tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30399196485689414832024-03-14T08:01:48.926-05:00Flexitarian WriterLizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.comBlogger147125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-3824679007303029452016-05-01T14:08:00.000-05:002016-05-01T14:08:43.124-05:00Lilac Simple Syrup
Where I live, lilacs are blooming everywhere, which reminds me of living in Oregon -- the first place I lived with a noticeable number of lilacs. There are a variety of lilacs available -- and the area around me has a lot of them. Lilacs (Syringa spp.) are part of the olive family, and are native to the Balkan peninsula. Lilacs came to the American colonies in the 1700s, and when white Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-69157628959567152015-01-26T22:59:00.000-06:002015-01-26T22:59:00.209-06:00French Silk PieA few days ago, More than a year ago, I posted about really wanting to make a vegan French Silk Pie. I based mine on this recipe, and it was a bit of a rough (though delicious) experience. The recipe I used for inspiration suggested you could use silken or firm tofu -- which maybe is true if you have a fancy VitaMix blender (which I now have access to). I actually use a pretty strong Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-73053098861683981432015-01-19T22:56:00.000-06:002015-01-19T22:56:22.383-06:00Product Review: Barney Butter Almond Butter Cocoa & CoconutI bought Barney Butter Almond Butter Cocoa + Coconut recently, because it was on sale at a local grocery store. I also wanted to treat myself because I'd just accepted (and signed the papers for) a new job. Barney Butter comes in a variety of almond-y goodness, including vanilla bean + espresso, honey + flax, and raw + chia.
I selected the cocoa + coconut variety because, frankly, I wanted Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-67131701939914546842013-12-26T08:17:00.002-06:002013-12-26T08:17:56.374-06:00Tea "Biscuits"Ah, one of the joys of being an American is that a "biscuit" brings to mind something that you use as a side dish -- to pretty much any meal. You can have gravy on it (sorry, not my thing) or wedge a sausage patty in it. You can put it as a side to a dinner of meat (or not) and greens. You can spread jam or honey on it. You can do a lot of things to a biscuit. And, depending on where in the Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-13921441874668025782013-12-25T07:37:00.001-06:002013-12-26T08:14:15.340-06:00Oatmeal Cookie CrustI knew I wanted to make a vegan French silk pie this holiday season (originally, I'd intended to make it for Thanksgiving), but for various reasons, it kept not happening. I even had a pretty tasty gluten-free crust, from the freezer section, on hand for a bit (and that got used for other things too). Alas, when I finally did find the time/energy/resources to make it, I didn't want to replicate aLizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-84375579879852822842013-12-23T20:43:00.004-06:002013-12-23T20:43:29.010-06:00Vegan Peanut Butter Blondies (grain-free too!)It's been nearly a year since I last updated this blog. It's not that I haven't been cooking and baking a lot -- I have. And, it's not for lack of inspiration about vegan and gluten-free things to make. It's that I've been deciding the personality overhaul of this blog. I'm not "flexitarian" anymore, but it's not wholly accurate to call myself vegan.
A lava flow?! That has nothing to do with Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-58591055380550991442013-01-02T12:45:00.000-06:002013-01-02T12:45:00.282-06:00Pumpkin Granola with Buckwheat & PepitasIt seems like over the past few months, pumpkin granola has leaped into the forefront of "it can be paleo and still granola" as well as many "skinny" (aka low-fat / no-fat / we'll prove we can use less or no oil and not use apple sauce") recipes. Certainly, if you got here by googling "pumpkin granola," you probably noticed how many recipes came from this year -- and how many are grain free or Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-89322709015719707772012-12-31T12:14:00.000-06:002012-12-31T12:14:00.046-06:00Monster CookesHow many times have I made Monster Cookies over the past 4 years (since I first learned about them)? More than I'd like to admit. There was a period where I was making them for every bring-something potluck or dinner I went to, and also a period of time where I was making them about once a week for a on-going bake sale fundraiser to support a literary journal (along with cake pops), where I was aLizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-33783235549482148622012-12-27T17:40:00.000-06:002012-12-27T17:40:00.540-06:00Sweet and Fluffy Coconut CornbreadConfession: I grew up not eating sweet cornbread. In the south, sweet cornbread is well, a bit blasphemous. It wasn't until I left my parents' house that I got sweet cornbread on a regular basis. Does that mean that I love sweet cornbread? Hardly. Pretty frequently, I opt instead for a spicy cornbread with whole kernel corn and jalapenos.
But, today seemed like a good day for a nice, warm Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-30890733037193079472012-12-25T08:00:00.000-06:002012-12-25T08:00:01.800-06:00Chocolate Orange GranolaI know, I know, you were thinking it'd been far too long since the last granola post, right?
I've started seeing Terry's Chocolate Oranges in the stores (and knock-off versions as well), and that reminded me of how, growing up, my dad and I would each receive a chocolate orange in our stockings at Christmas. I still enjoy the flavor of chocolate and orange together, at least from time to time,Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-14333231818505373372012-12-23T12:11:00.000-06:002012-12-23T12:11:00.732-06:00Product Review: Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate ChunksConfession: I prefer using chocolate chunks in my baking over normal-sized chocolate chips. To me, it's more satisfying to bite into a chunk of chocolate, compared to a chocolate chip. The exception to this might be mini-chips, because you're pretty much guaranteed to get several in every bite.
Since one of my local grocers had the Enjoy Life (dairy, gluten, soy-free chocolates) semi-sweet Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-13041915938767224632012-12-22T12:10:00.000-06:002012-12-22T12:10:00.410-06:00Cocoa Roasted Almonds Flavored nuts seem incredibly popular right now. Where I last worked, we often had a spicy chili-lime almond available, as well as toffee and mocha almonds. These made a nice snack, and, frankly can be pretty addictive (at least if you're me) -- but also a bit spendy, which is a problem on a small budget.
Fortunately, they can also still be (not too bad?) good for you because nuts are Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-69341732780979468932012-12-20T12:04:00.002-06:002012-12-20T12:04:31.110-06:00Cranberry Orange Scones
Cranberry Orange Scones (Vegan, GF)
It's been a long time since I made scones -- almost 18 months! That's far too long, and it makes me a bit sad (okay, so really only a year since I made any type of scone). This basic recipe is one of my favorites, and now I've modified it to be vegan in addition to making it gluten-free.
When I first posted the basis for this recipe,I hadn't been eating GF Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-80830224158535410752012-11-24T10:23:00.000-06:002012-11-24T10:23:00.150-06:00Curried Red Lentil Stew with Winter VeggiesSo, it's the beginning of flu season. This means people around me are sick. And by people around me, not even necessarily people I know -- in the grocery store the other day, I saw someone who looked like she was about to pass out (pale features, sheen of sweat, red nose, bundled up far more than the temperatures outside called for). Cold and flu season makes me want to eat things that are going Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-44618143572462343492012-11-22T11:22:00.000-06:002012-11-22T11:22:00.273-06:00Chocolate Mint GranolaYou might say that I'm on a bit of a granola kick. This is, as I explained in a previous post, partly because I now live in an area where my GF cereal of choice isn't as cheap as I'm used to and I'm living on a fairly small budget. Granola, of course, is a little more expensive to make than just eating oatmeal, but it's also more satisfying when I want something crunchy (or if I just don't want Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-48216396972962432542012-11-19T11:37:00.000-06:002012-11-19T11:37:00.161-06:00Product Review: Whole Foods Grind-Your-Own Chocolate Peanut ButterOn a whim, I recently bought a small container of Whole Foods' grind-your-own chocolate peanut butter. Why, you might ask?
Why not?
At my Whole Foods -- and maybe this is the standard -- the grind-your-own chocolate peanut butter uses vegan, gluten-free chocolate chips (hooray!). The balance in the machine appears to be mostly peanuts with a handful of chocolate chips -- you can see there is Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-38291767430923547972012-11-17T11:20:00.000-06:002012-11-17T11:20:00.086-06:00Masa Harina Cornbread (GF)
First, let me apologize for the lack of pictures in this post. You'll have to just trust me.
When I started to make black beans the other day (now in March, when I was still eating animal products, since I didn't remember to take pictures the next time I made this either), I realized I didn't have enough rice. Oops. Oh well, I had some masa harina (tamale style, though I'm not convinced it Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-35421467199597678592012-11-16T22:14:00.000-06:002012-11-16T22:14:00.595-06:00Orange-Lentil Granola
Orange-Lentil Granola
Regular readers, you might have noticed I was absent for a while. A fairly long while, compared to this spring. I was in the middle of another move, and now that I'm settled I hope (plan) to start posting more regularly again. I appreciate your patience and the handful of kind notes I got asking where I'd been.
Shortly after moving to my new place, I discovered a lack ofLizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-59085624959469545752012-11-13T22:00:00.001-06:002012-11-13T22:00:15.335-06:00Autumn Muffins (GF and Vegan)
Dog, seen on bike ride
Until recently, I worked at an Inn, where I made breakfast for people a lot. I love this work, because as you're probably aware (if you're a regular reader), I enjoy feeding people and forming a connection with others and with the environment via the things we put in our bodies. For me, cooking for others -- and eating with others -- creates a sense of community that I Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-71748746239932988492012-09-06T12:00:00.001-05:002012-09-06T12:00:32.477-05:00Gluten-Free LifestyleI've received a few questions from people lately about why I'm gluten-free, and it's a topic that seems like it's discussed more often than even just a few years ago. In fact, the podcast Stuff Mom Never Told You recently ran an episode that explains, in laymen's terms, the concept of a gluten-free lifestyle (or reduced gluten), with a particular emphasis on Celiac's disease.
Last spring, ILizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-1314466788849151792012-08-28T20:08:00.000-05:002012-08-28T20:08:15.395-05:00Product Review: Enjoy Life Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips[Disclosure] Here's the thing about the product reviews I post on this blog: I always become incredibly self-conscious. I'm telling you this because I don't post as many reviews as I sometimes think I should (based on the frequency with which "review product x" comes up in how people linked to my blog via search engines), and simultaneously because I sometimes feel like I'm posting far too Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-87615828816808091132012-08-23T08:59:00.001-05:002012-08-23T08:59:06.490-05:00Cheap Vegan Pesto
Basil
It's summer, which means abundant basil. I've been getting huge bags of it in my CSA share pretty consistently for the past month or so, and I can't seem to use it in enough things without making pesto. Pesto makes me think of my friend Rachael, who loves to make pesto -- and often did when we cooked together, back when we were fortunate enough to still live in the same town. Pesto's notLizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-54692552356633973002012-08-13T14:30:00.000-05:002012-08-13T14:30:00.624-05:00Polenta -- made from masa!I spent the last year living on a very minimal budget. As in, after rent (which is modest and included utilities), I had slightly less than $200 for the month. Some months, because of odd jobs, I had a bit more. But this $200 needed to buy:
Gas (occasionally; mostly I bike)
Dog food (and her yearly vet bill) for a mid-sized dog
Toiletries
Food
Occasionally, I allowed myself treats. E and I, Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-67792304058090865722012-08-10T16:48:00.000-05:002012-08-10T16:48:00.217-05:00French Lentils with MarmaladeFor a recent Sunday dinner with E & Co., I decided I needed to make a serious effort to use up things I've had in my pantry. The primary targets: lentils and tamale masa.
French Lentils with Marmalade over Masa Polenta
With the masa, I made a polenta and served it under the lentils (in part, because E isn't a fan of lentils). That will (hopefully) appear in a future post.
The salty Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039919648568941483.post-67295819734667270572012-08-08T20:45:00.002-05:002012-08-08T20:45:52.679-05:00Watermelon-Basil SaladSo, as regular readers might remember, I joined a CSA (community supported agriculture) this year with the hope that, in addition to supporting the local foods movement, I would also be forced into the kitchen more to actually cook and be inventive with food, something I find hard to do when I'm only making food for myself.
Watermelon Basil Salad
To some degree this has worked -- but you've Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345722657090020840noreply@blogger.com0