made at home: banana date bars

Banana Date Bars

• 1 1/2 cups of pitted dates
• 1/4 cup of coconut 
• 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
• 1 ripe banana, mashed 
• 2/3 cups of oats
• 1 1/4 cup of flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda 
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt 
• 1 cup of brown sugar 
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 
• 1/2 teaspoon of ginger 
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/4 cup of coconut oil, melted 

    In a large bowl mix shift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and oats. On the stove top, bring the dates and water to a boil. After coming to a boil, add in half of the brown sugar, and let the mixture sit to thicken. Mix the mashed banana, coconut oil, and brown sugar together in a small bowl. Add the coconut and walnuts into the dry mixture bowl, then add in the wet mixture and use the fingertips to mix together. Pour the date mixture into the bottom of a greased square baking dish, then crumble the dry mixture over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Serve cooled, and topped with honey. 

    I was at Costco the other week with my parents, and I saw a huge box of dates that I just couldn't leave without. When it actually came down to eating the dates at home, I usually just snacked on them throughout the day, and then I decided I needed to bake something with them. Date bars have always been one of my favorite desserts, and this was my first time baking them myself. I snacked on these on my car rides to school.. because in some way they remind me of a breakfast treat. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this recipe, and think of this next time you have too many dates from a Costco trip. 

made at home: vegan "eggnog" mini-muffins

"Eggnog" Mini-Muffins

• 1 cup of soynog (or other non-dairy eggnog)
• 2 teaspoons of vinegar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla abstract
• 1/4 cup of maple syrup
• 1 1/2 cup of flour
• 1/4 cup of wheat germ
• 3/4 cup of raw sugar
• 1/4 tsp of baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

"Eggnog" Ganache 

• 10 oz. vegan chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup soynog 

   Whisk soynog with vinegar and set aside. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add maple syrup and vanilla to soynog mixture. Take the liquid mixture and quickly mix with the dry ingredients, just until fully combined. Grease a mini-muffin pan and spoon in mixture into the sections. Bake at 350 degrees for 14-16 minutes. 

     For the ganache, bring the soynog to almost a boil on the stove top. Bring off the heat and whisk in the chocolate chips until melted. Let cool slightly, then dip the mini-muffins into the ganache to top. 

    So, I haven't posted a vegan recipe in awhile since becoming a vegetarian, so I decided to bake without dairy for this recipe. Even in my earlier years of eating dairy and eggs, I have never been a fan of actual eggnog, so soynog has always been my go-to. These muffins are so moist, full of spices and flavor, and even sweeter with the eggnog ganache. This would be a perfect holiday party snack to bring, or even to enjoy at home. 

made at home: squash carrot spinach soup

Squash Carrot Spinach Soup

• 2 medium squashes, diced
• 4 carrots, diced
• 1 cup of spinach
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 5 cups of vegetable broth
• 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground colander 
• 1.4 teaspoon of rosemary
• salt and pepper to taste
• *heavy whipping cream optional to taste on finished product 

  After cutting the vegetables  warm a large sauce pan with olive oil to add the squash and carrots to. Steam over medium heat for 5 minutes  then add the spinach and spices for another 2 minutes  Combine the vegetable broth with the veggies, and bring to a boil. Let the mixture shimmer for another 25-30 minutes  After shimmering, let the soup cool slightly  then add half to a blender to blend until smooth. Add the blended mixture back into the sauce pan to bring to a slight boil, then serve with cream. 

  Fall soups are the best of soups. So much warmth, so hearty, full of squash, perfectly colorful... I had to make a concoction of my own this year. Soup making is quite a long process, but completely worth every vegetable you chop and all of the stirring. This soup is delightfully rich, creamy, and the perfect fall color. So grab a good read, a cozy sweater, and make some soup the next chilly fall day you may have. 

made at home: coffee pumpkin butter

Coffee Pumpkin Butter

• 1 can of pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup of brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of honey
• 1/2 cup of strong cold coffee 
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon of allspice 
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (about half a fresh lemon) 

   Combine all ingredients besides the lemon juice into a saucepan on the stove-top, and bring to a boil. After boiling, reduce to a simmer for 20-25 minutes while stirring frequently  Add the lemon juice and then let cool. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator and serve cold. 

   I decided to make to this pumpkin butter after browsing through Trader Joe's and seeing they had their pumpkin butter up for sale. I have always been a huge fan of apple butter, but I believed I would enjoy pumpkin butter even more.. and I would ever more enjoy it with a hint of coffee added to it. Yes, pumpkin and coffee butter was created exactly after that thought. The coffee gives the pumpkin butter a slight bit of a "darker and richer" flavor and just feels more Autumn (personally, I think so). I have been eating my coffee pumpkin butter over toast, in oatmeal, and possibly going to bake a little something with it.... oh, and of course while drinking coffee. 

made at home: lemon dill bread

Lemon Dill Bread

• 2 cups of flour
• 1/2 cup of sugar 
• 1 teaspoon of ginger 
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed (mixed with 6 tablespoons of cold water)
• 3/4 cup of non-dairy milk (I used almond)
• 1/4 cup of oil
• 1 ripe banana
• juice of 2 lemons
• zest of 2 lemons 
• 1/8 cup of fresh dill 

   Combine the flour, sugar, ginger, and baking powder into a medium sized bowl. Zest the two lemons into the dry mixture, then juice both of the lemons into a separate bowl. Add the liquid ingredients, plus the banana, into the bowl and mixed until just combined. Fold in the dill, then bake at 350 degrees in a greased and floured bread pan. Let cool, then serve. 

   Today was rainy, full of commuting to classes, and studying for tests. I decided to multitask today, and take a slight break from cramming for a Geology test, to create something with the huge amount of dill that I gathered from the farmer's market. I was thinking to myself, "what kind of recipes can I make with all of this dill?", and then I decided to pair dill with lemon.. and that's what developed the idea for this bread. It's savory, sweet, and full of flavor. I paired my piece with Earth Balance, a drizzle of honey, and some warm chai tea. Enjoy! 

made at home: garlic dill refrigerator pickles

Garlic Dill Pickles

• 3-4 small/average sized firm cucumbers 
• 2 1/2 cups of cold water
• 2 1/4 cup of rice vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon of ground bay leaves
• 2 tablespoon of pepper corn
• 5 cloves of garlic 
• 3 teaspoons of kosher salt 
• fresh dill to taste 

   Finely cut the cucumbers and place them into a container full of ice and cold water for thirty minutes in the refrigerator. Using a medium sized pan, place all of the other ingredients and bring to a boil on the stove-top  After bringing to a boil, simmer for about five minutes. Bring the cucumbers out, drain, and place into jars with some room between the lid and the top of the ingredients  Pour the mixture over the cucumbers, let cool, and then place in the fridge to store. Eat within a couple of weeks. 

(*This brine can also be used for pickling many other vegetables!) 

   Ever since I started making my own pickles this summer, I can't bring myself to purchase a store-boughten jar of them. There is something so amazing about the taste of homemade pickled cucumbers, the freshness, and the smell of the dill throughout your home. I eat pickles like crazy, as the same as I do cucumbers even without being pickled, and I place these on everything.. even just for a snack. Summer is coming to a close end, but gather up those pickles from your garden, your friend's garden, or the farmer's market before the season is gone. Enjoy some pickling! 

made at home: summer oat smoothie

Summer Oat Smoothie

• 1 cup of baby spinach
• 2/3 cup of strawberries
• 2/3 cup of grapes
• 1 cup of oats
• 3 tablespoons of peanut butter
• 1 cup of non-dairy milk (I used almond)
• 2 tablespoons of honey (or agave nectar)  
• 1 cup of cold water 

  Combine all ingredients into a blender. Serve right after blending.

  Smoothies are defiantly a summer time treat for me. I don't know about you, but when it is warm outside I am never in the mood to chow down on a full meal in the afternoon. Smoothies that are composed with veggies and fruit are perfect lunches or snacks during the warm season. As summer is coming to an end, I'd thought I would share one of my favorite recipes for these delicious and cold, healthy drinks.

made at home: chocolate avocado kiwi pudding

Chocolate Avocado Kiwi Pudding

• 2 ripe and peeled avocados 
• 3 peeled and cut kiwis (1 for garnish) 
• 1/3 cup of agave nectar (or honey)
• 1/2 cup of coco powder
• 1/2 cup of non-dairy milk (I used almond)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla abstract  

   Peel and slice the avocados and kiwis, and place them into a blender. Add the agave nectar, coco powder, vanilla abstract, and milk into the blender with the fruits. Blend ingredients until mixture is smooth and no lumps, then serve in a small bowl or refrigerate until desired coldness. 

   So, I know this whole avocado chocolate pudding is not a new adventure for anyone to create, but I had the sudden urge to put a little spin on this today. Whenever I had used a recipe in the past, it would always still taste like avocado and not nearly sweet enough for my liking.  I am beyond happy with this simple, fruity chocolate pudding I blended up today, and it makes for a perfect summery snack. The extra kiwi I sliced up to add in the pudding made this even more tasty.  I think I might have a new obsession with pudding...

made at home: cinnamon apple "cheddar" scones

Cinnamon Apple "Cheddar" Scones

• 2 cups of flour
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of baking powder
• 1 tablespoon of salt 
• 1 tablespoon of cinnamon 
• 1/3 cup of non-dairy butter (I used Earth Balance)  
• 3/4 cup of non-dairy milk (I used almond) 
• 2/3 cup of very cold vegan cheddar cheese (I used Follow Your Heart)
• 2 diced apples 

   In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together. Cut in the cold butter so the mixture looks like crumbs. Fold in the cheese, then mix in the milk just until mixed with the dry ingredients. Fold in the apples and then knead the dough on a floured surface a few times. Cut into six scones. Bake at 425 degrees on a greased baking sheet for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown on top. 

  As I was doing some reading about unusual and tasty combinations for baking the other day, I came across many "apple and cheddar" recipes along the way. So, I thought to myself, about the idea of scones with these two ingredients. I was in the mood for scones, because I was dreaming about Autumn (in which I associate with lots of scones!). I also added cinnamon, that I taught went so well with this recipe. Enjoy!  

made at home: chilled two berry pie

Berry Pie Filling:

• 4-5 cups of strawberries and blueberries (frozen or fresh)
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 3 tablespoons of cornstarch 
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
• 4 tablespoons of water 
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice 

*(For pie crusts, I always use this recipe. It works wonders, no reason to create my own!)

   Take 1 1/2 cup of the mixed berries (try and get close to an even amount of each kind) and place in a food processor or blender to create a puree. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch over the stove-top  then add the puree to the mixture. Continue to whisk over medium heat, then add the water and maple syrup while bringing it all to a boil. When the mixture seems to be thickened, take off the stove-top and add the lemon juice. Let it cool, then pour on the pie crust. Place the rest of the berries on top of the sauce and refrigerate for at least four hours. 

   I was craving a chilled sweet when I decided to whip up this pie, and had strawberries and blueberries that needed to be put to use. These two berries together are one of my favorite summer combination.  Baking pies from scratch can take up most of an afternoon, but creating "chilled" pies are the simplest (and the best for summer seasons) alternative. It is so effortless to create your own pie sauces, you can completely taste the difference. I ate the last pie of this pie today with my iced coffee, and this is why summer pies are the best of pies.