The Vegan Challenge [Vegan Bluberry Muffins]

[Aloha home!  Until we meet again. <3]

Ok, I admit it.
 I feel a little bit better.  

We're on day three of our experimental vegan cleanse and I feel slightly better.

A little healthier maybe but my face is breaking out more?  Unrelated maybe, but still.

I read somewhere that a vegan diet for two weeks is a good cleanse for your body and after almost three weeks in California and eating a lot more Mexican food than usual I felt all gross and thought coming back home would be a good time to try it.  

We had no food at home because we got rid of almost everything before we left for California.  

We had ketchup and chocolate almond milk in the fridge pretty much.

So the day we got back from California, yes the same day, like after a 6 hour long flight with 4 young kids, I went grocery shopping.  Not a cool move, I felt like dying when we got home but anyways I got all the stuff we needed to start our Vegan diet thing and we began!  I know some Vegans, I know lots of people who have been Vegan at some point in their life and I am amazed by you.  I can't handle it, it makes me want to cry everyday thinking of all the eggs and cheese and crispy prosciutto I could have eaten.  But we're doing ok.  We're on day three and it has been hard everyday!  Haha.  I have no idea what to cook and beans are not in my repertoire.

 [A stop in Santa Cruz, the swings are just so pretty!]

My cousin texted me that she was going to go Vegan for a week too so we could text each other about how hard it is.  She's already a vegetarian so I think it's a head start, but still.  So here we go!  Looking forward to seeing how I feel on day 7.  We decided to go just one week instead of two because we're lazy and miss good food.  For me it's also a test of willpower.  I don't have any.  If I want something I figure out a way to get it but I wanted to test myself to see if I would actually do what I said I'm going to do.  I say random things I'm going to do all the time like: I'm going to join a roller derby team!  I'll take the bus.  I'm just going to Target for a couple things!  But then I never do those things, so I'm kind of forcing myself to do something I say I'm going to do.

[Sunflowers in Avila Beach!]

So here they are, Vegan Blueberry Muffins.  They taste good I'm just kind of weirded out about the avocado in them, hot or cold I couldn't really taste it so.....yum!  Try them out!

Vegan Blueberry Muffins

[adapted from www.averiecooks.com]

Flesh from 1 very ripe medium Hass Avocado, mashed well.  About 3/4 cup.

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed.

1/3 cup Coconut Oil

1/3 cup Blueberry Coconut Yogurt

2 tsp. Vanilla extract

3/4 tsp. Cinnamon

3/4 tsp. Nutmeg

1 cup AP Flour

1 tsb. Baking Powder

1 cup fresh Blueberries, tossed in 2 tsb. Flour.

1.  Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F and line 16 muffin tins with liners.

2.  In a large bowl mash the avocado, the softer the better.  

3.  Stir in the oil, sugars, yogurt, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg until all combined.

4.  Fold in flour and baking powder until just mixed.  Do not overmix.

5.  Fold in berries tossed in fruit and divide batter evenly in lined pan.

6.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, lower to 350 degrees and bake an additional 20 minutes.

Veg on. 

Look who's back? [Mango Coconut Chia Pudding]

So, as you may have noticed the blog hasn't changed much.  None at all actually.
I had great high hopes of finding some awesome computer genius that could re-vamp my blog for me and I would come back to it with refreshed dreams and high hopes of being a "real" blogger.
But, that failed.  And I'm learning to be ok with that.

I missed blogging, but I didn't know if I would come back to it.  Sure, I liked it.  I love writing and trying new recipes, sharing them with friends and maybe even getting a little feedback but the part that made me want to stay away was the thought in my head that I just wasn't good enough.

I can't sew.

I can't take professional looking pictures.

I can't write that well.

I can't draw crappy comic strips to go along with hilarious stories.

I'm not a baby wearing, cloth diapering, all things crunchy guru.

I'm not the best at anything really and that fact was really starting to bum me out.  It's not good to compare yourself all the time because most of the time you're going to end up feeling pretty mediocre.

I try my best as a Mother but I'm not the gentlest or most patient and I never will be.  I apologize to my children daily.  I'm not the best homeschooler.  The best baker or cook or sister or friend.  I'm not the best blogger with the hippest looking blog and sponsors, I don't even know how to make a link?  Make a link, is that a thing?  And I'm an even worse wife when I compare myself to others.  I don't leave my husband love post-its on the fridge everyday.  I usually have a messy house and I struggle with letting my husband be the head of our household when sometimes I think things should be done a different way, sorry about that babe.

But I'm learning to take a step back.  What good does it do us to compare ourselves to others?  What do we get out of it except for a bruised ego and the feeling of not being enough.  What does that teach my children?  That they should never try for fear that they may never be the best?

And oh, is that ever true.  If you're constantly comparing yourself to someone else you'll never measure up.  And if I truly believe that this world is but a vapor there's really no use in comparing anyways.

I shouldn't try and measure myself with this world's measuring stick when God doesn't require that of me.  The knowledge I have through him is worth far more than any recognition, fame or money I can make in this life and that the Mother & Wife I want to be through God may not be the one the World thinks is the best.  I want to take pride in my accomplishments, at how far I have come and not look even further ahead to that woman I envy who seems to have it all together.  Who knows who she's comparing herself to?  And maybe the secret to her success is that she's not. 

Once I stop comparing myself, I might just give myself a little credit. 

Came across this recipe the other day and was pretty stoked.  I bought a Costco sized bag of Chia seeds and have been searching for ways to use them.  This "pudding" sounded delicious since it's Mango season here and the island is starting to heat up!

No dairy.  No soy.  No gluten. Vegan.

Could also easily be made nut free by replacing the almond milk with rice milk.

Also, try different variations!  I think next time Ill make this with chocolate almond milk, almonds & blueberries.  Yum.

Happy eating!

Mango Coconut Chia Pudding

1/2 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk

1/2 cup Lite Coconut Milk [the kind in the can]

4 tbs. Chia Seeds

2 tbs. Sweetened Shredded Coconut

1 mango, cut into cubes

2 tbs. Honey

1.  In a bowl whisk together both milks, honey and chia seeds.

2.  Stir in mango and coconut until throughly combined.

3.  Cover and refrigerate over night!

4.  Feel free to top with more fruit, honey, granola or whatever sounds good!  I put hemp seeds on top of mine for even more nutritional value.

Enjoy! 

Lenten musings and a Fridge Pickle recipe.

It's that time of year again, every good Catholic gone bad's worst nightmare.

Lent.

A time to reflect on the things we've done wrong, that we KNOW we've done wrong.  To confess our sins and repent.  To attempt to do better, and try to grasp what a great sacrifice God made for us.

In many years past Lent has been a surface thing for me, get ashes put on your forehead, go to Jamba Juice, everyone knows your a Christian.  Good to go.   Even in the things I decided to give up for Lent, they were superficial and at best just a semi-Godly diet plan.  Give up soda for 40 days for God?

Sure!  Maybe I'll lose weight in the process.....never mind the fact that I can never do something for 40 days.  I'm not a very consistent person, I change my mind constantly and I can always come up with another reason as to why, just this once it's ok. "We're on vacation!" "It's a federal holiday, I mean we're not expected to observe Lent too right?" "I decided to change my Lent fast to chocolate." Etc. 

But all in all, they're excuses.  Why am I unable to give up such a small thing in the effort to truly remember what God has given up for me?  Most likely because I just didn't want to. This past year my relationship with God has grown in ways I never imagine and I really wanted to make it something that would help remind me of that sacrifice, that would strengthen my relationship with God, not just make it another thing I could somehow work my way around if I knew enough loop holes.

I thought of giving up social media, which wouldn't be bad, mostly Instagram just stops me from eating my meals right when they're done cause I have to take a picture but all in all innocent.  I thought of giving up meat or grains or dairy.  But all of those we're just diet variations for me and when I'm not eating those things I'm not thinking of God, I'm thinking about how annoying it is that I can't eat those things.  

I've prayed about it and it keeps coming back to the same thing, my negativity.  I get this adorable trait from my Father, thanks Dad! And I'm sure I've only added to it myself.  In general I wouldn't say I'm negative but I think I'm confusing negativity with complaining.  I can be positive, it has happened and I have become a more positive person than the surly pissed off 18 year old I once was but this certain dude I live with has commented on my negativity more than a few times.  Sorry babe. 

So for 40 days I will TRY to not be negative.  I am certain I will fail many times.  But I will try, to see the good in things, the positives in myself and my life.  The beautiful wonderful life God has provided me and in my positivity I will remember him.  I can't be negative about myself, my looks, my weight, etc if I truly want to honor God who gave me this body in the first place.  I already feel like this has rubbed off a little bit on Lily and the thought that she would think badly of herself at such a young age because I am so negative about myself is devastating.  No negative talk about other people, also known as gossip.  You caught me.  And my biggest killer, negativity about my home.  It is easy for me to get caught up and anxious about what I CAN'T do that I never focus on what I CAN do.  What I HAVE done.  So time to let it be, let God's love remind me of all the positives in my life and how blessed I truly am.

And food!  We're leaving for Orlando, Florida on Sunday, yeay!  For about a week so I've been cooking/eating everything in the fridge to get ready for this.  I made the mistake of buying a Costco pack of cucumbers last week and still had 2 left that were not long for this world.  I decided pickles were the way to go!  Seriously easy, so easy to adapt and change and tasty!  I made these and ate them a few hours later and they were already delicious.  

Mama Cole's Sweet & Spicy Fridge Pickles

[This recipe makes enough for 2 - 16 oz. Mason jars.  Divide each amount into two, half in each jar.]

2 English Cucumbers, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1/2 cup Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar

4 tsp. chili pepper flakes

1/4 cup sugar

2 cloves of garlic, smashed

2 tbs. Kosher salt

Water

[1] In the bottom of each mason jar put apple cider vinegar, chili flakes, sugar, garlic cloves and salt.

[2] Place lids on jars and shake to dissolve sugar and salt.

[3] Add cucumber slices to jars and then fill to the top with water!

[4] Seal and place in fridge! 

 I like my pickles crunchy so I eat mine right away but you can let them sit for up to a month.  

Enjoy!  This recipe can easily be adapted for more or less.  If you don't like spicy omit the pepper flake, if you want to make dill pickles omit the sugar and chili flakes and add fresh dill and peppercorns.  Try out your own combos and have fun!