Browsing the blog archives for April, 2012.

Peas and Thank You’s Anytime Cookies

Healthy

These cookies don’t mess around. They’re a pretty quick fix when you’re craving a cookie, but they’re impossibly soft and chewy too so you actually put an end to that craving! It helps ease my conscious that they’re vegan of course but also that instead of just being dairy free, they’ve got a dose of the good stuff. You know? It not like there is a zucchini hidden in these babies but there is nutrition in there, so instead of cookies that are not bad for you, these actually qualify as good for you. Hooray!

Again, I will NOT post the recipe because I want to encourage you to buy the book – right here!

Peas and Thank You's Anytime Cookies

Peas and Thank You's Anytime Cookies
Peas and Thank You's Anytime Cookies
Peas and Thank You's Anytime Cookies
Peas and Thank You's Anytime Cookies
Peas and Thank You's Anytime Cookies
No Comments

Happy Herbivore Instant Cookie Dough

Healthy

So I’m a big fan of the Happy Herbivore blog. Ever since one of my besties introduced me to it about a year or so ago, I’ve been checking in almost daily for inspiration, ideas and of course recipes. I also follow on Twitter and Facebook because I’m a sucker for that stuff. About two weeks ago, I saw a tweet from @happyherbivore with a recipe for instant vegan cookie dough.

Happy Herbivore Instant Cookie Dough

TGIF! Enjoy HH Instant Cookie Dough: 1 cup rolled oats, 2 T peanut butter, 2-3 T maple syrup, 2 T cocoa, mix together. Eat with a spoon!

It was a life-changing event. No really it was. I’ve literally eaten it every day since I first saw it. I use Joseph’s Sugar Free Maple Flavor Syrup in place of the maple syrup and low fat peanut butter.

I do love that it’s healthy, especially great for anyone who doesn’t eat oatmeal everyday, but I’m even more happy about how quickly it comes together. I find it mixes best by adding one thing at a time and mixing with the back of a spoon.

Happy Herbivore Instant Cookie Dough
Happy Herbivore Instant Cookie Dough
Happy Herbivore Instant Cookie Dough

With over 12,000 followers on Twitter and 21,000 fans on Facebook, when you search Google for hh instant cookie dough you get about a zillion results of other people that have blogged about it – it’s that good.

No Comments

Cauliflower Crust (Vegan) Pizza

California, Healthy, Marriage

Today, I’m linking up with Tasty Tuesday at 33 Shades of Green, Flock Together Tuesday at Mom’s Best Nest and Inspiration Linky #12 at Teagan’s Travels.

Hooray for making local friends turned local babysitters! Last night my husband and I went on our first official LA date and man it was fun. I mean, anytime we get to be alone together is fun, but especially nice when it involves a lovely restaurant, a glass of good wine and a late night walk (ending the night with pomegranate Pinkberry was a nice touch too).

This recipe had been in my to-make queue for almost a year before I finally made it last week. It was one of the first recipes I used to break in my new kitchen and being surrounded by alarmingly beautiful people (and also a pretty surprising amount of like, morbidly obese people, what’s up with that, LA?!) this recipe felt like a god jumping off point for a pumped up healthy kick.

The original recipe is not vegan – it includes an egg and cheese in the crust and also mozzarella cheese on top, which I subbed for a handful of oats in the cust and vegan cheese on top. Deeelish and healthier too!

Cauliflower Crust (Vegan) Pizza adapted from Eat. Drink. Smile.

1 cup cooked, pureed cauliflower
1 cup shredded vegan cheese
1/2 cup whole oats, ground
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp garlic salt

pizza sauce, shredded vegan cheese & whatever toppings you like

First steam and strain your cauliflower, then run it through your food processor to a smooth puree.
You’ll need about a cup. Pureed cauliflower is great to have on hand for adding vitamins to almost anything. Stir some into mashed potatoes, add a few tablespoons to scrambled eggs – whatever!
Chop up some garlic and add it to a bowl with the cauliflower puree and shredded vegan cheese.
This is where an egg is added in the original recipe, in my version I added 1/2 cup of ground whole oats to help it stick together.
Mix it up a bit more and roll it out (or pat it out if it’s too sticky) onto a baking sheet. I divided it in two pieces for two crusts. Bake at 450 for about 20 minutes.
Top it with pizza sauce, vegan cheese and whatever other toppings you like! Bake again for 5 minutes and voila!
No Comments

Brownie Pops on a Menu Monday

Domestic, Kids

Today I’m linking up with Organizing Junkie, Life as a Lofthouse, KDBuggie Boutique

Moving over 2200 miles and not bringing everything with us put a few kinks in our kitchen at first. Hello no fridge for a few days and only a small fraction of my kitchen gear. Today marks two weeks in our new place and I am happy to report that I spent this weekend running errands and baking up a storm – I am even happier to report that I can even get back into Menu Mondays because I can finally reliably plan what I’m cooking at night. Although to be honest, there are more rando ‘wanna go out for dinner’ nights because there are just so many rad places to go! This, however, is what I’m planning on for now…I’m including desserts this week because I almost always plan and make those too!

This Week’s Menu (April 23 – 29)

Monday – date night – sitter deals with the kids’ dinner

Tuesday – BBQ Pork Chops with Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes and corn for the fam, Peas and Thank You’s Crack Wrap for me and Chocolate Oatmeal Tart for dessert

Wednesday -Scratch Chicken Fingers and French Fries for the fam, Peas and Thank You’s Tofu Nuggets for me and Brownie Pops for dessert

Thursday – Sweet and Sour Chicken with Rice for the fam, Falafels with Rice for me and Baked Nutmeg Donuts for dessert

Friday – Tacos for the fam, Vegan Nachos for me and Lime Jello with Whipped Cream for dessert

Saturday – Breakfast for dinner for all of us and Peas and Thank You’s Sugar Cookies for dessert

Sunday – Homemade Pizza and Calzones and Peas and Thank You’s Peanut Butter Blondies for dessert

These treats are Wednesday’s dessert this week and so simple I don’t even want to call this a recipe! You just make your favorite brownies and once they’re cool, cut out cute shapes with cookie cutters and ‘glue’ them to pretzel sticks with melted chocolate. Adorable, right?! If you’re super lazy really pressed for time, you can even use a brownie mix. Yes, I’m judging you (that can’t be a huge surprise).

I’m almost positive I’ve posted this recipe for brownies before but I’ll post it again because I know it by heart and it’s such a great brownie recipe you should know it by heart too and I swear it only takes like maybe two whole minutes longer than a mix. True story. It’s easy for a weekday dessert for the kids too!

Brownie Pops

Cocoa Brownies:

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Brownie Pops:

brownie shapes
pretzel sticks
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Brownie Pops
Brownie Pops
Preheat your oven to 350, and melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once it’s melted, remove from heat and stir in the sugar till it’s melted and the eggs until they’re combined. Then add the vanilla.
Brownie Pops
Brownie Pops
In a smaller bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Then dump that into the pot with the melted butter mixture.
Brownie Pops
Brownie Pops
Stir, stir, stir!!
Brownie Pops
Brownie Pops
Pour the batter in a greased brownie pan and bake for about 25 minutes. Then attack with your cookie cutters.
Brownie Pops
Brownie Pops
Brownie Pops
Now melt some chocolate chips and dip the pretzel sticks in the melted chocolate and then poke inot each brownie shape. Voila!
Brownie Pops
Brownie Pops
3 Comments

California is so Distracting!

California, Crafty, Domestic, Healthy, Kids

I know I’m not going to get any sympathy for this but man it’s hard to stay on a productive routine down here. The weather is so lovely and if it isn’t the beach calling my name it’s the pool – or it’s the kids wanting to check out one of the eleventy billion neat things there are to check out here. We also do at least four hours of homeschooling every weekday morning so that takes a serious bite out of the day as well. We have managed to force a routine on ourselves this week though. After my husband leaves for work (at what feels like the crack of dawn), I down water and a pot of coffee, wake the kids, feed them and do school until about noon. If we have an adventure planned, away we go. If we don’t, we’re off to the pool. Then we’re back in time for me to do some cleaning, make dinner, usually with the assistance of my lovely 6 year old sous chef and it’s ready when my husband gets home from work. Tidy, baths, stories, get the two little kids off to bed and theeeeeen I have time to crack open my laptop get a blog post out and then chat with my honey while I knit or bake or whatever. Phew. It’s a full life, but it’s hella good. <3 There is a Whole Foods and a Trader Joes in the same plaza just a few minutes from us! Imagine my glee – go ahead, imagine it! Considering that less than a month ago we were living in the woods and the closest Whole Foods to me was at least two hours away and that we are sorely deprived of Trader Joes in Canada, this is big, big news. I like to go at night after my husband gets home so I can actually hunt down the vegan cream cheese without three kids begging for organic gummy bears (the new fave treat around here). I have been cooking and baking my way through Peas and Thank You still and OMG what a great cookbook! Lots of updates on that next week!

I’m still adding recipes to the site without blog posts so I have a nice record of everything I’ve made! Here is what I’ve added lately!

Smoky Maple and Brown Sugar Candied Pecans Smoky Maple and Brown Sugar Candied Pecans

I have a pretty serious problem with these candied pecans. I mean, I don’t want to admit this but in the interest of full disclosure, I ate all of them. Not in one sitting mind you, but I ate every single pecan. They really are that good. Of course they are though, right? It’s not like I’m going to post a loser recipe on my blog.

One other side note about these little babies is they’re vegan! Hooray! (read).

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

They really are so so good. White chocolate and macadamia nuts are a perfect pairing! We included this in last year’s cookie tin and everyone loved them. (read).

Polymer Clay Trinkets Polymer Clay Trinkets

Polymer clay is so fun to make little trinkets and buttons and pendants with. It’s essentially play-doh you bake to set it and keep it forever. Since it sets up really hard you can make buttons and actually use them in garments! Or you can make little beads and string them on thin elastic for bracelets or necklaces. Kids especially love making them and grow ups with a soft spot for that specific child will love receiving (and wearing) them. So cute. (read).

Apple Cartwheels Apple Cartwheels

Just cut the apple into thin slices, carve out the core of each slice (if you have an apple corer, just pop the whole thing out first) and fill the middle with peanut butter, cranberries and chocolate chips. Then sprinkle with cinnamon. You can fill it with whatever you want. The point is to keep it healthy and keep it small (read).

Sandies Sandies

These cookies are so painfully simple, they’re easy and fun to make with kids and you can roll them in any kind of baking candies to match whatever occasion you like. (read).

Lace and Cable Afghan
Lace and Cable Afghan
I knitted this blanket for our cousin Jenn and her new husband Adam. They’re mega, super rad. It was a pretty easy knit once I got going on it, the bulk of it was a bit much in warmer months, but totally worth it. (read).
Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Rolls
Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Rolls
I made these when I wanted to serve up something cute and simple, but that was a little more ‘adult’ than typical apps I make for the kids after school. (read).
Spiced up Popcorn aka Italian Breadstick Popcorn
Spiced up Popcorn aka Italian Breadstick Popcorn
This snack is especially handy when people show up unexpected for movie night, or when you’re poking around the kitchen in the middle of the night when you should be in bed. (read).
1 Comment

Easter Sugar Cookies

Domestic, Kids

Happy Orthodox Easter!!!

This parade of frosted Easter love is especially dear to me because I used my Granny’s vintage cookie cutters to make them! It’s always a little sweet but sad to bake with her kitchen gear – she’s the only person who spent as much time in her kitchen as I do!

Today will be spent exploring a beach we haven’t checked out yet and general family fun on the wholesome end of the spectrum because today we spent the day in Hollywood and while we met Spiderman and the Green Lantern and Wee One #3 got a hug from Diego, we also saw a whole lotta Hollywood, you know? Yoda totally tried to cop a feel! I mean, hello!

Anyhoo, back to Easter. Usually we spent Orthodox Easter with my extended family (all Greeks have seriously huge extended families) however we will be sending long distance love to them this year and celebrating this one out here.

Moving to California update to come tomorrow!

Easter Sugar Cookies

Easter Sugar Cookies
Easter Sugar Cookies
Easter Sugar Cookies
Easter Sugar Cookies
Easter Sugar Cookies
Easter Sugar Cookies
Easter Sugar Cookies
Easter Sugar Cookies
Easter Sugar Cookies
Easter Sugar Cookies
Easter Sugar Cookies
Easter Sugar Cookies
Easter Sugar Cookies
Easter Sugar Cookies
No Comments

Easter Cheesecake Baskets

Domestic, Kids

I know this is a week late for a lot of people, but the Eastern Orthodox Easter Bunny (aka the Greek Easter Bunny in our house) is hopping around this weekend for a lot of us. I’ve mentioned about a zillion times before that I’m from a mixed heritage family, lovingly described as half painfully Canadian and half hardcore Greek. I love this family makeup and as I’ve married into a painfully Canadian family (a painfully Canadian family that I adore) I choose to be the hardcore Greek half, even though I’m hardly Greek enough for the role. It just means I’m a stern mama (most of the time), I insist on celebrating both Easters, both Christmases and the occasional name day – oh and I totally support the desire for two kitchens or at the very least two fridges. If you know any Greeks, that’ll make sense to you. If you don’t, too bad. 🙂

So anyhoo, Easter baskets for Eastern Orthodox Easter! Cheesecake isn’t an often requested treat in our house, but these things were way cute. They would be even cuter with Easter cupcake liners which are officially on my list of things to do next year. Maybe I wont be moving across international lines this time next year! Also, these were actually made last year.

Easter Cheesecake Baskets

Easter Cheesecake Baskets – adapted from Kraft

2 8 ounce pkgs cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut, tinted green
36 small jelly beans
12 pieces shoestring licorice, 4″ lengths

Easter Cheesecake Baskets
Easter Cheesecake Baskets
Preheat your oven to 350F and beat the cream cheese and the sugar. Add the egg and beat until blended.
Easter Cheesecake Baskets
Easter Cheesecake Baskets
Mix the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter, then press into individual muffin cups.
Easter Cheesecake Baskets
Easter Cheesecake Baskets
Now pour the actual cheesecake batter over top of the crust.
Easter Cheesecake Baskets
Easter Cheesecake Baskets
Easter Cheesecake Baskets
Bake for about 20 minutes, then cool and pop in the fridge for at least 2 hours. The green coconut is for festive grass but my kids hate coconut so it’s a waste. However, they love mini eggs and jellybeans so I added those to the ‘baskets’ and then the licorice handles! Way cute!
Easter Cheesecake Baskets
Easter Cheesecake Baskets
Easter Cheesecake Baskets
No Comments

Greetings From California!

California

So my exciting news that I was afraid to jinx by sharing with you all?

It finally happened! We have been in Los Angeles since the wee hours of last Wednesday morning and all five of us have loved every second of it. Apartment hunting here is definitely more fun than apartment hunting pretty much anywhere else. We found a place last weekend and moved in on Monday. I’ll get a desk and blog about our crazy amazing road trip this weekend. Theeen, I’ll get back to blogging about stuff I have already made and finally get back to actually cooking and baking again! That will be so nice!

Actually this afternoon I made a cute lunch and treat for myself from scratch while Skyping with my dad and I’ll try to get that up next week too.

So far, we’ve tried out a handful of American chains we are painfully deprived of in Canada like In n Out, Carl’s Jr, and Pinkberry. I’ve also discovered a handful of menu items that are totally different at Starbucks and my fave local place this week has been California Pizza Kitchen. Super good!

I will leave you with some obnoxious photos I took at the Santa Monica Pier recently before I get back to blogging on the regular again next week. Wish me luck!!!!

1 Comment