"Oh. My. Yum. Vegan Meatballs"

There is a new adjective in Michelle's Thesaurus of a brain ... yup, that's right... the wheels were totally a-turnin' on this one: "Oh. My. Yum."
Seriously though, who literally says that out loud when they eat something so savory, so delicious, so so good?

I don't see any hands.  Well, I guess I'm crazy  {Did I hear you say you already thought that?!}.  Because I couldn't stop saying that phrase when I ate these (vegan) meatballs and soon enough you'll find yourself saying the same phrase.  They are that good.
By now my household is about 90% vegan.  No cheese.  No dairy.  No meat.  We only eat seafood once in a blue moon and organic eggs.  Honestly I feel great.  And am learning that it is SO true that your physique is 80% diet.  But that should be a post for another day.
Instead let's focus on how completely satisfying and mouth-wateringly scrumptious these meatballs are. And healthy.  Pair these with spaghetti squash and spinach tomato sauce and you will be in heaven.  
Dear "Real" Italian comfort food... move on over because you have some major competition here. 

"Oh. My. Yum. Vegan Meatballs"  adapted from the veggie nook
Ingredients 1 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds 3/4 cup nutritional yeast 3/4 cup sundried tomatoes 2 cloves garlic 1 tsp oregano (I didn't measure, just shook a whole bunch in) 1 tsp fennel seeds (same, didn't measure) red pepper flakes dash sea salt 1-2 Tbsp water Method 1.  Blend sunflower seeds in Blendtec or food processor until it resembles coarse flour 2.  Add all ingredients except for water.  Blend together. 3.  Add water to help ingredients stick together if needed. 4.  Roll into little balls and eat.  Or refrigerate for later snacking!

Linking up at these Fabulous Parties: Made It By Monday @ Baked in the South, Made from Scratch Monday @ Living with Food Allergies and Celiac Disease , Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling, Tuesday Talent Show @ Chef in Training, Crazy Sweet Tuesday @ Crazy for Crust, Gluten Free Wednesdays @ The Gluten-Free Homemaker, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Sweet Treats & Swanky Stuff @ Something Swanky, Anything Goes Linky @ Bacon Time with the Hungry Hypo, Sweets for A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies

Healthy Mint Chocolate Mousse

I'm back I'm back I'm back!  Did you miss me?  I think I missed you... just a wee bit ;)

So here's what I've been up to/ MIA here on The GF Wife: 
*Marathon training: just ran 20.5 miles this past Saturday.   I. Am. Beast.  (slow beast) *Work. *I volunteered to be the Ombudsman for USCG Air Station SF and there's lots of work needed to improve that program.  And soon I have to do formal training for it.  (Oh, and the Command took me out to lunch a couple weeks ago!) *Beau is away for training.  So it's just myself, the pups, and crazy kitty for a month and a half. *Beau also gave me a honey-to-do list. *I finished watching seasons 7 & 8 of Grey's Anatomy.  Obviously more important than the honey-to-do list. *AND Beau bought me a Blendtec!!!!!!!!!!!

Which leads me to one of my new favorite desserts that can be whipped up in no time.  Healthy Mint Chocolate Mousse Pie with a chocolate cookie crust!  
I shared this dessert with my friends the other week... and they loved it!  The crust didn't break when I cut it and it complemented the mousse oh so perfectly.  
And I bet you have no idea that its secret ingredient is...  drum roll...  tofu!  ;)

The Mint Chocolate Mousse recipe is lightly adapted from my favorite vegan dessert blogger Chocolate Covered Katie.  She's a genius.  Seriously.
Ingredients for cookie crust (adapted from Gluten Free Baking Classics):
1/4 cup brown rice flour 2 Tbs oat flour 1/4 cup cornstarch 3 Tbs tapioca flour 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1/2 tsp xanthan gum dash sea salt 5 Tbs cold butter/ vegan butter 1 tsp vanilla extract
Ingredients for mint chocolate mousse:
1 package (12-14 oz) firm organic tofu 1/4 cup + 2 Tbs cocoa powder 4 Tbs coconut oil 1/4 cup agave 1 tsp vanilla 1/4 tsp peppermint dash sea salt
Method:
1.  Place all ingredients for cookie crust (except for vanilla extract) into Blendtec or food processor and pulse until it looks like coarse cornmeal. 2.  Add extract and pulse until it starts to form a dough. 3.  Lightly oil a pie dish and press the dough into an even layer in pan. 4.  Bake at 350 F for 18 minutes. 5.  Let cool completely. 6.  When crust is completely cool, combine all ingredients for mousse to Blendtec and pulse until completely mixed together and smooth. 7.  Fill pie crust with mousse and place in fridge until firm!  (Or just eat it right then.  Or out of the Blendtec container.  Not like I do that or anything...) 8.  Enjoy your healthy guilt-free treat!!!!
Linking up at these Fabulous Parties: Made It By Monday @ Baked in the South, Made from Scratch Monday @ Living with Food Allergies and Celiac Disease , Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling, Tuesday Talent Show @ Chef in Training, Crazy Sweet Tuesday @ Crazy for Crust, Gluten Free Wednesdays @ The Gluten-Free Homemaker, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Sweet Treats & Swanky Stuff @ Something Swanky, Anything Goes Linky @ Bacon Time with the Hungry Hypo, Sweets for A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

  This past weekend Beau and I took a trip "down south" to Gilroy where we attended the Annual Garlic Festival!  We watched a cooking competition, ate garlic sweet potato fries, and tasted garlic ice cream... which was actually really good!  After a few hours it got really crowded there so we decided to drive the long way home on scenic highway 1.  On our way home we stopped at a local strawberry farm and picked strawberries!  There were so red and juicy and sweet mmm.  We also found a local farm stand and came home with this bounty of freshness:

  But one thing's for sure- when you pick fresh strawberries they don't last too long.  So I needed to come up with a quick and easy way to enjoy them.  Crisps and cobblers are one of my absolute favorite desserts so I decided why not make a fresh strawberry rhubarb crisp!

Fruit crisps are one of the easiest and quickest ways to prepare a dessert.  They're perfect for serving guests as well as settling your sweet tooth without all the guilt.  I make my crisps with next to nothing sugar.  Most recipes out there call for 1 cup plus of sugar just to coat the fruit.  Fruit is already loaded with sugar so why add more?  It tastes so much better without the added sugar.  Trust me.

Ingredients (for fruit mixture)

2 pounds strawberries, washed, leaves removed, sliced

2-4 stalks green rhubarb sliced to 1 inch thickeness (I only had 2 but I wish I had more for some tartness!)

raspberries (optional)

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp cornstarch

Ingredients (for crisp topping) (I actually halved this recipe because I didn't have enough ingredients on hand!  Feel free to make as little or as much as you'd like!)

2 cups gf flour mix (1 cup rice flour, 2/3 potato starch, 1/3 tapioca flour)
1/2 cup brown sugar (or less!)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp xanthan gum
2/3 cup cold dairy free butter substitute such as Earth Balance (or regular butter) cut into chunks

Method:

1.  Place sliced fruit in large bowl and mix in sugar and cornstarch until fruit seems coated.  Place into 9x 13 in glass baking dish.
2.  Measure out your flours, spices, and xanthan gum and mix in bowl.
3.  Add your butter of choice and using a pasty tool or fork, mix butter and flour until it resembles coarse corn meal.
4.  Sprinkle topping onto fruit.
5.  Bake for about 45 minutes.  Serve warm or cool, top with homemade ice cream, and Enjoy!

Or serve for friends over for dinner!  Our neighbors loved it!  :)

 
Linking up at these Fabulous Parties: Made It By Monday @ Baked in the South, Made from Scratch Monday @ Living with Food Allergies and Celiac Disease , Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling, Tuesday Time Out @ Reasons to Skip the Housework Tuesday Talent Show @ Chef in Training, Crazy Sweet Tuesday @ Crazy for Crust, Gluten Free Wednesdays @ The Gluten-Free Homemaker, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Sweet Treats & Swanky Stuff @ Something Swanky, Anything Goes Linky @ Bacon Time with the Hungry Hypo 

Roasted Rosemary Potato Bites

  Looking for an easy dinner side dish?  Or for breakfast?  Brunch?


 Look no further!

  These Roasted Rosemary Potato Bites are sooo yummy and easy to make.  Take five minutes to prepare them, then pop them in the oven for 45 minutes!  They're perfect alone or dipped in ketchup {mmmm ketchup how I love thee}


Ingredients
5-10 organic red potatoes chopped into bite size chunks (I chop enough to fill a 13x9 baking dish)
extra virgin olive oil
rosemary (fresh or dried)
thyme (fresh or dried)
sea salt
pepper
hot pepper flakes (optional)

Method
1.  Preheat oven to 425 F
2.  Place potato bites in 13x9 glass baking dish.  (Potatoes seem to stick less to glass dishes)
3.  Drizzle generously with EVOO and season generously with rosemary and thyme.  Sea salt and pepper to taste!
4.  Give a good stir to make sure potatoes are covered in yummy goodness and place in oven.
5.  Bake for about 40 minutes, stirring every 10 min so that potatoes don't stick too much to dish.
6.  Once they seem done, broil for a few minutes to get them nice and crispy!  Enjoy!  

I'm partying at these blog parties!

Tuesdays with Michelle: There's Nasty Stuff in WHERE?!!

Mmm hmm, that's right.  The washing machine.  The very thing that is supposed to make our stuff clean.

Gross gross gross... and there were more nasty brown stains hidden up in the rim... 

I never thought about cleaning the washing machine until I started seeing posts about it on pinterest.  And then I looked at my machine.  And then realized that two boys had previously used {I mean, I hope they used it...} the washer and dryer.  And then I began to think about what kind of nasty stuff might have gone in the washer... um, yeah.  That thought alone was enough to make me give it a nice cleanse!


It is super easy to clean and here is the down and dirty on how to clean your top-loading machine!


Step 1:  Fill washing machine with hot water.  Add 2 cups white vinegar halfway through.
Step 2:  Turn off cycle and let water/ bleach mixture sit for an hour.
Step 3:  Run washing machine on longest cycle.
Step 4:  When water has drained, scrub sides and twisty thing in the middle (what is that even called?!)  Concentrate on the areas around the rim.  You want your machine to be white!  Not any other shade.
Step 5:  Repeat steps 1-3 except substitute 2 cups liquid bleach.


And you're done!  And your washer should look like this now... sparklin' white!  :)

Have any of you ever cleaned your washing machine?  Are you gonna do it now?  Let me know!

   

Vietnamese Braised Eggplant

So I think our little purple friend always gets the raw end of the deal.  Most people cringe when they hear the word eggplant.  Hey, I used to.


Somehow my taste buds have changed over the years {hallelujah!} and now I buy this purple vegetable almost every single week.  And let me tell you, when it's cooked correctly, it is out. of. this. world.  

Let me introduce you to a new recipe that is inspired by Vietnamese flavors, but has some major twists on it created by yours truly.  This dish is entirely gluten free and vegan but packs some major flavor punch!  Feel free to adjust the spiciness to your liking.  This recipe is just hot enough that you get a slight tingle on your lips.  Oh... and the eggplant... I guarantee this will be the most smooth, silky, soft, and flavourful eggplant you will ever taste.  {Yep... and leftovers are great too!  Just ate some for lunch while drooling over this recipe again...} 

Vietnamese Braised Eggplant adapted from Girl Cooks World

Ingredients
1 large eggplant, peeled & cut into large chunks
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion quartered & separated
1/2 tsp caraway seeds, crushed to release flavor
5 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp - 1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 can chickpeas, rinsed
3/4 cup light coconut milk (or full fat)
1/4 cup Liquid Aminos (or gluten free soy sauce)
basil & red pepper flakes to garnish

Method
1.  Place eggplant chunks in colander and sprinkle with salt.  Let sit for 20 minutes.
2.  Rinse eggplant, pat dry, then sprinkle with sugar and place in bowl.
3.  In a large skillet, heat olive oil at medium heat.  Then add eggplant and occasionally stir for about 5 minutes.
4.  Add onion, caraway, and garlic and cook for 5 minutes.  Stirring occasionally to make sure eggplant and garlic don't stick to pan.
5.  Add pepper, chickpeas, cayenne pepper, black pepper... give a good stir... then add coconut milk and liquid aminos (or soy sauce) and let simmer for about 15 minutes.
6.  Serve eggplant mixture over quinoa or rice.  Garnish with fresh or dried basil and hot pepper flakes and enjoy!

parting at these scrumptious blog hops!

Living with Food Allergies and Celiac Disease "Made from Scratch Mondays"

A Housewarming Party... for Us!

A few weeks ago we hosted a Housewarming Party at our new home!  We invited Beau's Coastie co-workers and friends, our neighbors, and my hometown friend Liz!  We had such a wonderful time and I {finally} made a few new friends!

I made a delicious white sangria with our good friend "2 Buck Chuck" from Trader Joe's...

This "Home Sweet Home" bunting was so much fun to make and it made quite a statement!  I love the summery warm colors.  I have two more exact buntings for sale in my Etsy Shop.  You can find it HERE if you're interested  :)

No party is ever complete without desserts!

Mini Peanut Butter Cookie "Smores" Cups... melted mini marshmallows and chocolate buttercream add extra yumminess to the flourless peanut butter cookie base.

Aren't they so cute?!

Rainbow Rice Krispie Treats.

Cake Pops... which were devoured!  I think I know now of a few Coasties who would be excellent spokespeople for my pops - like the two that ate about 5 each... yeah, I saw you sneaking back to take more!

For the savory dishes, I made Baked Chicken Sausage Penne, Bean Dip, my Mom's awesome Spinach Artichoke Dip, veggies and hummus, and these delish Vegan Cabbage Tacos.  

Fresh Quinoa with Basil, Cranberries, Lemon Juice, and lots of veggies

And homemade Almond Thyme Crackers with Sea Salt.

It was such a lovely party and Beau and I cannot wait to host another one!

Thank you to all who came!

Cannelli Bean Salad with Artichokes and Walnuts

  I have decided that every Thursday is going to be dedicated to sharing easy and healthy snacks, meals, and everything in between {like dessert!}.

  The reason you ask?

  I'd like to help my awesome coolio Dad learn how to cook.  He makes tasty scrambled eggs, and wraps, and... well, that's about it!  So here is my attempt, across the country, to teach him how to cook and prepare meals for him and my Mom.

  Enter: Cannelli Bean Salad.

  This bean salad literally took me 5 minutes to prepare this afternoon.  With all my marathon training (and Blogilates workouts feel the buuurrrn!) I needed something to tide me over before dinner.

  This appetizer/ snack/ side dish is super easy to make and so flavorful.  It's great for hot summer days or days when you just don't feel like cooking.  Just under 5 minutes of prep and you have a high protein dish with a dash of healthy fats and vegetables.

Ingredients

1  can cannelli beans aka white kidney beans (you could sub chickpeas as well)

1/2 red pepper diced (or any kind of bell pepper)

3/4 cup walnuts

1/2 can artichoke hearts cut-up

1 Tbs lemon or lime juice

2 Tbs olive oil

handful fresh basil and/ or cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Method

  Rinse and drain beans.  Chop your red pepper and artichokes and transfer to bowl.  Add beans, lemon or lime juice, olive oil, walnuts, and herbs.  Season with salt and pepper to your liking!

  Now wasn't that easy?!  This bean salad is so fresh and colorful and packed with all good stuff for your body.  Go make some and keep it always on hand.  Such a great alternative to other snacks out there!

  Good luck on your first "cooking" challenge, Dad!     ;)

Tuesdays with Michelle: What's Triclosan?

  Simply put, Triclosan is a pesticide... a toxic chemical...    


  ...And it can be found in every day items such as hand soap, hand sanitizers, antimicrobial plastics (labeled as "Microban"), deordorant, make-up, and toothpaste just to name a few.


  I had never heard of it until a few weeks ago when the Yahoo home page posted an article on it.  Right away I checked some of my product labels and found out that it was an ingredient in our toothpaste and Beau's face wash.  We are now proud users of Trader Joe's Antiplaque Toothpaste with Fennel, Propolis, and Myrrh {it's fluoride-free and we only pay a little over $2 at the store, I don't know why Amazon is selling it so expensive!} 


  Studies show that Triclosan can disrupt normal Thyroid and hormonal function, cause birth defects, and antibiotic resistance.  Studies also prove that Triclosan is easily absorbed into the body; it is found in breast milk of every 3 out of 5 women.  {So all my pregnant friends out there, please read your ingredient labels!}


  With this basic knowledge under our belt, there's no wonder why our society is having so many issues with conceiving and crazy mutated bacterias causing severe illnesses - And this is only one of the many chemicals we touch, eat, and breath every day.


  It's scary to know that the FDA and EPA are aware of this chemical's potential side effects, but still haven't done much about it.  There are on-going tests and trials, and blah blah blah but the least we can do is take action ourselves and rid our homes of this toxic substance.


  There are many many many articles regarding Triclosan, just google and you will be amazed at the info out there.  


  Now that I have got your attention, what household items have you found that contain Triclosan?  Are you going to replace it with a Natural substitute?  Share your ideas so we can all benefit! 

This article gives some examples of common items that contain Triclosan.

   
Here is a very informative article about Triclosan.

This is a very in-depth research paper published by Tufts Medical.



{FYI: I am in no way an expert on this issue.  Please do your own research and determine what is best for you and your family}

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip {refined sugar free}

  In the middle of May Beau and I flew back to my hometown in Connecticut and visited my parents and attended a friend's gorgeous wedding.  

  And thanks to Katie over at "Chocolate Covered Katie" I was able to make my parents this deeelicious chocolate chip cookie dough dip.  I tweaked Katie's recipe for (No Sugar) Cookie Dough Dip to ensure that it was as sugar free as possible.

  **Drool**

  Now that's what I call eye candy.

  I followed Katie's recipe, but changed a few ingredients: I used 2 packets of stevia and about 1/8 cup agave for my sweetener (instead of dates), 3 tablespoons of flax meal, and chopped up some 75% Chocolate Lindt squares in place of chocolate chips.  (These squares actually have more protein and fiber, but less sugar so the carb ratio is really good for those who need to moderate their sugar levels).

  Mom and Dad, who often don't get to enjoy sweets, loved it!  :)

  And lastly, here are a few pics of our visit home!

  Alfie, their new doggie they got at The Hotel for Dogs and Cats where I used to volunteer back in Florida.  (See my other post related to the hotel).   Alfie is such a sweetheart.  He is officially their third child.  He goes everywhere with them hehe.

  We went hiking in Bigelow Hollow and Alfie had a blast!  Not to mention I forgot how beautiful New England is in late spring...

  And last but not least a picture of the gorgeous newlyweds.

  (And me with our friends Heather and Chris's baby- Nate!  Such an adorable baby!)