School Lunches

It has been difficult to find things to pack in the boys school lunch.  I probably like variety more than most people, so eating the same thing for lunch everyday would be horrible for me!  Thankfully my boys aren't picky and will eat a lot of foods cold that I wouldn't.  I don't have a ton of pictures (that early in the morning my brain isn't functioning well enough to think about taking pictures).  However I will post the pictures I do have, and share some ideas.

First I purchased a few different sets of "lunch kits", you know the containers with compartments and lids.  I also purchased 3 (expensive) soup thermoses (is that how it's spelled?!?).  I store all of these in an "under-the-bed" tote under one of my kitchen shelve units.  And I cleared a space in one of my hall "pantry" cabinets and set up bins of lunch items.  Now all set :)

First Day of School 2014

Taco Bowls

My oldest takes salad almost everyday.

Bagel Sandwiches

Homemade "burgers"

Breakfast for lunch

Other things we have done:

Soups in a thermos
Cold chik'n nuggets
Cold veggie dogs
Veggie Wraps
Waffle Sticks
Pasta Salad

Vegan/Raw 'cream' cakes

Long, UNINTENTIONAL hiatus.  Life has been busy, but with Thanksgiving this week, I have some "wait time" while pies are baking...time to catch up :)

Months ago I began working on a raw, vegan chocolate 'cream' cake.  Then I began playing with other flavors too.  They are still on my back burner for tweaking, but I'll post the progress now.

The Crust:
1 C. pecan meal (finely ground pecans)
1/2 C. cocoa powder
1 t. vanilla
1 pinch sea salt
agave nectar (drizzled in to make the crust "sticky")

Place everything in a food processor and process until mixed, drizzle agave nectar in until you get a crumble that sticks together when pinched between your fingers, a little like graham cracker crust. Press into spring form pans one big one or several small ones.  Crust thickness is totally up to you, use more or less of the crust mix to reach the desired thickness.  Set this in the freezer.

Filling (Chocolate)
2 C. soaked cashews, rinsed well. (soak 10-30 minutes--the longer you soak them the easier it is to get the creamy texture)
1/2 C. agave nectar or maple syrup
1 T. vanilla
1/2 C. water
3/4 C. cocoa powder
1/2 C. coconut oil
pinch of salt

Place drained cashews in a blender with agave or maple syrup, vanilla, and water.  Blend until creamy.  Add cocoa powder, coconut oil, and salt.  Blend until  smooth.  Scoop filling into your spring form pan(s) and return to the freezer for a few hours to set before removing them from the pan(s).  Garnish with a vegan chocolate ganache and/or pecans.

Delicious!

This was the day I experimented with other flavors...

And the result...

 Vanilla Strawberry from the trio

Chocolate from the trio

Almond Orange from the trio

School has begun!!

So a quick update...Summer is OVER :)

We are now heading into the 3rd week of school, and I can get back on track...in LOTS of areas.

I have several posts I want to write up, it is just finding the time to get it done.  I have been working on a (mostly) raw, vegan cream cake recipe, that has some serious potential to be FANTASTIC!  I also have been taking pictures of the lunches I have been packing for the boys--for those who are interested in some vegan lunch box ideas for kids.  And now that everyone is back on a routine, I can get back to workouts!!  I actually did my first Jillian workout yesterday--and I am a bit sore still tonight.

Well, it is late, and with school back in session...morning comes WAY too early!

Until later <3

Chocolate Banana Checkered Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Here is a picture of the place where all the action happens :)

My favorite place...my kitchen

I have this cool little cake pan set that makes a "checkered" cake super easy...

I mixed up one batch of (vegan) chocolate cake batter, and one batch of (vegan) banana cake batter...

Filled up three of the pans to make the cake using 2 of the same pattern and one opposite pattern.

Once they they were baked, I took them out and cooled them in the freezer (I can be impatient).

 Here are the three layers with the homemade PB frosting.

First layer

Second layer

Third layer

All frosted up :)

And decorated with chocolate ganache and Reese's PB cups.

And now the inside...

Kakaós csiga

I finally did it, Kristof!!  Now, let me explain to the rest of you all.  Kristof is a Hungarian that came to live with us for a while as an exchange student.  He made me promise before he left that I would make Kakaós csiga, a Hungarian "Chocolate Roll".  So here is my attempt...

I had to convert the recipe to US measurements...since in America we have to be different...and at times difficult. ;)  (so this is my "version" of Kakaós csiga)

The Recipe:

Dough
Mix:
2 1/2 C unbleached all purpose flour
1 T. sugar
pinch of salt

Add
2 egg yolks
Warmed 3/4 and 1/8 C almond milk with 1 T. active dry yeast dissolved

Mix until a dough is formed, then let rise for about 1 hr. (should double in size)
 

Divide dough in half and roll out each half into a rectangle (like you would cinnamon rolls)

Brush with melted butter

Mix 6T cocoa powder and 12 T sugar and spread half of this over each rectangle of dough and roll up like a cinnamon roll.  Cut in 1-2 inch sections and place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

Now the finished product with and without powdered sugar :)

My next attempt will be to "veganize" this recipe...not sure if the egg yolks make a difference or not?

Ice "Cream" Cake Project...

I have some friends who are moving from Maryland to Arizona next week, and just realized they have been living here for 2 years and have never tasted our vegan "ice cream".  So their "going away" lunch is Saturday, time to make an ice cream cake (haven't done that in YEARS!).  So I have a "vision" for this cake...I don't want just a plain cake...I want a 2 tier ice cream cake...with fillings and flavors...ambitious...yes! :)  So the plan (for now) is a large "cake" on the bottom made with a layer of almond ice cream then almonds and chocolate chips then topped with a layer of chocolate ice cream.  Then for the second tier, a smaller "cake"   with a layer of almond ice cream then almonds and chopped strawberries, topped with a layer of strawberry ice cream. The actual decorating of the finished product is still being worked out in my head. Now, I can't actually put it all together until Saturday, but I will start this post with what I have so far and update the end result...*fingers crossed*

Mixed up and froze some almond ice cream and spread it in a large springform pan. (all that time at the DQ paid off here)

Then sprinkled a layer of almond and vegan chocolate chips...

Up close...looks so yummy :)

Same almond ice cream in the bottom for the second (smaller) tier.  This time almonds and chopped strawberries sprinkled on top.

yummy :)

Then these guys went into the freezer overnight...

And now, the reason I am up way too late again tonight...mixing and freezing the ice cream for top layers of each cake.  IF I don't do this tonight, the cakes won't be ready to assemble on Saturday, well at least not with the current daytime schedule I've been keeping!

Here is the top layer of chocolate ice 'cream' on the large cake.

....to be continued....

And here it is....

And the lovely family that the cake was made for...I will miss you ALL!!