strawberry muffins with strawberry cream cheese frosting

Treat mom to breakfast in bed this Mother’s Day with Strawberry Muffins and Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting!

Strawberry Muffins with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting ~vegan~ Treat mom this mother's day!

The least we can do for the moms and special women in our lives is to cook them breakfast and buy a few flowers!  It’s the little things that light up our hearts the most!  Noah brought home from school such a cute surprise for me this week..a hand painted flower pot with purple pansies and a drawing.  He explained the drawing in such detail it made me cry…my hair, my eyes, my nose and the baby in my belly.  It was too cute for words! My mother’s day is complete!

But, I wouldn’t complain if someone wanted to bake me up a batch of these…

Strawberry Muffins with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting ~vegan~ Treat mom this Mother's Day!

They are a little healthier than your everyday muffins thanks to whole wheat flour, minimal sugar and olive oil.  We have to keep mom healthy, right?!?  Vegan cream cheese is whipped together with freeze-dried strawberries for taste and color.  I found freeze-dried strawberries at Whole Foods.  You can skip this step if you can’t find freeze-dried strawberries and simply flavor frosting with a little extra vanilla extract.

Recipe adapted from Cucina Nicolina

strawberry muffins
 
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Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Makes 12 muffins
Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup soy milk (or milk of your choice)
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1.5 cup strawberries, chopped
  • For cream cheese frosting:
  • 1 cup freeze dried strawberries
  • 8 oz vegan cream cheese
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • drop pure vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin with cups or spray with cooking spray, set aside.
  2. In a large bowl mix together milk, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and olive oil.
  3. In a separate bowl sift together whole wheat pastry flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add chopped strawberries and toss to coat.
  4. Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients and gently mix until just combined.
  5. Fill muffin cups ¾ way full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool.
  6. To make frosting:
  7. Place freeze dried strawberries in a food processor and pulse until a powder is formed.
  8. Add cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and blend until creamy scraping down sides as needed. Use a drop or two of soy milk for thinning if needed.
  9. Serve with warm muffins and enjoy!

Strawberry Muffins with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting ~vegan~ Treat mom this Mother's Day!

 HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to all the amazing moms, sisters, aunts, grandma’s and friends out there!

strawberry citrus fruit salad with maple, mint and lime

May is filled celebrations!  A month of graduation parties, showers and Mother’s day!  Serve this beautiful Strawberry Citrus Fruit Salad with Maple, Mint and Lime for a healthy and sweet treat at your next event!

Strawberry Citrus Fruit Salad with Maple, Mint and Lime ~vegan, gluten free~

I dished these up individually (because I thought they looked pretty that way!), but serve in a large bowl if preferred. I love grapefruit, but some find it a bit too tangy.  That’s why I made a quick mix of pure maple syrup and lime juice to off set the bitterness.

 Sliced citrus holds up really well in the refrigerator.  You can make this salad to enjoy with breakfast or as a snack for a few days!  Try mixing in pecans or walnuts for protein!

Strawberry Citrus Fruit Salad with Maple, Mint and Lime ~vegan, gluten free~

strawberry citrus fruit salad
 
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Makes 6 individual 1 cup servings or 1 medium bowl
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 grapefruit, peeled and cut into segments
  • 2 oranges, peeled and cut into segments
  • 1 cup strawberries, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • fresh mint
Instructions
  1. Layer fruit in a medium bowl or individual serving cups. Whisk together lime juice and maple syrup, evenly pour on top of fruit salad. Garnish with fresh mint, enjoy!

Strawberry Citrus Fruit Salad with Maple, Mint and Lime ~vegan, gluten free~

Grapefruit’s amazing healing power and health benefits fly under the radar in my opinion.  They have been studied for a long time and  have been proven to lower cholesterol, normalize hematocrit levels, protect against certain cancers and rid the body of excess estrogen…that’s a lot of work for one type of fruit!

Beware, certain medications negatively interact with the powerful compounds found in grapefruit.

Check here for more info.

Strawberry Citrus Fruit Salad with Maple, Mint and Lime ~vegan, gluten free~

strawberry (and hemp) fields forever

strawberry

Hemp seeds are right up there with kale and avocados on my “Super Foods” list!   Don’t worry you won’t fail a drug test or find the urge to wear patchouli from eating these little seeds!  They are a product of a plant that is similar to the marijuana plant however; it lacks the cannabinoid compounds (ah, shucks!). It is the same plant that produces hemp for the production of rope and cloth.  Eating the seeds actually does the opposite of marijuana, they boost your memory!

hemp

Hemp seeds have a mild, nutty flavor and are a great addition to your morning smoothie because they contain high levels of protein (3 tablespoons contain 11 grams of protein!).  Save your cash on those expensive protein powders and use hempseeds instead!  Not only will you be getting a great source of plant based protein, you will get a healthy dose of polyunsaturated fatty acids (ALA and GLA) as well.  These fatty acids may alleviate skin issues such as dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis.  Hemp seeds also contain high levels of vitamin E, which will decrease inflammation in the body lowering your risk of cancer and heart disease as well as ease pain from arthritis.

Strawberry Fields Forever Smoothie

(2 servings)

strawberry fields

2 cups milk of your choice, preferably non-dairy (or water)

3 dates, pitted

1 ripe banana

1-2 tablespoons cashew butter

2 tablespoons hemp seeds

1 ½ cups frozen strawberries

1-2 cups baby spinach

Blend all ingredients and enjoy!

strawberry fields forever smoothie

Now, try to get that song out of your head!