Sunday things and pudding.

Things.

Pictures today, since I’m feeling more visual and less like the chatterbox I usually am. 

This. No words needed.

 Architecturally glorious, but…  

Mother Nature always wins! 

Look! A barley-rice yin-yang! 

And now the real subject of this post… pudding!! 

Mmm, pudding. There has been so much pudding in my life lately, this is a trend I’ll be continuing. This one is barley and brown rice (would have been all barley but I was a little short—a fortuitous happening since barley and brown rice go well together!), made with rice milk and coconut milk. I like it for breakfast with more milk added, or dessert with a chopped date or some raw honey (or maple). Kind of whatever floats your boat, any way you eat it, it’s delicious! Comforting in the tummy, warming, and soothing. 

Coconut Barley-Brown Rice Pudding

Recipe lightly adapted from The Gouda Life, here! Makes a fairly good-sized vat… I got maybe 5 servings out of it? They were varying sizes though, some were bigger than others. 

• 3/4 c purple barley, rinsed
• 1/2 c brown rice (mine was kashikiri) 
• 1 c original rice milk
• 1/2 c water
• 2 c light coconut milk 
• 2 tsp cinnamon, plus more to taste
• 2 tsp cardamom, plus more to taste
• 3 dates, pitted and chopped
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• shredded unsweetened coconut, for garnish
• pistachios, for garnish

In a pot, combine barley, brown rice, rice milk, water, cinnamon, and cardamom. Bring to a boil, then turn down and let simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in chopped dates. Once the liquid is mostly gone, add coconut milk 1/4 c at a time, stirring frequently (I found it helpful to stand there with a book and stir…it’s kind of like risotto), adding the next batch after the previous has been mostly absorbed. When all of the coconut milk is added, the barley should be mostly cooked (it should be a little chewy when done). Mine needed a little more time, so I added a bit more rice milk and let it cook longer. I tasted it as I went and added more cinnamon/cardamom or vanilla to taste. Let cool a bit, and top with shredded coconut and pistachios to serve. I liked mine with chopped date or raw honey, but maple is good too! 

Transcendental Pie.

Oh little bloglet, I do love you. I wasn’t even going to post today, but I suppose the bloglet muse struck…

AND I have this pie. Oh my goodness.

There are no words. So, you get pictures.

Actually, there are words. Words like family. Sunshine. Warm fruit. Warm weather. Nostalgia. Long evenings, dusky twilights. Memories. Summers that felt endless. Fresh. Happiness. Peace. Soul.

Pie.

Pie to me seems older than many traditional desserts or foods… it’s one of those intrinsically ‘family’ foods. When I make it and eat it, I feel a connection to generations of female family members who made pie before I did, and fed it to their loved ones. This is why I make pie by hand, not with a food processor or any other technical kitchen implements. I like just using a simple pastry cutter, and my mom’s wooden rolling pin. So simple, yet I think it makes the best pie. Why is it that the simplest things are so often the best? Probably because we get so much more out of the taste sensation than delicious food: nostalgia and taste receptors go hand in hand. To me, pie is generations of strong women. It makes me proud to feel connected to them in a physical way—those strong, wonderful, loving women who came before me.

So this pie is an homage to them: I am proud to derive my lineage from such a long line of fantastic women and their pies!

Happy early Mother’s Day to my mama, and to all of the wonderful mothers in this world!

Simple Peach Pie

I know this is the second peach pie recipe on the blog, but um… I LOVE peach pie. So I’m giving you choices! This one is slightly healthier than it’s predecessor, not like that particularly matters when it comes to pie. But actually, this is my favorite of all of the pies on here! Simple, and delicious. The crust comes together easier than anything, and the filling is easy as well. Since it wouldn’t be a Hayley post without some nutritional tidbits, of course I have to add a note about the healthy fats from the coconut oil crust, and the blood-sugar regulating properties of cinnamon. Peaches are fruit, fruit is good for you… Whole wheat crust! And minimally processed sweeteners, from unrefined sources. Wheee!

Crust recipe lightly adapted from The Joyful Pantry, here! I made 1/2+1/4 of the recipe, as I wanted cut outs for the top. My pie pan was a shallow 8″, and I had just enough left for a few decorations. The measurements below are for a double crust, makes two 8″ crusts.

Make pie. Eat. Love.

Crust:

• 3/4 c coconut oil
• 2 c whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1.5 tbsp coconut sugar
• 5-6 tbsp ice water

Filling:

• 2 bags frozen organic peaches (I think between 2-3 c sliced)
• 1/4 c honey
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp quick cooking tapioca

Preheat the oven to 400.

In a  bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and coconut sugar. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the coconut oil until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add in ice water, a tablespoon at a time, until you can form a dough (I like to do this part with my hands). Gather the dough up into a ball, then roll out on a floured surface (I like waxed paper, as it makes it easier to flip the crust back into the pie dish). Once it’s larger than the circumference of the dish, flip the dough carefully back onto your pie dish, and press into place. Poke the bottom a few times with a fork, and crimp the edges so it looks pretty!

Combine peaches, honey, cinnamon, flour, and tapioca in a large bowl. Give it a few stirs… see? I told you this was easy. Pour this into the prepared pie dish, top with whatever kind of crust you’d like (double, lattice, cutouts, whatever), and then pop it into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes uncovered, then use foil to tent it and prevent excess browning, baking it for another 30 minutes. The filling should be bubbly when done, and will thicken as it cools.

Let cool a bit before slicing, but not too much… pie should be eaten warm!

Haha, what leftovers??

 

Spinach. On. The. Ceiling?!

Did I tell you that vaccuum vati found a piece of spinach on the kitchen ceiling the other day? 

…

Yeahhhh. That happened. How on earth did I manage that?! Welcome to my life: “Hello, my name is Hayley and I am obsessed with spinach!” I toooold you I put spinach where it didn’t belong, but um I had no idea it had gotten on the ceiling..?! I mean, I know I eat it multiple times a day, but that must have been some pretty ferocious chopping. You know, like Chopped Kitchen type of chopping.

On. The. Ceiling. The mind boggles. 

Anyway.

Today’s post has nothing to do with spinach and everything to do with apples. Mmm. Appleeesssssss. I feel like the witch in the Wizard of Oz when I say that… 

This tart is simple, good for your body, and good for your soul. It’s not very sweet–if you’re looking for a sweet dessert, this isn’t it. But I like it for a mid-meal snack post workout… or dessert, since I like mine less sweet anyway. I liked it with some added applesauce, and a few pieces of chopped date. It’s gluten free, vegan if you sub out the honey for maple, and contains no refined sugar. Hooray! I made it on a day that was cloudy and overcast, perfect for apples and baking. Simple, beautiful, and good for the soul. 

And here. Happy Monday, here’s something beautiful! Have a wonderful day :) 

Apple-Almond Tart 

Recipe lightly adapted from Tales of a Kitchen, here! This makes one full-sized tart/pie, depending on the pan you use. I would recommend a pie pan, as the crust is very crumbly—I don’t think it would come out of a tart pan too well. Next time I make this I think I’ll add dates to the crust instead of honey—I’d like it to be a bit crustier, less crumbly. But still delicious as is! Serves 8. 

Laze around with me on a cloudy Sunday and produce the following:

• 1 c oat flour
• 1 c almond meal/flour (I grind my own from an equal amount of almonds in the food processor)
• 1/2 c unsweetened, shredded coconut
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• zest of one lemon
• 3 apples, cored, peel on (I used fuji and daisy girl)
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 5-6 tbsp almond meal
• 2 apples, finely sliced, peel on

Preheat the oven to 375, and lightly grease your pan of choice (I used a pie pan). 

In a large bowl, combine oat flour, almond meal, coconut, coconut oil, honey, and lemon zest. Mash it all together (ideally using your hands, it’s much more fun) until combined. Press the resulting mixture into the prepared pan, making sure it’s evenly distributed. Poke a few holes in the bottom with a fork, and bake for 9-10 minutes, until lightly browned. When done, set it aside to cool slightly.

While the crust is baking, toss cored apples, cinnamon, and vanilla into the food processor (or blender). Blend until a smooth puree is reached. Toss this into a bowl, and stir in 5 tbsp almond meal. If it’s not thick enough and is still a little watery, add another tbsp of almond meal. Pour the filling into the slightly cooled crust, and arrange the finely sliced apples in a pretty pattern (this is very soothing, I found). 

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until your house smells delicious and the apples are a golden brown. Let cool before slicing, and store in the fridge! Excellent with a little extra applesauce, or I’m sure whipped coconut cream would be delicious as well, if you can be that on top of things (unlike me). 

Free radicals are NOT invited to any of my parties

Mmmm, sweet pohhhtayyytooeeeessssss! (You like that phonetic spelling there? Yeah, I thought so too). Hello, beta-carotene, I love you!

And then combine that deliciousness with powerful greens for a free-radical fighting snacklunchdinner (or maybe breakfast, who knows, maybe some of you are even weirder than me?!). I love love love making stuffed sweet potatoes for lunch! I started doing it sometime during my senior year of college when I discovered that sweet potato+egg+spinach makes a really cheap and wonderful combination… even more wonderful if there’s some avo lurking around as well (Who doesn’t love lurking avo?!).

More recently I’ve been sticking with the greens+beans variety of sweet potato, probably because I like that it rhymes and who knows why I end up with random food combination obsessions; I’d be the last to know why I’m obsessed with something. Like… millet. It’s for the birds! Or is it?! Apparently it’s for me, too, and you can add that to your “Things that make Hayley even more of an-”alternative-awesome-hippie-who-eats-bird-food” list…I know you have one, don’t try to deny it…

Besides all of the inherent hippiness you get whenever you visually dine with me, this combination also happens to be an antioxidant powerhouse. Like, it deserves a cape it’s so good at saving the world (ie, your body) from the evil menace of those nasty free radicals. No one wants them invited to the party… thankfully, with this kind of dish, those free radicals get kicked to the curb by  antioxidants AND excellent dietary sources of vitamins A, C, and K, to name a few. Free radicals are NOT invited to my birthday parties…

Side note, I made coconut quinoa porridge-pudding today! What is with this new strange pudding obsession? Is it because it’s hot? I mean, I’ve always loved rice pudding but seriously, this is getting out of hand. Three puddings in basically four days? Yep, that happened. At least I’m changing it up, this time it’s quinoa+coconut milk+cardamom+cinnamon+almond, yum yum yum. Breakfast? With almond butter? I think yes.

Stuffed Sweet Potato with Beans and Greens

Recipe by… me! Serves 1, double or triple as needed. Simple, delicious, and comes together quickly. Perfect for a light dinner when it’s hot out, or pretty much whenever… I love it for lunch!

Scrounge and find:

• 1 (decent sized) sweet potato
• 1/2-1 tbsp tahini
• olive oil
• a good double handful of power greens (kale+chard+spinach!)
• 1/3 c white beans, drained and rinsed
• a squirt of Bragg’s liquid aminos, or soy sauce (whatever your preference)
• 1/4-1/2 avocado, cubed

Wash and dry the sweet potato, and poke some holes in it so it doesn’t explode in the microwave (no one wants that…). Toss it in on the baked potato setting, until done. Once finished, slice it lengthwise down the center, and smash a bit of tahini on the inside while it’s still hot.

While the sweet potato is doin’ its thang, heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet. Add rinsed greens and white beans, and sauté until greens are wilted.

Aesthetically layer your greens and beans into the prepared sweet potato, and top with a bit of Bragg’s. Garnish (or cover liberally, your choice… we know which one I chose) with avo!

Eat hot, and revel in your simple meal that is so delicious and so good for you! Free radicals, you have no choice but to capitulate! Muahahaha.

My personality in four words: I eat bird food! Peck peck peck…

Ahhh, a day off.

And… I have THIS!

Mmm… birdseed. Peck peck peck.

Not even joking. You know those little seed thingies they put in birdseed mix? Yeah. These things:

That I just ate for breakfast! And youuu thought I couldn’t get any weirder. HA!

These little birdseeds remind me of being in my grandma’s backyard and blowing bubbles… and feeding the birds! And quite often the squirrels… Anyway. I associate millet with sun-drenched afternoons with my gram, eating ice cream and getting soapy bubble stuff all over the dish towel in my lap. And then probably running through the sprinklers! So obviously I’m naturally inclined to like this seed, besides it being totally delicious.

But anyway. Millet is an excellent grain substitute: creamy and kind of nutty tasting, high in manganese, magnesium, and phosphorus. So far I’ve only used it as a breakfast/pudding/dessert thingy, but savory biz is coming soon, just wait. I can’t believe I haven’t eaten this before—it’s like rice pudding but a thousand times better! AND it’s good for you, soooo… why not eat it for every meal?! This one has heart healthy fats from coconut milk, natural sweetness from dates (as well as a boatload of other good bennies like vitamins and minerals), and cardamom has the added benefits of (in Ayurveda theory) of being warming, improving blood circulation to the lungs, and balancing the doshas.

Coconut Millet Pudding

Recipe slightly adapted from Delicious Living, here. As listed below, this one is vegan, gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free. Hooray! And… it’s delicious. Obvs. Otherwise I wouldn’t share it with you!

Rustle around and collect the following:

• 1/2 uncooked millet, rinsed
• 1 (14oz) can of light coconut milk
• 3/4 c milk bev (I used Eden Soymilk, which is just soybeans+water)
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/4 c medjool dates, chopped
• 3/4 tsp ground cardamom
• dash of sea salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• optional: pistachios for topping

Combine millet, coconut milk, soymilk, water, chopped dates, cardamom, and sea salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil (Being careful not to let it boil over, oops no of course I don’t speak from experience…), covered, then turn it down to a simmer and let it cook, covered, until millet is fluffy and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20-30 minutes (mine was more like 20), stirring frequently. Once millet is cooked, remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Top with pistachios for a garnish if desired! Excellent warm or cool.

Happy Earth Day! Go show Mother Nature some love.

Okay so actually it’s been about a million years since I made these, but they were too good not to share! So better late than never, riiiiight?

You see, I’ve been mega busy doing awesome things like finding this:

And being up at dawn to witness this (Happy Earth Day today, by the way! Go out and give a tree some love):

Oh. And I spend an inordinate amount of time here. Whole wheat croissant+jasmine green tea = heaven.

And doing other things like attempting to eat as much as I possibly can, whilst being off sugar (yep, that happened. Including dates! Amazing, I know. I’ve added dates back in now, but expect to see natural, non-refined sweeteners on here from now on in baked treats). Trust me though, I feel quite a bit better for having cut processed sugar out nearly completely (special occasions not withstanding! Birthdays. Duhhh).

Busy busy busy.

But don’t worry, still eating ridiculous hippie-type things like eggy pumpkin messes and a mega huge ton of veggies. As per usual, nothing has particularly changed! Except maybe the consumption of avocado and liquid aminos and nutritional yeast has gone up… not that I even remotely thought that first one was even possible! Ha. Power to the AVO!! I’m sure another savory recipe is coming your way soon, watch this space for further developments!

But anyway. Cookies. Long time coming, I made these a few weeks back and they were simple, delicious, and good for you. What’s not to love?

And yes, I know they’re blue. Who *doesn’t* like some blue food now and again?! Especially when it’s naturally occurring… see? It’s kind of like mother nature is throwing a party for you, on your plate. A party of awesome, antioxidant-filled blueness. To which the free radicals in your body are NOT invited, by the way (and after you eat these cookies/blueberries, there will be less nasty free radicals to float around and cause problems anyway! Mother Nature always knows how to throw an awesome party).

Blueberry Almond Coconut Cookies

Yield: about 11-12, mine spread out quite a bit and were on the flatter side. Soft, but delicious. Recipe lightly adapted from Ari’s Menu, here!

Healthy fats [almonds+coconut], antioxidants [blueberries], vegan, and gluten free! Winners all around.

• 1.5 c almond meal
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp organic, non GMO cornstarch
• dash of salt
• 1/4 c maple syrup (I use grade B organic)
• 1/3 c light coconut milk (canned)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 c frozen organic blueberries

Preheat the oven to 375, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine almond meal, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Add maple, coconut milk, and vanilla, and stir to combine. Gently fold in blueberries (this turns the batter blue. I’m in love). Drop by the spoonful onto your prepared cookie sheet, and bake for 12-14 minutes until set and golden (Mine went a little on the longer side—they’ll still be soft when done, so tap the tops to test them). Let sit for a few minutes (they’re delicate!), then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Foraging Extraordinaire

Loooook!!! I went FORAGING! In my LAWN! For GREENS!

And then I found this. Yaay, tiny beautiful things!

Not like this handful of dandelion greens is going to keep me in vegetables… ha. As if. But!! You have to try this: foraging for greens in your own lawn is amazing! It makes me want to go out and forage in the forest… ideally with a bow and arrow in some really dense woods. And I would probably be wearing a tunic of some sort (not my usual neon..?) Not that you need a bow and arrow to forage for greens, but just roll with my imagination, mmmkay? It adds to the effect.

AND THEN, I put my newly harvested dandelion greens into a veggie bowl! And it was delicious!! I got really excited because I was eating something out of my yard (not entirely unusual as we grow herbs and veggies, but this was FORAGED! Entirely different, mind you). And then I got even more excited because I looked up dandelion greens and realized they are mega good for you: rich in calcium and iron, antioxidants, vitamins+minerals, and are anti-inflammatory! Besides all that, they’re good for digestion (natural detoxifier) and blood sugar (they contain inulin, a soluble fiber which raises good cholesterol and lowers blood sugar).

Oh. And if you find them in your lawn, they’re… free! Just make sure you don’t spray with anything nasty, we don’t want that gunk in your body!

So after you harvest the marvelous things, you can chuck them in with a mega ton of sautéed veggies and beans like me, and enjoy your virtuously delicious meal. Whole foods out of your backyard? I think yes!

And one last fun fact: dandelion comes from a corruption of the french word tooth of the lion, or ‘dent-de-lion’, and the latin name for it is Taraxacum officinale, or remedy for disorders! Just thought I’d share :)

Tahini Vegetables with Mixed Greens and Beans

Serves… 2? Roughly. As always with my recipes, this one is mostly a framework, so use what you have in your fridge and substitute accordingly! But of course it is also delicious as is ;) This one takes about 10 minutes of cook time, plus veggie prep, so it’s also fast and easy.

• 1 red bell pepper, diced (largely)
• 1 zucchini, quartered and sliced
• a handful of mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 bag mixt greens (mine were spinach, kale, and chard)
• a handful of dandelion greens, thoroughly washed
• 1 can of white beans
• a good glug of olive oil
• avocado (most assuredly not optional, ha!)
• two heaping spoonfuls of tahini paste (mine is unsalted)
• 1/2-3/4 tsp fresh grated ginger
• approx. 1 tbsp Bragg’s liquid aminos (or soy sauce), to taste

Chop all yo’ veggies. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and when hot, toss in veggies, mixt greens, dandelion, and white beans. Sauté until veggies are fork tender, then turn heat to low. Add tahini, ginger, and Bragg’s, and stir until the tahini starts to get a little more liquidy, and the sauce distributes evenly. Serve in bowls, topped with avocado and chia seeds (optional, unless you’re me). Excellent warm… but also good cold as leftovers!

I’m alternative… or awesome? Let’s go with awesome.

I eat greens in three meals a day.

No joke.

I even put spinach in my oats. (I can hear you ewwwing, you know, through my computer). NOT cooked, mind you—it only goes in my overnight oats. With a buhhnahhhnuhhh. And then I eat them in lunch. And dinner. And probably a snack, if I could finagle it. You know how in previous posts I’ve mentioned putting spinach where it totally doesn’t belong? Yeah. I suppose oats would be one of those places… as would a banana scramble…? Whatever. I’m kind of  alternative. Or awesome… let’s go with awesome.

Ahem..

Movingggg… on!

This time, spinach went in a smoothie! That’s at least a little more normal… but why I chose to make and eat this on day when it was cold and raining outside is beyond me. It was delicious but then I was promptly freezing. Whoops. Whatever, worth it!

And then you can do almond butter art on top of your smoothie, if you eat in in a bowl. Which is obviously reason enough to eat in a bowl, right?? Who doesn’t like an excuse to play with their food? Come on, channel your inner Jackson Pollock, you know you want to!

Almond Coconut Green Smoothie

Gratefully inspired by The Edible Perspective, here! Makes one largeish smoothie bowl. Note that you need to freeze the coconut milk first, so make time for that if you want this later in the day!

• 1 c light coconut milk
• 1/2 c milk bev of choice (I used 1% milk)*
• 2 c fresh spinach
• 2 tbsp almond butter+more for drizzle
• 1.5 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut+garnish
• 1 medjool date, pitted
• 1/2 ripe banana
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

*I would have liked mine thicker, more like a milkshake consistency—next time I won’t add as much extra milk. Up to you!  If you want it drinkable (as opposed to spoon-able), use 1/2-1 c extra milk bev.

Freeze 1 c of coconut milk in ice cube trays. Once it’s frozen, pop them out into your food processor (or blender, if you happen to have a decent one). Add in spinach, almond butter, coconut, date, banana, and vanilla, and blend until combined. Pour into a bowl (because that’s more fun!), and top with almond butter and coconut, and maybe some chia seeds. Preferably eat when it’s not freezing outside…

Eggy Pumpkin Mess…?

Hellooo, I’m back! I know you mega missed me appearing in your inbox, right?

But guess what?! I have something *besides* cookies today! … WHAT. I think the world might have just shaken on its axis a bit. But seriously. Savories!! What a concept. I know I’ve told y’all numerous times about the copious amount of veggies I consume on a daily basis, but I know your types… you require visual proof, no? So… here it is! Veggies. Straight to your inbox, you’re welcome.

These are two dishes that I’ve made in the last week—I often favor new and quite possibly very strange combinations of food (I wouldn’t want life to get boring, would I?!), and these definitely fall into the first category. Both were surprisingly delicious and supremely good for you. I’m posting one, but the other needs a bit of tweaking until it’s perfect, so you get a picture but you’ll have to wait juuuust a bit on the recipe (trust me, it will be worth the wait).

this is the one you get later!

The one I’m sharing today is rather like my thought process incarnate… something like this: “Pumpkin and ginger go well together… ooh wait, I could add Bragg’s! And then eat it over sautéed veggies… mmm veggies… oh wait but coconut!! How can I put coconut in there? And I think I need some good solid protein today, so eggs. But eggs… and pumpkin? And coconut? This could be weird. But it could also be delicious… so I’m going to go with delicious and just hope it’s awesome..” And it was. Ohhhh goodness was it delicious.

this is the one you get now!

I made a single portion so that in case it was terrible, so that I wouldn’t subject my parents to it (aren’t I nice?!) but then they kind of missed out because it was delicious. Oops. Rats, I suppose I’ll just have to make it again…

(And just in case everyone thinks I’ve gone completely crazy, I *did* make cookies after work today… you’ll get them later!)

Coconut Pumpkin Sauce with Sautéed Veggies and Egg

Definitely thought about calling this one Eggy Pumpkin Mess (which is how it manifested itself in my brain), but I decided to be a little bit more gastronomically appealing. Call it what you want, it’s definitely delicious. And good for you! Pumpkin: beta carotene and Vitamin A; veggies: um. they’re veggies!; coconut: good fats from medium chain fatty acids; ginger: anti-inflammatory; and eggs: well, eggs are just delicious. AND good protein.
The recipe is my own! Feel free to tweak it according to your tastes and contents of your refrigerator… Serves…1! Easily doubled, or tripled.

• 1 tbsp coconut oil, unrefined
• 1/2 zucchini, quartered and sliced
• 1/2 bell pepper, diced
• 1/3 of a bag (ish) of mixed greens (mine were TJ’s kale, chard, and spinach)
• 1/4 c pumpkin puree
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1/4-1/3 c light coconut milk (Canned)
• Bragg’s liquid aminos (or soy sauce), to taste—I likely used about a 1/2 tbsp
• 1 egg+1 egg white
• unsweetened shredded coconut, for garnish

Firstly: heat coconut oil in a skillet. Toss in veggies and greens, and sauté until fork tender. While the veggies are sautéing, combine pumpkin, grated ginger, Bragg’s, and coconut milk in a small bowl. Once veggies have cooked close to your liking, add in pumpkin sauce. Let cook a few minutes, then push over to one side of the pan. Into the empty side of the skillet, pour in your eggs. Let them cook, scraping the bottom to scramble them. Start incorporating the pumpkin sauce into the scrambling eggs as they cook. When the eggs are done, scoop everything into a bowl (I like shallow ones so that I can see how pretty everything is!). Top with a bit more Bragg’s and shredded coconut, if desired (but highly recommended…).

Eat! Love love love.

mo’ veggies!!

Instant Date-ification

I used to looove fig newtons. Love them. I don’t really think they’re a universally loved-by-kids snack, but whatever. As a kid, I loved them. I used to nibble around the sides and eat off all of the cakey bits (come to think of it, I ate around madelines from Starbucks the same way…) and then eat the figgy bits in the middle.

In college I graduated to organic ones. Oooooh. Organic obviously makes processed things okay… ?! Um no… not really.

But… I’ve graduated college and am now a real person (um.. no) (immaturity keeps me forever young) (part of being an adult is being a kid at heart, right? Right) now I’ve graduated to making my own! And even better than figgy type newtons… these are DATE newtons! Pshh. Who WOULDN’T love something stuffed with dates?!

I’m pretty sure I’ve already mentioned this, but juuuust in case you haven’t noticed… I also LOVE dates! As in, I love dates beyond all reason. They are delicious and good for you and I could easily eat them all day long all day every day for the rest of my life. End of story. Stranded on a desert island, can only pick one food? Dates. Well, okay. Dates and almond butter, because clearly I couldn’t survive on dates alone (and okay… maybe some toast to put the dates and almond butter on. Picky, aren’t I?). I would obviously try though.

So I made these! And they were maybe one of the best things I’ve put in my face all week. Aaaamazing. And raw. Which means no dealing with ovens and all that silliness, just instant date-ification. Yum yum yum. Oh. And they’re fabulous for you, so it’s just a win win win all around. Healthy fats [almonds and flaxseed], omega 3′s [flaxseed], whole grains [oats], protein, fiber, tons of vitamins and minerals and excellent energy [dates, dates dates!].

Raw Date Newtons

Recipe gratefully borrowed from the Pancake Princess, here!

Makes 16 little guys. Gluten free, could be vegan [non dairy milk bev+maple].

First we rummage for this kind of biz:

• 1/2 c raw almonds (mine were already partially ground)
• 1/4 c flaxseed meal
• 1/4 c rolled oats
• pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1.5 tbsp milk bev (I used 1% dairy)
• 1 c dates, pitted and soaked for a few minutes
• 1/4 tsp vanilla

Then we:

Lug out the trusty, zillion pound food processor. Open lid, put in blade, yadayada. Toss in almonds, flaxseed, oats, and salt, and pulse until blended. If your almonds are whole and not partially ground like mine, you might want to grind them alone for a bit so that they’re more broken up, but that’s up to you (and the strength of your food processor). Add in honey and pulse until the mixture starts to come together and be clumpier. Add milk, 1/2 tbsp at a time, until it sticks together like a dough (and if you pinch it between your fingers it stays together). Remove the dough from your food processor, and roll it out really thinly between two pieces of wax/parchment paper. Aim for a mostly rectangular shape, just to make your bites even sized. I cut mine in half so that I would have two even-ish rectangles, about 1/8-1/4″ thick.

Without even bothering to wash out your food processor (quite possibly my least favorite part of baking), drain dates, and add them with the vanilla to the bowl. Process until a paste forms—it should be spreadable. Spoon that goodness directly onto each half of your rolled out dough, and then fold it up and around the filling to make a cute little date newton bite! Repeat with the other piece of dough and filling. Slice each log into about 8 bites, for a total yield of 16.

Store them in an airtight container in the fridge… if they last that long…

you can never have too many dates…