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..

Back To Reality...and cooking!

Lately I've been doing a whooole lotta this....

And not so much of this...

We went on vacation cruising the Bahamas and hanging out in Florida for a few weeks, so there hasnt been any posting going on here. But here I am back home and back to reality with a nice tan. We left the tropics to come back home to a beautiful sunshiny fall. 

Fall is my all time favorite. I wish it could be fall all year round. Pumpkin flavored everything, colored leaves, new sweaters, boots, and cute stockings, what could be greater. 

The first thing I've baked since being home was pumpkin scones

The recipe will come soon, I may be back, but not quite ready to work yet. Give me oonnnneee moooree day =)

Simple & Fresh

This has been a hectic week to say the least. Work, work, work. Not to mention, getting ready for our trip next week!
But Aston's not stressin'...

Yesterday I spent my usual one day hanging around my Grama's place. We baked up a quick a simple batch of peanut butter cookies for Grampa. But these really were hands down the best PB cookies of my life. 

Grama's favorite cookbook was given to her for her bridal shower when she was 18 or so, and she still loves it. I love it too, old but simple and fresh recipes. 

And thats where she gets these PB cookies from. 

As you can see, there's the recipe... simple as can be, yet the best one I've tried. 

Scoop Scoop Scoop....

Bake Bake Bake...

Tasty Treats!! 

My Grama and Grampa also have the most amazing vegetable garden you've seen. On my list of things to do in life is "have a vegetable garden like Gma & Gpa"

For lunch, we headed to the garden to pick some fresh veg for a big pot of soup and some tasty tomato sammies. 

All washed & trimmed. 

We made up a nice big pot of soup with simply a big of hamburger, all these veggies, and some barley. Oh, and a jar of canned tomatoes. 

Wa-lah! 

And I had me a nice big beefsteak tomato (from the garden) sandwich, but it went down too fast to snap a pic, hehe. 

Everything we made today was so simple, but so so delicious and fresh. 

I need a garden...

Me & PB

As I've told you before I have an extreme addiction to peanut butter! As a child I used to put it on hotdogs...yes I know, thankfully not anymore. I thought to myself yesterday I should give you all a taste of my usual summer breakfast...

They're simply 1/3 cup overnight oats, soaked in unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Upon morning time, I add a chopped apple or banana and stir..

Enter peanut butter! I usually use about 1 Tbsp of melted peanut butter. And stir til my heart is content. Not going to lie, while the peanut butter is melting in the microwave, I take advantage of those 25 seconds to eat a few more finger swipes from the jar, hehe. 

Yesterday taking these pictures I thought this would be a good post if I added dinner. However dinner was a last minute thought, and so I turned to one of the most delicious and quick dinners I have....but yes, you guessed it, it contains peanut butter! 

So with the posting of this dinner recipe, you will now truly see the sheer amount of peanut butter consumed in one of my days (haha usually its just breakfast, I swear)

This is one of Mark's favorite dinners hands down. He, being a man, prefers it on simple starchy white rice, while I eat mine on brown. Last night, brown rice was simply not an option with no time, so I opted for white.. oh well. 

Saucy Coconut Shrimp

(makes 2 servings) <-- exactly why its a perfect last min din

1 tsp. oil

1/2 lb. peeled, deveined shrimp

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/2 cup canned light coconut milk

3 Tbsp. peanut butter

3 Tbsp lime juice

2 tsp. soy sauce

1/4 cup mango slices (I top mine with more after)

Heat the oil in a wok or fry pan, add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes, until shrimp is pink. Transfer to a bowl and cover. 

Add all the remaining ingredients to the same pan, except the mango. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the peanut butter is melted and everything is blended nicely. 

Stir the shrimp and mango back in until heated through, 2-3 minutes. 

Serve over rice. 

Don't be deceived, this dish is spicy and sweet, and the peanut butter is not overwhelming at all. 

I promise you all must try it!