So it's fall. Lately it's been feeling a lot more like winter. To me, these seasons mean big pots of soup and hearty comfort food meals. In the swing of this, Mark, being over his flu this week, had requested a big pot of chili...hehe...

Lately I've been making a lot of meatless meals. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I dislike meat, it's just that by substituting meat with other proteins and beans is just so much healthier. However, throwing a wrench into all these meatless meal plans is Mark. He insists that I always add some form of meat to his portion of the dish, which is fine, but whenever it's possible to hide that there's no meat I'm happy.

Enter chili....

The perfect big pot, messy dish for hiding the fact that it's meatless!

Since Mark is now on "the look out" for these meatless meals as soon as he gets home, I used veggie ground round to substitute the hamburger.

And you can see what I mean when I say that over all its just healthier

So this is a super simple winter crockpot meal from Kraft and I've just adapted a few of the ingredients to make it super healthy. I love these for days when I work all day and just want to come home to a dinner already prepared.

1lb. extra lean ground beef (or 3 packs veggie ground round)

1 19 oz. can red kidney beans

1 19 oz. can black beans

2 cups salsa

1 14 oz. can tomato sauce

3 Tbsp chili powder

1 onion, chopped

1 14 oz. can corn kernels

Start by browning the meat substitute (or hamburger). And then pour it to the bottom of the crockpot.

(see, it even looks like hamburger)

Then add the remaining ingredients over top, except the cheese. And stir well to combine. 

Then cook on low for 5-6 hours. I know you're not supposed to remove the lid while cooking, but I find it helps in the last hour or two to give it a stir every once in a while to prevent sticking to the bottom.

Top with grated cheese and sour cream.

And voila!

And the verdict here...Mark has now had 2 bowls, and stated that "it's awesome, it's so good!"

Hehehe and he hasn't got a clue it's completely meatless. 

Apples Apples Everywhere

Despite the fact that I singlehandedly ensure I eat 1 apple every day, I still have an extreme overabundance of them! Its most likely attributed to that fact that my grandparents, who love to send me home with grocery bags full of produce from their garden, happen to also have an apple tree. And they, having an EXTREME overabundance, have decided to load some of these onto me. Don't get me wrong, I am nooott complaining at all! But at some point, these apples need to be used for something other than just regular old snacking....

Enter, apple loaf! 

I searched through several recipes for apple loaf, and keeping the key things as is, I modified them all together to make a still hearty, but very healthy loaf! Its as moist as can be, and tastes like an orchard in your mouth! Not to mention, it's not just a good snack, but makes a great breakfast on the go. 

Healthy Apple Oat Loaf

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup mashed banana

1 flax egg

3/4 cup fat free plain yogurt

3/4 cup quick oats

1 3/4 cups whole oat flour (I make this by grinding down oats)

2 large apples (peeled, cored, and diced)

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 Tbsp cinnamon

In a large bowl, mix the brown sugar, yogurt, maple syrup, mashed banana, and quick oats in a bowl. Set this aside to allow the oats to absorb a bit of the liquid. In the meantime, mix your flax egg in a small bowl and allow to gel (about 5 minutes). Then add the flax egg to the maple syrup banana mixture. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oat flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually add these dry ingredients to the wet maple syrup banana mixture. Mix until well combined. Then, add in the 2 large diced apples and mix until well dispersed throughout the batter.

(doesn't it look healthy???)

Pour this batter into a greased 9x5 loaf pan. 

 I like to sprinkle a handful of quick oats across the top of the loaf; gives it that rustic fall appearance.

Bake for 40 minutes or until the top begins to lightly brown at 375-400 degrees. 

Allow to cool for about 20 minutes in the pan, before moving to a cool rack.

See bursting with healthy oat & apple goodness! And its so moist and fruity tasting, you'd never guess it's so healthy!

Peanut Butter Bliss

So you already all know how much I LOVE peanut butter. So naturally, after the trick or treaters have come and gone, I'm ready to dig out all the leftover Reese's peanut butter cups to enjoy for myself...if I even hand any out that is. I've been known to set those babies aside as a last resort to hand out.
I though this year I'd put all those leftover PB cups to use in a cookie.

About a year ago, I snuck my grandma's recipe box from her house, typed out all the recipes and printed them into a book for various members of the family. This recipe is one I created based off of the "Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies" recipe that can be found in that book.

Irresistible Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

1/2 cup shortening (I substituted butter here)

3/4 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)

1 cup brown sugar (can also sub 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar)

1 egg

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Chop up peanut butter cups and set aside. (it's usually best to chop up an extra cup so that you aren't so short after you eat away them as you prep the other ingredients)

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar together until fluffy. Then add in the vanilla and egg. In a seperate smaller bowl, whisk together the baking soda, salt, and flour. 

Then add this mixture gradually to the peanut butter mixture in the larger bowl. 

Mix this well and then add in the chopped peanut butter cups. 

Drop the dough by tablespoons onto an ungreased baking sheet, leaving room for the cookies to spread.

(unlike a normal peanut butter cookie, there is no need to squish the dough down here) 

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Cool, and then move to cooling rack.

And you guessed it...look who's creeping around as soon as the cookies come out...

Halloween Mayhem

So I haven't posted in a few weeks... but I have a good excuse.. well several actually. Most of which are genuinely valid too! It's been Halloween season (my 2nd favorite season next to Christmas obviously of course), which means Halloween festivities. Some of these include...

carving pumpkins!

 (the owl was mine, Davy Jones was Mark's, and Aston's was carved by me too)

Halloween treat making for co-workers with my dear friend Jessica

Anndd, a trip to Whistler over the Halloween weekend with friends.

Through all the mayhem of the Halloween season however, I did manage to bake a cake for a dear co-worker friend of mine for her 30th birthday. She requested a red velvet cake, which i have never attempted yet, so what better a time than the present to try it! 

I adapted this recipe from the one over at Pinch My Salt and frosted it with a basic cream cheese frosting.

Head on over to Pinchmysalt for the recipe! I did a few minor changes throughout but kept it generally the same. 

Heres a few photos of how mine went...

Cocoa powder and red food color paste... an entire bottle of red food color here folks. 

(maayybe like a quarter of the bottle ended up my hands and counters)

the red cake batter

pretty little cakes a' coolin'

(yes, Aston was sitting just beneath them in front of the stove)

layer one getting a nice little level and dirty ice

All ready to go! 

And all this work, and anticipation in await to see if my very first red velvet would turn out, turned out to this...

A very happy friend! and moments later...

a very empty cake plate full of crumbs.

PS- As you already know, I love Halloween & everything that accompanies it.... 

Aston after her first Halloween is not a happy camper pumpkin..