Kale Smoothie for Ladies

I'm not going to lie... sometimes it's hard to be a lady. Sometimes there are days when mood swings get the best of you and you become an emotional mess. An emotional mess for absolutely no reason except that, well, you're a lady.

On days like this it's best to stay away from your kitchen. On days like this don't attempt to create a new veggie burger recipe; chances are very high that the recipe that worked so well in your mind won't work out in reality. And then it's just awkward when your male roommate walks in on you crying on the kitchen floor. Not that this has happened to me or anything...

If you do decide to venture into your kitchen, I advise you keep it simple. Throw some frozen bananas into a blender and blend it up with some kale. Toss in some maca powder to correct those hormonal imbalances and add some raw cacao powder for good measure -- unless, you don't like chocolate? And then be sure to enjoy this soothing, fiber-filled smoothie curled up in a snuggie while watching your favorite romantic comedy.

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Rosemary and Sea Salt Roasted Pecans

Let's ring in the New Year right.

Let's grab our favorite beverage (I highly recommend this ginger spritzer or a cranberry rosemary refresher), our coziest blanket, and a handful of salty snacks. Let's curl up watching a good movie that makes us cry... play a board game with friends and have so much fun laughing that it hurts... or perhaps spend the evening batting a pretend mouse around with some felines.  There are lots of great ways to celebrate the New Year; just don't forget the snacks.

Wishing you health and happiness in 2013!

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Chocolate Kale Chips

Is there really anything more that needs to be said besides chocolate kale chips?  I think that should be convincing enough in itself.

If you're excited about this recipe (and believe me, you should be) be sure to head on over to my guest post on Healthful Pursuit this week!  I am super excited to be guest posting for Leanne and if you have not visited Healthful Pursuit before, be sure to check it out.  Healthful Pursuit is a wholesome living blog written by Leanne Vogel, a holistic nutritionist, with a focus on gluten-free and dairy-free recipes.

I especially love Leanne's creativity around healthy desserts and I highly recommend you check out her Vegan Chili Mac 'n' Cheese Casserole, 5 Ingredient Vegan Rice Crispy Treats, and with fall quickly approaching, Pumpkin Gingersnap Chia Breakfast Parfaits!

See you there!

Crispy Baked Beet Chips

You know the phrase "needle in a haystack"?  Do people still say this when they can't find something?  I think it's time we changed this up.  I mean, who has a haystack anymore?  Heck, people barely have needles nowadays, right? 

I bought a needle this week to use in a beading project.  This is how I learned that the phrase "needle in a haystack" is out-of-date.  Really, the phrase should be "needle in a bed."  Because, let me tell you, it is an urgent matter when you lose one in there.  Who cares if you lose your needle in a haystack?  Are you sleeping in the haystack?  No, you're sleeping in the bed.  With the needle.

It's been 24 hours and I still haven't found it. I suppose this is why one should never work on a beading project in dim light just before going to sleep.  Live and learn.

Speaking of learning, I also learned an important lesson this week involving beets: they make dang good chips.

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Spicy Sweet Potato Hummus

I think this world would be a much brighter place if we could spend all our time doing what we love most. And if you are anything like me, that means you would spend your evening dancing around your kitchen to Colbie Caillat with your cats while eating your own weight in sweet potato hummus. Not a bad life.

It might also mean that you *accidentally* ate all of the pita chips that were intended for this photo.  Whoops.  I guess you'll just have to live with a picture of carrot sticks instead. 

This week, besides eating way too much sweet potato hummus, I decided it was time to get my Big Girl pants on and spend some time doing things that I have been putting off for far too long.  Like deep cleaning my fridge, filing my taxes, updating my finances, opening an IRA, and switching to an online bank (with a much better interest rate).  Sigh.  Sometimes we can't spend all our time doing what we love.  But we can still eat pita chips. 
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Spicy Sweet Potato Fries with Tahini Ketchup

Nothing says Thursday like standing over the stove and devouring roasted vegetables.  Especially when those roasted vegetables are sweet potato fries covered with cumin, paprika, chile powder, and sea salt.  Then dipped in... wait for it... tahini ketchup.  Yep, I went there.

I spent this last week on a sweet potato fry marathon.  I baked over two pounds of sweet potatoes and dipped them in almost every sauce I could think of.  Hummus?  Tried it.  Miso ginger dressing?  Tried it.  Balsamic vinegar and olive oil?  Tried it.  Tahini?  Tried it.  Ketchup?  Of course I tried it.  Then somewhere in there my fry found its way into both tahini and ketchup and a miracle was instantly created.

I learned some important things about sweet potatoes on my journey.  I learned that I don't like mushy fries.  I learned that I like my fries thinly sliced.  I learned that I don't like the way they taste when tossed in corn starch before baking (even though this is supposed to help prevent mushy fries).  I learned that giving them lots of room on the sheet pan is the best way to get them to crisp up.  And I learned that sweet potato fries taste best when dipped in tahini ketchup.  What a way to start the year.

Sweet Potato Fries
Serves 4

2 sweet potatoes, thinly sliced into fries
1 Tablespoon coconut oil (or another oil suitable for high heat)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
pinch chile pepper
sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Toss sweet potato fries with oil and lay flat on sheet pan.  Sprinkle with cumin, paprika, chile pepper, and sea salt.  Bake for 20 minutes, turning twice.  Serve hot.

Tahini Ketchup
Yields: 1/2 cup

1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup ketchup

Combine tahini and ketchup and serve.

Watermelon Mint Popsicles

Is it too late for me to tempt you with a popsicle?  I have a feeling that it may already be past popsicle season... as leaves sweep across my front porch and rain pounds the pavement, I fear that you might pass up these beautiful creations for a warm cup of tea.  But as long as these are sitting in my freezer I'm going to pretend that the summer sun is still shining, watermelon is still in season, and neon blue nail polish is perfectly acceptable.  Just let me have this moment.

Today all of my biking from this summer paid off as I rode the Cycle The WAVE (Women Against Violence Everywhere) in Issaquah.  Cycle The WAVE is a non-competitive women's ride meant to inspire awareness and hope for domestic violence victims.  This year's proceeds will support the Eastside Domestic Violence Program, DAWN, and New Beginnings. 

This ride was really important to me because I spent eight years of my life doing anti-violence awareness and recovery work with women.  The best statistics we have suggest that one out of every three women will be abused at some point in her life, whether that is emotionally, mentally, and/or physically. However, given my experience, I would say that statistic is actually closer to one out of two.  I find it incredible how many people and families are affected by domestic violence and, yet, many of us still struggle to recognize it in our own homes.  My hope is that the more that people become aware of what violence is, the more that we can help to spread awareness and end the cycle together.




I originally signed up for the 42-mile route, but the past two weeks I've been having some severe knee pain while riding and running.  Everyone keeps telling me I'm "doing everything right" (i.e. rest days, ice, stretching, strength training, cross training, getting new shoes, having my bike fitted, wearing supportive knee braces, etc), yet, I haven't been able to get the pain to go away.  Three days ago I saw my doc and she ruled out any long bike rides until the pain got better.  

I was really disappointed after training all summer, but in the end I had to do what was best for my body. Instead of riding 42 miles, I rode the "Little Sister" route of 12 miles.  Even though I was a little emotional about it before the ride, by the time I got out on the road I was just grateful to be able to ride at all.  

For anyone interested in being part of a ride for the first time, I would definitely recommend Cycle The WAVE.   Everyone was super nice and the "Little Sister" route was mostly flat road with one big hill towards the end.  One of my favorite parts of the ride was actually the hill because they had signs along the road with inspirational messages.  It sure helped me to feel motivated to make it to the top!  

I also felt pretty motivated to finish knowing that I had these tasty treats waiting for me at home.  These popsicles taste like a frozen agua fresca and you can even throw in a squeeze of lime if you'd like.  I preferred to rely on the sweetness of the watermelon, but you can always sweeten these up a bit more for your taste buds.  These are the prefect way to end a day of cycling, use up your last watermelon of the season, and celebrate the beginning of another.

Watermelon Mint Popsicles
Makes 6 (depending on the size of your mold)

4 cups of seedless watermelon, rind removed, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
Sweetener of your choice (optional)

Blend watermelon in a blender until liquified.  (Depending on your blender, you may have to add a tablespoon of water or so to get it going.  If you cut the watermelon into smaller chunks it is easier to blend without liquid.)  Add the mint and pulse until leaves are incorporated into the liquid, but not completely blended.  Add sweetener of your choice (if using).

Pour the mixture into your popsicle molds and freeze overnight.

Cranberry & Pecan Power Bars

Do you have a little voice inside your head that tells you what to do?  Does it tell you things like eat your greens!  Or, get off this couch - NOW!  Or, stop looking at that pizza like that!  'Cause mine does.  Tell me about your little voice; I promise I won't judge.

The little voice inside my head kicked my butt through 42 miles of cycling on Saturday.  Up and down and up more hills, through long winding flat road, and even through a little bit of rain.  That voice pushed me to go harder.  Sometimes that little voice sounds a lot like Jillian Michaels.  I'm not sure if that's a good thing.

Lucky for me I made these delicious and energizing power bars before my ride.  It wasn't until I started doing long bicycle rides that I understood the point of the power bar.  Before this summer, I had never done a workout longer than 2.5 hours and I didn't realize how badly your body needs carbohydrates and glucose during long workouts.  Having a nutritious and healthy snack during a long ride or workout really makes a difference.

 

The original recipe called for rice cereal, but I substituted puffed millet and also added in some quinoa flakes for a little extra protein.  There is a lot of room for substitutions and adjustment on this recipe so feel free to get creative.  These bars are chewy, nutrient dense, and definitely keep your energy up.  I also love them with a cup of tea for breakfast or as a post-workout snack.  

Cranberry and Pecan Power Bars

Adapted From Enlightened Cooking

Makes 12 bars

1 1/4 cup puffed millet cereal
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats
2 Tablespoons quinoa flakes (optional)
2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed (flaxseed meal)
1/3 cup dried cranberries (or another dried fruit)
1/4 cup cup chopped pecans (or another nut)
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1/2 cup almond butter (or any nut butter of your choice)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the millet, oats, quinoa flakes, flaxseed meal, cranberries, and nuts in a large bowl.

Combine the syrup and almond butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until melted and well-blended.  Stir in vanilla until blended.

Pour almond buter mixture over cereal mixture, stirring until coated (you will probably have to get your hands in it to thoroughly mix it).  Press mixture firmly into an 8-inch square pan (sprayed with nonstick cooking spray) using a large square of wax paper to really tamp it down.  Cool in pan on a wire rack and chill at least 30 minutes to help it set.  Cut into 12 bars, wrap tightly in plastic, and store in refrigerator. 

Chickpea Nibbles

Let me be honest with you for a minute.  Sometimes it's not easy to find the time to blog.  I mean, come on?  There's a bathroom that wants to be cleaned, a movie that's not going to watch itself, and some nails that are badly in need of a little TLC.  There's also a sleepy, cuddly monster guarding my computer.  I wouldn't wanna mess with that guy.

Somehow I braved the scary monster and found my way to this blog because I have to tell you about these chickpea nibbles.  Do crunchy chickpeas intrigue you?  Because they intrigue me.  

I'll admit that at first they sounded a little weird.  A roasted bean?  It sounds overcooked, not delicious.  But I promise they will get you too.

For some reason these remind me a little of the corn nuts I used to eat during the summer as a kid, but these are definitely better.  The chickpeas should have a definite crunch and bite to them with a lot of flavor.   If you find that yours taste dry or starchy then they need a few more minutes in the oven.   A few of mine didn't get roasted enough in the full batch so I threw them in for an extra ten minutes and they were fabulous.  Serve these as a snack at your next dinner party or picnic and they're definitely a must for an extra protein boost on your next hike.

Chickpea Nibbles
Adapted from Power Foods
Makes 1 cup

2 cups chickpeas, cooked
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
sprinkle of cayenne pepper
sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Pat chickpeas dry, then toss in a bowl with oil, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, and sea salt.  Spread in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until crunchy, stirring occasionally, 40 to 45 minutes.  Sprinkle with extra paprika and salt if necessary.  Let cool before serving.  Chickpeas may be kept in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature.

Whole Wheat Orange Scones

I learned a lot of things about myself last weekend when I was fighting my cold.  Apparently while sick I like to bake things.  Sweet things. 

I also learned that while baking my favorite thing to do is to listen to Thriller on repeat.  Loud.  For an hour.  This is completely normal, right? (Sorry, neighbors.)

But, at the end of that process I ended up with these delightful scones.  Totally worth it.

These orange scones are bright, tangy, and perfect for spring.  Surprisingly, the orange pieces make the scone a little tart rather than sweet.  If you're looking for a sweeter scone, juice the orange (you should get about 1/2 cup of juice) instead of using the slices.

The whole wheat flour in these scones definitely lends itself to a "healthier" taste than your average scone.  But, this scone is moist, light, and just crumbly enough.  It's like a biscuit meets a traditional scone.  Yum.

If you're trying to disguise the healthy aspect for your audience, you can serve these warm with jam.  Or just serve them warm with jam just because jam is good. 

If you'd like to add an orange glaze over the top, it's easy enough to do by mixing some powdered sugar with a little orange juice.  I opted out of this because I was trying to avoid the additional sugar.  But, then I went and smothered sugary jam over everything.  Oh well.

Orange Scones
Makes 8 medium-sized scones

Adapted from Inside A Black Apple

1/2 cup soy milk
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3 Tablespoons evaporated cane juice
1 organic orange, zested and sliced
Pinch of salt
5 Tablespoons of cold vegan margarine, cut into chunks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix the soy milk and apple cider vinegar together in a small bowl.  Let sit for a few minutes and allow to thicken.

In a large mixing bowl whisk flour, baking powder, evaporated cane juice, orange zest, and salt.  Add the margarine and mix (using your hands) until the mixture is crumbly with pea-sized chunks. 

Slice the orange starting by cutting off the top and the bottom, exposing the wheel of orange flesh inside.  Use a sharp knife to cut away the peel and pith of the orange.  Slice in between the white skin segments to the center of the fruit at a slight angle.  Make sure that you have removed any seeds and then add the orange slices to your mixing bowl.

Stir in the vanilla extract and soy milk/apple cider vinegar mixture until just blended. Do not overmix or it will result in tough scones.

Roll scones into a ball and flatten slightly on a cookie sheet to resemble 3 inch rounds.  Let scones rest for 10 minutes before baking.

Bake for 12 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned.

Caramel Corn with Sea Salt

I think I gained four pounds this week.  The reason?  Caramel corn.

I'd been dreaming about making caramel corn.  Thinking about buttery-flavored sweet kernels... and how to create a caramel topping free of dairy, white sugar, and corn syrup.  

One of our friends is moving to Colorado for a cheese-making apprenticeship at a small dairy.  It wouldn't have been a proper good-bye without an amazing potluck dinner:  sausage for the non-veg folks, salad, roasted vegetables, hand made peanut butter cups, and some caramel corn.  Quite the way to say good-bye. 

This caramel corn isn't like the overly sweet stuff that you get from the tin at Christmas time.  This is a lighter version that is still sweet, but won't give you that crazy sugar rush.  If you like your popcorn sweeter, simply use less popcorn (2 batches instead of 3) and you'll get more caramel.

One of my favorite things about making this is that it made the entire apartment smell like sweet caramel.  It's also fun to snack on the gooey, warm kernels from the oven. And I'm not quite sure how this is possible, but three days later I'm still finding stray kernels on the floor.  Sure, it's a little messy.  But definitely worth it. 

Caramel Corn with Sea Salt

Yields: 36 cups (a little over 2 gallons)

Serves: 8 - 10 people

3 batches of plain, unsalted stove-top popcorn

1/2 cup olive oil

2/3 cup brown rice syrup

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup molasses (optional)

2 teaspoons sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Spray three large cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray.

Remove any unpopped kernels from your popped corn.

In a saucepan, combine the olive oil, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, and molasses.  Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.  Lower heat and gently boil for 5 minutes, continuing to stir.

Remove from heat, stir in 1 teaspoon of the sea salt, baking soda, and vanilla extract.  (The baking soda will cause the mixture to double in size and change to a light brown color.)

Mix the popcorn and caramel together.  (I found this easiest to do in several batches in a large bowl mixing with my hands.)  Make sure to mix them together while the caramel is still warm.  (As it cools it becomes harder to mix together.)

Spread the popcorn on the sheet pans.  Sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of sea salt.  Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 10 - 15 minutes.  (Due to a lack of oven space I had to use the top rack which browned the popcorn much quicker.  If you use your top rack, rotate the sheet pans so they are only on top for 15 - 20 minutes and keep an eye on it so it does not burn.)

Cool and break caramel corn apart before serving.