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Buckeye Candy (with a Hint of Cardamom)

I was raised on the idea that: if you want a treat, you best learn how to make it yourself. And, if you want to learn how to make it correctly (or in other words: taste like my mom’s), you must follow the recipe exactly. The first part, I agree with- but the second part… bah. Not so.

Beginning when I was just fifteen I had started veganizing all of my mom’s, grandmother’s, aunts’ and cousins’ recipes out of an old box that my mom kept on the very top shelf of her highest kitchen cabinet (good thing I was one heck of a climber). Buckeye Candy*- popular here in the state of Ohio, where the magical buckeye trees flourish- is one of the first recipes I got my little vegan hands on.

I happen to think these vegan buckeye candies taste just as they should: incredibly unhealthy, rich and so so so delicious.

* I added the cardamom for extra yumminess, ’cause that’s how I roll.

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Coconut Creamy Fruit Salad

This fruit salad (like most fruit salads, right??) is very simple to throw together and oh so tasty. The use of avocados, mangoes, and bananas only adds to the extra creamy deliciousness.

Speaking of deliciousness: VeganMofo is still going strong!! But my google reader may not survive this one. It is so chock full of awesome vegan eats, it just may explode. Seriously, I have got a lot of catching up to do!

It is in hectic (and yummy) times like these, that a nice easy fruit salad is the perfect treat to whip up. So easy, so sweet, so good.

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Pumpkin Nog

Undeniably, nog is one of my most favorite things about winter. And even though I appreciate the prepackaged vegan nogs that are available this time of year, I find them somewhat lacking in flavor and in texture. So, I opt to make my own… and keep the other stuff around for a dire emergency.

Yes, I do like nog that much.

Here’s a simple pumpkin nog recipe that satisfies my most intense winter night cravings. Delicious with or without booze. :)

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Fennel Seed Stars

I really feel like Rainbow Brite would be right at home in the above photograph. And that makes me smile.

Do you know what else makes me smile? Candy coated fennel seeds.

These slightly crunchy Fennel Seed Stars are a perfect vehicle for those little candies… second only to eating them straight from the bag. ♥

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Chocolate Toffee Popcorn Balls

Popcorn balls are one of those things that never EVER cross my mind to make or even eat. I have no idea why. Even though I’m not a huge fan of eating fistfulls of popcorn, I absolutely love popcorn when it is slathered in buttery flavored sugar and shaped into a sphere! I also love that they are sweet and salty and will make you totally sick if you eat too many.  :)

Plus, these things are friggin cute. Seriously… they are so easy, but you can make them look like you spent hours making them- and because of this, they make the perfect “bring along to someone else’s party” food.

Happy Halloween!!

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Gluten Free Crêpes

A few days ago I was asked by a very sweet gal if I could make a crêpe that was, of course, both vegan and gluten free.

Here’s one variation of a crêpe recipe I have been kickin’ around for a while.  It’s a touch lighter and airier than an “eggy”, glutinous crêpe; but, it is still very delicious.

This recipe works great for both sweet and savory filled crêpes.

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Ghastly Tortilla Chips & Ghoul-camole

Last night my husband and I found ourselves with the “late night snackies” and no tortilla chips to go with our hummus. :(

We did, however, have an enormous bag of white corn tortillas that ended up being frustratingly stale upon purchase.

So, we got a little creative, and these cute little ghost chips are the result. Most of this was all my husband’s idea… he does have his genius moments.

You can use any metal cookie cutter that you please, but I particularly love how the ghosts get wavy as they bake.

(insert long scary ghost noise here)

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Chocolate Acorn Squash Baked Custard

I woke up this morning determined to create something wonderful with this little acorn squash that had been rolling around on my counter-top for the past few days.

After mixing up all of the ingredients,  I had no idea that I had just created my new favorite Autumn treat. I’m serious! This dessert tastes remarkably like a chocolate pumpkin pie, or a pot de créme,  or simply what it is: an awesome baked custard (no eggs or cream needed). And it’s so easy to make!

Creamy, rich, and chocolatey, I dare you to eat just one bite.

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Vanilla Bean Macadamia Biscotti

Whenever I taste biscotti, I immediately have a flashback to the year in college when I worked as a café barista. I was one of the oddballs in the café world, constantly greeting people with a chirpy hello! and an exaggerated grin. My coworkers, much cooler than I, normally went for the “service without a smile” approach.

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Gluten Free Bagels

We made it back from our vacation in Philadelphia and were saddened to leave such a beautiful city. Our trip started out pretty normally. We opted to take our car — to better accommodate our sightseeing agenda, and my inability to pack less than 8 bags for the fams for just 1 week. The countryside was beautiful, the drive was relaxed, and the weather was sunny, clear and perfect. Once we began to approach the city, thoughts of our upcoming adventure immediately started to flourish in my mind. I thought about all of the vegan friendly restaurants I had read about, the history of the city itself, the architecture from neighborhood to neighborhood, the abundance of parks and murals that weave throughout the urban landscape, and of course, my favorite peoples who lived in Philadelphia that we were headed to see.

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