Muffins!! Applesauce, and Lemon-Peach-Berry-Cornbread! *Vegan*

I'm on a baking kick. It's pretty awesome :) You can't beat a house filled with the aroma of fresh-out-the-oven muffins! A couple recipes for some killer morning comfort food!

Lemon-Peach-Berry-Cornbread Muffins (adapted from a recipe from "Vegan with a Vengeance)

Ingredients (12 muffins):
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 tbs baking powder
1/3 cup sweetener (recipe calls for sugar, I use a mix of sugar and maple syrup. Ideally I'd use agave sweetener if on hand)
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup non-dairy milk (my fave is Hemp)
2 tbs soy yogurt
4ish tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cup mixed berries and peaches, frozen bits are the easiest

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease twelve-muffin tin
2.In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and sweetener.
3.In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, milk, soy yogurt, vanilla and lemon juice.
4.With a wooden spoon, fold the wet ingredients into the dry.
5.Fold in the frozen fruit, being careful no to over-mix.
6.Fill each muffin cup three-quarters full.
7.Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center of one comes out clean.

The key is using the soy yogurt to keep the insides moist!! Delish! This is also a recipe that could easily be changed to suit the fruit preferences of the diner :)


Applesauce Muffins (recipe from How It all Vegan... constantly tweaked..tried here with Raspberry )


2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup non dairy milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 cup fresh made applesauce

To make the applesauce:
3-4 cored, peeled, chopped apples
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup your fave sweetener
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, cover and cook on medium heat for 20 mins or until chunks are mashable. Mash with a fork or use food processor to blend.

Muffins:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large ceramic bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Make sure your dry ingredients are thouroughly mixed before adding anything wet!
3. Add the milk, vinegar, oil, maple syrup, and applesauce.
4. Mix together gently until "just mixed". Spoon batter into lightly oiled muffin tins.
5. I added a little dollop of leftover applesause to the top of each of my muffins pre-baking, for extra sweetness.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Test with a toothpick to see if done. Makes 6 BIG muffins, or 12 small muffins.



Stuff your face!!!

Spaghetti Squash Pizza

I love spaghetti squash. Love love love it. It's buttery, sweet, and amazing on it's own, and when combined with Italian spices, tomatoes, and served up in the place of cheese on a vegan pizza it's utter heaven! Here's how I usually do it up..apologies for the "approximate" measurements... I like to be pretty liberal with ingredients, changing it up a bit each time.

1 medium spaghetti squash, halved
~a couple teaspoons olive oil
~3 tsp Earth Balance, more or less depending on your butter taste preferences
1-2 14.5 oz cans Muir Glen Organic Canned Tomatoes with Basil and Garlic . This is also a preference. Two cans make extra tomatoe-y, 1 can makes a slight tomato tartness, a hint of Italy instead of a smack in the face :)
Crust of your choice - I like frech artisan french bread, or premade cornmeal pizza crusts.
Dried Basil and Thyme to taste (approx 1 tbs each)

1 - Preheat oven to 425 degress. Rub flesh of the halved squash with the olive oil. Place squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet and pierce the skin several times with a fork. Bake for 45 mins, turn squash over and bake for approx 10 mins more, until spaghetti-like strands can be easily forked from the flesh of the squash. Take squah out, let cool for a couple minutes then scrape spaghetti flesh into a bowl.

2- Raise oven temp to 475, or whatever temperature the pizza crust requires. Add tomato cans, Earth Balance, Basil and Thyme to spaghetti squash in bowl. Mix until butter is melted.

3- Evenly spread squash mixture on crust. Return to oven and bake until crust is slightly browned, about 12 mins, depending on your oven and crispy crust choice! I feeli like the most important part of a big pizza-like bake is checking on your pie. Every minute changes the consistency/quality of your outcome. Revel in the lush smell and keep an eye on your lovely dish!

Here's my last..

A wonderful, filling, rich, totally vegan meal paired nicely with a rich green salad and maybe some fresh fruit for dessert. YUM!

Oh the possibilities..

Some may see another overgrown Oakland yard...I see opportunities untapped...I have dreams about what this yard could produce...

Simple Homemade Dog Treat

A super simple, ever adaptable, highly entertaining homemade treat for your dog!

So, back on the first of the year, I adopted a Dachshund puppy from a local rescue that had saved her from a Bakersfield shelter. I named her Dixie, and I love her dearly! True to the breed, however, she is smart, feisty, and stubborn as a damn mule when she wants to be. And oh, lordy, the girl will eat anything! So, every once in a while to give her a little extra mental stimulation, coupled with a yummy healthy treat, and to keep her busy during times when I need her out from underfoot...the pup popsicle!



This one is peas, kibble, and lumps of peanut butter frozen together with a bit of water in a small tupperware. Dixie went crazy for it! Even frozen, she could smell what she knew was going to taste good, and worked ferociously to lick and gnaw away at the thing. It kept her busy for at least 30 minutes, maybe more! Invaluable time for me to make dinner without having to worry about things like tripping over my little one in the kitchen and dropping something hot, heavy, sharp, or toxic (think onions or chocolate) that could potentially be harmful to her.



If you have a Kong, you're probably familiar with the wonders of interactive, freezable treats. If not, experiment! I love Kongs, but frankly, anything I don't have to wash makes my life that much easier. These are completely edible, freezable alternative ideas to a stuffed Kong.

-applesauce and veggie bits
-pumpkin puree and peanut butter
-low sodium broth and fruit chunks
-mashed banana, blueberries, and dog biscuits

I could go on and on!!! And honestly, it only takes a few seconds to throw together in the morning before work..guaranteed ready by evening!



So go forth, promote good dental health, provide a good challenge to keep your dog's mind active, and reward the little (or big) one for everything they do for you!


*Disclaimer: Of course there's always a risk of excessive wear on the teeth with a long standing ice-chewing habit. I'd recommend only using enough liquid to keep solid pieces together, or freezing liquids that are softer (think no-sugar juices or purees). And remember, a treat is something special, not an all the time thing!

Tilden Regional Park

Took an afternoon hike around Lake Anza in Tilden Regional Park above Berkeley and Oakland. It's been pretty unseasonably warm around here..perfect opportunity to get out with the dog and wander around the woods for a few hours!