Chia Peach Frozen Pops (vegan)

Since moving to Michigan, I've appreciated Summer that much more. It seems that the Winter months drag on and on and on and Spring and Summer bring a breath of fresh air. I find myself physically aching for warm weather near the end of a cold spell and longing for warm evenings on the porch or at the beach.

I need to go outside and embrace my Summer! School will be starting before I know it, and soon the Winter will be back, so I need to get my outdoor time in now. I've been enjoying walking, jogging or riding bikes to the lake and walking along the shore. I also love just laying in the backyard or sitting on the porch - the grass is so soft and the sun makes me so happy!

Before I leave though, I'll give you this recipe to help you stay cool.

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You all know by now that I like chocolate, and while I have made chocolate versions of these frozen pops (ummm, chocolate peanutbutter chia please!!) and even fudgiscles, I decided to share a non-chocolate frozen treat with you today! I got the inspiration from a smoothie, really, and thought that fruit chunks in a popsicle would be a fun idea. Besides, it makes them prettier in my opinion.

Of course, you can use any kind of fruit in your pops. I chose peaches, because peaches. I love peaches. But I could imagine using raspberries or blueberries, or anything, really!

Waiting for these babies to freeze is a true test of patience, but they are well worth the wait!

Chia Peach Frozen Pops

what you need:

1 ¼ cup coconut milk

½ cup soy

¼ cup chia seeds

½ - 1 TBSP cane sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)

Canned or fresh peach (or any other fruit, really!)

what to do:

1. Whisk all ingredients except peaches together in a small bowl

2. Let mixture sit for 15-30 minutes, until it has become thick

3. Spoon a bit of the mixture into each popsicle mold.

4. Add fruit as you wish, alternating between the mixture and the fruit

5. Freeze 6 hours, until frozen.

6. To remove, run mold under hot water for 10-15 seconds and pull out carefully. To store, I wrap the pops in parchment paper (separately) and keep them in a freezer bag. You could also get really fancy and grab these plastic sleeves for frozen treats. 

For these treats you may need:

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What do you like doing in the Summer months?

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Chocolate Chai Ice Cream (vegan + gluten free + nut free)

Summer is here and I fully intend on enjoying every last second of it! The problem, however, is that summer only lasts a few weeks before Autumn comes creeping along and I have to break out the coats again. I do love the Fall, but I have been waiting and my body has been aching for sunshine that comes right now. The Winter was so long. So, so long. Thankfully, one can still eat ice cream in the Winter. It's just that it can be enjoyed outside in the Summer. 

The other day, I decided to break out my ice cream maker. You have to understand that I bought it years ago on a whim because it was a good deal. Since getting it, however, I have used it probably a grand total of….thrice. I was never able to achieve the creamy goodness that comes from the store, so I gave up. And then I had no time to experiment. And then it was in our basement still in the box. So yes, it was really time to either use it or lose it. I decided to try my hand at homemade ice cream again. I tried and tried some more until I finally came up with what I’m sharing with you today: a tasty chocolate chai ice cream.

The best part is that there is no dairy in it! I do love ice cream, but the dairy stuff makes me ill.

The base is a coconut cream and chai-infused soy milk mix that is pretty tasty if I do say so myself! It’s also creamy and has the right texture. Beyond that, it is inexpensive to make and will save you $5/pint of the dairy-free stuff at the store. You can’t get much better than that, really.

I wasn’t actually planning to make a chai-infused ice cream. I was just brainstorming flavours and I looked over and saw some loose tea that I had picked up a while back and it hit me:

chai + chocolate = seconds, please!

I already have a ton of ideas for future flavours, so stay tuned as I experiment and develop ice cream-making skills. 

Chocolate Chai Ice Cream (vegan + gluten free)

What you need:

• 2 cups soy milk

• 1 can (15 ounces) coconut cream

• 1 TBSP chai tea (loose tea or 1-2 tea bags)

• ⅓ cup arrowroot powder

• ¼ tsp salt

• ½ tsp vanilla

• ¼ cup cocoa powder

• 2-3 TBSP maple syrup or agave (depending on how sweet you want it)

What to do:

1. Heat 2 cups of soy milk

2. Steep the chai tea in the milk for 10-15 minutes, depending on how strong you want the chai flavour (I used a loose-leaf decaffeinated chai from Teavana)

3. After the tea is done steeping, add it, along with the rest of the ingredients, to a high speed blender. Mix well until there are no clumps

4. Add mixture to a large saucepan, and heat up slowly, continually stirring, until you have a pudding-like consistency.

5. Completely cool the mixture (about 4 hours in the refrigerator)

6. Put into ice cream maker and churn according to instructions

7. Add ice cream to a shallow container and freeze for a few hours. It will stay creamy for a few days in the freezer- just let it sit out for a few minutes after the first day till it softens a bit!

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Have you ever made your own ice cream?

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Creamy Chocolate Ice Pops (vegan + gluten free fudgsicle copycat)

I remember when I was young, my grandparents owned and operated a convenience store in town. In the summer, they would let us have some treats from the freezer and I would always choose a chocolate popsicle. No, this was not a Fudgsicle, but rather a chocolate flavoured popsicle. I don't know if any of you have ever had one, but I loved them.

Then, one day, I did try a Fudgsicle, and I loved it. It was creamy and soft and had so much chocolate goodness - not the watery hardness of my former love. 

Trying to come up with replicating this delicious cold treat has proved quite the task, but I took a cue from my Chocolate Cream Pie and came up with something quite tasty!

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Because of the added arrowroot powder, it helped make it much more creamy and gooey, which, in my humble opinion, is the best part about Fudgsicles. It feels just like eating an actual one - the texture is perfect.

I had some issues getting these babies out of the mould, so they aren't the prettiest, but they sure are tasty!

The best thing about making cold treats is how easy it is to mix things up and come up with fun combinations. I added almond flavour to these pops to add a chocolate almond flavour (my fav!), but you can do whatever you want! I notice that I don't really taste the coconut from the coconut milk when I add flavouring, so I like to skip it sometimes and have a more coconut-chocolate flavour.

Creamy Chocolate Ice Pops

What you need:

• 1 cup coconut milk (full fat works best)

• ¾ cup unsweetend soy milk

• ¼ cup cane sugar (or less, depending on how sweet you want it)

• 1 TBSP arrowroot powder

• 1 ½ TBSP cocoa powder

• ½ tsp almond extract (if you don't like almond flavour, skip this ingredient, or substitute with vanilla or something fun!)

What to do:

1. In a saucepan, whisk together all ingredients, constantly stirring until thick to avoid clumps. 

2. Pour into popsicle mold (I use this one from Amazon) and freeze for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

3. To remove, run mold under hot water for 10-15 seconds and pull out carefully. To store, I wrap the pops in parchment paper (separately) and keep them in a freezer bag.

**Note: I like making these in small batches when I want to make other flavours as well. For a full tray, simply double the recipe!

“Staying cool and refreshed is easier now than ever with these tasty vegan fudgsicles!”

TWEET IT!!

Chocolate Dream Pie (vegan + gluten free)

Since marrying my husband, I’ve become a sucker for chocolate. It’s strange because I was never a huge fan of the creamy stuff. I was more into candies that were sour, gummy, and fruity. Alas, turns out the chocolate in Europe really is good stuff. To top it off, chocolate compliments a lot of different flavours, which makes it pretty versatile in my eyes. AND pure cocoa is technically vegan - as long as there is no added milk, etc.. Win, right? 

I remember tasting my first chocolate cream pie. Since I always loved pudding, it was pretty much a dream come true to have crust added to it too (who doesn’t love a good crust?!). I set out to make one of my own that had no heavy whipping cream in it, but still had a creamy, chocolate texture.

This particular crust came out of sheer need. I didn't feel like wrestling for a flaky crust, and I had some nuts in my freezer and dates in my pantry, so this crust was born. I apologize to those with nut allergies, but you can make the filling with any kind of crust that works for you!

The topping is also DIY optional. I've included a simple recipe below, but if that's not your thing, you do you! I'm constantly switching out things when I cook or bake so I always expect people to do the same. I also know people who stick to the letter of the law when following a recipe, so I've included the steps for each part of the pie below.

Also great about this pie? Aside from the crust, there is no baking required, and is quik to whip up. Just patience while it sets. It makes for the perfect dessert in the summer since it needs to be served cool.

Chocolate Dream Pie (vegan + gluten free)

What you need:

For the Pie Filling:

• 1 ¼ cups original almond milk

• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk

• ⅓ cup cane sugar

• Pinch of salt

• 1 tsp vanilla

• ¼ cup arrowroot powder

• ⅓ cup cocoa powder

For the Crust:

• 1 cup almonds

• 1 cup walnuts

• 1TBSP chopped dates

• 1/2 TBSP maple syrup

• 2 TBSP vegan butter

For the Whipped Topping*:

• 1 can coconut milk refrigerated overnight

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 TBSP maple syrup or agave (to sweeten)

Optional:

Extra cocoa powder and toasted coconut for garnishing

What to do:

To make the crust:

1) Prep pie dish by lining with parchment or greasing and preheat oven to 400 degrees F

2) Put nuts and dates into the food processor and pulse until you have a nice meal consistency

3) Add your mixture to a bowl and mix in the maple syrup and butter well until a dough forms

4) Press dough evenly into prepared pie dish

5) Bake for 12 minutes and allow to completely cool before making the filling

To make the filling:

1) Add everything to a large pot.

2) Bring to slow boil, stirring/whisking constantly to avoid burning and clumping

3) Pour into prepared pie crust

4) Refrigerate for several hours (at least 4 hours) to set 

To make the whipped topping:

1) Right before serving, make the whipped topping by opening coconut milk and scooping out the solid part of it into a chilled bowl (be careful not to get much liquid into your bowl).

2) Add vanilla and maple syrup and whip with hand mixer.

3) Apply to pie as desired - spreading it over the top, or adding a dollop to each piece - really, whatever you want :)

* Note: Alternatively, you can use your favourite store-bought vegan topping

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Are you a fan of cream pies?

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Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (vegan)

Before I got married, I always had this idea in my head about going running with my husband. We would get all cute in our coordinating (but not matching) gear and go down the street. Everyone would look at us and think in their heads: wow, what a healthy power couple!

Yeah, well, reality looks a little different than our imaginations sometimes. The first time we ever went for a run together, I was consistently about 3 blocks behind at all times. I blame it on my short[(er)-than-his] legs. For the last few months, however, we've been running at the same pace and it's been great (especially when deer come out of nowhere and I know I'm not alone....)! I hope the neighbours think we're a healthy power couple. Never mind. 

Also great? The things that happen in our kitchen when I get serious cravings on a productive day. Like Mexican food for a solid week, and fresh cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Or freezer meals that will last a month!

Then there are those times I see brown bananas on the counter and get really excited...

The thing about bananas in our house: they don't last long enough to turn brown. You see, there's a banana-eating machine in our home roaming wild. My husband. It seems as if no matter how many bunches I purchase, they are all gone before those beautiful brown spots even get a chance to develop. So when I see a brown banana? Well, I pounce, and delicious things tend to happen.

When I was growing up, it seemed that the family we carpooled with always had these little chocolate chip banana muffins. This always baffled me because I never associated chocolate with breakfast. At the same time, it intrigued me, and after trying one, I knew that life would never be the same. 

I knew some kind of banana chocolate mix would happen when I saw those brown babies on my counter. I think I have some sort of chocolate theme when it comes to muffins! I have no idea how, but they turned out on the first try - I even gave the bulk of them away!

Without further ado (it's not like you're reading any of this anyway), here is the recipe!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

What you need:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat white flour

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 2 very ripe bananas, mashed

• 1 flax egg (1 TBSP ground flax mixed with 3 TBSP hot water)

• 1 tsp pure almond or vanilla essence

• 1/2 cup vegan butter, melted

• 1/4 cup non-dairy milk (I use non-sweetened almond milk)

• 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips
   

What to do:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease muffin tin (I use olive oil).
2) Prepare flax egg by combining the flax and hot water and leave to sit for five minutes.
3) Mix flour, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl.
4) In a separate bowl, mix mashed bananas, pure almond essence, vegan butter, non-dairy milk and prepped flax egg.
5) Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.
6) Stir in chocolate chips.
7) Distribute the batter evenly into the muffin tin (I'm still working on the even part...)
8) Bake for 25 minutes, until the muffins pass the toothpick test.
9) Remove from oven and cool on rack.

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