Thanksgiving Round-up

November 18, 2012 4 Comments

Thanksgiving week is upon us!

This holiday season is very exciting for me. In previous years, holidays have always been a time of long, busy hours at work and grouchy, stressed out people looking for pie. But for the first time in my adult life, I get to enjoy this time with my family and I will be savoring the moments.

I love Thanksgiving as a time of reflection, and this year has certainly been worth reflecting upon. Just 23 days into 2012, my daughter Eden Mae was born and every day I am learning, growing, and finding new reasons to be thankful for her. In April I created The Sweet Life and have been blown away by its reception. For years I have tried to find away to harmonize my love for food and passion for veganism and The Sweet Life has allowed me to do just that.  And lastly this year has been about family. I am fortunate enough to live within an hours drive of my entire family: parents, sisters, brothers-in-law, and nieces and I am very thankful for all the time I get to spend with them as our family continues to grow.

I will be taking the rest of this week off to fully indulge in this holiday, but before I go I leave you with a Thanksgiving Day Round-up. Also I will check the blog periodically to answer questions for anyone trying my recipes this week, so don’t hesitate to ask.

Click on the picture for the recipe.

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Maple Caramel Sauce

Vegan Meatloaf Cupcakes with Butternut Squash Puree

Mashed Butternut Squash with Brown Butter and Sage

Almost Raw Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake

Vegan Bacon and Apple Stuffed Sweet Potato

Raw Pecan Pie Tartlets

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Caramelized Onions and Tempeh Bacon

Grain-free Walnut Mushroom Stuffing

Gluten free Mushroom Gravy

I hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving enjoying good food, family, and friends. Come back next week because I’m opening with these:

Sugar-free Chocolate Pumpkin Fudge

spoiler alert: they are totally addictive.

Filed Under: dinner, Eating in Season, Fall, gluten-free desserts, gluten-free meals, sweets Tagged With: , , ,

Chewy Molasses Cookies

October 8, 2012 18 Comments

Chewy molasses cookies…need I say more?

Well if you really want to know, here’s the truth: I made a whole batch of these and Jason and I ate them all. In one sitting. Moderation and discipline disappeared once we bit into these chewy, sweet, and spicy pieces of pure joy. And the stomach ache was well worth it.

Oh, the risks I face as a food blogger.

So when you make these, beware. They are highly addictive. You may find yourself licking the remnants off the baking sheet, searching for your self-control.

Chewy Molasses Cookies
makes about a dozen
*this recipe was inspired by Martha Stewart’s Molasses Spice Cookies  

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp molasses

1/4 cup sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a small bowl combine flour, baking soda and powder, spices, and salt. In a separate bowl or stand up mixer beat vegan butter and and sugar until light and fluffy. Add oil and molasses and mix to combine. In several batches add the dry ingredients until a dough begins to form. Don’t overmix.

Place rolling sugar in a small bowl. Pinch off about 1 tbsp of dough and roll into a ball. Coat with sugar. Repeat with remaining dough. Place on baking sheet about two inches apart and bake for 10-13 minutes until the edges begin to firm. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and allow to cookies to cool completely.

Enjoy!
(I dare you to save some for tomorrow)

Keep your eye on The Sweet Life this week because in honor of my 6-month blogoversary (that’s right, I’m turning 1/2 year old) I am having a very exciting giveaway. 

Filed Under: sweets, sweets, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Spicy Chai Tea Latte

September 12, 2012 15 Comments

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens; these are a few of my favorite things:

Eden instigating kisses from her cousins
Starting off a weekend with Maple Hazelnut Corncakes
Early mornings when I’m the only one awake
Spicy chai tea lattes on crisp fall afternoons

Especially spicy chai tea lattes on crisp fall afternoons.

Last year at this time I was entering into my third trimester of pregnancy. I had a job that kept me on my feet 8 hours a day, ending with a walk to and from the Max Station (portland’s public transit). With an extra 40 pounds of belly (yes, 40) this life was taking a toll on my body. And so I did the best thing I could think of to alleviate pain. Every day after work I spoiled myself with a chai latte to enjoy as I walked waddled to the train.

Now I have Eden and I don’t work (at least not for a paycheck) daily chai lattes are out of the question. But now it is fall and spicy chai tea lattes are one of my favorite things. So I created a solution: the homemade chai tea latte. I prefer this chai to the drinks at coffee shops because I control how it’s seasoned. And I can enjoy it for only a fraction of the cost.

Spicy Chai Latte
makes 2

2 cups water
3 black tea bags
2 cinnamon sticks
1 whole nutmeg
2 cardamom pods
1/4 tsp whole cloves
1/8 tsp black peppercorn
1 tbsp fresh ginger root, coarsely chopped
1-2 tbsp sugar
2 1/2 cups non-dairy milk (I use soy)

Combine the water, tea bags, and spices in a medium sized pot and bring to a boil. Boil for five minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove lid and add sugar and milk. Return to heat until the milk begins to lightly simmer. Immediately remove from heat.

Pour chai mixture through a strainer into a french press. Cover with top/filter and pump up and down a few times until the desired amount of froth builds up.  If you are unfamiliar with this technique to froth milk, here’s a detailed tutorial. And if you don’t have a french press, that’s okay too. The chai tea will still be awesome.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy!

How do you treat yourself when you’re in need of a pick-me-up?

I think I almost exclusively use coffee drinks when I feel like splurging. My drink of choice: a quad soy latte. Although I just got back from the store moments ago with some dark chocolate-covered almonds in my grocery bag because with a long week of single parenting ahead of me, (J is in Switzerland for work) I knew that would be just the treat to keep me going.

Filed Under: breakfast, drinks, Eating in Season, Fall, snacks Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Caramel Apple Crumble

September 3, 2012 4 Comments

Happy happy autumn, my favorite time of year. Okay I know it’s not technically the fall, but as I mentioned the other day, I defy calendars (and the earth and the moon) this time of year. Autumn, in my opinion, begins with Labor Day. So as I was saying, happy happy autumn, I’m so glad you’re here!

There are so many things I love about the fall.
The color pallet.
The holidays.
The food.
I love the way it makes me feel contentedly nostalgic.
And pulling out my knitting needles for the first time in the season and getting to work on Christmas gifts for my nieces.
I love warm spicy chai
And fires in the fireplace.

And apple pie. I love apple pie. But better yet, caramel apple pie. I LOVE caramel apple pie.

Caramel Apple Crumble
*revised from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook
makes (1) 9” pie or (4-5) 4” pies

Crumb Crust
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) vegan butter (I use earth balance)

Apple Pie Filling
8-9 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp vegan butter

Caramel Sauce
makes 1 cup
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegan creamer or coconut milk

This crumb crust is a simplified substitution for pie crust. With no rolling or shaping involved, it is an easy solution for even the most novice of bakers. And in my opinion, the taste is far superior.

Begin by making your caramel sauce. Here is my method.  Allow to cool while you prepare the rest of the pie. *Caramel Sauce has a long shelf life and can be made days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. This time of year I’ll often make larger batches so that I always have a little caramel on hand.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil your pie pan and set aside.

Mix together flour, almond meal, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Add vegan butter in small chunks and with a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut into the dough until it resembles small pea sized pieces (a few larger ones are okay). Using half the dough, press firmly into the bottom and sides of the pie pan so that the crust evenly covers the inside of the pan. Place in freezer for 15 minutes while you prepare filling.

Core, peel, and slice the apples then mix with lemon juice, sugar, spices, and salt until apples are well coated. Place apple mixture into chilled crust, creating a mound in the center. Dot the top with vegan butter and drizzle 3-4 tbsp of caramel sauce over the apple mixture. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs in clumps so that the entire top is covered.

Bake for 45-60 minutes until apple filling starts to bubble and crumb top begins to golden. Let cool completely before serving.

Top with extra caramel sauce and serve with Coconut Whipped Cream or Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

Do you love the fall? Or are you sad to see summer go? If you are excited about autumn’s arrival, what are some of your favorite things about the season?

Beyond the things I mentioned I love:
Listening to the Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack
Everything about Halloween
Fall equinox parties
The world series
Sweet potato pies
And cold rainy nights (from the window of a warm cozy house)

 

Filed Under: Eating in Season, Fall, sweets Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

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