Can you believe that this month has gone by so fast? Tomorrow it is going to be October!? Say what? In 12 days it will be Thanksgiving?! No way. 

This is my second time participating in Vegan MoFo and this year has been the best! I loved e-meeting all the new faces and have looked forward to seeing what everyone brought to the table each day. Vegan MoFo is a great blogging community event and we all owe its creators and monitors a huge thank you.

You may have noticed I did not do all 30 recipes like I said I would on Day 1. Sometimes goals need to change when they aren’t going according to plan. I found myself wasting food, the ultimate sin in my opinion, since I was creating something new almost everyday. 30 recipes in 30 days is just too much for Mark and I to eat ourselves. But I will discuss more on food waste in a later post…. For now, it is all about celebrating the end of another year of Vegan MoFo! I wanted to share some recipes that caught my eye over the month. I use to think blogging was some sort of competition but it about coming together to make something amazing. I said it in my Day 13 post, without other bloggers I probably wouldn’t even have a blog!  Here are some posts from other bloggers that I think you will enjoy:

Summer Farewell Peach Pizza from Plant Crush

Golden Avocado Toast with Spicy Kimchi Sauce by Spabettie 

California Quinoa Rolls from Rock My Vegan Socks

Caramel Apple Buckwheat Brownies from Kelli’s Vegan Kitchen

Lentil, Tomato, & Basil Brushetta from Vegan Chow Down

Vegan Malt Shop Burgers and Shakes from House Vegan

Marinated Eggpland Sandwich by Seitan is my Motor

We Got the Beet Bloody Mary by Vegan Crunk

If I haven’t made it to your site over the month, leave your link below in the comments! I will be so happy to check them out. In the meantime, I will be deep cleaning my disorganized kitchen, snuggling my cat, and recipe testing like a crazy person for Thanksgiving. Not all at the same time of course. 

Here are some of my new favs that I have created over the month:

Day 3: Savoury Za’atar Socca 

Day 7: The Big Kahuna Burger

Day 8: Chocolate Hazelnut Torte featured on Tofu for Thought Day 10: Peach Millet Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette I hope everyone had an enjoyable, but probably chaotic time, with Vegan MoFo. If you are a new blogger and wanted to sign up next year but feel you are too new or too shy, my advice: just do it! It is a positive community and you are always more than welcome. 

Until next year MoFo….

Stay connected on the daily by following me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.  Made a recipe from this post? I would love to see it! Use the hashtag #screcipe on your social media. 

Matcha Mango Chia Seed Pudding

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

 

Chia seeds are packed with fibre, protein, and omegas so why not enjoy them in a dessert-like snack? This recipe is inspired by the ice cream you get after a sushi dinner. The sweet mango and grassy green tea are quite the pair! The total time does not include the chill time. This recipe is vegan, gluten free, grain free, soy free, and mostly raw.

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Recipe type: snack

Cuisine: vegan, gluten free

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• ½- 1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder (start with ½ and add more to taste)
• 3 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 ripe mango, peeled and cubed

Instructions

1. In a blender, blend the milk, syrup, and matcha powder until combined. Put the blender on your lowest setting and slowly add the chia seeds. You don't want to pulverize the seeds but I find it is easiest to mix them in a blender.
2. Transfer to a glass container and set in the fridge until the chia seeds plump up, about 1 hour. You want to stir this occasionally so they don't clump together. You can leave this mixture overnight and give it a good stir in the morning. If the mixture is too thick for your liking, add a splash of almond milk and stir.
3. Layer with mango and serve!

3.3.3077

The post Day 30 Vegan MoFo: Matcha Mango Chia Seed Pudding appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

Sorry about the delay in posting but I have some good news. Exams are done, I repeat, exams are done! Isn’t that just the best feeling?

After my exam, I came home to Mark, who had a sandwich and coffee ready for me, hooray! Also the cookbooks I ordered, My New Roots: Inspired Plant-Based Recipes for Every Season and The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl and Spoon: Simple and Inspired Whole Foods Recipes to Savor and Share had arrived, double hooray! Unfortunately, all I wanted to do was sleep. My brain needed a little R&R.

The next day, I couldn’t shake these feelings of anxiety and guilt. I paced around my kitchen and checked my calendar to make sure I wasn’t missing an appointment but I did not have anything planned. I puttered around the house, sorted laundry and scrubbed the tub but I still felt anxious, almost sick to my stomach. I texted my friend Kristen telling her I was really living it up on my first day off school and told her I thought I was coming down with something. She explained that the anxiety I felt was brought on by not studying for class. She said my brain is in the routine of worrying about studying and when I am not hitting the books, my brain is in panic mode.

I wandered around my apartment, disoriented by not knowing what to do and far too distracted to actually sit down and do anything productive. I put on my jacket, laced up my shoes and headed out of the door. I went for a long walk, something I haven’t done in months since it has been so cold out. The cool air, the empty streets, my music coming through my headphones and the steady pace of my legs helped me clear my head and left me feeling refreshed.

I know I have a hard time relaxing; to truly enjoy doing nothing productive except maybe read a non-food related book or to drink a cup of coffee without looking at my phone. My mind tends to race when I “try” to relax, I feel like I should be doing laundry, cleaning, editing my photos or literally anything on my to-do list for that day but I need the time to unplug. Mark can clear his mind and relax so quickly while my mind is like a live wire, whipping around and shooting sparks in all directions. I asked him for some advice and he told me to just concentrate on my breathing, thinking of nothing else but the air travelling in and out of my lungs. Telling me to “not think of anything” seems to trigger my brain into thinking of EVERYTHING like remembering that time I embarrassed myself at that party when I was 21, running through my recipe checklist and the groceries I need to get for them and anything else that comes to mind. Mark, being the nice boyfriend that he is, let me use his Mala beads to help me concentrate on nothing. I placed the sandalwood beads in my hand, counted them all along its string and concentrated on my breathing. It honestly helped with my fidgety hands and busy mind. Everyone’s method to relax is different and I strongly urge you to find out your own, whether it is running, yoga, meditating, walking or reading a book, find it! I thanked Mark for his help by making him this pudding.

What do you do to relax? Leave comments below with your suggestions.

This recipe is vegan, gluten-free and tree-nut free. The FDA classifies coconut as a nut, even though it is technically a fruit. This recipe is adapted from Oh She Glows: {Almost} Instant Chocolate Chia Pudding. Not crazy about chocolate? Check out my Raspberry-Lemon Chia Seed Pudding.

*Disclaimer:  I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program which means I do earn a small commission on the affiliated links.* Something I am trying out and if it works out, great  but if not I will take it down. 

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Yum

Coconut-Chai Chocolate Pudding

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Serving Size: 1-2

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut milk
• ¼ cup chia seeds
• 3-4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch of ground cloves
• Pinch of ground cardamom

Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients to a high power blender and blend until completely smooth. At this point, the pudding may be warmed. Transfer to a serving bowl or cup, cover and refrigerate until the pudding is set and cool. Top with coconut, mulberries, granola or fresh fruit.

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Grandma and I making pies in our pyjamas. Could be why I usually cook in my pj pants? 

My grandmother always insisted on putting together a feast every Christmas despite having back problems from a workplace injury. She would sit in front of the oven with a hanky stuffed in her bra in case she got too hot and needed to wipe her face (when I was very young and didn’t know about puberty I thought my grandmother stuffed her bra). She would summon people from their seats if she needed something in the cupboard that was too high, and no one was allowed in the kitchen unless they were called for. When I was seven years old I was called into the kitchen because my grandmother needed my help. I felt honoured because children were never allowed in the kitchen –especially during meal preparation. Since I was still too short to reach the cupboards I climbed the counters to retrieve whatever my grandmother needed. My mother hated that the hem of my crushed green velvet Christmas dress was covered in flour from the messy countertops but she didn’t make a fuss about it until we left. My grandmother said she was impressed by my climbing skills and how I didn’t ask a lot questions. I think I was too fearful of being kicked out of the kitchen to speak at all. I watched her season, stir and taste the meal we were about to share. I knew it was just right when she took a bite and nodded to herself. Then she called in one of my uncles to pull out and carve the turkey with her fancy new electric knife.

There would never be a table big enough for all of us to eat together, so the kids ate together and the adults dined at another table. You would move up to the adult table based on how well you behaved, and not necessarily if you were an adult. Once dinner was finished the tables were cleared for the traditional euchre game and the dessert was put out on the buffet table. Pies were always served, but there also would be squares, confections, and fudge that my aunts brought. I passed on all of these and saved my bowl for the rice pudding. I brought my bowl and the cinnamon sugar over to my grandmother who, by this time, was shuffling cards and getting her quarters ready. She sprinkled the cinnamon sugar on my pudding and thanked me for my help in the kitchen. She placed my bowl and the cinnamon sugar on the table and asked me to shuffle the cards for her. She said I might be good luck for the game and until this day I have never felt more honoured. Kids weren’t allowed to touch the cards out of fear that they might have sticky fingers, but I got to shuffle them. I remember feeling in that moment that I had become a little more grown up, and it is memory I will not soon forget.

Due to my grandmother’s ailing health she later ceased preparing Christmas dinners. She passed away in June 2012. It wasn’t until after her death I came to know that the rice pudding that I adored was actually from a can that she heated up over the stovetop. I had mixed feelings about it since I had told everyone all the time that my grandmother made the best rice pudding, but at the same time I was touched that she went out and bought this specific brand of rice pudding every year just for me. It was special to me because she made it special. To me this is what the holidays are about, these treasured memories that live with you forever.

As much as I complain about the holidays: the shopping, wrapping and travelling is all worth it when you can remember special moments like these. I hope wherever the holidays take you, you will be surrounded by people who you love.

Serves 2

• 1 cup water
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup white basmati rice
• 1 ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
• ¾ cup full fat coconut milk, can well shaken before measuring out the milk
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup

Optional Garnish

• 1 teaspoon organic cane sugar and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, mixed together

Bring water to a boil over high heat in a medium, heavy bottom saucepan. Stir in salt and rice; cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally until water is almost fully absorbed, about 12 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, increase heat to medium high and bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium low to maintain simmer.

Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently until mixture thickens, about 20 minutes. You should be able to drag a wooden spoon through the pudding so it leaves an empty trail.

Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with cinnamon mixture if you choose to. Serve warm or at room temperature. My ex’s family had a great tradition to put an almond in the bottom of one bowl and pour the pudding over top. Whoever found the almond in their bowl got a giant chocolate bar as a prize. I like Green and Black’s Organic Chocolate bars.

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