Vegan Pumpkin Breakfast Bars

Yes, yes, I know...but the important part is that I update at all, right? Even if it's twice a year...

Anyway, now that we're living in a state where autumn exists, the kitchen seems like a cozier place and I've been spending more time there.

I also got tired of paying $5 for a box of 6 granola bars, so I decided to make my own. This recipe is similar to my cinnamon raisin granola bar recipe, except pumpkin flavored and accidentally vegan!

Ingredients: 
2 tablespoons organic coconut oil
7.5 oz. organic pumpkin (1/2 a can)
1/3 cup organic sugar
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup  all-purpose flour
2-1/4 cups organic rolled oats
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. chia seeds

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 13x9 (or similar size) pan with cooking spray.
Combine the wet ingredients and sugar by hand or with a hand mixer.
Add the dry ingredients. Mix again.
Stir in the raisins.
Pour mixture into the pan and spread evenly with the  wooden spoon.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until edges are brown and top is golden. 

I'm considering printing these recipes (since they're mostly for myself anyway) after reading one of those articles about old websites everyone used to use like Xanga and Webshots that are now gone forever with along with all our photos and journal entries. Maybe I'll make a little book out of them some day.

For now, if anyone tries this recipe, I hope you enjoy it! 

Mallory :) 

Quick and Easy Veggie Sammie and Gluten-free Brownies

Hi Everyone! Just a quick post today for a "recipe" I made for lunch over the weekend. This veggie sammie is super simple, so I wasn't going to blog about it originally, but so many people mentioned how it inspired them to eat something a little healthier this past weekend, so I thought I should post it on here!

I use the term "recipe" loosely because hello, this is sandwich, not rocket science, you can literally put whatever you want on it.

This is what I choose:

-homemade hummus
-organic tomatoes
-organic cucumbers
-organic spinach
-organic arugula 

I layered all those yummy (and consequently, vegan) goodies onto whole wheat bread. I may have eaten some goldfish crackers with it... nobody's perfect.

Here's the proof:

I also made some gluten-free brownies this weekend for some co-workers (and myself...). The recipe uses black beans instead of flour and can be found here. They are SO good and no, they taste nothing like black beans. Give them a try if you don't believe me (they are also very easy to make), and before you tell you boyfriend/husband/neighbor/bff/whoever what's in them, let them taste for themselves.



Here's how mine came out:

Chocolatey Goodness

Please leave a comment and thank you for stopping by! :)

Balsamic Veggie Wraps

With (optional) chicken and rice! 

Sometimes, the simplest meals can be the most satisfying. This weekend, I had a craving for a grilled veggie wrap, mostly because I'm longing for summer hardcore. There was another snowstorm here today (which I had to drive to work in) and I was beyond angry about it. For me, cooking and baking have become more and more of a de-stresser. I like that I'm able to do something I like, while also feeding my family (aka my lovely boyfriend), and of course it's nice that he's always so appreciative (even when I mess up..oops!).

Ready to wrap! 

Finished veggie/chicken mixture

ANYHOO! Here's the recipe! It's perfect for a quick weeknight meal or even a weekend lunch. Enjoy! :)
Ingredients:
*Note* - This will cook faster if you use frozen veggies (ironically enough), but fresh are of course good too. And you can use basically any mix, these are just the veggies that I had on hand. And the measurements are approximate, depending on how many people you are cooking for (and how big their appetites are....). I also "eye-ball" measurements a lot when cooking, so use your own judgement for this.
~1/2 cup bell peppers, thin sliced
~1/2 cup thin cut carrots sticks (see photos)
~ 1/4 cup leeks, sliced
~1/4 chopped spinach
~ 4-5 button mushrooms, sliced
lettuce (for garnish)
~1 tomato (for garnish)
~1 tablespoon olive oil
~ 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
a few shakes of salt, pepper, and garlic powder
1 chicken breast (if you want - still really good without it!), cut into thin strips
brown (or any other kind) rice, to eat on the side
tortillas


Directions:
1. First I start making the rice, since it takes the longest to cook. I made brown rice on the stove top.
2. I cut up any veggies that need to be cut (some were frozen and pre-cut), into small, longish pieces.
3. I cut up the chicken into small, longish slices. Then I cooked the chicken in olive oil, a large skillet on the stove.
4. When the chicken is cooked, I take it out ( or move to the sides of the pan), add a little more oil, and cook the veggies. Add the salt, pepper and garlic now too. It took about 15 minutes total.
5. I add the chicken back and the balsamic vinegar when the veggies are almost done. Cook until the veggies are as crisp or not-so-crisp, as you'd like them.
6. Scoop mixture onto a tortilla. Add tomato and lettuce if you want. Attempt to wrap it up. (This part never works out for me). Serve rice on the side.
7. EAT! :)

I hope you try and like this recipe! Please sign up for email updates if you like what you see! You can also follow my blog on Google+ if you have a Gmail account!

All wrapped up with a side of rice! 

~Mallory~

Chocolate Coconut Crinkle Cookies

Hello again!
I know I said I'd be posting mostly "healthy" recipes and DIY things, but turns out most of my recipes are dessert related...
I like to think these cookies are fairly healthy as far as cookies go, since they are made with coconut oil instead of butter, and cocoa powder which I keep telling myself is in the health-food category. They also happen to be vegan! I didn't intend for them to be, there just happens to be no dairy in them. Don't get me wrong, I like dairy as much as the next 'Merican (most notably cheese), but it really is not good for you, like at all, so it's nice to unintentionally eat vegan once in a while.
So here's the recipe!

Ingredients: 

1 3/4 cups sugar (I used organic)

1 cup cocoa powder

1 cup applesauce

1/2 cup coconut oil (I used organic)

2 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cup flour (whole wheat or all-purpose)

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

powdered sugar for rolling

Directions:

Mix sugar, cocoa, applesauce, oil and vanilla in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and blend with a hand mixer. Put the mixture in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. (This allows the coconut oil to harden enough to make dough balls).

Preheat oven to 350℉. Pour powdered sugar in a bowl. Take dough out of fridge. Roll dough into small meatball-sized balls. Roll balls in sugar. Place on cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on cooling rack. 

On the cookie sheet ready to be put in the oven!

I brought some of these to work around Christmas time and everyone loved them! The coconut flavor is subtle to me, but if you absolutely hate coconut, then use another kind of oil. Also, you probably won't like this blog because I'm kind of obsessed with coconut things. My boyfriend is still undecided about the whole coconuts taking over the grocery story thing, but he really loved these cookies. Like I said, the coconut flavor is subtle. 

I hope you try them! :) 

Fresh out of the oven! They smell amazing!