Heaven times three

Let’s skip the formalities and get straight to the food talk (and tonight's dinner in particular) It was an absolutely phenomenal meal, thanks to three other bloggers and their amazing recipes! I have been dying to try two of the things for quite some time now, and I made them both tonight! This was like heaven times two!

I am quickly skipping through today’s breakfast and lunch, since they would be looming in the shadow of dinner. Simple pictures will do.

Breakfast: chia oats topped with oikos and a nectarine

Lunch: huge bowl o’ veggies topped with hummus, mustard, and multigrain chips

Snack: Banana Bread larabar + Iced Green Tea sweetened with Stevia

And here is where this post gets foodgasm good. Quick, get a napkin to wipe your drool! ;)

Upon walking in the door after work, I immediately got started on Mama Pea’s Pumpkin Spice Latte. And this, my friends, makes heaven times three! It was a triple whammy to the tastebuds tonight!

I made a few tweaks based on what I had on hand:

·         1 c. strongly brewed Starbucks Natural Vanilla Infusions

·         ½ c. unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

·         Sugar-free Vanilla Syrup

·         3 T. canned pumpkin

·         ½ t. cinnamon

·         ¼ t. pumpkin pie spice

·         ¼ t. ginger

·         Stevia

All blended up in my magic bullet for a frothy treat--topped off with a little shake of cinnamon. Hello, caffeine kick at 6:00 PM! Maybe I’ll reserve this for before noon next time. But then again, maybe not!

This was better than Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts combined, hands down. Thanks Mama Pea for a new obsession!

Next, I got started on dinner. Like I said, I have been planning to make these two ever since I first set eyes on them!

Main Course: Vegan Black Bean Burgers

Brought to you by Emily from The Front Burner

I used almost the exact same recipe:

·         2 cans black beans (rinsed and drained)

·         10 baby carrots (grated)

·         ¾ c. rolled oats

·         1 T. EVOO

·         ½ t. cinnamon

·         ½ t. cumin

·         1 t. chili powder

·         ½ t. onion powder

·         ¼ t. cayenne pepper

·         1 T. sea salt

·         ¼ t. black pepper

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Next, add the oats and carrot to the food processor and grind on low setting until chopped. Add ¾ of the beans, all the spices, and the olive oil. Let the food processor whir until it’s all nicely mixed together (but still a little chunky). Move the mixture a large bowl. Fold in the rest of the whole beans. Wet your hand and form 6 patties. Wetting your hands is crucial step! If you don’t the mixture will stick to your hands and it will be difficult to form a patty. Place the patties on an EVOO mistoed baking pan and bake for about 50 minutes. Turn once halfway through. I also broiled them a few minutes for a little crispiness.

The verdict (as if you didn’t already know from their introduction): delicious!

Side: Nut Butter Crusted Fries

Brought to you by Angela at Oh She Glows

Again I used almost the exact same recipe except I doubled the almond butter and halved the peanut butter--nut butter preference came into play. ;)

·         3 medium sweet potatoes

·         2 T. Almond Butter

·         1 T. Peanut Butter

·         1 T. Olive Oil

·         Sea Salt

Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into fry shapes. Mix the nut butters,
EVOO, and salt in a large bowl. Add the sweet potato fries and mix up with
your hands until they are all coated. MESSY! Spread onto a mistoed baking
sheet and cook for about 50 minutes! I also broiled these at the need to up
the crispy factor. I like em’ crispy!

Again, these totally did not disappoint. A great recipe, hands down!

All together now:
My son's (bun & topped with ketchup):

Mine (bunless topped with Sriracha):

This plate, times two!

With all these cooking going on in my house, you can bet I have a mess to clean up! So I’m off to clean up and hopefully Turbo it up. If my body will listen and digest my food—then I can get in a work out!

Have a great night!

<3 Stefanie

Has anyone else tried any of these recipes that have been spreading around the blogosphere like wildfire?