Double Chocolate Chip Cookies and My New Favorite Summer Meal

Today I sat on the couch and ate three of these Double Chocolate Chip Cookies.

This is a rare occurrence for me, which is why I enjoyed it so much.

These cookies are good.

They are from the Babycakes cookbook so they are gluten and dairy free.

Click here to read about my past post on gluten free baking and why we love it.

Gluten free baking includes some strange ingredients. 

Here are the ones for this recipe:

Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour:

I love this stuff, it's a great blend of different types of G.F. flours. 

Bob's Red Mill Xantham Gum:

Made out of the sticky substance from plants, 

it helps to bind the flours together.

Flaxseed Meal:

This stuff is so good for you. 

If you are pregnant, you definitely should find a way to

 get a tablespoon of this stuff into your daily life 

(by way of shakes, on cereal, or oatmeal) 

it is important brain food for your growing baby.

Baking Tips: Feel free to replace canola oil for the coconut oil.
I actually make the batter into large tablespoons
instead of teaspoons before putting them into the oven.
It makes for a larger, chewier cookie.

Here is the recipe from Goop.

I first learned about Babycakes NYC 

from Goop and fell instantly in love.

Those cookies have loved me back 

since they have zero white flour and saturated fat! 

What, what?! Rock on Babycakes.

Dinner

I absolutely had to share tonight's dinner with you.

For the past couple weeks, 

I've had my parents over every night for dinner

because I want to lower my dad's cholesterol.

We've been eating very yummy healthy meals. 

Lots of whole grains, bean proteins and a big variety of veggies.

Tonight we had what I call a "Love Life" dinner. 

Still 100% cholesterol free, but totally delicious.

Panzanella (I omitted the anchovies) from My Father's Daughter, 

Creamy Zucchini Soup from Vegan Family Meals steamed arugula,

served with my favorite glass of Riesling.

Of course we ended with Double Chocolate Chip Cookies! 

So delicious! Great way to enjoy the summer veggies. 

Yum! All that EVOO on the bread and roasted bell peppers! 

Great flavor combo with the vino and soup! 

Yes...that's my wedding ring. 

I was so anxious to eat all this yummy food 

I didn't dry my wet hands completely.

Can't stand water in between my finger and my ring. 

Mi Familia

My two-year-old built this and told me it was a "T"!

I know, she's a genius. 

Not only do I get to hang out with these people, 

but I get to live with them too!

She grew two teeth on her upper right side. 

Haha, kind of funny looking.

Go love the ones you love and go crazy cooking up some great summer dishes!

Live it up, 

How I Got My Babies To Sleep Through the Night

The other night we had an off night, 

and both the girls woke up at one in the morning.

This is not normal for our house.

Our girls sleep from 7:00 to 6:30 every night, no problem.

But life wasn't always this ideal.

Our oldest, Thérèse, was very anti- sleep as an infant.

She wouldn't nap and wouldn't sleep more than four hours at a time.

The only time she'd fall asleep would be when I was nursing her, 

and it wouldn't be a deep sleep, so anytime I put her down she'd wake up.

What a nightmare! I was sleep deprived and angry. 

By her fourth month, I'd had enough.

The Books that Saved Us

We used the "cry it out" method and it is the only way 

we could get her on a schedule and all of us sleeping and happy again.

This is the book we used: Baby Wise 

I felt like a terrible person for making her cry it out, 

but only good came from it. 

She started sleeping, we started sleeping too 

and I no longer wanted to kill everyone in the world.

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child follows the same principals 

but it's a little more laid back.

Cutting the Teething Pain

Ah...and then comes the teething.

It doesn't matter if your child knows how to sleep through the night or not,

when they are teething, they will wake up.

I don't believe in giving my babies medicine unless they have a fever,

and homeopathic teething tablets wear off after a while. 

My husband's Aunt Alicia told us about Gripe Water.

I trusted her judgement because she is also into natural remedies.

She has a great blog about her cool finds and bargains in San Francisco.

She also her her degree in Psychology and is a family therapist,

 so she has lots of great child rearing tips, 

like how to prep your child for the first dentist trip. 

Check it out: http://mexichica.tumblr.com/

When I know their teeth are bothering them,

I give them a teaspoon of Gripe Water at night.

This right here, is the key to Mama and baby happiness.

I realize every parent and baby 

relationship is different,

but this is what worked for us, 

and we couldn't have survived without it.

My second born rocked sleep. 

She taught herself to sleep through the night without a problem.

But for Thérèse, I'm grateful to have gone through this route.

My Toddler Putting Baby to Sleep

My two-year-old made this demonstration video.

This is how she gets one of her four babies to sleep. 

She nurses her baby in the football hold. 

I never do that. And no, I don't sing that song. 

Happy Sleeping!

How I Get Through My Day

Summer Shoes

I finally got a new pair of shoes. 

Daniel is always raving about his Sanuks.

I was pretty sure that the only reason he talked about them so much 

was so he could hear himself say "Sanuk" over and over again.  

I was so wrong!

These shoes are so comfortable!

They are actually sandals covered with cloth.

They mold to your feet, so you forget you're wearing them.

We recently took the family to The Huntington Library in Pasadena.

We did lots of walking and it was a very hot day.

These shoes were breathable and my feet never got tired!

My new favorite shoe.

I picked up my super cute pair at a surf shop.

I'm not super big on the styles online. 

www.sanuk.com

Get Some Art In

Family time in Pasadena was great,

but we were really in need of some grown up time,

and I needed my art fill.

So we went to the MOCA with my brother in LA.

The current exhibit is Street Art. 

It was incredibly cool. 

No, I'm not a dork, 

and I don't understand why you would think that.

There is an artist who left these little guys tiled all over the world.

I really want them for the back wash in our kitchen. 

Daniel isn't down though.

Oh well, space invader, you're going to have to find your home elsewhere. 

Outside the MOCA was a portable farmers market.

The herbs were on the bikes, and the bikes were parked to create this market.

Daniel was intrigued... 

Use Your Noodle

We've been playing lots of Rummikub lately.

I love this game. 

I've been playing it since I was six and it never seizes to captivate me. 

It's all about creating patterns, 

taking them apart to create more patterns. 

I play to win, so when I play, I get to a point when my brain actually hurts.

It's a muscle after all, and when I think so hard my brain flexes. 

No! I'm totally serious! 

I probably play this game just cause I like that feeling.

Yes! My brain is there! I can feel it!

These guys are the "jokers".

They used to totally freak me out.

I mean, come on, how freaky is this face? 

No Bake Desserts

This recipe from Oh She Glows is so cool because it is completely raw.

Her recipe includes raw carob chips as well,

but I cheated and used the chocolate chips we already had.

I threw them into my vegan ice cream for a delicious 

cookies and cream dessert. Yum!

Ingredients:

Cookie dough:

• 1 3/4 cups ground raw cashews
• 3/4 cup ground raw oats
• 1/4 cup Agave Nectar
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup coconut oil

Dough: Grind up raw cashews and raw oats in a food processor or blender. Place all cookie dough ingredients into a large bowl and mix by hand or with a spoon. OR simply place all ingredients in the processor and blend (why didn’t I do this!? lol). Mix until a dough forms and you can make a large ball. Refrigerate dough while you make the chocolate chips.

Place in fridge (if you have any left that is) to harden for about 30 mins. They get real hard! Make sure to refrigerate them on parchment paper or they will stick to the plate.

Also note, I cut the recipe in half to make a smaller batch. Don’t be too worried about getting exact measurements here. They will still turn out, promise.

The best part is the total prep time (not including freezing and refrigerating) was 10 minutes! So quick and easy. These would be amazing to whip up before guests come over or for a quick birthday gift.

Going to go play some Rummikub with the hubby. 

Seriously people, I'm not a dork. 

The Best Vegan Lasagna and My Embarrassing Kitchen Moment

I try to avoid posting recipies that are labor intensive.

But I couldn't resist posting this one because 

it's the BEST lasana I've had in a long time.
I could have this every week.
So many layers of yumminess.
The hubby and I were in heaven eating it up.

I think making lasana is labor intensive in the first place.

I also came up with a great lunch recipe 

with some of the left over ingredients. 

So that's it,

had to share it.

Besides, I really don't think it's that much work.
I mean, okay yeah, it's very involved.
But it's totally worth it.
Don't let this recipe scare you.
Watching this video with the chef herself helped me a lot!

You can get the recipe here.

The only ingredient in here you all are probably the most unfamiliar with is miso.
Miso is in lots of vegan cooking because it contributes great flavor.
It also is an amazing food because it prevents tumors
by blocking the blood flow to them.
How incredible is that?!
I'm definitely going to be sharing a
Miso Anti-Tumor Soup soon.
Although, I don't plan on calling it that.

When you buy miso, make sure you get organic
to ensure you aren't getting Miso made from GMOs.
Cold Moutnain is a great brand.
You can find it at your local health food store
or Asian Market.

You need the miso to make the ricotta cheese for the lasagna.

I thought the lasagna recipe called for too much ricotta cheese. 

So I left some out and made this quick yummy dish for lunch the next day. 

Pasta with Carrots, Peas and Ricotta

Olive Oil

1/2 pound cooked pasta

2 chopped carrots

1 cup peas

1 cup vegan ricotta cheese

Sauté carrots in the olive oil for a couple of minutes until slightly soft.

Add peas and cook for a few minutes longer 

until peas and carrots look slightly brown. 

If I had had left over vegetable oil, 

I would have thrown a couple tablespoons in for flavor.

Add pasta.

Mix well.

Add ricotta cheese.

Get all those ingredients mixed well together.

Turn off heat.

That's it! 

Totally done. 

Crazy fast, easy and delicious!

Great way to sneak veggies into your toddler's

(and husband's) lunch. 

That just happened

I never knew why you were not supposed to put dish soap 

instead of dish washing soap into dishwashers. 

Now I know why. 

I grabbed the wrong bottle from the closet by accident and well, 

the result was an accident in the kitchen.

I still don't understand how two dish soaps can be so different.

My husband is so great.

I think he understands my Lucy Ricardo brainless moments by now.

He just cleaned up the mess,

all while he shook his head and smiled. 

Thanks babe.

And now you know how teeny tiny our kitchen is!

This is one half of it. 

My hubby put in an Ikea kitchen before we moved in.

I love it! It's totally perfect for me.

If I had a bigger space, I'd just make a bigger mess

(enter Daniel nodding his head).

Just goes to show you great food can come out of little spaces.

Yes, by saying that I mean both

the little kitchen and my little Lucy Ricardo head.

Guest Blog: Homemade Pop Tarts!

My 12 year old brother-in-law, Christian,

has been on a high carb diet since he could chew.

This kid, loves his carbs. 

Yesterday he asked Yolanda (my mother-in-law)

to buy him some pop tarts.

Now that she's becoming more healthy conscience, 

she refused to buy him pop tarts from a box

with all those scary ingredients.

But since she's such a cool mom, 

she provided pop tarts in another way,

Homemade! 

I would have never thought to do this.

Christian loved them!

Oh my pop tart, you look so delicious!

And they were even good without frosting!

I would be tempted to smear some on mine.

Here are Yolanda's tips!

I watched this video to give me an idea on how 

I needed the dough to look like (I’m a visual person). 

It’s very important to make the dough flaky and 

add the water (ice water) slowly to create that flakiness.

I cut the vegan butter into small pieces and 

used a fork for the entire process. 

I also used her method of 

refrigerating the dough for an hour. 

Then I prepared the pop tarts and 

placed them back in the refrigerator for another 2 hours 

(the coldness is important for perfect pop tarts. 

I did sprinkle them with sugar and I created the wash (egg and water). 

You can make the wash into a glaze as the recipe (vegan) called for though. 

They were super good. 

You can make them and refrigerate up to 2 weeks. 

Making them is was easy, 

but you need to refrigerate for the time listed above. 

I used the best of both recipes. 

You will like them! 

Click here for the Vegan Pop Tart Recipe

So she used the video for reference,
the vegan recipe,
and the egg and water glaze,
but feel free to use the vegan glaze! 

These look so good! 

I can't wait to make them with the girls
 when they are a little older.

They look easy,

just lots of planning with the refrigerating process.

I like that they can be frozen for weeks and baked later!

Thanks Yolanda for sharing your yummy find! 

Western Bacon Cheeseburger: Vegan Style

Sigh. 

Western Bacon Cheeseburgers from Carl's Jr.

I used to love these things.

I distinctly remember the last time I ate one.

I felt like I had eaten a rotten rock.

I didn't even know rocks could rot. 

But there it was, a lump in my stomach.

What was worse than my pain was the realization 

that I'd never eat another Bacon Cheeseburger from Carl's again.

It was a sad day.

And since then, I drive by Carl's Jr. with my head down,

a little sorrow in my heart. 

But then we got a Carl's Jr. coupon in our mailbox.

Enough was enough!

I was going to make this burger and fulfill my crazy craving!

I tore out the coupon and stuck it on my counter.

Oh burger, you never look like the picture. 

Ew. Looking at that picture makes me wonder

 how I ever ate that.

Right now the only thing that is appealing 

to me are the sesame seeds. 

Here is my version vegan style:

Arisa's Mean Vegan 

Western Bacon Cheeseburger

Serves 4

You will need:

- 4 Hamburger buns

- 4 Amy's Burger (California is my favorite)

- 4 slices tempeh bacon

- onion rings (recipe follows)

- daiya cheese

- BBQ sauce (the one we had was a little spicy

and added a great kick to the burger, Stubbs Original BBQ Sauce)

First off, you got to have good onion rings. 

This burger is all about the onion rings.

I've never made onion rings before

but I created this recipe and we love it!

So thankful to Daniel who did the onion ring cooking.

We had a lot left over and we munched on them with our burgers. 

My mom thought they needed more salt and cayenne pepper

but Daniel thought they were just fine.

If your heart tells you to add more do it!

These were great cause they didn't 

make us feel stuffed like other onion rings

and they didn't bring us down.

Oh onion rings, you are my

new favorite guilty pleasure...

Vegan Beer Battered Onion Rings:

- 12 oz. vegan beer (We used Dos Equis Lager)

- 1 cup panko

- 1 1/4 cup flour

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

- canola oil

- 2 onions, sliced

Mix ingredients. Submerge a couple onion slices at a time.

Make sure they are nicely coated with the batter

then place in pan over medium high heat 

with enough oil to cover at least halfway. 

Cook on both sides till golden brown. 

About five minutes each side.

They were so good!

Best onion rings ever!

Meanwhile, fry the tempeh bacon. 

About three minutes on each side

with very little oil. 

Once tempeh bacon is done, 

remove from heat and warm up your buns.

We used whole wheat 

and it didn't ruin the flavor of the burger at all.

Keep cooking those onion rings!

Cook Amy's burgers as directed by package. 

Before removing from pan,

throw on a couple tablespoons of daiya cheese.

Flip the burger over so that the cheese is face down on the pan.

Listen to it sizzle for two seconds (ah...the sound of cheese melting)

and remove from pan. 

Be liberal with the BBQ sauce.

Smear over 1 tablespoon on both halves of the bun.

Layer on the burger,

two strips bacon,

about three onion rings,

close the burger

and eat up!

So good! 

My husband and I were thrilled 

because it really does taste like the real deal.

Daniel said they are better though 

because they are bigger and don't make us lazy. 

Right on burger!

I just had to share this one.

We couldn't have piled it any higher.

It's just plain good ol' food. 

Thank you to all our old and new Facebook and blog followers!

We are happy to be sharing our vegan adventures with you all!

Summer Veggie Dish

I got a new cookbook called 

Vegan Family Meals by Ann Gentry.

I love getting new cookbooks,

reading about the authors passion about food,

looking at all the beautiful food photography, 

making mental notes of what I want to make next.

But I'll be honest with you,

I totally turn my nose up at anything

that looks too healthy.

Which is what I did with this dish.

The only reason I made this dish 

was because I met the author

on Sunday and she raved about it. 

She said the cooking and photography staff

who worked on her book 

couldn't get over how good it was

and it's just boiled vegetables!

How easy is it to boil vegetables? 

So I had to see what the hype was all about.

Turns out, 

they were right!

Crazy easy too.

Boiled Vegetable Salad

with Umeboshi - Scallion Dressing

Get your self some

cauliflower (which I replaced with broccoli)

radishes, celery, yellow squash, more broccoli, and carrots.

- Boil water in a large sauce pan.

My large sauce pan was full of beans.

So I used my large soup pan.

Can you find my carrots down there?

- Drop each vegetable in for two minutes each. 

- When you remove the vegetable 

from the boiling water

drop them immediately into a bowl 

of ice water to stop them from cooking.

I put a small bowl, into a large bowl of ice water 

to prevent my veggies from getting wetter.

Daniel says this is called "shocking" vegetables.

I don't know if this is true...

but I like it!

- Mix your dressing.

Water, sesame seeds, scallions

and umboshi paste.

Umeboshi paste has incredible flavor 

and can be found at your 

health food store or Asian market.

If you can't find it, try looking for umeboshi vinigar.

It's easier to find, and you could add a few drops 

and less water to the dressing. 

I use umeboshi vinegar on my veggies

all the time because it lends remarkable flavor!

It's sad I went so long without this stuff.

Mix up that dressing, do it.

Look at all those shocked veggies! 

Beautiful, just beautiful.

Can you believe I never wanted 

to make this?

- Toss with the dressing

and sprinkle a tablespoon 

of sesame seeds on top. 

We served this up with 

black eye peas

and quinoa.

Yummy, satisfying and probably the 

healthiest meal I've ever made in my life. 

My dad can't live without his meat 

and he's a really picky eater.

But he loved this dish! 

He served himself seconds 

and cleaned his plate both times.

Score! 

Who knew something so 

simple could be so amazing! 

Thank you Ann!

You can find more of her recipes on her blog.

And if your ever in the L.A. area

hit up her restaurant, Real Food Daily! 

It's the hubby and my favorite L.A. place to dine.

I'll definitely be sharing more recipes from her in the future.

I had to share these!

My ten month old

getting herself ready to walk.

AH! I'm in love.

Her legs are the best! 

Happy cooking all! 

Boiled Vegetable Salad with Umeboshi - Scallion Dressing 

Serves 4

Vegetables:

1/2 head cauliflower, trimmed into florets (about 1 1/2 cups)

6 red or tri-colored radishes, trimmed

1 1/2 celery stalks, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 1 cup)

1 yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons (about 1 cup)

1/2 head broccoli, trimmed into florets (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 carrots, peeled, roll-cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)

Dressing:

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 tablespoons umeboshi paste

3 scallions, thinly sliced diagonally

3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, divided

To prepare the vegetables, bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Working with one vegetable at a time, cook the vegetables in the order listed until their colors brighten and they are just tender, about 2 minutes for each vegetable. After each vegetable is cooked, immediately submerge them in a large bowl of ice water to stop them from cooking, then drain them well and pat dry with a clean towel. Quarter the large radishes or cut the smaller radishes in half.

To make the dressing, whisk the 1/2 cup of water with the umeboshi in a small bowl to blend. Stir in the scallions and 2 tablespoons of the sesame seeds.

Gently toss the vegetables in a large bowl with enough of the dressing to coat. Garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds and serve.