Quinoa Chocolate Cake

It's about time I made this cake!!  I've had it three times already...always made by someone else...and conveniently found in one of my favourite cookbooks that I've promoted on here many times...Quinoa 365!

The first thing I love about this cake is that it doesn't take quinoa flour, or any other inconvenient ingredients...you actually use quinoa that's already cooked...leftover from another meal...just waiting to be used for cake:)  I made it for a BBQ we had on the weekend...and also made a quinoa salad to add to the table...which is actually a great idea cause you just make an extra big batch of quinoa, take enough out for the cake...and turn the rest into salad!

The second thing I love is how simple it is!  I actually did the entire thing in my food processor!  A high speed blender will work great too...just dump all the ingredients in and go.  Make sure you really really puree it...you want the texture of the quinoa gone.

The cookbook suggests making the cake into two separate pans so you can layer the middle with jam or something.  This works, but will result in two very thin layers.  I made mine all in one pan.  If you were wanting the two layers I would recommend making a double batch, baking them in separate pans that way.  I decided last minute to swirl melted peanut butter into mine right before baking...HIGHLY recommend this!  I wish I would have taken the time to also make a fresh strawberry sauce to drizzle over top...oh well, next time!

(I have since made it many times with pure peanut butter frosted on the top...always a hit!)

This cake is amazing...moist...rich...not too sweet...and incredibly healthy!  Make it this weekend for some special friends:)

Like so often...I completely forgot to take a picture of the cake...so here's what the very last sliver looked like that I stashed into our freezer...you can kinda tell that it's frozen in the photo...oops!  I think it just might be dessert for me tonight!

Disclaimer...serve this cake in much larger slices than the photo shows!

QUINOA CHOCOLATE CAKE

2 cups cooked quinoa
1/3 cup milk...I used almond
4 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup melted butter or melted coconut oil
1 1/2 cups maple syrup or coconut sugar (syrup will make it more moist which is great...and make it easier to blend...the batter will be very very thick if you're using a dry sugar)
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease an 8 inch round or square pan.

Combine the milk, eggs and vanilla in a blender or food processor.  Add the quinoa and butter and continue to blend until smooth.

Whisk the remaining ingredients together in a large bowl.  Add the contents of the blender and mix well.  Pour into the pan...don't be alarmed by how thick it is.  I tried using only 1 cup of coconut sugar...and found it a little bitter...so I'd recommend the full 1 1/2 cups of sugar, unless you're making a sweet sauce to drizzle over top.

Bake for 50-60 minutes...checking often.  Cake is cooked when inserted toothpick comes out clean.   This won't taste good under or over baked:)

Avacado Egg Salad

So if you're like me and spend far too much time browsing Pinterest...then you've seen the many many Avocado Egg Salad Recipes.  Well...today I could just not get them out of my mind so I decided to give it a whirl!  I quickly realized that they all vary quite a bit...and for most of them I wasn't a fan of certain ingredients they used...so I made my own based on what we had on hand.  The result...AMAZING!  All of them had some form of mayonnaise...which is not something I normally buy and didn't want to buy just to make egg salad...so I left it out and I honestly don't think you can even notice!  The avocado gives that creamy texture you'd normally get from mayonnaise.

So here's my take on this delicious and filling lunch!  I made mine into a wrap...but certainly some fresh bread would make a great sandwich too!  Enjoy!

Avocado Egg Salad
makes 2 large wraps, or 3-4 sandwiches

1 avocado, pitted and mashed
4 eggs, hard boiled
2 dill pickles, chopped
2 stalks of celery, finely diced
salt and pepper
1 squeeze of lemon juice
fresh dill or chives

Directions

Peel your hard boiled eggs, then separate the yolks from the white.  Mash the yolks in with the avocado.  Season with salt & pepper and lemon juice.  Add in pickles, celery and chopped egg whites.

Prep wrap...I put a very thin spread of cream cheese on mine, with a squirt of dijon mustard.  Then added a layer of spinach to the whole wrap, followed by some purple cabbage (for crunch and colour!)...really any veggies would taste amazing!  Then add the avocado egg salad and wrap it up!  You will LOVE it!

Alright enjoy...I'm wishing I had made more than one servings worth!!  Jay's out of town...so I may just be having another one of these for my dinner tonight!

PS...incase any of you missed out on our exciting announcement over the weekend...here you go!!  We are thrilled!

18 hour Pizza!

We are all lovers of pizza in this house!..or 'peeta' according to Levi.  Levi insists that his always has olives on it...cracks me up!...Noah likes it simple with sauce, spinach and cheese...Jay likes anything BUT mushrooms:)
I have to say though that as often as we eat pizza (always homemade...never delivery)...I've never found a crust recipe that tastes amazing and is worth repeating.  Traveling to Italy and eating pizza literally everyday there may have upped our standards a tad:)  Valarosos Italian Market in Kelowna has phenomenal fresh crusts that you can pick up and make your own...but that's not always  convenient...and sometimes you just want to make it yourself...or atleast I do!
One blogger I follow is always talking about pizza...and recently she caved and decided to stray from her standard simple crust recipe and try this 18 hour crust.  She could not stop talking about it!!  I figured to had to give it a whirl!!  18 hours sounds tedious...but it's actually really simple.  You mix the 3 ingredients the night before...cover it...and don't touch it again til an hour before you're ready for dinner!!  Could it get easier?  No kneeding....no rushing to get home 3 hours before dinner time to start your dough process....I'm hooked.

This recipe makes 3 pizzas...we ate all 3:)  Did I mention Levi loves his peeta??!!

Disclaimer...photos were taken with an oven mitt on one hand and a spelt flour-covered iphone in the other hand...know what I mean?...all sauce and toppings were put on by a 2 year old and 4 year old, hence the little piles of black olives:)

First one is a standard for us...sauce (just crushed tomatoes..that's how they roll in Italy), spinach, some olives, chicken breast and buffalo mozzarella.

Second one is sauce with some of the pesto we brought back from Cinque Terre, Italy...slowly rationing it out:).  With more of the same toppings from above.  (side note...a few months ago I found the identical pesto that we bought in Cinque Terre...at Homesense!!!???...pesto was invented in Cinque Terre...it's amazing.   Needless to say I bought them out that day!)

Third one is a summer time fav of mine.  BBQ Chicken!  Mix some of your favourite bbq sauce with tomato sauce...spread on pizza.  Then add chicken, caramelized onions (I didn't take the time for this...you should though!), red peppers, spinach and buffalo mozzarella...roasted garlic is also amazing! 

18 Hour Pizza

Ingredients

3 3/4 cups of flour (I used Spelt)
2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp active dry yeast

Directions

Night before...put all ingredients in a large bowl.  Slowly stir in 1 1/2 cups of water.  I found I needed to add about 1/2 cup more water...likely because I used Spelt.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise. This should be done at room temperature and will take around 18 hours. It’s ready when the dough’s size has about doubled and it’s surface is covered with small bubbles.

Next day...about an hour before dinner.  Flour work surface and move dough to begin gently shaping it into a rectangle shape. Divide it into three equally sized portions and work on each portion individually.  One portion at a time, create four folds by gathering the four corners together. Turn dough upside down and gently shape into a ball; dust with flour, set aside and work on remaining portions.

Cover again with plastic wrap and let rise for about another hour (use this time to get all your toppings ready!) It can be made up to this point 2-3 days ahead and kept in the refrigerator.

Preheat your oven to 550 degrees.

Once ready, take each ball and roll them out using generous amounts of flour.  Add toppings.  Bake on well floured or corn meal covered baking sheet or pizza stone.  This site has some great tips on different baking methods.  I tried their pizza stone method...it's truly the only way to go!  The crust bottom was crisp and light while the toppings were bubbly and perfectly broiled...mmm.

HUGE thanks to Katie at Yes, I Want Cake!  You're welcome to come over for pizza anytime!

Sweet Spinach Muffins!

No the lighting isn't 'off' in this photo...those muffins really are green! A great superfood snack for your little ones...and kinda festive considering St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner!

Are these muffins a delectable treat to save for your afternoon coffee? Likely not. However...our boys devoured them...as did their little buddy who tends to boy-cot his veggies these days...so in my books they are a win! I bookmarked this recipe months ago and now wished I hadn't waited so long to try them! Here they are with a few swaps in ingredients.

Give them a try yourself and let me know what you think! Great for carb-loving kids!

SWEET SPINACH MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup fresh spinach, packed
1/3 cup maple syrup, or sweetener of choice
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 1/2 cups spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 Tsp salt

*optional - 1/4 cup chia seeds


DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the first 6 ingredients in a food processor and puree.

Place the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and combine.

Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet until combined.

Scoop batter into a greased mini muffin tin, bake for 10-12 minutes.

Let cool completely & enjoy!

Chocolate Chewy Granola Bars

Okay...so our house has become a fan of The Marathon Mom's granola bars! I will not confess how many variations I have made...nor how long each batch lasts in our house!! My most recent variation, as of about 15 minutes ago, is officially my favourite! Not quite as sweet tasting as the original Chewy Granola Bars I posted. Used her Chocolate Granola Bar recipe as my starting point...switched only a few things...and then doubled it all enough to make a large cake pan, instead of a small one. Here it is!

Did I mention how QUICK these are to make? I literally decided to make them as I told the boys it was time to get ready for a nap. By the time they tidied up and made it upstairs they were already cooling (hiding!) in the fridge...love that!

Enjoying mine with a hot tea right now...while I write our Compassion Sponsor kids...written yours lately? Their website makes it so handy...can attach photos, cards, or some fun games too! Very grateful! Jay has been able to visit everyone one of our Compassion kids...isn't that amazing! What a gift as a mom myself to be able to buy clothing and supplies for them and have Jay bring them there himself...so cool. Here he is last Spring in Africa with three of them...I love this photo. We desire to enlarge this and hang in our sons' bedroom...they are part of the family! We believe that one day our boys will meet their 'other' brothers face to face. What's even more exciting is that these three boys have become friends with each other because they are brought together each time Jay visits...like one big family! Oh how I wish I could wrap some of these Granola bars up and send them to these guys too!



(Is it tacky that I bought them coordinating shirts??!! A true 'mom' just can't resist the opportunity!!)

Chocolate Chewy Granola Bars

INGREDIENTS

1 cup natural peanut or almond butter (I used half and half. Almond is better for you, but I LOVE the taste of peanut butter!)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 cups oats
1/4 cup Chia..or any seed
1/2 cup any seed or nut...I used sunflower?!
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Melt the peanut butter, honey, oil and chocolate chips in a pot over medium to low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Pour in all remaining ingredients. Stir til combined.

Pour into parchment-lined 8 X 11 pan and stick in the fridge (or freezer if you're impatient/hungry like me!)

Cut into whatever desired shape or size you like! Yes...my portion was as big as it looks in the photo! I had a salad for lunch, okay?!

I should add these work best if they are stored in the fridge. The coconut oil and nut butters soften at room temperature since they are unbaked:)

Chewy Granola Bars

Is it just me, or are mommy blogs and pinterest loaded in no-bake granola bars these days??!! I've bookmarked so many varieties that I've lost count! Finally this morning I decided to give one recipe a whirl. I say 'recipe' loosely cause I needed to use just what I had on hand, so I made a few switcharoos! In the end...I can now understand why everyone is talking about them...they are so yummy! I'm anxious to try more flavours now! My blog of choice to use a recipe from was my new favourite blog... The Marathon Mom ...she inspires me on many levels. She is a self-proclaimed 'granola bar junkie'...so I figured she knew what she was talking about:) Here's her recipe, with the switches I made based on what was in my pantry this morning...I'm guessing you can be pretty flexible with these guys...gotta love that in a recipe! Thanks Brandy at Marathon Mom...check her out!

Our boys LOVED these...and had fun helping make them...I'm guessing Jay loved them too since half the pan was gone when we got home from town this morning!!! A good & filling go-to snack for all ages! Beats any packaged granola bar, anyday:)


Chewy Granola Bars

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (I used almond butter)
1/3 cup local honey
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 cups oats
1 1/2 TBSP wheat germ (I used flax meal)
1/2 cup ground flax seed (I used Chia)
1/4 cup peanuts (I used sliced almonds)
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Melt peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil together in a small sauce pan over low/medium heat, stirring constantly. It only takes a minute or two to melt.

2. In mixing bowl, combine all other ingredients except for chocolate chips, and stir well.

3. Pour liquid mixture over dry mixture and stir til well combined.

4. Press mixture into parchment lined 8×8 pan.

5. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top and press down firmly with hands.

6. Place in fridge or freezer to set.

7. Flip the foil out onto cutting board and cut into desired bar sizes. I like to cut a dozen rectangle shaped bars.

Store in fridge for best results.

I'm a self-proclaimed peanut butter and chocolate junkie...so I can't wait to try her version of these!!

Enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day...from our family to yours! Made these last night to enjoy at lunch today...totally a favourite of mine...so there was a slight selfish motivation there!! Gotta love having a sharp edged heart cookie cutter on days like today!

Baked this cake again on the weekend as well to share with some great friends...simple, healthy and festive!! Whipped up another batch last night to use in my heart-shaped muffin tin...you'll get to indulge in those if you're attending my husband's Dr's Report tonight:)

Had intentions of trying about 300 new ideas from Pinterest for Valentine's Day...but was apparently too lazy!! I'll file them away for next year:) In the meantime our boys are still impressed with cutting their toast into hearts with a cookie cutter at breakfast time! I have a feeling that might change as they grow up:)

Hope you're feelin' the love today too!!