These hearty cakes have a mild flavor that serves as the perfect medium for rich toppings.
2 cups milk of your choice
1 cup flour
2 tbs flax meal
3 tbs oil
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Combine all ingredients. Cook by the 1/4 on a hot, oiled skillet or griddle until brown and crispy on both sides.
Serve hot with your favorite toppings.
Makes 6 cakes.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Strawberry Cupcakes and a Mad Hatter Tea Party
For Gemini's 4th birthday Mad Hatter Tea Party, I adapted my Vegan Blueberry Muffins to make these moist, tender, juicy pink cupcakes.
For the sake of simplicity, I used store bought frosting. Vanilla or cream cheese frosting pair perfectly with these strawberry cakes.
3/4 cup sugar
1 TBS flax meal
2 TBS water
1 TSP vanilla
1/4 cup olive or coconut oil
1 1/2 cups flour (All Purpose or whole grain)
1 TBS baking powder
1/2 TSP salt
3/4 cup Almond or other milk
approximately 1 pint fresh or frozen strawberries
1-2 TBS flour
In a large bowl, stir together sugar, flax meal, water, oil (melted if solid), vanilla, baking powder, and salt.
Add 1 1/2 cups flour. Stir until just combined.
Add milk, stir until just moistened.
Do not over stir these 2 steps. Over mixing will make your cupcakes will be hard and chewy. Batter should be thick and slightly lumpy.
In a separate bowl, lightly toss berries in 1-2 TBS flour. This helps evenly distribute berries in cupcakes, and prevents them from settling at the bottom.
Add 1 1/2 cups flour. Stir until just combined.
Add milk, stir until just moistened.
Do not over stir these 2 steps. Over mixing will make your cupcakes will be hard and chewy. Batter should be thick and slightly lumpy.
In a separate bowl, lightly toss berries in 1-2 TBS flour. This helps evenly distribute berries in cupcakes, and prevents them from settling at the bottom.
Fold into batter. Spoon into prepared muffin pan, filling 3/4 full.
Bake at 350 for 15-22 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cupcakes should be pale and very moist.
Cool slightly. Remove from pan. Move to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost, decorate and serve.
Bake at 350 for 15-22 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cupcakes should be pale and very moist.
Cool slightly. Remove from pan. Move to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost, decorate and serve.
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| The set up. My collection of tea cups, a camping mug for the baby, tea, cream in a squeezy bottle, hats from the Dollar Tree, snacks. |
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| "Drink Me" Post It tags on Capri Suns |
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| "Eat Me" egg salad finger sandwiches Post It tags wrapped around tooth picks |
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| Even the teapot is dressed up. I made this cozy just for the occasion. |
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| The Birthday Kid. Happy as a hatter. |
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| Party time! D was a good sport. <3 |
Gifts wrapped in kids' artwork.
First Haircut
Taurus had his first haircut at 2 years and 4 months old. I was a little nervous about cutting his curls, but they are still going strong.
He was intrigued by the whole experience. He kept turning around in his chair, trying to look at the scissors while I was cutting.
Neither of us was traumatized by the experience, and now his hair stays out of his eyes. He looks good, don't you think?
Blueberry Muffin Oatmeal
This is-hands down- my kids' favorite breakfast. They ask for it every day.
I make it for them whenever I have blueberries on hand. It's healthy, cheap, filling, quick, and tasty.
I make it for them whenever I have blueberries on hand. It's healthy, cheap, filling, quick, and tasty.
Blueberry Muffin Oatmeal
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tbs flax meal
water
1/4 cup milk of your choice
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs butter or margarine
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen.
Combine oats and flax meal in a medium-sized pot. Add water to just cover. Cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Lower heat.
Stir in milk, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and vanilla.
Last, fold in blueberries. Heat through. Serve.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Mushroom Pot Pie with 3 Ingredient Crust
Pot pie is one of my favorite comfort foods. This meatless version is features a tender crust, nourishing vegetables, and a rich gravy.
Pot pie is a simple dish, consisting of two parts: a stew and a crust.
You can use any kind of stew that you like. In this recipe, I'm using a mushroom stew.
Pie crust is an art. My recipe calls for only 2 ingredients and a little water. A remarkable pie crust takes a bit of practice, but is a skill worth acquiring.
For a vegan version, use a vegan butter substitute in the crust.
Stew
1/4 cup olive oil
6 carrots, sliced
1 potato, cubed
1 onion, diced
1 pint mushrooms, sliced
pinch of salt
1/4 cup flour
1-2 vegetable bouillon cubes or soup base to taste
approximately 2 cups water
1 bag frozen peas
Heat oil in a large pot. Cook carrots, potato, onion, and mushrooms till tender.
Sprinkle vegetables with flour. Cook and stir over high heat for 2 minutes.
Add bouillon cubes or soup base. Slowly stir in enough water to make a gravy.
Cook and stir until gravy is thick and bubbly.
Stir in peas. Remove from heat. Set aside.
Crust
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup butter or substitute
1/4 to 1/2 cup water, or as needed
The key to a good pie crust is cold butter. Real butter is quite hard, which makes for a fine crumb and a tender crust. Substitutes tend to be softer, resulting in a pastier crust. If possible, you may prefer a stick form over a tub, or chill it in the freezer before beginning.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl, mash butter into flour with tips of fingers, pastry cutter, 2 butter knives, or a fork. Continue mashing until fine crumbs form. These tiny chunks of butter will melt in the oven, creating flaky, buttery layers. Avoid using the whole hand, as the heat will melt the butter.
Add in water, 1 TBS at a time. Gently stir until a soft ball just begins to form.
Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Remove 1/4 of dough for top crust. If kitchen is warm, place in the refrigerator. Roll remaining dough out to the general shape or the dish, slightly larger than the diameter. Do not overwork the dough. Rolling it out twice or more will result in a tough, cracker-like consistency.
Assembly
Fold dough gently into quarters. Lift and place in the dish. Unfold. Press dough into bottom and sides of pan gently. If you have cracks or gaps, pinch the dough closed, remove excess dough from upper edges, and replace to fill gaps. Prick with a fork a few times. This crust does not have to be pretty. It won't show on the final pie.
Prebake crust for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Dough should be firm, but not browned.
Pour filling into pie. Roll out top crust. Place on top of filling. Score with a sharp knife to vent.
Bake 15-20 minutes until top crust is golden brown.
Cool 20 minutes. Serve hot and steamy.
Pot pie is a simple dish, consisting of two parts: a stew and a crust.
You can use any kind of stew that you like. In this recipe, I'm using a mushroom stew.
Pie crust is an art. My recipe calls for only 2 ingredients and a little water. A remarkable pie crust takes a bit of practice, but is a skill worth acquiring.
For a vegan version, use a vegan butter substitute in the crust.
Stew
1/4 cup olive oil
6 carrots, sliced
1 potato, cubed
1 onion, diced
1 pint mushrooms, sliced
pinch of salt
1/4 cup flour
1-2 vegetable bouillon cubes or soup base to taste
approximately 2 cups water
1 bag frozen peas
Heat oil in a large pot. Cook carrots, potato, onion, and mushrooms till tender.
Sprinkle vegetables with flour. Cook and stir over high heat for 2 minutes.
Add bouillon cubes or soup base. Slowly stir in enough water to make a gravy.
Cook and stir until gravy is thick and bubbly.
Stir in peas. Remove from heat. Set aside.
Crust
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup butter or substitute
1/4 to 1/2 cup water, or as needed
The key to a good pie crust is cold butter. Real butter is quite hard, which makes for a fine crumb and a tender crust. Substitutes tend to be softer, resulting in a pastier crust. If possible, you may prefer a stick form over a tub, or chill it in the freezer before beginning.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl, mash butter into flour with tips of fingers, pastry cutter, 2 butter knives, or a fork. Continue mashing until fine crumbs form. These tiny chunks of butter will melt in the oven, creating flaky, buttery layers. Avoid using the whole hand, as the heat will melt the butter.
Add in water, 1 TBS at a time. Gently stir until a soft ball just begins to form.
Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Remove 1/4 of dough for top crust. If kitchen is warm, place in the refrigerator. Roll remaining dough out to the general shape or the dish, slightly larger than the diameter. Do not overwork the dough. Rolling it out twice or more will result in a tough, cracker-like consistency.
Assembly
Fold dough gently into quarters. Lift and place in the dish. Unfold. Press dough into bottom and sides of pan gently. If you have cracks or gaps, pinch the dough closed, remove excess dough from upper edges, and replace to fill gaps. Prick with a fork a few times. This crust does not have to be pretty. It won't show on the final pie.
Prebake crust for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Dough should be firm, but not browned.
Pour filling into pie. Roll out top crust. Place on top of filling. Score with a sharp knife to vent.
Bake 15-20 minutes until top crust is golden brown.
Cool 20 minutes. Serve hot and steamy.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Easy Homemade Vegan Hummus and Naan from Scratch
This simple meal takes little hands-on time, and makes a perfect, light summer dinner paired with a fresh Greek salad.
I had misplaced my recipe card, so I was looking online at various recipes. Naan is so simple, they must all be similar, right? Wrong. Most recipes called for 10 different ingredients, including yogurt and ghee, and required up to 4 hours of preparation time.
What. No. Here's my one-hour, 4 ingredient recipe. The easy-to-remember ratio is 4: 2: 1: 1
Naan
4 cups flour of your choice. I use bread flour.
2 cups warm water
1 tbs yeast
1 tsp salt
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Stir until a soft dough form. If dough is dry, add a little warm water. If dough is wet and sticky, add a little flour.
Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Turn out and work the dough with a little flour until it's nice and smooth. Do not overwork. Let rest.
Heat a skillet, griddle, stove top grill, or fine mesh bbq grill. Or whatever. A flat heat source of your choice.
If necessary, brush surface with oil to prevent sticking.
Pinch off small handfuls of dough. Work each one into a large, flat oval or circle, like a little crust. Place on hot grill or pan. If will cook and rise very fast. Less than a minute on each side. Remove to a tray and allow to cool slightly.
Serve warm with hummus.
Place cooled leftover naan in a large freezer bag. Store in freezer. When ready to use, reheat in 375 degree oven for 10 minutes, or in microwave for 30 seconds.
Hummus
In my little town, hummus is a specialty item and sells for around $1 an ounce. This is crazy to me, because where I grew up, it's as common as peanut butter. It's essentially seasoned, mashed beans, and costs less than $2 a pound to make.
1 pint (or one can) cooked chickpeas (garbanzos)
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp tahini, or substitute peanut butter, soy nut butter, sunbutter, almond butter, or any other nut or seed butter you prefer
drizzle olive oil
pinch salt, to taste
Start by cooking dry chickpeas. I use a crock pot or pressure cooker, depending on how far in advance I plan. Cook the whole pound and freeze all but one pint in canning jars or freezer bags.
Or use a can.
Place all ingredients except olive oil in blender jar or food processor. Add a little of the liquid from the beans, to help it move. Blend until smooth, drizzling a little olive oil until you have a nice, creamy texture.
Spoon into a bowl and serve warm with fresh naan.
I had misplaced my recipe card, so I was looking online at various recipes. Naan is so simple, they must all be similar, right? Wrong. Most recipes called for 10 different ingredients, including yogurt and ghee, and required up to 4 hours of preparation time.
What. No. Here's my one-hour, 4 ingredient recipe. The easy-to-remember ratio is 4: 2: 1: 1
Naan
4 cups flour of your choice. I use bread flour.
2 cups warm water
1 tbs yeast
1 tsp salt
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Stir until a soft dough form. If dough is dry, add a little warm water. If dough is wet and sticky, add a little flour.
Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Turn out and work the dough with a little flour until it's nice and smooth. Do not overwork. Let rest.
Heat a skillet, griddle, stove top grill, or fine mesh bbq grill. Or whatever. A flat heat source of your choice.
If necessary, brush surface with oil to prevent sticking.
Pinch off small handfuls of dough. Work each one into a large, flat oval or circle, like a little crust. Place on hot grill or pan. If will cook and rise very fast. Less than a minute on each side. Remove to a tray and allow to cool slightly.
Serve warm with hummus.
Place cooled leftover naan in a large freezer bag. Store in freezer. When ready to use, reheat in 375 degree oven for 10 minutes, or in microwave for 30 seconds.
Hummus
In my little town, hummus is a specialty item and sells for around $1 an ounce. This is crazy to me, because where I grew up, it's as common as peanut butter. It's essentially seasoned, mashed beans, and costs less than $2 a pound to make.
1 pint (or one can) cooked chickpeas (garbanzos)
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp tahini, or substitute peanut butter, soy nut butter, sunbutter, almond butter, or any other nut or seed butter you prefer
drizzle olive oil
pinch salt, to taste
Start by cooking dry chickpeas. I use a crock pot or pressure cooker, depending on how far in advance I plan. Cook the whole pound and freeze all but one pint in canning jars or freezer bags.
Or use a can.
Place all ingredients except olive oil in blender jar or food processor. Add a little of the liquid from the beans, to help it move. Blend until smooth, drizzling a little olive oil until you have a nice, creamy texture.
Spoon into a bowl and serve warm with fresh naan.
Easy Homemade Scented Play Dough
Play dough is so easy to make, smells better, feels better, and costs almost nothing. You can make it with items you already have in your pantry.
The ingredient list is out of order, because the ratios are easy to remember- 2: 1: 1/2: 1/2.
2 cups flour- all purpose or bread flour work well
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cooking oil
a few drops of food coloring of your choice
Scents listed below (optional)
In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients.
Add oil, boiling water, color and scent (if desired). Stir until a soft dough forms. Knead until smooth, adding a pinch of flour if needed.
Dough will be very soft and warm. It will firm a bit as it cools.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Because there are no preservatives, dough is not shelf stable.
Scents:
You can any essential oil, extract or candy flavoring that you like. Here are some of our favorites.
Tangerine Essential oil
Lavender essential oil
Peppermint essential oil or extract
Rose essential oil
Lemon essential oil
Orange essential oil
Grapefruit essential oil
Spice blend scented oil
Blueberry scented oil
Cinnamon scented oil
Chocolate scented oil
Citrus spice scented oil
Vanilla extract
Almond extract
Coconut extract
Lemon extract
Butter flavoring
Chocolate mint flavoring
Apple flavoring
Grape flavoring
Cherry flavoring
Watermelon flavoring
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