vegan oatmeal cookies, fruit-sweetened (gluten-free option)
As I shared before I left on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel when I returned…if the work I was doing before would mean all that much after working to provide a home for a family. And though I am finding it hard to be back (and not just because of the snow and the cold), I am realizing that the work the Lord has for me to do here does matter…just in a different way. I’m grateful for the work I do have here and it’s keeping me moving forward instead of stuck with longing to return. Before getting down to business,…
leaving on a jet plane…
This week I’m switching pastry brushes for paint brushes, spreading peanut butter for spreading cement and hanging up my apron in exchange for flip flops and a ball cap. As you read this, I will be in the Dominican Republic on a construction mission trip. We’re building a house for family and leading a VBS. We’re also giving out indestructible soccer balls, instruction on dental hygiene and the Word of God in a women’s Bible study so that they may have life and have it to the full. I’m excited yet uncertain. Though we are doing God’s work to help a family in need, it is the work He will…
skillet pot pie (gluten free option)
Every year the Dairy Farmers of Canada release a free calendar featuring recipes starring one or more dairy products. The Milk Calendar is a fixture on my parents’ fridge. Even though they no longer eat dairy. But it’s an endearing tradition and I always look forward to flipping through it. While I cringe at the propaganda that continually tries to convince the public that eating dairy is a good and essential thing to do (it’s not), a few of the calendar’s recipes can be adapted to suit a vegan diet. One of the recipes my mum tried years ago was the Milk Calendar’s Turkey Pot Pie. It was an instant…
making fruit juice concentrate
(I’m posting this Kitchen Help along with this one to prepare for a recipe I’ll be posting soon.) Ever since I did a three-month fast from sugar (including maple syrup, honey, agave, and for the first two month, dried fruits), I haven’t had much desire to incorporate back into my diet. Not only did eliminating sugar eliminate a very annoying problem, I found it also drastically reduced my anxiety. However, the challenge is finding new ways to sweeten recipes (which is why I enjoy this one so much). Fruit juice to the rescue! White grape juice is especially sweet, but I’ve found it difficult to find it as a concentrate…
toasting nuts
I’ve burned many a thing in the kitchen either due to impatience or lack of attention…including my fingers. And sometimes I forget to account for minor, yet important, details in recipes. Like roasted nuts. Roasting brings out their flavor, adding new dimension to a recipe which is why it’s a good idea to use roasted nuts when a recipe calls for them. To save time, you could buy pre-roasted nuts, but it often costs more to do so and it can be hard to find certain roasted nuts which are free of added salt and oil. Sooo…that leaves roasting them yourself. Traditionally, nuts are roasted in the oven. When I’ve…
vegan chocolate pudding (raw, gluten free, added sugar free)
When you need a chocolate fix, you need this vegan chocolate pudding. It’s been one of my favorite go-to dessert recipes for years. The inspiration for it came from a bonus recipe pack for the Oh She Glows cookbook. It’s incredibly easy to whip up and, even better, is free of added sugars so it doesn’t give you the crash and burn that typically happens with desserts. When you first mix it up, it has the texture of pudding, but will take on the texture of a thick mousse once refrigerated. To keep a more pudding-like consistency, try adding your favorite unsweetened non-dairy milk a 1/4 cup at a time…
