Nothing Beats Homemade

In an effort to keep using up items on hand I decided to look for recipes that will use up some of the canned pumpkin I have.  I found this recipe I had saved for a cakelike chocolate pumpkin doughnuts.  I altered mine to make them gluten free and for some reason I only ended up with 6 instead of the 8 the recipe said it would make.  However, they were a hit.  

The original recipe is here.

https://www.dashofsanity.com/chocolate-pumpkin-cake-donuts/

January Challenge — Use it Up

I don’t know why I didn’t photograph it, or if the photo simply didn’t “take”, but Carol (previously of CT on a Budget now on Facebook for those of you missing her blog like I was) has been encouraging us to make sure we don’t let any leftovers go to waste.  Always a good frugal practice!!!!  

After all the holiday indulgences we were craving some simple food and I made a pot of beef stew.  Of course we had leftovers.  I decided to turn the leftovers into a pot pie, which is missing from my saved photos.  Since I was going to dirty the food processor anyway to make pie dough and have the oven going, I thought I may as well have it all do double duty.  I made enough dough for three pie shells — double for the pot pie and single for this peach pie.  I cooked the pot pie at the lower temperature that the peach pie calls for (only about 50 degrees lower than I would normally cook the pot pie anyway) and just increased the time.  

 I used not only the beef stew, but all the ingredients came from items I already had on hand including using canned peaches for the pie. I reduced the sugar content and made both dishes gluten free. The bonus, my husband absolutely loves peach pie, and he was a happy camper!

Grandmama's Jelly Roll (Recipe included)

This is how to make my Grandmama's Jelly Roll.  I use homemade jelly in mine, but you can alter it with any flavor you like.  (The recipe is posted under the video on YouTube. It is pretty simple....and a great use of pantry staples.)

Itty Bitty Cheesecake

Did anyone else like Larkrise to Candleford?  

Dorcas Lane would always refer to something as “my one weakness.”

Well cheesecake is my one weakness.

I love, love, love cheesecake.

In fact, I’ve never tried one I didn’t like.

Normally I would say that is a good thing, but I have to be careful because if it is around I can eat the whole cake.

Yeah...literally if given a day or two.

So in an effort to both indulge and limit my indulgence I made an itty bitty cheesecake.

I started with this recipe 

“Instant Pot Cheesecake for Two”

And immediately changed it.

Another weakness of mine, I suppose.

To be fair, who uses 6 ounces of an 8 ounce package of cream cheese.

So this is my version:

8 ounces of Neufatchel cream cheese (I use Aldi brand at 65 cents a package.

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt

2 1/2 tablespoons of Turbinado sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

A pinch of salt

1 teaspoon of Better Batter Gluten Free Flour

I let everything come to room temperature, put it in a bowl, and stirred it with a rubber spatula until it was smooth.

Then I added in 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips.

I put this in a small cheesecake pan that I lightly sprayed with oil.

I skipped the crust simply because I don’t have any GF graham crackers on hand.

They’re quite expensive and just so-so — I also haven’t tried making my own.

Plus I figure the chocolate chips will make up for the calories so I’m not cheating myself.

On the trivet, 1 cup of water, high pressure 45 minutes.  

Natural pressure release for 15 minutes and then finish releasing.

(The cup is shown for size comparison.  It is a standard 6 ounce coffee cup.)

Refrigerate.

Serve with whatever you like with your cheesecake.

Notes — If I make this again I will decrease the cooking time to 30 minutes and try it.

It wasn’t bad, but I think it could have cooked a little less time.

I’ll let you know how it does the next time I try it at a shorter time.

Cinnamon Chickpea Blondies (Recipe)

Chickpeas are so versatile.

 For dish three from the pound of chickpeas I cooked, I decided to go with something sweet.  The original recipe is from Veggie Inspired and is here — Cinnamon Chickpea Blondies.  

 Of course, I made some changes.   

 This is my version:   

 Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease an 8”x8” pan. 

 In food processor bowl (with blade) combine the following and puree until smooth: 

 1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas 

 1/2 cup of sunbutter 

 1/4 cup of old fashioned oats (GF certified if needed) 

 2/3 cup sugar in the raw 

 1/4 cup pure maple syrup 

 1 1/2 tsps. Cinnamon 

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 

1/4 teaspoon salt   

 Pour into dish and bake for 30 minutes or until pulling away from side and top is firm.  (This took 35 minutes in my oven.)   

 So for my notes —

 1.  I used chickpeas without salt.  I’m not sure how well canned would work.

 2.  Sunbutter (and omitted additional nuts) due to allergies.  I would think any nut butter would work for those who don’t have to be careful. 

 3.  Original recipe calls for coconut sugar.  I’ve tried it and I’m not a fan. 

 4.  I used Aldi brand pure maple syrup.  Still costly, but not as costly as Whole Foods.

 5. I used imitation vanilla extract....sorry, but it is true.  I rarely buy the real deal because of costs. 

  

I tried to capture the texture in this photo.

These are soooo good!

The maple syrup is expensive and I would think you could use honey, agave, or perhaps even a Karo syrup.

However, it uses very little so if you keep some on hand I think it would be worth the splurge.

I have just a little bit of my chickpeas left.

Tomorrow I’ll share what I do with the last of them.

Pumpkin Spice (Gluten Free) Doughnuts (Recipe Link Included)

Yesterday was National Coffee Day and nothing goes with coffee quite like doughnuts.  I cannot find any that are gauranteed nut free and I definitely cannot find any wheat free.  I found this recipe and decided to make my own. These are pumpkin spice, gluten free doughnuts.  They're baked so they do have that old fashioned cake doughnut feel, but the flavor is excellent.  They're sweet enough, but not too sweet.  The recipe made 10 large doughnuts using Namaste all purpose gluten free flour mix.

Birthday Girl (and Recipe)

I cannot believe my baby is 20 years old today.

The years are flying by so quickly.

She's swamped with school work as her summer semester nears it end.

As a result, we aren't having an official family dinner, but everyone is gathering for dessert.

This is our first attempt at a brownie swirl cheesecake.

(Full disclosure, I buy brownies mixes for somewhere around $1 each.  My boxes are about double the size called for.  I simply baked the other half of the batter in muffin tins while I baked the crust.  I let the muffins finish while the crust cooled since they took longer.)

Brownie Swirl Cheesecake

(With my notes in parentheses)

1 (8 oz) package of brownie mix -- see comment above photo (I used a mocha brownie mix)

2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened (I used one reduced fat and one full fat.)

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup of milk chocolate chips, melted (in the future, I will drop this to 3/4 cup)

Prepare brownie mix according to the package.  

Spread into a greased 9 inch spring form pan.

Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes.  (Will not test done.)

Cool for 10 minutes on a wire track.

Meanwhile, mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla well.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

Pour over the brownie crust.

Top with melted chocolate and swirl through the cream cheese filling.

Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes or until center is almost set.

Run a knife around the edge to loosen.  

Let cool completely on a wire rack.

When cool, refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Serve as is, or with your choice of whipped cream and fruit.

Easy (Portion Controlled) Cheesecake

For an easy Mother's Day dessert we made these simple cheesecake cups.

I found them on Pinterest and changed them to match my allergy allowances.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Put 6 silicone cups in a muffin tin and put 2 vanilla wafers in the bottom of each cup.

In a bowl mix, 

8 ounces of softened cream cheese

1 egg

1/3 cup of powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon of vanilla

2 teaspoons of lemon juice

Fill the muffin cups and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until set.

Cool for about 10 minutes in the pan.  Remove from pan and refrigerate.

Serve with (or without) topping of your choice.

What We've Been Eating

 

Friday was a quiet day at home for me.  My daughter had school and I continued to work on my household binder some.  I was rather tired and didn't seem to get as much done.

 

However, I have been keeping the meals going along.

 

In no particular order we have had:

sausage biscuits (my contribution to brunch at my sister's house)

grilled pork chops, rice, California Medley veggies

home canned mandarins

blackeyed peas with sautéed onions and bell pepper over rice

baked oatmeal

brownies

cabbage, fried chicken, and potatoes

taco baked potatoes

 

This morning I put on a 8.5 lb. roasting hen.

We had a nice dinner of chicken, stuffing, peas, and beets.

 

 

I've packed many meals from these foods for my husband for this week.

In addition to that, my daughter and I are having leftover pork chops and rice as a fried rice one day and we are using the leftover chicken to make chicken alfredo.

I'll nibble on anything else left on the days she's at school during the lunch hour.

Easy Chocolate Pie

Regardless of the holidays you do or do not celebrate, in my area the months of November and December are prime holiday season.  All the celebrations involve food.

Let's face it -- we all need food, we all love food, and we like to share with those we love.  

Since this is our first plant based holiday we decided to have a trial run at making a vegan chocolate pie.  I've heard that there is such a thing as a person who does not like chocolate pie.  Silly rumors!

I am severely allergic to peanuts and tree nuts.  I find myself altering a lot of recipes since both seem to play a heavy roll in a lot of plant based dishes.

We started with this basic recipe from "hell yeah it's vegan!"  

I followed the recipe with these alterations.
1.  My daughter requested a cookie crust, so we used an Oreo crust.
2.  I used soy milk.
3.  For my chocolate I used Enjoy Life Chips.
4.  We opted to skip any kind of topping for calorie and sugar savings, but I am sure a good aquafaba meringue would work nicely.  

A New Toy

I freely admit I have a weakness for kitchen gadgets. 

My husband indulges it because he loves to eat.

For us it is a mutually beneficial arrangement.  :-)

I've been watching the air fryer craze for a while and had avoided getting one.

We finally bit the bullet and picked one up.

This is our early Christmas present and something we are hoping our daughter will warm up to using.

When we travel I worry about her not eating "warm" meals and surviving on mostly junk.

This is small, user friendly and pretty versatile.

For our test run I let my husband pick a dish to try and his choice was apple crisp.

I had four apples languishing on the counter so this was perfectly fine with me.

I used those four apples, which I didn't peel, for the base.

Some sugar, cinnamon, coconut oil, and whole wheat pastry flour finished the list of ingredients off.  Nothing too fancy about it.

In 30 minutes it was ready and the topping was wonderfully crisp.

Trying to get in Extra Veggies

I'm trying to get in extra veggies today.  I ate well yesterday, but woke up with a slight sore throat.  Sadly it is that time of year.  I'm hoping the extra veggies will help naturally boost my immune system.

I started out the morning with a cup of pumpkin coffee with soy milk.  Then I made myself scrambled tofu for breakfast. A yummy mix of carrots, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and spinach to round it out.  This is such an easy meal to prepare and is really quite tasty.

For mid morning snack I went with an apple.  Easy to grab and go.
Lunch had to be a quick grab and go kind of thing, too.  Daughter requested Boca Chick'n Patties and we went with that.  Not as good for me, but I still feel like it is better than grabbing something out.

I planned supper to maximize time savings and up the veggie count.  I used the crockpot to continue with my theme of cook once and eat twice.  I put on an Italian pasta sauce to go over zucchini noodles.  I went heavy on the tomatoes -- 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes, 1 can of diced, and 1 can of sauce.  I added in sautéed onion, bell pepper, and garlic.  A tablespoon or so of dried Italian seasoning blend and a drop of olive oil finished it off.  Spiralizing the noodles and lightly cooking them won't take long at all.

My daughter got up this morning and announced that today was National Dessert Day.  Who comes up with these things?  LOL. Anyway, we decided to bake some muffins in honor of the day....because any excuse will do.

Saving by Baking my Own

My son and his family visited us over the weekend.  My grandson wanted doughnuts, but due to nut allergies I cannot eat the varieties we can buy locally.  He and I made doughnuts instead -- vegan and nut free.  He was happy, I was happy, and we made a memory in the process. 

Bonus I was able to use staples I have on hand and saved my self a trip across town and I wasn't out of the $9 for a dozen doughnuts.

Robin Robertson's Pumpkin Spice Cake

As I have mentioned before, Vegan on the Cheap is one of my favorite cookbooks.  Rarely do the recipes have ingredients I cannot find.  They also rarely have ingredients that sound a little "weird" to me.  :-)

This pumpkin spice cake recipe is from this book.  I did not make the chocolate glaze, so I am not sharing that recipe.  (I try to only share recipes I can vouch for turning out well in my opinion.)

This recipe uses items I keep on hand and makes frugal, healthful dessert.

Pumpkin Spice Cake

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a Bundt pan and set aside. (I used two small pans because I was slicing ours in travel sized pieces for a road trip.)

In small bowl combine:
1/2 cup soy milk (can be plain or vanilla)
2 tsps. apple cider vinegar
Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together (until light brown and fluffy) for about 2 or 3 minutes:
1/2 cup of vegan margarine (softened)
1 cup of light brown sugar

Add:
1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Beat until incorporated.
Stir in the soy milk mixture.

In medium bowl whisk together:
2 cups AP flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1 tsps. baking soda
2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsps. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture about 1/3 at a time, incorporating after each addition. 

Put batter in pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until toothpick test shows it is done.

Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack and then remove from pan.  Cool completely on wire rack and then gaze if desired.

Pumpkin Cake

This is hands down my favorite vegan cookbook.  The recipes are so approachable and her recipes are in line with how a home cook thinks....or at least how I think. 

It's beginning to feel like fall.  I was down to 3 cans of pumpkin left from last fall's stock-up....and now there are two... 

This vegan cake is super easy to make and really delicious.  Of course, I changed a few things.  I used whole wheat pastry flour and refined coconut oil as opposed to all purpose flour and vegan margarine.

Half of one cake became dessert.  I sliced the rest and put in a tin for our road trip.

The Last P for the Week

I started Sunday off by cooking a good sized amount of pinto beans and over the week I've incorporated them in our meals.   I bought a used copy of this cookbook and really wanted to try the devil's food cookie recipe. Since my family wiped out the granola bars and it was time to refill the cookie tin I thought today would be perfect day to try them.   However, I did not want to cook black beans just to try them.  In the spirit of use what is on hand I just used pinto beans instead. 

These are really good.  All on hand items and even pantry if you use shelf stable soy or coconut milk. 

Chocolate Cake (food storage)

Making a vegan cake is not overly difficult if you keep a stocked pantry.

I used the standard Depression Era wacky cake recipe, but substituted freshly ground whole wheat pastry flour for all purpose.  I baked two layers and when they were cool I frosted them with "buttercream" frosting using coconut fat as the butter substitute.

I hadn't baked a major dessert in a while and this was a hit.

Super Easy Granola Bars

I used a recipe from Weelicious to make granola bars.  This is part of my attempt to find a high fiber bar recipe that comes near what my husband likes for me to buy.  All of the ingredients came from my food storage, which makes them a big plus for me. 

I altered the recipe by using agave nectar and to remain tree nut free I used Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips.  They were my most expensive ingredient and next time I will reduce to 1/2 cup.

Granola Bars Recipe Here

I only managed to get about 18 "man sized" squares from the recipe.  I could have cut them smaller, but I think he would have just had a second bar if I did. 

Chickpea Blondies

My daughter in law made these and they were a hit.  Even my son, the pickiest of the crowd, liked them. 

Recipe is here.  Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondies

Using Great Grandmama's Pans

Chocolate cake with raspberry jam and vanilla cream frosting. 

My mama, who has a major sweet tooth, came to visit me for a few days. 

I made this and it was a hit.  I tried a small bite just to get the taste, but realized very quickly it was something I would have to stay away from.  That didn't stop the rest of the crowd though and they plowed through it pretty quickly.