It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

It is a glorious day today. The sun is beaming through the windows and blinding my eyes. I love days like this. I'm just sitting here sipping some Chocolate Tea- soo good. And some of you may be wondering what the heck this weird yellow food is. Well, it's a roasted spaghetti squash (at least what was left of it) sprinkled with sea salt and loaded with Tofutti sour cream. I got the recipe from Katie's blog and it was just phenomenal! I had never had a squash so delicious in my life. The inside caramelized somehow, and I was just in heaven when I ate it. You have to try this cooking method if you have a random squash sitting on your kitchen table. You won't regret it!

And today's recipe is a delicious one. As most of you already know, I eat muffins for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, midday snack, etc. Well, this muffin is no exception. I ate 2 for breakfast and 2 for lunch. Sooo delicious and they aren't too sweet either. It's a pumpkin pecan raisin muffin and I found it on eat me, delicious. I love how these muffins looked. They had a crazy, tornado-like top to them. And of course, they smelled amazing as well. The only adaptations I made to the recipe was to use oat flour in place of whole wheat and to cut the recipe in half. The oat flour makes the muffins pretty dense, so if you have whole wheat pastry flour or spelt flour, use 3/4 cup of that and 1 cup of oat flour.

Here's the recipe:
Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Muffins
1 3/4 cup oat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup pureed pumpkin (I used canned)
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tbsp molasses
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup raisins

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray or line with cupcake liners. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, almond milk, applesauce, and molasses. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and mix together. Scoop the batter into the muffin tin and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Makes 12 standard muffins, 6 jumbo muffins or in my case, 8 freakishly tall muffins. haha

Wanna Date?

All right. So I don't have school today, thank God. I have an eye doctor's appointment because my eyes are getting worse. I need to get a new prescription and some new contacts. Maybe I'll even walk out with some new glasses. I have no idea haha I love my glasses already- they are leopard print. But anyway, I'll prob hit up the gym today and do some yoga. Yoga is my new favorite activity. I feel so "in touch" with my body and its movements. The corpse pose is my absolute favorite! We just lay there for 5 minutes at the end of class while the weight machines are banging on the floor above. I completely zone out everything and everyone from my mind and just concentrate on my breathing. Geez, I feel like I'm in a yoga class right now just talking about it haha

Aside from yoga, I still cook and bake a lot... but that goes without saying. My recipe for today is Pumpkin Date Scones. I got the base of the recipe from the "eat me, delicious" blog and changed it up a bit. They really are amazing scones, and I've never been a fan of scones. They don't really look like the triangular scones you see in bakeries, but that's because they are homemade! haha and because I don't care what my food looks like, just as long as it's yummy. These are very moist and the dates taste great with the pumpkin. It smells like pumpkin pie is baking in the house. Mine were done in 20 minutes and that might be because I halved the recipe to get 6. This is the full recipe for 12 scones.

Here's the recipe:

Pumpkin Date Scones

8 oz dates, chopped
1 tbsp spelt flour (or whole wheat)
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
1/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup brown rice syrup
2 cups ground oat flour
1/4 cup spelt flour (you could use all oat flour, whole wheat flour, or a mixture)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmet
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper or sprayed with canola oil.

Combine dates and 1 tbsp spelt flour. Toss the dates to coat with the flour and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the flaxseeds and milk together. Whisk in the pumpkin, canola oil, and brown rice syrup. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir into the pumpkin mixture until the ingredients are just moistened. The dough will be thick and sticky. Fold in the chopped dates and walnuts.

Use a 1/2 cup measureing cup to scoop out dough onto a baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches of space between each scone. Gently pat down the tops of scones. Bake for 18-22, or until firm. Transfer from baking sheets to cooling rack to complete the cooling process.

Thank God It's Friday

I just got back from Pilates. Wow was it hard today. My stomach and legs were practically crying, but I guess that's what I pay for haha. Tomorrow is my last day of the fast. I must say though, it hasn't been that bad. I'm getting used to the foods I've been eating and don't really mind them. The main thing I missed while fasting was seasonings!! I couldn't have salt, cinnamon, oregano, or any other spice/herb you can think of. My food has been pretty bland, so I'm excited to put some kick back into my food. I have missed baking though... A LOT... and cooking for that matter. Until last night, I hadn't made any cooked food in a week.

The recipe for today isn't for what I made last night... I made a carrot cake for my neighbor. She tried it the last time I made it and said she LOVED it. It is really good. The recipe is under my cake section already, but I made it in a different pan. It turned out so lovely because I used a rose bundt cake pan. Today's recipe is actually for my breakfast I had this morning. I just made it up because it was so damn easy. It was rather good, a little bland, but you could definitely add some cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. I really enjoyed it and it reminded me of pumpkin pie hot outta the oven! This recipe is what I would eat if I could have it.

Here's the recipe:

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

1 cup water or 1/2 cup non-dairy milk + 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

Directions:
Heat water, oats, and pumpkin over medium. Stir and simmer for a few minutes. Add cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract. Stir until well-combined. This cooks very quickly. Cook for a total of 4 minutes, or until the mixture is nice and thick. Pour into a bowl and add pumpkin seeds. Eat up!

Day 4

Well, my birthday was just divine. Since I am fasting this week, my mom got me an Edible Arrangements Fruit Bouquet as my cake! It was so thoughtful and adorable of her. She just went crazy with presents- a bread machine, waffle maker, 2 new perfumes, brownie pan, set of strainers, earphones, 2 cookbooks, and tons of LUSH soap. It was pretty much everything on my list. I'm so damn spoiled haha I'm not a spoiled brat though. I really appreciate everything she got me. She just always goes overboard, but at least bread making won't be such a pain in the ass now. haha

As for the recipe, I've been drinking smoothies like crazy. I used a bunch of the fruit from my fruit bouquet for today's drink. It's was good, but I liked yesterday's better. I think I was just being too creative with the fruit, so there wasn't really a distinct fruity flavor. Anyway, I'll probably make it again tomorrow morning just because it wasn't all that bad. haha

Here's the recipe:

Tropical Smoothie

1 cup tropical fruit (pineapple, kiwi, cantalope, strawberries)
1/3 cup quick oats
1/3 cup tangerine juice
1 Tbsp tahini

Blend and drink. It's that easy.

Day 3 and... MY BIRTHDAY!!!

So today I'm 19. I feel like I did yesterday, only more tired. haha. I woke up 3 times last night because I was itchy and then this morning, I tried to use my Dandelion Root Tea as contact lense solution. I'm just beat. I have class all day today and I'm not doing anything tonight. I have way too much homework to even think about leaving the house : ( Oh well, this coming Sunday is our big family party for the September birthdays so I'll be able to have fun there. My fast also ends this Saturday so Sunday I'm going nuts and having something good to eat!

Here's a taste of what I've been drinking this week. I just threw this smoothie together with what we had in the house, and it's really good. It doesn't make a lot but it's so thick that it took me about a 1/2 hour to drink . haha or maybe I'm just a slow drinker. The thing I like most about it was that it filled me up. I always feel hungry after I eat but this kept my belly pleased for about 3 hours. Also, just know that it is a chunky smoothie, but to me, the chunkier the better! It feels more like a meal that way.

Here's the recipe:
Tahini Oat Smoothie

1/2 cup frozen mango
1/2 cup tangerine juice
1 Tbsp tahini
1/3 cup quick oats

Put everything in a blender and press start! Enjoy!

Thank God It's Thursday!

I had a VERY long day at school. Nothing bad really happened... it just dragged on and on. I'm sure you know what those days are like. I couldn't wait to get home!!! So now I'm home and there's no school tomorrow!!! I just finished my dinner and I don't feel like moving. haha. My head is telling me to go to the gym, but my body is saying "I want ice cream!" I have a feeling that I'll go with the latter because I'm just beat. I watched an episode of Parental Control when I got home. Honestly, who on earth would go on that show? I mean, it's hilarious and all, but you have got to be crazy. I feel so bad for some of these parents... but I do laugh for the majority of the show. I think I just watch way too much tv. Anyone catch the premiere of Fringe? It's a new show and I love it! I really shouldn't get addicted to another show, but this one is just THAT good. It's not LOST good... don't get me wrong, but it kept me on my toes.

As for the recipe... it's meatloaf!!!! Okay, Tofu Oat Loaf. I found it on some food blog a while ago, and I feel really bad that I can't give this person credit. I've searched for this recipe on a bunch of people's blogs, and I can't seem to find it. If this is your recipe, it is very good! I changed some ingredients because I didn't have a lot of them and because I like a little spice in my meatloaf. It turned out SOO GOOD! I also made it in my muffin tin because it was sitting right on the counter staring back at me. You know how it is. haha

Here's the recipe I used:

Tofu Oat Loaf

1 pkg firm tofu
1/3 cup tomato or marinara sauce ( I used spicy)
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup wheat germ

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the muffin tin with Canola Oil cooking spray or use regular Canola Oil to grease the tin. Drain the tofu and pat it dry. In a large bowl, throw ALL of the ingredients together. I used my hands to mash everything together, but I suppose you could use a potato masher. Make sure everything is well-incorporated. Make little balls with the mixture and press into muffin tin. The mixture will be loose, but will firm up when as it cooks. Makes 6 muffins! Enjoy with some spicy marinara sauce.

I heart Muffins

So I pretty much slept as soon as I got home from school yesterday. I was ambushed. haha love that word. I got my Bio test back, and I got an 84%!!!!! Praise the Lord. I thought it was so much worse so I didn't even look at the grade myself. I handed the test to my mom when I got home and had her read me the grade. I ended up hittin up the gym really late last night, and I'm goin again this morning. Pilates time. Love my Pilates!! And of course, I have to work tonight... but that's a given. It's my dad's 43rd birthday, and I can't go out to dinner with him. Damn Sears. I won't have to deal with them much longer, only another week.

Anywho, here's today's recipe. I am obsessed with muffins. If I've never said that on here, I'm saying it now. I make muffins all the time because they are the perfect breakfast, snack, dinner, what have you. I had 4 yesterday, and I have to share the first recipe with you. you'll get the other one tomorrow. haha. These ones are called the "As-You-Like Muffins" from Dreena Burton's cookbook. They are so delicious and really hearty. I halved my version, but this is the full recipe. It makes 9-10 medium muffins.

Here's the recipe:

As-You-Like Muffins

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or whole wheat flour
1 cup ground oats
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup fruit or nuts
1/4 cup unrefined sugar
couple pinches of salt
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup vanilla or plain soymilk
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp canola oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, ground oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, fruit and nuts. Combine well. In another bowl, mix applesauce, soymilk, maple syrup, and vanilla and add this to the dry mixture. Stir and add canola oil as it starts to come together. Mix until well-combined (do not overmix). Spoon into a lained or lightly oiled muffin pan and bake for 19-24 minutes, until golen brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Mine were done in 19 minutes exactly.

It all started with Carrot Cake

I have to go to work today. Blahhh. I'm bringing all of my Biology homework as usual. Maybe even some American Literature as well. No one cares what we do at that damn job anyways. And I figure, hey, they scheduled 10 hours more than I told them I could work, so I'll just use that time to do my homework and study. It's a win win situation haha. I just feel like I 'm going to crack. I'm so nervous about this Biology test on Tuesday. It's four chapters and there's a hell of a lot being covered in each one.

And just to make me feel better, and hopefully you, too, here's a picture of the blueberry ice cream again. I got really snap happy that day. It's just really good and if you haven't bought any after I've been telling you about, then you don't deserve it anyway. haha I'm kidding... or am I?

All right. Here's this morning's recipe. I made it last night at midnight because I wasn't tired at all. It's the Carrot Cake Oatmeal from "eat me, delicious." The moment I saw it on her blog, I was starstruck. I HAD to make it. The smell of it is amazing, and I added some cinnamon for a more authentic feel.

Here's the recipe:

Carrot Cake Oatmeal

1/2 cup rolled or instant oats
1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup grated carrot (1 carrot)
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp chopped pecans
1 tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut

Directions: Combine the oats, soy milk, water, carrots, and salt in a saucepan. Turn heat to medium and stir occasionally until mixture comes almost to a boil and most of the liquid is absorbed, which takes about 5-7 minutes. When oats are done, stir in vanilla and cinnamon. Pour oats into a bowl and add the maple syrup, pecans, and coconut.

It's so easy, but tastes amazing!!!!! It makes a very large bowl of oatmeal so you won't be hungry soon. Don't cut the recipe down though... save the rest if you can't finish it... or mail it to me. haha