Dessert Hummus

This is one of those odd recipes... you don't think it should work but it does.  The original blogger doesn't call it dessert hummus, she calls it cookie dough dip, but I think my husband called it dessert hummus and I thought it was kind of funny.  To start... I'm generally a pretty adventurous eater, I'll try anything once.  I am not opposed to using regular ingredients in different ways so when I saw dessert that used chickpeas instead of flour, I was pretty excited. My husband... was not.  He made me try it first then give it to my daughter (who really liked it) before he would try it.  The idea of a bean being used to make dessert didn't sit that well with him. I recently tried making cookies with black beans as a base and they turned out pretty well, so I was interested to see how this would work.

Here is the original Pin:

Healthy Raw Cookie Dough

It kind of looks gross in this pic.  It's not.

This is one of those throw everything into a food processor kind of recipes. I used brown sugar (because artificial sweeteners are the devil), vanilla soy milk and regular chocolate chips.

After it is mixed smooth, fold in the chips.  You could definitely vary up this recipe with other sweeteners, nut butters, milks and chips.  I find my original recipe pretty effective.  I actually made up a second batch a few days later without measuring (because I'm lazy like that) and it turned out great.  I started my second batch with honey rather that sugar and didn't like it as much.  I think the brown sugar gives it a more of a dessert mouth feel... a little bit of sugar crunch.

Nugget liked it quite a bit and I feel ok giving it to her since even though there's sugar in it, there's some nice bean protein in there too.  BTW, the blog that this recipe comes from is worth exploring a bit.  It's full of intriguing vegan dessert recipes.  I'm certain I'll try more of them.

Cost: I already had all the ingredients I needed and since it is so modifiable, it shouldn't ever cost too much to make.

Time: Mix, mix, done.  Make a bigger batch and put them into little containers.  I used them as a snack when I came home from work late.

Difficulty: Probably the hardest part is getting over the name "dessert hummus."

Aesthetic Appeal: It's not that pretty, but it's not as ugly as the chia seed chocolate pudding.  I wouldn't serve it to guests unless it was on a really pretty dish.

Life Enhancement: Actually, a great deal.  It made me think about desserts in a different way.  I've always felt that dessert is very much a sometimes thing since it's not good for you, but this recipe and others like it, make it possible to eat dessert and not just consume empty sugar calories.

No Flour Banana Muffins

I have been flirting with gluten free for a few months now, and while I have decided that it's not for me (I'm certainly not celiac, but I had other issues that I thought might be influenced by diet) I do think it's probably a good idea to try and limit flour from my diet. While I was on the bandwagon I tried many recipes and some turned out pretty good.  I'm constantly looking for less "carby" breakfasts that I can prepare ahead of time and have available quickly in the morning. And sometimes... you just don't feel like eggs again. This Pin hits the mark and I think they're pretty tasty.

Here is the original Pin:

Oatmeal Banana Breakfast Muffins

Their Muffins                                                   My Muffins

I followed this recipe closely, using regular sugar as I believe that artificial sweeteners are the devil. Basically you mix the bananas with the eggs, then add the yogurt, oatmeal, sugar and baking soda. From my dabbling with gluten free, I learned that oats are naturally gluten free but are often prepared and packaged with gluten products, so if you are celieac (you probably alreay know this) or are very sensitive, you have to purchase oats that specify that they're packaged in a gluten free facility.

Ok, so I'm not exactly the neatest baker.  Maybe I'll get better?

I like this recipe.  The muffins were tasty and I think they're ripe for variations.  Certainly seasonings like vanilla or cinnamon would be welcome.  I'm not sure if adding fresh or frozen fruit would change the chemistry enough to ruin the texture.  As is, the texture is a little on the chewy side, not light and fluffy like an ordinary flour muffin, so don't expect it to be airy. You definitely need paper muffin liners and you'd be wise to let them cool for awhile otherwise they can get pretty sticky.  They were delicious with peanut butter and Nugget definitely approved.

Cost: They're great for using up ripe bananas, so score! The only thing I bought especially for this recipe was the yoghurt. My husband bought fat free instead of low fat, but that didn't seem to be any trouble.  They would also be fine with the nice thick 10% we buy for the little one.

Time: They're muffins, nothing fancy.

Difficulty: My only difficulty was pouring them into the tin without making a mess. Maybe you have steadier hands?

Aesthetic Appeal: They're not light and fluffy with a round crunchy shell like you'd find at a coffee shop, but they certainly don't look bad.

Life Enhancement: If you're celiac or just trying to cut down on refined carbs, this recipe is great.  It should fulfill any craving you might have for breakfast baked goods.

Healthy Chicken Casserole

Food on Pinterest, by and large, is divided into two categories, super, rediculously healthy food that may or may not fall into a "diet" category like vegan or gluten free or... the reason why America is fat, gooey, sweet, deep-fried monstrosities. It's like Pinterest people have those little angels and devils on their shoulders like you see in cartoons. These Pins represent what we aspire to be and what most of us really are (and eat). I, myself try and live mostly on the angel side (hence this Pin) but that's not to say I don't sometimes enjoy some good devil food.  Closer to Christmas you'll see that a lot more.

Here is the original Pin:

Balsamic Chicken

Original                                                                      Mine 

The first problem I have with this pin is it's name.  There is but a mere teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and it is not noticeable at all. First tip for this recipe... add more balsamic... it's delicious and flavorful.

The only things that I altered about this recipe was that I used a yellow onion instead of a red one (because that's what I already had at the house) and I used garlic from a jug instead of peeling and chopping the little bulbs.  I swear none of my cooking would have any flavor if it wasn't for those jugs of prepared garlic.  To start, you brown off the chicken.  I used smaller pieces instead of whole breasts because that's what I could find, and I used a little olive oil instead of cooking spray. When the chicken is cooked through, you place it at the bottom of a casserole dish.

Then you make your pesto topping with the basil, garlic, oil, etc.  Blend until smooth. 

Add the pesto to the casserole dish, then the onions, tomatoes and mushrooms.  Any number of other veggies would be fine in this recipe.  I think spinach would be especially nice.

Cover and put in the oven for about 40 minutes. While it was cooking I put some brown rice in my rice cooker and it timed out pretty well.

Overall, this recipe is definitely healthy, as for tasty... it's pretty good, but not great.  It tastes like you're eating a healthy meal, which isn't a bad thing, it's just not particularly inspirational.  If I were to make this again, I would try and up the flavor a little bit... more garlic, some salt, and definitely more balsamic vinegar.

Cost: About what you'd expect to pay for a home cooked meal.  I had to buy the chicken, tomatoes, mushrooms and basil, but I already had everything else. It's about 4 portions, so we were able to put some leftovers away for lunch for Nugget another day.

Time: Maybe 10-15 minutes prep, then 40 minutes cooking.

Difficulty: I think it would be difficult to ruin this, but there's any number of things you can do to make it better.

Aesthetic Appeal: The red tomatoes and green pesto make it a fairly attractive meal.

Life Enhancement: I think this recipe is a good base for future ideas rather than an excellent meal as is.  It is very healthy, no doubt... gluten free, low fat, but the seasoning needs to be bumped up to make it memorable.

Chia Seed Chocolate Pudding

I know, I know, the photo looks truly revolting but I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't terrible! Chia seeds are the hot trendy food item that so many people are talking about. They're high in fiber and good fats and nutrients... blah, blah. When I saw this Pin I was intrigued.

Here is the original Pin:

Chia Seed Chocolate Pudding

All you do is mix up the chia seeds with some kind of milk (I used vanilla soy), chocolate, vanilla and sweetener (I used agave). Getting it to come together really does take awhile and you do have to let it sit before you eat it so the chia seeds can absorb the liquid. When it was ready, I brought it to my husband and daughter to try. They really liked it. It's certainly no replacement for a Snickers bar but its a nice little chocolate doodad that you don't have to save as a sometimes food.

Unappetizing to say the least

It was very simple to make and the variations are almost limitless.  You could use soy milk like I did or rice, almond, coconut, goat, cow... whatever suits your dietary restrictions, tastebuds and contents of your fridge. Also, any sweetener works, honey, maple syrup, stevia I guess.  I try and stay away from any non-nutritive sweeteners... I don't trust them.

Put it all together and mix, mix, mix... mix, mix some more, mix again... then wait 20 minutes or put it in the fridge over night.

Still looks completely awful

Surprisingly to me, Nugget (my daughter) and even more surprisingly my husband, seemed to like it.  The hubs in particular thought it was pretty novel as well as tasty.

Nugget enjoys her chia seeds.  Who'da thunk?

This recipe was oddly successful; terrible to look at, decently tasty to eat.  That said, the texture is very weird.  When you eat it, it's hard to forget that you're eating seeds.  They sort of pop in your mouth as you chew your "pudding."  Also, it is incredibly not sweet.  You could certainly add more sweetener, but that would sort of defeat the point of it being a healthy recipe.

Cost: Chia seeds aren't cheap.  The bag I got from Whole Foods was $20. Of course at 2 tbsp of seeds per serving, it would last you a long time.

Prep & Execution.  It takes next to no time to make.  Dump ingredients in a bowl and mix.  The time comes in the waiting for it to settle up.

Difficulty: Very easy.

Aesthetic Appeal: Possibly the most disgusting looking thing I've ever consumed.

Life Enhancement: More than you would expect.  It's a sweet(ish) treat (kind of) that is not only not terrible for you, but actually very good for you.  It's also good for those on dairy or gluten free diets or are vegetarian or vegan.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream

After several months of using Pinterest, I decided I should try some of the projects I found.  Some turned out well (cauliflower pizza crust, black bean cookies... shockingly) while other didn't work out nearly as well (using paper reinforcement stickers for french manicures).  So, I decided to start a blog all about the many wonderful creations that can be found on Pinterest.  I like to cook and I have a daughter that is just now starting to be the age where we can start to do fun projects. I just think that many of the projects are cumbersome and time intensive without really getting a satisfying product. So with this blog I endeavor to try many things... mostly recipes, kids projects, make-up, home decor to show you... my hopeful and future readers what is worth doing and what's not.  So here goes...

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream

Here is the original link:

http://userealbutter.com/2010/08/12/single-ingredient-ice-cream-recipe/

                                   Here is their picture: lovely and smooth and delicious.

                                Here is my picture, lovely, smooth, delicious and nearly gone.

I followed the recipe to the letter, haha, no I didn't.  I completely eyeballed it.  I love recipes that you can do that with.  I had about a banana and a half in the freezer.  They were whole so I sliced them a bit.  You put them in the food processor, diced 'em up, add a couple spoons of peanut butter then a couple spoons of chocolate.  Mix it up, boom, you're done.  I would imagine adding anything would be pretty easy... other nut butters, other frozen fruit.  I bet berries would be good.

This is my daughter.  For these purposes, I'll just call her Nugget.  She had just woken up from a nap right after I made this.  I guess that could have something to do with a food processor being used on the other side of her wall.  The pictures really do say it all.
1. Yum.
2. Yum!
3. I want more of this.
4. I'm sad it's all gone.

Overall I would give this Pin a very high score.  I've decided that with all of these posts I would try and add some useful information, so here it is:
Cost: Negligible. Most everyone has bananas they don't get to, so chop them up and put them in the freezer.  Peanut Butter... usually around in most homes.  I suppose you might have to buy powdered chocolate.  I bet a pouch of instant hot chocolate would be just as good.
Prep and Execution time: The only prep time you need is the forethought to put bananas in the freezer.
Taste: Pretty good.  It's no Ben and Jerry's but I bet it's a lot better for you.  A somewhat healthier way to get a chocolate and peanut butter fix than Reese's.
Difficulty: Nada.  If you're not afraid of an electricity outlet and pressing a button, you should be fine.
Aesthetic Appeal: It's not much to look at but in a larger batch it certainly wouldn't embarrass you in front of friends.
Life Enhancement: I think it's a neat little recipe to have under your belt.  Quick, no real measuring and great for vegans and many people with allergies... except for peanuts, obviously.
Overall: Easy, tasty, every day food.