Up and Running!

Hey there! 

Thanks for bearing with me as my technological issues were resolved. The bad news is my computer freaked out and I lost most of my new recipes. The good news is that my mom and I decided to switch computers so that this does not happen to me again. I have always admired her MacBook Air so I am sure I will get along just fine. ;) 

[Happy face oatmeal :D]

With my computer down, I did not take as many photos as usual. However, it was hard not to when I was eating such delicious things! 

I have especially enjoyed eating a muffin to start out my day. I am not always ready for oatmeal right when I wake up (not to mention I make it the looooong way for volume and creaminess), so muffin mashes have been perfect. 

Some people like coffee, I do muffins. They are definitely worth waking up for!

After one last mash with these, I said goodbye to my Cinnamon Vanilla Sunflower Butter Muffins with Banana and Blueberries (AKA Bliss Muffins). 

Bliss indeed.

Feeling an immediate muffin void, I decided to create a new recipe. 

Fudge-y, ooey-gooey, chocolate blueberry muffins? Yes, please! While these are similar to my other recipe (do not mess with perfection, friends!), I will be posting it soon. This was definitely bliss, too; but this time, it was chocolate bliss.

For some reason, I failed to capture many of the eats between these lovely treats and dinner. Maybe because they usually looked a little like this... 

[Breakfast oats]

[Snack-y lunches]

Dinner, however, was not overlooked. Armed with a block of tempeh, I got to cookin'. Of course, I always start with the tried-and-true.

[Asian-inspired tempeh bowl with zucchini, cauliflower, and broccoli] 

[In the mix: Braggs-marinated-and-baked tempeh cubes, millet (hiding below), carrots, and snow peas with Braggs, ginger, and garlic]

Venturing outside of my usual, I decided to go a sweeter route. 

I was inspired by this to create a tempeh salad with grated carrots, using fresh and ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. 

Both the flavor and texture were very new to me. I am so used to having tempeh one way that this was a welcomed change. However, I soon returned to my savory roots again....

[Smokey tempeh strips served on a bed of millet and leaf lettuce, with cauliflower, broccoli, orange bell pepper, and avocado]

[Although it was messy, I ended up using the lettuce like a wrap. I suppose these were my version of tacos.]

I may experiment with new ideas, but I never stray too far from my love of legumes. 

Do not let this picture fool you; there were most definitely chickpeas in there. That lovely burger is actually my variation on Angela's In A Jiffy Curry Chickpea Burgers. A mound of Indian-spiced roasted veggies (cauliflower, broccoli, and zucchini), carrots, and a mini cucumber happily accompanied it to make this delicious meal. 

I also used beans as a stuffing to some of my favorite veggies. Veggies and beans? That is pretty much me in a nutshell. 

Oh boy, this plate is simply veggie-packed! First, I stuffed patty pan squash with adzuki beans. I also steamed kale, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and broccoli (which I then added to arame to make a sea-vegetable salad). As always,  kabocha (topped with avocado a la Gena) was the star of the show. I definitely think the squash beat it in cuteness, though. 

On a whim, I decided to make Mexican Black Bean Stuffed Zucchini and Red Pepper. Apparently I had a bit of a heavy hand with the cayenne I was feeling spicy, so avocado brought a welcomed creaminess to the dish.

And to end on a sweet note, I finally made this recipe. Or rather, I put my spin on it, thanks to the kind suggestions of miss Natalie herself. My version was basically vegan blueberry bread pudding with strawberries. 

I am now officially a big fan of coconut flour and coconut yogurt. Coconut flour gives baked goods such a dense texture and nutty flavor. And as for the coconut yogurt, its creaminess cannot be beat. Vegan greek yogurt perhaps? Welcome back, coconut, welcome back!

Whew! How is that for a monster post? Now that I have a new blogging headquarters, I am here to stay. And since I am obviously loving muffins lately, what is your favorite kind of muffin? Also, what ingredient or blogger recipe have you indulged in recently?

Have a lovely day! 

xox, 

Mandiee