Nutritious No Bake Cookies

We amended this recipe from: http://www.food.com/recipe/healthy-no-bake-cookies-137725

Jack and I didn't bother "cooking" anything; just whirred it around and done.  Delicious!

Ingredients:

3 t rice milk

1/3 c sugar

1 t Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder

1 1/2 t vanilla

1/3 c peanut butter

3 T ground flax seeds (optional)

1 cup quick oatmeal

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until mixed.
2. Use a scoop to scoop out the "dough"
3. Arrange on a plate
4. DONE!

Mandarin Orange Cake

This is a family recipe that my Aunts and my Mom have been making since I can remember.  It's NOT attractive, but one taste, and you WILL want the recipe.  This is an easy recipe for kids to remember...2 of everything! :-)

This lovely image, is typically how this cake looks directly after I serve it...not much left!

Cake Ingredients:

2 eggs

2 c. sugar

2 c. flour

2 small cans mandarin oranges (with juice)

2 t. vanilla

2 t. baking soda

Directions

1. Combine all dry ingredients and whisk well.
2. Combine remaining ingredients and mix well, this will be lumpy.
3. Pour into a 9 by 11 inch baking dish lightly buttered and floured.
4. Bake at 350, check at 30 minutes.

Caramel Frosting Ingredients:

11/2 c. brown sugar

6 T butter

6 T evaporated milk

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and whisk together.
2. Cook  on medium heat until melted and bubbly
3. Poke holes in cake with the wrong end of a butter knife and pour frosting over the entire cake.

Vegan Buffalo "Wings"...yes, for real!

Over a month since the documentary "Vegecated" changed my plans of remaining a carnivore for life.  I have found this lifestyle not difficult and I still have no plans of changing.

Then comes, Superbowl Sunday...our tradition has been that Joe makes his fabulous buffalo wings.  Hmm...not this year.  I saw a recipe on Pinterest for vegetarian wings made with cauliflower.  That recipe called for buttermilk to make a batter for the wings.  Hmm...we have only unflavored coconut milk on hand, so here's what I did.  Turns out, this is vegan!

Ingredients:
1 large head of cauliflower but into bite sized pieces
2 c. unflavored coconut milk (I'll bet you could use soy, rice, or almond here...all unflavored)
5 T vinegar
2 c flour (I used AP, but I'm guessing other gluten free options would work)
2 T garlic powder
2 T onion powder
2 t paprika

Buffalo Sauce:
1/2 c earth balance "butter" spread
1 T garlic powder
2 t garlic salt
1 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Mix coconut milk and vinegar.  Let sit for 5 minutes and mix again.
3. Add flour, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika to milk mixure.
4. Mix well.
5. Gently add cauliflower and fold batter gently around each piece.
6. Lightly oil a large glass baking dish.
7. Place cauliflower pieces in baking dish.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
9. While cauliflower is baking, melt "butter" in a saucepan.
10. Add garlic powder, garlic salt and Frank's Red Hot sauce to melted "butter".
11. When cauliflower is done (it will not be mushy..so don't expect it) place in a large bowl and pour buffalo sauce over it.  Gently stir until all cauliflower is coated.
12. Place buffalo cauliflower back in glass baking dish and place back into the oven for 8-10 minutes.
13. Remove from oven and serve.  
14. Your arteries will thank you and you didn't kill any chickens.  :-)