heartyspoonful

"If you're not losing friends, you're not growing up."

As sad as that may be, it's just reality. It bother me deeply and sometimes, I even go into a monologue of what I could've done to prevent such a friend breakup. Unfortunately, sometimes it's as natural as time lapsing.

I'm not one to deny any of my failures or shortcomings, and sure, sometimes I definitely could try harder. Exert a little more effort in my garden of friendships. Tend to the flowerbed, make sure the weeds have been sheared away. Except sometimes life happens and a little solitude may be a blessing to you, but a sign of a breakup. But, and this isn't an excuse, friendship is a two-way street. You can't be the only one expected to call or check in at all times.

In my experience, some friendship breakups are hard. More painful than losing a boyfriend. Other times, I'm ashamed to say there was a sigh of relief. When there was no more joy out of a friendship, it was always best to let go. No regrets. Although, at least I can say that no matter how good or bad a friendship ended, I'll forever wish ex-friends all the best in life. Sincerely. From the bottom of my heart. Because at one time or another, these people brought such joy in my life and I know they'll bring that same joy to someone else's life.

Not to play favourites or anything, but I do love to bake for friends who are still around. I guess that's my love language. Basically dumping sweet treats on everyone's laps. I haven't heard any complaints yet! And so I shall continue baking and through that, perhaps I can strike a new friendship.

Since it's the season of baking (hello, holidays!) and of pumpkin (I mean, it's technically winter now, but...), what better way to indulge those close to you than with a delicious mix of pumpkin and chocolate? All vegan, all gluten-free, secretly healthy.


Vegan & Gluten-Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Squares 
Makes 9 to 12 squares

Ingredients:

• 1 cup gluten-free flour
• 1 cup gluten-free oats (rolled or quick cooking)
• 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 2 flax eggs
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/3 cup maple syrup, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup almond mylk, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Dark chocolate chips

For chocolate drizzle:

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 tsp melted coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a square pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients (from gluten-free flour to salt). Mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, melted coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Stir in flax eggs and almond mylk until well combined.

Slowly add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Transfer the batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

As the square bakes, prepare the chocolate drizzle. Melt dark chocolate chips with coconut oil and set aside.

Let cool on a wire rack before slicing. When the square has cooled, drizzle chocolate and let settle.


Enjoy! xxx

"Just for the record darling, not all positive change feels positive in the beginning."

- S. C. Lourie

• 1 large sweet potato or 3 small-medium, roasted until soft
• 1 cup gluten-free oat flour
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 10-12 large dates, pits removed and soaked in hot water
• 2-4 tbsp maple syrup, at room temperature
• 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Dark chocolate
• Frozen raspberries

 Note: For the sweet potatoes, I like to roast them covered in aluminium foil in 400F for 30-40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a square pan or a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mash the sweet potatoes. Remove the dates from the water and mash using a fork.

Add oat flour, cocoa powder, dates, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla with the sweet potatoes. You can use a hand blender or if you're looking for an arm workout (like I was), continue using a fork.

Fold in dark chocolate. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and top with frozen raspberries, if desired.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the edges are "crispy". Remove from oven and let cool before slicing. This keeps in the fridge for at least a week in a sealed container.

Enjoy! xx

• 1 1/4 cups raw buckwheat groats (not kasha)
• 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
• 3 tbsp hemp seeds
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts (raw or roasted, your choice)
• 1/2 cup flaked almonds
• 3 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 3 tbsp maple syrup at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
• As much cinnamon as you like
• Pinch of cardamom
• 1/2 cup dried fruit of choice (I used a quarter each of raisins and dried cranberries)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients except for coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla and almond extract together until well combined.

In a small bowl, mix the liquid ingredients and pour into the dry ingredients. Stir until well incorporated.

Transfer the granola mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread evenly and bake for 12-15 minutes. Mix the granola and return in the oven to bake for another 5 minutes.

Once the granola is toasty and golden, let sit to cool before transferring in an airtight jar/container.

Enjoy! xx

"We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far."

- Swami Vivekananda

"So plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring your flowers."

- Jorge Luis Borges

• 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
• 1/2 cup smooth natural peanut butter
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax + 6 tbsp warm water)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup jam (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a food processor, pulse chickpeas, peanut butter, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt together until smooth. Once smooth, remove the blade and add the flax eggs. Stir until well combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top with jam and with a knife, swirl around the top.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the edges are golden and crispy. Cool before slicing. Store in fridge.

Enjoy! xx


Berry Medley Chia Jam

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups frozen fruits (blueberries, blackberries, cherries)
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 3 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

 In a small sauce pan, heat frozen fruits until softened.

Next, add maple syrup and chia seeds and stir in low heat. Mix until thick.

Add lemon juice and lower the heat.

Let cool before transferring. Store in fridge for up to 4 weeks.

"I'm starved for connection, not attention."

- Anonymous

"I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see."

- John Burroughs

• 2-3 ripe bananas, depending on size
• 1/4 cup tahini (or nut butter of choice)
• 1-2 tbsp brown rice syrup (or maple syrup), depending on sweetness desired
• 6 tbsp aquafaba
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• Add ins: Chocolate, medjool dates

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a regular loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mash bananas. Then mix tahini, brown rice syrup and aquafaba until smooth.

Add in coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Combine until well incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips and medjool dates. Add as much as your heart desires!

Transfer into loaf pan and smooth the top. Top with more chocolate chips and medjool dates.

Bake for 30 minutes or until set.  Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Enjoy! xxx

"What horrifies me most is the idea of being useless: well-educated, brilliantly promising, and fading out into an indifferent middle age."

- Sylvia Plath

• 1/3 cup tahini/smooth almond butter
• 1/4 cup softened coconut oil
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp coconut sugar
• 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax + 6 tbsp warm water)
• 1/3 cup coconut flour (plus a few tbsp, depending on consistency)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt

Add-ins:

• Dark chocolate
• Dried cranberries
• Vegan white chocolate
• Crushed Oreo cookies

 Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together tahini/almond butter, coconut oil and coconut sugar until smooth. Add the flax eggs and mix until well incorporated.

Then, add the coconut flour, baking soda and salt. Fold in add-ins of choice. I made two batches: one with dried cranberries and white chocolate, and another with crushed chocolate/vanilla cookies.

Roll into balls. Depending on the size, you can make 12 cookies. I had 10 cookies per batch. Flatten the top a bit and bake for 10 minutes.

Let cool completely before removing from the baking sheet as the cookies need to set. Enjoy! xxx

"It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it."

- Lou Holtz

• 1 19 oz can chickpeas, drained and washed
• 1/3 + 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup cashew butter
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

"Too many of us are too hung up on what we don't have, can't have, or won't ever have. We spend too much energy being down when we could use that same energy - if not less of it - doing, or at least trying to do, some of the things we really want to do."

- Terry McMillan

• 2 1/2 cups gluten-free oats
• 1/2 cup buckwheat groats
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 2 tbsp hemp seeds 
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
• 1/2 cup dried figs, sliced (or dried currants/raisins/medjool dates)
• 1/4 cup coconut flakes
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp pink Himalayan salt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp maple syrup *
• 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a big bowl, mix oats, buckwheat groats, chia seeds, hemp seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, figs, coconut flakes,  cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt.

Using a bain-marie or a small saucepan, melt coconut oil with maple syrup. Add vanilla. Pour the liquid mixture with the dry ingredients. Stir well to coat all the oats. If you want to be more well coated, add more maple syrup.

Transfer the mixture onto the baking sheet and spread evenly. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring halfway through to avoid burning one side. (Mine was ready at 22 minutes.)

 Cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to a sealed glass container.

Enjoy! xx

"You are what you think about all day."

- Dr. Robert Schuller

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 2 flax eggs (mix 2 tbsp ground flax with 5-6 tbsp of warm water)
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup packed grated zucchini
• Chocolate chips (as much or as little as you like)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a square pan with parchment paper. 

In a medium bowl, cream together coconut sugar and coconut oil. Add vanilla and mix well. Then mix flax eggs.

Add all dry ingredients with the liquids: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Mix well to incorporate. Then fold in zucchini and finally the chocolate chips.

Transfer the batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until the sides are crisped, but the middle is still soft. (As the brownie bakes, prepare the cookie dough - see below.)

Let cool on a wire rack before slicing.

When the brownie is cool, add the frosting and spread evenly.

Cookie Dough Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup cashew butter
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 2 tbsp Earth Balance, melted
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• Chocolate chips, for topping

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or mix by hand if preferred. Depending on how you like your frosting, you may need to add more of the coconut flour or almond milk.

Enjoy! xx

"If you have the power to make someone happy, do it. The world needs more of that."

• 2 cups gluten-free oats (not quick cooking)
• 2 tbsp ground flax or ground chia
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• Pinch of salt
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup applesauce (add as required)
• 3 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Add-ins: raisins, dried mulberries, dates, chocolate chips, dried cranberries, pepitas, etc. 

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a square pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, mix together oats, ground flax/chia, cinnamon, ginger and salt.

Add in remaining liquid ingredients. Mix until all the oats are covered. For the applesauce, start by adding a tbsp and add more as needed to make the mixture more "well coated".

Fold in add-ins of choice. I added raisins, pepitas, pumpkin seeds and dried mulberries. You can go crazy!

Bake for 20-22 minutes, but careful not to burn the sides as the bars will turn too dry. Let cool completely on a wire rack prior to slicing.

Enjoy!! xx

"Just because you can read, write and do a little math, doesn't mean you're entitled to conquer the universe."

- Kurt Vonnegut

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• Handful of chocolate chips

Wet Ingredients:

• 2 beets, diced (about a cup)
• 2 tbsp raw almond butter (or nut butter of choice)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 

Cashew Frosting:

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in warm water (2 hours or overnight)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/4 cup to 3/4 cup almond milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9x5 square pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, mix all dry ingredients except for the chocolate chips.

In the food processor, process the beets until smooth (a few clumps is okay). Make sure to scrape the side for uniform processing. Add coconut oil, almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla and applesauce. Blend until smooth.

Pour the liquid batter into the dry ingredients. Mix until well incorporated, but make sure not to overmix. Fold in chocolate chips if using.

Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and smooth down. Bake for 20 minutes (it's okay if the centre isn't baked through). You don't want the cake to dry out.

Transfer the cake onto a baking rack and let cool.

As the cake bakes/cools, prepare the cashew frosting.

• In the food processor, blend cashews with almond milk. You can start with 1/4 cup and add as needed. 
• Add in maple syrup and vanilla. Blend further until smooth and thick. 
• As the cake cools, chill the frosting for at least 20 minutes.

Once the cake is cool, spread cashew frosting evenly. Add a few sprinkles of chocolate chips (optional).

Enjoy! xx

"Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck."

- Dalai Lama XIV

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour +
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Wet Ingredients:

• 4 ripe bananas, mashed *
• 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup maple syrup **
• 1/4 cup olive oil or melted coconut oil ***
• 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk

• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
• Chocolate glaze for topping (1/2 cup chocolate chips melted with 1 tbsp of coconut oil)

Preheat oven to 350F. Oil donut pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together all dry ingredients.
 + I used whole wheat pastry flour, but regular pastry flour or AP flour should do the trick. 

In a separate bowl, mash bananas and add remaining wet ingredients.
* My bananas yielded just over 2 cups (approximately 2 1/8 cups). 
** Because the bananas were so overripe, I didn't need much sweetener so I used 1/3 cup. Adjust the liquid as needed for the batter (either add more oil or almond milk). 
*** I used olive oil, but if using coconut oil, make sure that all your ingredients are at room temperature. 

Add wet ingredients into dry and mix until well incorporated. Make sure not to overmix. Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared donut pans and bake for 27-30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before transferring out.

Top with chocolate glaze when cooled.

Enjoy! xxx

"If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you'll never enjoy the sunshine."

- Morris West

"Do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do."

- Oprah Winfrey

• 1 1/4 cup whole spelt flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients:

• 1 cup "buttermilk" (1 cup nut milk of choice + 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar)
• 1/3 cup neutral oil, such as canola
• 2-3 tsp vanilla (depending on how strong you want the vanilla flavour)
• 3/4 cup coconut sugar

Frosting:

• 1 can coconut milk, chilled overnight
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350F. Oil a round cake pan with liquefied coconut oil or oil of choice. Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift flours together. Mix baking soda and salt.

In a separate bowl, add all wet ingredients together. Pour into the dry ingredients and fold. Make sure not to over mix.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for at least 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Whilst the cake bakes, prepare the frosting by whisking the coconut milk (remove the water from the can), vanilla and maple syrup until smooth. Chill in the fridge until the mix becomes firmer.

Let the cake cool on a wire rack before frosting.

Top with frosting and fruits of choice. (The first time, I added homemade raspberry jam and mangoes. The second time, I added mangoes and strawberries.)

Enjoy! xx

"Health is not just about what you're eating. It's also about what you're thinking and saying."

- Unknown