Oats Gone Wild

2014/01/16 By 2 Comments
OatsGoneWildCoversmall

My first full-length at-home cookbook is out now! Oats Gone Wild has 75+ plant-based recipes, featuring a mix of stove-top and baked oatmeal. With an interactive front index, it is easy to click through to the recipe you want to try. It is in digital format, for $4.99, via Amazon (as always, Kindle books do not need a Kindle to read! You can use their many free apps for phones and tablets, or read on computers).

OatsGoneWildCoversmall

In Oats Gone Wild, I used Gluten Free Rolled Oats in most of the recipes. We go through a lot of oats to put it lightly! We often buy 25 pound bags from Bob’s Red Mill. Sadly, oats have gotten a lot of bad press/hate in recent years due to the misconception that they are off-limits to gluten-free diets. If one buys the right brand, they can still have them. Bob’s Red Mill is the company to buy from IMO. Dare post an e-book of recipes (Oatmeal On The Go: 11 Gluten-free, Vegan & Plant-based-diet Recipes) with “gluten-free” in the title and you will get someone leaving you a 1-star review claiming the author doesn’t know anything. You can’t make everyone happy…..so while the majority of the cookbook is GF friendly, I didn’t need any more hate. Oats prepared right can be tasty, healthy for you and even downright delicious!

In celebration of my book being done, I went and tried something new, Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats – from yes, Bob’s Red Mill. They are not gluten-free though, so beware of that. Our local Costco has them in stock as well. I have often shied from steel-cut oats due to the long cooking time. Just not my thing. But these cook in the same amount of time as old-fashion rolled oats. So we tried out a new recipe for baked oat cups.

Steelcutoats

Baked Steel Cut Apple & Sunflower Oatmeal Cups

Ingredients:

Directions:

Add oats to a mixing bowl, cover with water and let rest for 4 to 5 hours, covered. Drain off water.

Preheat oven to 375°, liberally spray or oil a non-stick 12 count muffin tin.

Whisk Ener-G powder and warm water together, let rest for 5 minutes.

Stir oats, cranberries, sunflower seeds, flaxseed, half the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in the bowl.

Whisk the Ener-G mix, coconut milk and Sunbutter together till smooth, pour over oats and stir well. Divide between the prepared muffin tin (it will fill the cups up).

Take the remaining cinnamon and toss with the apple, divide evenly over the top of the cups.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden and set. Let cool a bit before serving, or for breakfast in advance, pop out and stash tightly covered in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave for about a minute, serve with additional maple syrup over the top.

Makes 12 muffins, with 2 muffins for a serving.

PS: Thank you SO much for helping support me while I wrote the book. Kind words mean so much! This book is my 4th full-length cookbook and I hope to do so many more!

Filed Under: Allergen Cooking, baking, breakfast, Cookbooks, cooking, Plant Based Diet Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Seize The Holidays: Coming This Saturday

2013/12/13 By Leave a Comment
logo-krusteaz

Seize The Holidays is coming this Saturday, December the 14th, from 1-3 pm EST (or for those of us on the West Coast, that is 10 am to 12 pm).

logo-krusteaz

Sponsored by Krusteaz and hosted by Catherine McCord, of Weelicious, she will be baking her favorite Krusteaz creations live from her kitchen, sharing recipes, tops and holiday gifting ideas featuring homemade goodies. If you sign up to watch, the Twitter hashtag is #KrusteazHolidays

I have signed up to watch it, I love live cooking shows, especially those with a live interactive Twitter feed…and what can I say – Krusteaz is a family tradition out here, one that I let the guys indulge in a few times a year. I grew up baking with my Mom, and Saturday mornings was pancake day! (And these can be done egg-free, which means Alistaire gets to have a small gluten cheat and join us).

PS: Check out the “Pancake In A Jar” recipes on their website. They are so neat. This would make a Pinterest-worthy party for kids to assemble gifts in mason jars! Also a fun gift if done in freezer bags in smaller portions, if you have outdoorsy friends, they can take the mixes with them for camping and backpacking, all they need is water, add to the bag and shake, then a little oil to cook in a non-stick pan.

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As for me?

KE1

Walker helped me make treats with a box of Bakery Style Sugar Cookies. Walker saw a Christmas cookie pan and asked if we could get it, so he mixed everything up and Mommy divided up the dough. He got a small ball to roll out and cut out cookies with. After they cooled, we decorated with frosting :)

PS: The mix has no eggs in it, and I substituted my fave egg-substitute for the 1 egg called for. Worked perfectly I might add. You can also use Earth Balance Buttery Stick instead of butter.

KE2

FTC Disclaimer: We received product samples to participate.

PS: Today is Day Three and Book 3 of our Week of Giving back!

3FreeSmall

My first ebook, Oatmeal On The Go: 11 Gluten-free, Vegan & Plant-based-diet Recipes, is free on Amazon all day.

Filed Under: baking, breakfast, cooking, Dessert, Shopping Finds Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Tropical Breakfast Rice Pudding

2013/11/16 By Leave a Comment
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BRice2

Rice pudding is dessert, right? Not necessarily! It can also be a warming breakfast. I have updated the basic concept with two kinds of freeze-dried fruit, Let’s Do Organic Creamed Coconut and luscious Organic Coconut Sugar.

A great way to have both a vegan and gluten-free breakfast. Perfect for cold mornings :-)

BRice1

Tropical Breakfast Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

Directions:

Open the bar of creamed coconut. If your kitchen is cool (under 70°) It will be solid. If you live in a warm area, chill the bar first for 30 minutes. Take a cheese grater, place on a large rimmed plate, finely grate the whole bar, measure out the amount needed, store the rest in a tightly sealed container. (If you live in a warm area, store in your refrigerator for best results after grating.)

Bring the coconut milk to boil in a small saucepan, add dry ingredients, stir well. Cover and turn off the stove. Let sit for 10 minutes, stir before serving.

Serves 2 to 3, depending on appetite.

NaBloPoMo November 2013

Filed Under: Allergen Cooking, breakfast, cooking, Gluten-Free, Plant Based Diet Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Oatmeal To Go – My New eBook

2013/10/07 By 2 Comments
OB1

If anything, attending IFBC left me so inspired. I suddenly had ideas that had me wanting to finish, and I felt very focused. One project was creating a fun manuscript out of orphaned recipes from my other cookbook manuscripts. Frankly, writing cookbooks isn’t glamorous, nor exciting. It is a lot of writing, and more so….editing. There is a reason I have three, yes three, manuscripts that are 90% done but never get finished. They take time and I need Kirk’s help to do the final 10%.

I had a concept of a fun e-book, doing it the way I’d love. Fun designs, splashes of color and completely un-traditional.The kind of cookbook I wouldn’t make with my husband. I had a wonderful (and creative) time putting it together. Something I must do more of! A PDF eBook, which can be read on a computer or even uploaded to e-book readers (Kindles can load PDF’s).

Oatmeal On The Go: 11 Gluten-free, Vegan & Plant-based-diet Recipes:

OB1

The focus? Oatmeal recipes to take along with you, you only need hot water and a spoon. All vegan and plant-based-diet friendly. Unlike the oatmeal cups sold at coffee shops, you know what goes into the recipes, at a fraction of the cost. Wether you take them to work, school or you hike, the recipes will give you a new view on oatmeal.

OB3

Want a sample?

OB2

And yes, oats can be gluten-free (this is a big topic). If you haven’t used them, I recommend Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Whole Grain, Rolled Oats,.

Want more information? Check out my book store.

Filed Under: breakfast, Cookbooks, cooking, Gluten-Free, Plant Based Diet Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Oat & Flax Pancakes with Maple Rhubarb Sauce

2013/09/20 By 2 Comments
Oatflaxpancakes

This came out of our garden winding down towards fall. Slowly, one by one, the plants are being laid to rest and I am tidying up everything. My rhubarb has astounded me. I planted 6 new plants in late spring, and I had read up that one shouldn’t harvest it first year. Well…I have harvested it TWICE so far. It has grown like crazy in the sunny/dry spots I plunked them into. And if it doesn’t freeze any time soon at night, I could get a third harvest in. Very happy with that purchase!

When I harvest, I bring it in, wash it and slice it yup, then freeze it on a cookie tray. Once frozen, I bag it up and off to the deep freezer. Something about the tartness come February!
Oatflaxpancakes

 

Go dream of a Sunday morning and enjoy these gluten-free and vegan pancakes :)

Oat & Flax Pancakes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • 1 large banana, mashed
  • 6 Tbsp flaxseed meal
  • 4 tsp coconut oil, melted + more for cooking
  • 1 cup oat flour, gluten-free if needed (see notes)
  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut, small flakes or shredded
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp fine sea salt

Directions:

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium.

Meanwhile, whisk milk though coconut oil in a large mixing bowl, let rest for 5 minutes.

Whisk oat flour through salt in a small bowl, add dry to wet, whisk until just mixed.

Drizzle an additional 2 teaspoon coconut oil in skillet, drop ¼ cup of batter for each pancake, 3 to 4 per batch. Flatten tops gently a bit. Cook for 6 minutes, flip over and cook for 6 minutes more. Repeat until done.

Makes about 12 pancakes.

Notes:

To make oat flour, run 1¼ cups old-fashioned oats through a mini-food chopper or blender, until finely ground. Measure and use. If you have small children, run coconut also through chopper to make smaller pieces.

Rhubarb1

Maple Rhubarb Sauce

Ingredients:

1 pound rhubarb, sliced

1 cup pure maple syrup

Pinch fine sea salt

Directions:

Heat rhubarb, maple syrup and salt in a medium sauce[an, over medium. Let simmer, lowering heat as needed, until rhubarb breaks down and becomes a thick sauce, about 10 to 15 minutes total.

Note:

Frozen works fine, will need the longest cooking time. Fresh may only need 5 to 10 minutes.

Filed Under: Allergen Cooking, breakfast, cooking, Gardening, Gluten-Free, Plant Based Diet Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal & A Book Review

2013/07/08 By 6 Comments

GFCollege

I was on the fence while reading through The Everything Gluten-Free College Cookbook. Why? I felt that while the recipes are solid, it wasn’t realistic. Better to have named it the “The Everything Gluten-Free First Apartment Cookbook“. A number of the recipes need a stove or oven, something that I am going to guess just isn’t realistic for most students in dorms. I always lived on my own, in apartments  when I was in college, so I had an actual kitchen,  but how many young adults have that resource? And you need a refrigerator, as well as pots, pans and measuring cups. So if you need a gift for a college grad who is setting out in the world, who is GF, good choice. Bad choice for an 18 year-old who can’t have appliances in their dorm room.

Anyhow, while it isn’t fall, I decided on a baked pumpkin oatmeal. I tried it twice, first with egg as directed, then vegan the second time. You won’t miss the egg at all, it tastes exactly the same!

PumpkinOats

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup canned pumpkin purée
  • 1 large egg or 1 tbsp ground flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp water
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup milk, dairy or favorite non-dairy
  • 2 cups old-fashioned oats, GF certified, if needed
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°, lightly oil an 8×8″ glass baking dish.

Whisk wet ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl. Stir dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, add wet, stir to combine.

Spread in prepared baking dish, bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm, or cool, cover and refrigerate. Warm in microwave for about a minute.

Makes 4 servings.

Note:

The recipe called for an optional ½ cup walnuts or pecans, diced, added with the oats, for a crunch to the oatmeal. I let this out so Alistaire could enjoy it with us.

~Sarah

FTC Disclaimer: We received a review copy.

Filed Under: baking, Book Reviews, breakfast, Cookbooks, cooking Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday Breakfasts: Vegan Waffles

2013/06/28 By 4 Comments

Yesterday was an amazing morning/afternoon at the Disney Social Media Mom’s conference in Bellevue, Washington. I am so happy I was sent an invite! Truthfully, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, should I have had any worries? Not at all! Having said that…I left my good camera at home and only brought my mobile (well and my iPad), the camera inside isn’t very great…so oh well!

DS1

 

In the middle, surrounded by two new friends! Becca and Krystal (check out their sites!)

DisneySMMoms

 

Krystal actually won this cutie from the table we all sat at -

DS4

 

Breakfast from a hotel? This was actually quite delicious and veggie friendly. The gravy was way good! Our breakfast was served to us by a wait staff – a very nice touch.

DS5

 

Soon enough I was enraptured…and found myself Tweeting more than I had ever before. I had so much to ponder and think about. This was a conference to remind us we are good enough, we should have big goals, that we can be moms and have business. Not only did I attend all of the conference, my attention didn’t wander. It was that good. Please, if you ever get the chance to attend any of Disney’s Social Media Moms events, GO!

DS2

 

OK, maybe the cute snack had my mind wandering. Walker loved it – along with the Disney balloons I brought him and Alistaire home with me.

DS3

 

The key-note speaker was Mindee of Juice Box Consulting (or as you might have known her, the inventor of the Boogie Wipe). Mindee is beyond an amazing speaker. Some of her sound bites should be mottos.

“You’re not juggling family and work, you’re juggling pockets of time.” “A guilt trip is a gut check ignored”. “You cannot be super mom at everything”. Her story is an affirmation that what may look perfect on the outside, rarely is inside. Being surrounded by so many other women, similar in age, living cluttered lives with never enough time and trying to do everything – I felt as if I was home. It also was a reality check that sometimes I give too much to my blogs and not enough to me or my family. Thank you, Mindee. It is appreciated.

DS6

 

If there is one saying I can take away from the conference for my business and my blog writing, it is this:

“Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends” – Walt Disney

I just need to learn better balance of my personal and business lives…..

DS7

But oh wait, this supposed to be about waffles, right? Let’s get focused ;-)

Veganwaffles

I was feeling inspired a few weekends past and made a big batch of waffles on our Belgian-style machine. I made them all up, stashed each one as made in a warm oven, meaning we got to eat all at once and not one at a time! Also, I found the waffles crisped up nicely in the oven. As for leftovers, I let them cool, then cut into quarters and freeze. Walker’s breakfasts have been easy as well, 2 halves in the toaster on defrost/toast.

Waffles can be time-consuming, but at least you get lots of leftovers!

The only downside to the recipe is they are heavier in texture. Waffles are usually “lightened up” with eggs. No loss though with some maple syrup and sunflower butter on top ;-)

Vegan Waffles

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk, or other non-dairy milk
  • 6 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ cups white whole wheat flour
  • 2 Tbsp baking powder
  • 4 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200°, heat waffle iron according to directions.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together water, coconut milk, and olive oil.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flours, baking powder, sugar and salt together. Add to the liquid ingredients, stir until just mixed.

Spritz the waffle iron with oil (a Misto sprayer works well), drop on enough batter (this will vary on what type of waffle iron you are using), and if unsure, under fill and not over filling. Close lid and cook as directed. When done, pop out, transfer to warmed oven on a rack, continue until all are done, spritzing with oil each time.

PS:

Egg free waffles won’t get the golden hue of traditional ones. Trust your nose for the smell of being done, and no more steam coming out of the waffle iron.

~Sarah

~See everyone on Monday. Lots of news coming – two giveaways are around the corner and a lot of new recipes. Enjoy your summer weekend!

Filed Under: breakfast, cooking, Plant Based Diet Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Blueberry Citrus Sauce & Baked Vegan Pancakes

2013/06/13 By 9 Comments

Fingers crossed, it may be a good year for my blueberry bushes -

Greenblueberries

Outside of a few of the 40+ bushes, most have put on good-looking berries. I am really, really hoping it goes smoothly this year! But for now, I pulled out frozen berries from last summer’s harvest. Just a few pounds are all I have left, I am enjoying them slowly!

Bsauce2

Baked Vegan Pancakes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 2 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1 Tbsp dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp fine se salt
  • 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (used almond)
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil or melted coconut oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°, lightly oil a 24 count mini muffin tin, preferably a slick non-stick.

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, add milk and oil, whisk until just moistened.

Drop 1 Tablespoon batter in each muffin cup (a 1 Tablespoon Disher works well).

Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, until golden on top. Let rest for a few minutes, turn over to knock out. Serve with warm blueberry sauce over the top.

Makes 24 mini-pancakes, serving 4.

Bsauce1

Blueberry Citrus Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound blueberries, fresh or frozen
  • 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
  • Pinch fine sea salt
  • 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice + zest of 1 orange
  • 2 Tbsp corn starch or arrowroot powder

Directions:

Add blueberries, maple syrup and salt to a medium saucepan. Whisk cornstarch into orange juice, add to berries.

Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium, cook until thickened.

~Sarah

Filed Under: baking, breakfast, cooking, Plant Based Diet Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Rhubarb & Pineapple Coconut Oatmeal

2013/06/12 By 2 Comments

Last week I harvested my first rhubarb of the year, from my oldest plant.

Rhubarb1

A quick snap and discarding of the leaves and I was dicing up the red stalks. Maybe rhubarb isn’t part of breakfast usually, but maybe it should be ;-)

Rhubarb2

Rhubarb & Pineapple Coconut Oatmeal

Ingredients:

Toppings:

Directions:

Heat a heavy medium saucepan over medium, melt oil and sauté rhubarb for 5 minutes, add pineapple and salt, sauté until golden. Stir in sugar till melted, then add milk, oats and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Take off the heat, divide between 2 bowls and top as desired.

Serves 2.

Note:

I found the toasted coconut chips at Trader Joe’s.

~Sarah

Filed Under: breakfast, cooking, Plant Based Diet Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Strawberry & Coconut Oats

2013/04/12 By 13 Comments

I thought about doing a 5th cookbook review this week….but then realized: It’s spring and I am strawberry obsessed…

SO1

Strawberries are one of my favorite berries…yum! Walker (The Toddler) and I have planted so many new strawberry plants this year, somewhere around 60 of them! In the coming years the squirrels and us will be eating well ;-) They joined the already existing ones in the gardens:

Staw

 

A bowl of oats & berries is a wonderful breakfast. Quick, tasty and filling:

SO2

Strawberry & Coconut Oats

Ingredients:

Directions:

Add the milk, oats, brown sugar, almond butter, cinnamon and half the berries to a heavy medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high, lower to medium-low, cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Serve topped with remaining berries.

Serves 2.

PS:

If your strawberries are of the “Plastic California” variety (big, large and not so sweet), you may want to sprinkle the berries with a bit of sugar and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes for best taste.

~Sarah

Filed Under: breakfast, cooking, Plant Based Diet Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
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