Morning Glory Muffins

A friend of mine shared a recipe for a delicious morning glory loaf on Facebook last week. And immediately, I just had to make them. I’m being serious. I put the computer down and started getting out all my baking pans to find the muffin tin. But, I set out to change a few things with this recipe. First, I was out of eggs and typically bake things vegan out of habit. And I wanted to include less oil. And no refined sugar.

So, I modified and mixed and even tossed in some freshly squeezed clementine juice for natural sweetness. What resulted from these efforts is a truly amazing breakfast muffin that’s also gluten-free, vegan, and full of fruits and veggies.

Ada ate half the batch herself.

MORNING GLORY MUFFINS

Adapted from this awesome recipe on Imagine Childhood.

What you’ll need . . . 

• 1 cup GF rolled oats processed into flour
• 1/2 cup GF rolled oats, whole
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons flax meal + 6 tablespoons hot water (2 flax “eggs")
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 orange (or 1 full clementine) -- just the juice
• And also the zest, if you like it!
• 2 large carrots, shredded (around 1 cup)
• 1 large apple, shredded (around 1 cup)
• 1/3 cup walnuts, pulsed to crumble

Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a muffin tin with Earth Balance or coconut oil.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, oats, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a smaller bowl, combined the maple syrup, olive oil, flax eggs, vanilla, orange juice, then pour this mixture into the dry ingredients.
4. Add the carrots, apples, and walnuts, and mix until well incorporated.
5. Then divide evenly among your pan -- 12 muffins in all -- and bake for 20-25 minutes. Until golden brown and set in the center.
6. Let cool on a rack for a few minutes before consuming. I am sure you can also freeze once they are totally cooled, but they didn’t last that long in our house!

You’re going to love these muffins. 

Just a note that the batter will definitely be shaggy, if that makes any sense. It might not seem like you have enough oat covering to go over all those shredded apples and carrots. I assure you, it will all bake up beautifully. And these are incredibly healthy if you consider they’re mostly just oatmeal baked into muffins.

Enjoy!

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Homemade Muesli + Plans

One of my favorite breakfasts lately has been Aldi muesli with homemade almond milk or Greek yogurt. (Here are more of my Aldi favorites.) As I was noshing on it one morning, I thought -- why can't I just make this at home? And, really, this "recipe" is super simple and customizable to your own tastes.

You may even have all the ingredients you need already on hand!

HOMEMADE MUESLI

What you'll need . . . 

• 4 cups rolled oats, uncooked
• 1 cup flaked cereal (I used Heritage Flakes)
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup dry fruit of choice (I chopped up apricots)
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Dash nutmeg, cloves, etc.

Method . . . 

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Transfer to an airtight container.
3. Serve with milk or yogurt. 
4. Note: You can really put whatever add-ins and spices you want in your muesli. You can also up the ratios to fit your tastes.

// RUNNING

I had a great week of running at the beach, as some of you saw on Instagram. I'm finally getting back into my running groove after a busy summer season of moving, travel, and general craziness. What's funny is that this week of workouts looks almost exactly like it did one year ago!

• Sat: 6 miles at 8:00/mile
• Sun: 8 miles barefoot on beach at 9:00/ mile
• Mon: OFF
• Tue: 6 miles at 8:15/mile
• Wed: 4 miles barefoot on beach 
• Thu: OFF
• Fri: 4 miles barefoot on beach
• Sat: OFF
• Sun: 10 miles of hills + humidity at 9:00/mile

Thing is, I'm a whole month behind where I should week weekend mileage-wise for marathon training. If I were to max out on distance and still feel comfortable, I'd be running 13 miles next weekend, not the 17 that's in my plan. I don't know at this point how to catch up without risking injury, since I'm prone.

I'm disappointed for letting running take a back seat, though I know my body -- and between our move, helping my parents move, and then helping friends move -- there were entire weeks where it was enough to get out of bed with all that soreness, let alone run double digits on the weekend!

Right now I'm trying to make the decision to pay and run the Wineglass HALF Marathon or to skip the race altogether. Is anyone else running the half this year? I think with all the difficult hills in my new neighborhood, I might be able to get a good PR on the fast + flat course. But at the same time, I hate spending more money just because I couldn't stick with my program.

I am registering today for this year's Women's Distance Festival 5K. I seem to be running around the same paces as I was last year, so I imagine I won't necessarily break 22, but I guess we'll see. A highlight? My BFF Erin will be driving up to run the race too! Can't wait!

Have any races in your future? Or did you have fall marathon plans that just aren't happening?

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Chewy + Crispy (Vegan) Chocolate Chippers

I cook, but I'm a baker at heart. As much as I love eating healthy whole foods, my greatest kitchen achievements and goals revolve around creating crusty sourdough rounds and perfect chocolate chip cookies. Now that we're unpacked in our new (gloriously large) kitchen . . . I'm getting back to my baking. It feels good.

I've been working on this cookie recipe for months (years, really). I've discovered that shortening -- though not an ingredient I ever use much -- really helps with texture here. However, if you use all shortening, the cookies lack flavor. Flax eggs work well when using baking soda to lift. White-whole wheat flour gives substance, but keeps the dessert aspect alive. Sea salt just tastes better. It's the little things.

Anyway, if you haven't made one of my recipes before, I'd say this is a good one to start with. It's certainly a keeper. And though I'm never quite done tooling around with my confections, I think this one might go down as my official homemade recipe. The one that I'll pass along to my kids and their kids and etc.

CHEWY + CRISPY CHOCOLATE CHIPPERS
Your new go-to recipe for vegan cookie goodness.

What you'll need . . . 

• 1/4 cup Earth Balance butter substitute
• 1/4 cup organic shortening 
• 3/4 cup sugar*
• 1 tablespoon golden flax meal + 3 tablespoons HOT water 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 cup white-whole wheat flour 
• 1/2 cup almond meal 
• Pinch or two of sea salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 cup chocolate chips

* I used a mix of half this amount dark brown sugar + half this amount of raw sugar.

Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Set out an ungreased baking sheet.
2. Using a paddle attachment in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the Earth Balance, shortening, and sugar. Mix on medium to high until light and fluffy. 
3. Then add in the flax egg and vanilla extract. Again, blend until fluffy at a higher speed -- a couple minutes should do.
4. Add in the flour, almond meal, sea salt, and baking soda. Mix on slow or by hand. 
5. Then fold in the chocolate chips. You can add nuts or anything else in this step too, just keep it to around 1 cup total of add-ins.
6. Bake right away or chill in your refrigerator for half an hour -- it's really up to you. I tried it both ways, and I couldn't tell a huge difference with chilling or not.
7. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes (9 does the trick in my oven every time, but all ovens are different). Until lightly brown on edges. Let cool before devouring with some homemade almond milk on the side.

I'm hoping to get an initial house tour up on Writing Chapter Three later today so I can show you the kitchen! There's nothing fancy about it. The appliances don't match and aren't particularly new. The countertops are laminate. The cabinets are old and dark. BUT! It's so much bigger and more efficient than my old space. So, from a practical point of view -- a huge upgrade.

Oh, and I posted over the weekend. If you're looking to eat less BPA and use fewer canned goods: cooking beans isn't as difficult as I once believed it to be. Here are my tips and tricks, as well as how to freeze 'em in large batches.

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Sourdough Soft Pretzels

Quirk // I write many of my recipes on the backs of unopened junk mail.

It's a strange habit that started in college and it's stuck to this day, apparently. I need to invest in some composition books or something. Oh, and my writing instruments of choice range from markers and crayons to sharpies and Stephen's red grading pens. Whatever is around and not out of ink.

All that sloppy scratching =


SOURDOUGH SOFT PRETZELS
 Makes 4 >> vegan << pretzels

What you'll need . . . 

• 1/2 cup sourdough starter (straight from the fridge) 
• 1/3 cup low sodium veggie juice (I used R.W. Knudsun's Very Veggie)***
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1-1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 tablespoons flax meal
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• pinch salt
• rosemary + paprika, to taste (optional)

*** You can also use water, I'm sure of it.


Method . . . 

1. Easy enough: Toss all wet ingredients into a large bowl followed by the dry ingredients.
2. Mix together using a spoon, then work into kneading with your hands, adding extra flour if necessary. Form a smooth, elastic ball.
3. Put a bit of olive oil in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap overnight (or 8 to 10 hours should do it).
4. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.
5. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Then, on a slightly oiled surface (I used a large plate) roll out into a long snake. Shape into a pretzel, as per these instructions from another recipe.
6. Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a raging boil. Then place the pretzels in one by one (or two by two, if you're comfortable) and keep submerged for about 30 seconds (they will begin to float).
7. Repeat with the other two pretzels. Then sprinkle with coarse salt (and more paprika, if you like).
8. Bake for 5 minutes. Then lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until golden.

I've been making a lot of stuff with my sourdough starter. Honestly, I didn't know there were so many uses for it. Bagels, pretzels, pancakes, waffles, just to name a few. My favorite creation has to be the basic sourdough loaf, though.

I've also noticed a gigantic difference in taste, sourness, with letting things rise overnight versus just a few hours. It's well, well, well worth the wait, whenever possible.

And I took your advice and bought a non-Le Creuset dutch oven. Got it -- a Wolfgang Puck, 5.6 qt -- at TJ Max on clearance for $39. THIRTY NINE DOLLARS. As in, at least $100 under what I thought I needed to spend.


You'll be getting good use this weekend, my friend.

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Half Dozen Brownie Cookies

I've been experimenting with different varieties of the half dozen cookies recipe. Probably more than I should be if we're keeping tally of number of cookies consumed. This particular variation is super chocolatey and reminds me of brownies.

Pass the (almond) milk, please.

What I've discovered is that the basic framework for this recipe works with innumerable substitutions. I have an oatmeal raisin (err -- I added chocolate chips, but raisins would be perfect) variation I'll share next week. A peanut butter cookie for the week after that. And a sugar cookie for the week after that.

Maybe a couple gluten-free substitutions, too.

Now you can start to understand how many cookies we've been taste-testing in this house. A half dozen at a time.

6 x 1,000,000 . . .

HALF DOZEN BROWNIE COOKIES
vegan recipe

What you'll need . . . 

• 1/4 cup Earth Balance or olive oil
• 1/4 cup palm sugar or brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground flax meal
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch salt
• Handful or two chocolate chips
• Handful crushed walnuts

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spritz a baking pan with some olive oil or grease with a bit of Earth Balance.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, use the paddle attachment to cream the Earth Balance (you can use olive or coconut oil in a pinch, too!) and sugar together. Add in the vanilla, flax meal, and water. Mix well.
3. Then add in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Mix. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
4. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the cookie sheet and flatten with your palm. If you have leftover dough, eat it or evenly distribute.
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden on top. Let cool before devouring.

Now I'm off to bake soft pretzels of all things. At 8 AM on a Tuesday. Add what's in them? VEGETABLE JUICE. Sorry to spoil the surprise. Actually, they have a fun twist (see what I did there?) that uses some of this stuff, which I'm hoping benefited from an overnight rise.

I know, I know. BREAD. I really do eat my fruits + veggies, but what I make is so basic it just isn't blog-worthy most of the time. Or maybe that means it's most definitely something I should be posting. 

Ciao, ragazzi!

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Lemon Cornmeal Cake + Blueberries

Everything about this recipe isn't classically ME. I don't often bake with fruit. I don't often make desserts without chocolate or peanut butter. I don't often bake gluten-free. I rarely use less than 1/2 cup sugar.

And, yet. . .

I am in love with this cake.

LEMON CORNMEAL CAKE
gluten free + vegan 

What you'll need . . . 

• 1 cup rolled oats, pulsed into flour
• 2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Juice of 2 lemons (1/3 cup)
• Rind of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar***
• 1 tablespoon ground flax meal
• 3 tablespoons hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Half cup frozen blueberries

*** I have discovered coconut palm sugar (blonde). It's incredible. No one has paid me -- in sugar or $$$ -- to say so either. I found a package at Wegmans, saw that it's low on the glycemic index and much more nutrient dense than regular sugar, so I gave it a try. 

I've been able to swap with a 1:1 ratio -- so you can use any other sugar you like in this recipe. Brown sugar would work well, too. 


Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. If you have a cast iron pan -- mine is 9 inches diameter -- place it in the oven to heat, too.
2. In a food processor, pulse your oats until they resemble flour. A minute or so. Then briefly pulse in the cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Pour into a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients -- minus the blueberries -- and mix until well combined.
4. Stir in the blueberries. Then carefully get the pan out of the oven pour a heavy teaspoon of olive oil in the center and pour in the mixture.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until set in the center. Baking time will depend on if you use cast iron or a regular round 9" baking dish. Just make sure it's set and golden brown.
6. Let cool before slicing into wedges. Enjoy with fruity tea, if you like.

It's a healthy, muffin-y cake with a rather bold lemon flavor, so get ready for it. I like it that way, though. Intense. You can add more sugar, maybe even a 1/4 cup more, if you'd like to cut down on the sourness. The rind, too, can be omitted to tone it down.

We ate this cake for breakfast, snacks, and after dinner. I think it'd be great with frozen raspberries or blackberries, too.

Today on Writing Chapter Three . . .


We changed up the dining living family play room again. And we built our own DIY play Teepee for around $30. Gotta love PVC pipes.

PS: Thanks for your movie suggestions. Tried to go see Les Mis with a couple of my girlfriends . . . and it SOLD OUT with the person before me in line. Then we asked about Silver Linings Playbook. SOLD OUT TOO. Talk about bad luck. We got coffee instead. Maybe next weekend.

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Green Breakfast, 2 Ways

I'm fanatical about using foods before the sell-by date. To a fault, I admit. I imagine much of what I toss is still perfectly OK -- and I really do hate wasting food. Still, if I see anything slimy in a package of greens + the date is yesterday or even TODAY, it's gone.

Unless Stephen eats it, which he usually does. Anyway, these green breakfast recipes started with a package of almost-expired spring mix.

GREEN WAFFLE/PANCAKE MIX

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup whole wheat flour 
• 2 cups spinach or spring mix 
• 1 tablespoon baking powder 
• 2 tablespoons flax meal 
• pinch salt

// Pulse all ingredients together in a food processor until fully combined. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.


Full disclosure: I originally intended to give you TWO waffle recipes, but what I ended up doing to the sweet version didn't jive so well with the waffle maker. These recipes are both vegan if you like, but vegan waffle making can be tricky, as I've discovered these past several weeks.

Also, if you don't have a waffle maker, you can certainly just do pancakes. But something I didn't know is that you can get an adequate waffle machine for under $20, scratch that, under $10. It may not be fancy, but it does the job every Sunday.

First, a savory recipe . . .


GREEN WAFFLES w/ EGGS, IF YOU LIKE

// Combine half the flour mixture with 3/4 to 1 cup almond milk. How much you use depends on the consistency. It should be thick, but not like pizza dough -- certainly not runny, though

// Preheat your waffle maker + when it's good, scoop onto it 1/3 to 1/2 cup batter (depending on the size of your maker). Cook as directed + serve with peppery fried eggs and oranges.

Now for something sweet . . .


GREEN PANCAKES w/ BLUEBERRIES

// Combine half the flour mixture with 1 small mashed banana + 1/2 cup almond milk and a tablespoon brown sugar. Add in 1/2 cup frozen or fresh blueberries.

// Heat a pan over medium-high heat and grease it a bit with some Earth Balance or olive oil. Scoop heaping 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto it and cook on each side until golden and the middles set.

(I think the reason this didn't work in the waffle maker is because there was too much moisture with the banana and blueberries. I might try it again without banana and substitute another 1/4 cup almond milk.)

MORE GREENS FOR BREAKFAST:

Leafy Green Pancakes
Green Eggs -- errr -- Banana Scramble
Avocado Green Smoothie
Not-So Green GREEN Smoothie
Protein-Packed Green Smoothie
Light on the Greens Smoothie

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Mega-Bread with Plums

I bumped up this recipe a bit in the posting schedule. It's that good. Thing is, I'm having trouble coming up with a good name for it. It's a sweet bread, much like banana bread, made with whole wheat flour, flax, coconut flakes, cinnamon, maple syrup, and plums.

Maple-Cinnamon Whole Wheat-Flax Loaf with Coconut and Plums? That just sounds ridiculous. Mega-Bread it is! The base loaf is vegan and mind-blowing. There, I said it. And you can really add in any type of fruit you like.

I should also mention that I experimented with using a new ingredient in baking for the first time ever: Sparkling water! While we were on vacation, I was reading an article in some magaine, maybe it was Family Circle, that suggested using it in all types of things. Even in scrambled eggs.

I have yet to try that method, but I'm intrigued.


Why? I guess sparkling water adds fluffiness. To everything. I did some hunting around and found that -- indeed -- sparkling water can be used as a "substitute for other liquids, such as plain water or alcohol, to create a fluffier batter or dough." (Source)

So, with that new tip in mind, I set out to modify/improve my Banumpkin Bread recipe.


MEGA-BREAD with PLUMS

What you'll need . . .

• 2 cups whole wheat flour 
• Pinch salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes (unsweetened) 
• 3 tablespoons flax meal + 1/2 cup warm water 
• 1/2 cup sparkling water 
• 3/4 cup maple syrup 
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 cup chopped plums 

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9" or 8" loaf pan and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and coconut flakes. Set aside.
3. In another large bowl, whisk together the flax meal and warm water. Let sit for a couple minutes. Then add in the sparkling water, maple syrup, olive oil, and vanilla extract. Mix well.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined.
5. Fold in the plums (we skinned them first and diced).
6. Pour batter into loaf pan. Spread evenly. Bake for 1 hour. Check every half hour or so. 
7. Note: Ours needed 1 hr and 5 minutes to cook fully. Check done-ness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf.

Top with some Earth Balance or butter and enjoy. Bread should last in an air-tight container -- preferably in the fridge -- for up to a week. However, ours is almost gone and we made it yesterday afternoon.

Verdict on the sparkling water?

It worked surprisingly well. I've followed recipes and created many of my own for vegan sweet breads. They have all had something in common: the goop-factor. Undesirably dense and moist no matter how long they stay in the oven. This one cooked the whole way through and didn't sit in my stomach like a brick.


Today on Writing Chapter Three we're writing about protein and Our Vegetarian Baby. Be sure to check out the mothering Mother GIVEAWAY we have going on. And stay tuned tomorrow for a fitness-related post about Pushing Yourself. How far is too far? What isn't enough?

If you haven't yet, consider visiting the main site to check out the improvements we've made to the look/feel. We took your suggestions to heart and think things are running much more smoothly these days.

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Flax Seeds and Flax Meal

I hope you don't mind, but I enjoy going back to the basics from time to time. I feel like I post a lot of recipes and don't always explain the ingredients or methods -- the hows and the whys. I am planning to do a series on topics like this one over the next couple months.

(Sort of like our Food for Runners series!)

Of course, I'm sure you've heard of flax clothing. But if you've strolled around the natural foods section at your grocery store, chances are you've seen flax seeds and flax meal in bags or in bulk bins.

Consuming the seeds is well worth it. Health Benefits, according to WebMD:

• Omega-3 essential fatty acids, "good" fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s. 
• Lignans, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. Flaxseed contains 75-800 times more lignans than other plant foods. 
• Fiber. Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.

You may want to use ground versus whole because with the hard seed shell, it's difficult for the body to break down and absorb otherwise.

Regarding storage: "Whole flax seeds are chemically stable. Ground flaxseed can go rancid at room temperature in as little as one week." (Source)


The easiest way to enjoy the benefits of flax seeds is to add flax meal to smoothies or sauces. A tablespoon tossed into a smoothie or Vegenaise, for example, is a super simple addition. Don't add much more than a tablespoon, as you'll understand in a minute.

We often use flax meal as a replacement for eggs in baking. When you add water, especially if it is warm, you'll get an almost gel-like substance that helps stabilize and bind together baked goods. So, added nutrition AND sans-eggs.

One egg equals 1 tablespoon flax meal mixed with 2 tablespoons warm water. Let sit for a couple minutes. Then add as normal.


If you'd rather eat the seeds, you can make crackers. The recipe is simple and the cracker is extremely interesting and worth making at least once if you're curious. Here's our recipe, which -- minus spices -- only requires three ingredients!

We've also made Fluffy Flax Pancakes and Flax and Wheat Bagels, among other things. But if you search for "flax" in the search box near the top of the page, you'll discover that many of our recipes incorporate the ingredient!

Do you use flax in your cooking/baking? Or do you consume flax oil supplements? It's a great source of omega-3s for vegans. I definitely took advantage of it during my pregnancy with Ada.


PS: Today on Writing Chapter Three, I've listed some of my favorite DIY projects for my hippie baby.

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Cornmeal Cake with Chocolate Neufchatel Frosting

I hadn't made a frosted cake in what seems like f.o.r.e.v.e.r. Well, unless you count my love affair with the Richard Simmons'-inspired doughnuts over the holiday season.

(Baked Chocolate Doughnuts, Chocolate Frosted Doughnuts, Chocolatey Peanut Doughnuts)

They were very cake-like. What inspired me to bake a cake this weekend had nothing to do with these sweet treats, however. We just had some Neufchatel cheese my mother-in-law gave us that was nearing its expiration date. And I hate to waste food.

So, I went with it!


CORNMEAL CAKE

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup Sugar in the Raw (or regular sugar)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons flax meal
• 6 tablespoons hot water
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 x 8 inch baking dish with parchment (aluminum foil also works in a pinch -- just spritz with a little oil).
2. In a large bowl, whisk/sift together the flour, cornmeal, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the flax meal and hot water. Let sit for five minutes.
4. Add the flax mixture, olive oil, almond milk, and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Mix until well incorporated.
5. Pour into your prepared baking dish. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until set in the middle (you can test with a toothpick -- it should come out clean).
6. Let cool completely before frosting.

CHOCOLATE NEUFCHATEL FROSTING

(You may also substitute cream cheese in this recipe -- there is a difference, but in the US, it's slight. You can read more about it on The Kitchn.)

What you'll need . . .

• 3 tablespoons Earth Balance or butter
• 3 ounces neufchatel cheese
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 to 2 (or more) cups confectioners’ sugar

Method . . .

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the Earth Balance/butter with the Neufchatel cheese until smooth.
2. Add the cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla. Then add 1-1/2 cups of confectioners' sugar.
3. Continue adding confectioners' sugar until you reach your desired frosting consistency.
4. Frost your cake and enjoy it while it lasts!

Yeah. Confession time: During the shoot, I sort of ate two pieces (and the other 3/4 of the cake was long gone -- the afternoon after making it).

Then there was one . . .


And then . . .


You all know desserts rarely last in this house. If you browse through our recipes, I'd love you to find one that has lived in the kitchen for longer than two days. On a positive note, I still had half a package of the Neufchatel. Be sure to look for another frosting variation (and cake recipe) later in the week!

If you follow (never home)maker, baby! (or even if you don't, because this is a great way to get caught up), I collected all the posts for the 4th trimester -- that is, those from Ada's birth forward -- in one convenient place. Feel free to browse our weekly updates and other musings.

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