Pumpkin Date Bread

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It’s 6:00 AM and for some reason I’d way rather wake up early and sip coffee in the dark than try and be useful past 10 PM. In college, I used to set my alarm for 3:30 AM to study for O-Chem tests rather than try to stay up into the late hours of the night. Thank goodness I don’t have to do that anymore, but I’m still getting up early on the weekends for bike rides about 80% of the time. I don’t mind it – the thought of being done with your 4-5 hour ride by noon is pretty fabulous.

Sorry night owls, not trying to discriminate here. For those of you who aren’t morning people, this bread is perfect for on the go snacking or even a light breakfast.  Continue reading →

Chickpea Blondies (GF!)

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I recently made a pan of black bean brownies that were out of this world. Aside from the part where I could have eaten the entire pan in one sitting, I felt great about the fact that I was sneaking in some extra protein and my brain didn’t even know it. Since becoming a vegetarian, I’ve struggled to get enough protein in my diet – especially as an athlete. If you can bake with soy flour, or add beans into snacks that otherwise wouldn’t have them – it really helps. I’m also currently on the hunt for a plant based protein powder that doesn’t taste like chalk and have a billion grams of sugar so I will keep you posted on the results.

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Friday Food Favorites 9.9.16

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It’s finally here, Dan and I are going to Chicago for his birthday! Remember a few weeks back when we were supposed to go but then we last minute went to Wilco instead? No? Well that’s okay. Long story short Southwest Airlines in the bomb.com for all your last minute life/flight cancelations and we changed our trip to this weekend. It might rain a little bit while we are there but I’m hoping for sun. Actually, I’ll take anything but rain at this point.

This week instead of sharing my favorites, I’m sharing all the Chicago restaurants we’re hoping to hit up. Follow me on Instagram at @danasedibleaffair to follow along on our foodie adventures. Have a great weekend!

The Chicago Diner – I’ve already decided that I’m going to order the biscuits and gravy. A cinnamon roll certainly sounds good though…

The Caribbean jerk kale salad from Native Foods has my name written allllll over it.

Dan wants to go to Sushi O Sushi one night as well. Looks like they’ve got a bunch of veggie rolls so life is good.

Upton’s Breakroom has got some breakfast tacos that I can’t pass up.

Handlebar also looks like it has some tasty options. Dan says it’s a trendy bar (?) but I’m really just concerned about the food. You guys know how it is.

Mana Food Bar (?) There are just so many places to try and so little time. I guess we will have to make another trip soon!

Rhubarb Graham Cracker Ice Cream

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How on earth is it already September, you guys? It seems like the summer just flew by and soon enough I’ll be scraping ice off my car every morning through the Minnesota winter. Not. Fun.

We’ve been enjoying the last taste of summer with roasted veggies from the CSA, bike rides, and of course – ice cream. There are a couple places in the Twin Cities that you can get dairy free ice cream so we have been stopping there quite a bit. For those of you who are newer to the blog, I am lactose intolerant so dairy is a no go.

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Friday Favorite 8.26.16

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It’s another round of Friday favorites and this week I’m obsessing over plants. I however, will kill just about anything that is green so that puts me in a bit of a conundrum. How do I put real plants in our house that has doesn’t have a lot of natural light that are also very low maintenance? So, I’ll probably spend a bunch of money on plants I have no business buying over labor day weekend and then half of them will die. More to come on that note.

This weekend I’m in Green Bay visiting my family and celebrating my little sister’s birthday. I’ve been tasked with making a Harry Potter themed cake so that should be interesting given my lack of cake decorating skills. This ombre cake I whipped out last year is probably the best I can do.

this week’s favorites:

I snagged this beautiful pillow in a flash sale last night. It was so hilarious, I recruited my 13 year old sister to help me refresh, refresh, refresh and then frantically comment. BUT we got the last one, so I’m not even ashamed about it.

These examples of IKEA hacks for a cluttered entryway. I was given explicit instructions not to let our apartment turn into an IKEA warehouse.. but I still think these are good.

Flights to Europe for $300? I’m not sure if I believe this but I’ll be sure to check it out the next time I’m planning a trip. And if you’re wondering, I’m totally okay with flying crappy airlines that might get delayed as long as I don’t have to pay much. But then again, I don’t have any kids sooo, it’s a bit easier.

Anybody else ready for fall? I’m already drooling over pumpkin recipes like this one and waiting for sweater weather. These look pretty good, too.

Speaking of fall flavors, this ravioli from ohladycakes looks heavenly. YUM.

That’s a wrap, have a great weekend!

Coconut Chocolate Chunk Cookies

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Cookies and ice cream. Those are the only sweet things I really crave. Okay, maybe also chocolate but that’s a story for another post. Sure, I like cake and pie and all those wonderful things but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I had to go without them. Cookies though, don’t even get me started.

I’m not sure where my cookie obsession really came from seeing as we didn’t have them around that much when I was growing up. Outside of the usual Girl Scout cookie seasonal purchase (those things are like crack) and Gingerbread at Christmas time, I don’t remember that many cookies. My mom made some pretty sweet cakes when we were growing up during her cake decorating phase though – props to you, momma.
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Friday Favorites 8.19.16

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“This weekend Dan and I are going to Chicago! We are going as an early birthday celebration while the weather is still nice and before we get busy. Even though I grew up in the Midwest, I’ve spent a pretty small amount of time in Chicago. The bean? Haven’t even seen it. I’m super excited to have a relaxing weekend away filled with good food and (hopefully) good weather. 

This week I spent some time in the kitchen trying out some new recipes. I’ve been feeling a litttttle uninspired when it comes to managing our own meals on top of recipes that I develop for the blog. If Dan had to eat 3 mediocre versions of the same meal and 1 good version all in the same week he would probably strangle me. I still haven’t unpacked all my stuff yet – oops. Maybe over Labor Day.”

Just kidding, guys. Dan texted me yesterday morning and said, “My favorite band Wilco is playing a concert in NE. But it’s this Saturday.” I immediately felt bad because this weekend was supposed to be for Dan’s birthday. So, in about 15 minutes our plans changed from flying to Chicago this weekend to going to Wilco on Saturday (by NE we mean the Minneapolis neighborhood we live in, not Nebraska). Thank you, Southwest Airlines for zero change fees and magically having your flight sale until Thursday. Is it even possible that I could have an airline win two weeks in a row? Okay, don’t push it Dana.

So, this weekend we are NOT going to Chicago but instead we are staying in the cities and going to the Wilco concert on Saturday evening. Hopefully it doesn’t rain too much so I can take my newly built up cross bike out for some single track action. I’m also excited for some quality test kitchen time that may or not mean rhubarb ice cream on the blog next week… no promises though.

this week’s favorites: 

I know I usually post recipes and random articles about home design on Friday favorites, but I also have a serious outdoor gear addiction. I’m loving this article on the best new gear under $50 from Outdoor Magazine.

I’ve been eyeing up these odor control t-shirts from Patagonia after I read a hilarious article about this guy who wore one for 10 days. Sadly, I can’t find the article anymore.

I also got tipsy on Monday night and went online shopping on Amazon.. mistake? I think not. Here are three things that I bought that are AH-MAZING. I also perfected my recipe for coconut chocolate chunk cookies that evening so no judgement – okay?

Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking – need I really say more? If you’re not obsessed, then you should be.

This super awesome knife block that has bristles instead of slots for knives. I have never experienced a more underrated kitchen appliance. It’s like I’m actually an adult. Go me.

Last but not least, I impulse bought these beautiful Weck jars. Oh Weck, how I love you. I had the box open for all of an hour before I knocked one over and broke the kid. Eye roll emoji. Okay, done with the tipsy Amazon Prime shopping now.

Um, hello adorable romper. You might just be worth taking a shot on ordering a romper online.

16 best places to live in the United States? Read about them in this article.

These flats are perfect for work, should I be concerned that they are only $12??

Browsing through these simple ways to make your kitchen cozier. We probably could use a better rug…

 

That’s all for this week, have a great weekend!

Bomb Veggie Sandwich 101 + Tempeh Bacon

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We’ve all been there. Someone orders food for a group outing or team meeting (plant trial in my case) and it’s sandwiches or pizza. If it’s pizza, I’m pretty much out of luck unless I have a billion Lactaids on me but sandwiches are even more disappointing. There is nothing worse than a turkey sandwich with the following fillings:

  1. Turkey
  2. 1-2 pieces of lettuce
  3. Some unknown aioli sauce
  4. A few slices of red onion
  5. Bread bigger than my head

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Friday Favorites 8.12.16

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Whooooop, another week down. Anybody else just exhausted this week? I am sooo ready for the weekend so that I can sleep in bike and paint my front room.

The only exciting news I have is that I traveled for work this week – on Delta. If you follow the news at all then you’ve probably heard about the fact that Delta’s power went out on Monday morning and messed up a ton of flights for most of the week. My flight to Milwaukee, which is normally a pretty easy one, was delayed about 3 hours. I didn’t even fly back, and decided to drive back with my coworkers instead.

SO then I hear that Delta is giving vouchers to people who’s flights were delayed over 3 hours. Mine was just under. Bummer, right? Good (?) news is since I fly on Delta for work, I am apparently a “corporate member” and got 20,000 bonus miles for the delay. WINNING.

It’s still super humid here and I have no desire to turn on my oven. I’ve been dreaming up a blueberry slab pie though, so maybe that will have to change this weekend. TGIF, folks!

this week’s favorites:

Love the look of this storage bed from Urban Outfitters.. why do you have to be $1,000?

We made vegan mac n’ cheese from Minimalist Baker this week. Swapped out the green chilis for roasted jalapeños and it was deeeelicious.

Really diggin’ this v-neck swim top from kortnijeane. Think I may just bite the bullet.

Kitchen goals with these open shelves, though. Amiright?

Tune in this Sunday for… TEMPEH BACON that tastes delicious.

Quick Pickled Cucumbers

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I was having a hard time finding anything to write about for this post. While they are incredibly delicious, there’s not really a story behind these pickled cucumbers other than the fact that I needed to get rid of them (the cucumbers, that is).

When I exclaimed that I just wasn’t in a very inspiration mood, Dan asked if he could have the computer and wrote this excerpt:

“Hi gang! This week was a doozy! So what does a girl do when she’s got yummy veggies, vinegar, and not a lot of time?????? Quick pickled cucumber!!!!!!!!”

He said I use a lot of exclamation points.

The most obvious thing to talk about would be my newfound love of all things pickled. Or the fact that I have been a little overwhelmed by some of the things we received in our CSA box this summer. I think that the volume is manageable, as long as both of us are home and I plan everything around some of the vegetables that we get. Like, how do I even cook fennel in the same week with a bunch of parsley and dill? For one, we learned we do not like fennel and I have never in my life cooked with dill. I thought parsley was a garnish, not an ingredient.

Anyways, cucumber is nice but it’s not anything I would plan an entire meal around. I used to eat them as a snack but overall they seem a little blah by themselves. Putting stuff in a jar and letting it sit for an extended period of time kinda freaks me out, but my friend recently told me about quick pickling and it was totally up my alley. These quick pickled cucumbers are ready in a short about of time, allow you to get rid of a lot of extra veggies in your fridge, and takes minimal planning (I guess Dan was pretty close, then). I threw some onions in the jar with the cucumbers, but you could easy introduce carrots, jalapeños, or radishes in the mix.

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These cucumbers are ready to eat in a little as 30 minutes, and can sit in the fridge for up to a full day. If you are a big fan of the crunch, I would eat these within 8 hours  of preparing. They are great as a topping, on a sandwich, or even just on there own. I’m guilty of literally eating half a jar in one sitting.

Hope you all had a great week, I’ll be watching the olympics for the rest of the weekend week.

 

Quick Pickled Cucumbers 

Servings: 16 oz

Time: 30 minutes

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium large cucumber
  • 1 medium sweet onion
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 1/2 TBSP sugar
  • 1/2 TBSP kosher salt
  • 1 tsp chili powder or flakes (optional)

 

Directions: 

  1. Cut cucumber and sweet onion into thin slices (about 2-3 mm thick). Layer cucumbers and onions in a 16 oz canning jar and set aside.
  2. In a small saucepan, bring remaining ingredients to a boil so that all the sugar and salt has dissolved. Remove from heat and let rest for about 10 minutes.
  3. Transfer liquid to jar and fill until all cucumbers are covered. If you have to push them down a little or wedge them in the side to keep them submerged, that’s okay. Allow mixture to cool before sealing. Enjoy cucumbers in a little as 30 minutes and up to 1 day. Store in airtight container in the fridge prior to serving.