OATMEAL GOODNESS

So I have been baking up a storm these last few days. Last week I made a low cholesterol pumpkin pie for my house and then a banana walnut bread the next day. Both were eaten within hours of being baked.

I am walking in a Lungevity walk for lung cancer on Saturday that my roommate, Nicole, is organizing. Today there was a bake sale to raise money so I baked oatmeal raisin cookies. It was the first time I had made something with oatmeal. My other roommate, Laura, told me throughout the semester that she had a lot of it but I never ventured in that direction of baking until yesterday, when I discovered the biggest box of oatmeal I have ever seen. Maybe thats not true, but it was really big none the less. The cookies I made were not vegan so I won't bother posting the recipe.

This story continues with me in an in between state of sleep and being conscious of the food network being projected from my TV. I think the show was about baked goods and I suddenly decided I need to bake something. My inspiration = oatmeal! I decided to make vegan chocolate cinnamon oatmeal scones. They turned out really well! Not too sweet and they taste like scones!!!

Vegan Chocolate Cinnamon Oatmeal Scones

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of margarine

1 1/4 cups of flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp backing powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp of cinnamon

2 tsp of cocoa powder

1 cup of rolled oats

1/3 cup soy yogurt

Directions:

1. Pre heat the oven to 375 F

2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cocoa powder together in a large bowl.

3. Add margarine and mix together until the mixture becomes uniformly crumby.

4. Stir in oats.

5. Add soy yogurt and mix until dough begins to stick together

6. Place flour on an ungreased baking sheet.

7. Using a wooden spoon (for size) make balls and then smush them down like a cake.

8. Bake for 15-18 minutes until firm when pressed lightly in the center.

9. Place on cooling rack as soon as they come out of the oven

10. ENJOY!!!

Passover baking

Passover is upon us and it is the worst holiday for vegans. The amount of cholesterol in any Passover baked good is outrageous! So I have taken things into my own hands. This morning I decided to bake vegan, chocolate chip, walnut, matzah meal cookies!!! I have decided to call them WATCHAMEALS!!! Thank you Yonit for the suggestion. They turned out pretty good so I will give you all the recipe!

Ingredients:

1-1.5 tbsp of cocoa powder

1 cup of matzah meal

1/3 cup of brown sugar (light)

1/3 cup of margarine

1/3 cup of water

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1/4 cup of walnuts (crushed)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F

2. In a bowl mix the matzah meal, brown sugar, walnuts and cocoa powder until even throughout (you might need to work on the brown sugar breaking up)

3. Add the wet ingredients and mix until the the dough is crumbly and sticks together when packed.

4. Compact dough into tablespoon size balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten them slightly on baking sheet.

5. Bake in oven for 25 minutes.

6. Place on a cooling rack for 3 minutes.

You can serve them straight out of the oven, store in an airtight container.

Back to Baking

So I have taken a hiatus from baking and I am finally back! These last few weeks have been particularly stressful and I made an executive decision to bake for the first time in around 2 months. The cupcakes are vegan cinnamon raisin cupcakes and the loaf is a cinnamon chocolate chip cake! I used the recipe for cinnamon spice cupcakes that I posted earlier, but replaced the soy milk with water (its pouring outside and I had no desire walk outside). Anyways, I hope this post finds you, my readers, well!

Muffin and Jam Session

This morning was wonderful! I invited Eliana to come over and bake some Shabbos vegan muffins. They were delicious!!! I used this recipe a few times and I keep adding a few things to make them extra special. I think I have reached perfection (maybe not, but at least I found satisfaction! After we baked the muffins, we cut them across and spread organic raspberry preserves, like a sandwich and they were AMAZING! Here is the recipe for all of you to try:

Shif's Vegan Goodness Muffins!

Ingredients:

3 cups of flour

2 cups of sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp of nutmeg

1.5 tsp of cinnamon

1 tsp of salt

1 cup of vegetable oil

2 cups of soy milk

2 tbsp of vanilla extract

2 tbsp of vinegar (I use apple)

1/4th of a cup of chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

- Heat oven to 350 F.

- Prepare your muffin tin.

- Mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a large bowl.

- Add vegetable oil, soy milk, vanilla extract. Mix together until there are no lumps and the batter feels smooth.

- Add vinegar and walnuts and mix a few times.

- Bake for 20 minutes or until you stick a toothpick inside and it comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack.

Pralines and international stamps!

Hello readers! It has been a while since I actually posted something I have done. I have become a postcard lover in the last few months and have joined the website postcrossing where I receive an address from somewhere around the world and send a postcard, when simultaneously, someone else around the world gets my address and sends me a postcard. Today is an extra special day because I received 2 postcards! One is from Bulgaria (a beautiful city scape of Stara Zagora) and the other from Belgium (YUMMY famous Belgian Pralines!)

Kanine Krunchies

My house is watching 101 Dalmations and this came up and brought back memories from my childhood.

Lucille Bliss - Kanine Krunchies

Words and Music by Mel Levin

Kanine Krunchies can't be beat

They make each meal a special treat

Happy dogs are those who eat

Nutritious Kanine Krunchies

Kanine Krunchies all contain

Selected meat and wholesome grain

Toy Chihuahua or Great Dane

All love Kanine Krunchies

So, do what all the smart dogs do

And you'll feel great the whole day through

You can be a champion too

If you eat Kanine Krunchies

iRun

I haven't run in 2 weeks and since I live in Michigan, I was blessed with lots and lots of snow. I hate running on the treadmill and I hate running on a track because its too flat. This advertisement gives me hope