Posts by admin:
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) Earth Balance “buttery” sticks, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing the dish
- 10 to 12 purple “prune” plums, cut in half and pitted
- 3/4 + 1/2 cup Coconut Secret Nectar, divided (or use agave nectar)
- 2 flax seed “eggs” (2 Tbsp Flax seed meal + 6 Tbsp warm water)
- 1/3 cup So Delicious plain Greek-like yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat white flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Directions
Manna Bread Giveaway winner
December 10th, 2011
Sharing is Caring!
Roasted Butternut, Portabella and Barley Pilaf
December 7th, 2011
Last night I was inspired to make this yummy meal for us. It was VERY quick to make and filling too. Ryan mentioned that he was glad I had made barley. I believe it is a grain that I have never prepared before and I realized how sorry I was that I had never prepared it before.
I have been using a lot of kale lately since I have been staying away from broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. These happen to be some of my favorite veggies but for a time I have to set them aside for my baby’s health. In the meantime it has caused me to focus on my leafy greens.
Last week I made a soup with leftover turkey using curly kale. It was quite delicious but the flavor is usually a little more bitter when eaten raw. For this dish I used dinosaur kale, which Ryan happened to like a lot better than the curly kale. It is a little more like spinach but coarser but not bitter.
I roasted butternut squash for almost an hour then in the last 15 minutes I added chopped portabella caps. I boiled pre-soaked pearl barley and once the roasted veggies were cooked I tossed them with the cooked barley in a large bowl. I added raw chopped dinosaur kale and dried sweetened cranberries.
If you are looking for a new side dish for the holidays this is definitely a colorful and delicious dish. Hope you try it! Now back to my little one! 😀
Sharing is Caring!
Secret Recipe Club: Vegan Banana Oat Bread
December 5th, 2011
It’s that time of the month! It is Secret Recipe Club for the month of December and I am working it! I have finally baked something and this something was GOOD.
Okay, so wait. I am lying. I baked on November 21st. I baked in 2 day increments and made German Chocolate Cupcakes for Ryan’s birthday. Yes. I made the frosting on one day and the cupcakes on another day when I had the time between taking care of the baby.
Cooking and baking has been a little challenging and not as important to me since having Julianne. Although I feel hungry very often, due to breastfeeding, I have no desire to cook or bake.
Even though I took this December task as a challenge it turned out not to be so hard. As I get a hang of a schedule with the baby, I work on tasks that are important. If I feel I can bake after the most important things are out of the way then I will. Sometimes, baking allows me to do something fun than keeping up with all the chores in the house.
In comes this yummy Oat Banana Bread. When I found out I was assigned Itzy’s Kitchen, I was excited. I follow Erica’s blog and really like all her posts especially all the details about her pregnancy and now her newborn. She is a great inspiration especially since she looks amazing since having her baby. She seems to have gotten a hold of a schedule at her house. You go Erica!
She loves to workout and teaches classes at her gym. She even worked out up until giving birth to her daughter. If you have been keeping up with my blog, Erica and I have lots of things in common. I just hope that once I am able to get back into my exercise routine that I can shed all my unwanted pounds.
As I perused Itzy’s Kitchen I came across a yummy recipe for banana bread. I have had a hankering for banana bread so much so that I kept sniffing my husband thinking he smelled like banana bread. I knew I had to make some instead of thinking that people around me smelled like bread. LOL
Erica found the recipe on The Motherload and then added chocolate chips to her bread. I decided to leave out the chips and I made it vegan. How about that? Inspiration all around. The other unique thing about this recipe is that it called for oats and buttermilk instead of sour cream or yogurt.
This banana oat bread was DELICIOUS! It baked perfectly and browned so elegantly. Can bread brown elegantly? It did for me! It was very moist and even though I used coconut oil, I could not taste it. I used flax seed meal to substitute for the eggs and I made buttermilk using coconut milk and apple cider vinegar.
You too can make this healthier banana bread and maybe even make them in 4 smaller loaves and give it to friends. I decided to keep my loaf and eat it with my husband. Hee hee.
I am glad I took on December challenge because it was great! Thank Erica for the recipe!
Sharing is Caring!
Manna Organics Bread Review and Giveaway
December 3rd, 2011
Sharing is Caring!
Plum Cake Tatin and almost a month!
November 29th, 2011
Yes. We are alive! Whew. I feel like I have been so busy with our little one in addition with keeping up our household and getting some zzz’s. I really do not know how other new mothers have time to blog with a newborn. It has really been the last thing on my to-do list EVEN though I miss it terribly.
On that note. As of December I will no longer be with Foodbuzz so if you have visited me through that search engine, consider adding my blog to your reader or liking Opera Singer in the Kitchen on Facebook! I will be updating the blog because I am way behind and I have some giveaways and reviews. I will be joining the BlogHer community and seeing what all they have to offer.
We have been entranced with our darling angel. She loves baths even though she is not a fan of them when she is fussy and only wants to be held. It has been a week since all our family has left our home. It had been 2 1/2 weeks of family visits and help that was VERY welcomed. I have yet to really feel like cooking or to feel inspired. I have to remind myself to eat despite feeling the rumbling of my tummy. Ryan is great about making breakfast and even some dinners as I prompt him with the staples we have in the pantry, freezer, and refrigerator.
I happened to mention in the last post that I was going to be monitoring the foods I ate in order to prevent Julianne from having excess gas. I started reading The Happiest Baby on the Block and I am so loving the tips it gives for calming a fussy or angry baby. I find that Julianne is the happiest when I calm her and place her in my Moby wrap or sling. She zonks out immediately!
I have been craving coffee like mad lately and I have been going back to drinking Teeccino, a coffee substitute made from roasted barley, dried fruits, and other grains. It is very delicious and it can be brewed in a coffeemaker like coffee. I am not quite sure if it irritates Julianne’s tummy but coffee is definitely a big NO for her. Sigh…..I repeat to myself that this too shall pass!
I have been really missing beans, cauliflower, broccoli, onions, garlic, tofu, but I am eating plenty of eggs, spinach, kale, bok choy and other veggies. For the time being I am just monitoring how Julianne reacts to what I ingest. It is amazing but I have had contact with many mothers that had no clue that the foods we eat affect the baby’s mood and digestion. It makes me sad to see my baby cry in pain because she cannot expel her gas. I get frustrated at myself for self-control but then I ask God to give me strength. I take each day one at a time.
Well, Julianne was baptized 2 Sundays ago and she was lovely. We thank God for entrusting us with our little treasure because we have been given a big task to bring her up to give glory to our Creator. It makes me happy and nervous at the same time but God never gives us more than we can handle so I know He will be with us in every step.
Before I close this post, I leave you with a recipe I meant to post but never did since I checked into the hospital to have Julianne. If you are looking for a unique dessert for Christmas this plum tart would be perfect. It is dense, moist, and flavorful. Oh, did I mention that it was vegan? I took Ina Garten’s recipe and veganized it and it proved successful.
