Time for the sweetness. I have been very pleasantly surprised at how delish a vegan sweet-treat can be. I can barely tell the difference, which is good for me, because I'm a fan of the daily bit of gooey goodness. If you don't have the time to make something up yourself, there are vegan options at the grocery store - just be sure to check the label for sugar. Look for products that use natural sweeteners like brown rice syrup, agave nectar, or organic sugar (it's still sugar, but it's not refined so it still has some minerals). Newman's Own makes a really tasty oreo-type cookie, for example.

If you do have the time, and let's face it, who doesn't have the time to whip up some deliciousness, then give these a whirl! They were very simple to make, and a they make a big 9 x13 pan, so you'll have plenty to stuff your face with. The original recipe calls for all-purpose flour, but I used half wheat flour for the sake of healthiness :)

This recipe is from the vegan goddess herself, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, and her book "Vegan With A Vengeance."

Raspberry layer:
2 c. frozen raspberries
3 T. cornstarch (or arrowroot or tapioca starch)
1/4 c. cold water
1/2 c. sugar (the organic part is implied. I use Sugar in the Raw.)

Blondie layer:
3 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 (6 oz.) container plain or vanilla soy yogurt
1/4 c. rice milk
1/2 c. plus 2 T canola oil
2 c. sugar
1 T. vanilla extract
1 c. chocolate chips (vegan of course, which I have easily found at the store. Enjoy Life! is the brand. Also, side note... I felt like this was too much chocolate. I ended up using about 1/2 cup.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan.

For the raspberry layer:
In a saucepan, combine all raspberry layer ingredients and stir until the starch is dissolved. Bring to a boil and then lower to a low boil, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened up. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the blondie layer:
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl (a big one), combine the soy yogurt, rice milk, oil, sugar, and vanilla. In batches, mix the dry into the wet until a dough forms. Set aside about 1 cup of the dough, and press the rest into your baking pan. Spread the raspberry filling over it, sprinkle half your chocolate chips over that, and spread out the rest of your dough. Finish with sprinkling your remaining chips.

Bake for 35 minutes, and let cool before serving.

Enjoy!

So I have a confession. Before making this recipe, I had never eaten a lentil. To be honest, whenever someone at work would make lentil soup, I thought it smelled like butt. That said, I was slightly apprehensive about this recipe, but I must admit, I highly recommend it, and I'm very much looking-forward to making it again! This comes from Alicia's "The Kind Diet" book. Have I mentioned how much I lahooove this book? It's awesome. She's awesome.

Anyway, definitely cook this up while winter is still upon us! It's warm and hearty and oh-so-stewy! teehee. I served mine over couscous for some extra grain.

1/4 c. safflower oil
1 md. onion, diced
2 sm. tomatoes, diced
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cayenne
Fine sea salt
2-3 md. sweet taters, peeled and cubed
7 c. vegetable broth (Imagine brand is good)
1 c. brown lentils

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, deep pot. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes (or until onion is soft). Stir in tomatoes and ginger, and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in your seasonings, including just a pinch of salt. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, and adjust seasonings to your liking.

Add the taters, broth and lentils. Stir well, bring to a boil, and then cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until lentils and taters are soft.

Then, expect to be eating leftovers for a few days. (happily, of course!)

Yesterday, Joe and I went out to eat at... brace yourself, a vegan-friendly restaurant in BEREA! It's totally random and crazy, I know. I figure they probably thought they'd tap into the BW (college, and my alma-mater) market, but then they probably realized that most BW students live at home, or they live off their parents' semesterly payment to their food card. (p.s. I was neither of those things.) Either way, it's awesome for me to have a place nearby that is totally eco-concious, organic, and super vegany!

I partook in the "Wild Rhino Old Oat Burger," and while I was skeptical, the bonus for me with this veganizing is how much it forces me to choose items outside of my comfort zone. My first bite wasn't the best bite. I kinda felt like a horse with an oat bag strapped to my face, but then I took a bite with with all the fixins - a yummy mango salsa (which elicited my response of "who knew I loved mango so much?"), and I was deeelighted. It was really tasty, and really filling. I could only eat half.. though that may have something to do with the fact that I upgraded to some plump and yummy sweet potato fries.

When we left, we also took advantage of the bakery! I picked up an oversized, don't-tell-my-pants, vegan chocolate chip cookie, and a vegan "power muffin," which has an entire banana in each muffin, plus tofu, almond and flax meal, and cranberries! sounds good, right? I haven't eaten yet. I'll let ya know.

Anyways, if you're on the westside of town, stop in to Treehuggers Cafe for a meal, and tell 'em Ann sent you (don't do that. they don't know me.)

http://www.myabcspace.com/treehugger/

Love,
Ann aka Power Muffin

I know what you're thinking.. who needs processed sugar when you have salsa? Ok, so I know it's totally un-macrobiotic of me to be eating mangoes this time of year, but I LOVE this salsa, and Joe knows this, so alas. I came home from work to find scrumptious Avocado-Mango Salsa with adorable tortillas cut out in the shape of hearts! ha! I love it.

This recipe comes from Cooking Light:

1 c. mango diced*
1 1/4 c. avocado diced*
4 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
cilantro to taste

*we just use 1 mango and 1 avocado instead of measuring

Happy Vegan Valentine's Day!

These are seriously yum.

I got this recipe out of a Moosewood Restaurant cookbook that I had. The original recipe called for walnuts, but I subbed out pecans just because I prefer them.

These pancakes are sure to please vegans and non-vegans alike, and are super filling (makes about 5). Each 4.5 oz. serving has nearly 8 g of protein, and 4 g of dietary fiber. Bonus, these are cholesterol free!

I like to top mine with vegan Earth Balance butter and a banana. deelish. I want one right now!

3/4 cup unbleached white flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup toasted and finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1 1/3 cups plain or vanilla soy milk or almond milk (I used almond breeze)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup

* Toast walnuts in a single layer on an unoiled baking tray at 350 for 5 to 10 minutes, until fragrant and golden brown.

In a large bowl sift the flours, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in the walnuts and oats. In a separate bowl, stir together the milk, oil and maple syrup. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir just until combined.

Lightly oil a skillet or griddle and place it on medium-high heat. Use about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake and cook on the first side until bubbles appear on the top, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the pancakes and cook on the other side until golden brown, about 1 minute.

Serve right away or keep warm in a 250 degree oven.

I know plenty of vegan folks, so I've been using them for a resource, and my oh-so-thoughtful husband picked me up "The Kind Diet" by Alicia Silverstone (who my 13 year-old self worshipped faithfully. as if!). so far so good. or so I thought. Turns out Berea, OH is not a mecca of vegan products. I found my jubliant "let's do this!" self sorely disappointed after a couple of health food stores, and just annoyed enough to not make the 45 minute drive to a Whole Foods or Mustard Seed Market. But, finally, I found a health food store that had most of the products I was searching for. Or, I discovered, you can find a lot online, and in bulk too! It's like Costco. without the membership fee... or the ginormous chocolate chocolate chip muffins. (seriously, who needs a muffin the size of your noggin?!)


So here I am on my journey to veganville! yeah, I said veganville. dammit. Stay tuned for thoughts, pictures, recipes, and hopefully some happy poo'ing (sans the pics).

Love and light,
Ann