recipe: vegan raspberry chocolate chip pancakes

One of my favorite things about the weekend is breakfast. (Well, to be perfectly honest, breakfast is one of my favorite things period.) During the week it's just me and the kids so I always need to make something quick and easy. But on the weekend, Jack's home and can keep the kids occupied long enough for me to whip up something a little more exciting than porridge. Sometimes it's tofu scramble but usually it's pancakes. We're big fans of regular pancakes but even those get boring after a while so I love shaking it up with different flavors in the batter or toppings sprinkled on top. The basic pancake recipe I use is adapted from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's The Joy of Vegan Baking, which is a fantastic cookbook if you have a sweet tooth or enjoy baking for others, vegan or not. Her other cookbooks are really great, too! I really loving the berry and cocolate combo because the chocolate chips make it sweet enough that you don't really need any syrup (although it doesn't hurt either). 

Makes about 15 pancakes.

2 cups flour (I used 1 cup whole wheat & 1 cup spelt)

2 T baking powder

1/4 tsp salt 

2 cups non-dairy milk (I used almond)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup orange juice

3 T coconut oil, melted

1 tsp orange zest

1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen

3/4 cup chocolate chips

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

In another bowl, combine milk, vanilla, juice, oil, and zest. 

Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until combined but still lumpy. 

Heat griddle to if 325° if using an electric griddle or over medium-high if using a stovetop griddle or frying pan.

Pour batter onto the griddle in whatever size you want your pancakes to be. Sprinkle with a few berries and chocolate chips and cook until there are bubbles forming around the edges. Carefully flip the pancake and cook another couple of minutes on the other side. Enjoy!

recipe: vegan triple coconut blueberry muffins

Do you want to know what I love about blogging? 

It urges me to slow down and be more conscious of my daily activities (and of course, to take plenty of pictures). Even though the ins and outs of my days can be stressful, chaotic even, I'm reminded to notice the beauty of the simple things.

We would have made these muffins anyway. But this time, rather than instantly devouring them, we're lingering over the aroma and appreciating the gorgeous golden crust. 

After all, the beauty of the little things are what create the memories.

Makes 1 dozen

1 1/2 cups flour (whole wheat pastry flour or 3/4 c whole wheat flour & 3/4 c unbleached all-purpose flour)
1/2 sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 c coconut oil, liquid
1 TBSP ground flaxseed + 3 TBSP warm water
3/4 c coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c shredded, unsweetened coconut
3/4 c blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 tsp lemon zest (optional)

Preheat oven to 400.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and lemon zest (if using).

Combine ground flax and 3 TBSP water in a small dish (your flax "egg").
In a medium bowl, mix together coconut oil, coconut milk, vanilla extract and flax egg.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until combined.
(Be careful not to over-mix though or your muffins will be very dense.)

Mix in coconut and blueberries until evenly distributed. 

Bake 15-20 or until golden brown. Let cool in muffin tin 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

recipe: my mama's salsa

In a blender or food processor, combine

1 large onion, roughly chopped
26 oz. container of tomatoes with their juices (I like the kind in aseptic boxes because they are BPA free.)
1 bunch of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
2-8 jalapeños--adjust to desired level of spiciness (could also use jarred pickled jalapeño slices)
salt to taste

recipe: vegan banana oat cookies

You guys, these are seriously some of the best cookies I've ever had. They are so moist and flavorful and healthy! Whole grains, no added fat, vegan, chocolate. I'm not gonna lie, we ate them for breakfast. 

This makes about 3 dozen cookies.

2 cups regular oats

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1 TBSP cinnamon

1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe banana (about 3 large bananas)

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 cup peanut or almond butter

2 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup dried goji berries

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. 

In a large bowl, combine banana, syrup, nut butter and vanilla. Add goji berries and stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, stir together oats, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Add half the dry ingredients to the wet and stir to combine.  Add remaining dry ingredients and stir until completely incorporated. Add chocolate chips and stir again.

Using a spoon, scoop onto a cookie sheet, leaving about an inch between each cookie.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Let them cool on the cookie sheet about 5 minutes before placing on a cooling rack.

Don't feel guilty if these don't make it past the end of the day. I'm almost certain they won't around here!

and a little sunshine for your day!

recipe: vegan pumpkin pancakes with maple pecans

Autumn. I love everything about this time of year. Life starts winding down as we head indoors and settle into slower routines and even a slight drop in temperature brings crisp coolness with every breeze. My focus always seems to draw inward at this seasonal shift. All the thoughts and ideas I was too busy to tend to in the hectic summer months suddenly come to a head and for a time I struggle to find direction. By and by, I rediscover my path and embrace the change.

Comforting, seasonal meals certainly help with that and these pancakes are perfect for welcoming the first morning of Fall. The pumpkin is not so overwhelming and the pecans are a simple way to up the gourmet factor.

For the pancakes:

1/2 cup non dairy milk (I used hemp)

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 T baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice or pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups water

For the topping:

1-2 T vegan butter (Earth Balance is good.)

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 T sugar

1/3 cup real maple syrup

Combine non dairy milk and vinegar, set aside.

Combine all other pancake ingredients in a mixing bowl, add milk/vinegar mixture to the batter and stir until just combined. Set aside while you make the nut topping. 

Add butter and vanilla extract to a large skillet. Heat over medium until butter is melted. Add pecans and stir to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and stir again to coat. Add maple syrup and stir yet again. Reduce heat and cook another 1-2 minutes, until syrup has cooked down just a bit. Stay close lest you burn your pecans! Remove from heat and pour into a bowl to cool while your pancakes cook.

Heat griddle to if 325° if using an electric griddle or over medium-high if using a stovetop griddle or frying pan.

Pour batter onto the griddle in whatever size you want your pancakes to be. Cook until there are bubbles forming around the edges. Carefully flip the pancake and cook another couple of minutes on the other side.

Drizzle your stack of pancakes with a little extra syrup before you add the pecans for the best flavor. (This recipe makes about 15 pancakes.)

It's beginning to {smell} a lot like Christmas!

Oh, man! Not to be weird but: My house smells amazing! 

The aroma of a fresh cut evergreen alone is wonderful but this potpourri totally brings the eau de Christmas up a notch.

It literally smells like you're living in a giant apple pie... or something...

Hmm, anyway, I just kind of randomly threw things in the pot that I had on hand that also happen to smell nice so here's my recipe but don't go out and buy stuff if you don't have it. {I'll asterisk what is vital to the mix.}

* 3 cinnamon sticks
* 1 TBSP ground cloves (can also use whole cloves)
* at least one citrus fruit, cut or sliced
(I did one cut up lemon & one orange, sliced)
2-3 bay leaves
dash of nutmeg
dash of pumpkin pie spice
a pinch or two of dried lavender flowers
and I can't remember for sure but I think I added a dash of garam masala, too

Add all above ingredients to a sauce pan and cover with cold water.
Bring to a low simmer and continue simmering throughout the day,
adding more water when it gets low.
I used mine for two days before tossing it into the compost pile.

Meal Planning is my Lifesaver

Many years ago I dabbled in meal planning. I'd lovingly pore over my cookbooks and plan on cooking seven! new dinners each week. Inevitably, way too much food ended up going to waste and every meal besides dinner was a crapshoot. It wasn't a very productive habit, nor was it very organized, so eventually, I fizzled out. 

I recently got back in the the game though as part of an overall plan to bring some order and sanity to my life. I decided it would be more efficient to plan all meals and snacks so I would know exactly what to shop for and also so that at say, lunch time, I knew exactly what we'd be having rather than spending an hour staring at my cupboards trying to figure out what I could throw together. 

I plan a week's worth of meals and snacks each Thursday so I am well stocked and prepared at the start of the week. I also use the planner to keep track of my water consumption to make sure I'm guzzlin' throughout the day.

I put together a meal planning template and would like to share it with you...

Weekly Meal Planner

Use it, love it, change it to fit your needs, whatever... have fun!