Going, going…BLONDIE…

Going, going…BLONDIE…and I’m not talking mid-late 70’s disco punk either. Dessert, folks, (yes, again) DESSERT! (An idiom of Luke, my firstborn), the adage goes, “boredom = laziness”. Meaning, you’re bored? Well, then, get off your duff and go find something useful and/or creative to do. Yet, this evening, here I am, in a state of ennui (laziness). Aye, folks, yes I’m aware, no one is responsible for the juncture of my entertainment and amusement. That being said, I grasp ahold of Luke’s motto, and suddenly I can hear the laundry hamper calling me. So, off to the kitchen I go. Let’s bake…

Ingredients :

1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup all natural peanut butter (or almond butter)

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

2 teaspoons (mexican)

vanilla

1/2 tsp pink salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup dark choclate plus 2 tablespoons

Throw all ingredients in food processor (except, chocolate chip. I had to dig em’ out. Ugh).

Blend all ingredients until a nice stick incorporated mess. Now, add in dark chocolate chips.

Plop into 8×8 baking pan. Bake @ 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, listen to this album.

And…

…do something productive. Like (roll my eyes), umm, the never-ending cycle of laundry.

Let cool on cooling rack for 20 minutes before cutting. (I like to refrigerator overnight.)

Be happy and enjoy.

(Lukie. My firstborn)

Perfect Saturday Morning (here’s what you do)…

1. As soon as my eyes pop open and I’m conscious of the world, my first thought of the morning? Strawberries. Bread. (A bakers gotta bake.) Leap out of bed, don’t even brush your hair (or anything) just pineapple your hair atop your head, go straight to the kitchen (the whole house still sleeping) put on your apron and begin…

2. Settle on the recipe. (You love him, so choose to bake for the non-vegan resident. The husband’s people fair from Louisiana, so making a fully loaded bread today. (You know, the kind with heavy cream, butter, eggs, sugar, etc…

STRAWBERRY CREAM BREAD

3. Read. Measure. Blend. Cut. (somewhere within this time frame preheat the oven to 350.) Drink tons of coffee, black.

•2 cups all-purpose flour

•1 tsp baking soda

•1 tsp baking powder

•½ stick unsalted butter at room temperature

•4 oz cream cheese

•¾ cup sugar

•¼ tsp salt

•2 large farm fresh eggs

•1 tsp (Mexican) vanilla ext

•¾ cup buttermilk (almond milk plus, 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar )

•1½ cups fresh strawberries

4. While waiting the 50ish minutes for bread to bake do stuff… (write,, listen to French music, visit greenhouse, water plants, talk plants, talk to dogs, etc…)

5. Cool. Admire the fruit bread of your morning labor…

Be happy and enjoy.

5:25 a.m. this morning…

Woke at 5:25 a.m. stumbled out of bed, almost fall over in the process; ever have those mornings when your body feels like lethargic lead? Like, an elephant is on your back. That’s how I feel this morning. monkey brained with an elephant on my back, but today (I emphasize to myself),” today, you are determined”, I wrangle myself into a claustrophobic workout outfit, sleepily walk down the dark shadowy hall, locate and slip on ratty worn-treaded grey Under Armor tennies, hit brew button on coffee maker, search for dog lead (I’m not doing this exercise bunk alone. One of you three jokers are going with me, three sets of eyes stare hopingly back at me.) Somewhere between the hours of yesterday evening and the screaming alert of my iPhone alarm, I’ve managed to have found a new chunk of ‘just do it’ attitude. Or maybe the recognition and reality of an extra almost 16 pounds gained since May has jarred me into gear? Transition into married life is making me fat and sassy. Panic attack, if I gain 16 pounds, umm, let’s says, over the course of, umm, I don’t know, umm, the next 40 years, I will weigh somewhere within the scale range of 775 lbs. “uh, yea, go run, girl! (AND STOP EATING BAG LOADS OF TORTILLA CHIPS!  I love dessert.”) I decide on a jog without headphones, I would rather hear Raytown stirring, birds chirping, bugs humming, leaves whispering. In the tranquility of the morning right before a city awakes, there is something so mesmerizing about those quiet moments. It is easy to talk to God. Today as I jog/walk questions come to mind. “Jesus, I always feel an urge to write, but why? Do you like to read? Do you like to read about yourself? Ultimately, everything is about you, so you must. I want to write a book, but what about? What do you want me say?” The entire walk, this is my conversation with God. And so, I resolute, inside of me is a book, that remains to be told. One final question of the morning, “God, could you just at least give me the title?”

Schools out for summer.

Lockers cleaned out, teachers items boxed and rooms stripped bare, this afternoon the halls are vacant of freshmen and most teachers. My first year of employment here at HMFC has been an eye-opener to my own strengths and weakness, countless events, experiences of ups and downs, run-ins with the broken human condition and witness to the power of a communities tenacity and determination for growth and triumph. Ultimately, we all want to learn and we want to do it together. We want to be connected, to fit in, to make a difference. I really had no idea what was in store. Some key advice that was given to me upon my first week of service, “Never say the first thing that comes to your mind, let it scroll through, then say what comes next.” probably good advice per any situation. After 20 years of teaching service in the private sector and taking on this new role, the past 175 days have been a personal challenge; (urban) public school is an entirely different machine.  I would not say it has been a struggle, I never once backed down; the word I would use is diverse. As the year closes a ting of sadness washes over me. These studentsq have touched my life in more ways than I can express.  It is hard to say goodbye, yet we must. The world evolves by a progression of growth. We release, they must go to grow.

It’s a boys life!

Telling Aidan he could go for a short bike ride before retiring in for the night, minutes later 7:46 p.m. my phone rings, “mom, there is blood everywhere. I might be dying. Come quick. Mom, I don’t want to die, but I think I am!” Immediately my body and mind go into overdrive, I start reassuring him and tell him to stay on the phone until I can get to him. Travis always calm, me frantic on the inside, we jump into the truck; we locate Aidan three blocks up from the house in the parking lot of the “Progressive Christianity” church. Assessing the situation, first noticed is blood streaming from a wound on the back of his head; his black D.A.R.E t-shirt is soaked in it. His bike wheel hit something, it happened so fast it is hard for him to describe exactly what happened next; he flipped over the front of his bike, the force and speed caused his bike to flip over him as well, landing on him. He is not sure if his head hit the concrete or if it was a blow from the force and weight of the bike. As Travis throws the bike in the bed of the truck I get Aidan in the backseat, rip his shirt over his head, and apply the blood-soaked shirt with pressure to the wound. “Jesus, stop the bleeding.” Aidan later accounts on the way home from the ER “Mom, when you prayed the bleeding instantly stopped. What do people do without Jesus?” he states. At St. Luke ER we had a 4 1/4 hour visit from start to finish. The waiting room was a mass of people. Aidan was a trooper when he learned the wound would have to be stapled shut. In the end he gets one staple. On the drive home, I can tell he feels a mighty mite proud to have a new war story. Ha, it’s a boy thing! Scars and wounds are awesome! We pull into our driveway close to midnight, Aidan goes right to bed, asleep before his head hits the soften of the feather filled pillow, As my head hits my own pillow, due to the events of the night, I know sleep will elude me; I lay there recounting the events of the day. unfolding each matter, at first glance, what seems insignificant actions, except I was unaware of how this day would transpire. God has a way of opening our eyes. Standing at the altar prior that morning, Oh how my heart was moved when I witnessed Pastor. Justin Gleason lay his hand over my son and pray the blessing of the Almighty. I don’t know what was said, but I know God was in it. Tonight, Aidan recognized, again, a tangible God. This young generation has Kingdom providence pulsing through their veins. There are no small coincidences in His kingdom. Most assuredly, we have a Protector who goes before us. Wherever Aidan ventures, the promise of Isaiah 41:10 rests upon him. Good and mercy, a continual shadow over him. I recognize, first and foremost, Aidan belongs to God and I get the magnificent privilege and honor of being named his mom. I recount this story because I never want Aidan to forget, Jesus is powerful, Jesus has definite plans for him, there is always a greater good, and Aidan is important to the Great I AM.

Vegan Jackfruit Rueben Sandwich w/ (v) homemade Thousand Island and (v) Swiss Cheese Spread

The proud Irish full of shenanigans and malarkey, isn’t it funny how suddenly with magical luck everyone comes to be Irish on March 17th? I, however, do have the extreme good fortune of authentically being born from Scotch/Irish roots, my mum’s dad. Even in the face of that truth, I can’t recollect Grandpa (George Wallace) McGraw ever acknowledging St. Patrick’s Day.

I so deeply loved Grandpa. Still, do! I miss him tremendously. The foundational example he provided entwined our family together like a fisherman’s rope.  We’re a tightly knitted clan all of us!

Grandpa has since gone on to the shores of glory, yet since, every St. Patrick’s Day my mind memory file reminiscence back to thoughts of him. And so, since I’ve always tried to mark St. Patrick’s Day as a family day with all things Irish.

This year instead of the traditional corned beef and potatoes, an all vegan health spin on the Rueben sandwich using the ever variable jackfruit with homemade (vegan) Thousand Island dressing and (vegan) Swiss cheese spread. All the taste with no all the guilt.

 

Here’s what you do…

Corned Beef Spice Packet:

2 T. Peppercorn

3 T. Mustard Seed

2 T. Coriander

2T. Pepper flakes

2 T. Ground allspice berries

1 T. Mace

2 (medium) Cinnamon sticks (crushed with a hammer.)

4 (medium) Bay leaves (crushed by hand)

2 T. Whole cloves (smash a bit to release flavor.)

1 T. Ground ginger

Place all spices in a cheesecloth and tie tightly with kitchen twine.

Corned Jackfruit

20 oz. Young green jackfruit (you can find at Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, or Whole Foods)

The corned beef spice from above recipe

1/4 cup. Apple cider vinegar

1 Red Beet (optional, for color. It does not alter the taste whatsoever.)

1 cup. Organic veggie broth

Place all ingredients in crockpot for on low for 4-6 hours.

Remove spice packet and beet. separate jackfruit with a fork. Build sandwich on rye/pumpernickel (buttered with coconut oil): thousand island dressing both slices of bread, sauerkraut, shredded corned jackfruit, and Swiss cheese spread. Grill on stovetop over medium flame/heat.

Vegan Thousand Island Dressing:

1 cup. Raw cashews (do not soak)

3/4 cup. Water

2 T. Organic ketchup

2 T. Pickle relish

1 T. Apple cider vinegar

1 T. Raw honey

1 T. Yellow onion

Place all ingredients (except onion and relish) in food processor blend on high. Hand add onion and relish.

Swiss Cheese Spread:

3/4 C. Raw cashews

1/4 C. Almond milk

1 Medjool date

1/4 t. Liquid smoke.

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend on high.

The family gave this recipe a whooping all four clovers. 🍀🍀🍀🍀

Be happy and enjoy!

Dang, that’s one good (Spicy) Black Burger…

Ok so, I start this blog and immediately since I’ve been in a sort of slump. Word slump. Conversation slump. Exercise slump. Food slump. Emotional slump. Fashion slump. Work slump. Probably even, critical thinking slump. You get the picture, right? Hot mess mama! Serious marshmallow brain with a lack of motivation. What most professionals’ would anecdote as brain fog and/or winter blues, possibly?  I hope I remedy quickly because I’m exhausted and cloudy by even writing these few sentences. (Not really, I flare with dramatics tonight.) Ironic though, I still have an underlining push lingering within me to absorb and create. Which brings to the matter of the moment. Food that comforts my weary soul! Burgers! (I promise you, I eat more than oatmeal, peanut butter, and burgers.) I know, I know, I just did a burger recipe, but burgers are just so…good to me! Tasty. Convenient. Nutritious. Pairs well with an array of sides. Who can resist? If a food was a bestie…I declare, the burger it would be. Scrumptious, indeed.

Here’s what you do…

Saute’ on medium heat for 5 minutes 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/3 red onion (diced), 1/2 jalapeno (more if you enjoy spice), and 2 cloves minced garlic. Set aside until needed.

Blend together in food processor 1/2 C. Oat flour (ground oats), 1/4 C. Breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons Nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoon Cumin, 3/4 teaspoon Sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon Chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Set aside until needed.

Into a food processor, 1 (chopped) red pepper, 1 medium carrot. Pulse until shredded, but not watery. Into a food processor add 1 (15 oz drained and rinsed) can of black beans. Pulse until beans are mashed with a few beans still whole for texture.

Transfer to large bowl. Add 1/2 C. Corn. Add to mixture all other waiting ingredients.

Use hands to mix and form into 5 patties.

Pan fry on medium heat for 5-7 minutes each side of the patty.

Serve on a bun with favorite condiments. (hot and spicy pickles!)

Be happy and enjoy!

Vegan Spicy Black Bean Burgers w/ Extra Crisp French Fries

Super Bowl Sunday. Confession: I showed up late in the second quarter and only stayed tuned in long enough to observe Justin Timberlake’s halftime show. Which I enjoyed. I was impressed to see the show wasn’t over-sexualized and the dancers actually had clothes on. I digress, the game, the Philly Eagles/New England Patriots, no chickens for me to fry from that coup, I don’t care. Yet a Good excuse to make and eat yummy food. As Super Bowl-ish I could muster up: (Family favorite) Spicy Black Bean Burgers and Extra Crisp Oven Baked French Fries.

Here’s what you do:

French Fries:

Season the batch:

2 Tablespoons seasoned salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon basil

¼ teaspoon cumin

1/8 teaspoon crushed black pepper

For fries:

4 medium potatoes

2 Tablespoon olive oil

2 Tablespoon Vegan grated Parmesan (optional)

Bake at 425 for thirty minutes flipping fries at halftime (15 minutes in). Let rest cooling for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Spicy Black Bean Burgers:

Using food processor chop 1/3 of medium yellow onion. Add 1 can of organic black beans (drained and rinsed) and pulse 2-3 times. Set along until needed.

Mix together:

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2-3 tablespoons sriracha

1 flaxseed egg

1/2 cup oatmeal flour

Incorporate beans/onions/seasoning.

Pat into patties of desired size, (yoelds approximately 3-4)

Pan fry on stove 7 minutes each side and serve with favorite condiments.

Enjoy and be happy!

We be blackberry chia jammin’ almond loaf – gluten-free/vegan

I hate the sinking feeling I get when I put a loaf in the oven and suddenly lost the confidence in what I was doing. (Hmm? Did something go wrong? Could this be right?) As I topple mixture from the mixing bowl to baking pan, I think to myself, the consistency seems more like scone batter than a loaf.  I’m so convinced a mistake has been made, not once, but four times I retrace my steps recounting over the list of ingredients. Nope, nothing left out. No missteps. Okay, well, into the oven you go then, fingers crossed. I know the drill well, you win some…you lose some. My curiosity was so steeped while waiting for the buzz of the timer, seriously seemed like the longest 50ish minutes of my life, I had to take Abs and Rye for a walk just to distract my mind from what was happening (or not happening) in the oven.

(sweet Abs and Rye-boxer babies)

If you’ve decided you want to take on the adventure of this blackberry task. Here’s where you start, the creation of blackberry chia jam.

Ingredient list (we be jammin’.)

1 cup fresh blackberries (the next go around, I will add more.)

1 tbsp maple syrup (use more if you want sweeter)

1 tsp vanilla (the next go around I will decrease to ½ tsp, maybe? I’m not the hugest fan of overpowering vanilla)

1 tbsp water

1 tbsp chia seeds

Cook blackberries with 1 tbsp of water on medium heat until become soft. Crush them and add the vanilla, maple syrup, and chia seeds. Side aside until needed.

Loaf (If that’s what you select to call it, personally, I’d say, biscuit-like something or other.):

Ingredient list:

1 cup gluten-free flour

½ cup quick oats

½ cup almond flour

1 cup almond milk

¼ cup coconut sugar (or whatever sweetener is to your liking.)

1 tsp vanilla

2 ½ tsp of baking powder

½ tsp apple cider

1/3 cup blackberry jam (I used all of the jam I had just made.)

In a bowl mix almond milk, baking powder, and apple cider. Set aside for a minute.

Mix together flours, oats, sugar, and vanilla. Incorporate with liquid ingredients. Pour into baking pan. Top with blackberry chia jam using a knife swirl through.

Bake 350 for 50ish minutes or until done.

My assumptions were right. I would definitely categorize this recipe as a biscuit of sorts not a loaf. It certainly does seem more along the lines of a scone than bread. It’s not actually altogether sweet, it would probably weight more along the lines of what we Americans consider a healthier-ish type of treat. It has the sensation of being European, it is dense and moody with an excellent texture, a perfect partner paired with a spot of coffee or tea. Which makes complete sense since the recipe fairs from the kitchen of Claire, the healthy France wife.

Be happy and enjoy!

Toasted Coconut Black Rice Porridge with Roasted Walnuts

Confessions of struggling to eat plant-based in a non-planet plant-based world. Sometimes my taste buds get bored, I get lazy and somewhat overwhelmed, so I throw whatever in a bowl and eat it. Crazy thing is, it works brilliantly, most days.

(bring to a rumbling boil in coconut milk adding 1 tsp vanilla. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until done. Rice will tender and liquid is cooked down.)

(while rice is cooking, toast coconut in oven at 325 for approximately 10ish minutes. Toast walnuts on stovetop 4-6 minutes medium flame.)

If you not a rebel and lazy like me, you will want to soak rice overnight (or at least a couple of hours). This will cut down cooking time and leaves texture less chewy. I prefer a tad on the chewy side, so bingo, not having a well thought out plan worked out fine for me this morning.

Black rice is an heirloom rice that provides many nutrients, amino acids, phytonutrients, which provide antioxidants and other health benefits. In addition, this rice provides many minerals important for health, including iron. All that and it cooks up into a dazzlingly little porridge bowl for bored taste buds.

The assembling of the bowl:

Black Rice

Banana Slices

Toasted Coconut

Roast Walnuts

Raspberries

Pomegranate Arils

Hemp

Cinnamon

(…or whatever your heart desires. Rice is an easy plant-based source that pairs with perfection with almost anything you can conjure up.)

 

(Rye and Abs think porridge is a grand morning idea!)

Be happy and enjoy!