Celebration Krispies

So what I didn’t tell you when we discussed Bigg Sis’ birthday bash is that summer is high holla time for birthdays for this family. While my kids are winter babies, a huge portion of my extended family has summer birthdays. Between May and June we have a whole lotta celebrating going on – and it picks up again late in July and stretches all the way through August. Heck, we’re just celebrating all the time. Truth is, as I’ve revealed before, sometimes I get a little celebration overload. I am NOT super great at saying no to yummy stuff, so when celebrations start piling up, I usually start piling on. And more importantly I just feel weighed down and kind of oogie.

The last two months went a bit like this: a few weeks after my husband’s birthday, we had the start of summer vacation including Bigg Sis’ birthday celebration. The weekend after we got back we celebrated our 14th anniversary. This was followed in no time by about 15 end of school year events, celebrations, weird meals because of special events, the LAST DAY OF SCHOOL blowout, Father’s Day and then… my birthday. I was kind of done. Not done celebrating, just kind of done eating for a while. So instead of a traditional cake I decided I wanted something a little lighter, a little more just like a treat, and a little more no-bake on a hot summer day. I turned to my friend Dreena Burton and she had answers for me (she must really love me).

I spotted her krispie treats and I knew it was a summer must-do, but I had to change it up a little, and not just because of what I had on hand (although that reality played a role as usual), but because I was remembering a candy… a candy from my past that made me weak in the knees. Honestly, while I don’t really do “candy” per se anymore, if I saw it on a store shelf, I just might have to make an exception, because Toffifay completed me.  I loved everything about it – the little blister pack that it came in, the relatively limited quantity the normal portion was sold in, and the yummy perfection that the little caramel cups with hazelnuts and dark chocolate tops were.

Yes, this is still your health food pushing friend, Little Sis. I have not always been thus, you see. And I do occasionally hear the siren call from the other side.  I have always been glad that Toffifay is not more widely distributed.  I am somewhat troubled to now discover that I could, if I so wished, have a nearly endless supply delivered right to my door… egads.

But it’s okay – because I don’t need them delivered to my door.  I can have my very own Toffifay-esque krispy treats that were exactly what the doctor (or the very hot and crabby birthday girl) ordered to celebrate another year passing by at an alarming pace.  And so without further ado, I’m going to share some awesomeness with you.

Celebration Krispies - inspired by Dreena Burton’s Nicer Krispie Squares in Eat, Drink & Be Vegan and Toffifay

• 1/2 c nut butter ( I mixed almond and peanut as that’s what I had)
• 1/2 c maple syrup
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 1/2 t vanilla extract
• 4 cups rice crisp cereal (I used Barbara’s Bakery Brown Rice Crisps Cereal, but you could ABSOLUTELY use other cereals. I’ve used many different kinds of cereal in these kinds of bars and they all work – just go with what works for you)
• 1/3 – 1/2 c hazlenuts, rough chopped (this is part of the Toffifay magic)
• 1/4 – 1/3 c dark chocolate chips
• 2 T chia seeds (totally optional,  just threw them in for a little nutrition boost)

Line an 8 x 8 or a 9 x 11 with parchment paper – or lightly oil.  Choose the size of the pan based on your preference.  The square pan will give you thicker Krispie bars. Combine the nut butter, maple syrup, salt and vanilla in a saucepan on low-medium heat. Stir occasionally as ingredients melt and combine.  A little bubbling is okay, but nothing crazy.  Turn down if need be. While the mixture is heating, put cereal, nuts, chocolate chips and chia seeds in a large bowl.  When mixture is melted and combined, pour it over dry ingredients. Stir gently but with some haste as it will get harder to get everything to combine as the wet ingredients cool off.  Stir until combined. Spoon into pan and gently press down.  Stick in fridge to cool completely before cutting.  Eat and then hide from yourself.  I’m not sure where I put mine.  Okay, yes I am.  I know exactly where they are, and they will not likely be there long. DELISH!

  

Free Tea – And Great Slaw

Isn’t summer grand?

After my strawberry post (the doe has not yet returned, by the way), I got to thinking about how amazing it is that you can plant something in the ground, give it some water, and then you can eat it. I mean, if you really think about that it’s pretty astonishing. I’ve picked about 20 pounds of strawberries at this point and the equivalent of about 20 store bought bunches of kale and chard. I’ve also plucked 6 or 7 beautiful heads of lettuce and a couple of heads worth of broccoli stalks. Just amazing. And I get to eat it; not only that, but it’s good for me. Now, lest you think I’m just showing off, I wanted to focus today on a gardening delight that many have found to be a little less than delightful, mint.

What’s wrong with mint you say? I’m guessing you’ve never grown it if you’re asking that question. My taste bud-driven answer is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with mint; in fact there is only right with mint; however, mint in the garden or yard can be a little, shall we say, unruly. I planted some cuttings from a generous friend a couple of years ago and for a couple of years the mint patch provided us with enough to dress up whatever needed mintifying. This year, the mint has decided that it really likes the raspberry canes and is rushing to meet them. I decided that rather than try to dig it all up and pot it (what I should have done in the first place), I was going to have to up the ante on my mint usage.

Inspired by my pal Jennifer over at New Home Economics, I set out to harvesting my mint, and WOW, did I have a lot to harvest. After cutting as much as I felt like I could deal with at one time (it gets alarmingly fragrant after a while, evidence that you CAN have too much of a good thing) I took it all inside and gave it a bath in my sink in bunches, removing stray blades of grass and insect friends taking an unintended ride-along. I then tied big bunches of the mint together, let it dry on a towel on the table for as long as my family could stand it, hung some up to dry Little House on the Prairie style and put more in front of the basement dehumidifier, Damp House in the Suburbs style. While there is no question that the mint was drying just fine, there was a scent.

I LOVE the smell of mint, truly I do, but there is a drying mint smell that is not unlike a drying basil smell that rings faintly of cat pee. Yes, that’s what I said. So, rather than endure the cat pee smell I turned on the oven as low as it can go (ours goes down to about 110 degrees F) and placed the mint on big trays. With the mint safely in the oven, we moved quickly past the cat pee phase and back to the smells like dried mint phase that I’d been hoping for. All that’s left for these crispy babies is to chop and jar so I can make some chocolate peppermint tea. No, I’m not adding chocolate (although we all know you can’t put it past me), the mint is chocolate peppermint and I’m so excited to brew some.

   

In addition to squirreling away dried mint for tea time, I remembered a coleslaw recipe that had mint and proceeded to dig out an old favorite I hadn’t seen for a while. Substituting based on my available goods, I put together a lovely caraway-mint coleslaw that was super refreshing after a hot day spent on a zoo field trip with 90 kindergarteners.

Psychedelic Slaw with Caraway-Mint Dressing - adapted from the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

• 6 T apple cider vinegar
• 3 T mayonnaise* (or whatever you use for that, I used a vegan substitute)
• 1 T caraway seeds (I’d use more next time since Ms. Picky Pants won’t eat it anyway)
• 1 T maple syrup
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4-1/2 t pepper
• 1 medium head purple cabbage
• 4 medium carrots
• 4 spring onions
• 4 T chopped fresh mint

Combine the first six ingredients in a bowl and whisk or stir with a fork and set aside.  Shred the cabbage and the carrots (yes, a food processor makes this a SUPER easy recipe).  Chop the spring onions into whatever size works for you. Combine all the vegetation in a large bowl.  Pour on dressing and toss. Taste summer. Serve with summer fare.  We had ours with these mushroom burgers (which our friend Becca over at The Earthling’s Handbook says we should call Nutshroom Burgers, and I think she’s right).  Delish!

   

*The original Weight Watchers version of this recipe calls for reduced-calorie mayonnaise.  I would like to just take a moment to explain that I neither endorse nor trust any food item that is made up of predominantly fat that calls itself “reduced-calorie” or “low fat” or “diet” or “lean.”  A fat that is presented as a diet food has taken out some of the fat traditionally used to make it fatty and yummy and replaced it with all kinds of chemical garbage intended to fool your body into tasting and feeling fat.  Personally, I’d rather use a little less of the fat that doesn’t contain a beaker of chemicals. So there.

A Birthday Cake for Bigg Sis

I truly don’t know how she’s done it, but somehow Bigg Sis has managed to have our mutual vacation scheduled to include her birthday for the last few years. It’s genius really if you think about it. Lots of people who love you on hand to accommodate your birthday desires, and an adventurous sister on deck to make a birthday dessert that meets the dietary requirements of the whole crew. And, really, what could be better than being at the beach with your beloved little sister on your birthday?

As you’ve likely guessed our vacation is over, and Bigg Sis and I have returned to our respective parts of the U.S., a little more relaxed, a little more brown (in spite of copious zinc oxide), a little better rested, and with a slew of happy memories to sustain us until we’re able to get together again. Bigg Sis’ birthday fell right smack in the middle of our week, and WOW what a week it was. Our weather was simply stunning. No rainy days, and only one day of slight chill. Every other day warm and sunny but not oppressive. Perfect beach days for toe dipping, castle building, and nature watching.

   

The weather and great company was a balm for my soul.  My beloved furry companion Buster passed away in the early part of our trip (at a ripe old age of 16).  Spending time with my feet in the sand and looking for shells with my sister proved to be just what the doctor ordered.  On her birthday, however, I was determined to celebrate her fabulous self.  We hopped in our cars and headed back up the coast a bit to Jockey’s Ridge State Park and played on the biggest, most other-worldly dunes I’ve ever seen.  Really amazing, really fun, and perfect fodder for wild pictures.

After a quick smoothie stop, we went back to the house and whilst the others returned to the beach, I lingered behind to whip up a little gluten free, dairy free, chocolate laden (admittedly in part to bolster my own mood) birthday yum. While I hadn’t planned ahead (shocker, I know), a perusal of a Dreena Burton cookbook I’d brought along quickly yielded a totally do-able recipe with the ingredients I had on hand (I admit to being anything but a light packer). I made a couple of substitutions and was off to the races, and now you get to eat some too.

Cocoanutty Good Bars adapted from Leslie’s Bad But Good Bars in Eat, Drink & Be Vegan

• 1 c nuts (I used salted cashews and sunflower seeds)
• 1 generous c oats, chopped slightly in food processor or with a knife
• 1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 T cocoa powder
• 1/3 c maple syrup
• 3 T coconut oil (melted)
• 1 c non-dairy chocolate chips (or regular if you don’t care about that)
• 2/3 c extra firm tofu
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 2 T peanut butter (or whatever nut butter you prefer)

Combine first 6 ingredients (through coconut oil) in large bowl and mix until combined.  The mixture will be crumbly, but should hold together when pressed. Scrape mixture into pan (I used a nonstick springform pan as that’s what was in the beach house, and I was going for a birthday cake look.  The original recipe suggests an 8 inch square lined with parchment.  Press mixture down evenly.

Melt chocolate chips however you like (double boiler, bowl over pot, or microwave).  Combine chips and remaining ingredients in food processor and process until smooth.  Scrape out onto base layer and spread evenly.  Place in fridge for at least two hours to allow chocolate to set.  Cut as you like (squares if you’re reasonable, slices if it’s a party) and serve.  We had ours with a variety of ice creams (dairy and non-dairy).  Super delish and just the thing to celebrate my fabulous Bigg Sis who I love so much, I’ll share my heart with her, or at least a picture of the heart I found in the strawberry I ate in the garden this morning.  Love ya Sis.

This post was shared on Allergy Free Wednesday, and Healthy Vegan Friday

Rockin’ Gluten Free Falafel

That’s right Sis, I got you.  In the weird world of cooking for my family, I have made some surprising discoveries.  First, my children don’t like ALL sweet things (and I am so glad). Secondly, my kids usually accept my food dicta without significant complaint and finally (drumroll) my kids will eat anything that has anything to do with chickpeas.  Errrrrrrh….. what what WHAT?  Yes, that’s right chickpeas.  I have no explanation for you.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the little buggers myself, but that discovery certainly had not happened by age 6.  There was not significant trickery to get them to try the little beans, although I admit to calling them tushies and pointing out that they look like a little pile of baby bums.  Some people might not want to eat that, but it worked for my kids… go figure.  So when trying to decide what to make for dinner the other night, and since I was feeling kind of summery and listening to great music, I thought falafel made a lot of sense (if you don’t get the connection you probably wasted less of your 20s than I did).

When I found a falafel recipe, however, I noticed that it had wheat flour and breadcrumbs in it.  Not surprising – most pattie type foods have one or both of these, but thought, I couldn’t possibly serve these to my sister’s family as written, and so I began my usual alteration dance with gluten free falafel as the goal.  And guess what? Gluten free falafel is awesome, regardless of whether or not you’re in the parking lot of a large concert venue.  Gluten free falafel rocked this suburban (okay exurban for the geography geeks – holla!) momma and Ms. Picky Pants?  She had thirds.  Yep. Thirds.  Enough said. If Ms. Picky Pants has thirds, I’m pretty convinced everyone should give this one a go.

Rockin’ Gluten Free Falafel – adapted from Isa Chandra Moskowitz’ falafel found in Vegan with a Vengeance (Grrrrr. Sorry, just being vengeful)

• 1/3 c gluten free rolled oats
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas (canned is fine, just drain and rinse)
• 2 T chickpea flour
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3/4 t garlic powder ( I usually use fresh garlic, but had a garlic emergency – AAAAGH!)
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t ground cumin (more for folks with cumin love – unlike Ms. PP)
• 1 t ground coriander
• 1/4 t of cayenne (I replaced with 1/8 t white pepper – yeah, you get the drill)
• 1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 t salt
• vegetable oil for frying (I used olive oil, but will use safflower next time)
• large leaf lettuce
• falafel fixings (chopped tomato, cukes, whatever floats your boat)
• tahini dressing

Put the oats in a food processor and pulse until the oats look more like bread crumbs than oats.  Add chickpeas and pulse until chickpeas are chopped.  Add ingredients through the salt and process until you have a cohesive, but somewhat coarse mixture.  It will be a little green from the parsley – it’s okay.  You may want to stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times. Remove bowl of food processor (with blade inside) and put in the fridge (with the cover on) for at least 1/2 an hour.

When the time is right, form the batter into 2 inch patties about 1/2 inch thick (no, again, I didn’t and won’t any time soon measure).  Warm oil in the bottom of a pan (I used my cast iron and it worked supah).  How much oil?  More than a low fat cook would normally use, but i avoided the 1/2 inch recommended in the original because I thought that was gross.  I know falafel are traditionally deep fried – my shallow fried falafel were fab.  When oil is warm (shimmery and bubbles up a little when a little batter is added), place patties in pan.  Flip after a couple of minutes, watching for browning.  Remove to drain on paper towels or paper bag you wish to reuse.

Tahini Dressing – this one was also from VWAV, and I strayed less, which is to say only because of what was on hand rather than some dietary goal…

• 8 t olive oil
• 1 1/2 garlic powder (or 3 cloves garlic)
• 1/2 c tahini (or realize you don’t have that much and sub out almond butter for half)
• 2 t balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t paprika
• 1/4 c parsley
• 1/2 c water

Throw it all in a blender and go.  Yep, that’s it and it’s tremendously good.

Serve the falafel wrapped in a lettuce leaf or your favorite gluten free bread product.  If you aren’t so concerned about gluten, try the traditional pita arrangement.  Add fresh veg and some tahini and you’ve got yourself a little party.  I have to admit.  I ate too many.  They were just so freaking good. Delish.

 

 

This post was shared on Wildcrafting Wednesday.

Sometimes It’s Not That Complicated

I am a member of an online Mom’s group.  I don’t necessarily participate all that much, but when the twins were infants and we had just moved here, it was a lifesaver.  There was always someone around to “talk” to.  I still check in from time to time, to chat with my book club friends, get advice on a restaurant, or help a new Mom know it’s going to be okay.  While I was visiting with my online ladies yesterday, an interesting question caught my eye.

Savory Refrigerator Pancakes

What the heck is that you say?  A savory pancake is one make with whole grains (GF version a little later in the post) without vanilla, cinnamon or sugar in the actual pancake which you then top with sauteed or fresh vegetables and sauces or cheeses or even pumpkin sauce that was in the freezer  Admittedly, the pumpkin sauce was in the freezer because it was meant to be an alternative masc & cheese sauce, but nobody liked it that way.  I kept thinking there would be some other use for it.  But you don’t have to use pumpkin sauce!  You can use frozen macaroni and cheese sauce, or salsa, or a little bit of this and a little bit of that.  Really any leftovers that would be good with bread would be good on a pancake…. and sauce makes everything nice.

The Sweet Beast and Morning Decadence

It’s been a while since we specifically talked about sugar. But really it’s a discussion you just kind of keep having.  I have it with myself all the time.  I’m having it right now, in fact, because I’m sitting here wondering why I don’t keep more dessert in the house.  The fact that I’ve been thinking about this for an hour explains why I don’t keep more dessert in the house…  So, maybe it’s time to talk about sugar again.  For those of you who were lured in by the Morning Decadence part of the title – it’s there, recipe included, waiting for you below.

Walnut Crust Apple Pie – GF, DF

Although my whole wheat crusts were never beautiful to look at, they were tasty and I always loved the heartier texture of a whole wheat crust.  My husband requests an apple pie in lieu of cake for his birthday every year, and I was always happy to oblige.

Now that he has been told by his doctor to do away with gluten for awhile to address some health problems (although he is not celiac), what I am supposed to make for the poor man on his birthday?  I know – it’s all about me isn’t it?  ;-)

I have tried a number of gluten free crusts, but as with most gluten free baking, (IMHO), the inclusion of white flours and starches such as potato starch and tapioca flour run afoul of my desire to use whole grains whenever possible, and since they don’t taste very good anyway, I’ve not stuck been very persistent in my search for a solution.

Enter the walnut crust.  Yes, the humble, nutritious, crumbly, bumbly walnut.  I had a friend who used to call me walnut – so I’m allowed to humbly call them crumbly and bumbly.

Googling Up Easy Delish Dinner

I’ve been a little busier than usual lately – I got some real live PAID work, for which I am extremely grateful, but which throws a pretty big wrench in my normal task accomplishment rhythm.  My fabulous bathroom renovation has been, shall we say, stalled (har, har), the garden’s behind, I’ve stopped planning about 15 home improvements and I’ve had a harder time than usual planning food.  Still spinning a bit I guess.  I’ll get the hang of it again, but in the meantime, we still have to eat.

So the other night, when I didn’t get to the market as planned, I made a quick survey of the ingredients I had available, and decided to just google them.  I typed in potatoes, green beans, and coconut milk… and up came dinner.  Isn’t technology wonderful?  And I really mean it this time (unlike so many of the times I say that).

There were several posts that featured the same basic idea (a gentle curry), so I settled on the one that looked like it would make the amount of food I wanted, put some rice in the rice cooker, and got to work changing the recipe to suit myself, as I do.  So I give you:

Coconut Curry with Green Beans, Potatoes and Kale - inspired by this version

Waldorf Saute – Walnuts are Wonderful!

Walnuts are indeed wonderful.  As are apples.  And celery.  Well, of course lots of other foods as well, but this combo has been on my mind and was evidently on the mind of the clever person who put them all together in Waldorf salad.  Why stop there?  Why stop with Waldorf salad?  Why stop at all except for sheer exhaustion?  That’s my usual M.O. anyhow until Little Sis says, “But what are you going to do to relax?”  She gets a certain tone when she says this – sheesh!  As if she’s one to talk  Sometimes I call her to let her know I am just sitting or reading or doing something calm and still.  Hmmm. Haven’t done that in awhile….

At any rate – I got a bee in my bonnet about that Waldorf combo and thought it should be explored in other avenues.  I was thinking about Waldorf chili, but I wasn’t in the mood and was unsure about walnuts and tomato (please correct me if I’m wrong!), so I just decided to saute the Waldorf combo with some other lovely vegetables and my favorite spice cumin and it was a hit.

So I give you,