How are you doing today? TGIF is all I can say! What a week I’ve had alone with my kiddo but hubs is back now, and I am spelled off from 24/7 solo childcare. To all you single parents out there…you have the hardest job in the world.
I’m glad that yesterday’s Vegan Chocolate Macaroons were looking so yummy to you. Thanks for all the great comments and props! Muah!!!! And thanks to the new readers and commenters for checking out my blog! Lord knows I don’t make any money blogging so just having people say they found me, are following me, and are digging my blog helps keep me going!
And yes, they are as good as they look.
But here’s what I made that’s super easy…
Overnight Tropical Soaked Oats
I made these with So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk Creamer which is intended for coffee or even vegan baking, but dang it sure made the oats really creamy.
1/3 c dry oats
2/3 c Vanilla Coconut Milk Creamer (or Lowfat Vanilla Almond Milk from TJ’s is my usual liquid)
1/4 c coconut flakes
1 Tbsp Chia Seeds (optional)
1 piece of dried mango, tore up into pieces
Vanilla flavored Liquid Stevia
1 heaping Tsp Cinnamon
Stir it all up & refrigerate for 8-12 hours
Voila. Creamy, sweet, hearty, and with a taste of the tropics in your bowl from the mango and coconut.
Dinner was aparagus, tomatoes, greens, carrots, red & yellow peppers, cukes, dressed with OJ, agave, and cracky blacky
Oh and I also got my hands on some Nuttzo after seeing the lovely Jenny rave about it. Dang, this stuff is really delish!
Here’s the nutritional stats
And you can see the Omega 3 happy flax seeds even through the container. Two thumbs up for Nuttzo!!! It’s sort of sweet like sunflower seed butter, but thicker more like peanut butter, but with the crunch factor of the flax seeds that I really enjoyed! A winner no doubt! Slather this stuff on anything from the top of your oats to Mary’s Cracks to the Matter of Flax Raw Vegan Crackers I mentioned the other day to a nice dipper for some fresh fruit. Yum.
I also wanted to mention a great baked squash recipe that I’ve been making for years. This recipe works for buttercup squash (buttercup is otherwise known as kaboucha as I learned on HEABs blog).
I have always called kabouca buttercup squash and this recipe works great with buttercups! Or you could use it for butternut or acorn squash too:
(pics from https://whatscookingamerica.net/squash.htm)
Averie’s Sweet Mustard Oven-Roasted Squash
1/4 to 1/2 c Dijon or Honey Mustard
1/4 c Maple Syrup (or agave)
1/4 c EVOO
Optional: 1/4 c brown sugar
Seasonings such as 1 Tsp of each (some or none, whatever you like): cinnamon, ginger, cumin,
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Squash halves should be face up. Take the mixture you just made and smear paint it on your squash and let it accumulate in the hole of your de-seeded and cleaned squash.
Bake at 300 to 350F til done, probably about an hour. Because of the sugar in the recipe, I would cover with foil for at least the first half of your cooking time so nothing chars.
Super easy and your house will smell delish!
VeganMofo in the house today.
And now for Flashback Friday Pictures! Janetha and Deb are pros at this, and I figured I’d get in on the action today!
Here’s me 3 days before I delivered my daughter. I didn’t gain much weight being pregnant because I had horrible morning sickness.
I was on a Caribbean vacation 3 weeks prior to this pic where I was even smaller. A woman told me I had a beer belly. I was like lady, I am 8 months pregnant. She’s like nice try, nice beer belly. Very pregnant and very hormonal, I almost beat her up.
And this is me holding my new bundle, Skylar Lotus, an hour after I had her. All natural childbirth. Read: 100% drug free. And I’m still smiling. Tired, but smiling. In fact, I checked out hours later. Why I didn’t just stick to my instincts and have my daughter at home, I don’t know but hindsight in all things, especially motherhood, is 20/20.
And this was her first trip out of the country when she was a little peanut. She loves the beach! Wonder who she gets that from?
Now she’s almost 3 going on 13!
Yoga is Urdhva Dhanurasana (Full Backbend)
Tip of the Day: Amanda’s Gluten Free Cookie Giveaway!
What’s your favorite thing to do on a Friday night when you know you have the weekend ahead of you? I like to try to get an early start to the power walk I do nightly with my family and then try to have a mellow, yummy, dinner at home. I like keeping things very low key these days. Do you go out? Stay in? Catch up on work, kitchen prep work, your workout, none of the above? Do tell!
Stay tuned for my kale chip recipe!
Averie, your but butter stash is OOC (out of control) lol. LOVE IT. So im not a HUGE coconut fan.. do you think something else could be substituted in place of it for your lovely snow balls???? Im thinking perhaps some rice crispies or something??
I LOVE LOVE LOVE tea.. I drink about 3 cups of green everyday.. I prefer to just get the dry tea and seep my own, but equal exchange (yaa fair trade) has a really awesome bagged organic green!
Those snowballs look wonderful! I love that there are no nuts in the recipe, and therefore no need for the food processor to come out. Sometimes I am lazy and would love to be able to mix up a treat like this by hand. Thanks for the recipe, I will be trying it very soon :)
I too was a coffee hound, but haven't had any in nearly two months! I weaned myself off with tea– I started with Tazo Awake tea (a strong, high caffeine black tea) and after a while switched to loose leaf Hojicha tea. It's very earthy and energizing in a clean, un-jittery way (unlike coffee, which gave me the shakes!).
Starting with the black tea then switching to a lower caffeine variety really helps prevent withdrawal headaches.
I want your PB2 stash!
Question: Did you use sweetened flaked coconut or unsweetened?
Those balls look mighty delicious! Ha! :D
Yummy frozen macaroons, a.k.a. snowballs. When you take them out of the freezer, you should cover them in more coconut "snow." Then, they'd really look like snowballs. Or, make a vanilla version.
I actually like making "cake" snowballs, like the Hostess treat. I should post them the next time I make them.
As for tea, I've been drinking Trader Joe's Ruby Red Chai, but I want to try Zhena's two holiday flavors I saw in my newest issue of VegNews. I have my eye on the Gingerbread Chai.
mmmmmm!! Just like others I have a list of your creations that I want to make, but I think this one might go to the top! They just look so yummy!
Wow you have alot of peanutbutter!!! Love it and love all your amazing creations! Thanks for the comments on my blog!
OMG they look amazing!! I love coconut!
Oh wow Averie! You have outdone yourself…again! Those snow balls looks so perfect and delicious. I can't wait to make them for the holidays :)
Those chocolate snowballs look amaaaazing. I must make them. Soon. Maybe before work!
I love tea, and my favorite right now is an Almond Rooibus. I really like Rooibus actually, more than any other variety. I also prefer loose teas :)
Good Morning from the eastern sea board. So this morning I was feeling a little stressed (which is not a good way to start the day)PMS is on the way and I have been craving sweets like crazy and wasn't sure how I was going to handle it and have to go to the gorcery store. And I don't know about you but candy bars, m&m's yikes. but anyway I get up start my morning with tea and averie and she has saved my day! Coco snow balls! I am like I have all of this in the house!!!! This can't long. So right now in the freezer is my snow ball ceration. For those of you that can't do coco – I did carab powder and I can't handle alot of sugar. I half the agave and used little coconut milk to cream them up. can't wait till snack time.
As for tea. I love tea. Cheap, expensive I'll drink and now with coconut creamer (that I make my self since Wilmywood doesn't carry the cream yet which is regular coconut milk that I addvanilla extract to it.) Cheap celestial teas can't be beat. I like Morning Thunder, Echinacea complete care, am detox, sleepy time extra, and then they have some season stuff. Sometimes I drink teas for the flavor but I also pick them out for their benefit. I also like the Tazo brand, andTraditional Medicials. Both of thoese are sold at heath food stores and regular grocery.
Can't wait to make the hummus. Yummy!
What will she have for us tomorrow…
Hello! Loving catching up on your blog again :) I've missed your yoga inspiration.
I have only just started tea drinking. I didn't think it was really my thing, but I just re-quit coffee and I still wanted something warm on these autumnal London mornings. So far I have enjoyed the yogi cinnamon tea – which doesn't actually have tea in – and also the celestial apple cinnamon one. It's pretty sweet but it's pure comfort.
Have a good day :) Emily.
Averie! How funny! I posted nearly the identical recipe tonight as you did! Seriously! Check it out…mine is a bit different (I used more coconut, plus some optional add-ins…) but my pics of the scrumptious finished product look just like yours. Chocolatey coconutty goodness, yum yum yum. My kids scarfed these down today.
Great vegan mama minds think alike :)
Your food looks delicious as usual, and your yoga poses are AMAZING.
Thanks for sharing your yummy recipes!
Chocolatey hugs,
Sheri xo
Really, I have a list a foot long of things of yours that I have to make, and now I've just added one more. You really are AMAZING! The texture on these snow balls looks just delicious, can't wait to try them.
And yay, warrior pose is my favorite! It really does make me feel like a strong, fearless warrior, and I love it!
Averie, I can't even keep up with all your amazing creations! I was just going to comment on your hummus, which I plan to make soon, and when I popped over from my reader to your blog, I was greeted with the magic coco snow balls! Gahhh!!! These are a perfect holiday "cookie"!! My list of "things that Averie creates that look fan-freaking-tastic that I need to try" is growing exponentially!