Coconut Oatmeal Ice Cream

Whats summer without some ice cream?  That is no summer, that just sounds like Hell. And this past weekend I was pretty sure I was in hell because it was so mother f*ing hot and for a while, I had no ice cream (and no air conditioner)

We used to have an air conditioner. My mom gave us one a few years back because she was worried about washer (so nice she was worried about the dog and not me, but that's cool) And we used it, not often, but when the temps got above 90, we would bust that mother out, hang blankets from the ceiling and create a little frozen ice box. Washers bed, the couch, and the tv were the only things in the box and it was fantastic.We would spend all day hanging out in the dark little ice box, cuddled on the couch watching tv. Washer would just lay there and I am pretty sure that he loved it just as much. But a couple years ago that air conditioner broke so now we don't have one. So now when it's mother f*ing hot, we are just really fucking hot. As for Washer, I send him over to my moms house. She has like 10 air conditioners. And the mr and I.. we bitch and complain and sweat and eat ice cream.

So I made this is my ice cream, a Colleen approved, oh so good I want to eat it for ever meal, type of ice cream. Nice and creamy with nice coconut oatiness. Its really pretty great.

And if there was ever a time when you woke up so hot that all you for wanted for breakfast was ice cream, well that's completely cool, especially with this kind cause it's kinda really healthy and made with oats and so it it definitely ok.

Here's to ice cream all day, every day.

The stuff. We got a can of coconut milk, some old fashion oats, a few dates and salt. ( we need just a pinch) Also need a little water.

Pretty simple here, just dump the coconut milk, oats,the dates(make sure they are pitted) and a pinch of salt to a blender and blend the crap out of it. And keep blending until its all creamy smooth and oh so nice then stick the blender in the fridge.

After about an hour or so the mixture becomes super thick. Stick it back on the blender stand and give it one last swirl to make sure it's all mixed up.

Pour/scrap mixture into a freezer safe container and stick it into the freezer... lick blender clean, watch you tongue and fingers.

After a hour or so, remove the kinda frozen ice cream and give it a good whip with a stick blender or if you don't have, scrap the ice cream back into the blender, and give it a swirl, stick back into freezer container hen back into the freezer until frozen.

And when you are ready to eat, remove from freezer, let sit out for 5-10 minutes to soften enough to scoop and do what needs to be done.

Look at that. So good.

And not only dessert, but this could be your breakfast tomorrow....and every day from now on.

-C

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Coconut Oatmeal Ice Cream

• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups oats (gluten free if needed)
• 3-5 dates*
• pinch of salt

*Note. I used 3 dates and found it sweet enough but I don't like things too sweet. If you know you like things sweet, do 5. Also, if the dates are not super soft, soak them water for a little bit.

Grab your blender and place all the ingredients in it. Start blending and blend and blend and blend until all smooth and creamy. (It might take a few minutes.) And once it's all blended up, stick the blender into the fridge .

After about an hour or so the mixture should have gotten nice and thick .Remove and blend the whole thing up once again and transfer the mixture to a freezer safe container. Place said container into the freezer. Let the mixture set up and get pretty close to frozen and remove from fridge and give it another good blend (I use my hand blender, but you can always scoop back into the regular blender to do it) Place back into freezer until frozen.

When you are ready for ice cream, remove for freezer and let sit out for 5-10 minutes until soft enough to scoop.  It might be super hard at first but don't worry, it soften up quick enough. I find scooping it easier with a ice cream scooper dipped in hot water....

Scoop it, add any toppings you want (toasted coconut and toasted oats are great) and then eat it.

Store left overs in freezer (duh) but place a piece of wax paper over the top to keep from freezer burn.

Straight Up Zucchini

Summertime is here, which means the days are long and hot, the drinks are cold and sweaty, and for the most part, people seem more relaxed and happy. And it also means we are growing and getting the bestest and freshest produce, including zucchini.

Yes! it's zucchini time!

You might remember from last summer that I am kind of a zucchini junky. As soon as it starts to grow, I am eating/ hoarding it. I grow it, get tons from my farm share, and will happily take any or all of your extra zucchini that you can't seem to eat. (I take all veggies for that matter) All of the surfaces in my house are covered with baskets full of zucchini. Open the fridge, a few zucchini will most likely fall out. Want to sit at the table to eat, you are going to have to move the mounds zucchinis to get to it. (No joke) It's just so dang good and can be made into just about anything.

But with all the recipes with zucchini, all the ways to add it to this or make it into that, I think people tend to forget that zucchini can be just that, zucchini. Yes it is good to noodle with sauce or puree up with lentils, but honestly I think my most favorite way to eat it is just as it is, straight up raw zucchini, maybe a sprinkle of salt and pepper and if I have it on hand, a squeeze of lemon of a splash of vinegar. Nothing fancy (although you can make it look fancy) The best of summer,  pure and simple.

So not really a recipe here, just reminder that sometimes simple can be the best and that zucchini can be eat plain and raw and that it's delicious.

Keep it cool. Keep it simple.

-C

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Straight up Zucchini

• fresh zucchini
• salt ,pepper
• lemon juice or vinegar (optional)

cut zucchini (if you feel like cutting it) anyway you want. Place on a plate and sprinkle with salt, pepper and a splash of vinegar or lemon juice.

Eat.

Carob Covered Rice Cakes

 I remember long ago, when I was just a little, my mom would take me to the health food store with her to get whatever new fancy snack that she was obsessed with or to stock up on way to expensive jams and her very specific boxes of teas that she could not find anywhere else. Those were the days (when mom was buying the groceries) And I loved going to the store with here because well, bulk bins! Oh the bulk section, it had all the best stuff like sesame sticks and granola chunks.  It was a free for all,, grabbing a piece dried mango here or a handful of almonds there. (don't judge, I as just a sweet little little, I don't do that anymore...often)   This store had a pretty impressive bulk section and includedtwo bins of carob covered rice cakes. One was plain, one was mint, both freaking delicious. Up until the first time I ate one of those rice cakes I had no clue what carob was or that those rice cakes were not chocolate. I just remember that they were super tasty and that my mom always got one for me.  She wold buy a dozen and I might have gotten to eat another one of those too.  I loved those rice cakes.

I haven't seen a carob covered rice cake in years.  I think that they stopped carrying them or maybe it's because the store has changed a lot and I don't often go there anymore, but either way, it's been a while. So anyway, last week I spur of the moment bought a package of (unsalted plain) rice cakes, then realized that the mr wasn't to into rice cakes anymore (there was a long period of time where I made him peanut butter banana rice cakes for lunch everyday). But I bought them and they need to be eaten, and that's when it came to me.. Make the carob covered rice cakes from the old days. Something new and different for the mr and something super nostalgic for me.

And it helped that it has been way to freakin deakin hot and all the things that I have been wanting to bake (cherry pie, rhubarb cake, food in general) just wasn't happening. . But these sweet treats take 2 minutes to make and require no heat whatsoever (my coconut was already melted.) Can you really ask for more?

The stuff. Carob powder, coconut oil and rice cakes. I should have stuck the sea salt in the picture, but it is kind of optional..

Simple as can be. Th oil and carob powder get combined in a bowl of some kind.

Mixed together until silky smooth and BLING BLING shiny.

Rice cakes all ready to get decked out ( doing this on wax paper to make life much easier)

Smothered with the carob all over. You can do one side at a time, sticking it into the freezer to set for a minute or just get a little messy and do it all at once. Up to you. But wither way, it need to go in the freezer for just a few minute to get hard.

And right before you stick them in the freezer, sprinkled with sea salt.

Uh huh.. Looking good. And taste ever better then I remembered. (it's the salt. Salt makes everything better)

-C

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Carob Covered Rice cakes

Makes 2 (why make only 1)

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 4 heaping tablespoons carob powder
• 2 plain rice cakes
• Sea salt

In a bowl mix together melted coconut oil with the carob powder until a smooth and shinny consistency. With a spatula, smother the top and the sides of the rice cakes with the mixture. Place on wax wax paper, un-carobed bottom down, and stick in freezer for a few minutes until carob has harden. Remove, flip, and smother remaining side. (you can do both sided at once, but it's a little messier) Sprinkle salt on now and back into freezer until hard. Remove and eat.

Note. If you make two and have one left over for late, keep it in an air tight container in the fridge or freezer. It will melt just like chocolate.

Pineapple Jalapeno Hummus

I eat a lot of hummus. Like a lot. Every day, all day long. (seriously, I am always snacking on veggies dipped in hummus) So I am sorry to all around me that my breath always smells.. (I blame all the garlic in the hummus.)

Recently, during a particularly browsey grocery shop, I ended up in the hummus case (I always end up there) and found a new hummus flavor.  Pineapple jalapeno, WHAT.  I grabbed it right then and there, convinced that hummus gods were rewarding me for all of my hummus eating and have made me my very own flavor.

Got home, tossed all the groceries into the fridge and busted open the new hummus, a bag of carrots, and went at it. Oh man, it was good.(to often the store bought hummus flavors are not so great) The flavors were all there, sweet and spicy, and creamy.  It was fantastic, I ate almost all of it and I knew I had to make my own.

And I did and you know what, it was even freaking better! (Fresh it the best!)

So If you are a hummus person of any kind, this is a fantastic exciting flavor that will make you all sorts of happy.

The stuff for the hummus:  chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper. And for flavor add ins,  fresh pineapple and a jalapeno pepper.

Chickpeas (rinsed and drained) go into the food processor with some tahini, the juice of the lemon and salt and pepper.. The garlic I actually pulsed in the processor first (to avoid big raw hunks) and some olive oil are also going in on this.

Blended until a smooth, creamy perfection.

Now for the fun stuff. Dice up the pineapple and remove seeds (or not) from the jalapeno and dice that up too

Toss it all (minus a few little pieces of garnish if you want) into that creamy dreamy hummus.

Pulse pulse pulse until the chunks of stuff are all incorporated . Make it super chunky or super smooth, up to you. I like mine kinda chunky, but not too chunky, if you know what I mean.

Into a big bowl, topped with a few little diced up pieces of jalapeno and pineapple, you know, for prettiness. And lots of cracked pepper.. Lots.

Now eat. With whatever ( I like veggies or just give me a spoon, Ican eat hummus all by itself)

Hummus for life!

-C

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Pineapple Jalapeno Hummus

Makes about 2 1/2cups

• 2 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (one can)
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup fresh pineapple
• 1-2 jalapenos
• salt and pepper

Rinsed and drain chickpeas. Add garlic and a little olive oil to the food processor and pulse until the garlic is a little minced. Add in the drained chickpeas,  tahini, a sprinkle of salt ans pepper, the juice of the lemon and another tablespoon of olive oil and blend until smooth.

Dice up pineapple into smaller chunks and remove seeds (if you want) from the jalapeno and chop that into smaller pieces . Add to the hummus and pulse until combined. You can leave it chunky or blend until smooth. Just stop blending when you reach you desired consistency . Garnish with more chopped pineapple and jalapeno and lots of freshly ground pepper.

Serve with whatever you eat your hummus with.

Store left over (there probably won't be any) in a container in the fridge.

Maple Banana Walnut Oat Squares

Every year I play this game with myself.. Is it allergies or am I sick. The past few days I have been feeling kinda crappy, waking up with itchy, gunky eyes. My throat hurts, my head is like a balloon, and I am just feeling beat.. 

I think it's that I am sick (because I don't want to have allergies) but whatever it is, it sucks, but usually goes away after a week (like every year because its really allergies). Blah.

But enough about my balloon head, lets talk these maple banana walnut oat squares. These yummy gems of the oat square world are just what you need in your life. Healthy, protein packed, nutty, and a touch sweet. No junk, just good stuff all made with little to no effort. If you like banana bread, you will be all into them. I was inspired to make these by the extremely ripe bananas that need to be eaten asap and the mr's lack of eating a healthy breakfast (I want him to eat, and I want it be oatmeal). I know him well enough that if I make a snack like thing and leave it out to eat, that he will eat it. For breakfast.

So weather or not you are looking for a good way to get in some good stuff into your tummy or just want some good tasting stuff in your mouth, this is the breakfast/dessert for you.

The stuff. A couple of ripe bananas, a bunch of rolled oats, some yummy walnuts, real maple syrup, cinnamon, baking soda and a wee bit of water.

Start with the walnuts in a food processor. Turn it on and process until....

You got this walnut butter. Do not eat it, it's for the squares (it is so good).

Add in the oats, cinnamon and baking soda and turn the processor back on until you get a nice unified crumbly mixture.

Now in goes the bananas and the maple syrup. And you guessed it, blend some more. While you are blending, if the mixture seems to dry, add in a splash of water, to wet, just toss in another handful of oat. The mixture should be like a muffin batter consistency.

And that's it. If you want some nut chunks, add in a handful more of walnuts (do it) and pulse just to get them mixed into batter.

Then pourthe mixture into a well greased 9x9 baking pan and spread out evenly. Toss those suckers into the oven to bake.

Oh so good bananas give off the best smell when baking. After about a 1/2hour, these bars are nice and golden brown and a fork stuck in the center comes out clean, which means, they are done.

Cut into square , eat one or two, and save the rest. Eat for breakfast, as a snack, or for dessert. And a smear of peanut butter on top is aces too!

Later dudes.

-C

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Maple Banana Walnut Oat Squares

• 3 cups old fashion rolled oats (gluten free ones to keep in GF)
• 1 cup plus a a small handful walnuts
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 rip bananas
• 1 /2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Place 1 cup of walnuts into a food processor and blend until it turns into walnut butter.. about 3 minutes. Add in the oats and blend together until it becomes a crumbly mixture. Add in the maple, baking soda, cinnamon and the bananas (break into chunks) and blend until incorporated. If the mixture seems lie its too dry, add in a splash of water, and if to wet, add in another handful of oats. The batter should resemble a muffin batter.  Once blended, mix in the remaining walnuts and pulse just to mix them in.

Pour mixture into a well greased 9x9 baking pan and stick into the fridge for 10ish minutes and preheat oven 350

And after the time in the fridge, remove the pan and slide them into the oven. Bake until golden brown and a tester stuck into te middle comes out clean. (about 30 minutes)

Remove and let cool. Pop out of pan, cut into square, and eat to you face.

Squares will last 3-4 days in a airtight container or freeze them and they will last until you eat them.