Cookie Dough Balls + Thoughts

A lot of my energy chunk recipes incorporate either raisins or dates into the mix. I can’t handle even looking at either of those ingredients right now (ugh), so I decided to come up with a tasty treat recipe that’s packed with other good stuff. Eat these guys instead of dessert or while you’re on the run. They’re tasty with breakfast or whenever you need a quick pick-me-up.

And they come together fast!

COOKIE DOUGH BALLS

What you’ll need . . .

• 1-1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/3 cup almonds or other nuts
• 1/4 cup peanut butter*
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1-2 tablespoons flax meal
• Handful unsweetened coconut flakes
• Pinch salt
• Handful chocolate chips

* I’m sure other nut butters and substitutes would work great too. Maybe Nutella?

Method . . . 

1. Place rolled oats (uncooked, of course) and almonds in your food processor and blend until smooth (almost like a flour). 
2. Then add the rest of the ingredients -- except the chocolate chips -- and pulse until well combined.
3. Fold in the chocolate chips. If you’d like your mix less wet, consider adding more oats or coconut flakes to taste.
4. Spoon in heaping tablespoonfuls into your palm and roll into balls.
5. Store in an airtight container in your fridge for a week or more.

Ada climbed up on our footstool and took some photos of these bites with her Kidizoom Camera. We got it for her a couple months ago because she was starting to show an interest in photography (hmmm, I wonder where she get that from?). Anyway, it’s adorable to see her frame out her shot and excitedly look at the images she gathers throughout the day.

Click!

I’ll admit it feels somewhat disingenuous to post a recipe right now. But I don’t know what else I should be doing. It’s hard to deal with what’s going on while home alone most days, but I don’t really think I’d feel much differently otherwise. I mean, it’s universally difficult no matter what. I have had a lot of support from friends and family, and I’m so grateful for the love from this community. So, I’ve been throwing myself into taxes and freelance stuff while also allowing myself time to plan the next steps and mourn. I keep wondering what the right thing is I should be doing or feeling.

I’m sort of astounded at all the things I’ve dealt with in the last several years. I’ve blogged about most of them, which I’m sure can make this space seem like a drag (sorry) -- but it’s LIFE. Not always the life I imagined living. Sure, we’ve dealt with our fair share of stuff that not many people we know can relate to, but still. I’ve been learning more to take it all day by day, though it’s not always possible.

I get down on myself every now and again for having some anxiety and being negative (realistic to a fault?), but when I look at everything I’ve experienced, I realize I need to give myself a pass on some of it. Why wouldn’t I feel this way sometimes? Is there even a “normal” way to deal with some of these situations? And I wasn’t sure if I wanted to share the play-by-play of all that’s going on now, but I’m so glad I did. It’s been helpful to know that so many have gone through it and come out the other side. I hope my own experience can help someone else not feel so alone.

While I don’t always cope in the most textbook perfect sort of ways, I’m learning everyday that I’m stronger than I think I am.

More soon.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Tart Cherry Frozen Yogurt

This recipe needs little introduction.
I've been teasing you with photos for a week.
Sorry about that.

It all started with a generous offer from my friend Aynsley. She and her family were going away for the week and their backyard cherry tree was ripe for the picking. Of course, I couldn't turn up the awesome opportunity to grab my step-ladder and head over there straight away.

Free (super, 1-mile away) local + organic cherries? Yes, please!

But what to make?


I think we picked about 5 cups in all. I tooled with baking a pie or making muffins. I forgot my bag in the car and stepped outside for a few minutes. Quickly I realized I didn't want to bake at all. Nope, nope. It was hot, muggy, and gross.

Perfect weather to continue my frozen treat trend.

I pitted the cherries one by one, probably not in the most efficient way. Still, it went much faster than I had expected. I licked my drippy, sticky juice-covered fingers off. After some cooking, mixing, and chilling -- this happened:


TART CHERRY FROZEN YOGURT

What you'll need . . . 

• 3 cups fresh (preferably tart) cherries
• 3 tablespoons cane sugar
• 32 ounces low-fat yogurt
• 1 cup full fat coconut milk*

* I imagine if you want to stay with the low-fat theme, you could use reduced fat coconut milk. All we had was the real stuff. And I'm not talking the kind in the refrigerated section -- use the canned kind that's nice + thick.


Method . . .

1. Pit your cherries, then place them in a small saucepan -- along with the sugar -- over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil (stay nearby, as it might boil over if you're not careful!). Lower the heat to a strong simmer and continue stirring + mashing nearly constantly until mixture has reduced to a jam-like consistency. 15 minutes or so. 
2. Let cool until just warm, not hot. Then, in a large bowl, mix (I used a whisk) together all the ingredients. Chill for 3 hours -- covered, in the refrigerator. 
3. Then prepare according to your ice cream maker's instructions. Ours instructed us to pour in the mixture and let churn for 30 minutes. Then we let it freeze in an airtight shallow container for another 6 hours. 
4. Let sit out of the freezer for around 10 minutes before scooping. Sometimes, depending on the temperature of your freezer, the frozen yogurt is hard as a rock. Don't worry, it softens.

I could hardly wait for the entire settling process before I dipped my ice cream scoop into the dish. (Which, by the way, some of you were asking what we use to freeze our frozen yogurt. I've been using a 8 x 8 glass baking dish covered with tin foil.)

If you don't have an ice cream maker, there are a few kinds to choose from. You can get one that hooks right onto your KitchenAid mixer -- the Ice Cream Maker Attachment makes up to 2 quarts at a time. If you don't have a mixer, check out this economical Cuisinart Frozen Dessert Maker.

Again -- even if you don't have a fancy machine, you can enjoy frozen desserts of your own making. Try out our Frozen Banana Bites (and the new FAQs about them) or even my favorite Ultimate Vegan Banana Ice Cream recipe.

Have I convinced you to make your own ice cream yet?

Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

No-Bake Layer Bars

I have more to write about NYC, but I couldn't wait to share this recipe with you. I made it the minute we got back from our trip. Been trying to use less flour/gluten and sugar. I was thinking about those can't-get-enough no-bake Chocolate-PB Energy Bars I made recently.

And then I figured I've made those too many times, so I set out to refine a no-bake brownie recipe I've been working on.

This is what I got instead:

These bars aren't healthy or low calorie, necessarily, but they are definitely a good alternative to standard baked goods. And a little piece is intense and surely satisfies.

What you'll need . . .

"COOKIE DOUGH" BASE

• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup almond "flour" (just pulsed almonds)
• 1 cup raw walnuts
• 1 cup pitted medjool dates
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 handfuls chocolate chips* or other add-in

PB MIDDLE LAYER

• 1 cup GF rolled oats (Bob's Red Mill)
• 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter (you could also use almond, sunflower, etc.)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 to 3 tablespoons water

CHOCOLATE TOPPING

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips*
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Method . . . 

1. Line a square baking dish with either parchment or plastic wrap. Set aside.
2. You're going to use your food processor for most of the heavy lifting. So, start with your base layer. Place all ingredients -- except chocolate chips -- into the food processor and pulse until well combined. Then place in a bowl and fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Press base into square dish, distributing evenly, and move onto the next layer.
4. Put all ingredients for the peanut butter middle in the food processor. Pulse until well combined -- I write to add between 1 and 3 tablespoons of water because otherwise it will get dry. You'll have to play it by ear. I like mine more crumbly, so I added less.
5. Then distribute crumbled mixture over the base and press down uniformly. Move onto the top layer.
6. On the stove over low heat, continually stir chocolate chips with coconut oil until melted. Remove immediately from heat and pour over your peanut butter layer. Spread evenly, but then you can tap the square pan to let it set. 
7. I also topped mine with some shredded (unsweetened) coconut flakes. You can do crushed walnuts or whatever else you'd like!
8. Place in your refrigerator for a few hours to harden up.
9. You can cut them into bars, squares, or whatever works for you. Then store there in an air-tight container.

Note on chocolate chips: I am always getting questions as to what kind I use. What kind is vegan, etc., etc., etc. I typically use Sunspire Vegan Chocolate Chips. They also make delicious Vegan Carob Chips that you could sub in for all instances of chocolate in the recipe.

Note on food processor: Also get a lot of questions about this one. I love my Cuisinart 11-Cup Pro model. And I even feel "love" is an understatement. I use this machine every single day and it has more than earned its keep between nut butters, bars like these, sauces, and much more.

Tomorrow I'll write about touring the city on foot = running. But if you'd like to read more NYC stuff, you can check out what we did . . . and then some many vacation photos and tips for urban travel with a toddler.

How are you on this hump day, friends?

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Improved Peanut Butter Blossoms

Like I said in yesterday's post, I'm not really into holiday baking. But that doesn't mean I don't have a favorite Christmas cookie. I most certainly do! And I love it so much, I make it year-round. I made it this weekend and will likely make more today.

Yeah. You caught that. It's Tuesday and the entire batch is history.

This year, I've tweaked the classic recipe to (never home)maker-perfection. If you haven't caught on yet, I'm really into using oat flour and maple syrup. The inclusion of these ingredients in this recipe yields a heartier, healthier holiday treat.

PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOMS

What you'll need . . .

• 1/2 cup Earth Balance or butter
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer (plus 2 tablespoons water) or 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup rolled oats processed into flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Extra sugar for rolling
• 1 bag candy kisses, unwrapped

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cream together the butter, peanut butter, maple syrup, sugar, egg replacer (and water), and vanilla extract. About 5 minutes, until super fluffy.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, processed rolled oats, baking soda, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined. If dough is really wet, add a bit more flour -- 1 tablespoon at a time.
4. Scoop out tablespoon-sized rounds and roll them in the sugar (I put my extra sugar on a plate). Place on the cookie sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.
5. Bake for between 10 and 12 minutes, until golden. Then top each with a chocolate kiss.
6. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Recipe makes about 2 sheet of cookies.

What's your favorite holiday cookie? And if you posted a recipe to it on your blog, feel free to share in the comments section! I'm always looking for new recipes to try.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut-Hazelnut Frosting

This weekend's long run (11-miler) was insanely gorgeous. 44 degrees and sunny. Slight wind -- but only enough to keep me from sweating too much. And most puddles have receded. There's still about a foot of snow on the ground, though. More on that in another post.

Working back up to long, long distances is difficult. I've definitely enjoyed some time off both mentally and physically from the demands of 10+ mile runs. So, to reward myself for my efforts, I decided to start Sunday right by making some delish fresh coconut cupcakes. Gave me something to look forward to after the run . . . as well as a great recipe to share with all of you!

I ate like four of these yesterday. Not "like" four. Four. That's why you see two different versions. One with chocolate sauce. One without. Both amazing. I would even recommend making them without the frosting -- the cake almost tastes like a sweet cornbread.


What you'll need . . . (for 12 cupcakes)

• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 1/2 cup wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup raw sugar (Sugar in the Raw)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup coconut milk (We made our own. Find out how!)
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with liners.
2. Sift together all dry ingredients (flours, sugar, coconut, baking soda, salt) in a large bowl.
3. Add in all wet ingredients -- saving the vinegar for last. Mix until well incorporated.
4. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full. Put in oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
5. Cupcakes are done when they are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Coconut-Hazelnut Deluxe Frosting

What you'll need . . .

• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup vegan butter (Earth Balance)
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/3 cup hazelnut meal (just process hazelnuts in a food processor)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Method . . .

1. Mix coconut milk, butter substitute, and confectioners sugar together on high speed in an electric mixer.
2. Stir in the hazelnut meal and shredded coconut.
3. Wait until cupcakes are cool and then frost.

PS: Don't forget to add yourself to this month's BLOG LOVE FEST!


Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...