Almond Pulp Freezer Fudge

I love Saturdays. Period.

Brett and I left the house this morning at 8:30 for a morning of fun errands. First, he went to a boxing class while I hit up Whole Foods. I got rolled oats, nutritional yeast and wheat bran from the bulk section and two cartons of almond milk (to try and make homemade yogurt with...I'll keep you posted) and only spent 8 bucks! That's a win.

After Brett got out of class we sold some of our books at a book store. We only made $25 for a lot of books, but it felt good to get them out of the house and to make some money. We are slowly trying to get ride of things we don't need and sell some of our bulky furniture in preparation for moving to NYC. Slowly being the key word. We're getting there though!

Next was the Farmer's Market in Winter Park...or at least so we thought. Traffic was crazy the closer we got to the market. Luckily we found parking not to far away. Once we made it to Park Ave, the main street in Winter Park, we realize why there was so much traffic. There was an art show! Hundreds of people were there perusing the art, eating popcorn and hot dogs and just enjoying the beautiful, Florida weather. The Farmer's Market wasn't happening, but all the art we got to see made up for it. I'm amazed by people's artistic abilities. Incredible. 

We walked around for a while until Brett wanted some food. He got a Burger at BurgerFi, a new-ish restaurant in Winter Park and then we headed home. 

I guess I'll stop boring you with Brett and my Saturday shenanigans and get to the good stuff. Fudge! The last recipe I posted was for Homemade Almond Milk and I mentioned that there are different ways you can use the almond pulp that is left over after you make your milk. No reason to waste all that nutritious goodness!

This fudge is easy and healthy and I just keep it in the freezer for a quick sweet tooth fix. Enjoy!

Almond Pulp Freezer Fudge

(Makes 30 squares)

 Ingredients:

· 1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal

· 1/2 cup raw almond pulp

· 3 tablespoons cocoa powder

· 2 tablespoons agave nectar

· 1/4 cup almond milk

· 2 tablespoons coconut oil

· 2 tablespoons applesauce

· 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

  

Directions:

1. Line an 8 x 8 baking dish with wax paper and set aside.

2. Using a food processor, start by processing the 1/2 cup of rolled oats into oat flour.

3. Add in remaining ingredients and puree until smooth. You may need to stop and push down the sides with a spatula occasionally.

4. Once smooth, pour into your prepared baking dish.

5. Freeze for 2-3 hours. Then remove the fudge from the dish and cut into pieces. I cut mine into 30 pieces, but you can make them whatever side you want.

6. Store in the freezer and enjoy!

Notes: Adapted from here.

 

Eat Consciously,

     Faith

How to Use Buckwheat Groats (A Breakfast Recipe)

Ever heard of these? I hadn't until a few months ago. As you may know I'm an oatmeal lover and love having a big bowl of oats every morning. Really anything "grain-like" is my ideal breakfast so when I heard of buckwheat groats I figured I should see what they were all about.

I was happy to find that Buckwheat Groats are full of fiber and protein and low in fat and sugar. 1 serving of these bad boys (1/4 cup) has 5 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein. Hello nutrients! You can use Buckwheat Groats to replace rice or other grain dishes or you can even grind it into flour. Me, being the breakfast lover that I am, decided to try them out in overnight oatmeal.

An easy way to use Buckwheat Groats is by soaking them overnight in water so that they soften up, but are still a little crunchy. All you do is place 1/4 cup of Buckwheat Groats in a bowl, cover them with water and place the bowl in your fridge overnight or for 8 hours. 

In the morning, pour the groats into a strainer and rinse them well. This gets rid of the sliminess that forms overnight. I know that isn't the most appealing description for a breakfast food, but once you rinse them you'll be good to go...no more sliminess.

Once you've rinsed them you can add them to cereal, cooked oatmeal or on top of a smoothie. For this post I used Angela's Buckwheat Parfait recipe from Oh She Glows for inspiration. I made a chocolate version by adding 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder to my chia seed mixture. You can use any overnight oatmeal recipe. Then in the morning just stir in your soaked and rinsed Buckwheat Groats and you're good to go. 

Eat your oatmeal/groat mixture as is or spruce it up by making a parfait with fruit or top it off with some granola or nuts. The ski's the limit!

Eat Consciously,

     Faith

Who Am I?! (Plus a Mocha Protein Smoothie Recipe)

Before I get to the deliciousness that is in that mason jar I have to talk about something.

Last night I wanted to do a spin class.

WANTED. Even after running five miles already in the morning. Who am I??

I hate spinning. It is my least favorite form of exercise (at least until after it's over when I love how I feel). I am so bad at it and the entire 45 minutes is agony. It takes a lot to get me sweating, but after five minutes in a spin class I am sweating from my shins, forearms, nose...it's painful.

But for some reason I felt the need to get out some more energy after dinner so I went to the last class of the night at our gym which was spin. I didn't hate it either! We'll see if I go to another class anytime soon though. Don't get your hopes up.

Like I mentioned, I went for a five mile run yesterday morning. I would love to run a marathon this year, but I know I'm prone to injury so I'm working on changing my form.

The first mile I ran in Nike Frees which make me land on the forefront of my feet instead of heel striking. I always feel so light and quick when I run like that, but you have to start with short distances to build up your feet strength and calf muscles. 

I'm glad I was only going a mile and then switching shoes because it was quite chilly here in Florida yesterday. As in 45 degrees with decent wind. After my first mile in my Nikes I came back and put on my Asics, grabbed ear warmers and headed back out for four more.

I'm hoping to build up more endurance in my Nike frees so that I can run longer distances with less chance of injury. We'll see how it goes!

Now onto the deliciousness. During my run I was thinking about what I wanted to eat once I finished. Anyone else do that? Our good friend Garret had just stayed the night and had made a ginormous pot of coffee even though there were only three of us. I was trying to think of how to use up all that extra delicious, Starbucks coffee and decided I should try out a mocha smoothie using my new Hemp Protein Powder from Trader Joe's. 

This smoothie is super easy to make and will definitely give you your daily dose of caffeine. You can use any kind of chocolate protein powder that you have on hand too.

Mocha Protein Smoothie

(Makes 1 Serving)

 Ingredients:

· 1 cup strong brewed coffee

· 1/2 cup almond milk

· 1/2 frozen banana

· 1 serving chocolate protein powder

· 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

· 3 ice cubes

Directions:

1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth.

2. Enjoy!

Eat Consciously,

     Faith

Cocoa Craisin Overnight Oats

I know. I'm sorry. Another oatmeal recipe. But in my defense, I don't think I've shared many overnight oatmeal recipes yet. And you can't go wrong with chocolate for breakfast right?

Overnight oats are a great option for those crazy busy mornings when you know you won't have a lot of time to get ready. They just take a few minutes the night before and in the morning they're all ready for you to enjoy. Since you make them in a cup or jar you can even eat them on the road if you're really in a rush--as long as you drive safe now ya hear?!

One of my favorite things about these overnight oats are the chia seeds. I actually don't think you should even make overnight oats without chia seeds. They make it or break it for me. If you've never tried chia seeds before you really should go pick some up now. They are chalk full of fiber, protein and healthy fats. Even better, when soaked in liquid they expand and gel up so that you get a tapioca-like texture. Glorious. 

Try this combination out and tell me what you think!

Cocoa Craisin Overnight Oats

(Makes 1 Serving)

 Ingredients:

· 1/2 cup oats

· 1 tablespoon chia seeds

· 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, scant

· 2 teaspoons liquid sweetener of choice or 4 drops liquid stevia

· 1 tablespoon craisins

· 3/4 cup almond milk

· Optional toppings: more craisins, sliced banana, almonds...really whatever you want!

Directions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients (expect the optional toppings) in a jar and mix well.

2. Place the jar in the fridge over night or for a few hours.

3. When ready to eat, stir the mixture or pour it into a bowl and top with additional toppings!

Have you ever had overnight oats before? 

What's your favorite breakfast food?

Eat Consciously,

     Faith

Chocolate Mug Cake + A Small Dose of Iron

Changing your diet drastically is a big deal. Your body can be affected in many different ways: mentally and physically. I knew that going vegan was not something I could take lightly, but would need to do a good amount of nutritional research so I could insure I was getting enough protein and nutrients without eating meat or dairy. What are the best ways to get protein with a vegan diet? What nutrients are vegans most likely to be deficient in? Answers to these questions and more are what I researched early on in my new diet. 

Over all the switch to eating a vegan diet has been great. I haven't had stomach problems and I eat a wider variety of foods. I've even noticed that I recover more quickly from long runs than I used to before I went vegan. Just this past Friday I went on a nine mile run and I was barely sore the next day. Bonus.

One thing I do need to keep an eye on is my iron intake. As a girl in her mid-twenties I need 18 mg/day of iron. Some of the best sources of iron are soybeans, blackstrap molasses, cooked lentils, spinach and chickpeas. I did a little research on molasses and while blackstrap molasses is rich in iron and is formed when molasses goes through a third boiling which crystallizes the sucrose in the molasses making it less sweet. It would ruin baked goods if you tried to use it as a sweetener. 

I looked up some recipes that were high in iron and I came across this mug cake recipe.  While it doesn't use blackstrap molasses, and therefore isn't as rich in iron as I though, it does call for regular molasses and two tablespoons of ground flaxseed so it's fiber-licious. It's so easy to make and tastes amazing. If I left off the chocolate chips and added some berries on top, I would even consider it healthy enough to have for breakfast. Seriously. Try this out!

Chocolate Mug Cake

(Makes 1 serving)

 Ingredients:

· 3 tablespoons oat flour

· 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed

· 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

· 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

· 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

· Pinch of salt

· 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

· 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk

· 2 teaspoons molasses

· Splash of vanilla

· Optional: Coconut oil or baking spray

· Optional: Chopped fruit, berries, chocolate chips, agave nectar or maple syrup

Directions:

1. Mix all of the dry ingredients (from the oat flour to salt) together in a bowl with a fork so that there are no clumps.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients until combined, from applesauce to vanilla.

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.

4. Use oil or spray to grease the inside of a mug if you want to transfer the cake to a different dish after cooking. If you are going to eat it straight from the mug no oil or spray is needed.

5. Pour the batter into the mug and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes.

6. Transfer to a plate a top with desired toppings.

7. Dig in and enjoy your dose of iron!

 Notes: Adapted from With An Open Mind.

  

Eat Consciously,

     Faith

Mocha Chia Oatmeal

Brett and I finished up our work in College Station on Thursday morning and made the three hour drive to Dallas that afternoon. It was a great day full of delicious food and new friends. We even ate dinner at vegan restaurant. I had a barbecue sandwich with grilled seitan for dinner and followed it up with a warm cookie sundae, a.k.a. my first taste of ice-cream since I starting eating vegan in July! It was so satisfying and a great way to fuel up before my long training run in the morning. 

This picture was taken with my iPhone which doesn't do this deliciousness justice.

But Spiral Diner & Bakery's vegan cookie with ice cream and whipped cream sundae was fantastic.

I savored every bit. 

Speaking of my long training run, this morning's nine-miler went so smoothly. I might even venture to say it was the best run I've ever had due to a few factors: the weather was perfect, I wore exactly the right amount of clothes, I got to run around a beautiful lake and I felt great the entire time. It literally felt like I only ran for thirty minutes, when I actually ran for 75 minutes. And let me say, I am not a fast running. No matter how good I feel when I'm running, I always end up running just under a 9-minute mile average pace. Putzing as we call it. However, this morning I ran at an average pace of 8.22 miles/minute! It was so encouraging. 

Tonight Brett and I and four of his guy friends are heading to Oklahoma for two nights of camping. The forecast says that there is a 40% change of rain tomorrow. I, being a cold-wimp, hope that it stays dry. It's amazing how cold I've been during our week in Texas. I thought this big, dusty state stayed hot all year round. Apparently not. 

And this cold weather is really making me miss my morning oatmeal. So I figured I'd share one of my new favorite combinations with you: Mocha Chia Oatmeal. Enjoy!

Mocha Chia Oatmeal

(Makes 1 serving)

 Ingredients:

· 2/3 cups brewed coffee

· 1/3 cup non-dairy milk (I use unsweetened almond milk)

· 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

· 1/2 banana, thinly sliced

· 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional, but so worth it)

· 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

· Splash of Vanilla

· Pinch of sea salt

· Optional: chopped nuts, semi-sweet chocolate chips, more non-dairy milk

Directions:

1. Bring the coffee and milk to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the oats, sliced banana and chia seeds and whisk vigorously until there are no large banana chunks to be seen. Let cook for about 3 minutes.

2. Add in the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and sea salt and mix until well incorporated. Let cook about 2 more minutes or until it reaches your desired consistency.

3. Pour oats into a bowl and top with optional nuts and almond milk.

4. Enjoy your cup a joe and oats in one beautiful bowl!

Eat Consciously,

     Faith