Favorite Recipes from 2012

This past Tuesday (December 25th, 2012 – Christmas day), my blog celebrated her 2nd birthday. I am so glad I have been able to grow and develop just like my blog has. These past two years have been filled with opportunities to share with you some of my favorite recipes that grasp all different types of diets and lifestyles. I love making a mess in my kitchen. This past year, I’ve even struck out towards more main-meal type foods. This coming year I hope to do even more of that, as I’ll be in a dorm having fun with my crock-pot  In a few hours it will be a new year, and with that I hope to continue to share my love of baking while also making my recipe section more balanced. This past year has been a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to see what this new years brings for me, my schooling, and my blog.

To round up the year, here are a few of my favorite recipes from this past year, 2012.

Almond Butter Blondie Bars with Chocolate Chips 

Homemade Sun Butter

Cake Batter Almond Butter 

Homemade Soynut Butter: Original 

Turkish-Inspired Hummus

Chocolate Protein Cake

Blissful Reese’s Pizzert Babies 

Chocolaty Chia Pudding 

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Milkshake

Lemony Plumtastic Green Smoothie

Vegan Zucchini Bread 

Slow Cooker Quinoa with Black Beans

Recipes to come:

• Copy-cat Great Harvest Honey Whole Wheat Bread
  
• Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
• Simply Delicious Sweet Potato Pie
• Baked Apples
• Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Oatmeal Muffins
  
• Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Muffins
  
• Banana Cream Pudding
  
• Chocolate Pudding
  
• PB Chocolate Protein Milkshake
  

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Have you tried any of my recipes this past year? Which was your favorite?

With lots of hugs,

P.S. Up next will be my favorite posts and my goals for this next year. (I may even do one on what my dorm looks like.)

One Bowl Cookbook (For This Single Lady): Review

Hey My Beautiful Rainbows! <3

Stephanie Bostic (if you want to read more about her, got here) approached me and asked if I would like to try her new book, One Bowl: Simple Healthy Recipes for One. She knew about my love of single-lady recipes and said her cookbook might be right up my alley.

So I tried it. And I LOVE it!

What is it about? The One Bowl: Simple Healthy Recipes for One cookbook focuses on recipes for the solo cook, with an emphasis on vegetables and bold flavors. YAY!

Some of the recipes I have tried include her:

Spiced Baked Apple

This was INCREDIBLE!!! It tasted just like an Apple Pie but without the crust. This took less than five minutes and I had apple pie for dessert. And I love that you don’t have to make a whole pie to enjoy apple pie! I’ve never made baked fruit before, but now I know I’ll be making more of these.

Creamy Cauliflower with White Beans

This one wasn’t my favorite. I think it could use some more spices, but it was ok.

BUT –

I ADORE HER Sweet Potato Black Bean Soup!!!!

This was supposed to be a soup, but I didn’t add the extra water to make it more soup-like. Nonetheless, the scent was entrancing and the flavors were incredible!!!! This is by far my favorite recipe to ever use spices like this.

Apple Pancakes

This recipe was easily vegan-ized. I used non-dairy milk + a distilled vinegar in place of the buttermilk and flax+water in place of the egg. They turned out all right;. I think it would have worked better if the apple was shredded instead of chopped, but the flavors of the apple were very good anyways.

Out of all of these recipes I’ve tried, my favorites were the Spiced Baked Apple and the Sweet Potato Black Bean Soup.

Some of her other recipes that caught my eye were her:

• Spiced Butternut Squash Soup
  
• Creamy Buckwheat with Berries
  
• Spicy Cabbage and Tofu with Noodles
  
• Warm Lentil Artichoke Salad
  
• Roasted Red Pepper Spread
  
• Quick Quinoa Kale Salad
• Vegetable Spring Rolls
  

The one I REALLY want to try is the Quick Quinoa Kale Salad.

A couple of things I love about this book:

• It lists essential ingredients and equipment to always have on hand.
• Tips for planning out your meals, reading recipes, using leftovers/avoiding waste, eating on a budget, quick cooking strategies, etc!
• Tips for the beginner cook on how to prepare/cook certain grains, eggs, and certain vegetables, and techniques in using certain herbs and spices
• The recipes are plant-based and easily vegan-ized (for those with that concern)
• It even has a section with nutrition basics, ways to eat more vegetables/fruits, and approaches you can try to conquer common challenges in the kitchen

Another thing I love is that the price is VERY reasonable, too. Its list price is $12.95, but I found it on Amazon for $11.07 for a new copy and $10.00 for a used copy. There’s even a kindle version for $5.00!

I would recommend this to any college student, to any individual who cooks for one/two, to any one who wants to start eating healthier; get your hands on this book! I for one am definitely taking this with me to college: it will lower the stress of trying to stay healthy, help me plan and budget my meals, give me recipes I can use to nourish my body, and help me use my time wisely in the kitchen so I can focus on my studies.

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Do you have some favorite techniques for cooking for one? I love making single-serving recipes, like my Banana Cream Pie and my Pizzert Babies (both found here). One technique I’ve found is to not be scared to store extras in the fridge: they can come in handy later!

Do you sometimes have to push yourself to try new things? I used to not like oatmeal simply because I had never tried it before. But now I love it and enjoy it every morning.

Do you have a favorite cookbook for College living? Single-lady cooking? This one is my favorite: it has everything I would need for college!

xoxox,

Kat’s Recap of 2011!

Hey My Gorgeous Firecrackers!

Are you looking forward to this coming year? I can’t believe that in just a few hours it will be 2012!!! I’m already hearing some fireworks outside and I’m getting really hyped!

Thinking about the year to come brings a retrospect of this previous year. It has gone by so quickly! I can barely believe that it is time to go on to another year. I just went to a New Year’s Eve dance last night and it really hit me: 2012 is almost here. This coming year is going to bring a lot of new things to my life. But before I talk about those, here’s a recap of 2011 for me with some of my favorite posts!

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A few of my favorite posts:

• My Declaration of Independence from My Obsession with Perfection – this was a good day for me.
  
• SMILE — YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!
  
• Why Is Fat So Important?
  
• What Is A Balanced Diet? – Your responses are ta bomb!
  
• Q&A Eating Disorder Round 1,
  
• Round 2 of Q&A ED edition

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A few of my favorite recipes this past year:

Banana Nut Bread – oil and sugar-free!

This was my FIRST recipe – I published it December 25^th (Christmas Day) of 2010. That was also the day my blog was born!

Coconut (Snow-Speckled) Chocolate Date Cake!

I remember making this for Valentines and for my mom’s birthday.

Kat’s Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies!

Awww, I love the smell of cookies baking in the oven.

A Single Lady Banana Cream Pie!

I loved how this was like a Larabar but NOT a Larabar.

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes!

I made these for my dad’s birthday. I woke up really early that morning (before 4am) to make these for him before he woke up. Once I was done, I set up the table, quickly crept upstairs, and silently slipped into bed. I was a lot of fun! He-he.

Banana Split Brownie Pizzert Babies!

I loved how these turned out with the carob powder, protein powder, and oat flour. Yeah for gluten-free babies!

(Peanut Chocolate Chip) Protein Granola Bars!

The peanut and chocolate addition to these was INCREDIBLE — YUM!

Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Butter!

This is officially one of my favorite nut butters EVER. The salty and sweet is just to die for! Walnut Butter has won my heart. <3

Banana Coconut Brownies!

One thing I do what to do more of this coming year is bake more with different flours (like coconut flour). I want to become comfortable with baking with them and start experimenting with them till I get the hang of it. This is one recipe where the flavor hit on the nail!

Raw Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Oh gosh, these are just so deadly!!!! <3

Chocolate Covered Cherry Milkshake!

I love how this milkshake combines two of my favorite foods: chocolate and cherries!

Baked Pumpkin Pie Pudding!

This is one of my favorite treats to make now! I really want to try making this with sweet potatoes and see how they turn out.

All of these recipes are vegan and many of them happen to be gluten-free, too!

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Some of the things that I’ve done this year:

• Jumped off a pole
• Went to Prom
• Took the College Algebra CLEP Test
• Attended a Vegetarian Cooking Class
• Participated in a Bake Sale for Girl’s Camp
• Started Driver’s Ed
• Our Youth Conference appeared in the news
• Participated in a 28-Day Detox Challenge
• Our ward (group) of girls got the prankiest ward award at Girl’s Camp

… and so much more!

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I can still hear fireworks outside my window, but not the BIG ones yet. I’m waiting by the window for the official 2012-ones to appear! I hope you guys have a wonderful New Years! Coming up will be a review of how I did on my goals this past year and what my goals are for 2012!

What was your favorite recipe I posted this past year? Favorite post in general?

Do you do fireworks yourself? We can’t, as it is against the law where we live (we’re also in a drought, so fires can start-up easily). But I love watching the ones from Sea World and Six Flags and such.  The ones on television are really pretty, too!

Are you staying up/did you stay up to 12am? My parents both went to bed early, but my sister and I are still up. The thought did cross my mind to just go to bed because we have to get up early for church in the morning, but since New Year’s is something that only occurs once a year, I’m staying up till at least midnight. Then I’ll go to bed.

xoxox,