wiaw : my block

ever since i started writing this little blog, i’ve accumulated a lot of things. posts. pictures. friends. words. really nice comments. and of course, a lot of recipes. some of them my own, while many of them the genius of others.

honestly though, some of these recipes, i’ve only made once or twice. but others are staples in my weekly cooking rotation. and as october winds down, i’ve been making an effort to cook more and revisit some of the old recipes i’ve forgotten about.

reflection is a lovely thing, especially when food is involved and it's what i ate wednesday.

i think Jenn eats peas and colors with crayons. i like spinach and my favorite color is yellow.

every week, without fail, Jenn throws a big party on her blog. if you like eating, you should check it out.

without further adieu, here is a short list of what i've been eating lately. i think it encompasses a lot of love and good eating from me to you.

cheers, my friends.

one. red lentil and spinach curry (vegan tikka masala) from the taste space. sooooo good! warming, creamy, and perfectly spicy. i eat this over rice and it is awesome!

two. white bean and kale soup from vegetarian times. i wasn't a fan of this the first time i made it but my eight year old son loooooves it. i really like how the flavors meld together when you let it sit overnight - and it freezes well too.

three. no bake elvis bars from oh she glows. apparently, Elvis liked banana and peanut butter sandwiches (with bacon too). instead of peanut butter, these use banana and almond butter with a delicious almond-based crust. sorry, no bacon. there's chocolate instead.

four.  homemade pizza with jalapeno "nut meat", tomato sauce, basil macadamia cheeze, and marinated veggies. this isn't an "under five minutes recipe" (like most raw vegan treats) because of the dehydrated crust. one word. awesome.

five. super easy falafel with lemon garlic aioli : it's a little weird and totally amazing, trust me.

six. green monster smoothie. bananas + homemade almond milk + spinach+ dates + vanilla + cinnamon + nutmeg equals pure bliss. i do a lot of smoothies over here and this is one of my favorites!

seven. 5 ingredient chocolate mousse. i can't seem to keep this stuff in the fridge. "my little taste tester" loves to get his hands on it and gobble it all up like a turkey. or a moose.

thanks so much for coming over to my block - where everything is everything.



                                         fa sheezy

wiaw: thirteen - pumpkin spice muffins

i have an awesome recipe for pumpkin spice muffins to share with you for what i ate wednesday today at peas and crayons !

my continuing gratitude to Jenn, the girl genius who started this revolution. ♥

muffins are such a classic little treat. great for breakfast, an afternoon snack, with a cup of tea or even dessert. these gluten-free pumpkin spice muffins, made with oat flour and almond flour, are light, fluffy and satisfying.

this is the first muffin recipe i've posted. "my little taste tester" (who happens to be my beautiful, loving son) and i had a conversation last night about my recipes during which he gave me his blessing to post this one for pumpkin spice muffins. he gave his approval by gobbling down a full batch one or two muffins after dinner.  gobble gobble.

a stamp of approval from "my little taste tester" means that these pumpkin spice muffins are ready for “prime time"!

enjoy.

pumpkin spice muffins (gluten-free, vegan, paleo, sugar-free, dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free)
adapted from a muffin recipe by Kelly at nosh and nourish.

2 cups flour (i used one cup almond flour + 1 cup oat flour) *or sub with your favorite flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
dash of allspice
1 cup cooked pumpkin purée
1 large banana, mashed (or 1 cup full fat coconut milk from a can)
1/2 tsp vanilla
up to 80 drops of stevia. or other sweetener *or 1/2 cup maple syrup, honey, coconut nectar or agave

optional add ins:
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup chocolate chips (i used enjoy life minis)

optional topping:
1-2 TBSP pumpkin seeds

directions
1. in a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice).
2. in another bowl, mix together the wet ingredients (pumpkin, coconut milk, vanilla, and sweetener).
3. stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
4. optional:  fold in pecans and chocolate chips, if using.
5. line your muffin tin with muffin cups or coat it with coconut oil (like me).
6. spoon the batter evenly into muffin cups.
7. optional: add some pumpkin seeds to each one (for a little extra crunch).
8. bake at 350ºF 25-30 minutes.
9. cool and enjoy!

makes 10-12 muffins depending on how full you fill each muffin cup.
i filled mine 2/3 full and ended up with 11 muffins.

*Kelly's original recipe called for brown rice flour, coconut sugar, flax eggs, and a banana. i substituted the brown rice flour with oat flour and almond flour; the coconut sugar for stevia; i omitted the eggs altogether and used coconut milk instead of mashed banana. kelly topped her muffins with streusel while i topped mine with pumpkin seeds.

what's your favorite fall food? 
aside from food, what's your favorite thing about the fall season?

wiaw: twelve

i bookmark a lot of recipes. recipes that i find on other blogs and from my cookbook collection. i also recently joined Pinterest (follow me!), which may not be a good thing. time will tell. some of my isoteric pantry items are from bookmarking a recipe and then forgetting/waiting to make the recipe. then I try to save the ingredient until i finally make the recipe. so, i hold onto ingredients perhaps a bit longer than needed.

this week, my challenge was to eat through my pantry and my long list of bookmarked recipes. i realize that not all recipes will be winners, but thought i would share my thoughts anyways. that’s the fun of wiaw!

ready. set. go! check out jenn's blog for even more food!

current eats iHeart + bookmarks

1. oats

i love oats. for a long time though, i didn't like them so much. they made me feel full and bloated and i didn't like that feeling. so i avoided them.

i do not eat overnight oats. although i've never tried overnight oats, i do not like the look of them: soggy, wet, and drippy. no thank you.

i do not eat anything out of a microwave either. no mug cakes or thirty second oats for this gal.

my favorite way is to cook oats is on a stove top with water, almond milk, or a mix of both. sometimes, i'll cook and flavor my oats then add them to a small mason jar for later.

i love that there are so many toppings! i like bananas, cinnamon, a tablespoon or two of nut butter (almond, peanut, sunflower seed, cashew, hazelnut). apples, berries, raisins or other dried fruits, hemp seeds, chia seeds, nuts, or protein powder are also great in oats.

currently loving these inspirational recipes i found on the internet.

1. pancake love

the truth is, i’d gone the last few years not eating pancakes. let me back up. i spent a lot of years eating a lot of pancakes… pancakes for dinner, late nights at Denny’s, the whole bit. the pancakes just kept adding up and the easiest thing for me to do was cut out the temptation altogether.

but that’s all behind me now.

my pancake preferences have certainly changed over the years and now i only enjoy the lighter at-home ones made with bananas or berries.  

currently loving these vegan, gluten-free, and grain-free pancake recipes. yes please.

3. tea

i abso-frickin-lutely love tea.

any hour. any day.

i love how you can mix and match to your heart's desire until you come up with the perfect blend that will warm you up from the inside out. so soothing.

currently loving mighty tea chamomile citrus and ginger twist, david's tea pumpkin chai (with cinnamon, pumpkin pieces, cloves and cardamom, plus the sweetness of caramel and pumpkin candy), and traditional medicinals nighty night tea.

4. root vegetables

i’m deeply drawn to vegetables grown underground. i find them mysterious. like crystals and gemstones, they come from a world that I know little of.

currently loving potatoes, yams, beets, squash, carrots, turnip, parsnips, and radishes. roasted to perfection and drizzled with coconut oil and sea salt. this is bliss.

5. lentils

i always seem to gravitate towards foods that are easy to cook. nutty and earthy, lentils are one of my favorite ingredients to use and they make a nice compliment to any meal.

currently loving janet's recipe for red lentil and spinach curry (vegan tikka masala) or any one of her other lentil recipes. this girl knows lentils.

these gluten-free lentil energy bars sound pretty darn tasty too. #bookmarked

6. soup

i LOVE soup!  easy to make, difficult to screw up, very tasty and usually healthy. i will concede that i rarely make my own stock, but that doesn’t stop me from making a delicious, flavorful soup.

in my opinion, there is nothing more satisfying than curling up on a chilly fall day with a bowl of your favorite soul-warming soup. 'tis the season for rich, hearty soups and stews featuring your favorite deliciously comforting ingredients.

currently loving vegetarian times white bean and kale soup, season's and supper's fall vegetable soup, and the food network's moroccan spiced chickpea soup.

happy wednesday!

how do you like to eat your oats? do you like tea or coffee? what is your favorite root vegetable?

disclaimer: i do not own any of the photos (except for the pic of "my little taste tester"), GIFs or any recipes unless stated.