Springtime, Missing Seasons, and Peachy Cinaamon Pear "Strudel" Baked Oats

I have an appetite for all things warm. I'm a flower child awakening at sunset. I'm a dragon fruit cactus that only opens up during nighttime, because nighttime is when all of the quiet and creepy animals and insects pop out into the fray of the moon reflecting its sliver rays onto the earth. I'm curling my toes hoping, wishing, and praying that the Fall weather will be delayed so I don't have to take my heat blanket out just yet. I need some balmy rain to heat me up- not the mysterious gloomy kind which only melts my happiness and leaves me feeling bitter and despairing inside. What can I say? I am attached to the weather. My mood is oscillating in the early spring time when mother nature is deciding which days will be wrecked with slush and rain, and which days will not be. I guess I'm spoiled. I take the heat for granted, and complain about the cold. I guess nighttime is when I should really be sleeping, but I lie awake at night dreaming about luminous sunsets and balmy winters at Disneyworld instead.

Today I will be sharing with you guys my favorite heat-me-up meal. I could tell you all that this is a meal to dream about at night, but I would rather you eat this in the day and fantasize your dreams at night. 

 These oats are perfect for rainy autumnal mornings when the weather isn't treating you well. In the background, there is a stack of pear and chai spiced pancakes topped with PB and raspberries. (Maybe I'll make a post on those pancakes one day :D) Anyway, strudels have never really been that great until this little beauty came along!

Peachy Cinnamon Pear Strudel Baked Oats (and what you'll need)

*2/3 C of old-fashioned rolled oats + 2 tsp. to sprinkle on top

*1 drop of stevia, or 1 Tbs. of pure maple syrup

*1/3 C each of any plant-based milk you desire (I used almond milk, but you can use rice, hemp, cashew, coconut, or even oat milk if you want!), and applesauce

*1/3 of a squishy-mushy overly ripe pear (Bartlett is the best kind in my opinion. bartlett is usually sweeter, softer, and easier to bite into)

*1/3 C of freshly squeezed peach juice. You may want to freeze a couple of too-ripe peaches that are too squishy to eat, and then microwave them. 

*1 tsp. each of date sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and baking powder

*1/2 tsp. nutmeg 

Method:

1. mix all of the wet ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. 

2. mix all of the dry ingredients together and slowly stir and add to the wet ingredients. Pour into a ramekin, (I use coconut oil spray so it doesn't stick) and sprinkle a few baby pear slices on top. For a crispier effect, sprinkled the 2 tsp. of oats, 1/2 tsp. of coconut sugar and cinnamon on top. This makes it so the oats look like a cobbler/strudel. 

3. At 350 degrees, you should bake your "strudel" at around 18-22 minutes. Serve with more plant-based milk and enjoy!!

Blueberry Bushes Forever & The Blue-Miracle Bowl Straight From Heaven

Ahhh…. the simplicity of it all. Isn't it incredible how the simplest fruits and vegetables can color and fill your life up?

I need a blueberry bush in my garden. In my cozy, homie, and not-green-enough garden. I mean, my garden is very green, but I'd like it to be a bit more versatile- with snow peas and watermelon sprouting voluntarily in the summer and avocado trees and broccoli bushes showering me with love during whatever season they are best in. Overall, I would like a lot of things. I would like a kitten named Coffeepot, a new screen in replace of my shattered on one my phone, and a towering blueberry bush that would last forever.

My summer trip to Seattle was lovely (you can read more about it in one of my recent posts). Blueberry picking and sight-seeing was the highlight of the trip, but mostly blueberry picking. It felt super therapeutic to roam and skip through the large bushes that seemed never ending. The blueberries were ripe and juicy- almost too juicy not to eat every one of them! I was in heaven. I was in a grassy green land where I felt like I belonged somewhere. I belong in a blueberry bush! We took home 8 pounds of pure, unadulterated blueberries that evening. Picking the berries became a full-on competition to see who could grasp the biggest and juiciest berries, and I think I won. (even though I pretty much ate all of  the bluebs anyway! Teehee)

Blueberries actually are not my favorite fruit, it's just the joys of picking them. Simplicity is best, so lettuce (pun pun!) water our broccoli gardens and carry on with the blueberry picking and eating. You can learn a lot about yourself by finding therapeutic adventures you love!

THE BLUE-MIRACLE BOWL OF LOVELY AND BLUEBERRIES (along with the recipe):

For the Vanilla Lovely Ice Cream

*1 tsp. of vanilla bean paste and date sugar each

*1 scant tsp. of lemon juice- freshly squeezed or from the bottle

*3/4 tsp. of maple extract

*2 ice cubes

*1 3/4 spotty-dotty frozen banana

*1/4 C coconut cultured yogurt or greek yogurt

For the Pink and Pretty Ice Cream

*3 frozen bananas -spotty and dotty indeed

*Either 3/4 C of frozen raspberries, or even better, one frozen pitaya/dragon fruit packet 

*2 ice cubes

*1/4 C of pineapple and frozen orange each + the orange zest

METHOD:

1. In your Blendtec blender/food processor, blend the solids first for the vanilla part, and then add the liquids and pulse. If your blender/food processor has a difficult time doing this, then add 2-4 Tbs. of any plant based milk you prefer. (I use almond milk from Trader Joe's) Scoop that into a big bowl and place it in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.

2. blend the frozen things first for the pinky-party-whatever flavor. Add in the rest of the ingredients by pulsing and then fully blending. scoop this on top of the vanilla flavor.

3. Now you're ready to top your ice cream with toppings! I topped mine with (of course) blueberries, more berries, and desiccated coconut. Now Enjoy! 

***NOTE: this bowl is bigger than all of the other ones, but you can of course halve the recipe. I usually eat these rainbow bowls as my meals, so they have significantly more ingredients to fuel and fill me up for hours.***

Xxx, Alli

Stupid People & The Never-Ending Neapolitan Pancake Stack Attack

I hate people. I love all of you, but sometimes, people suck. I opened the door for a lady at Whole Foods the other day, and she didn't even acknowledge me! Someone said that my food choices are stupid and living organic and free of pesticides and most dairy products will equal the most boring-est life ever, because apparently eating healthy is too stupid and you "only live once", and yolo actually really means eating all the junk in the world because who wants to spend a life eating healthy crap that tastes like cardboard? (So does that mean that you've eaten cardboard and healthy stuff at the same time? Or are your taste-buds just too cool for nutrition??) Oh, and my sisters are only friends with wifi and they have not gone outside (except for school) in forever. And last but not least, my sweet potatoes all burned in the oven last week because I forgot to take them out and set a timer. (I guess I sucked there, too)

I am not trying to be a hater on the gator. I am just trying to distinguish the difference between holding your tongue and being just plain blunt like a side of plain mashed potatoes for dessert on Thanksgiving at grammy's. Saying the phrases "no offense" and "to be honest" does not cut it, people! So, no-offense-but-I-think-your-new-natural-makeup-makes-your-face-look-just-like-Rod-Stewart's is okay? Just because no offense links a mean comment does not mean that everything should be taken lightly. This is another reason why sometimes people (including myself) suck. Words and wording words the right ways can get really tricky. 

Anyway, that was a rant I needed to get out into the world. So without some more ranting on sucky people, here is my favorite pancake stack and the recipe included down below. These pancakes are so fluffy and moist with rich flavors of carob, berries, and of course the ever lasting vanilla. I often feel the slightest bit of sympathy for vanilla, because berries and chocolate often over-rule the simple, but divine  flavor of vanilla. Vanilla beans are elegant and strong. Their magical essence embraces and pops even the dullest of dullest juices out. Vanilla is the new chocolate touch- and so beware when you stumble across vanilla bean extract in almost all of my recipes. Enjoy!

THE NEVER ENDING NEAPOLITAN STACK OF YUMMY(and what you will need):

*2 Tbs. of pure, organic and raw carob powder (I used Bob's Red Mill brand from Whole Foods)

*4 egg whites from the carton

*1 NOT FROZEN smushy and mushy and spotty-dotty banana

*2 Tbs. of coconut milk

*2 tsp. divided, each of coconut sugar, vanilla bean paste/pure vanilla bean extract (I use TJ)

*A handful of an assortment of berries

*1 Tbs. of honey/agave nectar and lemon juice- freshly squeezed or from the bottle, and maple syrup

*1/3 C oat flour (you can either make this yourself, or buy it very expensive at a health food store. All you have to do is blend up the oats in either a very high-speed blender or food processor.)

*handful of cacao nibs/carob chips

**OPTIONAL: 1 tsp. of mesquite powder for an extra superfood boost and caramel taste***

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST STACK THAT NEAPOLITAN HAS EVER SEEN: 

1. Pre-heat your stove to medium-medium low. Stir the oat flour, egg whites, honey/agave, coconut milk and mushed banana together. Set this aside for 5-10 minutes. 

2. Separate the pancake batter into 2 equal parts in separate bowls. In one bowl, add the carob powder, a tsp. of vanilla bean paste, maple syrup, and optional mesquite powder. 

3. In the other bowl, stir in another tsp. of vanilla bean paste, lemon juice, and carob chips/cacao nibs. Very gently fold in the berries. You should have two flavors of berry-bean and carob-caramel. 

4. Spray some coconut oil or veggie oil onto your stove and turn the heat down to low. Alternate flavors on the stove until you have a pattern of berry, chocolate, berry, chocolate. 

5. Now it's done! Take the extra time to drizzle maple syrup on your pancakes. You can top this with more berries, kisses, sliced fruit, carob sauce, more carob chips/cacao nibs, desiccated coconut, and even greek yogurt mixed with fresh berries for a beautiful pink-berry "frosting". 

ENJOY, MY LOVELIES!! Xxx, Alli <33

                                        I want that costume for Halloween; What a cute kid!

Dreams, time-machines to breakfast, and some (vegan) tri-colored ice-cream that will make you melt!

Sleep. Sleep is the greatest gift and it is the time-machine to breakfast. (When you sleep, it pretty much hurries up the time to eat breakfast!) Of course, sleep is either for the weak or for the strong in my case. Late nights are for floating around the internet and listening to Enya hundreds of times when you can't sleep and the "up all night" games pop into mind. Early mornings, school/work mornings, are the times when we appreciate sleep the most. (Haha what person really wants to be awake before the sun is even up?)

Sleep is fleeting and you cannot disagree. Five minutes of sleep seems like 1 minute on the weekdays. 5 minutes of sleep on the weekends (or in school, you naughties!) seem like ten minutes! Anyway, my point is that we either let ourselves dream or we don't. 

When you are super busy and super stressed, and you don't sleep for very long, then dreams become images we skip through. Dreams become elevator music; The kind where it is really quiet and it's in the depths of your ears, but you don't really listen to the music. Elevator music is alright, but of course you've got other things floating around in the back of your head before you step off. When you're relaxed and tucked in bed at a reasonable time, then dreams spring to life and hum in your ears while you snooze. 

Dreams are very authoritative; They teach you very important lessons, sometimes- in the rarest times- bring you your fate, and even refresh your mind so you snatch the upgrades you want in life. In some dreams, I am barely breathing; My nose is dry and my throat squeezes. I try to breathe through my mouth and nose, but nothing goes in and nothing goes out. I panic; I search everywhere to escape this dry room I'm trapped in and anxiety overwhelms me. In these dreams, there are always other people there with me. There is always a janitor closet, a little girl, and many old people in this un-breathable room. In these dreams, I usually wake up with the goal to breathe and relax myself for the rest of the day. 

I truly believe that the most creative people on the planet are the people who sleep with dreams wafting through their hair and ears. I truly believe that if you could learn how to live in your dreams, then life would become a remarkable reward and everything would somehow fall into place. You could live forever. I also truly believe that the most compelling people actually come from dreams themselves.

(I also truly believe that ice-cream for breakfast is the best dream you could ever dream of- and it's completely healthy and nutritious!)

INGREDIENTS

For the Banana Vanilla-Bean flavor:

*1 1/2 of a frozen, spotty- dotty banana

*either 1 rip of a vanilla bean or 1 tsp. of pure, vanilla bean extract (I used TJ for the extract in one recipe, and a Whole Foods' brand for the vanilla bean in this recipe. Both work just fine.)

*2-3 Tbs. of young coconut milk

*2 ice-cubes

For the Matcha Green-Tea and Mint flavor:

1 frozen, spotty-dotty banana 

*1 tsp. of coconut sugar and pure vanilla extract each

*2 ice-cubes + 2 Tbs. of unsweetened almond milk (I used TJ brand this time)

*1 tsp. matcha green-tea powder (you can either order this from a Japanese online store, or you can get it at your local Japanese/asian market)

*1/6 tsp. of pure peppermint extract

*a handful of fresh, organic baby spinach

For the Raspberry Bon-Bon flavor:

*1/3 C of frozen raspberries

*1 frozen, spotty-dotty banana

*1 tsp. each of vanilla extract and maple extract (or if you'd like, you can just put in 1/8 tsp. of pure liquid stevia**)

*3 pureed medjool dates

*2-3 Tbs. of young coconut milk

HOW TO HAVE YOUR ICE-CREAM AND EAT IT TOO:

1. Blend all of your ingredients together by pulsing in your trusty Blendtec blender/Vitamix/food processor.

2. Top with lots of toppings! You can top with: raspberries and strawberries (like in the picture above), carob sauce, granola/grawnola, agave nectar, cacao nibs, desiccated coconut, more frozen fruits, and even some mint leaves to garnish. 

3. ENJOY!!

Have a lovely day everybody, and happy planting! <33

                                               *This was me dreaming when I was a baby**

Sweetie Pie Lemon Poppyseed bowl, figs, and fruit puns!

                                     These fruit puns are more than funny; They are simply the best.

                        Sometimes, my little sister likes to eat the watermelon rind. What an entertaining little eater she is!

   Today's recipe is all about my prismatic bowls! Lemon poppyseed might just be my favorite flavor of all time. Honestly, it rules over every other sweet and tart flavor in the flavor hand-book. I like lemon poppyseed better than chocolate, dark chocolate, carob, vanilla, carrot cake, and even angel food cake! This recipe is much like my recent post on lemon poppyseed perfect pancakes. It's still creamy, sweet and tart, and makes you want to have it for breakie, lunch, and even dinner!

   Share this with everyone, because soon love will die, and only our minds will be able to free the fray whilst sharing warmth and kindness. Because soon love will die.

LEMON POPPYSEED- WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
*1/2 C of rolled oats- NOT quick-cook
*1 C of any plant-based milk (I used coconut milk for a creamier and more tropical flavor)
*1 tsp. each of poppyseeds, coconut sugar, vanilla, and maple extract
*half of a spotty-dotty mashed, and ripe banana
*2 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
**OPTIONAL** I put in a bit of fig puree- about 2 Tbs. for some extra sweetness and flavor***

HOW TO MAKE LOVE (THE RIGHT WAY):
1. In a small sauce pan, boil the coconut milk and vanilla. Once it is boiling, add in the oats and a pinch of salt for added flavor since oats tend to be really bland themselves. Constantly stir the oats so they don't stick to the pan.
2. Once the oats are thicker, add in the mashed banana lemon juice, and pureed fig if you're using the pureed fig. Don't you dare stop stirring! 
3. Once the oats are thicker with not alot of liquid left, stir in the coconut sugar and let sit for about 3 minutes.
4. Pour into a bowl and enjoy! Top your soon-to-be-food-baby with lots of fruit, more plant-based milk, nuts, berries, exotic fruit, and even mulberries and granola/grawnola.

ENJOY AND I LOVE YOU ALL. DON'T FORGET YOU TELL SOMEONE YOU LOVE THEM, BECAUSE MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, LOVE WILL SOON DIE.

Perfectly Prim Pear, Raspberry, and Citrus Morning Baked Oatmeal + The Beginning of Prismatic Bowls!

   Doesn't everyone love that "stick to your ribs" breakfast? Oatmeal may be the best way to go with that phrase.
   Well, when I was a little youngling, about 4 years old, I loved to eat mush for breakfast. I'm not sure why the crap tasted just like freaking card board even though it made me really happy and even though I had never even eaten card board, but I eventually stopped eating it because the world of Quaker's instant oatmeal, blueberry muffins, and smoothies opened up. My lovely bowls of mush became forgotten until I rediscovered them 5 years later hidden in the back of my pantry. Of course I became excited about it and quickly heated up a bowl or two in the microwave. The end result was YUCKY! It was also "HOW COULD ANYONE EVER EAT THAT WITH WORKING TASTE BUDS?" My lovely bowls of mush dreams were ruined that night.
   Fast-forward about 4-5 years later and here we have what I call "prismatic bowls". Oatmeal bowls that are homemade are much better than the packets! Homemade oatmeal doesn't have all that added sugar and it automatically adds that touch of warmth when it is made by YOU.
  This oatmeal bowl was inspired by perfect lighting. (It freakin' took me forever to find the perfect lighting to take this picture before I threw the whole bowl on the ground. Sorry, but perfect lighting = perfect everything) For this prismatic bowl, I baked it. Baked oatmeal bowls come out with cake-like consistencies. Try this recipe, because it may just be your inspiration towards a prismatic bowl journey.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
*2/3 C of rolled old-fashioned oatmeal that is NOT quick-cook.
*2/3 C of plant-based milk (I used almond milk) + 2 Tbs. of lemon juice and 1 tsp. of vanilla extract
*1/2 each of a very mushy and ripe Bartlett pear and tangerine + squeezed juice of other half of the tangerine
*1 tsp. of baking powder and honey
*1/3 C of mashed raspberries/strawberries
*OPTIONAL*** add in 1 tsp. of Organic Burst baobab powder (This has 6x more vitamin C than oranges, 5x amount of potassium in bananas, and has more calcium and iron than any dairy product! It tastes like a rainbow in your mouth and is definitely a superfood boost!

HOW TO MAKE:
1. 10-15 minutes prior to making your oatmeal, pre-heat your oven/toaster oven at 350 degrees and in a small measuring cup, stir the lemon-juice and vanilla into the milk for a vegan buttermilk! This will make your oats creamy and tart, but not too tart with a hint of rich vanilla!
2. After 10-15 minutes of step 1, mix all of the dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.
3. Mix your raspberry/strawberry puree together with the tangerine juice and honey. Add this to the dry ingredients.
4. Slowly pour in the vegan buttermilk and make sure that everything is thoroughly mixed. Add to a sprayed ramekin (I used coconut oil spray from Trader Joe's) and pop it into the heated oven/toaster oven.
5. Bake for 20-23 minutes and let it sit and cool on a cooled surface for at least 5 minutes. This is the hardest part because you are going to have to restrain yourself from eating it before you make it pretty and top it with lots of toppings! The straggle is most definitely real here!!
6. Enjoy and top with lots of almond milk (or whatever milk you used). You can top with many nuts, seeds, sliced fruit, sauces such as carob or even pumpkin butter!

HAVE THE MOST LOVELIEST DAY EVER AND ENJOY!!
                                                                                       Xxx, Alli

Seattle, sippin' fruit and juice, and lots of laughs!

                                                               Whether it's in Utah,

or Seattle, 

green smoothies make up at least 25% of my diet. I'm not going to tell you that they refresh my mind or that they let my inner organic shine through. Green smoothies make me happier-inside and out! I'm not sure what it is, but something about green makes me want to eat it and makes me not want to at the same time. You can literally make any kind of green smoothie taste good, no matter what shade of green! (I personally like lime green best, like the Seattle picture one) 

   In July, I took a trip to Seattle with my cousin Sarena and we went alone on a plane to see our dear aunt, Ching. Auntie Ching is a flight attendant who travels many places! She gets to explore Paris, Amsterdam, Alaska, and many more places that I cannot think of at the moment. Us three girlies had the time of our lives! AC (short for Aunt Ching) was so kind and lovely to have us. She really was the star of our trip with her great wit! We probably pulled muscles in our tummies from laughing so much.

                                         We went to Pike's Market and sampled the tastiest treats!

AC took us to her nail person and we brought her some lovely flowers from Pike's market!

To be morally honest, we spent most of our time there eating! I didn't mind that.

We at least bought 8 pounds of blueberries at this one blueberry farm. They were big and fresh, juicy and sweet, and probably perfect for a hangover for anyone who needs them, haha! XD

 Every morning for breakie, we slurped on some smoothies. AC had just bought a new Ninja Blender, so every night and morning was a blast of fun creating lots of smoothie recipes. I always took a green smoothie that was filled with lots of greens! At the Pike Market, greens were literally around every corner.

YASSSSSSS

   Anywho, the asian stores we went to had so many exotic fruits to behold and try. There was jack-fruit, pitaya/dragon fruit, lots of lychee (I kind of…. ate a whole bag myself! oops), berries that were insanely sweet, and even durian was there. Oh and the pineapple was good too, mmmm. Of course we had to experiment smoothie recipes, so below is the recipe we all came up with:

SEATTLE'S GREEN MONSTER DRINK-WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 

*2 celery stalks- cubed

*2-6 oz. of freshly squeezed orange juice

*1/2 a granny smith green apple 

*10-12 green grapes 

*3/4 of an asian pear

*about 5 strawberries (LEAVE THE STEMS ON. IT IS ADDED NUTRITION)

*1 whole cubed and diced cucumber- peeled

*a handful of both spinach and kale

BLEND IT ALL UP AND ENJOY! I SUGGEST YOU DRINK THIS BY A BEAUTIFUL HYDRENGEA BUSH LIKE I DID.

AT-THE-TOP-OF-THE-PAGE GREEN SMOOTHIE RECIPE-WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

*2 oz. each of almond milk and coconut milk (I used Trader Joe's) 

*1 tsp. each of date sugar, hemp seeds, and maple extract

*4 oz. of frozen pineapple and raspberries

*3 ice cubes

*HUGE handful of baby spinach (Yeah, baby! XD)

*1/4 each of a Fuji apple and a very huge and juicy orange

BLEND IT ALL UP AND THERE YOU GO HAVE A NICE DAY XD

Friends, going bananas, and lemon poppyseed pancakes!

 
   These girls plus a very wonderful friend from London, are some of my very favorite friends right now. I love making new friends out of nowhere and I find that my expectations towards how people should act are decreasing, as I have learned that everyone is different and nobody can read my mind. I used to fret when somebody would not smile back at me or if somebody accidentally commented something stupid on a very sensitive topic. I would fear for our friendship if someone would not text back in 24 hours. I used to, and I would worry about silly little things, but I have realized that the world does not revolve around me. Nobody can read your mind. Without asking or telling them, no one can know what you want them to say and do. YOU must do it for them. You must reach out and stop waiting for others to reach out to you. If you don't reach out, then you just might miss out on some great life experiences and friendships that could've been great life experiences and friendships.
   You might be surprised when I tell you this, but I was a very shy and timid little girl a couple years ago. I would not raise my hand in class when I had a question in fear of a wrong answer/dumb question. My little voice was my shield against the dark and bloody world. My very small and quiet voice was because I didn't want to be heard. I would try to talk and make great conversation with a new 'loud' and 'booming' voice, and you probably could have heard my loud voice booming with confidence at very rare moments- even though I really had none most of the time. I spent years following people around being ignored and used because I was (and still am) very gullible, and my sweet figure looked like I could've been easily shoved around. I had no real friends who actually knew me because I would not let them know me.
   I expected people to pry deep into my heart and find some gold and silver. When that didn't work I decided I would do it for them. I let others see the real me, not the superficial happy person mask I always put on. I became a real person with real friends; I took my mask off. I became a bright light in a dark world, and you can too! You can either choose to hide behind superficial masks, or choose to take off your mask and reveal the real you. THAT is how you make friends. The girls in the picture above cannot see through me anymore because I am real and whole. I cannot show up to school half of me and half of somebody else- because I am a whole. You must be 100% you and nobody else. Sorry, but even 75% does not cut it, sweetie.

   Any-who, lettuce get on with the lemon-poppyseed pancake recipe because I know you will all love it! These pancakes are fluffy, tart and sweet, and oh-so-good! You only need a few ingredients to make this stack of heaven, so lettuce begin!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
*4 egg whites from the carton (I used Kirkland)
*1 cold, spotty-dotty banana
*3 oz. of old-fashioned rolled oatmeal (I used Trader Joe's)
*3 Tbs. of freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1 tsp. of poppy seeds
*1/2  tsp. each of coconut sugar, vanilla bean extract, and baking powder
*2 Tbs. of any plant-based milk (I used almond milk from Trader Joe's)

HOW TO MAKE: 
1. Blend the oats, banana, and egg whites in your blender/food processor (I used my Blendtec)
2. Pour all of your ingredients into a big bowl and stir until the batter is thick and creamy. Pour about 2 oz. of the batter onto a preheated stove at medium-medium low heat.
3. Now you should have really fluffy and light pancakes! You can top them with whatever you'd like. You could use: sliced fruit, pure maple syrup, agave nectar, kisses, nuts, cacao nibs, soy/coconut milk yogurt (for vegans, or even for anybody!), greek yogurt, love, and any nut butters you desire. Happy eating!

                                                                    LOVE you all!

 

Some (delightfully delicious) Amazing Oatmeal - Black Forest Cake

Good afternoon everyone!

Here is a sneak-peek of me ;D

   If you have been following me on instagram, then you should probably already know that I am no doubt, oatmeal obsessed. I am so in love with the fact that you don't have to just have some plain old card-board tasting oats just to fill you up in the mornings (or nights- whatever floats your banana boat). There are so many flavor variations that you can recreate to taste like desserts for your morning breakfast. 

Whenever I eat a warming bowl of magic for breakfast-which is every morning- I always think about how much I've grown this past year. I have been more than creative and open to new ideas. One of my favorite quotes that has helped me pave my way through this dark and deep world is by one of my favorite inspirational people. Ghandi said that we should all "Live as if you would die tomorrow, and learn as if you could live forever". is so wonderful because we should all live with yolo in our hearts and with the spirit to learn. I learn new things everyday. My grandpa even learns new things every day. So here is your lesson on how to cook some of my favorite oatmeal ever. 

Don't worry that clear goo is just agave nectar

What you will need:

*2/3 cup old-fashioned oats that are NOT quick-cook

*1/2 pitted cherries + more for decoration if you would wish to dress it up a little bit

*1/3 of a ripe and mushy gushy spotty-dotty banana that is smashed

*1/2 tbs. carob/cacao powder

*1 tsp. each vanilla bean paste and coconut sugar

*1 cup plant based milk (I use almond milk)

*1-2 pitted and pureed medjool dates (optional but preferred)

How to create this magic:

1. Boil the milk and vanilla, then stir in the oats and mashed banana. Make sure your banana is thoroughly mashed- you will not enjoy bits of banana floating around in this bowl of oatmeal!

2. Once your oats have gotten thicker, stir in the carob powder, coconut sugar, and medjool dates. (If you don't have carob powder, then no big deal. You can of course sub it for cacao powder instead! I personally like the sweet and warm taste of carob instead of the dark and bitter taste of cacao.)

3. Once your oatmeal has gotten thicker and the coconut sugar has dissolved, lightly fold in the cherries. 

4. Now you're done! Pour the oats into a colorful bowl and top with any topping you'd like. You can top with: more pitted cherries, carob chips, cacao nibs, date sugar, more almond milk (I always do for more moistness), crushed almonds and cashews, strawberries, dark chocolate bits, even some coconut flakes, and honey/agave nectar. 

5. ENJOY AND HAVE THE MOST LOVELIEST DAY ;D

Peachy Pear and Plum Maple Banana Ice Cream (vegan, gluten free, vegetarian)

          Ahh yes. These are the wondrous days where I get to cozy up with a warm blanket and drink packs of yogi tea and eat pumpkin-spiced everything! I was at Trader Joe's last Sunday and I noticed that there was pumpkin everything! There was pumpkin cornbread, butter (that stuff is quite divine), granola, breads, pie pumpkins, pie, and even….. wait for it…. PUMPKIN BODY BUTTER!! Oh my goodness gracious-the body butter is the best stuff I've ever  slathered on! It has a perfect autumn aroma and a crisp pumpkin scent that adds sparkle to it. Anywho, am I making your tongue watery? I cannot wait to shower you guys with pumpkin recipes that are perfect for fall.

   Another fruit that is very compatible with the season are peaches! My favorite peaches in particular are Hale peaches; They are huge babies. A couple weekends ago, I went to the Sandy farmer's market with my grammy, my little twin-sisters Audrie and Arissa, and my adorable cousin Madi (Go check out her blog! It is http://madiriye.blogspot.com ). It was so fun walking around and piling wooden crates sky-high with the juiciest and most delectable peaches we'd ever seen. You can never have too many peaches, am I right? Pears were also abundant as I tried more samples than I should have. 

        Crisp fruits and veg are my favorite things to eat during this chilly season of black cats and ugly witches.

This recipe for Peachy Pear and Plum Maple Banana Ice Cream will literally melt you away. Blend it up and put in the freezer, eat it in a mason jar and jump outside into the pumpkin colored leaves, or even catch up on ANTM whilst snuggling up to a heat-blankie. Needless to say, Autumn has officially arrived and so lettuce make the best of it. 

What you will need:

*2 small or 1 very large super squishy and spotty-dotty FROZEN banana(s)

*1/2 frozen D'anjou pear and large Black Velvet plum

*1-2 very ripe and juicy Hale peaches or 3 small peaches

*1/2 tsp. each coconut sugar and vanilla bean extract (I use TJ for both) 

*4 oz. any plant based milk you desire (I use Almond Breeze almond milk)

*5 ice cubes

*either 1 tbs. pure maple syrup or 1 tsp. maple extract (I used the extract)

**OPTIONAL: 1 scant tsp. lucuma or maca powder

How to make this beauty: 

1. With your Blendtec blender(what I use)/food processor/vitamix, put in all of the ingredients except the coconut sugar and peaches. press the ice-cream or frozen yogurt button for 50 sec.

2. Add in the last two ingredients and pulse. You should have a really creamy and smooth ice-cream like texture.

3. Top with any ingredients you would like. You could use: coconut sugar, sliced nuts, granola, grawnola, maple syrup, agave, more delectable fruit such as apples or slice pears, pumpkin seeds, or even some carob sauce. My carob sauce recipe will be up with the next post.

4. ENJOY ;D