I may post twice today. 

I'm home sick from work and feeling restless. 

I'm so restless I added another way to make hummus to this blog post. It was going to be Hummus 2 Ways, but then I threw in another way at the last minute, alas, the awkward photos. All three don't appear in the same photo....

I'm not sure if anyone has noticed a change in the food on here lately.  Anyone noticing a trend?  You could go hunting now, but no need. I'm gonna tell ya anyway.

I've always had a section on this site for vegetarians and vegans, as I've always had a love for cooking vegan. It's just so damn easy and full of flavour. Serous love for vegan food.

Well, if you haven't figured it out yet, it's been one year now since our household has gone completely meat-free. Myself, vegan, my husband and kiddo vegetarian. Their love for cheese is a strong one. For various reasons, we decided to stop buying meat on the grocery runs. We wanted to see what it did to our grocery bill, bellies, and meal planning. Well, one year down, and I think it's safe to assess the situation now and perhaps be a little more honest with the world. We are sold, folks. This was the easiest 'change' if there ever was one. It actually just made more sense and made our love for food and cooking even stronger.

We are proud to admit to the world that we absolutely have fallen in love with our food, all over again. Lee and I both have noticed only changes for the better in all three areas that interested us - our budget, our bellies, and our meal planning. We eat gorgeous meals, every night. Delicious meals. Meals we go back for seconds, thirds for each night. Easy to prepare, full of taste and flavour, and ridicously healthy meals. We spend less at the grocery store, and more at the local markets and on our own backyard gardens. But best of all, we feel amazing. Full of energy, contentment, and love for all things grown in the ground. It just feels so right, eating things full of nutrients, super healthy for us, and not harming the Earth in the process. Actually, what's best of all, really, is watching our daughter feel the same way, at the young age of 3. Her love for vegetables is heartwarming. She'll gladly try any green thing on her plate and gets excited over a hemp seeds sprinkled over her banana soft serve ice cream. Not sure how long it will last, but we we'll take it while we can. It feels good to see her so pumped about meal times and be so open to trying food. 

So, today's post is a little celebration of our one year meat-free grocery bill. We quietly decided to make the change for our family in hopes of living healthy and happy. It's now a way of being here in our home now. A great way of being. I think I'll go enjoy some hummus now. (Hannah's current favourite food)

Simple Hummus
1/2 can chickpeas, rinsed, skins removed
1 tbsp tahini
half lemon squeeze
vinegar 1-2 tbsp to taste
sea salt sprinkle
1-2 cloves garlic, to taste
cumin
drizzle oil

What to do:
1. Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend. Blend. Blend. Add a bit of water or vinegar to get it to the consistency you like if it's still too thick. 
2. Store in the refrigerator in an air tight container for about a week or so. You'll eat it all up by then anyway. 

Cheezy Hummus
1/2 can chickpeas, rinsed, skins removed
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1-2 tbsp vinegar
1/2 lemon squeeze
sea salt
1 clove garlic
smoked paprika
drizzle oil

What to do:
1. Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend. Blend. Blend. Add a bit of water or vinegar to get it to the consistency you like if it's still too thick. 
2. Store in the refrigerator in an air tight container for about a week or so. You'll eat it all up by then anyway. 

Bonus! Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
1 can of rinsed chickpeas, skins removed
1 roasted red pepper (in the oven or from a jar of roasted red pepper)
2 tbsp tahini
1/2 lemon squeeze
sea salt
1 large clove garlic
cumin
drizzle oil
drizzle vinegar

​What to do:
1. Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend. Blend. Blend. Add a bit of water or vinegar to get it to the consistency you like if it's still too thick. 
2. Store in the refrigerator in an air tight container for about a week or so. You'll eat it all up by then anyway. 

Okay, this recipe happened by accident, really. And it's not really my recipe.  I didn't steal it or anything, I've just borrowed it and am keeping it as a favourite.  Technically speaking, my name is still attached to it, but it wasn't me who created it or adapted it. It's from one of our school recipes.

And by school, I really mean my co-worker, Alicia. I may have dreamed of a school that held weekly cooking classes for every student, young and old, where students gain life skills, apply academic skill, and become food experts to take care of themselves and the world they grow up in. But, she, really, is the brains behind most of the actual cooking and baking that happens in that kitchen. She adapted it from an online recipe to make it dairy-free, refined-sugar free, and nut-free for our students to bake back in the fall.  It was one of those - 'hey, we have a ton of pumpkin puree, we need to use it up, and all the kids want to make is cookies' recipes. 

I have to say, Alicia is pretty amazing at whipping things like this up, adapting recipes, and cooking on the fly. Really, she's pretty amazing all round. But the kitchen is most definitely her happy place. She has transformed our weekly cooking classes into an amazing curriculum for our students (and teachers!) It makes my heart smile to see a teacher and students loving their time together, creating amazing memories. 

I love my school. You know that, so I'll get back to the cookies. The real reason you're here anyway! These cookies were sweet, savoury, soft, chewy, and paired perfectly with an afternoon or morning tea. Oh, so delicious. I really enjoyed them - more than Alicia may realize! I've made them numerous times since.  I was quite content to eat more than my share. ... :)

They come together quickly and easily, store well, and everyone eats them up. Sweet!  So, here you go! Soft, sweet, chewy, and easy-peasy. 

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Total Time: 15-20 minutes!! Seriously! 

Ingredients:
Cookies:
½ cup coconut oil
¾ cup coconut sugar
1 large egg or flax egg
½ cup pumpkin puree
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour of choice
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ground ginger
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp sea salt 

Cinnamon Coating:
½ cup coconut sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine ingredients for Cinnamon Coating and set aside for later use.
3. Combine flour, salt, baking soda and spices in a medium-sized bowl.
4. If coconut oil is not soft enough to mix easily, melt in a pan over low heat. Place in a bowl.
5. Add coconut sugar and egg (or substitute) to the softened oil. Beat well. Add pumpkin puree and vanilla. Beat well again.
6. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly, but do not over-mix.
7. Roll into balls, drop in cinnamon sugar topping, and roll to coat. 
8. Place on cookie sheet, flattening a bit with your hand.
9. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until slightly golden brown.
10. Cool for approximately 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet to cool on a cooling rack.

Okay, so it's been awhile. 

A long while.

I miss my food blog.  It's such a big part of who I am and it's been on hold for months now while I put everything else that I've got into the other part of me, the school part.  A few months ago, my friend and I, set foot into our real life dream - we walked the bustling halls of our own school. A school we dreamed up and put into action.  A school we created. It has been the busiest 3 months of my life, I'm pretty sure.  3 months of business that I fully brought on myself. And I knew I'd have to temporarily put my blog on hold while I mentally switched to the school.  

But I'm back!  

Well, in baby steps anyway.  

This recipe isn't mine.  

But it's by my all time favourite vegan food blogger - Oh She Glows. By far the most used cookbook sitting on the shelf in my kitchen.  It's been my lifesaver as I attempted to, for the first time in my life, open a school and business while teaching full time in said school, have a child in day care, get temporality relocated out of our house for a month because of hornet infestation (YES, YOU READ CORRECTLY! HELLO SCARY!) and, what may be the most mentally challenging and exhausting, be a working mom constantly ridden with mom guilt from spending 2 years home with her and now trying to get a hearty and healthy meal on the table by 5pm everyday.  

So, this isn't a meal post, but it's a snack post.  Baby steps, people.  It's a good snack, tasty, and a great way to feel good about what you're giving your kids to eat while you figure out what the heck you're going to put on the dinner table for supper.  

Enjoy! 

Salt n' Vinegar Roasted Chickpeas 

Ingredients:

• 1.5-2 cups cooked chickpeas (one 15-oz can), drained and rinsed
• 2.5-4 cups white vinegar
• 1 tsp fine grain sea salt, to taste
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
1. Add chickpeas into pot and cover with vinegar. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat. Let sit in pot for 25-30 minutes, covered.
2. Preheat oven to 400F. Drain chickpeas in a strainer and discard vinegar. Place chickpeas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil and sea salt. Massage with fingers until fully coated.
3. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring once half way through. Keep a careful eye on them after 20 minutes of cooking to ensure they don’t burn. Cool on pan for 5 minutes. They will crisp up as they cool. Enjoy! 
Original Recipe found here or in her cookbook!