August is National Sandwich Month
and
August 2 is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day!
Tag: vegan
Pitaya and Mango Smoothie Bowl
June 23 is National Pink Day!
Last summer, I fell in love with smoothie bowls. Every Saturday as soon we we were released from media and cleaning duties, my camp compadre drove us to Nekter Juice Bar for acai bowls piled high with strawberries, granola, and bananas. She always purchased a berry-laden bowl, but I sampled every option.
Homemade Cinnamon Roll Pop Tarts
Next week, my older brother will celebrate his 25th birthday. He has lived 9125 days, and I estimate that he has eaten Pop Tarts for breakfast at least 9000 times.
Yes, I realize that would mean that he ate Pop Tarts when he was only 4 months old. He probably did.
His favorite flavor is frosted strawberry. Although I don’t eat Pop Tarts nearly as often as he does, I do love just about anything with cinnamon.
And that’s where this recipe was born. In the picture above, there are three types of homemade Pop Tarts:
- Frosted Strawberry (for Brother)
- Cinnamon Roll (for myself)
- Chocolate Chip (for everyone because the world loves chocolate)
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 cups oatmeal ground into flour
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/3 cup applesauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2-4 tbs cold water
Filling Ideas:
- Cinnamon Roll Blended Nut Butter
- Chocolate hazelnut spread
- Strawberry jam
- Anything else that you think would be good!
Directions
- Combine all crust ingredients in a food processor. Pulse 20 times, and then let the food processor run until all ingredients are well combined and become a ball of dough. I had to stop the food processor several times to break up large chunks of coconut oil.
- Divide dough into two equal parts. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and flatten slightly. Place in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- Remove dough from refrigerator and let sit for about 10 minutes (it seems weird, but it worked). Roll dough between two pieces of plastic wrap until it is about 1/8 inch thick.
- Using cookie cutters or a knife, cut dough into as many pieces as possible before re-rolling and cutting.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place half of the dough pieces of a cookie sheet lightly sprayed with non-stick spray. Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle of each piece of crust. Leave about 1/4 in on each side so that the filling will not come out the sides when it bakes.
- Place a second piece of dough on top of each bottom piece. Use a fork to seal the edges. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the top of each pop tart.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool.
- I topped mine with a simple glaze (powdered sugar + milk), but that is completely optional.
- Eat and enjoy! These can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.
P.S. – I am linking up with Angie and her cohosts Lizet @ Chipa by the dozen and Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook for Fiesta Friday.
Strawberry Salsa
May is National Strawberry Month AND National Salsa Month
Did you know that almost 14% of people think that cilantro tastes like soap? It’s true, and it’s completely scientific.
Coconut Straw-nana Chia Pudding
May is National Strawberry Month
Here’s a little known fact about me (or maybe it is a well-known fact): I love Veggie Tales. I grew up on regular doses Esther, Jonah, and King George and the Rubber Ducky (on VHS of course). I had the Madame Blueberry card game. I often fell asleep while listening to the audio cassette tape of Daniel. As time passed, my family had DVDs of Wizard of Ha’s, Lord of the Beans, and Sumo of the Opera. We knew every lyric to every song on Veggie Rocks. We even met Bob and Larry!
To this day, I regularly quote Veggie Tales. This is one of the scenes I have perfected:
You can’t eat strawberries without bananas!
So if we are celebrating National Strawberry Month, we need to have some bananas, too!
This chia pudding incorporates strawberries, bananas, and Coconut Macaroon Nut Butter!
If you have never made chia pudding, there is something you need to know. The chia seeds absorb a lot of the liquid, making the pudding thicker as it sets. When you make this pudding at night and let it sit until morning, you will get a thick, creamy pudding. If you don’t wait, you will basically be drinking milk with raw chia seeds.
But trust me, this is worth the wait!
Ingredients:
- One overripe banana
- One 5.3-oz container of coconut-flavored Greek yogurt
- Four tablespoons coconut macaroon nut butter
- One cup of milk (any milk will work. I used 2%, but I am sure this would be amazing with coconut milk)
- Eight or more strawberries
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- Extra banana slices and strawberries for topping
Directions
- Using a fork, mash the banana and mix it with the Greek yogurt. Try to make this mixture as smooth as possible. Stir in nut butter and milk. You may have to stir for several minutes to incorporate everything. Alternately, you could use a blender.
- Dice at least eight strawberries and stir them into the mixture.
- Add chia seeds and mix until everything is well-combined.
- Cover and refrigerate at least two hours, preferably overnight.
- Top with additional strawberries and banana slices, if desired.
- Eat and enjoy!
P.S. – I am linking up with Angie and her cohost, Antonia @ Zoale.com, for Fiesta Friday.
Chocolate-Covered Banana Pops
If you give me a coupon, I am more likely to buy something. If you give me a coupon and put the item on sale, it’s a done deal. The product is in my cart.
That’s how I found myself with a box of these chocolate-covered banana slices. I became an immediate fan. The packaged treat was just so convenient as a snack around the house.
…But I wasn’t about to buy another box without a coupon, especially since I knew I could make an enhanced, decorated version at home.
You really only need 2 ingredients for this recipe: bananas and chocolate. If you are feeling festive or fancy, add some crushed nuts, shredded coconut, granola, candy pieces, sprinkles, butterscotch chips, or anything else that would taste good with bananas and chocolate.
Ingredients
- 1 banana, cut into thirds
- 2 tablespoons chocolate chips
- toppings of your choice: crushed nuts, shredded coconut, granola, candy pieces, sprinkles, butterscotch chips, etc. Out of the toppings I have tried, I think that coconut is the best.
Directions
- Melt chocolate chips in the microwave. Place them in a microwave-safe glass bowl, and microwave on high for 45 seconds. Stir, and microwave for an additional 20 seconds. Continue to microwave for 20 seconds and stir until the chocolate is smooth.
- Pierce each section of banana with a popsicle stick. Dip the banana in chocolate, using a spoon to spread the chocolate evenly.
- Roll the banana in your toppings.
- Place the banana pops on a sheet pan covered with wax paper. Freeze for 6 hours or overnight.
- Eat and enjoy!
Do you combine coupons and sales?
P.S. I am linking up with Angie and Abbey @ Three Cats and a Girl for Fiesta Friday!
Salted Peanut Butter Klondike Bar
What would you do-oo-oo-oo for a Klondike bar?
Now that you are considering all sorts of crazy feats, let’s switch gears and chat about the great month of March. I love March for several reasons.
