Plastic Shoes & Vegan Brownies

Grab your plastic shoes ... I have another vegan recipe to share, courtesy of our very own Mel.

Let me preface this recipe by saying that these are not "low-cal" so they should be enjoyed in moderation, especially if you have a weight-loss goal. However, the fat comes from heart-healthy, unsaturated sources like walnuts and avocados and the dates and agave nectar supply the all-natural sugar, making them a superior, health-conscious choice to traditional brownies.

This recipe is also gluten-free and contains no dairy so they are a good treat for those with wheat or dairy allergies as well as anyone looking to eliminate refined sugar, flour and saturated dairy-fat from their diet. Or for those with mean doctors who tell them to stop eating processed foods entirely. See Glennon you CAN have your brownie and eat it too! And they don't require any cooking either.

Raw Vegan Brownies

Ingredients
Brownie:
1 c walnuts
1 c dates
1/4 c cocoa powder

Icing:
2 ripe avocados
1/4 c agave nectar
1/4 c cocoa powder
2 T coconut oil
1 T vanilla extract
dash salt
dash cinnamon


Directions
Combine brownie ingredients in a food processor (or Vitamix or blender) and blend until completely combined (mixture will be dry and slightly chunky); press into a pan.

Combine icing ingredients in a food processor (or Vitamix or blender) and blend until completely smooth. Spread icing over brownies and pop in the freezer to set for at least one hour before serving.

Optional:
I added a few drops of peppermint oil to the icing to create decadent mint chocolate brownies. Seriously good people.

Taste Notes:
I did not have coconut oil on hand so I omitted it from the recipe altogether. The icing tasted fine without it but I think it did not "set up" quite as firm as Mel's batch that included the oil. However, it was not a hugely noticeable difference and I store mine in the freezer anyway.

Taste Team:
Mel's three boys went nuts for these brownies. They absolutely loved them, as did the rest of us with the exception of Eric who refused to try them on the grounds that I was "bastardizing" the brownie.

For those of you familiar with Lara Bars, the brownies have a similar consistency. And, as long as we are on the topic of Lara Bars, they are the only packaged "energy" bar that I generally recommend because they contain raw, all-natural ingredients and are minimally processed. (Sorry SLM, they all contain nuts).

Perfect Pasta

Phew. I was busy last week. In addition to spending time with good friends, I spent the week learning to make my own pasta. And by "make" I do not mean boiling water and waiting 5-7 minutes for store-bought, dried pasta to cook. I mean actually making the dough and using my new Kitchen Aid pasta attachment (happy early birthday to me!) to make whole wheat linguine and butternut squash ravioli.

Last year for my birthday my parents got me this gorgeous, shiny stand-mixer that, I must admit, makes my heart beat a little faster when I see it:



It's like a shiny new car, without the new-car smell of course.

And this year, much to Eric's relief, I purchased myself the pasta attachments for my birthday since my pasta-making-fool of a friend, Sam, was coming to visit. I wanted to take advantage of her know-how so I wouldn't actually have to read the directions on how to operate the various attachments. Directions can be so ... tedious.



The whole process is actually pretty simple and you can make the dough ahead of time and freeze it so you have some on hand whenever you want fresh pasta. Or when your friend comes over with her three boys looking for an activity as well as something to feed her family for dinner. You can also make batches of fresh pasta and freeze them in little bundles which will cook in about the same amount of time as dried pasta. The twins devoured the homemade linguine and I felt a strange satisfaction seeing them eat something I made from scratch.

I think the ravioli is particularly fun because you can experiment with the fillings and enlist help from your children. Well, not my children ... but you know, older ones who understand raw dough is not for eating or shoving in a sibling's ear.

We roasted butternut squash with some olive oil, salt and pepper and then pureed it with some fresh sage for a ridiculously delicious filling. However, you could literally fill the ravioli with anything. I think that concocting your own filling really is half the fun and, as an added bonus, the puree can double as baby food.

I realize the process of making pasta from scratch may seem daunting for some of you but I wanted to share the dough recipe I used for those of you who may be feeling ambitious. I actually found the whole experience very relaxing and think it will be a fun activity to do with the twins when they are a little bit older.


Basic Wheat Pasta Dough

In the bowl of stand-mixer, combine:

2/3 Cup whole wheat flour
1 1/3 Cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Stir ingredients with paddle attachment for 30-60 seconds, until slightly combined. Switch to dough hook and mix for approximately 2-3 minutes on medium speed until dough forms a ball. You can add water 1-2 teaspoons at a time if necessary to form ball.

You can use dough immediately or allow to chill in refrigerator up to 24-48 hours prior to use or freeze for future use. We used the same dough for the linguine as well as the ravioli.


Has anyone else dabbled in making their own pasta? If so, please share your tips, tricks and recipes with us since I am clearly a novice in this department.

Yes, We Have No Bananas Today

Meet my partner in crime, former training buddy and dear friend, Sam:



She is here, in Steamboat, with her boyfriend visiting us for the entire week. Yeah for me. Not so yeah for you. I will not be posting the rest of the week because I will be devoting my time to being the hostess with the mostess and catching up with sweet Sam.

A couple of updates before I go:

LWL informed me that she completed her half-marathon. Yeah LWL! Well done!

SouthLakesMom told me that Pollan's "Food Rules" is on sale for just $5 on Amazon.com.

And, finally, if you haven't tried the almond red pepper hummus that Jeannie shared with us last week, please do so. We made it yesterday and it was a big hit.

Have a great week!

No Excuses Workouts

OK, I admit that I usually don't think much of the workout segments featured on morning television; however, this segment featured on the Today Show this week has some excellent full-body moves that really engage the core. The moves don't require any equipment (you can use paper plates for the "slides") and only take about 15 minutes. And, come on, we can ALL find 15 minutes to do a few exercises at home or while traveling. No excuses friends.

This video segment is another great workout series you can do at home with just a pair of light dumbbells. As you get stronger you can increase the amount of weight you are using. Each move is a "compound" movement, meaning that you are working multiple muscle groups with each exercise. Compound movements are great because they elevate your heart rate and work several muscle groups at a time, increasing your calorie and fat-burn.

These workouts are great for those of you trapped at home with little ones or too busy to get to the gym between full-time jobs, family and busy social calendars. Find 15 or 20 minutes in your day and fire up one of these videos for some full-body strength training. You'll be glad you did.

Also, let's take a moment to give LifeWithLove a big shout-out. She is running a half-marathon this weekend and could use our support. You go girl!

Let's get to work friends, summer is fast approaching!

Irish Yoga

I would love to give you all some pearls of wisdom today or share a fantastic recipe with you or inspire you to achieve athletic greatness, but that isn't going to happen. Not today.

That isn't going to happen because I spent yesterday working on my Irish Yoga poses in lieu of writing a blog post ...




(I actually used to be a yoga instructor so I can vouch for the validity of these exercises.)

So, if you must know the whole truth, we are not all tofu and flax seed and green drinks around here ... at least not on St. Patrick's Day ...



(Do you see how Ethan is making a move on my beer?!? Make no mistake friends, Irish blood runs deep.)


GUINNESS for strength!


I'll be back tomorrow with more FAL tips, tricks and treats. Have a great day!

Size Matters

Have you read any of Michael Pollan's books? Or seen him on Oprah ? If you haven't seen, heard or read him yet, he is a best-selling author who recently published an eater's manual, called "Food Rules," in addition to his other hits like "In Defense of Food" and "Omnivores Dilemma." I love his new book because, well, it's little and who has time for a BIG, heavy book these days with all those words?

"Food Rules" is a pamphlet of sorts that spells out what you should, and should not, eat. I love the simplicity and common sense of some of his rules, like avoiding foods with ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce and steering clear of breakfasts cereals that change the color of the milk. So simple and so true.

Rule 52 suggests that we should buy smaller plates and glasses. This is actually one that we have been following for a while, admittedly though because our big dinner plates don't fit in our dishwasher very well. So we have been using the smaller salad plates for the last two years and I think it helps with portion control. I still have the sense of having a full plate, which I really like, but the portions are smaller by default.

Pollan's research found that simply switching from a twelve-inch plate to a ten-inch dinner plate caused a 22% reduction in food consumption. That adds up to big calorie savings, especially over time. It's actually a pretty simple change to make, even if you are not dishwasher-challenged like we are, and one that shouldn't result in too much push-back from your significant other or children.
If it's true that you eat with your eyes first, then enjoying the sight of a dinner plate heaped high with delicious, healthy foods is a good start to a satisfying meal. Personally, I would rather feast my eyes on a FULL plate of delectable food than a sparse sprinkling of fare on a bigger plate.

Regardless of your stance on plate size, keep in mind my favorite of Pollan's rules: it's not food if it arrives through your car window.

'Nuf said.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Creamy Tofu Pudding

Tofu is low in fat, high in protein and rich in minerals, like iron, and is loaded with antioxidants. It's neutral flavor lends itself well to a variety of dishes, both sweet and savory. If you haven't experimented much with tofu it's worth a try.

This is as close to an “instant” pudding as you can get without the box and is great for those interested in avoiding dairy-based dishes. It’s also a great way to sneak tofu into your kids’ diets without them knowing. The twins seem averse to meat these days so this little "treat" is an excellent way for me to get some extra protein and iron into their diets.

Ingredients:

One 10.5 ounce package firm tofu, chilled and cubed (I used the "silken" tofu)
¼ cup honey, rice syrup* or agave nectar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Optional: chopped fresh or dried fruit

Directions:

Combine ingredients in food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Top with fruit, if desired.

I mean, really, how easy is that?


Note: I actually thought it was too sweet and will use a little less of the liquid sweetener (honey, agave, rice syrup, etc.) next time. You could also experiment with blending fresh fruit or unsweetened cocoa powder into the mixture for variety.

* Rice syrup is a natural liquid sweetener made from brown rice and is mild in flavor so it's perfect when you don't want the distinct taste of honey. It can be found at most natural food stores.