September 12, 2011

Maple Cashew Oatmeal Squares

I absolutely LOVE oatmeal raisin cookie dough. It’s the only cookie dough that I’ll actually eat. Other doughs just don’t compare. There’s something about the texture of the oats mixed with brown sugar and a hint of salt that makes me swoon. Yesterday I was sitting on my couch flipping through this Raw Energy Cookbook I picked up at the library and the teaser on this recipe said that it tastes just like chilled oatmeal raisin cookie dough. SOLD! I immediately sprung into the kitchen to test it out.

After quickly blending a few ingredients in the food processor I was blown away; it totally DOES taste like oatmeal raisin cookie dough! You won’t find eggs, butter, flour or refined sugar in this mixture YET it totally tastes like dough. Weird. Crazy. Amazing! One of these Maple Cashew Oatmeal Squares pairs perfectly with a glass of milk/soymilk. I bet they’d also be great with a scoop of ice cream on top. The trick is to keep the squares in the freezer so they remain chewy. At room temperature they tend to be super gooey; they’re raw! With that said, I have a strong feeling these might not last very long in my freezer this week.
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Photography, Uncategorized

September 10, 2011

365- Week 36

A food related photo everyday until 2012. Here’s Week 35:

249/365 My husband’s new obsession- Ice. Exhibit A:

recipes

September 8, 2011

Bacon & Egg Breakfast Pizza

For the past year I’ve been really enjoying the whole “Put an Egg on It” trend and pizza is no exception! The first pizza we ordered with egg on top was at A16 for our anniversary dinner. To our dismay, we had to send it back because the pizza was undercooked while the egg was sheer perfection. They made it right on the second attempt but there was something burned into my brain that day: Egg on pizza tastes awesome, but cooking egg on pizza is a challenge. At least that’s what I thought.

I checked out a few tasty looking recipes online for Breakfast Pizzas and was confused at the cooking times and how it would fair with my trusted no-knead pizza dough. I also didn’t really know at what point to put the egg on top. So I decided to bite the bullet and put the eggs on after 8 minutes of cooking the crust and it worked! I can’t believe it worked! I totally thought I was going to overcook the eggs.

When I have the rare chance to eat pizza for breakfast (we never ever have leftovers), it’s usually cold and I’m standing up against my kitchen counter staring off into space in my pajamas. Now there’s a way for me to eat legitimate pizza for breakfast. It’s got bacon & eggs on it! That’s totally breakfasty, right? Top it off with a little bit of lemon dressed arugula to cut the fat and you’re ready to start the day right. Pizza for breakfast is a real thing!
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around the home, Uncategorized

September 8, 2011

Check out Episodes 16 & 17!

In case you’ve missed it, there are new episodes of the Joy the Baker Podcast over at Homefries!

On Episode #17: Proof we discuss:

proof that you’re dating/married to the right person
proof that you’re dating the wrong person
proof that we’re not Real Housewives
proof that we’re weird (I take pictures of my TV with my camera phone)
we also take a few listener calls and talk about how to make friends.

On Episode #16 Long Distance Relationships (aka LDRs) we discuss:

the pros & cons of LDRs
how to survive a long distance relationship & keep them alive!
sending texts, dance videos, funny pics & to your long distance pal (see show notes!)
we also take a few listener calls and talk about death by CARBS.

Do you have a question for us? Leave a message & we might play it on air!

(817)-82-FRIES

Thanks for listening!

recipes, Uncategorized

September 7, 2011

Pineapple Apple Mint Juice

While I was on my juice cleanse I was somewhat hooked on Blue Print’s Pineapple Mint Juice. It’s what I drank instead of grabbing a mid morning snack and it proved to be a nice little pick-me- up since it was sweet, minty (not in a toothpaste kind of way) and super refreshing. Think: mojito without the booze. During the first day post-cleanse, I found myself getting all twitchy because I needed my Pineapple Mint Juice fix. That’s when I turned to my juicer, trusted my taste buds and came up with this little concoction.

This Pineapple Apple Mint juice is now in my juicing rotation because it makes me feel good. It makes my breath smell fantastic, it makes my insides feel clean and gives me a little pep. Sometimes I dilute it with water for a flavored water effect and when the clock hits 5, I add a little vodka in my juice. That’s when the real fun begins. CONTINUE READING

recipes, Uncategorized

September 6, 2011

Caramelized Mushroom & Shallot Bruschetta

Did you know that September is National Mushroom Month in the U.S.? Happy National Mushroom Month to you! I was contacted by The Mushroom Channel to help represent Team USA with an original mushroom recipe for Tastespotting’s 2011 Mushroom Masters Competition. I’m competing against Australia & Canada with this Caramelized Mushroom & Shallot Bruschetta. This tasty bruschetta combines toasty garlic crostini with caramelized mushrooms, shallots, thyme, creamy goat cheese and aged balsamic vinegar. It will turn any non-mushroom eater into a mushroom eater. Seriously! My husband isn’t a mushroom eater but ate half of this recipe. Good sign!

You can get the recipe here

And please vote for my bruschetta while you’re at it!

In the spirit of full disclosure, I was compensated for my photos & original recipe.

recipes, Uncategorized

September 5, 2011

Coconut Butter

If you’ve been around here for awhile, you might already know how obsessed I am with coconut oil. I love it on toast and in my waffles. I also make granola with it, drizzle it on popcorn, use it as a moisturizer, a hair mask and even as a hand exfoliator. I love the subtle coconut flavor of coconut oil but sometimes it’s just not enough. Sometimes I just want the coconut taste to be BOLD. I want texture. I want more!

Cue the coconut butter! It’s 100% coconut. That’s all it is. Mix it in a food processor and it liquefies after a good 8-10 minutes. You’re left with a thick, creamy coconut butter that’s both savory & sweet. It’s great on just about anything. If you’re like me you might find that it tastes best eaten directly from a spoon!
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