It's a ...

"We are no longer accepting applications for this position. It has been filled."

That's right! We are having a boy! We are still getting over the shock but we are very excited.

Why I haven't been blogging...

Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Dates

I adapted this recipe from Veganomicon.

Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Dates

Streusel:
1/2 cup pitted medjool dates
1/3 cup regular oats
1/3 cup pecans
pinch of sea salt

Process in the food processor until crumbly. Set aside.

Cake:
1 (15-oz) can pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
3/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups pitted medjool dates
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


2 2/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tbl baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
Blend the wet ingredients plus medjool dates in blender until dates well blended.
Whisk together dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add wet ingredients from the blender until well mixed.
Spread mixture into pan. Top with streusel.
Cook for 45 to 50 minutes until knife inserted in middle comes out clean.


** This is my hubby's all time favorite cake!! A real winner.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins with dates

I adapted this recipe from the cookbook, The Happy Herbivore.

1 1/4 cup whole wheat Pastry Flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 ripe banana, mashed

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup to 1 cup medjool dates, pitted

1/4 cup almond milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup shredded zucchini

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease muffin tin.

2. In medium bowl whisk together flour, soda, baking powder, cocoa, salt, and cinnamon together.

3. In you blender puree the dates with the applesauce and almond milk.

4. In another bowl mash the banana. Then stir in the blender mixture with the banana.

5.Add the dry mixture to the wet and stir until just combined.

6. Fill muffin cups to 3/4 full.

7. Bake for 18 to 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

* This recipe makes about 12 muffins. I doubled the recipe and I think that made pureeing the dates with the liquid easier.

** These got a thumbs up from most of the people here. I used the lesser amount of dates and I think they were just sweet enough but if you guys are just coming off sugar you might want to use the larger amount.

Cowboy Caviar

This is one of my kids all times favorites. It is really a dip or side dish but my kids ask for it for dinner all the time. I got this recipe from my friend, Risa.

Cowboy Caviar

1 (15 oz ) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
2 large tomatoes, chopped (or 4 roma tomatoes)
1 large avocado, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 red onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped


Dressing:
1 TBSP red wine vinegar
3-4 Tbsp lime juice
3/4 - 1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:
1. Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Mix dressing in separate small bowl and then mix into other ingredients.
2. Cover and chill

Banana Wheat Germ Muffins with dates

This is another great recipe that I adapted from Isa Chandra Moskowitz. A key here to getting them really sweet is using pretty ripe bananas.

Banana Wheat Germ Muffins with dates

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 tsp Apple cider Vinegar

2 Bananas, very ripe

1/3 cup coconut oil

1/3 cup Medjool dates, pitted

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1¼ cups Whole-wheat pastry flour

3/4 cup Wheat Germ

2 tsp Baking powder

1 tsp Ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp Sea Salt

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease 12 cup muffin tin.
• Add vinegar to almond milk and set aside for 5 minutes to curdle.
• Combine flour, wheat germ, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl. 
• Mash bananas in a large mixing bowl.
• In the blender blend almond milk, coconut oil, dates, and vanilla
• Add blender contents to the mashed banana.
• Next add the dry ingredients and using a wooden spoon combine just until the dry ingredients are moistened. DO NOT overmix.
• Fill the muffin tin 3 quarters full and bake for 22 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and set aside to cool. Once the muffins are cool enough to handle remove them onto wire rack and let cool completely

** You can throw some chopped walnuts into these as well.

Vegan Coconut Lemon Bundt Cake - made with dates

This is one of those recipes that helps you to know that you never have to go back to eating refined sugars. This cake is really, really, really good. (Did I mention that it is really good?)

I tweaked this recipe from the cookbook, Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. She is an amazing vegan chef, by the way. If you ever come across any of her recipes, give them a try!

Vegan Coconut Lemon Bundt Cake - made with dates

1 2/3 cups pitted medjool dates
2/3 cups coconut oil (use virgin to add to the coconut flavor)
1 (14 oz. can of coconut milk (reg or light - both work)
1/4 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 Tblsp finely grated lemon zest (really helps bring out lemon flavor)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350F. Light grease bundt pan.

In blender blend dates, coconut milk, coconut oil, almond milk, vanilla, lemon juice until smooth.

In large bowl whisk together dry ingredients with the lemon zest. Add the blended wet ingredient. Fold in shredded coconut.

Pour batter in pan and bake for 1 hour or until knife inserted in cake comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes and then remove from pan.

Applesauce Date Pancakes

I have been toying with this recipe for a while. I finally got it right. Everyone loved these. I make these in my blender. Super easy. The best thing is they don't need syrup!

Applesauce Date Pancakes

1 1/4 cup almond milk
3 medjool dates, pitted
1 egg
2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder

** Blend the dates with the milk first to get the dates really pureed. Then add all other the other ingredients in order and blend them up all together.

This recipe makes about 18-24 mediumish pancakes.

Date Sweetened Apple Muffins

These are vegan, sugar free, and no fat.

1 1/4 Cups Whole Wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 -2 tsp cinnamon ( we like on the lower end)
few dashes of ground nutmeg
few dashes of ground ginger (optional)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup pitted medjool dates
1 cup chopped apples

Directions:
1. Preheat oven 350F. Grease muffin tin or use liners.
2. In a large bowl whisk flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices until well combined.
3. Process dates and applesauce in food processor until smooth.
4. Add applesauce mixture to dry ingredients until almost combined.
5. Stir in apple pieces until just combined.
6. Spoon into muffin cups about 3/4 full.
7. Bake for 18-25 minutes.

**This is my husband's favorite muffin recipe. I adapted this from a recipe in the book "The Happy Herbivore."

I heart Dates - Date Brownies

Wow! That was a really long break! So I meant to only take a month off but then that month turned into 6 months. Isn't that funny how that happens?

Healthwise for me these last 6 months have been in pretty much lousy. In September I had another miscarriage and it just was really hard for me to bounce back from that, emotionally. When I am sad like that I turn to really unhealthy behaviors, like secretly eating large bags of m&ms by myself, eating lots of processed foods, staying up too late, and not exercising. I was pretty much a wreck. I felt like a fraud writing this blog. But it's a new year. I am feeling better and I am back on track. I have been trying some new recipes and I can't wait to share them.

One of my goals this year is to not eat any sweets, unless they are sweetened with dates, or other fruits. Dates are awesome! I buy the 2lb box of medjool dates from Costco. They are soft and delicious.  I have basically learned that you can do a lot with dates. So I am going to be posting a lot of date recipes this year.

The first tip I have in working with dates is to get a food processor, if you don't already have one. In these recipes you want to get the dates really well processed. Sometimes you can do that in a blender but in a lot of these recipes there isn't enough liquid to make it work. So without further ado here is a yummy brownie recipe.

Date Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter or coconut oil 
• 6 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
• 2 cups medjool dates pitted
• 4 eggs
• Little less than 1 Cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chopped walnuts

Directions

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

2.   In your food processor blend the dates , add the eggs if you need more liquid

      to get the dates to blend.

3.   In 3-quart saucepan over very low heat (or with a double boiler), melt butter or coconut oil and chocolate,  stirring the mixture constantly. Remove from heat. Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Stir the date mixture into the chocolate.

 

4.  If you didn't use all the eggs with the dates, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, then stir in the vanilla.

5.  Combine the flour and salt in a separate bowl; stir into the chocolate mixture.

     Fold in the walnuts. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

6.  Bake in oven 30 to 35 minutes. Brownies are done when toothpick inserted    into center come out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.

** Warning these brownies are not at all low fat. But they are sugar free and they are delicious!