A Child's Love - Lesson One

I don't think that I was ready to be a parent. Maybe no one can ever really be ready?

E came along and I fell apart. My saintly husband kept us all alive and afloat. At about the 13 month mark, things began to turn around a bit.

 I'll admit, that first year was a bit hazy. I don't really remember much about each of his milestones, except that they continued to be met. I feel so very guilty about that. He rolled, cooed, sat, crawled with one knee down and one knee up in the air. He pulled to stand, cruised and then ran. He wore out shoes and scraped his knees and one day, things started to get better.

I started to notice the things he was teaching me, mainly unconditional love and forgiveness. 

There are times I lose my patience and raise my voice. Usually because he is doing something a typical three year old does. He is learning about his world in the best ways he knows how. He asks questions, millions of them. He asks for help, over and over for things that he can already do. He makes mistakes, he forgets his words, he wants to "help" me make dinner. It is in these moments when I  know that I can't take one more moment of whining, that I "need" to get dinner or laundry or cleaning done. I get exasperated and I tell him to "stop". His lip quivers and he says, "are you happy?" And it makes me feel so small and awful, the parenting failure of the year.

He is being a normal three year old and I am being a grouchy mom.

It is cliche and it is true, the laundry, dishes, floors, bathroom counters, they can all wait. He is three now, today, in this moment. We will never get this day back. I must remember to take a deep breath and pause. When I am on the brink of telling him to "knock it off" I will look at him and tell him I love him like crazy.

Because that is what we say at our house.

I will think it in my head and I will tell him. I never want him to be uncertain of this fact. He is loved and it is amazing.

Oh, what we could all learn from toddlers.

Lesson One - Unconditional Love

In my less-than-mom-of-the-year moments, I get frustrated, my voice raises, I tell him, "if I have to tell you again, I am coming over there to help you." I plop him on the floor for his mini time out and he cries. I silently chastise myself to remember that he is not a tiny version of a grown up, that he actually does not know better. He typically tries to correct his behavior and he forgives instantly. He asks if I am happy and then tells me whether or not he is happy and immediately throws himself into my lap regardless of the answer. He plants kisses on my face and says "I just needed you". He melts my heart and I need him too.

No Bake Sticky Granola Bars

E has been into "honey bars". This would be the oats and honey variety of granola bars we picked up at Open Harvest last weekend.  I hadn't been in there but it was great. A local cooperative grocery that I plan on going back to. The bars he choose were a pretty traditional crunchy oats and honey bar with flax seeds. The ones we made to match them are more on the chewy side. Both are really good and plant based. (We use local raw honey at our house. You could try substituting agave or maple syrup but I can't say as to how well they would work or what they would taste like.)

No Bake Sticky Granola Bars

Ingredients

• 2 cups crisp rice cereal
• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/3 cups roasted flax seed
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (I used my homemade version)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2-3/4 cup raw (or regular) honey
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (measure in liquid form)
• 1/8 tsp. fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• ½- 1 cup mini dairy free chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life)
 

 

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine your oats, rice cereal, and flax seed. Stir until well combined. Set aside.
2. Place sugar, honey, coconut oil, and sea salt in a sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly. Boil for exactly 1 minute so mixture combines and sugars dissolve. Take pan off the heat and add in peanut butter and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth. Pour over the oat/rice cereal mixture. Stir until well combined.
3. Let this mixture sit for several minutes. 
4. Line 9x13 pan with parchment paper cut to size.
5. Pour out granola bar mixture into pan. Press with spatula. Then immediately spread your chocolate chips on the top and press again.
6. Allow to cool in fridge or on counter. Once the bars have cooled completely, lift out of the pan. Cut the bars into the size of your choosing.
7. These freeze well individually by wrapping in plastic and placing in freezer safe bag or container.  

Halfie Birthday Mint Double Chocolate Brownies

Serves

12

Prep time

15 minutes

Cook time

20 minutes

Total time

35 minutes

Ingredients

Brownies

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cups flour

Frosting

• 3/4 cups unsalted butter (softened)
• 2-3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 3-5 tablespoons milk or cream
• green food coloring
• 1/2 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips

Mexico Avocados Make Dessert More Delicious

Directions

Brownies

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 In a large bowl melt the butter in the microwave. Stir in cocoa powder until dissolved. Stir in sugar until well combined. Add eggs and salt, stirring until well incorporated. Add flour and mix just until combined. Spread batter into a greased 8" square pan and bake for 18-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out with fudgy crumbs.

Frosting

Step 2

In a mixing bowl beat butter until light and fluffy. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and 3 Tbs cream and beat well. Add mint extract and more sugar/cream if needed until desired consistency is reached. Mix in food coloring until desired shade of green is accomplished. Stir in chocolate chips and spread over cooled brownies. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Read more at http://backforsecondsblog.com/2014/03/fudge-brownies-mint-chocolate-chip-frosting/#M6MmbJAKFyDX6eAM.99

Saturday was E's "halfie" birthday. 

A big 3 1/2 year old

 We had a wonderful day. He took me on a date to a local vegetarian/vegan Mexican bistro in town, Pepe's, where he paid the check as well as made sure to open my doors and tell me how much he loved me. :) We made a pit stop at Open Harvest to check out the co-op and then we played with sidewalk chalk in the sunshine.

 

For dessert after dinner I made him Mint Double Chocolate Brownies. He's a big fan of frosting (what 3 1/2 year old isn't) and was glad to see extra chocolate chips. 

Serves

12

Prep time

15 minutes

Cook time

20 minutes

Total time

35 minutes

Ingredients

Brownies

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cups flour

Frosting

• 3/4 cups unsalted butter (softened)
• 2-3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 3-5 tablespoons milk or cream
• green food coloring
• 1/2 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips

Mexico Avocados Make Dessert More Delicious

Directions

Brownies

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 In a large bowl melt the butter in the microwave. Stir in cocoa powder until dissolved. Stir in sugar until well combined. Add eggs and salt, stirring until well incorporated. Add flour and mix just until combined. Spread batter into a greased 8" square pan and bake for 18-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out with fudgy crumbs.

Frosting

Step 2

In a mixing bowl beat butter until light and fluffy. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and 3 Tbs cream and beat well. Add mint extract and more sugar/cream if needed until desired consistency is reached. Mix in food coloring until desired shade of green is accomplished. Stir in chocolate chips and spread over cooled brownies. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Read more at http://backforsecondsblog.com/2014/03/fudge-brownies-mint-chocolate-chip-frosting/#R8HaVXhsZOubgvIx.99

Ingredients

Brownies  
1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons water  
1 1/2 tablespoons ground flax
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sunflower oil 
1 1/2 cups unbleached sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cups cocoa powder  
3/4 cups unbleached white flour
3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips 

Frosting
3/4 cup earth balance butter
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 -3/4 tsp peppermint extract (to taste)
3-5 Tablespoons unsweetened original almond milk
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

Directions

For the brownies
Preheat your oven to 350°  
Line an 8" pan with parchment paper and oil the sides.
Combine flax and water and set aside. 
In a bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, and vanilla. 
Add the flax mixture and whisk for 1 minute more.
In another bowl, combine cocoa powder, flours, baking powder, and salt, stirring well.  
Pour liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until everything is combined.  
Add 3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips and stir until just distributed. 
Put the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.  
Bake for 26-30 minutes. Do not overcook.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes
Lift the brownies from the pan and let cool for 30 minutes more.

For the frosting

Beat the softened Earth Balance until fluffy.
Add 2 cups powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of almond milk and beat well with mixer.
Add peppermint extract and more sugar or milk until spreadable consistency is reached. 
Spread over cooled brownies and top with 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips.
Place in refrigerator for an hour to allow frosting to set. 

Ketchup

I am on a condiment kick apparently. Tonight it was ketchup. I used raw honey in this version but one could try maple syrup if honey is not part of your lifestyle. The good news... this took all of 1 minute to combine the ingredients and about 90 seconds to heat through on the stove and has no processed sugar in it. Just what a mom wants to hear!

Homemade Ketchup
Ingredients
1 small can (6 oz) tomato paste (I used Trader Joe's brand)
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon raw honey
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/8 cup water
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
pink Himalayan  salt to taste
ground pepper to taste (just a pinch)

Directions
Combine all ingredients in small sauce pan and stir to combine. Heat over medium flame until all ingredients incorporated. Add a bit more water if you like a thinner ketchup or a bit more honey for sweeter.

Peanut Butter

My Ninja and I have been fighting with almonds. Or maybe I have been fighting with the Ninja. I'm not really sure. All I know is that I am losing. Repeatedly. Almond butter and I are not friends at the moment but I will be having another go at it in the near future. I needed some nut butter success and so I took the boys to the bulk bins and bought some peanuts (for now) and almonds (for later). This is the most pitiful recipe post because there really is no recipe. It was that easy and oh, so
rewarding.

Homemade Peanut Butter

Ingredients
- 3 cups of roasted unsalted peanuts (or as many as you choose to use, I just poured what I had into my food processor)
- 1 tablespoon of honey (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt (or to taste)

Directions
-Pour peanuts into food processor and blend for 2-3 minutes scraping down the sides as needed.
-Add honey and salt once the butter consistency begins to form.
-Continue to process until creamy, approximately 3 more minutes or to taste.

Crispy Peanut Butter Bars

After my last post on hummus, my husband commented that it had not gone unnoticed that due to the massive influx of chick peas and tahini, the amount of baked goods had exponentially decreased.  I took to the kitchen to make some chocolate chip cookies that turned out pitifully (read tasted good but had a weird soft texture and were quite flat). I then cheated on these as they are technically a "no bake" bar. They do, however, taste like a crispy Reese's Peanut Butter Cup I am happy to report. They also got good reviews all the way around. We eat honey at our house as it is a high vibration food but if you are out on the honey you could certainly use agave or, I suppose, light corn syrup.

Plant Based Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Bars

Ingredients:

1 Cup Peanut Butter (I used Jif Natural Creamy)

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1/4 Cup Honey

1/2 Teaspoon Pink Himalayan Salt

3 Cups Crisp Rice cereal (I used Trader Joe's brand)

3/4 Cup Vegan Chocolate Chips (I used Enjoy Life mini semi sweet)

1 1/2 Tablespoon Vegan Butter (I used soy free Earth Balance)

Directions:

1. Put the peanut butter, sugar, honey, and salt in a pan.

2. Heat over medium heat and stir continuously to incorporate sugars. 

When peanut butter mixture gets hot and starts to bubble, remove from heat and stir in rice crispies.

3. Scoop into an 8x8 or 11x7 pan lined with parchment paper.

4. Pat it all down with clean hands so it’s nice and even.

5. Melt chocolate chips and vegan butter in a double boiler.

6. Pour melted chocolate on top of the peanut butter crispy layer and spread.

7. Place in fridge to chill. 

8. Remove from pan using the edges of the parchment. 

9. Cut into bars. 

10. Try not to eat 25 of them in one sitting. Yikes. 

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

I have been searching for the perfect hummus recipe. A month or so back my husband declared my addiction to the stuff, and he's right. I was buying my hummus at Whole Foods, about 3 containers at a time. It was expensive. And delicious. Part of the reason for the increased intake was my transition to plant based eating. I was cutting up raw veggies and eating them by the container full. I finally decided that I couldn't continue to afford the amount of hummus I was buying and so I tackled the challenge of making my own. I was looking to create a hummus that didn't have extra oil added in and that didn't taste like dust.

Several things I have learned about making hummus;
1. You have to use small dried chick peas. The garbanzo beans in the can (no matter if they are organic or not) just don't provide the right result.
2. Using a garlic press or a knife to mince fresh garlic makes a world of difference.
2. You have to play with the tastes until you find what you like.
3. Each batch tastes just a little different depending on the brand of tahini or the pungency of the garlic.
4. Don't expect it to last very long. I actually have no idea how long it would keep in the fridge because when I make it, my family (mostly myself) eats it up in a matter of days.

My aunt Julia actually recommended this recipe and I have adapted it to our tastes. I have made several varieties including plain, roasted red pepper (the favorite), spinach, garlic, and the next flavor in the wings is sundried tomato basil. I have also experimented with Roasted Baba Ganoush but that is another post entirely.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook
by Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup dried chick peas (the smaller the better)
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 c tahini
juice of 2 lemons
4-5 cloves of crushed garlic
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
8 Tbls cold water
2 red peppers

Directions
1. Place chick peas in large ceramic bowl and cover with water to soak. Make sure water is at least an inch and a half to two inches over the top of the beans as they will expand. Leave sit overnight and change water once or twice if sitting for longer than 12 hours. The chick peas may start to sprout that that is just fine.
2. Turn on oven broiler.
3. Drain chick peas and sift through to remove debris.
4. Place in large soup kettle and add baking soda. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes which stirring.
5. Cover with water and bring to a rolling boil. Cooking time will vary from 15-40 minutes depending on how long your beans soaked. (I typically soak for at least 12 hours and then only need to cook for 15-20 minutes.) The chick pea should easily smash between your fingers when it is done.
6. While beans are cooking, wash both red peppers, top and remove seeds. Cut them in half the long way and place skin side up on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Slide them in the oven and broil until skins are bubbling and charred (watch closely as this happens quickly). Remove from oven and wrap them in the aluminum foil to seal in heat and soften pepper with its own steam. Let sit for 15 minutes.  
7. After the peppers have steamed in their foil packets, open and remove skin. It should peel off fairly easily. (If the skin is sticking in some places I often just leave bits of it on and process it directly into the hummus.)
7. Drain the cooked chick peas and place in food processor. Run food processor until a thick paste has formed, scraping sides as needed. 
8. Add tahini, lemon juice, garlic, sea salt, cold water and red peppers and blend with food processor until combined, scraping sides as necessary.
9. Refrigerate in glass container for up to one week.