Sweet on Sunday - Vegan Treats at the Magic Kingdom

We visited the Magic Kingdom this past week and spent a wonderful family day at the park. The crowds were minimal, and the Sprouts were able to ride their favorite rides repeatedly with very little waiting - the perfect way to do Disney.

It was quite warm that day, and I have to admit that I felt the tiniest twinge of longing seeing just about everyone else walking around with ice cream cones. As we walked past the ice cream parlor on Main Street on our way out of the park, Jim quickly turned around saying something about tofu . . . turns out that he'd glimpsed "Tofutti" on the menu!

Much to the Sprouts' delight (all of our delight, actually), they were serving both Tofutti and Rice Dream ice creams (one chocolate and one vanilla). And while neither of these are my favorite non-dairy ice cream (that would be my own followed closely by SoDelicious coconut milk ice cream), they were definitely tasty enough to feel like a special treat.

While I thought I'd made a great, new discovery, it turns out that my friend Jill at Vegan in the Kitchen has known about it for a while now. Check out her comprehensive list of locations that serve non-dairy ice cream and other vegan options throughout the Disney parks.

Sweet on Sunday - Brownies from the Fat Free Vegan

I'm not sure what got into me this week, but after months of (intentionally) refraining from baking, I impulsively whipped up a batch of brownies this week using a recipe from the Fat Free Vegan. They turned out to be the PERFECT brownie - Jim and the Sprouts loved them, and I could take them or leave them (for the record, I took one and left the rest).

How's that for win-win? Can you imagine brownies in your fridge all week without any desire to touch them? I can't imagine anything better than that.

Since Jim and the Sprouts splurge more often than I do, I'll definitely be making these again. Sorry there's no picture - they disappeared too quickly.

Sprout Ratings:
Big Sprout - 5 sprouts
Little Sprout - 5 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 2 sprouts
Daddy Sprout - 5 sprouts

Sweet on Sunday - GF Banana Nut Pancakes

I'd promised the Sprouts pancakes for breakfast today, but I wanted to try something a little different. Though none of us seem to have issues with gluten, I am looking for ways to utilize other types of grains these days. I've hear of buckwheat being used in pancakes quite a bit, and I've been enjoying the unique flavor that quinoa has brought to the baked goods I've tried it in, so I decided to try out a combo of those two grains.

The result was quite good. They're definitely not the prettiest pancakes I've seen, and they are more dense and moist than light and fluffy, but we all definitely enjoyed them. I decided on a banana-nut variety to balance the quinoa flavor, and I think it worked well. If I'd planned ahead, I would have saved some bananas and pecans to top the pancakes, but I used the last of what I had in the recipe. And speaking of running out of ingredients, I was also out of almond milk so I just blended up three cups of water and 1/4 cup of pecans in the Vitamix before proceeding.

If you're gluten-free or just looking for an occasional wheat alternative, I think you will enjoy them!

GF Banana-Nut Pancakes

Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients

3/4 cup buckwheat

3/4 cup quinoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Wet Ingredients

3 cups almond milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

2 bananas

8 pitted dates

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Combine buckwheat and quinoa in Vitamix or other high-speed blender until ground into flour. (Alternately, you can use 1 1/4 cups each of buckwheat and quinoa flour).

2. In a medium bowl (I like to use my big 8-cup measuring cup so I can pour the batter directly from it), combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt & cinnamon.

3. In the Vitamix, combine almond milk and vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes, then add the banana, dates, oil and vanilla. Blend on high speed until smooth with no date chunks remaining.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir until well combined. Stir in the chopped pecans.

5. Cook like pancakes!

Sprout Ratings
Big Sprout - 5 sprouts
Little Sprout - 5 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 5 sprouts
Daddy Sprout - 5 sprouts

Sweet on Sunday: Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes

Where have I been the last few days? Not eating these gluten-free cupcakes, I assure you - they didn't last long enough. Although they had a distinctly different taste from a cupcake made with wheat flour, they really were delicious. I made them for a party on Wednesday and have been overwhelmed with busy days ever since. So just in time for Sweet on Sunday, here is the recipe.

Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes

Dry Ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa

1/2 cup brown rice

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine almond milk and vinegar. 

2. Place quinoa and rice in Vitamix or other high-speed blender, and process until it has the consistency of flour. Transfer the flour to a large bowl, and whisk in remaining dry ingredients.

3. Add remaining wet ingredients to the milk/vinegar mixture, and beat with an electric mixer until frothy. 

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix well with the electric mixer. 

5. Using a muffin tin lined with cupcake liners, fill each liner 2/3 full of batter. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until cupcakes are golden. When cooled, top with your favorite frosting (I used a simple chocolate ganache).

Sprout Ratings
Big Sprout - 5 sprouts
Little Sprout - 5 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 5 sprouts
Daddy Sprout - 5 sprouts

Sweet on Sunday - French Toast

Earlier this week, I heard the Sprouts in the kitchen and I could tell they were on a mission. Big Sprout had seen the French Toast recipe in Vegan with a Vengeance last weekend and was determined to make it as soon as I made more bread. Turns out, that's what he was up to with Little Sprout as his helper.

Just as an experiment, I decided to let them continue on their own and see how it turned out. They did ask me questions the few times they got stuck, but for the most part, they cooked this one all the way through on their own without supervision.

Big Sprout wanted to cut the bread, so they ended up with something more like French Toast Pieces than French Toast, but they declared it delicious and were very pleased with themselves - and I was, too!

Sweet on Sunday - Oatmeal Banana Waffles

The first Sunday that I was on the CSD cleanse, Jim asked what was for breakfast and I replied that I was having (as usual) juice. So he headed to the kitchen to make something for himself and the kids and stumbled across the waffle iron that he uses to make his family's secret recipe for cookies - and realized that he could make waffles with it.

So for the past three Sundays, while I drank my cucumber-kale-lettuce-beet-broccoli-celery-apple-pear juice, the amazing aroma of homemade waffles filled the house as he cooked the Oatmeal Banana Waffles from Vegan with a Vengeance. But this Sunday, I finally got my waffles.

I'd intended to have one waffle and still make my juice, but how could I turn down this lovely plate that he prepared for me. Then, an emergency run to Publix derailed my juicing plan, turning this into my sweet, splurge meal for the week. And it was delicious!

Sweet on Sunday - Raphsodic Cooperative Company

When your sweet tooth hits, take a drive downtown to check out Raphsodic Cooperative Company, a vegan bakery that offers an enticing variety of baked goods using all natural and organic ingredients. With a commitment to the environment and the community, Raphsodic features art, gift and gourmet food items produced by local artisans in addition to the vegan treats made in-house.

In addition to an all-vegan menu, Raphsodic also features a wide variety of gluten-free baked goods. Unexpected, gourmet flavors seem to be Raphsodic's trademark.

Recent offerings included cupcakes with exotic flavors such as lavender, pina colada, latte and pear-walnut blue cheese, as well as raw desserts such as lemon raspberry cheesecake, pineapple cake and coconut macaroons. Perhaps our favorite of all the goodies are their cookie sandwiches - two cookies sandwiched together with icing in delectable flavors like lemon or lavender.

As part of their commitment to the environment, all bags, boxes, wrapping papers, business cards, coupons, stickers and flyers are all made with high content post consumer waste recycled papers and soy and vegetable based inks. Raphsodic also provides regular donations to organizations that help animals, people and the community.

Ready to indulge your sweet tooth? Raphsodic is located on Mills Avenue just north of Colonial Drive. The are open from 11AM - 8PM on Monday and Tuesday, 11AM - 9PM on Wednesday, 11AM - 10PM on Thursday and 11AM to 11PM on Friday and Saturday.

Sweet on Sunday - New Gluten-Free Bakery in Winter Park

Jim has mentioned a few times that an acquaintance from his martial arts studio recently opened a gluten-free bakery in Winter Park, but it wasn't until recently that I learned they had added a few vegan items to their menu. So when I saw it the other day - practically attached to the store I'd stopped at for pet food -  I decided to treat the Sprouts to a cupcake at Natural Delights.

Once there, I was surprised to learn that not only were all their items gluten-free but sugar-free as well. Instead of refined sugar, all their goodies are sweetened with stevia, agave, dates or yacon syrup (a sweetener that was definitely new to me). In addition to the sweets, they also make smoothies and their Green Goddess (spinach, cucumber, green apple, green grapes & kiwi) is on my list to try on our next visit.

Sweet on Sunday - Iced Oatmeal Cookies

As far as vegan cooking goes, I've found baking to be by far the easiest - too easy, in fact. Don't get me wrong, it's all easy once to develop your repertoire of favorites, but the baking is, literally, a piece of cake. People are often astonished that it's possible to whip up moist, delicious baked goods without eggs or butter, but it's one area where I can guarantee you'll never feel like anything is missing.

That said, a vegan cookie is still a cookie . . . tasty and delicious, but something we try to save for special occasions. As hard as I may try, I will never figure out how to make one that's the nutritional equivalent of a salad . . . but these Iced Oatmeal Cookies from the February 2010 Vegetarian Times really are a step in the right direction.

Using oat flour and oats as the base, they contain no wheat flour and only 3/4 cup of sugar for the whole recipe. In addition, the applesauce reduces the fat, so the recipe only requires 2 tablespoons of vegan butter. The icing, of course, is another story . . . I just drizzle really lightly and try not to think about it.

Sweet on Sunday - Valentine's Treats

We typically go "underboard" for Valentine's day - homemade cards and time together rather than big boxes of chocolate or expensive gifts . . . but still, there are bound to be a few treats sprinkled in along the way. This year, we planned two baking projects - heart-shaped cookies for an afternoon tea with Grandma and strawberry shortcake cupcakes for our Odyssey team.

The cookies are based on the lemon cookies from Vegan with a Vengeance - I just left out the lemon zest. It's what I always use for my basic sugar cookie recipe, and they are delicious! Little Sprout helped me roll out the dough and cut out the hearts, and both Sprouts handled the decorating.

The cupcakes are the basic Vanilla Cupcake from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I squirted some raspberry preserves into each one, then spread each one with frosting. Little Sprout added the "heart-like" strawberry halves.

The frosting required a little improvisation . . . usually I use the basic buttercream from Vegan Cupcakes, but it calls for 1/2 cup of each Earth Balance and vegan shortening, and I had no shortening. Instead, I used 1 cup of Earth Balance, left out the vanilla and replaced the soy milk with 1/4 cup of pureed strawberries. It wasn't as fluffy as usual, so I decided to spread it on rather than pipe it on . . . and ended up with just enough for the cupcakes and all the cookies.

I'm not going to post Sprout Ratings because . . . hey, they're cookies and cupcakes. Five Sprouts all around!

Sweet on Sunday - Game Day Football Cookies

Okay, I'm starting this post with full disclosure . . . I couldn't care less about the Superbowl, football or for that matter, sports in general. I know this is a pretty unpopular viewpoint, but I just had to get it out there. For me, there is way too little time in life to pursue my own interests that I just can't bring myself to spend any amount of time watching others pursue theirs. Except when they're related to me, of course.

That said, Jim woke up this morning and said "Let's go watch the Superbowl tonight!", which came as a complete surprise to someone who didn't even know that the Superbowl was today. So we're going to my mom's, and I'm considering it a nice visit with my mom during which the TV just happens to be on. Oh, and I'm taking three loads of laundry to fold in the process.

My lack of enthusiasm, however, didn't stop me from using it as an excuse to bake . . . after all, we can't show up empty-handed (yes, I know that technically we could, but work with me here!) Actually, the thought hadn't even entered my mind until I stumbled across this adorable recipe for Game Day Football Cookies.

Although I'm usually pretty good at making food taste good, making it look good is another story. I'm not crafty and artistic in any way, but these were simple enough that I couldn't screw them up. Oh, and you can't see it in the picture, but they're actually dipped in chocolate on the bottom as well. They look adorable, taste delicious and certainly won't last through the night.

To all you sports fans out there, enjoy the game!

Sweet on Sunday - Banana Split Sundaes

As I've mentioned, my kids certainly aren't kale-loving creatures by nature. We foster good habits through a healthy plant-based diet, but they definitely love treats from time to time (or as often as I'll allow). Fortunately, I've found many healthier ways to indulge their sweet tooth - although you'll probably get plenty of traditional treats in here as well.

It may not look it, but this is the healthier version of last week's Banana Splits - yes, really. The only sugar is in the chocolate sauce, and the kids loved these just as much. We had company that evening, so this recipe serves a lot. I'd half it if you're just serving one family.

Banana Split Sundaes

Ingredients
8 bananas (roughly chopped and frozen)
1 1/2 cups banana (sliced and fresh)
1 1/2 cups strawberries
5 oz. vegan chocolate (I used semi-sweet baking chocolate)
2 tablespoons almond milk (more if you don't have a high-speed blender)
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

Preparation

1. First, prepare the "ice cream" by blending the frozen bananas. If you have a Vita-mix or other high-speed blender, you can use just bananas and push them into the blades with the tamper. In a regular blender, add just enough almond milk to turn the blades.

Note: The ice cream will come have a soft-serve consistently. If you like a firmer ice cream, make it ahead of time and freeze until it becomes more solid.

2. Next, prepare the chocolate sauce. Melt the chocolate and 2 tablespoons of almond milk in a saucepan, stirring frequently. This will make a smooth sauce that will stay soft when served. If you prefer the chocolate to solidify once you put it on the ice cream (Magic Shell style), omit the almond milk and use just the melted chocolate.

3. Put it all together! Split the ice cream between 8 bowls, then top each one evenly with bananas, strawberries, chocolate sauce and peanuts.

Sprout Ratings


Big Sprout - 5 sprouts
Little Sprout - 5 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 5 sprouts
Daddy Sprout - Out for a boy's night and didn't get to try it

Sweet on Sunday - Banana Splits

As I've mentioned, my kids certainly aren't kale-loving creatures by nature. We foster good habits through a healthy plant-based diet, but they definitely love treats from time to time (or as often as I'll allow). Fortunately, I've found many healthier ways to indulge their sweet tooth - although you'll probably get plenty of traditional treats in here as well.

So I'm not sure how the kids know about banana splits, but they've been talking about them recently. And as I admitted to Jim tonight, I'm not sure I've ever had one, much less made one. But tonight I gave it a shot and they turned out great! We had leftovers, so I'm going to guess that it would easily serve six.

FYI, the healthier version of this recipe, the Banana Split Sundae, is coming next Sunday!

Banana Splits

Ingredients

1 recipe Strawberry Ice Cream

6 bananas

4 ounces vegan chocolate, melted (I used semi-sweet baking squares)

1/2 cup salted peanuts, chopped

Preparation

Half bananas lengthwise, and place two halves in each bowl. Top with ice cream, melted chocolate and peanuts (divided equally between each dish). Enjoy!

Sprout Ratings

Big Sprout - 5 sprouts

Little Sprout - 5 sprouts

Mama Sprout - 5 sprouts

Daddy Sprout - 5 sprouts

Sweet on Sunday - Strawberry Ice Cream

As I've mentioned, my kids certainly aren't kale-loving creatures by nature. We foster good habits through a healthy plant-based diet, but they definitely love treats from time to time (or as often as I'll allow). Fortunately, I've found many healthier ways to indulge their sweet tooth - although you'll probably get plenty of traditional treats in here as well.

Okay, so this part of this week's dessert is not the healthiest . . . even vegan ice cream is still ice cream, after all. But, we try to strike a balance between sticking to a healthy everyday diet and still enjoying an occasional treat.

I haven't made ice cream in months and the kids have been asking for it, so I decided to make strawberry ice cream this week. It went perfectly with the dessert I had planned this week - Banana Splits - and we still have some left for the Sprouts to enjoy in the next few days.

Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 can coconut milk

6 oz. firm silken tofu

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in blender, then prepare according to your ice cream maker's directions.

If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can pour the blended ice cream mixture into a shallow dish and freeze for 1-2 hours until firm. That's actually what I ended up doing tonight since I didn't have the ice cream maker chilled and ready to use.

Both methods make a soft-serve style ice cream. If you want it firmer, just freeze until it reaches the desired consistency.