Guest Post; Cappuccino Spice Cookies

Thanks to Stephanie from Dairy Free Omnivore for this tasty cookie recipe!  Hope you enjoy, they sound delicious!!   You can also follow Stephanie on facebook

If you write a dairy free blog – I’d to chat with you about a guest post!!

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I first made these cookies for Christmas instead of our usual peanut butter blossoms. My husband and I both love coffee and chocolate. So chocolate chip cookies WITH coffee seemed to be the perfect recipe for us. Since then I have made these 4 more times- they are THAT good! Even they do have coffee in them they don’t have a strong coffee flavor. The small amount that is used in them simply enhances the chocolate flavor and brings out the clove and cinnamon flavors. To me, it’s a richer chocolate chip cookie- not as sweet and buttery as its cousin.

These are a favorite among kids and adults anywhere we take them. We most recently took them to a party and by the end of the night there was 1 left.

Cappuccino Spice Cookies:

Ingredients:

2 and 1/2teaspoons instant coffee granules

1 Tablespoon boiling water

1 cup vegan or dairy free margarine, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 and 2/3 cup flour

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg or ground cloves

3 cups dairy free chocolate chips.

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375F. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper for easier clean up.

1. Dissolve the 2 and ½ teaspoon of instant coffee in 1 tablespoon of boiling water. Set aside. Beat the butter and both the brown sugar and granulated sugar in a stand mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add the eggs, coffee, and vanilla and beat until well blended.

2. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg or cloves. Gradually add this mixture to the butter mixture. Beat at low speed until it is all very well blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.

3. Drop the cookie by tablespoonful onto the cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until they are set. Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.

 

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Thanks again Stephanie!!

Hope you enjoyed!

11 Things

My blog buddy Elizabeth tagged me in this fun post.  I love stuff like this, and I love reading about other people’s randomness!

RULES

1. Post these rules.

2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.

3. Answer the questions the person who tagged you set for you in their post.

4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.

5. Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them.

6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people.

Without further ado, eleven random things about me:

1 – I have an obsession with lip smackers.  I ALWAYS have it with me,  If i get caught without it, I’m not  a happy girl.

2-  I love trashy reality tv.   My favorite is the bachelor and ANTM – I don’t enjoy drama in my own life, but I love it on TV!

3-I’ve travelled to Mexico about 8 times!  Feeling kind of done with Mexico, I’m ready for somewhere different!   3 of the trips were missionary trips, 4 were vacation and 1 was for our wedding! I still love it though!

4 –I have an irrational fear of spiders being in my shoes.  I usually shake my shoes out before I put them on! Weird thing is, I’ve never had a spider in my shoe! ha

5- I’m cheap with most things in my life.  Lots of my wardrobe is from thrift stores or crazy sales – I rarely spend full price on anything.  Two areas I am not cheap – healthy foods and lululemon (and bath and body works is beginning to be a problem too).  That being said – I think of health food as an investment and I wear my lulu every single day at work!!

6 – I put nutritional yeast on just about everything!  It’s an absolute must in my world

7- I love magazines! Especially Vegetarian, Chatelaine, Best Health and my # 1 favourite is Alive.

8 – I’m finding it hard to come up with random things about me…

9 – I ALWAYS take the isle seat – I like a quick get away! If I’m not on it, I get anxious.

10 – I am VERY addicted to Pintrest.   But that being said, I have made a lot of things from there – including a Valentine’s Day Gift, a chalk board, sauerkraut, homemade make up wipes…

11- I think everyone that reads my blog is incredible.   I really appreciate your support and hope that my blog helps you with the challenges of being dairy free.   I really do hope to make a comeback soon! (maybe when the days are brighter and my pictures look good again!)

 

Here are are Elizabeth’s  11 questions for me:

1. If you could pick your theme song, what would it be?  Hmmm… 
2. What is your favourite local restaurant?  A local sushi place – best sushi I’ve found anywhere!!
3. What day of the week were you born?  Saturday!
4. Tea or coffee?  Herbal Tea! (I have a bit of a tea problem!)
5. Pants or skirts?  Pants for sure!!  As much as I’d love to be girly… pants are practical
6. Where would you go on your ideal vacation?  A lovely quiet beach with crystal blue water, hammocks, snorkelling, fresh food and my husband!
7. What’s your favorite day of the week? I don’t really have a favourite.  I enjoy my job, so the whole week is fine.
8. Are you an early bird or a night owl?  Early bird…  10:00 is usually bedtime!
9. What is your favorite sport to watch?   I don’t watch any sports
10. Do you have a secret talent?  I don’t think so?
11. What is your go-to workout song? Sandstorm by Da Rule – gets me motivated anytime, anywhere.

 

Now 11 blogs that I nominate; (not all dairy free, but all of them are lovely!)  There are so many wonderful bloggers out there that I’d love to nominate – but here goes my random 11!

Dairy Free Omnivore

Non- Dairy Queen

A Life Without Ice Cream

Happy Go Lucky Vegan

The Purple Carrot

Girl on Raw

Toronto Girl Out West

Voracious Eats

Everyday Foodie

Thrive Style

And even though she’s off on adventures in India – Healthful Pursuit

Ok and the 11 questions you must answer!

1. Why did you start blogging
2. What is one food you could NEVER live without
3. What’s your biggest fear
4. Name 3 things always in your purse
5. Favorite flower
6. Favorite ethnic food
7. 3 bloggers you would love to meet in person
8. Something we would never know about you
9. If you could spend 1 month anywhere where would it be
10. If you could name a nail polish color, what color would it be, and what would you name it?
11. Favorite recipe you have found on someone else’s blog?

Can’t wait to read all about your answers!

Dairy Free on Valentine’s Day

Being dairy free on Valentine’s Day feels like a drag – all those velvet covered  heart shaped boxes of yummy chocolate.  Chocolate roses, chocolate fondues… everything about Valentine’s day is about indulgence – and indulgence usually means full fat cream, butter and dairy laden chocolate!

I’m here to save you! 

(Sweet hearts above are dairy free!) – source

You can check out my post from Valentines last year – full of Valentine’s Day treats including a nut based lemon cheesecake, banana lemon pie, banana soft serve with caramel and chocolate sauce and my favorite – chocolate love affair cookies!

Up at the top of my list today – Fruit Kebabs with Brownies and Chocolate Drizzle

A link to a few other tasty treats – (note the rolos are not dairy free)… this link includes – chocolate dipped figs with pecans, chocolate drizzled jube jubes (sooo good!)

I made this chocolate fudge at Christmas time and it was LOVED by everyone.  I also warmed up some peanut butter in the microwave and swirled it through – SO good!

My ABSOLUTE favorite caramel recipe – I used this to make turtles and peanut clusters – it takes about 5 mins total, and your dairy free loved one will feel SO loved!

Over Christmas I made Oh She Glows Sinless Sticky Toffee Date Pudding – it was incredible and gooey!!

 

Not a pretty picture but what can you do?

Peanut Butter Cups

These little beauties are a favourite around our house. Also last year they won a Christmas baking contest! They are so simple, yet so tasty!

• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 TBSP coconut oil (optional, but adds to the flavours)
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• Mini cupcake liners (Dollar store often has fun holiday themed ones!)

-Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil in a double boiler until smooth.

-Mix peanut butter and icing sugar together to form a dough. If dough is sticky to touch, add extra icing sugar.

-Add a bit of melted chocolate to cupcake liner. Tap on counter until chocolate fills bottom of liner.

-Once all liners are full, put into fridge or freezer until solid.

-Once chocolate is solid, take a dime size amount of peanut butter dough and roll into a ball, then flatten.

-Add to liner; keep the peanut butter dough away from the corners of the liner.

-Cover with a bit of melted chocolate – tap until peanut butter is covered.

-Return to fridge/freezer until harden.

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Something I want to make very soon – Chocolate Dipped Oreos!! (yes Oreos are dairy free!!)

(source)

Melt some dairy free chocolate (like Endangered Species 72%) with a little coconut oil in a double boiler on the stove. 

Dip the Oreos in the chocolate and cover completely.  Place  dipped Oreos on parchment paper – now’s the fun part! Decorate with sprinkles, or edible sparkles – you could have fun with this one!!

Place dipped Oreos in the fridge until hardened, and then place each Oreo in a Valentines (or red) cupcake liner!!   Voilà – a beautiful jester of the deepest dairy free love! 

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How about some chocolate fondue??? (I loooooove chocolate fondue)

Make this to taste (may need to adjust ingredients – this is just a rough guess of what I put in);

1 TBSP - Raw Cocoa Powder

2 TBSP - Maple Syrup (or Agave)

2 TBSP Warm Water

vanilla

Optional;

spices if you like – get creative – cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, chilli powder, curry

1 TBSP – Peanut Butter, Tahini or other nut butter (Cashew would be dreamy)

1 tsp. – macca powder (optional – but good to help with the feelings of LOVE!)

Liquor – Sub Kahlua (which is dairy free) or an orange liquor for the water.

Mix it all together and get dipping!

Ideas for dippers – fruit, dried fruits, angel food cake, graham crackers, marshmallows, brownies

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Oh and then there is Chocolate Covered Katie's 20 Valentines Day Treats! (SERIOUSLY drooly)…

Remember – ANY vegan recipe is dairy free – and 99% of Raw recipes are dairy free (there are a few with Raw Dairy in them?!)

 

Hope you have a beautiful Valentine’s Day and you find something sweet for yourself and for your sweetie!

Alive… I am Alive!

Well hello there.

I was a little shocked to see that I haven’t posted for almost a month?  How did that happen?   I know how that happened, I have been a busy bee!!

I thought I’d do a little iPhone drop to show what I’ve been up to!!

First off any ideas what this is?  Isn’t it beautiful?

Any ideas?    

 

It’s the ice pattern on my car!!  So beautiful – it’s not my iPhone background!  

 

Ok – you aren’t here for ice patterns…

What’s been on my plate lately?

black berries – lots of them… and they are soooooooo good!

 

The other thing that I have been eating lots of is this detox salad.

It’s sooo incredible and awesome on everything – including this turkey burger!!

 

If you follow me on facebook you know that I found a real treat a few weeks ago in Nanaimo.

I saw it in the mall – and walked in to ask if they had anything dairy free… AND THEY DID!!

A berry sorbet – and it was awesome!  Topped with fresh fruit and coconut!  I was in Heaven!

How nice to know when I got to Nanaimo to shop that I can have a treat!!

Speaking of Nanaimo – after a quick stop we were on our way to Victoria for awards for work!

I do not usually wear aviators – actually I think they are terrible..but it was sunny and they were the only sun glasses the hubby had in his car! (hence the silly photo!)

 

Funny story about the awards dinner – they were super accommodating (through email) regarding my allergy (which was awesome)… when it came to the meal though – it was a bit of a mess!   It all turned out and I appreciated it… then was dessert – I was getting some  fresh fruit at the dessert table and the waiter came up to me to say they made me a special dessert.  I was SO excited!  Here is a picture of what it looked like…

It was a huge bowl – the blue was 1/2 a blue berry (for a total of 1 blueberry).  The red was was thumb nail sizes of strawberry (in total less than 1/4 of a strawberry).  The green was mint and the yellow was an even smaller size of pineapple (in total maybe 1/1000 of the pineapple).. 

I soooo wish I would have taken a photo of it!  You would have laughed with me for sure (everyone at my table was laughing!)   Anyways I totally appreciated it anyways!! It’s just a funny dairy free story!

Moving on..

Once to Victoria – we headed to Cafe Bliss (drool).  All vegan and mostly raw I love this place!

I got this mango pudding with coconut cream – which was fantastic!  (I love that they serve everything in mason jars – which you can return to get your deposit back)

I also got some ginger kombucha, and a bunch of other fantastic desserts!  If you head to Victoria – check it out for sure!!

As you know I work 4 evenings per week – which makes dinner a huge  challenge (hence the reason I haven’t been blogging much)…  but this Sunday yummy food was made!!

Veggie chow mein, roasted asparagus and cauliflower and honey sesame chicken (from Pintrest)

such an awesome meal!    If you don’t follow me on Pintrest you should – I have a bit of a problem with it, and pin LOADS of goodies!

Also I tend to chat a bit on facebook – so I’d love it if you joined me there too!  (I tend to post short tips, ideas, recipes daily there!

Ciao for now,

Jessica