Vegetarian Whole Foods Made Simple
These banoffee overnight oats are inspired by the retro british dessert, and will save you time and stress in the morning! To be honest, It took me a while to warm up to the idea of overnight oats, It always felt more satisfying to tuck …
These vegan Coconut Cashew Granola Bars are sweet, satisfying, and wholesome! I was watching a clip of my favourite lady Nigella making Granola Bars the other day, and she described medjool dates as “the most delicious edible glue”. Isn’t that perfect? She’s right (obviously…!), medjool dates …
These flourless White Chocolate Coconut Chickpea Blondies are a healthier way to get your sweet fix!
Hey guys! Happy Friday! Today is a very special day for me… its Kirk and I’s five year anniversary! That’s right, FIVE YEARS! It has flown by.
We have moved three times, lived in three cities and two different states. We have travelled to Florida, New York, California, Tennessee, Alabama and Texas. We had a run in with a black bear in Yosemite, and hiked along the Appalachian Trail. We slurped cocktails in Aruba, and rang in the New Year in Edinburgh. We cycled through North Michigan and clambered up giant sand dunes to watch the sunset with Dexter.
We have spent many a wine-soaked evening with friends, and there was that one time with flaming Sambuca shots… We witnessed our friends and family fall in love, get married and make babies. In December we joined the club and had one of our own, and now we share in the simultaneous joy and terror of parenthood. We have supported each other in our passions and careers, even when it meant spending weeks apart from each other. In short, I think my guy is the bees knees, and the only one for me. I’m excited to see what adventures the next five years has for us!
So let’s celebrate! With cake! I have these gorgeous White Chocolate & Coconut Chickpea Blondies on the menu for you today. I have been pretty obsessed with chickpea blondies since I first spotted them on Ambitious Kitchen. They are flourless, free of refined sugar (minus the chocolate chips…!) and so easy to make. This White Chocolate and Coconut version stay fairly true to Monique’s original recipe, the main difference is that I added an egg for a more “cakey” texture, and of course the white chocolate and coconut for a festive twist. The egg could be easily omitted to “reveganize” the blondies, if that’s your jam. They make for a fab snack, and an equally fab dessert. In short, also the bees knees.
Enjoy!
Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen.
These can easily be made vegan by omitting the egg and using maple syrup and vegan chocolate chips.
These gingerbread granola bars combine all of the warm spices of gingerbread with the chewy, nutty texture of a classic granola bar. Before we get stuck into today’s recipe, I wanted to update you all on a little personal news. Next month our little family …
These quick and easy vegan Peanut Butter & Dark Chocolate Chunk Oat Bars are fudgy, satisfying and packed full of energy. When I left the hospital with my tiny two day old baby, my sweet friend Tanya sent me home with a tin of homemade …
Hello friends! As you can see, I have been baking again! This time: Flourless Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt…! Phew, what a (tasty) mouthful! Last weekend, I was struck by a cookie craving, just a need for something sweet and comforting that could be enjoyed with a steaming cup of tea and a good book. The thing is, I had already been out to breakfast that morning and consumed a granola pancake the size of my face. I scoured the world wide web for a compromise cookie- something that satisfied my craving for sweet and comforting, but was fairly light on the sugar.
Thanks to Sally from Sally’s Baking Addiction, I found the perfect specimen. A few tiny tweaks later, and I was in warm cookie heaven. These cookies are flourless and oat based, making them both wholegrain and gluten-free. The entire batch has just 6 tablespoons of sugar, so there is less than half a tablespoon of sugar in each cookie- not too bad for a treat! The peanut butter keeps them lovely and moist so there is no need for oil. And finally, the dark chocolate and sprinkle of sea salt give them that perfect indulgent edge.
Happy baking!
Greetings! Feeling a little fuzzy today coming back to reality after an idyllic, sunshiny long weekend… bliss! To ease the transition, I’ve prepared you a little treat, Peanut Butter and Strawberry blondies! But Before we get into these bite sized beauties, how was YOUR weekend? Did …
The topic of pancakes is much debated in my household. Kirk is a purist, and prefers plain or buttermilk pancakes. I, on the other hand, like to experiment. Many a Sunday morning is spent sipping coffee and quibbling about plain vs pumpkin, plain vs wholewheat, …
Hello! Apologies for the hiatus, I have been back home in England for a visit! I had some much needed catchup time with family and friends, and the last two weeks have been a blur of cosy pubs, riverside runs with my mum, negotiating the tube, and a lot of food. Back to Michigan now, and I wanted to tell you all about my favourite smoothie recipe- Dexter’s Breakfast Smoothie.
Dexters Breakfast Smoothie? Yes, this is a smoothie named after my dog. We discovered some time ago that Dexter LOVES bananas, possibly more than he would a juicy steak or sausage (although we have never tested that theory). One lazy Sunday morning I combined a couple of bananas with another favorite of his, peanut butter, and the result was this creamy vegan smoothie. It’s absolutely yummy, my trusty Golden Retriever has impeccable taste.
This is very adaptable too, use almond butter, use regular milk, soy milk, rice milk… pick your poison! Although I agree with Dex, bananas and peanut butter are like a marriage, a perfect union.
Thanks for the inspiration Dexter!
