Tasty

Banofee Pie

March 23, 2016

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This month I am making it a point to make the recipes I’ve been holding on to but haven’t gotten around to actually making.. I saw this “pie” recipe on Oh She Glows (which they adapted from My New Roots – another one of my favorite blogs) and instantly felt like it could be a great way to trick my health averse husband into upping his dessert game.

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After whipping this up I was confused why it took me so long to make in the first place – it took under an hour (and most of that was just doing dishes and waiting for the oven to preheat), used ingredients already had in the house, and looked gorgeous enough to take to a friends house… and as for the taste? Totally worth the wait.

Banofee Pie*
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Banofee Pie*
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Ingredients
Crust
Raw Caramel Toffee
Filling
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Place 2 cans of coconut milk in the fridge overnight.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  3. Grease an 8-10 inch tart pan with coconut oil. Cut a circle of parchment paper and place in the bottom of the pan.
  4. Add almonds into a food processor and blend until a coarse crumb. Add in oats, cinnamon and salt and continue to process until blended. Feel free to add more water if dough isn't holding together well enough.
  5. Transfer "dough" into greased tart pan and work from the middle to the outside edges of the pan pushing and flatting the almond mixture until equally distributed (I used the bottom of a cup to evenly distribute the dough as well). Poke the bottom of the tart crust with a fork 20 times (to allow for air to escape during the baking process).
  6. Bake tart for 12-14 minutes or until lightly golden. Let cool for 15 minutes. (Note: crust with harden as it cools).
  7. Make the raw caramel toffee by pouring boiling water over pitted dates and let soften for 5-10 minutes. Drain dates and add to food processor.
  8. Add almond butter, lemon juice, salt and vanilla seeds to dates and process until smooth.
  9. Once crust is cool, carefully spread caramel toffee onto base of crust. Slice bananas and place half of them on top of the caramel.
  10. Open cans of coconut milk and scoop out white cream from the top of the cans and add to a medium bowl. Whip in a KitchenAid or with electric beaters until smooth and fluffy and spread on top of tart.
  11. Add remaining banana slices on top of coconut whipped cream and garnish with cacao nibs and shaved chocolate. Enjoy immediately!
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Sip

The Gin Hound

March 4, 2016

I rarely use vermouth but started coming across more recipes that call for it and have started to love the added depth it brings drinks. This refreshing cocktail is easy to make, delicious to enjoy and has an unexpected spin from the vermouth.  I used a Dolin Blanc vermouth for a citrusy, sweet addition that I think you’ll enjoy!

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The Gin Hound 

  • 3/4 cups freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (juice of 1 large grapefruit)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 4 oz gin
  • 1 oz sweet vermouth
  1. Juice grapefruits and lemon.
  2. Combine juices, gin and vermouth in an ice filled shaker and shake until icy.
  3. Pour into a crushed ice filled lowball glass and enjoy!

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Tasty

Special Chocolate Pudding

March 2, 2016

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I made this for a movie night last week… and everyone enjoyed them (including my husband)… guess the secret ingredient?

Avocado!

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I love treats that truly taste good (and not just in a “I’m eating healthy so this is my best case scenario” kind of way). I like that you can prep this ahead of time (great for school/work lunches) and it is great for dinner parties because this recipe makes 8 servings in 4 oz ramekins (don’t do 8 oz servings for 4 people like I did – it’s super rich and pretty hard to finish… despite how good it tasted). Ok so how do you make this sneaky tasty treat? Here we go….

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Avocado Chocolate Pudding
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Avocado Chocolate Pudding
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Ingredients
Pudding
Whipped Cream
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Scoop flesh from avocados and put in a blender with seeds from vanilla bean.
  2. Add cacao powder, maple syrup, agave, orange juice and kosher salt and start to puree.
  3. While blender is still running, gradually pour in 3/4 cup hot water (but not boiling), until smooth and creamy (you can also add more orange juice if the 3/4 cup water isn't enough).
  4. Chill pudding for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days (cover once set).
  5. Serve with whipped cream (make by whipping heavy whipping cream with vanilla) and sprinkle with cacao nibs and hazelnuts. If you want to go the vegan route, I recommend refrigerating a can of full fat coconut milk and whipping it in a chilled bowl for 30 seconds or so and adding vanilla for an easy dairy free substitute!
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Tasty

by Chloe’s Veggie Burger

February 29, 2016

Veggie Burger

With New York Fashion Week just having wrapped up, my Instagram feed has been inundated with images of gorgeous clothing and delicious meals.  One of the most popular spots to catch a meal between shows seemed to be by Chloe the plant based diner that puts a vegan spin on comfort food (ie. sweet potato mac and cheese with shitake bacon and kale artichoke dip)… so when Food and Wine did a write up on some of their most popular recipes, I jumped at the chance to whip some of them up.

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I obviously had to start with the burger..and boy was it worth it.

by Chloe Veggie Burger
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by Chloe Veggie Burger
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Ingredients
Sauce
Burgers
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Make the sauce by combining tofu, ketchup, mustard, agave and garlic in a blender until smooth. Stir in pickle relish and dill. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate.
  2. Make the burgers by sautéing onion in 2 tablespoons of oil for 6 minutes over moderate heat (until browned), then add garlic and sauté 2 more minutes (until softened).
  3. Scrape onion/garlic mixture into a food processor and add rice, lentils, walnuts, four and basil and pulse until combined (but grains are still visible).
  4. Using lightly oiled hands, make 1/2 inch thick patties with 1/3 cup of the mixture until mixture is gone (should make 8 patties).
  5. Wipe out skillet and heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil in it. Fry patties in batches over moderate heat until browned (5 minutes on each side)
  6. To assemble the burgers, spread sauce on the bottom of a toasted bun, top with a patty, veggies and burger bun (or add an extra patty for a double!).
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Pair with sweet potato fries and a yummy Zinfandel for optimal happiness!

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Domestic

Makeover Monday – My Office

February 15, 2016

One thing I knew I needed in my house was a pink room.

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Considering J starts to have an allergic reaction anytime he sees anything “too girly,” I knew I was going to need to confine this to a space he wouldn’t go in. Considering I can’t accessorize a laundry room, making an office was the next best thing.

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I bought this cowhide rug at a Black Friday event a few years ago and couldn’t wait to find a home for it. Paired with my college furniture (thanks mom for investing in nice stuff!) and some of my favorite girlie things (ie. jeweled necklaces, framed birthday cards – I have put together a room made for blogging (or answering emails, while catching up on Real Housewives episodes).

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Because our master bedroom only has one closet, J and I are using our offices as extensions of our closets – so… I moved my dresses and shoes into my cotton candy colored corner of the house.

While I love clothes and getting dressed, and I’ve really been trying to take Marie Kondo’s advice and get rid of anything that doesn’t bring me joy.  Embarrassingly I’ve learned that black (particularly in the form of dresses and pants) brings me a lot of joy… but how could it not – it’s slimming!

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Paint Color / Marbled Computer Case / Acrylic Pencil Holder / Zebra Tray / Gold Bracelets / Books / Blinds / Acrylic Chair / Sheepskin Rug / Ballerina Art