Blueberry Pie Pancakes with Glaze.

I drool over most of the stuff on Chocolate Covered Katie... including these. Though her suggestion to top with her "Glazy Doughnut Glaze" is what had me. The stuff rocks. Not even close to my own personal achilles heel that I call a blueberry donut... but it's good to be healthy.

Blueberry Pie Pancakes
(makes 12)
1 1/2 cup blueberries (I used frozen mixed berries)
1 cup flour (ww pastry, white, spelt, Bob’s gluten-free, etc.)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons agave/sugar (omit if you don’t want sweet pancakes)
1 cup nondairy milk

If you don’t like the taste of fat-free pancakes, add 2 tablespoon coconut oil or vegan butter, and reduce milk by that amount.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, then add wet. Mix, but don’t overmix. Cook on an oiled (or sprayed) pan, on low-medium, flipping each pancake once.

Cover with G-lazy Glaze and serve.... yum!

G-lazy Glaze
2 tablespoons mashed banana
2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil 

Combine the two ingredients, and melt. (I used a microwave for 14 seconds.) Then stir stir stir… keep stirring for at least a minute, until the watery mess turns thick and paste-y like frosting.

It seems so simple - so how could it taste so good? But trust me, it does!!

Vegan Berry Shortcakes with Lemon and Thyme Scones.

It was high time to veganize one of my favorite desserts... these yummy shortcakes. And I done gooooood! The combo of thyme and lemon with berries still floors me that it actually tastes good - but it does. And the crust the raw sugar makes on the scones is yummy!

berries
4 cups fresh berries (21 to 22 ounces), rinsed, drained well
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons water

biscuits
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups nondairy milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon raw sugar
whipped cashew cream

Berries: Combine all ingredients in large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until berries are slightly softened and syrup coats spoon, about 10 minutes. Transfer to medium glass bowl. DO AHEAD Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Biscuits: Preheat the oven to 400*F. Grind the oats to a fine meal in a dry blender. Pour into a medium bowl and add the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well.

Mix the milk, agave, lemon juice, lemon zest and thyme in a small bowl. Pour into the dry mixture and stir briefly with a fork, until just combined. Drop by large spoonfuls onto 2 nonstick baking sheets (or baking sheets lined with parchment paper), making 12 mounds. Smooth the tops a bit with wet fingertips. Sprinkle with raw sugar. 

Bake for about 15 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool slightly. 

Using serrated knife, carefully cut scones horizontally in half. Place bottom half of each biscuit on each of 6 plates. Spoon berries syrup over, dividing equally. Cover with biscuit tops. Place scoop a dollop of whipped cashew cream ontop each and serve.

***A merge of the bon appetit shortcake recipe with the oatmeal drop scones from Reversing Diabetes.

Fruit-Flax Yogurt.

Back in September of 2009 - when I first read Dr. Fuhrman's book, Disease Proof Your Child, I knew this recipe was a first-try recipe. I knew the only way I'd be able to get my kids off dairy was to find a proper replacement for their yogurt on their morning waffles. It was a hit! We also subbed peanut butter, banana slices and a little honey too. Yum.

So, when a friend asked how she could ween herself off yogurt, I looked for this post, and couldn't find it. I can't believe I hadn't posted it yet! Belly Bites wasn't born yet... and I probably was a little unsure if I was even going to really do this plant-based thing. Funny how I totally proved myself wrong.

2 cups fresh or frozen berries, peaches, etc.
1/2 cup soy or almond milk
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
3 medjool or 6 deglet noor dates

Blend until smooth. Chill and serve. I love storing them in old baby food containers... perfect size for a snack or for lunch.

Banana-Berry Oatmeal Bar

These are from a book by Kelly Freston, Quantum Wellness. Who, I'm not gonna lie, I saw on Oprah... and was interested to see more of what she was about. She had a lot of good stuff in her book - agreed on all of her food stuff. And if I didn't turn somewhere else for my spiritual well-being - I'd probably groove on a lot of her stuff.

BUT, her food was good. I'm excited to add this to my list of healthy snacks/treats and they freeze well. Which turns out to be awesome for me when I forget to close the freezer door, thawed out 3 bags of berries.... and needed to find something to do with them.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup vegan butter, softened
1/3 cup agave nectar
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup mixed berries (fresh or frozen)
1/3 cup chopped almonds

Preheat the oven to 425*F.

Lightly grease a 13" x 9" baking pan.

In a large bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the agave nectar, bananas, and vanilla.

Gradually add the flour and oats, alternating, into the banana mixture until incorporated. If it is getting too thick, add vanilla soy milk. Fold in the berries and nuts.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 25 minutes or until golden (my Texas climate took 21 minutes - so watch 'em). Cool and cut into bars.

Makes 2 dozen.

Berry Steel Cut Oatmeal

Berry Steel Cut Oatmeal

We all eat a variation of this for breakfast every morning. I'll post the basic and the different variations. 

Morning of Cooking Method: Add 1 cup of oats and 3 cups of water, bring to boil - lower heat and cook til your desired texture. Usually 20-30 minutes. I really like them this way, but with the way we slowly get and how starving we all are in the mornings - it's hard to pull off that cooking time.

So, we usually do the Night Before cooking method. Which is arguably the healthier way to eat the oats. Since they're not being exposed to heat for a long period of time, it doesn't break down the nutrients. So... the night before, boil 3 cups of water. Once the water is boiling, add 1 cup of steel cut oats or groats, take off heat, stir and then put the lid on it. The oats will "cook" overnight. In the morning just warm the pot up enjoy!

Mine & Coco's variation:

oatmeal, berry blend (blueberry, marion berry & raspberry - from Cosstco), bananas, nut dust & agave nectar

(the blueberry/banana combo is heavenly - but then when I added in the raspberries - it put it out of the park! I could eat that every morning for the rest of my life - oh wait - i do. Although this warm summer is causing me to start out the day sweating - no bueno. So, I just don't warm it up as much as I'd like to)

Ava's preferred variation:

oatmeal, blueberries, bananas, nut dust & agave nectar

Nolan's preferred variation:

oatmeal, strawberries, bananas, nut dust & agave nectar

(though he'd prefer bran flakes & bananas, I'm trying to wean him off)

Shayne's variation:

oatmeal, Splenda & silk

(and then he chokes it down - hasn't quite been converted)

BERRY BANANA WHOLE WHEAT MUFFINS

This is a recipe I found on my sisters childhood friend's blog, Welcome to Beanland. She's way into healthy living, and where I found a lot of my early inspiration. She's also got some good info on a Healthy Minds and Bodies Group she does... something I'd totally love to do around here. Anyhow, these are super yummy, super healthy - and freeze great.

1 Jumbo egg + 1 TBS flax meal (or instead of egg use 2 T. flax meal + 1/8 teaspoon baking powder + 3 tablespoons water, OR 1/2 of a mashed ripe banana plus 1/4 teaspoon baking powder) OR you can use 2 regular eggs
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
¼ cup vegetable oil (or pumpkin puree)
½ cup packed brown sugar (1/3 cup agave nectar)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 bananas, mashed (could puree)

Whisk together. Combine in a separate bowl:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Stir into dry, then add:
1 heaping cup frozen 3 berry blend (or any frozen berries. Mine is the 3 blend from Costco, blueberry, marion, and raspberry)

Grease regular muffin tins and fill all the way up. Sprinkle with brown sugar (optional). Bake at 375 F for 15-20 minutes.