Yeah, I know.  *smacks self*  I should know better at this point and I apologize for my lack of judgement.  Truth be told, I anticipated them totally sucking due to difficulty keeping the dough together as I scooped it out onto the pan.  Instead, they were phenomenal.

O M F G - this dip is amazing, and by amazing I mean make this IMMEDIATELY!  

I stumbled upon this recipe for White Pizza Dip on La Phemme Phoodie and it was love at first sight.  I used to adore white pizza and even made a few vegan pies post-break up with dairy.  However, white pizza in dip form was a new deliciousness that I had yet to explore and to the top of the kitchen adventures bucket list it went.  I hit Trader Joe's later that day for vegan cream cheese (Note:  Joe's brand is, in my opinion, better than most of the other vegan cream cheese brands.  However I would describe it as good not great) and was indulging in what's now my new favorite dip before sun down.  

I halved the original recipe (which can be view here on Veggie Converter) and made it slightly more complicated via incorporating a homemade vegan cheese sauce AND I made a small pizza dough, which I used to make a batch of fresh bread sticks.  Well worth the extra effort in my opinion.  However, you can skip the cheese sauce and instead increase the mozzarella and cream cheese as well as dip with store bought crackers/bread of choice.  Along with this, I added more kale than the original called for as I really needed to use up what I had.  If you hate kale - or don't have any on hand - instead of omitting it out entirely, substitute it with a different green vegetable.

I already know what you're thinking....   Between my sporadic (at best) postings and then an unannounced two month hiatus, it will be a miracle if anyone is still reading this blog.  I'm not sure what to say about the last few months, but I do apologize for the lacking enthusiasm and piss poor commitment I've demonstrated.  Life has a sick sense of humor at times... Fortunately I' weathered the storm, repaired the damage, and hauled my sweet ass back to blog-land with ample time to celebrate this magically delicious (and oh so Zombilicious!)  time of the year with you.  

Autumn is - and always will be - my favorite season  and October in particular has always been my favorite month of the year.   However, neither have been very festive the last few year.  This October marks the two anniversary of dad's passing and Halloween this year will be my first one without Lucy (Meow!).  Yep, it's safe to say Autumn and October are permanently scarred...  However, doing nothing exacerbates the sense of loss and the last thing I want  - or need - to do is drown in misery, thus this year is also the year I resume celebrating.  

I purposely chose today to resume posting as today is The Secret Recipe Club's Reveal Day for Group C and my assigned blog, Steak N Potatoes Kinda Gurl the perfect recipe to kick off the festivities:  White Chicken Chili.  Interestingly enough, I was unaware that a white chili even existed but then I stumbled upon a picture a day or two before the October assignments were sent out.  Intrigued, I commented to the herd that I must sample this white chili and added it to my mental kitchen adventures to do list.  In the spirit of "nothing is by chance - there are no coincidences", it's safe to say this white chili kitchen adventure was ment to be and I excitedly informed my coworkers that I'd be bringing white chili to work!

Vegan White Chili
Adapted from: Steak & Potatoes Kinda Gurl


Note:  
I veganized the original recipe as I really really really wanted to eat some and I made it in a  2.5 quart crockpot instead of on the stove.  

1 (14.5oz) can cannellini beans, undrained
1 (14.5oz) can small white beans, drained and rinsed well
1 2/3 cups cooked chickpeas
2 cups white corn
1 small yellow onion, chopped small
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 - 2 cups Vegetable broth*
Chili powder
Cumin
Oregano
Cayenne Pepper, to taste 
Fresh Cilantro, to taste

Optional Toppings:  Sweet Potato Chips, Sour Cream, and Cheese Shreds

Place all the ingredients except broth in Crockpot and stir to combine. Add vegetable broth (I used roughly 1 3/4 cups) and stir again.  Cover with lid and cook on low 5 - 6 hrs.

The Verdict:  EPIC!!  

I've made this twice now for lunch with coworkers and on both occasions it was devoured.    

Big thanks to Desiree for the AMAZING recipe (more of her deliciousness can be viewed here) and for the SRC as a whole for fun!

My assigned blog for the July 2012 was Making Memories ... One Fun Thing After Another.

Making Memories .... One Fun Thing After Another is written by Erin.  Erin described herself as "a single Mom to two amazing kids, ages 6 and 8" and in her about me section, states that "in her spare time" she is a full time Middle School Counselor.   *chuckles*   

As the name of Erin's blog implies, Making Memories ... One Fun Thing After Another is a good time.  I'm in awe of Erin's creativity and her fun food section had me wishing Erin was my mom when I growing up. 

Eager to see what my assignment entailed but no near an actual computer, I logged onto Making Memories ... via my cell phone.  The first recipe I clicked was for S'Mores Mini Hand Pies, which linked me to S'Mores Stuffed Brownies.  Both recipes profoundly spoke to the former S'more addict self and I quickly came to terms that I'd be falling off the wagon at some point over the upcoming weekend.  Miliseconds after texting Darin, my always willing partner in crime for throwing dietary caution to the wind, my S'Mores intervention transpired via this recipe for Homemade Butterfinger Candy Bars. 
I followed the recipe as written and the end result was everything I hoped for and more.  Family and friends gobbled these up in record time.


Note:
The recipe for homemade butterfinger candy bars requires only three ingredients, however one of those ingredients is candy corn.  Rite Aide sells candy corn all year long and their brand candy corn does not contain High Fructose Corn Syrup.  The ingredient list, which includes egg white and gelatin, as a whole is nonetheless suspect, so proceed with the usual label reading caution and as always enjoy in moderation. 

From Making Memories .... One Fun Thing After Another

13 oz candy corn (I used Rite Aide Brand)*
13 oz peanut butter (I used a natural, no stir kind)
15 individual squares Trader Joes 72% Cacao Chocolate

Line an 8 x 8 pan with enough parchment paper, so that the paper drapes over the sides.

In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt candy corn. Be sure to stir the candy throughout the melting process. Once fully melted, add peanut butter to the sauce pan and continue stirring until well combine. Once combined, dump mixture into the parchment lined pan and spread evenly with back of spoon. Allow to cool completely.

When candy has completely cooled, cut it into rectangles (or squares if you prefer) and set aside.  Melt chocolate in double broiler. Then dip rectangles into the melted chocolate and place each on sheet of wax paper to cool. Your butterfingers are ready to be devoured once the the chocolate has set :-)

Thanks for the awesome recipe, Erin. You rock!!

Cookie Madness Ice Cream Cake Mini's
Servings: 2 per mini cake

You will need:

2 mini springform pans
Your favorite cookie dough recipe (yield 12 cookies)
1/2 cup if your favorite ice cream
Whipped Cream, for topping
Mini Chocolate Chips or Sprinkles, for garnish, optional

To make the cookie base:  I used this coconut chocolate chip cookie recipe for the needed cookie dough and So Delicious Cookies & Cream Coconut.  Follow directions for making dough and chill in fridge till ready to use.
   
Meanwhile, preheat oven 350F and prep pans.  I used 3 mini springform pans spritzed with cooking spray and a parchment lined baking sheet.  
   
Take 4 chunks of dough, roll into balls, and place on parchment lined baking sheet.  (You will later crumble one or two of these as a topping on the cake.)
   
Divide remaining among mini pans. I then placed the pans on opposite end of baking sheet with cookies.
   
Bake at 350F until golden.  Cookies on the sheet took about 12 minutes, where as the cake components took around  17 minutes.    Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.  
   
To make the ganache: The dark chocolate ganache serves as a layer between the cookie base and the ice cream as well as for drizzling on top of the cake at the very end.
   
Dark Chocolate Ganache

1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips 
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla agave nectar

Bring coconut milk to a simmer.  Add chocolate and agave nectar. Stir, while simmering, until melted and combine.  Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 or so minutes prior to layering on the cookie base.  Place pans in freezer so ganache can set & set pan close by if you if you plan to drizzle it on top at the very end.  
   
While the ganache sets, remove ice cream from freezer to soften and if your whipping your own cream as I did do that now.  Next, crumble the cookies into a bowl and set bowl aside until your ready to top the cake and if the remaining ganache needs reheating to make it drizzle-able do that too.
   
When remaining ingredients are ready to rock, proceed as follows:

Remove mini springform pans from the freezer.  Spread softened ice cream softened, spread ice cream on top of the base.  Top with whipped cream, crumbled cookies, and ganache drizzle.  Cover mini pan (I placed mine in a lidded containers) and freeze overnight or for about 2 hrs.  
 
To serve: Carefully remove sides of pan and admire your creation while it stands at room temp for a few minutes prior to cutting.
   
Variation:
Make one mini cake and a mini chipwich cake via reducing cookies to 3 and divide remaining dough into 3 mini springform pans (instead of two) or just make chipwiches via diving all the dough among four mini spring forms.
   
To make chipwich: Spread soften ice cream on one base and carefully top with the remaining cookie base.  Wrap and freeze.  

To serve: Remove from freezer and allow to soften just enough for rolling sides in sprinkles or chips so they stick. 

and I'm dedicating this post to none other than 

(or as I like to call him: Mr Fancy Aprons!)

Today is Mike's birthday.  He turns the 3-2.  If I were him, I'd have kicked off my big day with Funfetti Protein Smoothie:

1 small banana, peeled
1/4 cup coconut milk yogurt (vanilla or plain)
2 - 3 heaping Tbsp dry (gluten free vegan) cake mix (such as Pamela's)
1 scoop protein powder of choice (I use Raw Power Vanilla or Hemp)
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
Ice, optional
Sprinkles, for garnish

However, he might very well be saving himself for a Ralph's Cake Shake (dairy lovin' bastard!) Unable to let a "cake batter for breakfast" opportunity potentially go to waste, I decided it best to start my own day with a funfetti protein smoothie, ya know, just to be safe.  *chuckles* 

Since I am posting this way later than I initially intended, there's a strong possibility that any smoothie/shake urges were satisfied hours ago.  Should that be the case, I present to you

*drum roll*

Gluten Free, vegan, and oh so delicious! These little bites of wonder will satisfy even hardcore snack attacks.  Adding to the amazing-ness it the fact they are ridiculously easy to make, it would be a crime not to whip up a batch right now. 

Look at you - back already.  I told ya that was easy!  Well, as I already mentioned, today is Mike's birthday and as far as I am concerned a birthday is NOT complete without a knock your socks off finale!  That said, if you have been reading my posts, I'd imagine visions of this madness are still dancing in your head., and if not, its safe to say they're doing plenty of dancing in my own head for the both of us.  Factor in my recent inability to stop thinking about all things cake batter and Ooooh la la, the Funfetti Blondie Crispy Treat Cupcake was born!

Funfetti Blondies
Vegan & Gluten Free.  This recipe makes 12 mini muffin sized blondies (perfect for stuffing in a crispy treat base) and one standard cupcake sized blondie.

1/2 box vanilla cake mix
2 Tbs + 1 tsp coconut oil, melted
1/2 egg's equivelant in egg replacer
1/4 -1/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk*
1/4 cup sprinkles, or more if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees ans prep baking pan.

Combine all ingredients except milk in a large bowl.  Then starting with 1/4 cup, slowly add the milk (I used approximately 1/3 cup total).  Batter should be thick and dense.  Once desired consistency is achieved, pour heaping teaspoonfuls into muffin cups and smooth top (my batter didn't rise all that much which is good cause I filled them to almost the top). Sprinkle a few extra sprinkles on top, if desired, and bake for 15 minutes until edges are just turning brown. Allow to cool before transferring. 

Meanwhile, make the rice crispy treats:

Small Batch Rice Crispy Treats 
Vegan & Gluten Free
Makes 12 cupcake based

1 1/2 Tbs coconut oil
3 cups Brown Rice Crispy Cereal (I used Natures Path)
2 cups rice mellow

Melt coconut oil.  Add rice mellow and cereal, stirring until well combine.  Press cereal mix into cupcake pan cups and pop pan in the fridge.


To assemble cupcake:

Remove crispy treat cupcake bases from cupcake pan and lightly frost top of the base.  Place one homemade cookie per base on top.of frosting layer and lightly press down.  Now frost cookie as yoga would a cupcake.  Decorate as desired and devour!

Funfetti done Healthy
Cake Batter Desserts @ Chocolate Covered Katie

Funfetti Indulgences
Cake Batter Cinnamon Rolls @ How Sweet It Is
Birthday Cake French Toast @ Grillaxin
Cake Batter Bread Ice Cream Bread @ Katrina's Kitchen
Funfetti Cheesecake Pops @ Bakers Royale
Funfetti Fritters @ Cookies & Cupcakes

Sidenotes: For those not familiar (and/or not recalling), Mike's the one that got away (or more accurately stated, the one I let get away) not too long before I started wasting time with the Sociopath (formerly known as the Narcissist; recent events that don't deserve another millisecond of attention & will not be discussed on this blog are the reason for the renaming).

I call him the one I let get away cause despite the fact that our relationship ended, I cannot think of one sour thing to say about any of the years we were together.  The sheer fact that it ended is tragic and the actual ending is only painful memory I have of our time together (to say that is a sharp contrast to what followed after mine and Mike's relationship would be a gross understatement).  The hardest part of that is even now, I am unable to pinpoint exactly where things took a fatal turn.  At time, I guess I guess I just kinda banked on a reconnection somewhere down the line, which I should have realized would be easier said than done. 
   

Thought it wasn't fast or easy, Mike and I were able to pave a road to (a positive, genuine & mutually reciprocated) friendship (something sociopathic individual's are incapable of).  There are no words to express how grateful I am for that and I seriously don't know what I'd have done - or how I'd manage - had that not been the case. 

It's somewhat interesting that my relationship with Mike was followed interaction with a Sociopath in that the former can be viewed as lesson on true love and how easy a relationship could be where as my experience with the latter taught me several valuable lessons that perhaps I needed to be reminded of:  what a relationship is not (and never should be; thus me not referring to it as one in this post), what it is I want and need in a "partner in crime", how to forgive, but you shouldn't forget, and when you cant forgive how to at least let go.....  Equally - if not even more - valuable is that the transpirings with the Sociopath brought to light inner conflicts (hence the reason the interaction went on for so long.  It's only now that I realize my inability to disconnect had everything to do with my own unresolved issues and little to do with him).  Though moments of regret and wishing the whole experience with the Sociopath never took place creep in to my head, I ultimately try not to view it - or him negatively - as doing such would negate what I've learned and gain (awareness, strength, insight...) and it also goes back to learning how to and knowing when to let go.
        

Also interesting - and equally ironic - is that everything the Sociopath portrayed himself as (smart, sexy ambitious, charming, self-sufficient, genuine, responsible, funny, gainfully employed) at the start of our interaction, was actually right in front of me, ready, willing, and able!  Unfortunately my dumb ass was blinded by and too caught up in dysfunction to really see him at the time, and when I finally did it was (kinda, sorta) too late.     

Yep. 
blew it again. 

I know! I know!
I seriously need to stop doing that.

And I will. 
When exactly I don't know
but I will.

Cookie stuffed crispy treat cupcakes are knock your socks off delicious. 
Frequent indulgence in said cupcakes may result in dependance or in most cases addiction.
Side effects include: extreme delight, satisfaction, euphoria, and excitability, especially in children. 
Baking in small batches reduces likelihood of addiction highly encouraged. 

Abuse of this recipe may result in large waist size, larger thighs, and overall need for a larger  clothing size.   In instances of abuse, connect with this health coach for personalized services guaranteed to fit your needs, so you can fit back into your clothing.

** Cupcake Components **
1 batch of homemade rice crispy treats
1 batch of homemade cookies
Your favorite frosting
sprinkles

Small Batch Rice Crispy Treats 
Vegan & Gluten Free
Makes 12 cupcake based

1 1/2 Tbs coconut oil
3 cups Brown Rice Crispy Cereal (I used Natures Path)
2 cups rice mellow

Melt coconut oil.  Add rice mellow and cereal, stirring until well combine.  Press cereal mix into cupcake pan cups and pop pan in the fridge.

Small Batch Coconut Chocolate Chunk Cookies*
Vegan & Gluten Free
Makes 12 cookies

Egg replacer to equal 1/2 an egg
1 Tbs coconut oil*
1/3 cup sucanat
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup + 1 Tbs all purpose flour (I used Bob's Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix)
1/8 tsp guar gum (Only use for gluten free, if your flour blend does not include it)
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/16 tsp salt
1/8 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
 1/4 cup dark chocolate chunks

In a mixing bowl combined all the dry ingredients except sugar, chocolate chunks and nuts.  Set close by.   In a large measuring cup, combine the egg replacer, coconut oil, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.   Add sugar mixture to the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until well combine.  Add chocolate chunks and nuts.  Stir again, place bowl in fridge and allow to chill while oven preheats to 350F.

Meanwhile, line a baking dish with parchment paper.  Then when oven is preheated remove dough from fridge and  divide / roll it into equal size balls and flatten slightly**.  Place dough balls on lined cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes, or until golden.

Notes: 
**  Customize your crispy treat cupcakes:  Follow recipe instructions for baking a batch of your favorite cookies (soft and chewy work best), with the exception of sizing cookies so that they lay atop or fit in rice crispy cupcake base.   Allow to cool completely prior to assembly.
** Cookie spread will vary pending amount of coconut oil used.  For the batch pictured above, I had used 1 Tbs and 2 tsp coconut oil + flattened dough balls to produce a crispy cookie.  When I made the cookies again for crispy treat cupcakes, I used only 1 Tbs of coconut oil.  

If you are using homemade frosting (as I did), make that now and proceed as written below