Apple Pie Smoothie - Vegan Recipe

National food days... who decides them?  I mean seriously, how is today, April 13th, simultaneously National Fruit Cocktail Day, National Hummus Day AND National Apple Pie Day?  I simply don't get it.

Nonetheless.  This morning I made Liv one of her favorite smoothies, something she dubbed an "Apple Pie Smoothie" way back when she was little.  And don't you know, today just happens to be National Apple Pie Day?

So it seemed fitting to share this creamy, vegan Apple Pie Smoothie recipe with you to include you in our coincidental celebration!

Creamy with Liv's favorite frozen banana, this simple concoction of apples, almond milk, almond butter, cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg sweetened with a splash of pure maple syrup brings the essence of apple pie to your cup.  But without the sugars and fats of the real thing.

Join us as we toast National Apple Pie Day and sip our pie before heading out to start the day.

Apple Bran Flax Muffins from Bob's Red Mill (Back of the package)

I've been in a bit of a cooking rut lately.  With no imagination or inspiration, I see no problem with a bowl of cereal for dinner.  My family, however, sees things differently.

So last week I hit the farmers market and put soup to simmer on the stove.  The house smelled wonderful, which in turn left me feeling motivated and  I set to refilling jars in the pantry.  Nearly tossing the Bob's Red Mill Golden Flax Meal packaging, the recipe on the back caught my eye.

Apples, carrots, raisins and nuts.  Coincidentally every one of those ingredients had also been in my farmer's market basket.

Inspiration set in, and soon the oat bran, flax and flour mixed with a touch of brown sugar and cinnamon to perfectly complement the fresh ingredients.

Placing the muffins into the oven, the aromas soon mixed with the simmering soup and a bona fide meal was about to take place.

Browning beautifully, the baked tender muffins took a rest on the cooling rack and I allowed my motivation to take me to the gym for a quick workout.  Arriving home Liv greeted me with an enthusiastic "Mom!  These muffins are awesome!" as she proceeded to grab another.

Still feeling proud of my inspired soup prep I tossed together a small salad and actually set the table.

However my "Hey guys... what time do you want dinner?" was met with a "Oh... don't worry about dinner Mom.  I had so many muffins I'm not hungry."

Sigh.  At least soup reheats well.

And by the way.. so do the muffins.

Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal

Oatmeal ranks up there as a personal Liv Life favorite.  Be it for breakfast, dinner, or a quick afternoon snack, oatmeal's heartiness leaves me satiated, and it's nutty flavor brings a blank slate just waiting to be adorned.

I can't say the same for Liv though... while she is a fan of oatmeal, it doesn't reach a "favorite" in her ranking.  However, with the proper topping, I can move that ranking pretty darn high.

Topping oatmeal with blueberries and bananas is always a sure hit in her book, but frankly she'd prefer an old favorite - oatmeal with rainbow sprinkles.  As I'm not making rainbow sprinkles a "nutritious part of her everyday breakfast", her next request (months ago) was Cinnamon Apple.

I'd like to say I jumped right on that request, but alas, it went in one ear and out the other.  But thankfully my blogger friends have my back.

This month's Blogger C.L.U.E challenge of "Fall Fruits" sent me searching A Palatable Pastime's index for apples, pears and pumpkins.  And behold... the first thing that jumped out has put me back on the Best Mommy Ever path.

Sue's recipe for Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal is just what my girl-child ordered, and she loved it so much she actually had not one, but two bowls on Labor Day morning.

See?  My blogger friends have me covered, and Sue is simply amazing.  With over 40 years of cooking experience, her specialties lie with heartland and southern cooking.  She's won numerous recipe contests (understandably!), but what caught my eye was a feature on Debbie Field's e-zine.  How cool is that?  (I've had a little crush on Debbie ever since I tried her White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies when I was in college).

In any case, thank you Sue for making me a Super Mommy  in Liv's eyes again.  Your Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal recipe is so much better than anything out of a package and perfect for quick early morning breakfasts.  Liv sends her Apple Cinnamon love!

Don't forget to check out what the rest of the group made for the Fall Fruits Challenge!  
   

Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake

   

Kate from Kate's Kitchen

   

Christiane from Taking on Magazines

   

Heather from girlichef

   

Stacy from Food Lust People Love

   

Lisa from Authentic Suburban Gourmet

   

Alice from A Mama, Baby and Shar-pei in the Kitchen

   

Azmina from Lawyer Loves Lunch

   

Kelli from Kelli's Kitchen

     

Lea Ann from Cooking on the Ranch

   

Anna from annaDishes

   

Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm

   

Debra from Eliot's Eats

   

Lora from Cake Duchess

   

Kathy from A Spoonful of Thyme

   

Rebekah from Making Miracles

   

Lauren from Sew You Think You Can Cook

   

Aly from Cooking in Stilettos

   

Sue from A Palatable Pastime

Arugula Apple Detox Drink

Years ago (like over 25...) my husband mentioned "I wish we could just take a pill for all of our nutritional needs... it would make things so much easier."

Apparently bachelor guys in the Air Force may not have the time or desire during pilot training to really cook, and may perhaps end up eating Lean Cuisine type meals over and over and over for nearly a year.  Hence... the idea of a pill isn't so bad.

Me??  Growing up with a dad in the restaurant business (Dad had the Windjammer in Tiburon, CA if you happen to remember it) spoiled me rotten, and I found the idea of living on a pill somewhat appalling.  As such I've spent these 25 years showing my husband that food is a good thing, it can not only be nutritionally sound but also tasty, satisfying and fun.

I'm happy to say he's come around, and I actually laugh as he works with me to plan our vacations around researched restaurants.  He's done wonderfully well enjoying and looking forward to food until an issue about a year ago.

Last Christmas we gifted ourselves one of those super powerful blenders and began blending up all sorts of tasty drinks.  Until my husband began blending, that is.  Reverting to his old ways, he felt that the more he put into one blended drink, the healthier it was, and it didn't matter how it tasted.

And trust me... it didn't taste good.  The color of mud and with essence of grass clippings, he stuffed so much "healthy stuff" into the drinks no one else could - or would even try to - get them down.

Back to basic training, I've been working to show him that certain flavors work better together, and that perhaps stuffing an entire day's nutrition into one blended drink might not be the optimal idea.  He grumbled at first, then muttered, "Fine... see if you can do better."

So I did.

Enter the Arugula Apple Detox Drink.  Just 7 ingredients plus ice, yet bringing a few superfoods together to provide a super healthy, one has an enjoyable green drink.

After a weekend of indulging I often find the need to fill myself with healthy ingredients, and I find this green drink a nice way to start the day, or perhaps to finish a day off.

But... best music to my ears?  

"Honey... can you make that blended drink you made the other day??  You know... the one that didn't taste like grass clippings??"   My work here is done. 

Banana Apple Spice Bread... Pure Comfort!

What are some of the words of wisdom that you've passed to your kids over the years??  Things like, "Make good choices" or "If you don't have anything nice to say don't say it" or "Don't settle for someone who doesn't treat you like a Princess"... etc. etc.  Or how about, "Choose your senior yearbook photo carefully because 30 years from now the committee may put it on a name tag at your reunion."

The last piece of advice I learned firsthand last weekend when I attended my 30th (gasp!  Yes... 30th) High School Reunion.

We were the Class of '83, a time when Swatch's were used to tell time not cell phones, when The Moonwalk was cooler than Twerking, and when no one knew who Anakin Skywalker was but we all wanted an Ewok for a pet.

1983 also brought a young Tom Cruise to the scene in Risky Business, an awesome Vacation with Clark Griswald, and a flood of tears when watching Aurora in Terms of Endearment.  And "What a Feeling" it was to see Jennifer Beals in Flash Dance (yes... I had a shirt just like hers!).  I also wanted one of those Vegemite Sandwiches from a land "Down Under", and I really wanted to know... who was Billy Jean?

In any case... we've all come a long way, and what it treat it was to see nearly half of my graduating high school class.  With 30 years passing, those name tags really did come in handy as we all tried to covertly peek (not so easy without putting on those reading glasses we didn't want anyone to know we use) so we didn't seem to have forgotten anyone.

The girls were gorgeous and the men handsome as ever, and for the most part friends picked up where they left off at the last reunion.  At this point in our lives most of us are comfortable in our own skin and just happy to see old friends.  Laughter could be heard the whole night through and many of us had a hard time saying goodnight.

All this is a testament to our incredible reunion committee.  Putting in months of work so the rest of us could fly in at the last minute to enjoy a wonderful evening, the committee put together an incredible event.

Friends for over 35 years...  Love you Suzanne!!

Arriving on my own and admittedly a little nervous (would anyone really remember me?), the first face I saw immediately put me at ease with a big smile and a welcoming hug.  Thank you, thank you to the committee for all the work you put into the evening and for immediately making me feel comfortable.  Thanks to the wonderful friends I hadn't seen in years, I enjoyed catching up with each and every one of you... I'm eagerly looking forward to our 40th! How lucky am I to be a part of such a wonderful group of people??

And comfortable is exactly how this bread will make you feel.  Bringing the soothing flavors of fall, this Banana Apple Spice Bread studded with soft chunks of cinnamony apple will leave you with a smile on your face and a friend in anyone you choose share it with.

Banana Apple (Banapple) Spice Cookies

The last remaining cookie....

What's the sign of an exceptional cookie?  Texture?  Taste?  Or maybe the two combined?  For these Banana Apple Spice Cookies, the sure sign of awesomeness became the speed at which they vanished.

With two batches baked in the last 3 days, I have only this lonely, single cookie remaining to show for my efforts.  Well, the proper word is "had".  I ate this one within mere minutes after confirming I had decent enough photos to publish, and I now have a shopping list of ingredients to fulfill the requested 3rd batch.

Soft and with a delightful crumb, no one knew these apple studded beauties included spelt flour or that much of the fat was cut out with the use of mashed bananas and apple sauce.  Easy to whip together with a stand mixer, a good wooden spoon and a bowl will also do the trick.

With such a wonderful response, I'm thrilled to submit these cookies to the first installment of the new monthly Creative Cookie Exchange.  Created by Laura, of The Spiced Life, my kids are more than excited about my participation in this group, and this month we kick off with "Back to School Cookies", or in our case, Banapple Spice Cookies.

<center> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Creative-Cookie-Exchange-hosted-by-The-Spiced-Life-and-At-Home-with-Rebecka/148873331987243" target="_blank"><img alt="Creative Cookie Exchange" src="http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy124/BiteMySweetTarts/3329aec3-6749-4ab7-8af953332dfb9487_zps437070c3.jpg"/></a></center>

Lately I've been all about healthy eating, and cookies and baked goods have been sparse in our household (hence the constant drone, "There's nothing good to around here!").  However, working with the ingredients in these irresistible Back to School Bites, I've managed to do both - low fat cookies filled with fruits and a bit of whole grains that are positively irresistible.  Everyone wins with these guys.  Enjoy!

DIY Homemade Apple Pie Spice

Remember you can follow Liv Life on  Bloglovin'!!

My well stocked baking pantry covers nearly every spice imaginable... but throw in an spice mix like Apple Pie Spice or Pumpkin Pie Spice and I don't have it.  Hence, I find myself skipping over fabulous recipes simply because I don't have the required spice mix on hand.

Last year's successful creation of a DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice mix though, (which I found myself actually using all year round) has led me to put together an equally fragrant and wonderfully cinnamony Apple Pie Spice Mix.

With a few simple ingredients you most likely have in your baking pantry, a last minute run to the store is eliminated when the ingredient "Apple Pie Spice" is called for.  Easily altered to your taste preference, this mix is nice to have a little jar on hand ready for baking.

Whisking the 5 ingredients together sends hints of baked apple goods through the kitchen, and although I'm in no way ready for fall, I'm ready to use those fresh apples that are beginning to show up at our local farmer's markets.

Apple Cinnamon Crepes

Happy National Crepe Day!

February 2nd

How many 12 year olds to you know who come home from school starving and ready for an afternoon snack?  Lots, I'm sure.  But how many 12 year olds do you know who come from school and whip up a batch of crepes??  I credit our Liv Life blog for inspiring my 12 year old to think outside of the pbj sandwich box and for teaching her to make crepes on her own when she wants them.

Our crepe journey began shortly after we launched Liv Life and has grown and considerably improved along the way.  Our first attempts, a lovely strawberry version, produced good, but somewhat gummy (though we didn't realize it at the time) crepes.  When filled with market fresh organic strawberries and topped powdered sugar, though, they were absolutely divine.

Over the years we've continued to use our original recipe, simply tweaking it here and there, learning about the importance of the rest period (allow the batter to rest for about 1 hour after mixing), and adding chocolate on occasion.  However last weekend Liv suggest trying something new... just for fun.

Turning to my buddy (he doesn't know he's my buddy... but he is), Alton Brown, who had just done a piece on crepes on his tv show, I headed to the Food Network for his recipe.  Following his directions to a "T", I forwent my whisk in place of a blender and gave the batter a 10 second whirl as directed.  The batter then received a good hour plus rest in the fridge, and we were ready.

Setting our small nonstick skillet on the stove (Alton says there is no need for a real crepe pan), we heated the pan and swirled in a small amount of butter.  I then ladled a small amount of batter and set once again to swirling.  Hardly believing my eyes, I found I had just produced the thinnest crepe in all of my "extensive" crepe making experience! Not only was it thin, but the first crepe of the batch actually turned out beautifully and didn't have to be sacrificed as many of my first crepes do.

In my excitement, I may have become slightly too exuberant.  Turning to show Liv our beautiful crepe, my elbow hit the ladle sticking out of the blender and that is when the slow motion began.  Ever so slowly the blender began to tip, the batter began to fly and the ladle began to drop.  I must say I don't think I've ever before spread a spill in the kitchen a clean 8 feet, so this was indeed a day of firsts.  And tears.  Well, not really tears, but a very disappointed (and slightly miffed) 12 year old girl who only had one crepe and now had another hour to wait for more.

BSS | Breakfast Interrupted from Bruton Stroube Studios on Vimeo.

This video from Bruton Stroube give an example of our kitchen during The Spill! 

I can confidently say that waiting that hour before making your crepes is a good idea.  We now have first hand experience with a beautiful, well rested batter versus a 30 minute - we can't wait any longer - slightly rested batter.  While the new batch was good, the first and more rested batch was better.  Since our spill day, we have made crepes time and again, and yes, the crepes are worth the wait.

Apple Rings with Peanut Butter and Krispies, an old Girl Scout favorite!

Peanut butter may very well be my "Nectar of the Gods".  Spanning the years our relationship has grown from the plain but perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich I had almost daily to Peanut Butter Pies, Peanut Butter Cookies, Peanut Butter Smoothies and Peanut Satay.  Basically, if it has peanut butter in it I'm most likely going to love it, and somehow that peanut butter gene was passed on to my kids.  When an offer from Foodbuzz's Tastemaker Program and Planter's came across to try Planter's new creamy peanut butter the "Yes, please!" was a no brainer.

After receiving our notification that the peanut butter was in the mail however, I got just a bit worried.  I've been very brand loyal to my peanut butter for over 30 years, would it be OK to try something new?  What if I didn't like it, what would I say?  Thankfully I didn't have to worry.

First out of the package we did the ultimate peanut butter taste test... right off a spoon.  Rich, peanut flavor melted in our mouths and all three of us reached for a second taste.  Slightly creamier than I'm used to, but that might actually be a good thing.

Secondly, the peanut butter sandwich.  My BFF since the 7th grade when I complained to my mom about the lunch she had packed and she gently (but in no uncertain terms) informed me that I could be in charge of my own lunch henceforth.  PB&J's came to school with me daily for years and I never tired of them.  And Planter's Peanut Butter did indeed pass the PB&J test with flying colors!

While peanut butter is indeed caloric, it holds an important role in our diets with health benefits including a high protein score, monounsaturated fats which eaten in moderation have been shown to help reduce "bad" cholesterols, and fairly high quantities of dietary fiber - again helping to regulating both blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels.  A good source of energy, peanut butter is a food I try to get Liv to eat on hectic dance rehearsal days to get her through the long hours of practice with fuel to spare.

Not only healthy in moderation, peanut butter seems to be popular with most of the kids I have come in contact with and one of our favorite Girl Scout snacks included apples, peanut butter and some sort of krispie cereal.  I believe that I started out with plain puffed rice cereal, but somewhere along the line the cereal of choice turned to a chocolate puffed rice and we've just let that one be.

In short, apples are sliced into rounds, the center cut out (did you know that the cross cut of an apple showing the seeds is an adorable flower??  These are good for making paint stamps, just fyi) and spread with peanut butter.  A bit of a messy job, but something that the kids can do on their own and then top with the crunchy cereal.

Peanut Butter, apples and cereal... a fun snack that mom is happy with.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Onions

Making this dish last night the kids asked what's for dinner.  I replied "Pork chaaaps and apple shaaauuusssse".  They looked at me like I had finally gone over the edge (they've been expecting it for years) as I laughed and told them that they just didn't get it.  Close your eyes and say it... Pork chaaaps and apple shaaauce.  If you are a girl in my age range the phrase will take you back about 35 years.

Did you guess it?

In any case... our Pork Tenderloin with Apple and Onions is an updated version of Alice's recipe.  Seared on the stove, then topped with mustard and a few herbs and finished off in the oven along with the sautéed apples and onions, this easy dinner is a good choice on those busy school nights.  Add a quick salad and a slice of bread and you are set!  Now if only we had Alice to do the dishes....  =)

Puffed Apple Pancake

My fairly short food blogging stint has been more amazing than I ever could have imagined.  I have made friends and contacts from around the world, been exposed to endless fresh recipes and ideas, and had more heartwarming comments than I can count.  Tracy, of Tracy's Living Cookbook has recently added to the heartwarming comments by awarding me the Stylish Blogger Award!  Thank you Tracy, you made my day and I am most certainly honored to be among those on your list.

In receiving this award I am to list 7 things about myself and forward the award on to 7 recently discovered (to me!) bloggers.  So here it goes!

1. I was a Girl Scout Leader for 5 years during Liv's elementary school days.  I had over 25 girls pass through our troop over the years and watching these girls grow up has been one of the most rewarding experiences that I've ever had!
2. I am originally from San Rafael, just north of San Francisco.  My dad had a restaurant, the Windjammer, in Tiburon while I was growing up and I have wonderful memories of being treated as a princess by the waiters when we visited.  (Maybe that's where my foodie roots started!)
3. I don't like cold weather or the snow... it's OK for a quick visit, but given the choice I'd rather live in Hawaii.
4. I don't ski or surf very well, but based on the prior comment, I'd rather surf (so long as the water is not too cold!).  I paddle around on my board every year here along our San Diego coast and love the feeling of "catching a wave", but I have yet to actually "hang 10"!  =)
5. I love to read and am having anxiety at changing over to a Kindle.
6. I love the smell of garlic on my fingers after I chop it.
7.  I recently purchased my first jar of Nutella and I am totally addicted!!!

Now to pass this award on.  The following 7 blogs have been recently discovered by me and I've truly enjoyed getting to know the writers:


Colleen from Souffle Bombay. Colleen has a wonderful sense of humor that shows through in her writing.  I look forward to her witty posts and mouthwatering recipes.

Letizia from Letizia Golosa.  Letizia's recipes are simply amazing and her photos are stunning.  Her homemade Nutella recipe made me swoon!

Sophia & Suri's Place.  While this is not a food blog, I have truly enjoyed reading about the adventures of these adorable little girls.  Now that my kids are getting older I'm having to live vicariously through others...  The story about the Disney box had me laughing out loud!

Kim of Kimba's Kitchen.  What a wonderful blog!!  Kim is living in Australia and is torturing me with her fresh, beautiful summer recipes!  Her recent and stunning Mixed Red Berry Mascarpone Cheesecake dessert left me breathless.

While this blog is not really new to me, the word "Stylish" more than applies.  Amber at Sprinkled with Flour exemplifies style when it comes to her lovely recipes and well written posts.  She recently passed me the "One Lovely Blog Award" and I couldn't have been more honored.

Another blog that exemplifies style is Sweet Pea's Kitchen.  Beautiful photos to go with her tempting recipes.  I found her recent Pumpkin Roll simply amazing!

Felice at All That's Left are the Crumbs is another blog with style.  Living in Hawaii I'm totally envious of her and she has some amazing recipes to boot!  Most recently the Chai Snickerdoodles... amazing!

And last but not least, I'd like to also pass this award on to Hester at "Comida es me vida Y my vida es comida!"  Hester always leaves me the most wonderful comments and always makes me smile.  She has some absolutely wonderful recipes on her blog, one of my most recent favorites being her Fritata Papa, my mouth waters just thinking about it!

Thank you again to Tracy for passing this award to me!

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Now on the our Puffed Apple Pancake!

With Thanksgiving break almost over, Liv and I decided to try something new and a little special this morning.  Her eyes lit up as she discovered a recipe for an Apple Puffed Pancake.  We altered ingredients to suit our tastes, and came up with a lovely last day of Thanksgiving Break treat!

Flavored with pure maple syrup and cinnamon, this clafoutis-like treat is somewhat reminiscent of Apple Pie.  With such a small amount of flour added this recipe was almost almost custard-like in texture, the tender slices of cinnamon apple giving a wonderful flavor addition.  A dusting of powdered sugar mixed with a dash of cinnamon was the perfect topping to this fresh from the oven treat!