black bean burgers

I love guest posts! when bd and i lived in green bay i had a community of wonderful woman i got to be a part of. we were always swapping recipes. it was a great way to hang out. we got to eat, talk, laugh, and enjoy each others company. now when i make bread, i think of my friends for wisconsin, and the beautiful memories i created there. i now live in another community filled with strong and talented women. Nicci is one of them! every time i make white bean chili, i can't help but think of her (she graciously introduced us to this dish, and its now a favorite at our house). Nicci has a beautiful family (her daughter tops my list in cuteness). Nicci is always out and about, running, playing with her kiddos, taking walks, and always looking glam. she graciously shared another one of her fantastic recipes that hopefully your family can enjoy as well.

Nicci J's Black Bean Burgers

4 pieces day old or toasted bread
2 T. olive or canola oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. jalapeño, minced
1 t. cumin
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/4 cups cooked brown rice (leftovers work great!)
2 t. fresh lime juice
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

In food processor pulse bread to form crumbs--set aside.
Heat 1 T. oil. Add onion and saute until soft. Add garlic, jalapeño, and cumin. Saute additional two minutes.
Scrape mixture into food processor. Add beans, rice, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pulse until beans are chopped but not pureed. Scrape mixture into large bowl. Add half of the breadcrumbs and the cilantro. Stir until combined.
Divide mixture into four equal portions and form patties. If too moist add more breadcrumbs. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least a 1/2 hour.
Heat 1 T. oil in skillet and cook four minutes per side.

Enjoy!!

crazy food: pumpkin pie steel cut oats

i'm really starting to learn that not all oats are the same. so... of coarse i began to be creative to find a yummy way to incorporate steel cut oatmeal into our diet. regular steel cut oats are the very best for you. we like bob's red mill quick cooking steel cut oats because in a pinch, they cook up just as fast as normal oatmeal. it also reheats well without getting slimy (yuck) like others do; but we do also have the slow cook kind. if i'm really thinking ahead, we will use those. we simply soak them overnight and cook time doesn't seem to be an issue the next day.

pumpkin pie steel cut oats

2 cups water
1 cup quick cook steel cut oats
1/2 tsp vanilla
dash of nutmeg
dash of cloves
dash of cinnamon
dash of salt
1 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup flax seed
1/2 cup milk of choice (we use soy) for garnish
dash of organic pure maple syrup

cook oats per instructions on package (2 cups water, 1 cup oats, on med heat) once cooked through add remaining ingredients. enjoy!

olive scarfs this and asks for more before i even have the spoon out of her mouth. its a favorite around these parts.

crazy facts: coconut sugar

who us??? straight sugar addicts? no?! what gave it away? the snow cones? yeah... ok, you caught me. (side note. check us out! we had only been parents for a few weeks. how nostalgic.)

if you haven't already noticed, we are big fans of coconut sugar around these parts. i vowed to give up white sugar for one year. this may seem crazy -but it is for a good cause- at first it was simple (not) i immediately found myself going through sugar bends and ransacking my cupboards for anything sweet.  i was seriously addicted! i didn't know it, but my body sure wasn't happy when i took it away. it took me about three weeks of purging my body of processed sugar to finally get stable and in control of my cravings. sugar is in everything! high fructose corn syrup and sugars dominate our foods. you've heard this all before. the song and dance is not a new one; But! it sure was making my promise a challenging one. i had to rethink everything. even worse, if i even glanced at a dinner roll i would have "sugar shakes" for a day or two. i immediately found out that gluten was a problem. it would make me crash hard and left me with headaches and a starving stomach all day long.

this is why i've been going gluten free. this is why we have been eating cleaner at our home. this is also why we have been experimenting with fantastic new ingredients. ultimately i am loving the journey! we have been introduced to new and creative flavors and textures that have been exciting and tasty.

but... alas.... like i said before, everything has sugar in it. i needed something for baking muffins. i needed something to add a little summin' summin' to my oatmeal. i wasn't loving agave, and i was conflicted with the actual benefits of this sweetener. all the others, including stevia, were not really all that tasty to me. they tasted too artificial and left me feeling sick after. then i stumbled upon coconut sugar and things changed. i have been so happy with this sugar swap.

not only is it all natural. it is low on the glycemic index, has vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and doesn't leave me with sugar shakes. we order ours on amazon. we still try to stay away from the sweets as much as possible so it takes us a while to go through it. it hasn't seemed like an expensive swap out.

want to learn more about this great sugar? watch this dr oz video.

crazy food: chia seed coconut pudding

this pudding is similar to tapioca pudding in texture. served ice cold this pudding is a knockout. don't let the chia seeds throw you off. it seriously is becoming one of my favorite desserts.

chia seed coconut pudding

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup almond milk

2 tbs chia seeds

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbs coconut sugar (or sweetener of choice)

*diced mango

*shredded coconut 

*if desired as garnish

combine all ingredients in bowl (omitting garnish). cover, place in fridge overnight, or for at least 8 hours. add garnish. serve chilled. 

enjoy!