Overnight Chia Pudding

I've tried some chia puddings before.  I think I have mainly done the chocolate variety to be eaten as an after dinner snack.  It was ok.  The calories were still pretty high and I would rather have the real thing.  However, after the Cooper River Bridge run they were passing out samples of a commercial chia pudding and it was SOOO good.  Not like I would ever find anything like that around here, but then I read this post and said, hey, I can do that myself!  So I did.

One major change between the recipe posted and mine...I hate bananas, so I used raspberries.  Yum.  I also didn't use the pre-portion amounts from Trader Joe's, but measured everything out from what I had.  My results were.. ok.  I ate it for breakfast for a couple of mornings.  I kind of lost interested and ended up with a lot leftover.  It was a nice little experiment, but next time I will make individual servings.  I was kind of hoping that James would get in on this, but he didn't.

Ezekial 4:9 Bread

My go to lunch is one of two things that keep well in my fridge:  Quinoa Crunch Salad that Kerri found or this sandwich - Cucumbers, Roasted Red Peppers and Hummus on bread.  They are both super easy and fast. I don't often have a lot of time to sit down and eat (who does these days?), so this is a great option.

I think I actually posted this sandwich a few years ago, but since then, I've discovered Ezekiel 4:9 bread.

Now, I don't eat this bread every day. I probably should. Sprouted breads are supposed to contain more nutrients that processed white or wheat breads.   The theory is that they grains are harvest right when they sprout thereby introducing the proteins and carbs that are excellent for athlete's bodies. But this bread is very dry and crumbly and I although I like the flavor of the bread, I can't say I like the crumbs it produces.  The texture itself is ok, its just kind of messy (in my opinion).  I could deal with the crumbliness of the bread if it weren't for the price. Its expensive.  $5 for a 24 oz the loaf at Trader Joe's.  

There are some other brands, but they are in the same price range - maybe a buck less.   Silver Hills Bakery is a Canadian company that makes a good sprouted grain bread (and bagels) we get here in the upper midwest.  I think Trader Joe's carries another sprouted grain bread that is around $4. 

Here is Minnesota I can find Silver Hills Bakery Bread in 4 versions at Super Target in the bakery section.  The bonus for me is that my daughter likes this bread, and if you've been following my blogs  for a while, you know how hard it is to get protein in that child.  The Silver Hills Bakery bread is not as crumbly and dry as the Ezekiel 4:9 bread, but not soft like a whole wheat bread you'd find in the bread aisle. It also has a very good shelf life. Its seems to last in my pantry about a week (if its not eaten up long before then) before it seems to go stale. 

I have tried making my own sprouted bread at home too.   I wasn't too impressed with my first attempt - it was supposed to be a  "life-changing" bread recipe. Well it was, just not in the way the author thought. I didn't like it. The dog wouldn't even eat it. 

I haven't given up on making my own sprouted bread. There are tons of recipes out there.  I'll keep trying.  But in the meantime I'm happy to keep buying Silver Hills Bakery Bread.  Its a winner in my house. 

Peas and Thank You Chocolate Pie

This one was from the first Peas and Thank You cookbook.  My goal is to not be as lazy with my desserts so when I brought something to Shannon's for after dinner, well, I wanted it to be a little special.  This pie came together pretty quickly and it was VERY good.  I topped it with some coconut cream.  That was my first time trying it and it works pretty well.  It didm' grow like real whipped cream, but wow, still good.  YUM!

Roasted ChickPeas

I wasn't so sure about these. But they actually turned out okay. The best part is that they are very transportable.  Put a bunch in a baggie and take it with wherever you go.

I read a few recipes for roasted chickpeas online - there are a bunch out there.  And they are all very similar. 

Basically it goes like this:

1 15 can chick peas

olive oil

cayenne pepper

Open a can of chickpeas and rinse them.  Dry them off on a towel and dump them on a parchment lined jelly roll pan. Roast at 375 for about 45 minutes until dry (mine were still a little chewy and moist on the inside, but I liked them that way). 

Once out of the oven, coat with a tad bit of EVOO - maybe a 1/2 t. Not very much. Don't want them too oily.  I seasoned mine with about 3 dashes of cayenne pepper. Enough to spice them up without burning my mouth on first bite. 

Keep in a tightly covered container.  Consume immediately.  These don't keep very long - maybe a day. 

I've seen these made with honey and little sea salt instead of cayenne, which I tried thinking my daughter would eat them - she wouldn't.  They weren't too bad with the honey, but I liked the cayenne ones better. 

Overnight Oats

A super easy breakfast. We eat this one a lot.  I've adapted my recipe from the one here. Its a good one to take on the go or eat after the gym.  I eat this before long runs and it has carried me through.

The best part? It's totally adaptable and flexible.  Don't have raisins? Use dried cherries, currants or cranberries. Like nuts? Add them in just before digging in. Prefer Old Fashioned Oats to Steel Cut? No biggie. Like coconut? Put it in.  Don't want to measure? Just guess (although I recommend measuring the oats and milk). Want a bigger portion size? Double it up.  Want it gluten free?  No problem!

You can have it your way.

I make up a bunch of these in advance by putting the dry ingredients together in a tightly sealed container.

Then the night before I add the milk.  I've even forgotten to add the milk the night before and did it in the morning, let it sit for an hour the dive in.

Breakfast?  Check.

For a vegetarian, but non-vegan version, add 1/2 C plain greek yogurt the night before. Then the morning you want to eat, stir in 1/4 C milk.

Easy Overnight Oats

1/2 C your preferred oats
1/2 C your preferred non dairy milk
1/8 C raisins
3 dried apricots, chopped
1 T flaxseed meal or chia seed
1/4 t cinnamon
1/2-1 t maple syrup
Toasted nuts

Combine all ingredients in an airtight container or jar. Stir well and keep in fridge overnight. Heat it up in the morning if you want it warm, or just eat it cold (that's what I do).

Chipotle Refried Beans

Oh Kerri, I agree with your entire entry from yesterday.  Paleo is so en vogue now. Blogs may be on their way out too. I technically follow a few blogs, but I don't read them-ever.  I pretty much read them only when I find a link to something interesting off pinterest.  And I too do not need another cookbook. In a way cooking is such a chore and I get tired of it.  But I don't get more tired of cooking than I do of eating crappy food. So I resort to the internet to find new recipes and my books just sit on the shelf. If there is a book I want, I get it from the library. Try it out. If, after a trial, it's worth buying, I force myself to sell or donate a book I already have to make room for the new one. That keeps my accumulation down.

I too find it difficult to keep up with writing a blog. I've got so much going on raising a family that when I have the time to sit down, there's other stuff to do than writing a blog. What's it all for? I don't create new recipes, just share ones I've found, I don't have any followers. Even with my attempts to get people I know interested in my blog, you are the only one who reads it.

I think Paleo is a fad, like Atkins was about 10 years ago. But  I don't know if it's avoiding dairy that makes people healthier, maybe just reducing dairy intake is enough (everything in moderation, right?-unless you are sick).  I think what makes people healthier is a DRAMATIC reduction in SUGAR and a DRAMATIC increase in VEGETABLE intake. I decided to go vegan because I wanted my diet to center around vegetables, not meat. My kids were still very young and I wanted them to start out life not fearing veggies.  I still haven't lost the last 5 lbs of pregnancy weight, but I feel healthier everyday, and that's good enough for me.

I recently was grocery shopping. I rarely pay attention to what others are doing in the store, other than staying out of their way while I navigate the aisles. All this time I thought that Americans had to be listening to all the nutritional advice from the last 20 years about reducing sugars, eating more veggies, reducing processed foods and sodium, etc.... But I was disheartened on two separate occasions at the store. I just happened to look up and see a lady with a cart-full of chips, soda, and processed food.  Then I looked my cart- it's full of produce and whole foods. Ingredients. The same thing happened a few days later. I felt let down. Because - how could this be happening? How could people not be listening all the sensible advice out there? They are hurting their bodies everyday by consuming junk. Don't they know this?

Now maybe she doesn't normally buy that stuff-maybe she was preparing for a party. Who knows. Maybe she has a dual income household and adding cooking as a chore is just too much. I fully understand that. I stay at home and there are days when I'm just too tired or uninspired to cook a meal. My hat is off to working moms who juggle full time jobs and a household at the same time. I don't know how they do it and I'm not sure I could.

But then I think to myself, this is why I blog, not for everyone else, but to record my thoughts and ideas favorite recipes or activities. I can reference the blog entry if I want to find something interesting to make. I'll read comments from my friends, whose judgement I can trust and decide if perhaps it's something I want to try. And perhaps someone will see my entry, like it and word will get out.

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Tostada with Chipolte Refried Beans
from Eat & Run
By Scott Jurek

Another winning recipe from my new hero Scott Jurek. I've never made my own refrained beans before. It was quite easy. I'd totally do it again.  I made it a tostada by adding jarred salsa, black beans and the tomatillo guacamole from this post and they were good, quick and easy to throw together. 

I know some don't prefer the planning involved to soak beans overnight then to cook and strain them. For me it's no big deal. Pretty hands off and I get a huge pay out in the end. Plus, a bag of dried beans is really cheap. 

Get the book Eat & Run by Scott Jurek and look this recipe up. I think it's worth it. I'd just add more chipotle peppers to kick up the heat. 

I do not need another cookbook...

I do not need another cookbook, I do not need another cookbook...

Let's be real, I think blogs are out.  I think blogs are only there to write that viral post that gets hit on your Facebook page.  I think Facebook and Twitter are where its at.  However, I am still half heartedly following a few blogs.  Honestly, usually I only follow them on Friday afternoons at work when I am killing him if that tells you anything.  I never read Oh She Glows regularly, but give credit that she is an excellent vegan cook.  She just came out with another cookbook and I REEEAALLLLYYYY want it.  (and sprouted kitchen as well), but I don't NEED it.  

I did make a recipe from her site.  On of the grad students in my lab has had some issues.  I think she would tell you that I was helping her, but truth be told, SHE was helping ME.  Don't you hate when that happens?  Well, during lent she gave up dairy and gluten, but I wanted to give her a treat.  I made her these almond butter bars and they were very well received.

Another plus, they were SO easy to make, but did work better when you kept them cold.  I want to make them again!!  But probably shouldn't.  YUM.

As an aside, I just want to put this out there.  I know paleo and going gluten free is in, and I can see how it is beneficial, but honestly, I think most of these people are happier and healthier because they gave up DAIRY.  I wish they understood that!