Vegan Banana Oat-Nut Muffins

This is my own twist on vegan banana muffins.  I had an awesome recipe for banana muffins that I used to make all the time before becoming vegan, but now I think I've finally mastered the ultimate vegan banana muffin.  I made some with nuts and some without, and it good both ways.  My husband even loves them (they just came out of the oven and he already ate two) and he is usually skeptical of my cooking when I convert a recipe to vegan.  So, give these a try; they're really tasty.  (Feel free to cut the recipe in half.  This makes a least 24 big muffins-I usually freeze some and reheat them in the microwave or toaster later)

Ingredients:

6 mashed bananas
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (you can cut some of the sugar and replace it with molasses to make it healthier)
1tsp salt
2tsp baking soda
1-2 tablepoons cinnamon
1-2 tablespoons nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
2 cups of flour
1 cup oats
Chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 and spray cooking spray in muffin tins (you can use papers if you want, just make sure to spray them with cooking spray).
Mash the bananas and add the oil and applesauce.
Add both types of sugar and mix well.
Add the salt, baking soda, and spices
Mix in the flour
Mix in the oats.
Mix in some of the nuts if you're using them (leave some to sprinkle on top)
Spoon the batter into muffin tins until they're 3/4 full
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until they look golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Enjoy with a nice cup of tea!

Freezer Waffles (or Pancakes!)

Sunday mornings are so relaxing for me. All throughout the week, I get up early to either get to work super early, or to workout and then get to work early. On Saturdays my mom and I always go out for coffee and then to Yard sales when the weather is nice. Sundays are the day when I can sleep until I wake up, lounge in bed lazily until I feel like getting up, then I drink tea until I feel like doing something else. Sometimes I get the urge to cook a nice breakfast, and this recipe is perfect for a Sunday morning breakfast. It doesn't take that long to make, but it's not something I'd feel like bothering with on a weekday. The cool part is that you can make this whenever you feel like it, then freeze the waffles so that you can have them whenever you want. They freeze just as well as the frozen waffles you buy at the store, except these are more delicious, you can customize with the ingredients that you like, and they're much cheaper.

Here's what you need:
Boxed pancake mix (you can make your own if you want, but the box is easier)
Milk and eggs (if your box mix calls for it. I usually get the box mix that does not have milk and eggs because I add vegan alternatives like almond milk and applesauce)
Whatever mix-ins and toppings you'd like!

If you have a waffle maker (we do, and we LOVE it!!!!), you can use that. Otherwise, you can simply make pancakes. Make the mix according to the directions on the box, then you can add fruit (frozen blueberries, strawberries, banana, etc), nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts), coco powder, chocolate chips, peanut butter, whatever you want. I usually make several different kinds then freeze them in separate freezer storage bags. Last time I made cinnamon waffles, blueberry waffles, and waffles with coco powder.

To cook waffles, preheat the waffle maker, pour in about 1/4 batter per waffle, close the lid, and wait until the steam stops coming out (about 5 minutes). To cook pancakes, preheat a non-stick skillet at medium heat. You can use non-stick cooking spray to make sure the pancakes will come off easy. Pour the batter into the skillet and wait until the edges start to bubble and pop. Then, carefully flip it over with a spatula and cook the other side.

Eat them hot and fresh, or freeze them and pop one in the toaster when you want a delicious breakfast. You can also add in flax powder, protein powder, wheat germ, or other ingredients for added nutrition. You can have lots of fun with this recipe. Let me know what your favorite ingredient combinations are!

Here's a link to some cheap waffle makers on Amazon.com. Mine makes 4 at a time, and it wasn't very expensive. If you want to make extra waffles to freeze, I highly recommend a waffle maker that makes 4 at a time.

This is one of the best deals I saw:






And this one is more expensive but it makes really cute heart shaped waffles (5 at a time!):

Yard Sale

Today I had a huge yard sale and it was a great success! For a few months I've been cleaning out closets and drawers little by little, and storing it in bins in the garage. Anything that I forgot I had, or hadn't used in ages, I decided to put out at the yard sale. My mom did the same, and she brought over her items so that we could have one big sale. Looking at all the stuff in the yard, I couldn't believe that all this was once crammed in various nooks and crannies of our houses. My lawn was pretty much covered with things. Most of the stuff I picked up at yard sales or at the Goodwill, but I still had way too much stuff. Our philosophy was that we did not want or need the stuff, and that nothing would be brought back in. Anything that did not sell would be taken to the Goodwill, so we priced things very low. For example, I had a lot of name brand clothes, some new, but all clothing was 50 cents a piece. Then, after about noon, we said that everything was 25 cents. At about 3pm, we put an ad online, and signs up that said Free. A lot more stuff disappeared to happy homes, and finally just a few minutes ago we packed up all the left overs and dropped them at our closest Goodwill.

We yard sale a lot ourselves, so it was nice to see people getting excited to get such good deals, and we were excited that we didn't have to haul it all back in! So, it was a great day. We made $60-$70 dollars, we made people smile, and we had fun! Plus, our houses are more organized. It was a great opportunity to interact with the community and it spread good vibes all around. I love yard sales!!!!

Hershey Park

I had the greatest time on Sunday. Me, my husband, and my mom went to Hershey Park. We got the tickets for free from Chevrolet. They were giving out free tickets to anyone who owned a chevrolet or Pontiac, and we were lucky enough to score some tickets. We had such a blast. My husband doesn't like roller coasters, but my mom and I love them, so we rode quite a few of those, and then all three of us spent some time in the wave pool and riding water rides like the giant slides. One of the last rides we rode was called the Howler and it spins you in a circle and you can also spin yourself in a circle. Well, my husband loved that one but it made my mom and I nauseous. It's funny how certain rides bother certain people. We also all went up into the Kissing Tower and I got some really cool pictures. It was neat because the sun had just set, the rides were all lit up, and we were slowly spinning, so the pictures are a blur of colorful lights.

At about 2pm, we were relaxing in intertubes, floating down the lazy river when an announcement came through the park saying that all rides were closing due to inclement weather. What? It was sunny and beautiful! We decided to eat a picnic lunch in the car, and as we were walking to the car the thunder started. It came on so sudden! We got drenched in a downpour, but we eventually made it to the car and enjoy our lunch. It poured for about 2hrs, but we just chatted and took a little nap, and then when the rain finally stopped, a lot of people had left which made the lines much shorter.

The prices inside the park were surprisingly reasonable. Parking was only $10 for all day, and locker rentals were also only $10 for all day. Inside the Chocolate World gift shop, the candy was cheaper than at the supermarket, so needless to say we brought home a huge bag of Reeces Pieces (is there anything in the world tastier than Reeces Pieces?). So, that's the short story of our trip to Hershey Park this past weekend. We're probably going again in August, so I'll be sure to give you the highlights of that trip as well. In the meantime, what have you done this summer? What amusement parks have you gone to? What's fun to do with the family? Enjoy this beautiful summer weather.

Spread Love, Be Peace,
-Carla

Life without the Pill

I started taking the birth control pill when I was 16 years old to reduce the cramps I got with my period. It worked wonderfully and regulated my cycle so that I could predict the start of my period right down to the hour. It was great, but after having been on the pill for nearly 7 years, I was starting to wonder what it was doing to my body and whether or not it was safe to be on it this long. Plus, my husband and I are hoping to have babies in the near future and I wanted to let my body re-adjust to its natural rhythm before trying to conceive.

It's been at least 3 months since I've stopped taking the pill and my cycles are a little strange. The first cycle was 5 weeks and the next was 6 weeks. Now, it's been 5 weeks since my last period and I'm wondering how long this cycle will be. I've googled this issue several times, and I was shocked at how many women have went for months or years without a period after stopping the pill. Yet, I have not found any research to say that the pill harms your fertility in any way. So, I'm not sure what to think. I'm glad that I'm at least having cycles, even if they are spaced out. Feel free to comment with any experiences you've had with your cycle after stopping a hormal birth control method.

Spread Love, Be Peace,
-Carla

Bagels, Bagles, and more Bagles

Ever had a fresh hot home-made bagel? It's the best! These are absolutely fantastic. I'll admit, it takes a while because the dough has to rise, but it's worth it. It makes about 20 bagels (I prefer smaller bagels, so it might make less if you make bigger bagels). I usually mix it up and make several different variaties (cinnamon raisin, garlic, sesame, honey wheat, etc)


Ingredients:

1 package of active dry yeast
1/3 cup of warm water
1 tsp salt
4 cups all purpose flour
6 tsp sugar (4 for dough and 2 for water)
1 cup milk
An egg beaten with some water

What to do:
1. Sprinkle yeast into warm water and let dissolve

2. Add in the cup of milk

3. Combine salt, 4 tsp sugar, and flour

4. Slowly add in the yeast/milk/water mixture

5. Knead until only a little sticky and roll into a big ball (this is difficult and takes a while)

6. Flour a plastic bag and put the dough ball into the bag, remove the air from the bag and put on a twist tie.

7. Let the dough expand for at least 45 mins.

8. Punch down the dough

9. Let dough rest for 10 mins (at least)

10. Pull off pieces and roll into long pieces then fold into a circle and pinch to seal the ends together (make about 20 bagels with this much dough)

11. Put bagels on a baking sheet with aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray

12. Cover bagels with plastic wrap that was sprayed with cooking spray

13. Let bagels sit for at least 30 mins

14. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

15. Boil at least 6 cups of water

16. Add 2 tsp sugar

17. Put in 3 bagels at a time and wait at least 30 seconds, turn them over, and leave them in the boiling water for 30 more seconds

18. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place them back on the baking trays

19. Brush the egg water on them and then sprinkle them with stuff (You can choose the "stuff" but I suppose toasted sesame seeds is a classic)

20. Bake for 15 mins (top oven works well if you have a double oven) and rotate the tray half way through so that both rows get browned

Baked Coconut Tofu Bites

Honestly, I feel like these had potential, but I didn't like them. So, please let me know if you have any suggestions to make this better. I wish they had been crispier on the outside. I'll tell you what I did, and you can tell me how I should change the recipe for next time:

Ingredients:

1 package of firm tofu, drained and cubed

Lots of unsweetened macaroon coconut (grated coconut)

1 tablespoon of soy sauce (I like Kikkoman because it's flavorful and doesn't have sugar or too much salt)

1 tablespoon of cooking wine (I used Sherry, but it's such a small amount that it probably wasn't even necessary)

1 tablespoon of maple syrup (I used cheapo pancake syrup that was a million times removed from real maple syrup)

1 tablespoon of tahini (seasame oil paste stuff. You can use regular nut oil, or even peanut butter)

1 teaspoon of hot pepper powder (or you can use red pepper flakes)


What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 (or maybe higher to make them crispier)

2. Drain the water off the tofu, then wrap it in paper towels and squish out more water. Cut it into small cubes.

2. Mix up all the ingredients (except the tofu and the coconut)

3. Dip the cubes in the mix then roll in coconut and place on an ungreased baking sheet (I put a sheet of aluminum foil on the tray for easy cleanup)

4. Bake until golden brown (at least 25 minutes, maybe 35 would be better)

I even tried dipping some in BBQ sauce instead of doing the whole coconut thing, but the texture still wasn't right, so I give a thumbs down to this recipe. Thought I'd share just the same! Let me know if you have any success with it. It sounds good and it looks good, but it just wasn't crispy enough.

Frozen doggie treats

Ben and Poochie

Last Saturday my dog, Karma, turned 9 years old.  Karma and her friend, Ike, live with my parents.  My two little boys, Ben and Poochie, got to celebrate Karma's birthday with her over the weekend and they had a pool party.  Yes, I understand how bizarre that sounds, but these guys love to get together and play in the yard.  We had a plastic baby pool that they played in and they had lots of toys to play fetch with each other.  The highlight of their day was the icecream though.  Several times now I've made frozen dog treats and they all love them, even Karma who's a picky eater.  I usually make it up as I go, but here's what I did this time:
2 mashed bananas
1 individual cup of yogurt (any flavor as long as it's dog safe- be careful of things like peaches and grape)
3 tablespoons of peanut butter
1/2 cup of ice cream (once again you can use any dog friendly flavor)

This made about 8 servings (all of my dogs are small, so if you have a big dog it might be more like 4-6 servings)

Mix it all up and spoon it into little empty yogurt cups or some other small container and put it in the freezer for an hour or so.  They'll love it!  You can experiment with different flavors and make up bigger batches to keep on hand in the freezer.  Let me know what your dogs think of it!

My newest little gadget

I have to admit, I have been using the same 1GB mp3 player since my freshman year of college (over 4 years ago). It was Sandisk brand, and worked just fine, so why get a new one? Well, I was browsing on Amazon.com to see what kind of deals I could find, and I came across the SanDisk Sansa clib. The price was reasonable, it got good reviews on amazon.com, I trusted the brand, and it had 4GB of storage (which my husband said was plenty for me, but that he would get the 8GB version) so I went ahead and bought it. I’m so glad I did. It’s the coolest little thing ever! It’s very tiny, yet it still feels durable. The display is very bright and easy to read, and it has a menu system. My older mp3 player did not have much of a menu system at all, so it’s a real treat to be able to easily scroll through my music and choose what I want to listen to. Uploading music is easy; I just use the drag and drop method. There’s no need for any sort of software for transferring music. The battery life is fantastic. I’ve only recharged it twice since I’ve had it, and it seems like I’m listening to it quite a bit. My absolute favorite part is that it has a clip on the back that can attach to your clothing, and it’s so tiny that it is hardly noticeable and stays clipped on firmly. I’ve been walking and running with it for a few weeks now and I’ve never had a problem with it falling off or moving around. This is the coolest little gadget I’ve had in a while. My husband, who loves his Ipod, is actually jealous and thinking about getting the 8GB version for himself. So, if you’re in the market for a new mp3 player, definitely check this out.

If you're insterested in knowing more, I added links to Amazon.com.  They come in a few different colors.  I choose black and I love it. 

**I bought this product of my own will.  These opinions are based on my purchase, and I have not been compensated for writing this**

Sandisk Sansa Clip 4 GB MP3 Player (Black)
SanDisk Sansa Clip 4 GB MP3 Player (Silver)
SanDisk Sansa Clip+ 4 GB MP3 Player (Red)
Sandisk Sansa Clip 8GB MP3 Player (Black)

How I Met My Husband

It’s so sweet to read stories about how couples met and the circumstances that brought them together. For me and my husband, we met during freshmen year of high school and became best friends. The thought of dating him didn’t even cross my mind. I had lots of boyfriends come and go, but he was always my best friend. It wasn’t until one day junior year when we were working together in chemistry class that the light-bulb in my head finally turned on. We were scooted close together trying to solve a chemistry problem when a classmate came up and asked us if we were dating. That totally caught me off guard! After that, I thought about it and realized that it made perfect sense. My husband had never had a girlfriend before, and I knew he wouldn’t ask me out, so I asked him. He said no. I asked again, and he said no again. So, we stayed best friends but I started to date other guys again. One day at lunch I mentioned a date I had gone on over the weekend, and he looked upset. After lunch, he admitted that he wanted to be in a relationship with me, but was apprehensive since he had never had a girlfriend before. Almost seven years later we’re still together and more in love than ever.

How did you meet your love? Were you friends first or did you date as soon as you met? Let’s give some reassurance to all the single ladies and gents that love will come their way, and that you’ll know it when it’s real.

Warm wishes,
Carla