Friday Favorites 9.9

1. I'm sure it's clear by now that I am utterly obsessed with all things tea. This chamomile corn chowder looks super intriguing!
2. Semi-sad that summer is almost over, but I can still pretend if I make these super pretty lime sugar cookies with pineapple buttercream - shaped like pineapples!
3. Here are the 10 best booze shout outs in rap music. I gotta say, I can't believe they left out Snoop's in 'Gin & Juice' to Tanqueray
4. The most dreamy way to decorate your cookies/cupcakes? Try a galaxy glaze!
5. Although I just said I'm hanging on to summer, I'm already eyeing these slow-cooker hot toddies. I guess you could say I'm torn about the seasons!
6. These "everything seasoned" galettelettes (mini galettes) with scallions and tomatoes sounds absolutely ridiculous. Plus Molly's blog is so cute! 
7. Boozy tarts are the best of all worlds - and these gin and tonic lemon tarts sound superb! 
8. An awesome read where traditional Japanese art meets tattoos and - cats! An interview with the creator behind Monmon Cats with Puss Puss Magazine. I would love to cover my apartment in his artwork!
9. I know, it's just September...but I rediscovered this grilled pumpkin bread with honeycomb. Let's just see, autumn can't come soon enough!
10. This honeycrisp old-fashioned sounds like the best way to welcome autumn in a few weeks!

The Battery - Charleston, South Carolina

September Favorites

1. Vegan Spicy Pumpkin Chai Latte 

It always bummed bums me out when Fall rolls around and the pumpkin chai comes out at coffee shops. There is something about processed, bottle chai concentrate that doesn't agree with me. But luckily there is away around this! I made this incredibly spicy, frothy pumpkin chai latte. I never thought to use my immersion blender to make foam, but it works great! I will certainly be making this again! //Fo Reals Life

2. Vegetable Loaded Chili

I'm finally done with my summer squash surplus! I'm surprised to say it's quite a relief and that I'm ready to move on to winter squashes. This chili was super easy, delicious, packed with vegetables, and incredibly spicy! I added a few dashes of liquid smoke to take the edge off. This chili is a great way to clean out your fridge and freezer by using all your vegetables. It's also freezer friendly! //Oh My Veggies! 

 3. Cajun Oven Fries

I finally shared my "secret" recipe for Cajun oven fries! It's one of the things I've missed since going GF and I am a potato fiend, obviously. These fries are so easy and delicious. We made them twice this month to pair with these amazingly vegan quick burgers. I suggest you do the same! //here!

 4. Vegan Cinnamon-Apple French Toast

There's something so comforting about warm, spiced fruit. This vegan French toast was surprisingly filling and easy to make. I used pears for the warm fruit compote and GF bread. I also ran out of bread, so I used waffles for the rest of the French toast batter. Yay for improvising! //Vegetarian Times

5. Kale Powered Pasta

Recently, Mike and I have been trying out a vegan/soy-free/GF meal plan from the Happy Herbivore. They include easy, cheap, and delicious recipes for every meal. We haven't been following it to a T just yet, but so far, it has been a huge time saver for us. This pasta was one of the recipes that made a TON and was super nutritious! We just cooked an entire bag of GF pasta, then added in a chopped bell pepper and a bunch of kale in the last few minutes of cooking. After we drained the pasta, we returned it to the pot and added a jar of Trader Joe's no-salt-added marinara, spices, herbs, etc. 

6. Slow-Cooker Elvis Oatmeal

I received a 2 qt (smaller) slow-cooker for my birthday last year and have been meaning to use it more. I have used it a few times for smaller dishes, but oatmeal works great in it. I finally bought some GF steel cut oats and decided to try it out. You put your oatmeal in the slow-cooker to cook before bed, and when you wake up: Voila! Instant breakfast. I enjoyed the texture and this oatmeal was enough for three servings. So I ate it for breakfast a few days that week, which was a huge time saver! It reheated wonderfully! The blog I got this recipe from has written both of the slow-cooker books I own (one is only for 2qts!) and she has many oatmeal recipes besides this one! //Healthy Slow Cooking

7. Pad Thai

Why has it taken me so long to make pad Thai? I keep asking myself this. Pad Thai is one of my favorite dishes of all time, when it's me-friendly of course. I finally decided to try Happy Herbivore's recipe and it's quick, easy, scrumptious, and easily adaptable. I can't really tell you how simple this is. It's cheaper than getting take out! I added Twin Oak's premarinated Thai tofu, shredded carrots, and shredded red cabbage. I highly suggest serving it with cilantro, lime wedges, and lots of sriracha. //Happy Herbivore

8. Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

So I obviously went a little pumpkin crazy one weekend when I made these and the pumpkin spice chai above. I don't go nuts for pumpkin as much as I do winter squash. But, I couldn't resist making us a special autumn breakfast. These pancakes were simple to pull together, but they make a TON of pancakes. I was eating these for breakfast for days (which isn't the worst problem to have...). These are perfect with maple syrup, warm fruit, and a hot cup of tea. //Allyson Kramer

9. Buffalo Chickpea Loaded Potato

I have made this dish before, but I just can't get over how easy it is. Actually, I don't think I can get over how much I love buffalo sauce. Buffalo smothered chickpeas cooked with caramelized onions, stuffed in a fluffy baked potato and served with a side of steamed kale. What more do you want for dinner?! This recipe comes together quickly and is a hearty autumn meal. //Naturally Ella

10. Orange Pan-Glazed Tempeh

I've become a little obsessed with finding different ways to cook tempeh. Recently, I have really enjoyed cooking it with Asian recipes. I've had my eye on this recipe for a long time, but kept pushing it aside because of the mirin. I finally gave in and bought some (it's not that bad!) to keep around for Asian dishes. If you have a well stocked "international" pantry, this recipe is super easy to make. Sweet orange juice pairs with soy sauce, mirin, garlic and more to make a delicious twist on Asian tempeh. I highly recommend serving it with rice, lime wedges, and a steamed vegetable. //101 Cookbooks

(839) golden apples of the sun

This post will pretty much sum up my last week of being a "non-adult". There was a bit of a delay in posting this because of a, let's call it a "mishap of sorts", this past weekend. But all is well now and I'm back on my feet! Trying to cope with the fact that I'll be 21 in a day and a half. Where has time gone?

A not so impressive slow cooker corn cabbage soup with amazingly impressive baked tofu sticks. These tofu sticks are so easy to make and they are the closest thing I've tasted to actual chicken nuggets...which is why they are slathered in ketchup. I also enjoy baked rather than fried, and fresh parsley! They were awesome to snack on all week. 

It's funny how I constantly crave the same things at the same time of the year. Zucchini and squash really shouldn't be cooked right now, but I still had some from the farmer's market. I wanted to do something good that showed off how delicious they are. I remembered a favorite pasta bake I made last Halloween from Joanne. The herbs de provence here really makes all of the flavors pop. I used homemade marinara sauce that I made in the slow cooker all day (not pictured but AMAZING) which made it even better. The vegetables get sooo tender. 

I feel like I am always in this "polygamous" relationship with veganism. I eat pretty much 90% vegan, but I still eat honey. Marshmallows don't scare me, nor do eggs. If I'm in a real cinch I will cook an egg or two, but I'm not too keen on chicken or beef anymore. I will also gladly order fish at a five-star restaurant. So I can't call myself a vegan, even though I rarely eat non-vegan things. Eggs are primarily consumed through baking, and well, I can't tell myself that honey is bad. I already can't eat a lot of things, so why cut my options out? How does everyone else feel about this issue?

Anyways, I finally finally found Medjool dates at my local co-op, worth a pretty penny I might add, and I also finally made salty medjool caramel for apples on Halloween. So easy. So good. And it's vegan. 

I was set on making a raw caramel apple pie for Halloween dinner, but after I saw these bars, I couldn't get them out of my head and just had to make them. I used GF rolled oats, vegan Earth Balance sticks, and the rest is totally vegan. These are essentially coconut milk pumpkin pie on an oatmeal shortbread crust, topped with chocolate, coconut, and almonds. I don't think I need to explain myself more (and they're pretty!)

I had dinner with my parents on Halloween, as always, and she made me vegan pepperjack grilled cheeses and fall vegetable soup. 

Forgive the bite taken here, but I finally tried out flatbreads! I picked up some chickpea flour after hearing so much about it and seeing so many recipes with it. These flatbreads were amazing and had great texture/flavor. I cooked them a bit longer than I should've but still great. I used pesto I froze in the summer, which turned out great, and added vegan pepperjack cheese. These are probably versatile for every season!

Breakfast is great when you want to try something new, and you just happen to have everything for it. I made Sara's sesame date yogurt cups: dates smashed with sesame seeds layered with vegan cinnamon yogurt and topped with flax cereal. Delicious, simple, and naturally sweet.

Let me guess. You probably hate turnips, right? Like I did when I was 5? Well I hope you don't hate them because this soup is so good. This soup has few ingredients, and is made even better by the accompanying greens pesto. I am always wary about pestos, especially vegan ones, but the flavors are just right: nutritional yeast, orange blanched greens, pecans, balsamic vinegar, so so so good. I hope I have some leftover to freeze. But the soup and pesto together is unstoppable. It's getting cold outside, so you better make some!

My birthday is Monday so maybe I will make some sappy nostalgic 21st birthday post.

(819) and a comet rips the sky

I am finally on fall break! It may only be two days but I could really use them to catch up and to get ready for the rest of the semester to get knocked out. As noted on the previous post, I am trying to eat more tofu/tempeh/mushrooms/healthier and I can't honestly remember the last time I ate meat. I will surely enjoy these two free days and hopefully can make some food in advance like vegetable stock, homemade bouillon, tea-scented tofu, smoothie cups and more. We'll see!

I ate the leftover tofu from these AMAZING tofu breakfast tacos for breakfast like scrambled eggs with vegan buttered toast. Absolutely amazing! I found this easier to digest and more flavorful then regular scrambled eggs. 

Finally tried Heidi's kale and coconut salad from her last cookbook. I think I slightly burnt the coconut and kale, so it wasn't as good as I thought it could be. I ate it with brown rice, a scrambled egg, and sriracha. It was definitely interesting flavor-wise, but the leftovers didn't hold up so well. I am glad to know that kale, coconut, and sriracha go well together! 

Trying to make breakfast more versatile: steamed kale, buttered brown rice and Irish breakfast tea. 

Also made another flawless recipe from Sara's book: smoky red lentil soup topped with fresh cilantro and served with corn chips. It was so easy to prep, cook, and make in less than an hour. I made it early in the morning and had it ready for lunch, dinner, and froze the leftovers. The simplicity of pureed soups will almost always win me over. This is my third time cooking with lentils and this one went better than the other tries! Red lentils seem to cook up quicker/easier anyhow. I recommend you all pick up Sara's book immediately!

Halloween bounty from my mother. Starburst for Trick-or-Treaters are almost all gone. 

I'm completely over store-bought hummus. I considered buying some to make sandwiches, but then looked at what ingredients I had and made a cilantro-lime hummus. Recipe to be posted below! 

Me drinking in front my apartment on a lovely fall day. 

Hummus, avocado and tomato sandwich with baby carrots. I am on a HUGE baby carrot kick since they are on sale right now. This has also become probably my favorite sandwich. Never fails to taste amazing, especially with extra avocado. It's so healthy and filling too. 

Finally ventured out to one of the last days of the South Elm Urban Farmer's Market where I scored fresh field peas and sweet potatoes for about $2.50. Can't really beat that and the vendor's artwork was awesome too. 

I am trying to do more homemade things, and more importantly, all vegan things. I am slowly slipping into a full-on vegan diet. I think the only thing holding me back is that cutting eggs out completely from my diet, which don't bother me, will start to bother me if I avoid them. Anyways, this homemade vegan mac + cheese was everything I expected, and more. The sauce is made from sweet potatoes, white beans or cauliflower, and nooch with a bunch of spices/almond milk thrown it. It was absolutely amazing! I feel great knowing all the vegetables that are tucked into this sauce, even though I felt reluctant to eat it with out greens, so I wilted some chard to eat alongside it. I seriously recommend this and hope that my leftover sauce freezes well!

First night of fall break success: homemade mac + cheese, pumpkin hard cider and a GF vegan pumpkin cupcake topped with cream cheese frosting and crystallized ginger. Finished off with a horror film: "Slither". 

Cilantro Lime Hummus

-1.5 C chickpeas

-1/4 C olive oil

-1-2 garlic cloves

-large handful of fresh cilantro

-2 T tahini

-large pinch of salt

-large pinch of cumin

-cayenne

-paprika

-juice of two limes

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-Process until smooth and enjoy!