THE BIGGEST SURPRISE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE + Brown Rice Pudding

I still can’t believe that I’m an adult. Turning 18 is a huge age change – I’ve gone from childhood to an official adult. I felt like an adult before, but for some reason today I feel even more like one. I celebrated this weekend with some fun:

I saw PianoGuys LIVE at their concert at my college!

I went to the thrift store and got some new clothes! A pair of jeans, 3 shirts/blouses, 3 skirts, a dress, a pair of pajama pants, 4 plates, and a bowl for less than $40!

I bought 9lbs of strawberries Saturday night.

And I’ve already finished them. It’s been quite a delicious weekend.

(Because I ate my strawberries so quickly before I got a picture of them, I’m borrowing this picture from Google. They looked just like these though – absolutely red and gorgeous.)

Monday I went and got my hair done. They trimmed it and added more layers (since I love layers – they really bring out the curl in my hair when I scrunch it instead of blow-drying it).

Today I also got to talk with my beloved Nutrition Instructor about life and how I’m doing in college. I am so grateful to have someone I feel comfortable going to and can talk with. Yes I cried (I always seem to do that…), but it really helped me today. I needed it. (Do you feel that same way sometimes?)

AND, I JUST GOT THE BIGGEST SURPRISE IN MY LIFE! MY ROOMMATES AND FRIENDS GOT TOGETHER AND MADE ME AN EDIBLE ARRANGEMENT CAKE!!!!!

IT ABSOLUTELY MADE MY DAY!!!!! <3

Today I also wanted to share with you a new favorite recipe.

My Brown Rice Pudding!

Combine the rice,

cornstarch, cinnamon, and stevia

in the bottom of the crock-pot.

Add the soymilk and vanilla.

Cook on high heat for 2-3 hours.

Top with desired toppings and dig in!

Brown Rice Pudding

Great for breakfast or dessert. Makes 2 cups worth (4 servings with add-ins)

Ingredients

• 1 ¹/₂ cups milk of choice (I used fortified vanilla soymilk)
  
• 2 cups cooked brown rice (or quinoa if you have it on hand)
  
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
  
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
  
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  
• Stevia to taste (I use 2-3 packets)
  

Plus add-ins/toppings of choice – see below

Directions

Combine the rice, cornstarch, cinnamon, and stevia in the bottom of the crock-pot. Add the soymilk and vanilla. Cook on low heat for 2-3 hours. Serve warm or cold.

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Add-in ideas:

• Chocolate chips + cherries + vanilla extract
  
• Bananas + walnuts +cinnamon
  
• Raisins + apples + dash of nutmeg
  
• Coconut flakes + sliced almonds + chocolate chips
  
• Strawberries + vanilla extract + “cream” (I used vanilla soymilk)
  

There are a lot more than this, but these are just a few on the top of my head. If you try any other flavor experimentations I’d love to hear about them!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! <3

With lots of hugs,

Btw, Reese’s PB Cups are the BEST!

(Vegan) Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Muffins

Hey My Scrumptious Chocolate Chips!

I can’t believe that my classes start in 3 days!!!! I’m really excited to meet my new instructors and to work with my Nutrition instructor. I’ve enjoyed the rest I’ve had this last week, but I think having nothing to do is starting to get to me… I compiled a list of things I wanted to do before this next week, and once I completed them I’ve just been trying to fill my time with things that uplift and are beneficial. I’m really excited that my new roommates are here and that I can start getting to know them this weekend.

One thing I’ve realized while I’ve been here at college is that I don’t have a lot of time for baking. My roommates bake ALL of the time, but I don’t have the ingredients to bake. I’m starting to collect some, but not enough yet… Because of that, here’s a recipe I love that I made back at home before I left!

My (Vegan) Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Muffins!

In a large bowl, measure out the flour, flax, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

Combine until homogeneous.

Combine the tofu, oil, sugar, and vanilla (either in the blender or a large bowl).

I like to use my BlendTec to make it perfectly smooth, but you can also use a whisk or hand mixer — breaking down the tofu is the main concern. (Gosh I miss my BlendTec…)

Shred the zucchini. (Leave the peel on – it adds lots of nutrients, fiber, and gives a nice color.)

Make a “well” in the center of the flour-mixture and pour the wet mixture into it. (You can also just add the dry to the wet, as the picture above shows, but I prefer adding the wet to the dry.)

Stir it all in until all the flour is incorporated (don’t overmix).

Add the chocolate chips and zucchini to the batter…

…and fold them in gently. (Again, being careful to not overmix.)

Scoop the batter into lined muffin trays, and bake at 325*F for about 20-30 minutes, or until the center is firm and bounces back when lightly pressed or if a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let them cool for a few minutes in the trays, and then transfer them to a wire rack. Peel off the wrapper and dig-in!

(Vegan) Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup silken soft tofu
  
• ¼ cup oil
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 1 tsp. vanilla
  
• 1 ¾ cup whole-wheat flour
  
• ¼ cup ground flax
  
• 2 tsp. baking soda
  
• 1 tsp. salt
  
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
  
• 2 ½ cup shredded or grated zucchini (about 2 medium)
  
• 1 cup mini dairy-free chocolate chips
  

Directions

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, flax, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Combine the tofu, oil, sugar, and vanilla (either in the blender or a large bowl). I like to use my BlendTec to make it perfectly smooth, but you can also use a whisk or hand mixer — breaking down the tofu is the main concern.

Shred the zucchini. (Leave the peel on – it adds lots of nutrients, fiber, and gives a nice color.)

Make a “well” in the center of the flour-mixture and pour the wet mixture into it. (You can also just add the dry to the wet, as the picture above shows, but I prefer adding the wet to the dry.) Stir it all in until all the flour is incorporated (don’t overmix). Add the chocolate chips and zucchini to the batter and fold them in gently. (Again, being careful to not overmix.)

Scoop the batter into lined muffin trays, and bake at 325*F for about 20-30 minutes, or until the center is firm and bounces back when lightly pressed or if a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let them cool for a few minutes in the trays, and then transfer them to a wire rack. Peel off the wrapper and dig-in!

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These freeze really well too – I love making a batch, keeping a couple out, and then freezing the rest. I can then pull out how many I need and keep the rest for deliciousness later!

P.S. Here’s a sneak peak at some recipes coming soon: Slow Cooker Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers, Brown Rice Pudding, Carob Chip Banana Oatmeal Muffins, Lentil Veggie Burgers, and Copy-Cat Great Harvest Honey Wheat Bread.

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One of my roommates invited me to go out to dinner with them, so I got to go! I hope you have a wonderful Friday!

With lots of hugs,

Vanilla Cinnamon Spice Crockpot Quinoa

Hey My Spicy Vanilla Swirls!

We had a snow storm this morning.

I had my first personal trainer appointment this morning too!

What do those two things add up to?

A crazy morning.

I woke up at around 7:00am (a sleep in for me), ate breakfast, and then worked on some school work for a couple hours until it was getting close to the time I needed to head out the door. When I looked outside, I saw the wind. I could feel the chill. I saw the storm.

I didn’t want to miss my appointment (10:00am) at the gym, so I bundled myself up and headed outside. My face stung. My hands froze. My eyes quenched. Nonetheless, I pressed forward against the wind. It took me a little longer than usual to reach the gym, but I through the affliction of the wind and snow whipping and scratching at my eyes and face. It hurt the entire trip (it felt like rocks incessantly hitting my face without mercy).

When I got inside my hair was a mess from the wind and my face was bright red from the cold. Thankfully the building is heated and my face recovered after a few minutes. I changed, grabbed my water bottle, and headed down to the main gym to meet up with my personal trainer.

The personal trainer I worked with is one of the guys I see when I walk to and from my classes – and he’s so much fun to hang out with. He told me I should try the personal trainers, and so I thought I’d give it a try. He pushed me. It was not an easy workout, and because of that I really liked it. I didn’t want a wimpy workout – I wanted it to be a workout I would feel afterwards. And I did. And still do. The feeling I had afterwards was similar to the feeling I get after a home-workout with Jillian Michael’s or Bob Harper with their workout DVDs. It was a killer. He was also quite impressed with my knowledge of motor units in the muscles, circuit training, and names for exercises.

So, even though today seemed like a day of impossibilities, it turned out alright in the end. I still got to walk through knee-high snow few times, but for the most part I was able to stay warm and dry.

And in addition to all of this loveliness, here’s some deliciousness. As promised, here’s my recipe. It’s gluten-free, sugar-free, high-protein, vegan, and made easy with a crock pot.

My Vanilla Cinnamon Spice Crockpot Quinoa

Place quinoa in a bowl,

And cover with water.

Stir it around with your fingers until the water starts getting cloudy. (That cloudiness is the bitter flavor coming off of the quinoa – it’s a good thing.)

Once you’ve done that for a few minutes,

Drain and rinse the quinoa to get the rest of that cloudy water off.

Scoop the quinoa into a 1 ½ -2 ½ quart slow cooker.

Add the vanilla soymilk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon (and optional sweetener if desired).

Put the lid on and cook for about 1 1/2 – 2 hours. (Keep an eye on it; stir it and/or add more liquid if needed.)

Once it’s done the liquid should be all absorbed and the quinoa should be big and fluffy with their little tails sticking out like happy little dogs.

Take a fork and fluff it up, like you do for rice.

Serve yourself and bowl and store the rest in a large bowl with a lid in the fridge for the week.

Top with desired goodies, grab a spoon, and dig in!

Vanilla Cinnamon Spice Crockpot Quinoa

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, well-rinsed
  
• 2 cups vanilla milk (I used organic vanilla soymilk)
  
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
  
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  
• Optional: a few packets stevia or sweetener of choice (I don’t usually add this)
  
• Toppings of choice: I really like blackberries and almonds
  

Directions

1. Place quinoa in a bowl and cover with water. Stir it around with your fingers until the water starts getting cloudy. (That cloudiness is the bitter flavor coming off the quinoa – it’s a good thing.) Once you’ve done that for a few minutes, drain and rinse the quinoa to get the rest of that cloudy water off.
   
2. Scoop the quinoa into a 1 ½ -2 ½ quart slow cooker. Add the vanilla soy-milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon (and optional sweetener if desired). Put the lid on and cook for about 1 1/2 – 2 hours. (Keep an eye on it; stir it and/or add more liquid if needed.) Once it’s done the liquid should be all absorbed and the quinoa should be big and fluffy with their little tails sticking out like happy little dogs.
3. Take a fork and fluff it up, like you do for rice. Serve yourself and bowl and store the rest in a large bowl with a lid in the fridge for the week. Top with desired goodies, grab a spoon, and dig in!

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With lots of hugs,

P.S. Up next I’ll be sharing with you some of the things I’ve learned up here in college.