Instead of buying coffee creamer, make your own in two seconds flat! Ok…maybe a little more than that, but not much!
Most of the non-dairy creamers found in grocery stores are a toxic soup of ingredients. Although they claim to be non-dairy, many are made with dairy derivatives and a whole laundry list of chemicals.
Here is an example:
Water, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Palm Oil, Contains 2% Or Less of Each of The Following: Sodium Caseinate* (A Milk Derivative), Dipotassium Phosphate, , Natural and Artificial Flavors, Mono and Diglycerides, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Carrageenan, Salt.
This recipe calls for 4 ingredients. 4, that’s it!
I mixed pure vanilla and almond extract to create an amaretto flavor, but use whatever suits your taste buds! Peppermint, raspberry, plain Jane vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate, pumpkin, chai spice, hazelnut, coconut….
There are endless possibilities for flavor combinations!
Store in an air-tight container and keep in the refrigerator, enjoy up to 1 week!
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I will be running the Old Port Half Marathon on Sunday, wish me luck! It will be my first time visiting Portland, Maine. If anyone has recommendations on restaurants, shops and sites please share
Every summer my sister and her family spend the summer at home with us on the cape. I live for these moments shared with them! Days are spent on the beach, at the ponds, hanging out together, laughing, cooking and eating. Cooking a lot…did I mention she has 3 teenage sons??? They are my guinea pigs for recipes and this recipe got the thumbs up!
It’s super simple to make, feeds many mouths and is easy on the budget! Beans and brown rice make a perfect protein, so this is a complete meal on it’s own or you can serve it as a side dish. Left over grilled corn and spinach from the garden were thrown in the mix, but you can chop up any vegetables you have! Shredded carrots, zucchini, summer squash, peppers or kale would all taste great as well! The casserole shown in the photos was made with organic shredded cheddar cheese. Simply substitute with daiya cheese for a vegan version.
The original recipe is from Eat, Live, Run. The instructions say to add all ingredients to a casserole dish, cover and bake. Simple enough, right? I sautéed the onions, garlic, tomato sauce and spices for a few minutes to create a more savory flavor. This added step is completely optional! If you’re pinched for time don’t bother, it will still taste great!
½ cup shredded daiya cheese or organic shredded cheese
fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil or spray a 9x13 cooking dish and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent and golden. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, sea salt and pepper. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
In a large bowl add uncooked brown rice, tomato mixture, broth, kidney beans, shredded spinach and mix until combined. Transfer to cooking dish, top with corn kernels and shredded cheese. Cover with tin foil and bake for 1.5-2 hours. Casserole is done when rice is tender.
Top with fresh cilantro, serve warm and enjoy!
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Helpful Hint: Planning this week’s meals? Cook a batch of brown rice to have ready ahead of time. Mix together all the ingredients (decrease the amount of broth used to 1/2 cup!) and bake until warm, around 30 minutes. This can even be a freezer friendly recipe when using cooked rice, freeze, thaw and bake! Perfect for those mid-week nights when you get home late and don’t feel like cooking!
This has to be the easiest chocolate cake to make…ever!
Even easier than using a box mix! Plus, it comes without the partially hydrogenated oil, artificial flavoring, and propylene glycol (which is also found in brake fluid)! And you don’t even need to dirty a bowl! All the ingredients are mixed together in the baking tin…win!
Oh yeah, it’s vegan too!
Yesterday was Shaye’s birthday. Between working, cleaning, cooking, making forts, playing trains, walking the dog (you get the idea), I needed to come up with a birthday cake without much time to spare.
Enter the easiest chocolate cake recipe ever…
Mix the first 5 ingredients together in a greased 8″ baking tin, add the wet ingredients, stir, bake and voila…you have a rich and moist chocolate cake!
(I got the idea from here)
Follow along with the photos:
the easiest chocolate cake EVER and avocado frosting ~vegan~
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract (use 1+ teaspoon if not using orange extract)
2 tablespoons agave syrup
pinch sea salt
½ cup vegan dark chocolate chips (melted using a double boiler or microwave)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease an 8" baking tin and add the whole wheat pastry flour, white flour, sugar, cacao powder, baking soda and salt. Stir to combine.
Make 3 "pools." In one pool add the white vinegar, in the next pool add the vanilla extract and in the last pool add the vegetable oil. Pour 1 cup of water on top and gently stir. (don't worry about little clumps!)
Bake on the center rack for 30 minutes. (give or take a few minutes depending on your stove).
Cake is done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, add the avocado, orange extract, vanilla extract, almond milk and sea salt to a food processor. Blend until smooth. Pour in melted chocolate chips and blend until well combined.
Once the cake is cooled, use a knife to loosen the edges and flip onto a plate.
Frost and enjoy!
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The frosting is made with avocados, no one will ever know! Note: the avocados need to be perfectly ripe! Too ripe or too green won’t do! To ripen avocados, place in a paper bag with a banana overnight, does the trick every time! I used pure orange extract, but you can use any flavor you prefer…plain old vanilla is delicious too
After making this cake, I got thinking….
Why don’t I make up a few batches of the dry ingredients and store them in mason jars for a quick fix?
Now, all I need to do is dump, pour and mix…easy peasy!
