Are you feeling a little green (in a good way, that is!) on this Wellness Weekend Thursday? I rarely celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s so close to today’s WW, how could I miss it?
So feel free to share all your GREEN recipes this week–and any others that are healthy, sugar free and vegan, of course!.
Newsy Tidbits
Lots of exciting news to share this week! Here’s a recap:
Essential Gluten Free Baking Guides: If you’re gluten-free, you likely already know about the long-awaited launch of two new books by gluten-free bakers extraordinaire, Iris Higgins and Brittany Angell. Their twin set, The Essential Gluten Free Baking Guidesparts I and II were published. As the recipient of an ecopy of Volume I, all I can say is, ‘WOWZAH!” (mixed with quite a bit of drool in there). The books provide an in-depth look at all aspects of gluten-free baking and how to sub ingredients. The recipes sound phenomenal and the photos are stunning. Stay tuned for a review as soon as I can bake a few samples–in the meantime, you can order your own copies here and here.
Better Health Summit: I’m honored to be part of this weekend-long online event happening March 17 and 18, hosted by Heather Nauta, a holistic nutritionist who blogs at Healthy Eating Starts Here. Heather interviewed (via video) 14 of us in the holistic health field, including luminaries such as Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn (Forks Over Knives), Donna Gates (Body Ecology Diet), Jack Norris (veganhealth.org), Dreena Burton (bestselling cookbook author) and more. You can tune in each hour–or whenever you like–to hear the interviews, then play along with a virtual “scavenger hunt” for prizes (like my 3 ebooks!). My video interview is at 4:00 PM on Sunday.
In My Gluten-Free Kitchen Event: Wendy from Celiacs in the House hosts a weekly event called My Gluten Free Kitchen in which she profiles the kitchen of a different gluten-free blogger. Some of these are spectacular, some are cozy and welcoming, some are quirky–and all are fascinating! Tune in tomorrow for the next kitchen, or peek at previous posts.
Sweet Victory is Back–and We’ve Got FIVE Free Spots to Give Away! You’ve heard me talk about it, and now it’s almost here–the Sweet Victory 2-week, online sugar detox that I co-teach with Andrea Nakayama of Replenish PDX! This course provides key information and strategies to rid yourself of sugar’s grip–plus a 2-week meal plan, recipes, and online support 24/7. We’ll be doing two live teleseminars during the course (recorded for later access if you miss them or want to review) with all the key info. We’re giving away FIVE coveted spots in this course–worth $227 each–so if you’ve ever wanted to detox from sugar, now is the time! So far, Cara, Hallie and Deanna have posted their giveaways, so head over to each of them and enter! More giveaways to come–stay tuned!
With spring so close, all I can think of is “fresh”! That means fresh ingredients–but also any fresh take on a classic dish. So that’s our theme this week! Some fresh entries:
Lavash Bhaji from Healthy Kitschy Vegan. A fresh take on Indian street food, Pav Bhaji. I’d love this over a pudla (chickpea pancake), too!
And this week’s Readers’ Choices:
Readers’ Choice, Savory:Nut Roast from GF, SCD and Veggie. I was delighted to see that you all clambor for nut roast as much as I do!
Readers’ Choice, Sweet: Homemade Protein Bars from Whole New Mom. With 150+ views already on this recipe, Adrienne hit it out of the park with this do-it-yourself protein bar!
Thank you to every one of you who played along by submitting your recipes! I love seeing what you all make each week. I always look forward to seeing what you’ll come up with!
Please join us for Wellness Weekend this weekend! There are so many options for healthy foods. . . whether or not you’re vegan, remember that many salads, veggie side dishes, pasta dishes, desserts, smoothies, and more are naturally vegan and can all be included!
Here’s How to Participate–PLEASE NOTE NEW GUIDELINES!!
The event occurs once a week, starting Thursdays at 8:00 PM my time and running until Monday at midnight.
Simply link up a recipe you made (and posted about) that contains health-supporting ingredients (see list below). You may link up older posts from your archives as long as they contain a link to this post. Please do not link more than once to the same page from your blog.
Please link the post with your recipe, NOT your blog’s home page or another event page. The post must contain a recipe.
You may submit more than one recipe, but please follow the guidelines for each one individually. ONLY ONE THUMBNAIL FROM EACH BLOG POST, PLEASE.
Please be sure to mention this event and include a link back to this post so that others can find all the recipes posted!
Feel free to use the blog badge, above (or see the left sidebar of this page–if you need the html code, let me know and I’ll send it to you). Many thanks to Adrienne of Whole New Mom for setting up the badge code for me!
As always, I hate to remove links, but will do so if they don’t comply with the guidelines. I will try to email you to let you know, but I can’t always do so–if you’re wondering why your post was removed, you can email me, or read the last section below.
What your recipe CAN contain:
Any good-for-you, whole foods, especially those with antioxidant properties or “functional foods” (ie, offering naturally medicinal or health-promoting qualities–such as garlic, coconut oil, all vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.)–but any fresh, real food is welcome!
Natural sweeteners (coconut sugar, agave, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, stevia, Sucanat, rapadura, coconut nectar, yacon syrup, etc.)
Vegan ingredients (even if you’re not vegan, OF COURSE you can still play along! You’ll be surprised at how many foods are naturally vegan; and if not, there are many subs you can use for eggs, milk or butter–include vegan options and we’re good to go!).
Note that this is NOT AN ACD-ONLY EVENT. Any real food ingredients that are sugar-free and vegan are more than welcome–so use that maple syrup, those mushrooms, that nutritional yeast, miso, etc! I’m just looking for healthy, whole foods recipes.
What your recipe cannot contain:
White flour, white sugar, or any highly refined, highly processed ingredients (note that regular brown sugar is actually refined!);
Anything almost entirely artificial (ie, most boxed mixes, fast food, faux “cheese,” faux “meat,” or margarine, unnaturally colored cereals or other foods, etc.);
Animal products (meat, chicken, fish or seafood, or their by-products, gelatin, eggs, dairy, butter or honey).
“Hey! Why was my entry removed?”
I will reluctantly remove any links that don’t comply. I apologize, but I will no longer be able to leave a comment telling you that I’ve removed a non-compliant link.
The most common reason entries are removed is because they don’t adhere to the guidelines:either they don’t contain a link back to this post, they contain ingredients that aren’t listed here, they are a re-post of a blog entry that is more than one week old, they link to another blog event, or they contain neither a recipe nor anything directly related to food preparation. If you render a recipe vegan-friendly by adding a vegan option to your ingredients, your post will be good to go! For older posts, you’re welcome to re-post them during the week of the event, or choose a newer recipe.
Another reason posts are removed is because the link leads to an advertisement or a business blog. Please do NOT link up posts that are merely referrals to a different post or the home page for another blog event.
Only one thumbnail per post, please. If your post contains two suitable recipes, link up once and people will still see all your fabulous recipes when they click on the linky.
I hate to have to remove links! PLEASE read the guidelines before posting!
And n0w. . . what have you been cooking up lately? Please share!
* Or, CocoWal. Or, WalCoco. Or, Waco Nut**. Or, There is Really No Way to Combine “Walnut” and “Coconut” in a Cute and Catchy Contraction.
[Sometimes, you just want a dish that's quick and easy--no fuss. I've decided to offer a mini-post every once in a while, for a dish that comes together incredibly quickly or else is so simple to make that no recipe is required. Here's today's "Flash in the Pan." (For other FitP recipes, see "Categories" at right).]
So I’m a little obsessed with nut butters these days. Ever since I started the anti-candida diet (ACD) back in March, 2009 (I know–*sigh*), I’ve grown more and more to love them. And I’m not the only one. Last week, I noticed two blogger buddies who also made nut butters: Cheryl mixed up some macadamia maple, while Alta enjoyed vanilla almond-walnut.
Maybe it’sthe fact that when you’re on a low-glycemic diet, healthy fats (such as in nuts) provide an alternative source of energy to the usual glucose from carbs; or maybe it’s the fact that the taste and many flavors of nut butter are luxuriously rich and sweet, and therefore appealing all on their own; or maybe it’s that nuts naturally contain incredibly good-for-you mono- and polyunsaturates (the paragons of fat, the apotheosis of oils, the quintessence of grease, the cream of–well, cream)–those ideals of all Fatty Acids, the Omegas–to support overall health. Or maybe it’s the fact that they are just an expression of my nutty side.
Along with my nut butter obsession, I also seem to have developed a little lucuma obsession; witness my recent Butterscotch Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (plus the previous Raw Caramel Cookie Dough Truffles), not to mention the fact that I throw lucuma in every smoothie, shake, cereal, and pretty much anything else I can add it to lately. So, I decided, what the heck–why not add it to my nut butter as well?
[Freshly made Walconut flows freely!]
I’m sure we all know how divinely delicious–and yet how expensive–coconut butter is. If you have a VitaMix or any high-powered blender, I’m here to tell you that it is super-simple to make your own. Add soft, naturally Omega-3 rich walnuts to the mix and you get a carrier that blends up so smoothly and so quickly that those little coconut shreds feel obliged to comply and join the party. This is an incredibly fast and easy combination butter that is, quite frankly, irresistible (and which, in my opinion, bears more than a passing resemblance to macadamia butter–but oh so much less costly!).
So, this is what I’ve been slathering on buns, muffins, bread, crackers, apple slices, even collard leaves, lately. In fact, I’ve been slathering it all over the place (okay, well, not everywhere, silly!).
Even if you’re not as enamored of nut butters as I am, this spread is a great way to spruce up your breakfast, dessert, or snacks. Or, you could just eat it straight. Next thing you know, you’ll be dreaming up all kinds of nutty combinations, too.
[Fresh from the refrigerator, nice and firm for spreading.]
Butterscotch Walnut-Coconut Butter
Suitable for Anti Candida Diet (ACD) All Stages
The pairing of walnuts and coconut makes for a very indulgent-tasting spread that’s firm when refrigerated and softens as it stands at room temperature. Once liquid, it’s also a great ice cream topper.
2 cups (340 g or 12 oz) walnut halves, lightly toasted
2 cups (130 g or 4.5 oz) unsweetened shredded coconut
1/8-1/4 tsp (.5-1 ml) fine sea salt, to your taste
20-30 drops plain or vanilla liquid stevia, to your taste (I use NuNaturals)
Place the walnuts in the container of a high-speed blender and top with the coconut and salt. Blend, using the plunger as needed, until the mixture is liquefied (1-2 minutes). Add the lucuma, vanilla and stevia and blend again. Pour into a clean jar or container and refrigerate until ready to use. Makes about 2 cups. Will keep, covered in the refrigerator, up to 3 weeks.
“Mum, what’s the big deal with nut butter? I’d much rather be obsessed with my ball.”
When I first met the HH way back in 1997, he was dabbling in astrology. I don’t mean the kind of horoscopes you read in the daily newspaper or receive each morning on twitter. No, I mean the kind of astrology that involves a mega-detailed analysis such as casting a natal chart, consulting celestial connections, assessing trine relationships, checking the aspects of the sun, tabulating the temperature at 3:00 PM EST on Pluto, combing through the weekly sales flyer at Costco, etc.
Then, after he’d done all that, he proudly presented me with a 26-page printed document that outlined my basic personality traits, possible career moves, future inclinations, ideal love relationship, suggested pets, and so on. It had taken him almost three weeks of his free time in the evenings to analyze, study, measure and print the thing.
That’s when it hit me: this guy was a keeper.
One detail he was very fond of repeating was how our two signs (he: Scorpio of the Eagle phase; she: Libra ), were stacked up in a love relationship: the pairing was destined to be either perfectly compatible, a shimmering, calm and crystal-clear lake on a sunny day in July; or eternally on the verge of combustion, a stack of old newspapers perilously close to the fireplace. (Personally, I think we vacillate between the two).
In explaining the different elements of my horoscope, the HH also pointed out that, according to our respective dates, times, and places of birth, his sign was ”destined” to be a “teacher” to my sign. Well, if you count teaching me the difference between a gigabyte and a terabyte; what blacklight power is; why a cartridge is superior to a needle; or the fact that Tazio Nuvolari once navigated his Alfa Romeo through an archway with less than an inch on each side of his car–at 100 miles per hour–then yes, he’s taught me a lot. But when it comes to things like expressing one’s emotions; returning phone calls; whether or not a specific occasion requires a card; or remembering to renew his passport so he can travel to Nourished in Chicago with me in April–well, let’s just say that I could teach the HH a few things as well.
Ah, yes. Back to the cookies.
At some point shortly after the Presentation of the Horoscope, I decided to bake chocolate chip cookies to thank my sweetie for his efforts. I mean, who doesn’t love chocolate chip cookies? I’ve written before how I first began to bake them when I was a mere tot at my Aunt Yetta’s knee.
As you know, classic chocolate chip cookies come in myriad forms, sizes, thickenesses and textures. There are the ”crispy-throughout” cookies, the “crispy-on-the-outside-chewy-on-the-inside” variety, or the deliberately underbaked, “chewy-throughout” style of chocolate chippers. And let’s not forget the “not-baked-at-all-raw-cookie-dough” version, which was for decades the type preferred by yours truly. (Once I went gluten free, I was devastated to discover that my raw cookie dough no longer held its former allure; I actually found it distasteful, the bean flours asserting themselves a little too strongly in the dough).
Back then my exclusive CC Cookie was my mother’s classic recipe, which had been in our family for eons. It represented my ideal: a perfect balance between brown and white sugar, with a little more butter than most other recipes to form a crisp, crunchy exterior and dense, soft and buttery interior studded with melty chocolate chips (not to mention a killer raw cookie dough). The HH, on the other hand, favored a cookie that was crispy throughout. He took a bite of one of my cookies and announced, “It’s good, but it sort of tastes like a ball of raw dough. Ugh.”
And at that moment, I wondered: IS this guy a keeper?
Over the years, I kept at it. And through it all, the HH wanted nothing more than President’s Choice Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookies–crisp as a Toronto day in mid-January, from the first crumb to the very last morsel in your mouth.
Then I came across a recipe in Vegetarian Timesthat used oatmeal and walnuts plus several ingredients I don’t eat: canola oil (usually GMO), brown sugar (cane sugar) and chocolate bars (more cane sugar). I set about playing with the recipe. It took a few tries, but in the end, that recipe taught me a lot. I learned that the exact measurement of water is key. I learned that the combination of both coconut sugar and coconut nectar creates a synergy resulting in just the right balance of crispy exterior and chewy interior. I learned that psyllium husks are my new favorite binder. I learned so much that I began to wonder if the recipe creator might have been a Scorpio.
I offered the HH a cookie. He bit into it, chewed it enthusiastically, and helped himself to another (I think this “multiple dessert servings” business is getting to be a habit with that HH!). He even commented on the fact that they were “nice and chewy in the middle.” And then he added, “Yep, I think this one’s a keeper.”
Well, then! Seems the HH learned a thing or two from me as well, hmmm?
“It’s a Keeper” Butterscotch-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Suitable for Anti-Candida Diet (ACD) Stage 3 and beyond
Just like the cookies grandma used to make. . . except with a whole lot more healthy ingredients. Many gluten free bakers are beginning to use psyllium in their baking as a replacement for xanthan gum. In this recipe, the psyllium is essential: I tried the recipe various ways with flax and/or chia, but the results were nowhere near as good.
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment, or spray with nonstick spray.
In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, mix together the coconut sugar, water, coconut nectar, vanilla, oil and stevia; whisk to begin dissolving the coconut sugar. Set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor, process the oats until they resemble cornmeal. Add the nuts, lucuma, baking soda, baking powder, salt and psyllium and continue to process until it’s very fine and begins to stick together, moving round in a solid “wall” around the edges of the processor (the texture will be like a slightly moist sawdust at this point, and should still fall apart in a powder when you separate it with your fingers, NOT like a dough that sticks together).
Drizzle the wet mixture in a ring over the dry ingredients in the processor and process until it comes together in a dough. Lift the blade and scrape away any liquid that’s hiding under there, then return the blade and process again briefly to incorporate. Remove the blade and stir in the chips by hand. Do not process again.
Scoop the dough using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon and place in mounds on a cookie sheet. Use your wet palm or a silicone spatula to flatten the cookies to about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thickness. Bake in preheated oven for 8-12 minutes, until the edges are golden. Allow to cool before removing from the cookie sheets. Makes 12-15 cookies. May be frozen.
*Just in case there’s any doubt, I meant that in the sense of, ”These brownies will make him/her/you declare, ”Marry Me!” and not in the sense of, “You will want to marry these brownies”–though weirder things have happened.
[What's that I see beside these squares of bliss? Could it be--?!!]
Now, I know it may seem a little odd for me to name this recipe “Marry Me Brownies” when I myself am not married (was that a collective gasp from the balcony? Sorry if you hadn’t realized that The HH and I are not technically living in wedded bliss–we just feel as if we are. Though I suppose that after almost 15 years, he may as well be my legal spouse. And besides, “Cohabitate with Me Brownies” just doesn’t have the same ring to it).
As you may recall, The HH and I met when we were both, shall I say, “mature” (I was almost 40 and he was 41), both having exited a first marriage on not-so-friendly terms. Neither one of us felt the need to revisit that same state of incarcerationball and chainacrimony matrimony any time soon.
Besides, if you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you already know that when it comes to love and courtship, my sweetheart is an incurable pragmatist. Left to his own devices, he would never experience a desire to buy flowers, call for a date (I was the one who asked him out), celebrate an anniversary or even buy his beloved a birthday gift each year (in fact, when my 40th birthday fell less than a month after we moved in together, he neglected to buy me a present. Suffice it to say that, had he not already unpacked all his boxes from the move, we might not have stayed together).
Luckily, though, my honey is a quick learner: these days, he never forgets to ask, ”Is this an occasion that requires a card?” before major events like anniversaries or statutory holidays, in addition to buying actual gifts.
So, back to the brownies. I figured that if a roasted chicken could prompt a proposal, then these brownies would, no doubt, achieve at least the same result–if not incite a full-fledged elopement or extemporaneous wedding ceremony. Yes, they are that good.
[Extreme Fudge Factor]
In fact, I’d say these brownies have been three years in the making. Actually, after 14–fourteen!!–batches made before I got them just right, it sort of feels like I’ve been baking them for three years. But that’s not what I meant; I meant that it’s taken me three years to create ACD-compliant brownie that is totally, entirely, completely, absolutely indistinguishable from a “real” brownie. Yes–these are real brownies!
Just like the excessively butter and egg-filled ones, you’ll find these little bars of bliss to be incredibly dense and fudgy, and–be warned–totally irresistible. With a slightly nutella-esque, intensely chocolate flavor and the perfect combination of dry, crackly top and moist, almost candy-like interior, you may just christen these the perfect chocolate confection.
Now, The HH enjoys his desserts in moderation, and he even likes brownies. However, he’s not a sweets addict like me, nor does he share my overweaning adoration of All Things Chocolate. But with these brownies, his reaction was entirely different from the way he’s reacted to any dessert before. He appeared smitten, even from his very first bite. In short order, he ooh’d and aaah’d and mmmm’d his way through the dark, decadent, delectable square.
And then, my non-romantic sweetheart surprised me with something I would never have anticipated he would do. He turned to me, his cheeks a little flushed and his eyes sparkling. His expression was very serious as he leaned over and touched me tenderly on the cheek.
He moved his face very close to mine, smiling softly, and uttered the question he has never asked before, not in the almost-15 years we’ve been together:
“So, can I have another one?”
That’s right–my honey asked for seconds! On dessert!!
Well, what else could a gal say–except, “Yes”?
“So, Mum, what’s the big deal on that question? We ask for seconds of everything, all the time!”
Suitable for the Anti-Candida Diet (ACD) Stage 3 and beyond
It’s been a while since I ate a brownie as rich, fudgy and decadent-tasting as this one. These little packets of deliciousness will be devoured in fairly short order.
NOTE: For this recipe to work, it is IMPERATIVE that you follow directions and mix ingredients in the exact order described here. Otherwise you may end up with a grainy, non-cohesive brownie (it will still taste divine, but the texture won’t be quite right and it won’t hold together well).
2 cups (10 oz or 280 g) natural hazelnuts, with skins, lightly toasted (OR use 1 cup/240 ml natural smooth hazelnut butter)
2 Tbsp (30 ml) macadamia oil (or other nut- or vegetable-based, light tasting) oil
4 prunes (dried plums), cut in quarters**–make sure they are very soft!
6 Tbsp (90 ml/60 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (get the dark one if you can find it)
about 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) pure stevia powder (such as NuNaturals), or 80 drops (2 tsp/10 ml) plain or vanilla stevia liquid, to your taste
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) baking powder
1/4 tsp (1 ml) baking soda
1/2 tsp (2. 5 ml) fine sea salt
6 Tbsp (90 ml) light agave nectar
5 Tbsp (75 ml) plain or vanilla rice milk
2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 325F (170C). Line a regular loaf pan or 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with parchment, or spray with nonstick spray. (The loaf pan will yield high, thick brownies, like those in the photos; the square pan will yield flatter squares. They will both taste divine).
If using toasted nuts: In a high-speed blender, blend the hazelnuts and oil until it forms a very smooth nut butter. Continue blending until you have a pourable liquid with absolutely no signs of any pieces of nuts. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl, cleaning out the blender container as much as possible. Set aside.
If using nut butter: Place nut butter and oil in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
To the blender container, add, in order, the prunes, cocoa, stevia powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, agave nectar, rice milk and vanilla. Blend until very smooth. It will resemble chocolate sauce for ice cream (and, in fact, feel free to use it that way). Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl with the nut butter, taking care to clean out the blender container very well (try not to leave anything behind!).
Using a wooden spoon (a whisk is no longer strong enough at this point), stir the batter until well combined, but do not overmix. (If the oil begins to separate, don’t worry; you can blot off any excess later on, after the brownies have cooled). Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake 45-55 minutes (for the loaf pan) or 30-35 minutes (for the square pan), just until a knife or tester comes out barely clean when inserted in the center of the pan (it may have some moist crumbs clinging to it; that’s okay). If you prefer more cake-like brownies, continue baking until the knife comes out perfectly clean. Allow to cool completely before cutting (they will be very fragile when warm). Ideally, allow these to sit in the fridge, covered, overnight for best texture (yeah, like that’s going to happen).
May be frozen. Makes 12 large or 16 more reasonably sized brownies.
**Note: Most ACD diets do not allow prunes/dried plums. However, at this stage (over 3 years on the diet), I am beginning to re-introduce some dried fruit to my recipes. Prunes are fairly low sugar, there are only 4 in the entire recipe, and, since the recipe aleady contains agave nectar, I am okay with the prunes. If you’re not, please don’t use them! You could try 1/3 cup (80 ml) pear puree–though I haven’t tried it that way yet, I’m almost certain the texture would be different in that case.
Hi Everyone! Well, my computer wasn’t participating today, so this will be a short blurb to our WW this week. But a short intro doesn’t mean YOU skimped in any way in last week’s event–in fact, it was the biggest event ever!! I can’t thank you all enough or tell you how impressed I always am with your creativity and the variety of healthy dishes in the event. I’m looking forward to this week’s, too!
UPDATE: I had to sneak back in to let you know about an exciting event this coming Monday, February 6th! I’ll be hosting a Tweet Chat (chat on twitter) with Amy Green (of Simply Sugar and Gluten Free), all about “Beyond the Gluten Free Diet.” It will be a little sneak peek into the topics at Nourished, the food blogger conference (at which I’ll be speaking on April 13th) for those of us on special diets!
Scallion Cashew Vegan Cheese from City Life Eats is faster than most vegan nut cheeses to make, and sure does look delish!
Triple Berry Smoothie from The Grecian Garden provides loads of antioxidants and a hit of green as well.
And this week’s Readers’ Choices:
Readers’ Choice, Savory: Mama’s Green Power Juice from Flip Cookbook. How great to see that y’all love green juices as much as I do!
Readers’ Choice, Sweet: Healthy Almond Joy Bars from Adrienne at The Balanced Platter. I’d say this recipe took you all by storm, with almost 150 clicks to the thumbnail!
Thank you to every one of you who played along by submitting your recipes! I love seeing what you all make each week. I always look forward to seeing what you’ll come up with!
Please join us for Wellness Weekend this weekend! There are so many options for healthy foods. . . whether or not you’re vegan, remember that many salads, veggie side dishes, pasta dishes, desserts, smoothies, and more are naturally vegan and can all be included!
Here’s How to Participate (PLEASE READ THESE GUIDELINES CAREFULLY BEFORE LINKING UP!):
The event occurs once a week, starting Thursdays at 8:00 PM my time and running until Monday at midnight.
Simply link up a recipe you made (and posted about) within the past week that contains health-supporting ingredients (see list below). Use the Linky Tool at the bottom of the page. Please do not link more than once to the same web page!
Please link the post with your recipe, NOT your blog’s home page or another event page. The post must contain a recipe.
You may submit more than one recipe, but please follow the guidelines for each one individually. ONLY ONE THUMBNAIL PER POST, PLEASE.
Please be sure to mention this event and include a link back to this post so that others can find all the recipes posted!
Feel free to use the blog badge, above (or see the left sidebar of this page–if you need the html code, let me know and I’ll send it to you). Many thanks to Adrienne of Whole New Mom for setting up the badge code for me!
As always, I hate to remove links, but will do so if they don’t comply with the guidelines. I will try to email you to let you know, but I can’t always do so–if you’re wondering why your post was removed, you can email me, or read the last section below.
What your recipe CAN contain:
Any good-for-you, whole foods, especially those with antioxidant properties or “functional foods” (ie, offering naturally medicinal or health-promoting qualities–such as garlic, coconut oil, all vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.)–but any fresh, real food is welcome!
Natural sweeteners (coconut sugar, agave, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, stevia, Sucanat, rapadura, coconut nectar, yacon syrup, etc.)
Vegan ingredients (even if you’re not vegan, OF COURSE you can still play along! You’ll be surprised at how many foods are naturally vegan; and if not, there are many subs you can use for eggs, milk or butter–include vegan options and we’re good to go!).
Note that this is NOT AN ACD-ONLY EVENT. Any real food ingredients that are sugar-free and vegan are more than welcome–so use that maple syrup, those mushrooms, that nutritional yeast, miso, etc! I’m just looking for healthy, whole foods recipes.
What your recipe cannot contain:
White flour, white sugar, or any highly refined, highly processed ingredients (note that regular brown sugar is actually refined!);
Anything almost entirely artificial (ie, most boxed mixes, fast food, faux “cheese,” faux “meat,” or margarine, unnaturally colored cereals or other foods, etc.);
Animal products (meat, chicken, fish or seafood, or their by-products, gelatin, eggs, dairy, butter or honey).
“Hey! Why was my entry removed?”
The most common reason entries are removed is because they don’t adhere to the guidelines:either they don’t contain a link back to this post, they contain ingredients that aren’t listed here, they are a re-post of a blog entry that is more than one week old, they link to another blog event, or they contain neither a recipe nor anything directly related to food preparation. If you render a recipe vegan-friendly by adding a vegan option to your ingredients, your post will be good to go! For older posts, you’re welcome to re-post them during the week of the event, or choose a newer recipe.
Another reason posts are removed is because the link leads to an advertisement or a business blog. Please do NOT link up posts that are merely referrals to a different post or the home page for another blog event.
Only one thumbnail per post, please. If your post contains two suitable recipes, link up once and people will still see all your fabulous recipes when they click on the linky.
I hate to have to remove links! PLEASE read the guidelines before posting!
Isn’t it great how the days are getting longer these days (well, over here in the northern hemisphere, anyway)?.
To me, the only saving grace when it’s the middle of winter is that I get to bask in the sunshine for a few minutes longer each day. Well, sunshine–plus all of your fabulous recipes for Wellness Weekend! Thanks to everyone for submitting another great week of fabulous foodie finds last week!
Below are a few of my picks on the topic of ”creative combinations”:
Readers’ Choice, Savory: Gluten-Free Naan Flatbread from Hobby and More. This spiced naan looks perfect for eating alongside dal, curries–well, anything, really!
Readers’ Choice, Sweet: Seed-Sational Paleo Breakfast Bars from Fresh 4 Five. What a great way to start the day. You clearly all thought so, too, with almost 150 clicks on this entry last week!
Thank you to every one of you who played along by submitting your recipes! I love seeing what you all make each week. I always look forward to seeing what you’ll come up with!
Please join us for Wellness Weekend this weekend! There are so many options for healthy foods. . . whether or not you’re vegan, remember that many salads, veggie side dishes, pasta dishes, desserts, smoothies, and more are naturally vegan and can all be included!
Here’s How to Participate (PLEASE READ THESE GUIDELINES CAREFULLY BEFORE LINKING UP!):
The event occurs once a week, starting Thursdays at 8:00 PM my time and running until Monday at midnight.
Simply link up a recipe you made (and posted about) within the past week that contains health-supporting ingredients (see list below). Use the Linky Tool at the bottom of the page. Please do not link more than once to the same web page!
Please link the post with your recipe, NOT your blog’s home page or another event page. The post must contain a recipe.
You may submit more than one recipe, but please follow the guidelines for each one individually. ONLY ONE THUMBNAIL PER POST, PLEASE.
Please be sure to mention this event and include a link back to this post so that others can find all the recipes posted!
Feel free to use the blog badge, above (or see the left sidebar of this page–if you need the html code, let me know and I’ll send it to you). Many thanks to Adrienne of Whole New Mom for setting up the badge code for me!
As always, I hate to remove links, but will do so if they don’t comply with the guidelines. I will try to email you to let you know, but I can’t always do so–if you’re wondering why your post was removed, you can email me, or read the last section below.
What your recipe CAN contain:
Any good-for-you, whole foods, especially those with antioxidant properties or “functional foods” (ie, offering naturally medicinal or health-promoting qualities–such as garlic, coconut oil, all vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.)–but any fresh, real food is welcome!
Natural sweeteners (coconut sugar, agave, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, stevia, Sucanat, rapadura, coconut nectar, yacon syrup, etc.)
Vegan ingredients (even if you’re not vegan, OF COURSE you can still play along! You’ll be surprised at how many foods are naturally vegan; and if not, there are many subs you can use for eggs, milk or butter–include vegan options and we’re good to go!).
Note that this is NOT AN ACD-ONLY EVENT. Any real food ingredients that are sugar-free and vegan are more than welcome–so use that maple syrup, those mushrooms, that nutritional yeast, miso, etc! I’m just looking for healthy, whole foods recipes.
What your recipe cannot contain:
White flour, white sugar, or any highly refined, highly processed ingredients (note that regular brown sugar is actually refined!);
Anything almost entirely artificial (ie, most boxed mixes, fast food, faux “cheese,” faux “meat,” or margarine, unnaturally colored cereals or other foods, etc.);
Animal products (meat, chicken, fish or seafood, or their by-products, gelatin, eggs, dairy, butter or honey).
“Hey! Why was my entry removed?”
The most common reason entries are removed is because they don’t adhere to the guidelines:either they don’t contain a link back to this post, they contain ingredients that aren’t listed here, they are a re-post of a blog entry that is more than one week old, they link to another blog event, or they contain neither a recipe nor anything directly related to food preparation. If you render a recipe vegan-friendly by adding a vegan option to your ingredients, your post will be good to go! For older posts, you’re welcome to re-post them during the week of the event, or choose a newer recipe.
Another reason posts are removed is because the link leads to an advertisement or a business blog. Please do NOT link up posts that are merely referrals to a different post or the home page for another blog event.
Only one thumbnail per post, please. If your post contains two suitable recipes, link up once and people will still see all your fabulous recipes when they click on the linky.
I hate to have to remove links! PLEASE read the guidelines before posting!
Brrr! Winter has finally hit with its full force in Toronto. I won’t tell you what I said when I first looked outside and saw the snow (hint: it wasn’t “Oh, joy!”).
Well, at least I had all your fabulous recipes from last week to console me! It was the biggest Wellness Weekend yet, with 36 incredible entries! Thanks so much, everyone!
And now, here are some favorites from last week on the theme of “Sunny” (because I long for the sun this time of year!):
Nana “Scream with a Kick from Gluten Free Goodness. Banana soft-serve “ice cream” at its best. And so easy!
Cinnamon Roasted Sunchokes (Jerusalem Artichokes) from Until We Eat Again. How could I resist these fabulous root veggies–that have “sun” right in their name? If you’ve never tried sunchokes, you’re in for a real treat!
Readers’ Choice, Savory: Massaged Kale Salad from Farmer’s Market Vegan. If you love kale as much as I do, you know there are never enough massaged kale salad recipes!
Readers’ Choice, Sweet: Raw Chocolate Macaroons from Tessa the Domestic Diva. Incredibly yummy looking, with a short and sweet list of ingredients, too!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Thank you to every one of you who played along by submitting your recipes! I love seeing what you all make each week. I always look forward to seeing what you’ll come up with!
Please join us for Wellness Weekend this weekend! There are so many options for healthy foods. . . whether or not you’re vegan, remember that many salads, veggie side dishes, pasta dishes, desserts, smoothies, and more are naturally vegan and can all be included!
Here’s How to Participate (PLEASE READ THESE GUIDELINES CAREFULLY BEFORE LINKING UP!):
The event occurs once a week, starting Thursdays at 8:00 PM my time and running until Monday at midnight.
Simply link up a recipe you made (and posted about) within the past week that contains health-supporting ingredients (see list below). Use the Linky Tool at the bottom of the page. Please do not link more than once to the same web page!
Please link the post with your recipe, NOT your blog’s home page or another event page. The post must contain a recipe.
You may submit more than one recipe, but please follow the guidelines for each one individually. ONLY ONE THUMBNAIL PER POST, PLEASE.
Please be sure to mention this event and include a link back to this post so that others can find all the recipes posted!
Feel free to use the blog badge, above (or see the left sidebar of this page–if you need the html code, let me know and I’ll send it to you). Many thanks to Adrienne of Whole New Mom for setting up the badge code for me!
As always, I hate to remove links, but will do so if they don’t comply with the guidelines. I will try to email you to let you know, but I can’t always do so–if you’re wondering why your post was removed, you can email me, or read the last section below.
What your recipe CAN contain:
Any good-for-you, whole foods, especially those with antioxidant properties or “functional foods” (ie, offering naturally medicinal or health-promoting qualities–such as garlic, coconut oil, all vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.)–but any fresh, real food is welcome!
Natural sweeteners (coconut sugar, agave, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, stevia, Sucanat, rapadura, coconut nectar, yacon syrup, etc.)
Vegan ingredients (even if you’re not vegan, OF COURSE you can still play along! You’ll be surprised at how many foods are naturally vegan; and if not, there are many subs you can use for eggs, milk or butter–include vegan options and we’re good to go!).
Note that this is NOT AN ACD-ONLY EVENT. Any real food ingredients that are sugar-free and vegan are more than welcome–so use that maple syrup, those mushrooms, that nutritional yeast, miso, etc! I’m just looking for healthy, whole foods recipes.
What your recipe cannot contain:
White flour, white sugar, or any highly refined, highly processed ingredients (note that regular brown sugar is actually refined!);
Anything almost entirely artificial (ie, most boxed mixes, fast food, faux “cheese,” faux “meat,” or margarine, unnaturally colored cereals or other foods, etc.);
Animal products (meat, chicken, fish or seafood, or their by-products, gelatin, eggs, dairy, butter or honey).
“Hey! Why was my entry removed?”
The most common reason entries are removed is because they don’t adhere to the guidelines:either they don’t contain a link back to this post, they contain ingredients that aren’t listed here, they are a re-post of a blog entry that is more than one week old, they link to another blog event, or they contain neither a recipe nor anything directly related to food preparation. If you render a recipe vegan-friendly by adding a vegan option to your ingredients, your post will be good to go! For older posts, you’re welcome to re-post them during the week of the event, or choose a newer recipe.
Another reason posts are removed is because the link leads to an advertisement or a business blog. Please do NOT link up posts that are merely referrals to a different post or the home page for another blog event.
Only one thumbnail per post, please. If your post contains two suitable recipes, link up once and people will still see all your fabulous recipes when they click on the linky.
I hate to have to remove links! PLEASE read the guidelines before posting!
Recently, a friend emailed me a link to this interview with Bel Kaufman (author of the legendary novel Up the Down Staircase). What struck me most about Kaufman (apart from the fact that she’s still vibrant and joking at 100), was her comment about growing up in Russia during the revolution. At the time, she said, ”Dead bodies were frozen in peculiar positions on the street. . . . But a child has no basis for comparison. Doesn’t every child step over dead bodies? I didn’t know any different.”
In the home where I grew up, my father’s near-ascetic approach to life (after surviving both the Depression and World War II) colored everything we did; we kids just accepted it as part of life. Our family feasted daily on odd cuts of meat (sweetbreads, anyone?), the hard ends of cheese blocks and other atypical fare (my mother became adept at baking with dozens of cracked eggs at one time) because those were the foods that his butcher-shop customers rejected, and of course “food can’t just go to waste.” My sisters and I learned quickly to amass factual evidence and then present a detailed, point-by-point argument to support every request we had because Dad would not permit any new purchases if we couldn’t first convince him that they were absolutely necessary (new boots: yes; bicycle: no; pencil case, yes; Spirograph set: unequivocally no).**
Sunday was established as “family time,” since it was the only day my father didn’t work. Ironically, on those days (after we all had brunch), he chose to drive back to his butcher shop where he’d spent the previous six days, toting all three of us kids, so that our mother could conduct her weekly grocery shopping (in addition to meat, dairy and eggs, his store also carried a few European canned or packaged goods, which made up the bulk of our meals during the week. We grew up snacking on Kosher dill pickles, munching on dense, dark rye bread, spooning out cherries in light syrup straight from the jar or eating chunks of polenta for breakfast).
On the way home from the store, we’d invariably drive through the Town of Mount Royal (one of the nouveau riche areas of town) to admire the houses and then stop at the Mount Royal Cemetery, the three of us wedged into the station wagon’s back seat (the cargo area was, by then, replete with groceries), for our gratis entertainment. My father would inch along so that we could leisurely admire the myriad floral arrangements, stopping occasionally so we could exit the car and examine various headstones (“Hey, look, Mom, this guy’s last name is ‘Outhouse’!!”–”Ricki, this one is called ‘Vowels! Eh, Eeee! Aye, Oh, You. . . ha ha ha!“) or inhale the chaotic perfume from the variegated mounds of blossoms piled here and there. When I was seven or eight, I once plucked a tulip from the mass of petals and leaves, thinking I’d preserve it in a vase once we got home. One of the groundskeepers suddenly appeared, arms flailing, to warn me, “No touch! Belong to family! Big family!” and I immediately understood that we had been impinging on a private plot, and dropped the stem back down as if it had bitten me.
What? Doesn’t every child wander through the cemetery for fun on Sunday afternoons?
[Porridge, fully loaded: here topped with spiced almond butter and goji berries.]
Despite my best efforts, it seems I’ve either inherited or adopted some of my father’s parsimonious ways. When shopping, I can rarely bring myself to spend money on what I consider frivolous expenses (why pay for prepared foods when you can usually make your own? Why pay for patterns on your paper napkins when white ones are perfectly serviceable? Why pay for brand name plastic wrap when generic is just as good?).
As a result, even small indulgences feel really big to me, and what I consider “indulgent” doesn’t necessarily require spending money. To me,”indulgent” is buying canned beans (for the occasional bean butter) rather than soaking my own; or jarred organic applesauce for baking rather than cooking up a homemade batch. It means purchasing a copy of a novel rather than borrowing it from the library. It means lounging in PJs on a Sunday morning to read the paper with the HH–while sipping on Matcha Tea (huge indulgence!) instead of getting to work at the computer.
And it means taking time to bake my porridge rather than simmering it on the stovetop.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve enjoyed several forms of grain-free porridge, after spying this recipe on Brittany’s site and then this one on Gretchen’s. Both dishes rely on squash or pumpkin as their base. I loved the idea, but wanted to include grains (especially when I landed on Day Two of the Fab Detox, focusing on whole, gluten-free grains). My version here used acorn squash, but any kind will do; and more often than not, I enlist my beloved kabocha for the task. Of course, my baked porridge is no longer grain-free, but its luxurious, coconut milk richness and nubby texture works perfectly in tandem with the fragrant spices, and the natural sweetness of the squash makes it a perfect sugar-free treat. Eating a bowlful of this will make you feel very spoiled indeed.
So go ahead, indulge. (What? Doesn’t everyone eat squash-based porridge for breakfast?).
(“Mum, we’d be happy to eat a bowlful of this porridge for breakfast–or any time! And I don’t know about you, but romping through a cemetery sounds pretty normal to us.”)
** Whenever we have an argument (shocking, I know–but it does happen), the HH inevitably tells me I should have been a lawyer given how I can debate an issue to the bitter end. Thanks, Dad.
Millet is one of the healthiest gluten-free grains, possessing alkalizing qualities as well as whole-grain fiber and antioxidants. Combined with squash, the result is a winning combination both in the taste and health-promoting categories. This would make a lovely warm pudding for dessert, too.
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Grease a covered casserole dish with coconut oil or spray with nonstick spray.
Place the millet, rice milk and water in a medium pot and bring to the boil. Turn off heat and add the squash, then whisk to combine well. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Turn into the prepared casserole dish.
Cover the casserole and bake in preheated oven for 55-65 minutes, stirring once every 20 minutes or so, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the millet is very soft (if the mixture appears too dry before the millet is cooked, add a bit more rice milk and return to the oven). Stir again before serving. Makes four servings. May be frozen.
Can it really be the last weekend of the YEAR?! After last’s week’s Holiday Edition, I’m pleased to present you with our final Wellness Weekend event–the one that spans right into 2012!
And so, as we make our way out of 2011 (in our case, blanketed in snow, which arrived yesterday–sniff, boo hoo!), I wish you all a stellar end to the year. I can’t tell you all how much I appreciate your support each week, not only for this event (and I’m thrilled with the great response to it so far!), but for DDD in general, its recipes, ACD-related information, and, of course, The Girls’ musings.
I love hearing from you, whether in comments, by email, on Facebook, twitter or Pinterest–so please keep those comments, questions and reactions coming! I can’t wait to see what 2012 holds for all of us.
Here’s to another year together on DDD!
Hugs,
Ricki xo
And now, for last week’s highlighted recipes. . . .based on the theme, “made for sharing”:
Celery and Chestnut Soup from Green Gourmet Giraffe. I was never a fan of chestnuts until I made my own soup with them last year–and now this soup sounds totally dreamy to me!
Readers’ Choice, Sweet: Healthy Chocolate Truffles from Healthy Kitschy Vegan. With over 120 clicks on the linky, Danni’s easy raw truffles were clearly your top choice in this category last week!
Thank you to every one of you who played along by submitting your recipes! I love seeing what you all make each week. I always look forward to seeing what you’ll come up with!
Please join us for Wellness Weekend this weekend! There are so many options for healthy foods. . . whether or not you’re vegan, remember that many salads, veggie side dishes, pasta dishes, desserts, smoothies, and more are naturally vegan and can all be included!
Here’s How to Participate (PLEASE READ THESE GUIDELINES CAREFULLY BEFORE LINKING UP!):
The event occurs once a week, starting Thursdays at 8:00 PM my time and running until Monday at midnight.
Simply link up a recipe you made (and posted about) within the past week that contains health-supporting ingredients (see list below). Use the Linky Tool at the bottom of the page. Please do not link more than once to the same web page!
Please link the post with your recipe, NOT your blog’s home page. The post must contain a recipe.
You may submit more than one recipe, but please follow the guidelines for each one individually. ONLY ONE THUMBNAIL PER POST, PLEASE.
Please be sure to mention this event and include a link back to this post so that others can find all the recipes posted!
Feel free to use the blog badge, above (or see the left sidebar of this page–if you need the html code, let me know and I’ll send it to you). Many thanks to Adrienne of Whole New Mom for setting up the badge code for me!
As always, I hate to remove links, but will do so if they don’t comply with the guidelines.
What your recipe CAN contain:
Any good-for-you, whole foods, especially those with antioxidant properties or “functional foods” (ie, offering naturally medicinal or health-promoting qualities–such as garlic, coconut oil, all vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.)–but any fresh, real food is welcome!
Natural sweeteners (coconut sugar, agave, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, stevia, Sucanat, rapadura, coconut nectar, yacon syrup, etc.)
Vegan ingredients (even if you’re not vegan, OF COURSE you can still play along! You’ll be surprised at how many foods are naturally vegan; and if not, there are many subs you can use for eggs, milk or butter–include vegan options and we’re good to go!).
Note that this is NOT AN ACD-ONLY EVENT. Any real food ingredients that are sugar-free and vegan are more than welcome–so use that maple syrup, those mushrooms, that nutritional yeast, miso, etc! I’m just looking for healthy, whole foods recipes.
What your recipe cannot contain:
White flour, white sugar, or any highly refined, highly processed ingredients (note that regular brown sugar is actually refined!);
Anything almost entirely artificial (ie, most boxed mixes, fast food, faux “cheese,” faux “meat,” or margarine, unnaturally colored cereals or other foods, etc.);
Animal products (meat, chicken, fish or seafood, or their by-products, gelatin, eggs, dairy, butter or honey).
“Hey! Why was my entry removed?”
The most common reason entries are removed is because they don’t adhere to the guidelines:either they don’t contain a link back to this post, they contain ingredients that aren’t listed here, they are a re-post of a blog entry that is more than one week old, or they contain neither a recipe nor anything directly related to food preparation. If you render a recipe vegan-friendly by adding a vegan option to your ingredients, your post will be good to go! For older posts, you’re welcome to re-post them during the week of the event, or choose a newer recipe.
Another reason posts are removed is because the link leads to an advertisement or a business blog. Please do NOT link up posts that are merely referrals to a different post or the home page for another blog event.
Only one thumbnail per post, please. If your post contains two suitable recipes, link up once and people will still see all your fabulous recipes when they click on the linky.
I hate to have to remove links! PLEASE read the guidelines before posting!
NOTE: A few of you have mentioned problems linking up in the past couple of weeks because of the backlink requirement. If the linky won’t work for you, please let me know so I can tell the Linky Tools owner and the problem can be fixed!
Hope you all had a fantastic holiday! Over here in the DDD household, we’ve had a wonderful time the past few days, what with the HH on holidays between Christmas and New Year’s.
(“Yes, Mum, we’ve loved it, too! It’s great to have those extra trail-walks. . . and play time. . . and. . . ooh, whatever that yummy food is called! Um. . . do you think I could have some more of that stuff?”)
After scrambling at a cougar’s pace (that would be the feline kind, not the Courtney-Cox kind) the last few weeks to complete my work at the college (ie, marking last-minute assignments and over 170 exams within the space of 4 days); keep up with writing commitments; and buy gifts for my loved ones (then wrap and give said gifts to their intended recipients)–on Christmas Eve, finally, I began to unwind, think about some serious chillaxing, and prepare for a fabulous festive feast (including triple alliteration, no less).
“Yeah, Mum, chillaxing is great this time of year! I’m feeling toasty warm over here by the fireplace. Oh, and by the way, I’m happy to help with leftovers. . . you know what I’m talking about.”
This year, the HH announced once again that he would like a tradtional turkey dinner. As regular readers of this blog likely know, my honey is a devoted carnivore. Most days, this state of affairs presents no problem at all: we coexist peacefully; he eats his meat at lunch time, or orders off restaurant menus when we dine out; or he cooks his own steaks or hamburgers and consumes my dinner as his side dish. (For a good description of how another vegan-omni couple works it out in a similar way, see JL’s recent post). A huge turkey, however, is another matter entirely.
“Yeah–turkey–that’s what it’s called! So, did I hear you say, ‘turkey,’ Mum?”
One thing I love about the HH is his full acceptance of me–quirks, blemishes, and all, including aspects of myself that even I find difficult to tolerate. Neurotic tirades about germs, disease, airplanes, strange noises in the house at night, having to wash the dishes just so–et cetera–are all met with (mostly) patient, even responses or calm rebuttals. In the nearly-15 years we’ve been together, my sweetie has witnessed my physical proportions vacillate wildly a half dozen times, bouncing between an initially svelte, mini skirted physique to that of an engorged beach ball (nearly 200 pounds at the height of my candida woes in 2009). And not once–not even in a whisper–has he ever uttered a negative word about my weight, acted less affectionate, or suggested that I might like to go on a diet.
And so, on Christmas Day, after sleeping in and chasing the lethargy with a shot of coffee (the HH) and matcha tea (moi), we opened our presents in front of the fireplace. And then the HH got to work cooking his turkey.
After he popped it in the oven, he played sous-chef for me, chopping veggies, sautéing onions, slicing potatoes and trimming brussels sprouts.
[Perfect gluten-free stuffing waiting to go into the oven.]
The rest of the day was spent alternately sipping warm apple cider drink (me, courtesy of Lexie). . . .
["That's pretty nice music, Mum! Perfect for listening while waiting for more turkey. . . "]
Throughout the day as we reclined and prepped, we snacked intermittently on this cranberry-crusted cashew goat-cheese log I’d made (simply whir about half of them in a blender to create a paste, then mix with the remaining whole berries and press the mess into your cheese; bake at 250F/120 C for 20 minutes to set). Heavenly!
[Cranberry-Crusted Cashew Goat Cheese on oat crackers. . . almost made me forget about the meal!]
My final menu included Fava Bean Balls (I loved the flavor but not the texture–I’ll keep working on it and post the recipe once I perfect it) with Apple-Cranberry Sauce; Creamy Whipped Kabocha (processed with soaked raw cashews and a splash of lemon juice for a sour-cream effect); Scalloped Potatoes adapted from Alta’s recipe; our favorite brussels sprouts; gluten-free stuffing (loosely based on this recipe); and onion gravy. It was an incredible, indulgent, celebratory meal, and we relished every bite. In fact, I even enjoyed it again the next day for lunch:
The HH savored his turkey, too, alongside all the same sides as me. And because it was far too much for the HH alone, he shared amply with The Girls, who, it seemed to me, reacted much the way Marilyn Monroe did to a moving camera, or William S Burroughs did to a bag of cocaine on the table, or a gas stovetop element does to a lit match. In fact, I’d say that Chaser still gets that “crazy eye” look any time someone utters the word, “turkey.”
["What? What's that you say? Oh, no, Mum, you're totally wrong about that. No way, Mum. Oh, I can stop any time I want. Really. No problem. No worries. It's just that I like turkey. I choose to eat turkey. I mean. . . hey, by the way, is there any more? I mean, I wouldn't mind some turkey. . . I'd actually love a little turkey. . . just a little. . . just one piece. . . . "]
For dessert, I attempted my very first Sticky Toffee Pudding, combining recipes from both Angela and Lexie. The result was a thick, dense, spiced cake rendered gooey and sticky from soaking in toffee sauce, with a hefty scoop of Caramel Ice Cream alongside, also doused in more sauce (sorry, no photo–we lapped it up pretty quickly). While The HH loved the dessert, I would have been happier with just the ice cream and sauce.
By this morning, I was ready to revert to lighter fare and more of my regular routine. Ever since you all weighed in on what you’d like to see here, I’ve also been thinking about quicker, easier dishes for the Flash in the Pan series of recipes.
This breakfast is a hybrid of a classic chia pudding and a breakfast smoothie. It can be prepared the night before and left in the fridge to soften and plump up overnight. The pudding combines some of my favorite smoothie ingredients (rice protein powder, avocado, rice milk, cacao) with the texture of a pudding, resulting in a high-protein, high Omega-3 meal-in-a-bowl that provides a whole host of other health benefits as well. Pillowy soft, luxuriously creamy and rich tasting, this breakfast is a quick way to acquire a full serving of protein in what tastes like a dessert. It’s a great way to use up those ripe avocados on your countertop, too.
I can’t think of a better way to cap off the holiday feasting. Can you?
“Well, Mum, if you really want to know, I’s say that another slice of that turkey would do just fine. . . but chances aren’t looking too good at the moment. I may as well just give up on it for now. . . *Sigh*.”
And finally. . . your opinion, please!
I loved learning what you’d like to see on the blog in 2012 (and please feel free to keep those ideas coming in the comments!). For now, I’ve got a more immediate question for y’all (I already asked this one on Facebook, so if you answered there, thanks!): The HH and I have been invited to the home of a friend of a friend for a New Year’s Eve bash. All I know about this gent is that he’s a true gourmet who loves to cook and eat. I’ve been asked to bring a sweet treat and am considering the following three (note that they’re not ACD friendly or gluten free–but then again, these are for a crowd of conventional eaters).
A great no-cook, prepare-ahead breakfast that you can pack up and bring to the office for those mornings you have no time for a nourishing meal as you rush out the door. It makes a great light lunch, too, alongside a crisp, fresh salad.
Place everything but the chia seeds in a strong blender and blend until perfectly smooth. Pour into a container and stir in the chia seeds. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then stir again to ensure that all the seeds are submerged. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator overnight. Stir again before serving. Makes 2 servings. Will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
