I'm feelin moody baby
Oh yeah!

Hello Loves!

After declaring today an "all about ME" day, I found myself in an indulgent kind of mood.  This resulted in a batch of Double Chocolate S'Mores Bars, which are a variation of my regular S'mores Bars using 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, 1/3 ground flax, and the Peanut Butter & Co's Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter and a quart of homemade Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.  

1 16oz container dairy free creamer (such as Silk or So Delicious Coconut Creamer)
1 1/4 cup non-dairy milk (I used Trader Joes Vanilla Hemp)
1/2 cup coconut nectar
1/4 cup Sucanant
1 1/2 - 2 tsp Peppermint extract
2 Tbs Arrowroot Powder
1 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Mix 1/4 cup of non dairy milk with 2 Tbs of the arrowroot powder and set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the creamer with the remainder of the milk, the agave nectar and the sucanat and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and immediately stir in the arrowroot mixture.  Then add peppermint extract and stir until well combine.  Taste mix for flavor and sweetness. 
Allow ice cream mix to cool in fridge for approoximately 4 hours.  Then run it through your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers directions, adding chips during the last 5 minutes of mixing.  Transfer to a container and store in freezer. 

In a word:  Yum!!

As I beat the heat with Mint Chip cone, I received an unexpected call from a sexy friend inviting me out for a late afternoon cocktail.  Naturally I accepted.  As the saying goes, if you won't someone else will.  I can sit in the house and mope or I can make the best of the hand life has dealt me.  Life's too short to spend the entire day moping about, wishing things were different, esepcially when the reality of the situation is that I have no control over another individual actions/behavior.  It is what it is.  Going back to the Idiot's Guide to Zen Living, it's better to "let go" than to make yourself sick over what you have no control over. 

Looking forward, tomorrow the carefree, fun lovin naughty vibes continue down at Robert Moses Beach Field 5.  I'm fixin to head out bright and early (after a quick but intense workout) but I will be heading out solo due to my "date" turning out to be a fraud.  *le sigh*  (Yeah, yeah in the long run I am better off but it still stings.)  

Moving on, I would like you to meet newest addition to my appliance family:

Waring Pro Health Juice Extractor
My New Love <3

I scored this little gem for $30 new in box.  Although I've happily been utilizing my blender for juices (just requires a quick run & ring through a mesh paint strainer bag), I've nonetheless kept an eye out for a reasonably priced juice extractor and $30 fits the bill!!  That said, I must admit that I still consider this to be an impulse buy, which doesnt exactly fit in with my budgeting goals but to that I say f!#@ it - the juicer isnt going to result in my filing for bankruptcy - I will just have to scale back elsewhere to accommodate this purchase.

So, what will be my first juice? 

Carrot of course!!  Blended with green apple and spinach :-)

4 handfuls of baby carrots
2 green apples
1 handful baby spinach
1 lemon

Place ice in glass (or mason jar for on the go convenience).  Squeeze lemon over ice.  Set aside.
Juice carrots, spinach, and apples in accordance to manufacturers instructions.  Enjoy!

I actually just got back from the market with the apples (as well as cat food. Meow!).  I need to load up the dehydrator with tomorrow's lunch (5 Alarm Veggies & Chickenless Burgers - minus the coconut skin - from Any Phyo's Raw Food Essentials) and finish up the laundry I started before bed. 

Wishing everyone a fabulous night!!  Until next time, I'm off like a prom dress ;-)

Oh my gosh, I'm SO EXCITED I can barely contain myself.  Lucky little me scored a new Sunbeam Bread Machine today for super cheap.  I've been dying for a bread machine for some time now but have not given into my urges to purchase such mainly because I have been unsure as to how much I would actually use it (considering I don't eat all that much bread).  However, my feelings on said matter change today as I finally found one at a reasonable price. 

I seriously could not wait for the work day to end and there were moments in which I thought my eagerness to make my very first gluten free bread would be the death of me!!  On my way home from work I made a quick stop at the market (King Kullen) to pick up cat food and a bag of Bob's Gluten Free Hearty Whole Grain Bread Mix, which happened to be on sale for $4.99!!  Truth be told, the brown color of the mix made me hesitant to purchase this mix and I almost went with the Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin instead but that one was not on sale ($6.49) so The Hearty Whole Grain it would be.

I made a bee line for the kitchen upon entering the house and immediately set to work.  First, I cleaned the machine and set up my supplies on the counter.  I then read the instructions as per the bread machine manual, then according to the package directions.  Although this was my first time ever using a bread machine (as well as utilizing this bread mix), I was nonetheless up for making substitutions as I saw fit, using egg replacer instead of egg and unsweetened applesauce in place of oil.  Oh and a tablespoon of agave for that little extra something.  First I added the liquid ingredients, then the dry (making sure to spread it out all the way to the corners.  I added the yeast (in a little groove I had made in the center of the dry mix) last.  I then shut the lid, set the machine on the quick cycle, pressed start, and headed out the door for a Pole Fitness class over at Diva Fit Studio in Massapequa. Approximately two hours later I arrived home, again making a bee line for the kitchen, only this time I was greeted by the smell of fresh baked deliciousness

In two sentences: OMFGosh I cannot believe this is gluten free.  How did I ever live without one of these machines!!  I then proclaimed this loaf to be the best bread I had ever eaten.

A few hours later, as I bit into my first slice ever of pretzel sandwhich bread, I retracted said statement and declared that the best bread I had ever eaten in my entire life.  And I still stand by said statement.

Until next tiime, I'm off like a prom dress!

xo

Commerical Blender:  
I received the (Montel William's endorsed) Health Master for christmas as my VitaMix Total Nutrition Center had broke.  

Food Processor:
I bought a 3 cup Oster brand one from Target over a year ago and it's still kickin'!  One of these days I may upgrade to a larger sized one but for now this one gets the job done.

Vegetable Slicer/Spiralizer:
I received a Paderno World Cusine Turning Slicer as a gift last christmas.  I primarily use it for spiralizing zuchini. 

Crockpot:
Classic 2qt sized, which I purchased from Walmart for $10 over a year ago. 

Dehydrator:
10 tray Good4U which I received as a christmas gift last year from my best friend Darin.  In my opinion, in order to effective utilize this type of appliance you need patience as more often than not what takes 18+ hours to dehydrate can be eaten in 10 minutes!!