Spicy Peanut Soba Noodle Salad

I absolutely love peanut butter and anything made with it! ;-) So, needless to say, I found this recipe delicious. I did however make a few changes to the original recipe. They are as follows:

1.) I did not use any chicken. It would probably be a nice addition.

2.) I did NOT use any bell peppers. As a general rule, I avoid bell peppers. Have not acquired a taste    
     for them yet and don't anticipate acquiring one anytime soon! (I'm just one of those people.)

3.) I did, however, lightly steam some julienne carrots & cut into bite size snow peas so I was not
     completely veggie-less!

4.) In the sauce, I removed most if not all the jalapeño seeds & white member which contains all the
     heat of the pepper. I was left with just a nice mellow jalapeño flavor. I did this because I wanted
     my girls to eat the dinner! If it were just Daniel & I that would be another story since we love
     spicy. You can always sprinkle a few red pepper flakes to spice it back up as each individual might
     like it.

All that said, here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Vegan Raw Salted Caramels

Some might say it is a stretch to call these caramels, but whatever they are called, they are mighty tasty and on the whole not bad for you! I'm a huge dessert person and almost always have a treat on hand so I'm always looking for recipes that are on the healthy side. These were very easy to make and last wonderfully in the freezer.

Homemade Chewy Vegan Salted Caramels

Prep time: 10 Minutes
Yield: 20-30 Salted Caramels

Ingredients:

• 10 Soft (Fresh and Pitted) Medjool Dates
• 1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 Tsp Fine Sea Salt
• 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
• 2 Tbsp Natural Pure Almond Butter
• 10 Drops Liquid Stevia (I used only 5)

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients into your food processor and blend until smooth stopping to scrape down the sides (keep blending and scraping until the mixture is smooth and dough-like).
2. Line a bowl with saran wrap and scrape caramel dough into it.
3. Place in the freezer or refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
4. On your counter line your work area with parchment paper or saran wrap.
5. Remove caramel dough from the refrigerator and using the saran wrap that already encasing the dough place on the counter and begin to smooth mixture into a rectangle as thick as you would like your caramels.
6. Remove from saran wrap, place on your work space (lined with parchment) and using a sharp knife cut into 1 inch caramel bites.
7. You can place the cut caramels into a parchment lined container or individually wrap them in wax paper to store.
8. Sprinkle caramels with salt if you desire.
9. Keep caramels in the freezer or refrigerator until ready to enjoy as there are no preservatives in this recipe.
10. Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Donuts!

There were amazingly delicious!!!

You can get the recipe here*.

*This is one of my favorite sites for recipes!

Butternut Squash and Farro Stew

This is one of the best soup recipes I've made! The whole fam enjoyed it. Two side notes: I used the lemon zest. I didn't end up serving it with the yogurt or cilantro. Seemed to be just dandy but these 2 items might just make it that much better! ENJOY!

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp sumac or lemon zest
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
1 3/4 lbs peeled, cubed butternut squash
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained
1 1/2 cups cooked farro
Plain Greek yogurt
Cilantro

1. In a large sauce pan heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often until soft, about 5 min. Stir in sumac or lemon zest, coriander, pepper, salt, vegetable broth, and squash. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender, about 15 min.

2. Carefully remove 1 cup of the stew from the pan and allow to cool slightly. Puree in blender until smooth; return to pan. (Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender to partially puree the stew.) Add chickpeas and farro. Serve with yogurt, chopped cilantro, and extra sumac or lemon zest.