp cocoa powder
what you do:
The best way to mix up all the ingredients is to put everything besides the chia seeds into a food processor or blender and run it until everything is well combined. Then, slowly sprinkle in the chia so it doesn't stick together in clumps. However - since I am kinda lazy with food making, like to take shortcuts, and dislike doing dishes, I have gotten away with just putting everything in a mason jar with a blender bottle mixing ball and just shaking the bejesus out of it. Yea, you might end up with some clumps of chia seeds, but I actually like those chewy parts of the pudding!
Once your ingredients are combined, let it hang out in your fridge for at least four hours. Eight is probably better, but I have found that it will firm up quite a bit after just a few, and have been known to sneak bites before it is fully set on more than one occasion.
optional add-ins: peanut butter, blueberries, chocolate chips, or top with whipped coconut cream!
Enjoy this guilt-free dessert knowing that it contains (per serving) a whopping 13g fiber and 10g protein (using soymilk). Not to mention the Omega-3's, Calcium, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Potassium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) and Vitamin B2 that you get just from the chia seeds alone!! This recipe is a delicious guilt-free dessert, but would also make a great breakfast and even travels well in a small dish or glass jar.
And if for some strange reason you can't get on board with the whole chia pudding thing, I present to you your plan B.
Our
mornings usually begin around 6:45am when Arlo wakes up, and by 7:00am
or so we are downstairs in the kitchen to get breakfast started. This
is the one meal that doesn't tend to vary too much, and he usually eats
the same thing every morning without complaint. He always gets fruit -
usually 1/2 banana, mixed organic berries (whatever looks good that week
at the store), and 1/2 a kiwi or clementine. In addition to that, I
make a special dish of oatmeal just for him, which consists of quick
oats (from the bulk bin at Whole Foods), cinnamon, nut butter (usually sunflower or
almond), flax oil (about a teaspoon), and just a touch of maple syrup to
give it a little sweetness. Sometimes I also add in raisins or
blueberries. Up until recently, I was spoon and fork feeding him
everything, although he has been practicing with utensils at school
since he started there. Recently, he got a hold of the fork I was using
to feed him his dinner, and started using it all on his own! I didn't
think he was ready quite yet, and suspected we would end up with quite the mess, but he actually does a decent job at stabbing his
food with the fork and bringing it to his mouth. The spoon is a little
more challenging but he is starting to get the hang of it.
Arlo's
oats - I just put everything in a small glass bowl, add some hot water
from the kettle, mix and let sit for 3-4 minutes, and it's ready to
eat! If it is too hot, I add in a few frozen blueberries which makes it
the perfect temp.
I have
tried offering Arlo milk with his meals, but he actually much prefers
water. So he gets a bottle or sippy cup of milk mid-morning between
breakfast and lunch, a smoothie with his mid-afternoon snack, and a
bottle before bed. Overall he typically takes in 16-18 ounces of milk
per day.
Depending
on the day and how hungry he is, Arlo will sometimes get a mid-morning
snack around the time of his milk. Today I gave him Organic O's (Whole
Foods version of Cheerios) in his snack catcher while we were out for
our morning walk. I should also mention that 95% of what Arlo eats is
organic. The pesticides in our food supply are not good for any of us, but are especially important to avoid in growing children.
We always choose organic whenever possible, and depending on the food
will sometimes not even buy unless an organic version is available.
We
usually eat lunch between 11:30am and noon, and Arlo goes down for his
nap shortly after. This is the schedule they follow at school, and it
works great for us at home as well. Arlo's lunches, as are mine, are
typically leftovers from the previous nights dinner. Today Arlo had
green peas and baked tofu, raw carrot sticks, and seed crackers with hummus. He
will usually also get fruit or raisins for dessert. I always wait until he is done with his main meal before giving him dessert, otherwise he will fill up on fruit and leave the other stuff on his plate. He is a fruit monster, it is definitely his favorite food right now.
After
his nap, sometime between 2 and 3pm, it's snack time. When it is not a
school day and we are at home, I always make him a smoothie. I make it a little
differently each day, but the basics are usually his milk mixture, banana,
frozen berries, hemp or flax oil, and nuts or a nut butter. Today I
used banana, milk, blueberries, hemp oil, and walnuts. I also gave him a
few graham crackers. Other afternoon snacks might include cereal,
raisins, carrot sticks, non-dairy yogurt, fig bars, pretzels, or fresh
fruit like orange wedges, apple slices, or quartered grapes.
Oh,
and a word on his non-dairy milk mixture. Arlo drinks a blend of hemp,
oat, soy, and flax milks, combined in equal portions. Together, they
provide good amounts of fat, calcium, protein, and calories. Every few
days I mix up a big glass pitcher of his milks so it's ready to go when I
need to make a smoothie or bottle and I don't have to get out all four
milk cartons.
all of his
milks are "unsweetened" as Arlo gets plenty of natural sugars from all
the fruits he eats. the oat milk is naturally very sweet without any
added sugar which adds a slight sweetness to the milk mixture.
Evenings are when things tend to get a
little challenging in our house from a food perspective. Arlo usually
gets hungry around 5pm, which to feed him at that time would require me to start dinner around
4pm if he was going to eat what I was cooking for Erik and I. The problem is, Erik doesn't get home
until 6pm or after, so I usually end up serving dinner twice. Today, as I often have been recently, I opted to make Arlo his own dish,
and fed him his meal around 5:15. Erik and I ate together when he
got home from work, and I gave Arlo a few bites of my food while we
were eating, even though he had already finished his and been cleaned up long before we sat down to eat. Today, Arlo had mashed avocado on whole grain flax bread, corn,
berries, and a bowl of leftover lentils I made the previous day. I
often make a super simple pot of red lentils, spinach, and some Earth
Balance or olive oil for healthy fats. I also add a tiny pinch of salt
for flavor. Arlo loves this dish and it will keep in the fridge for
several days. I am hoping that after we move closer to Erik's new job we can return to eating together as a family, but for now this is my temporary solution to keep everyone fed and happy.
lentil dish. this one also had quinoa, millet, and butternut squash.
And just in case you were curious as to what Erik and I had...
Cuban black beans with onion, bell peppers, corn and tomato. side of brown rice with avocado, cilantro, radish, and lime. yum!
And
to answer a question that I am prepared to do many times in the coming
years when people learn that Arlo is being raised on a plant-based diet:
"Your kid is a vegan?! But where does he get his..."
Protein:
nut butters, beans, lentils, quinoa, tofu and tempeh (eaten a few
times per month), soy milk, non-dairy yogurts, flax milk which is
fortified with pea protein, and the oat milk and hemp milk that he
drinks have small amounts as well (4g and 2g respectively per serving.)
iron: leafy greens, beans, tofu, lentils, and quinoa.
calcium: calcium-fortified non-dairy milks, broccoli and leafy greens, beans, and tahini.
vitamin B12: nutritional yeast and fortified non-dairy milks.
*
please note that lots and lots of foods have small amounts of protein,
fat, and iron. Take broccoli and sunflower seeds for example. You
might not think of them necessarily as a good source of iron or protein,
but broccoli has 4 grams of protein and 1.1 mg of iron per cup!
Sunflower seeds have 3.3 grams of protein and 1.2 mg of iron per 1/4
cup. These foods might not get you to your recommended daily allowance
on their own, but those little bits here and there add up throughout the
day.
And lastly, some of our favorite food-related products, many are seen in the photos above:
Pura Kiki stainless steel cups: In my quest to eliminate all plastic from Arlo's life, I bought these sippy cups a few months ago. These were the only 100% plastic-free cups I could find, as the vessel is stainless steel and the spout is pure silicone. Overall, I do like these cups. They come with regular bottle nipples for a younger baby, and you can also purchase a silicone straw top instead of the sippy spouts. Arlo took to these right away, and we often use them in place of his bottles. The downsides - they are not the easiest to clean, they are insanely expensive (the three bottles, silicone sleeves, and sippy spouts and shipping cost somewhere between $60-70. ouch.) As well if they sustain a fall from a high chair or table, they dent pretty easily. Probably not something I would buy more of, but we do get a lot of use out of the few that we have. I eventually realized that a completely plastic-free existence is not only expensive but stressful as well, so I relaxed my no-plastic rules and bought these:
Re-Play Plates: Another mom blogger I follow recommended these, and my local evil big box store carries them (for less than $5 a pack) so I decided to give them a try. We love them. Easy to clean, super durable, and fun colors too. I like that the food can sit in divided compartments, and I think Arlo likes that too.
OXO roll-up bib: Love, love, love this bib. We have another pocket-style bib that we used for many months before I discovered these. The problem with it is that the whole thing is rigid rubber, which seems uncomfortable for Arlo and has even pinched his neck a couple of times. These OXO bibs are awesome - soft up top but have a sturdy pocket to catch dropped food. Easy to clean, waterproof, and they roll up compactly for travel. I bought two and haven't used another bib since.
snack catcher:
nothing too fancy here, just a little non-spill snack container that
Arlo can use to feed himself his Organic O's, raisins, pretzels, and
other small snacky foods. We started using this when he was around 10
months old, but it took him a while to realize it wasn't some game I was
providing him with, and that the goal wasn't to pull out giant fistfuls
of food to then feed to the dog.
silicone placement:
I don't know the brand, but I recently found an inexpensive 100%
silicone placemat at Target for around $4. It is perfect for eating
out at restaurants, folds up small, and is easy to clean. I love that it keeps his food off the restaurant table, as well as makes cleaning up the mess easier for us.
So there you have it, everything our little foodie baby is up to at 16 months old! And a couple more of my favorite meal time photos...
cheese-ball face
the face of a little guy who just drank his smoothie out of a regular cup.
If I seem a little sweet potato obsessed lately, it's not just your imagination. I enjoy eating sweet potatoes year round, but something about the cooler weather, leaves changing color, and smell of autumn in the air makes me crave them in a big way this time of the year. In fact, I have a bit batch of sweet potatoes roasting in the oven as I type up this post.
This soup gets it's creaminess from not one but three ingredients - blended sweet potatoes, coconut milk, and avocado. Fresh kale adds a lovely green color, chewy texture, and balances out the sweetness of the potatoes - not to mention the health benefits that it brings to the table. The night I made this soup, I had already fed Arlo his dinner by the time ours was ready, but I decided to let him taste a bite or two. He absolutely loved it, and gobbled up everything I offered him, including the cubed avocado. So without further ado, here is my Arlo-approved, rich and creamy, sweet potato and kale soup!
Sweet Potato & Kale Soup
Ingredients:
3 medium sweet potatoes, cut into bite sized cubes
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans coconut milk (not the drinking kind)
1 cup vegetable broth
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch kale, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
2 avocados, diced
salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
in a large pot over medium heat, saute onion for 6-8 minutes in olive oil. add in garlic and cook an additional 5 minutes.
add in cubed sweet potatoes, coconut milk (full fat for best flavor), vegetable broth, and salt and pepper. turn down heat to a simmer and cook until sweet potatoes pierce easily with fork.
using an immersion blender, blend soup until most of it is thick and creamy. I do this by holding the immersion blender to one side of the pot, and not moving it around. this leaves some pieces of sweet potato whole and adds a nice texture to the soup. if you don't have an immersion blender, dump about 3/4 of the soup into a regular blender and blend until smooth. return blended soup to pot.
add kale to pot, and cook until kale is wilted, about 5 minutes.
ladle the soup into bowls and top with diced avocado. enjoy!
With Halloween just three days away, and four potlucks to attend within the span of eight days, I had been looking for a quick and easy recipe that would be easy enough to feed to a crowd, and at the same time offer up some kind of Halloween theme. Sweet potatoes and black beans immediately came to mind as my orange and black ingredients, and are the main players in this dish. Sweet potato pairs well with so many flavors, but there is something about combining it with a hint of lime that really allows the taste to shine through. Brown rice syrup adds just a touch of sweetness and the hearty black beans give this salad the protein power to stick with you through all the pumpkin carving, hay rides, and corn maze exploring that this time of the year brings. This recipe can be doubled to feed a crowd, and is easy to transport to a gathering with friends. Can be served warm or is equally good cold the next day. See the bottom of the recipe for optional add-in ideas!
Black Bean, Sweet Potato, and Quinoa Salad
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 small (or 1 large) sweet potatoes
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (or one can)
juice (+ zest) of one lime
1/3 cup olive oil (plus a little more for roasting potatoes)
1 TBSP brown rice syrup (or other sweetener of choice)
1-2 TBSP chopped cilantro (can also use frozen cilantro cubes as a time saver)
salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
preheat oven to 400 degrees. peel and dice sweet potatoes into small 1/2" cubes. place on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and roast for 20 minutes or until easily pierced with fork. I always broil mine at the end for 2-3 minutes for a nice golden color.
while potatoes are roasting, cook quinoa according to package instructions. tip: since quinoa should be rinsed before cooking and will go into the pot "wet," use slightly less water than indicated on instructions. this will help your quinoa cook up nice and fluffy!
mix up dressing. combine lime juice and zest, olive oil, brown rice syrup, cilantro, and salt & pepper.
allow quinoa to sit and cool for a bit before mixing everything up. when ready, in large bowl, combine fork fluffed quinoa, sweet potato pieces, and black beans. pour dressing over top and mix gently. taste and add additional salt and pepper as desired.
optional add-ins: avocado, chopped red onion, green onions, bell peppers, or tomatoes.
As many of you know, Erik and I have been following a plant-based diet for some time now. I have been vegan for over seven years, and Erik around five. There are many reasons to adopt a plant-based lifestyle - for us they are primarily ethical and a very close second being health. As a former cooking and nutrition instructor for the Cancer Project and Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, I consider myself rather educated on a plant-based diet. We have always planned to raise our children as vegans and believe wholeheartedly that growing up eating as such will give them a great nutritional start to life. If, later on, they decide to take their own dietary path, we will support their rights to do so - but while mama is doing the cooking, it's going to be plant-based meals all around!
So, when Arlo had to start on formula at four months old, we wanted him on not only the very best option out there, but in staying true to our commitment to a plant-based lifestyle, also wanted to avoid animal products as much as possible. Since there are pretty much two main categories of formula out there - dairy or soy based, we opted for the soy. I read extensively about the different brands and settled on Baby's Only. It is entirely organic and the company really seems to care about the ingredients they use. It's a sad fact that most of the formulas sold in the US are poorly made - using GMO corn syrup as the primary ingredient. Not only that, but non-organic formulas contain pesticides and chemicals that no human should ever ingest - let alone the immature and developing systems of tiny babies.
Arlo has been doing great with the formula since we started it three months ago, but for months five and six he had been receiving half formula and half breastmilk in his bottles. About a month ago, when my milk supply sharply dropped to just 2 oz per day, and I made the difficult decision to stop pumping, he rather abruptly started drinking bottles that consisted entirely of formula. I suddenly had the realization that having him on a soy-based formula meant that he was getting a lot of soy in his diet. Now, soy has been portrayed in the media in recent years as a food that is either going to give you cancer or cause you to suddenly grow breasts if you are a male. I can assure you that neither are true, and countries that have a high consumption of whole forms of soy (tofu, soybeans, soymilk, tempeh, miso) have much lower rates of cancer than those in the United States. Eating soy in it's whole state is key - and most people in this country eat a heck of a lot more soy than they realize, primarily in it's overly processed (and potentially harmful) form. So, anyway, while I do feel that a moderate amount of whole soy in anyones diet is fine, the fact that Arlo was consuming a lot of it at every single meal was starting to bother me.
I then started thinking about the reason why we avoid dairy. Primarily, it is for ethical reasons - and to be honest that is a whole 'nother post that I never plan to write. You can do that research on your own if you are interested. However, what you might be interested to know is why as adults you might want to consider eliminating dairy for health reasons. First, let's think about what cows milk is intended for in nature. Simply put - it helps a young calf grow into a large, adult cow. Cows milk (and all dairy) contain hormones. Yup, even the "hormone-free" milk does. Cows milk contains a growth hormone, Insulin Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1), that is proven to make cells, especially cancer cells, grow like crazy. It is this very hormone that is responsible for growing that tiny calf into a large cow that weighs several hundred pounds. When we are young - we want this hormone in our bodies. It also helps tiny babies grow into adult humans. But, as adults, we want very little, if any, of this hormone in our bodies. Unfortunately the Standard American Diet (SAD) contains so many foods high in IGF-1. "Milk - it does a body good!" so says the ad. No, the sad truth is that milk really fills your body with unnecessary growth hormones which are partly responsible for the nations deplorable cancer rates.
I came across the video below while writing this post, which does a fantastic job of further explaining IGF-1. I promise you will not regret spending the next 2 minutes and 55 seconds of your life watching it.
Video source here. Dr. Greger also has another great video here, about IGF-1 and plant based diets.
When faced with the need to make any tough decision in life, I always ask myself (when appropriate), how would this be done in nature? What is the most natural outcome possible? And, while I would have loved to have a wet-nurse or donor mama on standby to keep Arlo on breastmilk for at least the first year, that just isn't a reality for us. What seems like the next best option, is the milk from another mammal. So, after much research and discussion with our pediatrician, we decided about a month ago to switch Arlo to a dairy-based formula for at least the next five or six months. I am not concerned with the growth hormones at this stage of his life - he would be getting those from breast milk anyway and actually needs them right now. When he is a year old we will reevaluate. There is an organic rice-based nutrition drink on the market made for toddlers 12 months and up that we may introduce when the time is right. I don't see us ever buying cows milk for Arlo and still plan to raise him as a vegan when he is no longer on formula. For now, I am happy and grateful that formula exists (both soy and dairy) as it has kept Arlo fed and nourished when I was unable to.
When we decided last month to make the switch from soy to dairy formula, again I had to scour the internets for the best option. What I concluded, is that the best option is actually sold in Europe, where food companies have to conform to even stricter organic rules and regulations than set by here in the United States. There are two brands, Hipp and Holle that get glowing reviews. In fact, parents who use these formulas claim that they are so much like human breast milk that they turned their babies stools into that of a baby who is eating exclusively breast milk. And if you are a parent who has a child that has consumed both breast milk and formula - you know exactly what I am talking about!
Arlo has now been on his new formula, Hipp, for about a month now, and I am happy to report that he is doing great with it. I will say though, our hungry little man has never said no to anything we have offered - be it breast, bottle, donor milk, pumped milk from mama, soy formula, or dairy formula. This little guy is a trooper and just wants to eat! And as for those parents who wrote the reviews about their babies poo changing for the better being on this formula, well, I can now attest to their truthfulness!
Had someone told me a year ago that our baby would not only be on formula at seven months old, but a dairy-based one at that, I would have looked at them like they were completely off their rocker. But, if this whole parenting thing has taught me anything, it's that parenting a child is a constantly evolving process and most of the time we should enter into new territory without any expectations. I have realized that setting my expectations low prevents me from being disappointed when things don't go the way I would normally want them to, and pleasantly surprised when they turn out better than I thought they would. This is probably something I should have realized much earlier in life. Thank you my sweet baby Arlo, for helping your mama learn a valuable lesson.
It is almost July, and we are in the middle of an insane heat wave here in North Carolina... I am talking about temps in the low 100's and a heat index between 105-115.
Perfect time to turn on the oven and bake brownies.
Crazy? Yes, pretty much. But with the forecast not changing much for the next five or six days, and a brownie craving in full gear, something needed to be done...
Enter Hidden Black Bean Brownie Bites!
Step one, make sure the temp outside is at least 100 degrees...
My home weather station said 106 outside. Don't judge - I am a huge weather nerd...
Step two, get out your ingredients and start baking... Alternatively, take your ingredients outside and bake your brownies in the sun... I am only half joking, it's really that hot out.
These brownies are vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, low sugar, low fat, guilt-free and delicious. I used stevia in mine but they did not turn out very sweet. I recommend adding the optional sugar for sweeter brownies, and an extra banana for a fudgier texture as these have a consistency more like chocolate cake. Taste the batter for sweetness prior to baking, it will be slightly less sweet when done so adjust accordingly. Also, I promise you cannot taste the beans in these. They make a great base for the recipe and add a nice amount of protein, fiber, folic acid and iron. Practically health food here... Enjoy!
Ingredients:
3/4 cup of rolled oats
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 very ripe bananas
1/4-1/2 cup Brown Rice Syrup or Agave
2 cups cooked black beans (aprox 1 can)
1/2 cup sugar or stevia to taste
1 Ener-G egg replacer "egg"
1/2 cup walnuts
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Start by processing the dry oats in a food processor to nearly a flour texture. Add the cocoa powder and pulse until combined. Add to large mixing bowl.
In food processor, add black beans, bananas, brown rice syrup or agave, vanilla, salt, "egg" replacer, and sugar/stevia. Process until smooth and well combined.
Add wet ingredients to dry. Stir with spatula. Fold in walnuts. Conduct taste test for sweetness, you can always add more sweetener at this point.
Lightly spray 8x8 pan or muffin tins with cooking spray. This recipe will make 10 "muffin" shaped brownies or 9 brownies if using square pan.
Bake for 28-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Enjoy with a large glass of almond/soy/coconut/hemp/other non-dairy milk. Yum!
Next up, my favorite ice cream recipe. But I am going to wait until it is snowing outside... Stay tuned!
Want a really easy vegan-friendly dinner to make during weeknights? I give you:
Tuesday Tacos!
Ingredients:
12 corn tortilla shells (hard or soft)
black beans - 2 cans or equivalent
fresh or frozen corn - aprox 2 cups
2-3 cloves chopped garlic
small can of green chiles
Daiya cheese (optional)
refried beans - 2 cans
1 large onion
taco seasoning
guacamole
1.) Start by sauteing onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes in a little bit of cooking oil. When starting to brown, add in black beans, corn, chiles and taco seasoning (I used just 1/2 packet, use the whole thing if you like it spicy!) Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
2.) Put refried beans into small pot over low heat to warm up while main ingredients cook.
3.) Prepare guacamole if you choose to. I made my own by mashing up 2 ripe avocados, 1 tbsp chopped cilantro, 2 green onions, 1 clove minced garlic, lime juice, and salt.
Trader Joes has great Taco shells made with organic corn, and their Refried Pintos are the BEST around.
4.) Warm taco shells in oven for 3-4 minutes. By this time your main ingredients should be hot and ready.
5.) Assemble tacos by putting down a layer of refried beans, bean/corn/onion taco filling, salsa, and top with guacamole. If you are using the Daiya cheese put it between the bean layers so it starts to warm and melt a bit.
I am not one to really eat a lot of mock meats/cheeses, but Daiya is seriously good stuff. The mozzarella is our absolute favorite. I recommend heating it to the point of melting for the best flavor. It makes an amazing pizza topping too!
6.) Enjoy your delicious quick and easy Tuesday Tacos!
I love to eat my tacos open faced so I can really load up the fillings! Plus I can put on as much guac as humanly possible ;)
Not only are these tacos vegan, but they are gluten-free and soy-free too. Lots of protein, healthy fats, and veggies. The whole dinner can came together in under 30 minutes (even less if you can talk the hubby into helping out like I did!) Plus there is enough for leftovers for at least one or two more nights.
For a quick breakfast this morning I decided to make a Green Monster smoothie recipe that I have been meaning to try for a while now. I make smoothies often but they are usually more of a dessert and include cocoa powder, PB, bananas, stevia, and some type of non-dairy milk. I added in a little extra nutrition this time to turn it into an awesome breakfast drink!
For my smoothie I used unsweetened soy milk, 1 frozen banana, two large handfuls of organic baby spinach, 1 T chia seeds, 1 T almond butter, 4 ice cubes, and 1 scoop Sunwarrior protein powder (in chocolate flavor because that is all we have on hand.)
I just recently started buying and using chia seeds. They are a tiny powerhouse of nutrition, as well they add a little "thickness" and texture to puddings and smoothies.
The "recipe" is about as easy as it gets - throw everything into a blender turn it on, and let it do its job! A high-power blender (such as a vita-mix) is a good thing to have when making a smoothie such as this. It will give the drink a really smooth and creamy consistency, and "hides" the spinach so well you won't even know it's there. I swear there is nothing about this smoothie that makes it taste like a salad!
I topped my smoothie with a few fresh blackberries and chopped walnuts. Delicious!
This Green Monster should give me energy to last through the morning and then some. And today I will need it as we are headed out to Asheville to spend some much-needed time in the mountains. It will be our first time there since the wedding back in September. I have been looking forward to this trip for weeks - three days in the beautiful Carolina mountains... Speaking of which, it's time to finish my smoothie, finish packing, and hit the road soon!
I almost feel bad for saying so because Erik was out of town the whole time, but this past weekend was one of the best I can remember in a while. Full of fun activities and great time spent with friends. It makes me realize I need to get out more, instead of spending most of my weekend evenings at home... The problem is, I really enjoy being at home too! I work most evenings during the week so come the weekend I want nothing more then to couch it and watch netflix with Erik.
Anywho, Erik was in South Carolina all weekend with his cycling team, so I was free to entertain myself however I fancied. Saturday I spent the rainy morning crafting (more on that in my next post), went for a run with Lucy, and just as I was leaving to head to a yoga class the weather turned nice and the sun came out. I figured there would be a large turnout in the alignment-based class that I was taking, as it was a benefit class for a local non-profit. As it turns out, I was the only one in the class. The instructor was okay with it though, so I had a 90 minute private lesson with a great instructor who had the most lovely French accent. We put our mats side by side and down dogged like nobody's business. It was great :)
But really, how could you not have a great time in a place like this:
Carrboro Yoga is by far my most favorite of all the local studios I have practiced at. Just walking into the Paper Lantern Room puts a huge smile on my face. The studio is on the top floor of an old cotton mill that was built all the way back in 1898. It is now known as the Carr Mill Mall and is full of cute shops, restaurants, and one of the most popular places in Carrboro, The Weaver St. Market. The smell of the studio is earthy and rustic, and I believe it comes from the original hardwood floors which still remain. Large bright windows fill the studio with natural light... I really can't say enough good things about this space!
After my yoga class, I came home and whipped up a salad to take to the raw vegan potluck I was attending that evening. One of the very first people I met when I moved to NC had a party at her house to celebrate her Golden Birthday. I had not seen her in so long and I had such a wonderful time at the party. She had all kinds of unusual teas for us to drink, there was delicious raw vegan food, and I met so many interesting people. We even created together a large mandala with crayons, colored pencils, and markers. It was so beautiful when it was finished. I said goodnight to the party around 1am since I knew I would be getting up semi-early the next morning for another fun-filled day...
Sunday morning one of our good friends (who is an intern-minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church we recently started attending) was giving a sermon. Many of our friends showed up to hear him, which that alone was pretty sweet - being able to sit with our friends in the very same Church we spend every Sunday morning in as of recent! After Church we all went out for brunch in Carrboro. It really was the perfect Sunday morning, eating good food and drinking mimosas with several of my favorite people on a beautiful spring morning... Wouldn't have wanted to spend it any other way!
Melissa and I, I love this little lady!
Leslie and Robin, two sweet chickies!
After brunch I bid farewell to my friends, and had to go do my first responsible thing of the entire weekend: grocery shopping for the week. My usual routine is to shop on Saturday and then spend several hours on Sunday evening prepping and cooking meals for the week. However due to my weekend activities (and lack of motivation to be a responsible adult) I found myself standing in the middle of Whole Foods on a very busy Sunday afternoon trying to remember in my mimosa-induced haze exactly what it was I had planned on making for dinner. Unable to really put it together in my head I bought a cart full of veggies and stocked up on the basics from the bulk isle (quinoa and rice) and figured it would all come together later. However, when I got home all I could think about was making these energy balls that I recently came across on my favorite blog OhSheGlows. So in keeping with the theme of the weekend, I decided upon skipping making a "real" dinner, and focus what little energy I had left on something much better: dessert.
I am so glad I did, these little "balls of energy" turned out great. I paid for it today though, when at 7:00 this morning I had nothing to put in my lunch besides some fruit, PB and celery, and a six month old jar of frozen "mystery ingredients" that slightly resembled Chana Masala and rice. I will never really know for sure what it was, I skipped the jar of the unknown and snacked my way through lunch. Anyway, enough with the rambling, let me now show you my balls...
Left row: Cherry Date Almond bites. Right row: Chocolate Walnut Date bites
Like little balls of heaven... They taste exactly like a Lara Bar, which happens to be one of my favorite snack bars. Only these are little round balls, which I think are so much cuter :)
For the first batch I used pitted dates, dried cherries, raw almonds, and shredded unsweetened coconut
For the second batch I used pitted dates, raw almonds, organic dark chocolate bar chunks, walnuts, and coconut.
Essentially you just process all of the ingredients in a food processor, and once it becomes thick and sticky roll them into little balls and refrigerate or pop in the freezer.
I can't decide which one I love more, they both rock. I ate so much of the "batter" as I was making them I officially declared it my dinner.
One of the reasons I had been looking forward to making these was that they gave me a chance to use my new food processor that had just arrived on Friday. For as much time as I spend in the kitchen, I am almost embarrassed to say that this is my first real food processor. I have a vita-mix which has served me well, but a blender and a food processor are just not the same thing. After I had cleared up some space on our kitchen counter last weekend by relocating the coffee maker to the back corner of a kitchen cabinet (we are coffee-free now, yay!) I decided that nothing would look better in that space than this sweet little green machine:
I did buy the mini-prep processor thinking that it would really be big enough for what I was needing it for, but I soon realized it really wasn't. I had a hard time fitting everything into it for the energy balls, which is primarily why I made them in two batches. This thing will work great for other things like sauces, but I think I am eventually going to need a regular sized processor for recipes such as these.
Not to worry, even in small batches these little treats turned out delicious, and will be the perfect between meal snack at work, or quick fuel before my morning run.
Feeling happy, energized, and thankful for having such a lovely weekend surrounded by some of my most favorite people. That being said, the highlight of the weekend was Erik walked in the door on Sunday evening, I gave him a big hug and kiss, we shared our weekend experiences with each other, and I served him a plate of energy balls for dinner... ;)
Yesterday was St.Patrick's Day, and luckily it was a beautiful, warm sunny day. I went for a run in the morning with Lucy while Erik was on his usual 4+ hour Saturday morning bike ride. When he got home, we had a nice lunch and then I made a super-yummy Shamrock Shake for dessert. Knowing that I was not going to be drinking any alcoholic beverages to celebrate St. Pattys day this year (in the event that I am preggo, still too early to test) I decided I needed a fun "green drink" of my own! I actually enjoyed this much more than I would have if it was an alcoholic beverage, but then again, I am not much of a drinker.... Recipe below!
Although I make smoothies in the Vitamix often, I don't think I have ever made a "green" shake. I set out trying to make this recipe, but I actually had to modify it due to not having all the ingredients on hand that I thought I did. Here is my version:
Minty Green Chocolate Chip Shamrock Shake
1 large ripe banana, frozen
Mint chocolate bar
2 drops mint extract
1 cup non-dairy milk of choice, I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/3 cup green peas
Stevia, or sweetener of your choice
Add banana, almond milk, peas, mint extract, and sweetener to blender and blend until creamy. It will turn a lovely green color due to the peas, and I promise you cannot taste them at all! The original recipe called for frozen spinach, but I realized as I was making the shake that I didn't have any... Fortunately peas worked just fine.
Take the chocolate bar, and grate about 1/4 of it into fine pieces (save the rest for snacking later!) Mix in about a tbsp of chocolate shavings, and use the rest to top the shake.
This was the most delicious mint chocolate bar I have ever tasted... Perfect for this recipe too!
Pour into a cute glass (green if you have one.) So easy and delicious!
I bought a set of these sweet little vintage glasses from a church yard sale a few weeks ago. 10 cents each! Score! :D
Lastly, locate husband (who just might be caught sitting on the back deck in the sunshine eating peanut butter straight out of the jar with a spoon) and replace the PB with a Shamrock Shake. Sit down with him and enjoy!
So far that little lucky dragon I made last week is turning out to be pretty lucky after all... Erik recently applied for a new position within his company, somewhat of a promotion in the same department he currently works in... We thought that he might find out this week if he had got it, and being Friday, we both had our fingers crossed that he would hear something today. When he got home, he kept me in the dark for a few minutes while we chatted about some other things, before he finally gave me a big hug and said "so where do you want to go out for dinner tonight to celebrate?" :D
I am so proud of him, this is his third promotion in the two and a half years that we have been in NC (and he has been with his company.) What matters the most of course is that he is happy in his job, which all along he has been. With every step he has made he seems to enjoy his job that much more, but I think as long as he is working with bikes in some capacity (and getting to go for rides with his coworkers on his lunch break) he would be a happy boy!
So we decided to celebrate with a yummy dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in town and follow it up with one of our favorite desserts from Weaver St. Market...
They were on a mega-sale, so we stocked up! Standing in the frozen isle at the store we had to promise each other that if we bought four pints they would last more than just this weekend... Still, I have a feeling tonight is going to involve a lot of sorbet ;)
The dark chocolate is sooooo yummy, by far our favorite of the flavors we have had so far...
I realize that lately this is turning into more of a food blog than I originally planned... I have been on a big "new recipe" kick lately and have come across so many tasty dishes I want to share with y'all... I promise when I have more exciting news to share the focus of the blog will change back to more interesting things... For now, I share a delicious recipe for super-quick and easy avocado pasta...
I stumbled across a new blog lately called "Oh She Glows." It is definitely my new favorite food-related blog! All of the recipes are vegan and many are gluten-free. I have a list of at least 15 recipes from the blog that I want to make (check my pinterest "edibles" page to see them.) I have made a few this week including this pasta dish, the lentil loaf, and the "frosty glo cakes." All were very good although the lentil loaf didn't turn out quite as nice as hers did... I was so impressed with the avocado pasta dish though that I made it twice in the last week. Unlike most recipes that I make, this one needs no modification - it is perfect as written. The one change I did make to keep it gluten-free, was to use a corn-quinoa pasta instead of wheat pasta. The whole dish (including a side salad) can be made in the time that it takes to cook the pasta, making this the perfect weeknight dinner!
Directions:
1. Bring several cups of water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add
in your pasta, reduce heat to medium, and cook until Al Dente, about
8-10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the sauce by placing the garlic cloves, lemon
juice, and olive oil into a food processor. Process until smooth. Now
add in the pitted avocado, basil, and salt. Process until smooth and
creamy.
3. When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse in a strainer and
place pasta into a large bowl. Pour on sauce and toss until fully
combined. Garnish with lemon zest and black pepper. Serve immediately.
Makes 2 servings.
Corn-quinoa blend pasta noodles that I used (I cooked about 2/3 of the box):
To make it ultra quick and easy, I used crushed garlic in a jar, 100% lemon juice from a jar, and three "Dorot" frozen basil cubes instead of fresh basil. I also used two avocados instead of one since mine were on the smaller side.
Here is a better picture of the frozen basil cubes (picture from Google.) You can buy them at Trader Joes and are a perfect substitute for fresh basil in most recipes. They also make garlic and cilantro cubes. We always have a few trays of these in our freezer!
While the pasta was cooking, I whipped up the sauce in my mini food-processor attachment for my immersion blender. It is kind of hard to tell in this picture, but the green sauce is almost the same color as my kitchen walls! :D
When the pasta is done, drain and mix in the sauce. It will heat up within a minute and be ready to eat! The original recipe mentions that it does not reheat well due to the avocados, but I had no problems eating it the next day. It had lost a little of the fresh "green" color but still tasted good. I did however add a bit of extra lemon so that could have made the difference...
(Sorry for the crappy "final picture," I was in a hurry to get it on the table and snapped a quick photo without taking the time to make any camera adjustments... Oops!)
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