Recipes – Changing My Destiny (2024)

If you caught my recent 32 in 32 post, the first item on the list was to be Vegetarian. Truth be told, I transitioned to a Vegetarian lifestyle a few weeks ago, but it’s been a struggle. I don’t miss meat, at all. In fact my diet previously was primarily vegetarian, but I apparently psyched myself out. Since saying the words, “I’m Vegetarian”, I’ve gone blank on meal ideas. I’ve been eating lots of homemade Pita chips and hummus…but a girl can’t live on hummus alone (no matter how delicious it is).

Enter Plated…and no, this is not a sponsored post or a referral link. I signed up with Plated months ago and have made a few meals from them, all delicious. So when I needed meal ideas, I ordered a few vegetarian meals from Plated to try out. They send you nearly every items you need to make the meal and the recipe card. The only thing I had to supply was some water, an egg, and some olive oil. I will admit this can be an expensive option which is why I don’t use it regularly, but it was incredibly helpful to have some help when I needed it this week.

This particular meal was Quinoa Cakes with Pan Roasted Mushrooms. Simple. You can probably find hundreds of similar recipes on Pinterest…in fact, check here, I did a quick search for you.

Plated provided the mushrooms, quinoa, onion, breadcrumbs, pecorino cheese, chives, thyme, and a pad of butter.

While the Quinoa was cooking with the onions, I used the butter to pan roast the mushrooms. Then added some fresh thyme near the end of cooking.

Once the quinoa was cooked, it was mixed with an egg, garlic, pecorino cheese, chives, and breadcrumbs; then formed into 4 patties (this recipe was service for 2).

Sautéed in a little oil for about 4 minutes per side. I was worried they would fall apart when flipping, but they stayed together surprisingly well.

Finished cakes topped with mushrooms, chives and a little sour cream (I added the cream, it was not in the recipe).

It was delicious and filling. Exactly what I needed to break out of my hummus rut. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow for lunch. I plan on making some more cakes, with my own twist on the recipes which I hope to share on here in the near future.

What are some of your favorite vegetarian/vegan meals? Feel free to link your own blog below in the comments if you have Vegetarian/Vegan friendly posts that I can check out! Or share your favorite Vegetarian/Vegan blogs, those would be helpful too.

I have the most delicious (and nutritious) treat to share with you today, and it’s ridiculously simple to make. I’m constantly on the look out for ways to make everyday foods/meals healthier, and I’m always excited to find quick & healthy snacks.

Many already know that Almonds (in moderation) are an nutrient dense food that can greatly benefit a healthy diet. The contain protein, fiber, and omega fatty acids just to name a few of their many nutrition stats. However, something I learned from researching raw food diets, is that you really aren’t getting the most out of your almonds if you eat them dry. Soaking the almonds first (generally overnight) will make them easier to digest, thus allowing the body to better absorb all the nutrients.

The information below is from the Food Matters Website, and was included in an excellent article about The Benefits of Soaking Nuts and Seeds. Be sure to check it out if you want more information, it touches on more than just almonds.

Why soak nuts, grains and seeds?

• 1. To remove or reduce phytic acid.
• 2. To remove or reduce tannins.
• 3. To neutralize the enzyme inhibitors.
• 4. To encourage the production of beneficial enzymes.
• 5. To increase the amounts of vitamins, especially B vitamins.
• 6. To break down gluten and make digestion easier.
• 7. To make the proteins more readily available for absorption.
• 8. To prevent mineral deficiencies and bone loss.
• 9. To help neutralize toxins in the colon and keep the colon clean.
• 10. To prevent many health diseases and conditions.

In my opinion, Almonds are much, MUCH tastier this way as well. As an extra health bonus, I dusted them with ground cinnamon which has its own host of health benefits. Notice I said just ground cinnamon, not cinnamon sugar. You could also use raw cacao, a little chipotle, or another spice that you prefer.

Get Creative!

The visual difference between dry almonds (left) and soaked almonds (right). The soaked almonds will have a softer texture, but will still have a crunch to it. If you avoided almonds in the past because you disliked the ‘jaw breaking crunch’, give them another chance after soaking.

The recipe is simple, and there are NO specific measurements needed. Just put a serving of raw (not roasted or seasoned) almonds in a sealable container. A plastic bag will work just fine, but I prefer to use something with a lid. Cover the almonds with water and place in fridge overnight (or for about 12 hours). In the morning, drain and rise the almonds. At this point they are ready to eat, or season them.

Add your spices. I added about 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to 1/2 Cup of almonds.

You can keep uneaten, soaked almonds in the fridge for about 24-48 hours before they will begin to mold. Since they don’t have a long shelf life, you should avoid making large batches unless you know they will be eaten right away. Unfortunately this isn’t something you can make on Sunday, and eat throughout the week.

For those that would like the health benefits of a soaked almond, but prefer the dry texture, you can dry them in a dehydrator for longer term storage.

Enjoy!

I’d love to know if any of you have tried this method, or if you try this recipe. What other seasonings have you used?

*I have purposely tried to not use the phrase, ‘soak your nuts’ in this post, because…well…I’d like to avoid the pervy Google Spam Bots. But let’s face it, that’s exactly what I want you to do from now on…soak your nuts people!

**I also apologize for the inconsistent lighting in the photographs. It’s driving me crazy too.

Having been gone from this blog for so long, has not only been upsetting for me (I miss this space!), but also a bit daunting. I’ve sat down multiple times to write a ‘I’m back’ post and I couldn’t figure out what to say. I’m sure that’s not an uncommon feeling for bloggers that have to take a break away from the web. Sometimes the words just don’t flow so well…

I don’t have any extraordinary reason as to why I stopped blogging lately. Life and work have been overwhelming (we’re going through layoffs again), and I honestly didn’t feel like I had anything interesting to share. I hadn’t completed many projects around the house and I wasn’t trying any new recipes. Life felt more than a little boring. So, instead of boring you with the mundane catch up…let’s just move on, shall we? In the past few weeks I’ve been getting back into home projects and I have a few fun crafts planned. I’ve redone the backyard grass planters which I’ll post about soon. That post will answer the multitude of questions that have been emailed to me about the project. I never knew so many of you would benefit from a ‘growing grass on concrete’ project, so hopefully that future post will answer some of your questions. Click here if you have no idea what I’m talking about. I’ve also made some progress on the office and made a few other tweaks around the house. More on that soon…

One fun thing I’ve done lately (blogging wise) is start up a new Instagram account. I’ve mentioned my love of beauty, makeup, skincare on the blog in the past. I’ve even done a few monthly favorite posts, but I wasn’t thrilled with those. Instead I’ve started up a dedicated beauty Instagram account where I can chat all things beauty, share my likes (and dislikes), etc. For anyone that wants to follow me, you can find me @evolovelybeauty. For the blog, I thought I’d share a recap from time to time along with any of my favorite posts/tips.

So today, is a little weekly beauty recap and a recipe!

My favorite post of the week was sharing how I start my day, detox style. Each morning I get up and make the drink below while the pup is eating. I drink this along with a probiotic capsule, then wait 30-60 minutes before eating. I started doing this in September and have seen a dramatic difference in my skin since doing so. I used to get hormonal cystic acne regularly and that has completely cleared up. I have not had a single cystic spot since drinking this at the start of my day. My skin is brighter, clearer, and overall I just feel better. My mom also drinks this and has seen a big difference as well.

I created this recipe using other detox drinks as a guide. You have probably heard of people drinking hot water with lemon, or taking a Ginger Bomb. This is essentially a combination of those drinks. It’s something that works for me.

Morning Detox Drink:

If you’re not used to drinking Apple Cider Vinegar, this can take some getting used to. Thanks to the other ingredients, it’s not overwhelmingly strong in this drink. You can alter the amount of water you use while you get used to the taste. Add more in the beginning if you need to, just be sure to drink the whole thing.

The Basics

1-2 Cups Water (I prefer hot, like for tea…but you can also drink this iced/cold if you prefer the taste that way)

1 Tablespoon Organic Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Raw Organic Honey

Juice of 1/2 a fresh Lime (you can also use a lemon, I just prefer the lime)

Add all ingredients, stir and drink. I prefer to drink with a straw, and while I don’t chug it, I do drink it all rather quickly. It’s not something I like to sip on…you get the point.

Give it the best ability to absorb by not eating for 30-60 minutes after you finish the drink.

The Optional Additions:

After I had been drinking the above for about 2 months, I started adding the below. You may choose to skip these, or maybe you prefer to add them from the start. I’ll leave that to your discretion. Please note that with all the ingredients, do your own research (or talk to your doctor) to find out if these ingredients would be beneficial to you.

1/8 teaspoon of Ground Turmeric (I’m slowing adding more over time, it’s a strong taste)

1/8 teaspoon Ground Ginger (I’ll probably slowly up this amount over time as well)

The other 1/2 of fresh lime (so that you are juicing the entire lime into you drink each morning)

Mix well and drink.

Like a lot of super healthy things, I don’t always jump out of bed excited to drink this. But more often than not, I crave it. I’ve seen such a dramatic difference in my health (and particularly my skin), that I don’t really want to give it up.

In other beauty news lately…these are a few insta-posts from the last week! You can read the specifics of each picture over at Instagram!

I really liked participating in WIAW last week so I’m back this week. This is a very typical day of eats for me so I thought it was a good day to share. I received a few requests for the Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal recipe I showed last week, so I’ve included that info below. It’s a really easy recipe that guarantees a healthy and hearty breakfast on the fly.

Breakfast

Speaking of Apple Cinnamon Oats…I was in a rush for breakfast this morning so I grabbed one from the fridge. I added a dash of coconut milk and microwave it for 2 minutes, I find that it revives really well. Coffee was necessary and I’m currently loving the KCup Mocha Coconut from Donut Shop with frothed organic milk, topped with a dash of cocoa powder. Then I grabbed a handful of Rainer cherries on the side. Cherries are my FAVORITE fruit so I eat them in bulk during their limited season.

Apple Cinnamon CrockPot Steel Cut Oats

Serves: 4

1 Cup uncooked steel cut oats

1 T Ground Cinnamon (adjust this to your personal taste, 1 Tablespoon is quite strong)

2 medium apples, cored and chopped (I left the skin on)

1 Cup Vanilla Coconut Milk

2.5 Cups Water (I like my oats drier, if you prefer, you can increase the water to 3 cups). You can also use all milk or all water for this recipe.

Add all ingredients to the Crockpot and cook on low overnight. I put mine in at about 11:30pm and it was ready when I came down for breakfast at around 8am. That’s it, super simple and delicious.

Snack

In between morning calls I grabbed a small apple (anyone else love those bags of little apples at Trader Joe’s?), sliced Rotisserie chicken, and a glass of VitaminWater Zero in Revive. I tend to run incredibly low on potassium and the Revive water has no calories, no sugar, and 880mg of potassium. So lately I try to drink one bottle over the course of the day.

Lunch

Lunch was my go to salad. Trader Joe’s sells cooked, seasoned chicken breasts in their prepackaged food case. They’re a little higher than I like in sodium, but they’re are incredibly convenient. This salad had one chopped chicken breast, about 3 cups of Romaine lettuce, 2 Tablespoons of grated parmesan, and 2 Tablespoon of Trader Joe’s Cilantro Dressing. Sometimes I add some black beans, but today I kept it simple, and paired it with a big glass of unsweetened iced tea.

Dinner

This dinner was a total win and really very simple as well. It’s a bed of brussel sprouts (sautéed with a bit of coconut oil), black beans, and feta cheese tossed with a little Italian dressing. I topped the sprouts with a piece of (premade) Macadamia Nut crusted Mahi Mahi. I buy the fish in the freezer section at Costco and they are DELICIOUS! I know frozen fish can get a bad wrap in terms of taste, but this is the best I’ve ever had, I absolutely love them. Not pictured, I had another glass of the VitaminWater.

Dessert

After dinner, I had the last of my angel food cake topped with fat free whip cream and fresh blueberries. Too good for words.

So that’s it. I did have an eBoost around 5pm and I finished the VitaminWater after working out later that evening, but otherwise this was everything I ate. Oh, and I don’t usually take pictures of the water I drink, but I down a lot of water over the course of the day in addition to the beverages above, usually around 12+ glasses. For those that know I’m trying to lose weight, this is very typical of what I eat, though I usually leave out the angel food cake. This was about 1500 calories, 32g fat, 110g protein, and 30g fiber. If you want to see more of my daily eats, let me know…or you can follow me on instagram. I don’t post every meal, but I share quite a few.

Follow @AddisonShaw on Instagram

I’m enjoying a rare Monday off and I thought it was a great time to try out a new smoothie recipe. With the warm weather, this cold fruity smoothie is a delicious start to the day. I added whey protein powder since this was my breakfast, but you could leave it out if protein powder isn’t your thing. I actually like the texture with the protein powder since it thickens the drink, I haven’t found it grainy at all. I use Tera’s Whey Organic brand, Bourbon Vanilla for this recipe.

Adapted from the Vitamix Recipe Booklet

Serves: 1-2

1/2 Cup Vanilla Coconut Milk

1 Cup Frozen Grapes

1/2 Cup Fresh Pineapple

2 Scoops Tera’s Whey Vanilla Protein Powder

1 Medium Frozen Banana

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

3 Cups Baby Spinach

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Enjoy straight up or with a little granola on top.

Costco had the Vitamix blender in stock about 2 weeks ago. The last time I saw them there was nearly 3 years ago and I didn’t have the cash to pick one up back then which was a bummer. I’ve been duct taping my magic bullet together lately, waiting for it to die, so I couldn’t pass up the chance to score the super blender at a great price.

This recipe make one very large smoothie which I use as a meal replacement or 2 smaller smoothies which can compliment a regular meal. I built the recipe in the MyFitnessPal tool and the large smoothie has about 334 calories, 5g fat, 25g protein, 7g fiber, 53g carbs, and 40g sugar.

I have a new toy! Recently I purchased a rice cooker at Target because I wanted a way to make cooking grains easier while I’m at work. I don’t eat rice very often, but I do eat Quinoa, Oatmeal, and Lentils all the time. The Rice Cooker has made the whole lentil/quinoa cooking process so much easier.

I never knew these Green lentils could be so easy, versatile, and delicious!

Makes: 8 Cups

1 Cup uncooked green lentils

1 Cup uncooked (rinsed) Quinoa

3.75 Cups Water

dash of salt (you can always add more later, so go easy)

This recipe will make the basic Lentil/Quinoa mix. Once cooked you can add anything you want. If you want more flavor to the basic mix, you can use chicken/veggie broth in place of the water.

Add all the ingredients to the rice cooker.

I set my cooker for the ‘Brown Rice’ setting then went back to work. I believe it only cooks for about 45 minutes, but I can’t tell you exactly because the rice cooker takes care of that for me. When it’s done, it switches to a ‘Keep Warm’ mode until I turn it off. I actually left it for a few hours since I had several back to back meetings. It wasn’t overcooked at all when I finally unplugged the machine.

Follow the instructions for your specific machine when deciding what setting to use.

I store it in the fridge and eat it over the course of the week. It goes well with so many things. The flavor is a little nutty, but otherwise very neutral.

• Add salsa and eat it with eggs
• Added cinnamon and mixed it with oatmeal
• Mix with a little feta and roasted veggies for a vegetarian main course or serve along side Fish/Chicken/Steak
• Throw a scoop into your favorite salad or soup for a protein/fiber boost
• Use it as a replacement for rice in a Stir Fry

Today for lunch I mixed it with some grated parmesan cheese, a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, and some chopped cherry tomatoes. Next time I might even mix in some sausage to add a bit of spice.

Absolutely Delicious!

Nutritional stats are pretty damn awesome too. 1 cup of the Lentil/Quinoa Mix has about 170 calories, 29g carbs, 1g fat, 9g protein, and 9g fiber. I used the MyFitnessPal recipe creator to get these stats and it doesn’t account for any other ingredients you may mix in for flavor.

Bon Appétit!

Back in November I made my first batch of Rustic Homemade Bread. I’m still quite impressed with myself. Since then, I’ve made two other loaves. One loaf was white cheddar and Jalapeño, and gifted to my parents. I don’t like Jalapeños but I’m told it was delicious. For myself, I recently made a loaf of wheat protein bread as a healthy morning alternative to store bought bread. I wanted a version that was hearty, and had several grams of protein per slice. I used a mix of All Purpose Flour, Whole Wheat Flour, and Hemp Protein.

I topped it with some old fashioned oats.

Don’t be turned off by the fact that it’s slightly green, the color is from the hemp protein. The basic recipe is from Simply So Good, I just replaced some of the all purpose flour for some whole wheat flour and hemp protein powder. For the protein powder, I used Nutiva – Organic Hemp Protein which I originally found in a single serve packet at Sprouts. You only need 3 Tablespoons per loaf of bread, so the packet has more than enough. Be sure to check out Janet’s blog post for great step by step pictures.

The finished loaf is dense and chewy, excellent with almond butter or jam. To preserve the loaf, I froze 2/3 of the loaf after slicing and only kept 1/3 in the pantry at a time. Overall, I love this recipe and plan to make is regularly in the future.

Healthy Rustic Wheat Protein Bread

Servings: About 14 slices

Adapted from Simply So Good

2.5 Cups While Unbleached Flour (remove 3 Tablespoons of flour)

1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour

3 Tablespoons Nutiva – Organic Hemp Protein

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon Instant Yeast

1 1/2 Cups Water

1/4 cup old fashioned oatmeal

• In a large bowl combine the first 5 ingredients (both flours, hemp powder, salt, and yeast). Whisk until well mixed.

• Add the water and stir gently to combine with a rubber spatula. I sometimes need to add a little more water if the dough appears too dry. The dough should be slightly sticky and will look like a messy blob.

• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set to rest on the counter for 12-18 hours (I always leave it overnight). The dough will rise, mine usually doubles in size.

• In the morning (or after the dough has rested for at least 12 hours), preheat the oven to 450 degrees. You’ll need a oven safe pot with lid, big enough to accommodate the the bread. I use a standard stainless steel roasting pan (grill removed), with lid. A large oven safe casserole dish will also work as long as it has a lid. Once the oven is pre-heated, place the pot, with lid, in the oven for 30 minutes to pre-heat.

• Once you put the pot in the oven, place the dough on a heavily floured surface. At this point add the oatmeal to the top and press lightly to help it stick. Cover with the plastic wrap and let it rest for the 30 minutes (until the pot is pre-heated).

• After 30 minutes, remove the pot from the oven…CAREFULLY. That sucker will be almost 500 degrees so please be VERY careful.

• Place the the dough into the pot and cover with lid. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid, and bake an additional 15 minutes. [Tip: with floured hands, shape the dough slightly before placing in the pot. You can fold the edges under slightly, creating a rounded ball and the finished bread will stay in more of a dome shape. I ‘plopped’ the first batch into the pot and it baked into a very flat loaf.]

I was able to slice it into 14 pieces. Nutritional stats are pretty decent at about 103 calories slice, 0 grams of fat, 4 grams of protein, and 1 gram of fiber. Of course that will vary depending on how many slices you get from your loaf.

Enjoy!

A few weeks back I mentioned that I bought some plain Greek yogurt for dog treats and I received an overwhelming amount of email asking me how I was turning the yogurt into dog treats. So here ya go! This is basically my version of those fancy frozen dog treats that you can buy at the grocery store. My pup loves those, but they are expensive and cost about $5 for 4 frozen treats. This homemade version ensures that no additional sugar/additives in the treats, and makes about a dozen that you can keep in your freezer.

This recipe is also very versatile, and you can swap in different ingredients that you might have on hand. For example, pumpkin would be great option instead of the banana. My dog also loves broccoli, I might try that one day and see if he eats it.

Homemade Frosty Dog Treats

16oz Plain Greek Yogurt

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter

1 banana (or 1/2 cup pumpkin, etc)

The steps are super simple. You’re just going to add everything to a bowl, and mash to combine.

Don’t worry about getting the mixture completely smooth. It’s perfectly fine to have some banana chunks in it.

You will likely draw a small crowd at this point of fur children begging to lick the bowl. I cave every time and let him lick the bowl when I’m done, he loves it.

To make the treats easy to serve, I use cupcake cups. These are the sturdy cups, not the liners. I bought two different sizes in the baking section at Joann’s for a couple of bucks. I use the bigger, standard cupcake size for my Lab, and the smaller size if I know the beagles will be stopping by.

Fill each cup about 1/2 way full, and then freeze several hours or overnight to set.

You don’t need cups, you can freeze these in the cupcake pan, but I find that the cupcake cups make it very easy to serve once frozen. If you’re concerned about your dog eating the cup, then you can rip the cup open and just serve the treat. My dog will tear apart the cup, but he doesn’t eat it, so i just hand him the whole thing to snack on.

Easy, right? These are great cold snacks for your pup and particularly great during the summer when they need a little refreshment.

I have to thank Pinterest for this discovery. While it’s a total time suck (pinterest, not the bread)…I do love looking at the pretty pictures, and I’ve found many of great DIY and recipe ideas. Making homemade (yeast based) bread has always been a bit of a baking pipe dream for me. It always seems too hard to figure out the right temperature to keep the yeast alive…or maybe I was just too lazy.

Yeah, apparently I’ve just been too lazy…because I MADE THIS LOAF OF BREAD!!!

…and ate it all by myself (not as proud of that fact though).

I followed the recipe by Simply So Good, and it was incredibly easy. In fact the hardest part was locating the Instant Yeast. I wasn’t able to find it in any local store, but finally scored some through Amazon. The instant yeast is a baking miracle, since it doesn’t require a special liquid temp. In fact I was sure that I screwed up the recipe since the dough seemed drier than it should be, but it worked!

I didn’t round the ball of dough very well, so the finished product was a bit flat. However, it was crusty, dense and absolutely delicious. I kept it simple and just went with butter most of the time, but I did break out my stash of apple butter and pineapple butter!

Yes, I said PINEAPPLE BUTTER! It’s Amazing.

*Baking yeast link is affiliate, but I was not provided with product or paid for any type of review.

It’s finally here!

I am beyond thrilled to announce that the Crock-Pot Fruit Butter eBook is done and up for sale. After several months of recipe creating and tasting, I’ve collected 17 delicious Fruit Butter recipes. Sixteen of which have NEVER been featured on the blog and will only be offered in this book.

In addition to full color pictures of every single recipe, I’ve included a chapter on serving suggestions which features my super easy favorite dessert (Hawaiian Angel Cake, anyone?).

The eBook is available for download and costs $5. Immediately after payment you will have the opportunity to download the PDF eBook from a third party site [I’ve personally tested the purchasing process, it’s easy, safe, and secure]. The download link will also be emailed to you after purchase.

Price/$5 USD

The book contains a collection of ‘classic’ flavors including…

• Cider Apple Butter (an easy variation of the original favorite)
• 2 different Pumpkin Butters
• 2 different Peach Butters
• Multiple Berries (Cherry, Blueberry, Raspberry, etc)
• Pineapple Butter [It’s Incredible…My absolute favorite!]

…along with some unique and delicious combos, such as…

• Carrot Cake Butter
• Banana Bread Butter
• Gingerbread Butter
• Chile Mango Butter
• …and more!

Since I know we don’t all have the luxury of our favorite FRESH fruit available year round, several of the recipes were made using only frozen or dried fruit. I’ve also included a general cooking formula that you can follow if you want to try making fruit butter that isn’t featured in the book. Try making your own creations, I’d love to know the success stories!

Questions? Success Stories?

I’ve set up a separate email address from the blog, to ensure I can address any inquires as quickly as possible. If there are multiple questions, I’ll create a FAQ for the book and post it on this page.

CrockPotFruitButter@gmail.com

I sincerely hope you enjoy the recipes as much as I do.