Banana Bread

I am so thankful to have come across this gluten-free, sugar-free banana bread recipe.  The link to the original recipe, from Plan to Eat, is at the bottom of the page.  I veganized it, of course.  Don't be scared off by how healthy it is.  It's also delicious.  Seriously.

Ingredients:

6 large, ripe bananas
2/3 cup raw coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups oat flour (I use my Baby Bullet to mill oatmeal)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease two loaf pans.  In a large bowl mash bananas with a fork.  Add coconut oil, applesauce, and vanilla.  (I usually just use my Kitchen Aid mixer.)

2.  In a separate, medium sized bowl combine oat flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.  Whisk until completely combined.

3.  Add the dry ingredients about 1/3 at a time, mixing until barely combined each time.

4.  Fold in the nuts.

5.  Scrape batter into prepared loaf pans and bake for about 50 minutes.

6.  Once cooked, place on a cooling rack.  I eat it plain, but I'm sure raw coconut oil or Earth Balance would go well on top!

http://www.plantoeat.com/blog/2012/01/gluten-free-dairy-free-sugar-free-oat-flour-banana-bread/

Quinoa with Mushrooms and Onions

Are you familiar with quinoa?  It's an amazing little seed that acts like a whole grain.  It contains all 9 essential amino acids, making it a complete protein.   It's also gluten free!  

Lucky for you, I have a recipe featuring quinoa to share.  It's a simple, delicious, whole foods plant based meal.

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
2 onions, chopped
1 8 ounce package of mushrooms, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 cup water
1/3 cup nutritional yeast

1.  Place uncooked quinoa and 2 cups of water in a pot.  Cook on high.  Once it boils, turn temp to low and simmer with lid on for  15 - 20 min, or until liquid is absorbed.

2.  In a large skillet or wok, cook onions in oil at medium heat until caramelized.  Add mushrooms to skillet to saute for the last 10 minutes. 

3.  Add salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, 1 cup of water, and the nutritional yeast and stir well.

4.  Last, add quinoa to the skillet and stir until all ingredients are well blended.       

Noodles & Company

My husband took me to Noodles & Company for my birthday today.  It was great, and they are very vegan friendly!  

We had Japanese Pan Noodles and Bangkok Curry.  Both were amazing, and we came home with lots of leftovers!  If you have a Noodles & Company in your area, check it out.  http://www.noodles.com/

DIY Swim Ear

My 10 year old stepdaughter, Julia, is prone to swimmer's ear.  Two summers ago, her pediatrician told us to make our own solution to use after she swims.  It's way less expensive than Swim Ear drops, and is simple to make.

Mix equal parts of alcohol and vinegar.  Alcohol dries any water that is in the ears.  Vinegar restores the normal pH of the ears.  I bought a dropper bottle from the health food store to put the mixture in.  I put about 1/2 a dropper full per ear, then turn head to the other side for it to drain out.  Repeat on other side.

DIY Hand Soap / Body Wash / Shaving Soap

I've been making this soap, in different variations, for the last year.  I've finally settled on the way I best like to make it.  It contains only 2 or 3 ingredients, depending on what scent I make it.  I love this stuff because it's simple to make, versatile, economical, and free of chemicals.  I think essential oils smell so much better than chemical scents.  They are also more safe.  

Ingredients:

3/4 cups Water, boiled then cooled
1/4 cup Dr. Bronners castile soap
Essential oil
Empty foaming soap dispenser

I like to use my glass measuring cup to make this.  I fill it with 3/4 cup of water, then gently pour the soap to the 1 cup line.  Then I add essential oils, if I'm using them, and gently stir.  Last, I pour the mixture into a well cleaned foaming soap dispenser.  

For hand soap, I usually use peppermint Dr. Bronners with 5 or 6 drops of peppermint essential oil.  For body wash, I use peppermint Dr. Bronners and water only.  I also make an unscented body wash with baby mild Dr. Bronners and water only.  

Avocado and Olive Hummus

My dad routinely makes his own hummus.  I make my own as well, but not as frequently as I should.  Homemade hummus is cheaper, tastier, and it can be customized however you like it!  When Daddy was visiting here last month, he made this before he left.  It's my favorite hummus recipe.  Alyssia, James, and I all love it.

Ingredients:

3 cups chickpeas, cooked
Half an avocado
20 black olives
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Put ingredients in food processor and process until smooth.  Serve with raw veggies or pita bread.  It's also a great mayo replacement on sandwiches.

Don't feed it to the dog!

Goldie in December 1998.  This is one of my favorite pictures of her.  She's less than happy about being in her Christmas outfit.  

Our cockapoo, Goldie, is 16 years old.  Since she's an old lady now, I've been giving her lots of human food.  This is a real treat for her since I've never been one to routinely feed dogs people food.  I figure at this point, she's earned it.  As most of us know, some foods can't be given to dogs.  I was really surprised to find out about some things that I would've never thought could be bad for a dog.

1.  Chocolate -  This is the one most of us know.  All chocolate is bad for dogs, but dark chocolate is the most dangerous.

2.  Grapes and raisins -  I was shocked to learn that these can cause kidney failure.

3.  Xylitol -  A sweetner found in gums, like Spry, can cause liver failure.

4.  Garlic -  Can destroy red blood cells and cause anemia.

5.  Onions -  Same as above.

6.  Avocado -  Large amounts can be toxic to dogs.

7.  Macadamia nuts -  Can be fatal if ingested.

8.  Tomatoes -  Vines, leaves, and stems of the plant are toxic.  Very ripe tomatoes are less dangerous.  

9.  Nutmeg -  Large amounts can be fatal.

10.  Alcohol -  It's not great for us in large doses either.  Remember, they are smaller than us and are more susceptible to damaged organs as a result of alcohol.

11.  Dairy products -  Can cause digestive problems and allergies.  (FYI, they're not good for humans either.  More on that later.)

12.  Fat trimmings -  Can cause pancreatitis in dogs.

13.  Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin) -  Can cause kidney failure in dogs.