A twist on fruit & yogurt

This morning I wanted something like fruit & yogurt. Except, I didn't have any yogurt, nor do I really care for yogurt. While there are plenty of ways to "make" yogurt out of soy milk and all that, I made a bet with myself that even if I did make it, I would probably end up not liking it.

So, in the interest of not wasting time and ingredients, I scanned my fridge. Tucked in the back: applesauce. I rarely eat it, but instead I use it in baking.

It went perfectly with the other fruits, and tasted great with a sprinkle of cinnamon and flaxseed meal. Here's to thinking a little out of the box!

cookies

I saw this article in the Houston Chronicle and decided to give this recipe a shot. I made a few changes to the recipe:

I halved it, used brown rice flour instead of white rice flour, and only used 5 T. butter. Then I found out I didn't have enough chocolate chips, so I added white chocolate chips.

They turned out good, more soft and cake-like than crispy. They didn't spread a whole lot either. They were a hit with my family, because I hardly ever make chocolate chip cookies. I think the combo of white and semi-sweet chocolate made them extra-tasty.

In fact, as I was writing this my sister came in and said,
"Jenny, those cookies were magnificent!"

That's right, magnificent.

*does happy dance*

Smoothie babay

I declare today "drink a smoothie" day. I've seen on tons of blogs something called a Green Monster. Don't really know what that's all about, but it seems like it's the new thing. Super healthy.

Even though I don't think I'm ready for full-fledged green smoothies, seeing them has made me want a smoothie. I even went out and bought a blender. Besides, it's hot outside and there's nothing like a cool drink to make it better. And, it's only going to get hotter.

The thing about smoothies is that you can put anything into them. The possibilities are pretty much endless.

What went into mine?

1/2 c. almond milk
1/2 c. cranberry & pomegranate juice
1 T. flax seed meal
a few leaves of fresh spinach (baby steps!)
1 c. frozen mixed fruit (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries)
1 T. honey

I put all the stuff in there, pushed liquefy, and watched it spin around. I always love how the contents "burp" when it turns off.

The thing I don't like about using raspberries and blackberries in smoothies is the seeds. They're annoying. I think a smoothie with peaches would be so delicious...

So this is your mission: drink a smoothie. At the very least I hope I've passed on this smoothie craving.

And I finally found gluten free corn chex in the store today! Oh, happy day.

little vegan peanut butter cookies

I can't get enough of peanut butter cookies. That's why this makes a small batch- about a dozen small cookies or 6 regular-sized cookies. I wanted a way to make a small batch of cookies so I didn't have to worry about my lack of self-control. :o) The problem was, there was no way to really use half of an egg.

Enter the flaxseed meal solution! It also conveniently makes them vegan. I love that these don't spread out a lot and they can be made both soft and crunchy depending on how long you bake them. Fabulous.

Little Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 c. flour mix
1/8 t. xanthan gum
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 c. peanut butter
2 T. shortening
1/2 T. flaxseed meal
1 T. boiling water
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1/8 t. salt

Mix the flaxseed meal and water and let it sit for 5 minutes. Cream the shortening, peanut butter and sugars until it's smooth and fluffy. Add the flax/water. Mix the dry ingredients together, than mix that into everything else. Form balls with the dough and do the fork thing.

Bake at 375 for 5-7 minutes, let them cool on the sheet for a few minutes, and pop these cute little cookies into your mouth. Mmm.

Almost sticky buns

Don't these look delicious? Appearances can be deceiving...

I bought my friend a muffin tin as a housewarming gift, and I thought it'd be a neat idea to bring some goodies along with it. I got this recipe from the April/May issue of Taste of Home.

It would have worked out fine... if I had remembered to use all the flour. I totally spaced and accidentally used half the flour. They turned out yummy except you could really taste the yeast and it gave the buns a funky flavor. Gahh. And, since half the flour only made half a batch, I used all the filling.



Thank goodness for nonstick pans.

I altered it to be dairy free as well as gluten free, and the substitutions seemed to work fine. There is potential in this "almost success!"

3-3 1/2 c. flour mix (includes xanthan gum)
1/4 c. sugar
1 pkg yeast
1 t. salt
1 1/4 c. almond milk
1/4 c. shortening (or butter)
1 egg

Topping:

1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. shortening (or 3/4 c. butter)
3/4 c. chopped toasted pecans
2 T. honey
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. maple syrup/ flavoring

Combine 2 c. flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Heat the milk and shortening in a small saucepan to 120-130 degrees. (I used a candy thermometer, $2 at Walmart) Add to the dry ingredients and beat until just moistened. Add the egg, beating until smooth. THIS IS WHERE I MESSED UP: Add in enough of the remaining flour until a firm dough forms. Cover it and let it rise while you mix up the topping in a saucepan over low heat.

Put teaspoonfuls of the topping in greased muffin cups. Top with the dough, trying to keep the cups about 1/2 full. Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes. Let them cool for 2 minutes, then invert them onto a baking sheet.

Makes 2 dozen.

The topping is absolutely delish, and I really think they'd taste great had they been made correctly. So, if you happen to try it, let me know what you think!

*notes

-When I made them the second time, I only added about 1 cup of flour after the egg, to keep them moist.
-I think they'd be better with a whole cup of pecans
-These got a whole lot of "Mmmmms" from various taste-testers. I have a feeling these will turn into a staple for potlucks and brunches.

shrimp & brussels sprouts

Doing very well on my new non-dairy healthful kick, I made this quick, delicious dinner. The amounts shown here serve 1, but it's not hard to multiply it.

Cook brown rice or quinoa in chicken broth according to package directions.

Heat up 1/2 T. of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. While that's heating, chop 2 brussels sprouts and saute those for a minute until they get a tinge of brown goodness.

Add 1/4 c. shrimp and toss those around to get them warm.

Sprinkle 1/8 t. garlic powder, a pinch of salt, 1/2 t. pepper, and a pinch of cayenne pepper over the pan. Let the flavors fall in love while everything heats up.

Stir in the rice/quinoa, and spoon some in your bowl.

Eat happy and healthy, and have some frozen watermelon and blackberries for dessert.

snack time

When is the last time you had peanut butter & celery? I forgot how simple and good it is until I took a bite.