Weird Hippie Food

Between needing to avoid gluten and personally believing in a traditional-foods based diet, I am always on the lookout for weird hippie food. Food that’s stuffed with nutrition and low in sugar. I like to eat healthy, but I also like to eat deliciously. Recently I’ve tried a few new recipes I wanted to share with you.

It started with some almond flour muffins that Elliott really likes. It is so hard to make that child a muffin he likes that has some actual nutrition in it. So score for Elana’s Pantry. (FTR, I always sub agave for honey.)

Later in the week I decided I wanted to make some avocado-based chocolate mousse. I’ve heard of such a thing and had it in mind for a long time, but had never actually done it. Strangely, and probably because the world revolves around me*, the first entry when I Googled for a recipe was from a woman I’ve met at playgroups a few times, years ago. In her entry she suggests using it as a frosting so I totally whipped up another batch of muffins and frosted those bad boys.

Actually, I only frosted this one because, in Margie’s words, “This mousse takes like your breakfast shakes.” With a very clear emphasis of distaste on the latter part of that sentence. Fine. More for me.

And maybe I should say here that I’m really not very picky. (Except for seafood.) So I liked it, although I definitely think it’s not your average frosting. Maybe if it was a little sweeter. Or had no avocado. But then you can’t have green veggies** on your cake so it sort of defeats the hippie part.

Ever since joining Pinterest, I’ve been taunted with mug cakes. I don’t have a microwave so I thought I couldn’t play this game. But then, a few months ago, Sonja sent me a mug cake mix that totally said, “Hey, stupid, use your toaster oven.” Only maybe the package worded it a little more nicely. So I’ve spent the last weeks trying to find the perfect hippie gluten-free mug cake. And here it is. (Hint: It tastes best served with Doctor Who: Scene It, but you may skip that step.)

Weird Hippie Gluten-Free Mug Cake

1Tbs Coconut Flour
2Tbs Cocoa Powder
4Tbs Sweetener (I use whatever mix of sugar, rapadura, or coconut sugar that I fancy at the moment. Sometimes I use less)
1Tbs Oil
3-4Tbs Milk (I use coconut or rice or whatever I have open)

Mix, bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes. Done!

So, yeah. Who wants to come over and play Doctor Who: Scene It?

*I have proof.
**If it’s green, it’s a veggie. Dammit.

Happies

Yesterday I got peed on by a dog. So I decided to finally upload all the Happy Things I’ve been leaving on my phone for the last month or so, and post them here. I hope you don’t get peed on by a dog today or any day.

The Day Began and Ended With Chocolate and Coconut Flour

On weekend mornings I make pancakes. Or sleep in. Occasionally both, but never at once. I nearly always use this recipe, based in coconut flour. Because it’s delicious, nutritious, and gluten-free-tious. Sometimes I get fancy with it and add something like cocoa powder and cinnamon, or pumpkin pie spice. I have this fantasy of adding Via to it, but my kids are all too young for coffee and stuff. Lame.

Honestly, I find this recipe a little bit unreliable even when I am following the directions exactly (which we all know isn’t often). So I’m not sure if coconut flour is a little moody (it is), or if my eggs are the wrong size, or if the Kitchen Gods just hate me (likely), but it doesn’t really matter because no matter how fluffy they are that particular day, they are always delicious.

****

I spend a lot of time on Pinterest these days. And it’s changed my life. I make all the cool potatoes now. Last night these peanut butter balls came across the Pinsphere and Bethany and I had a balls-off. Only we didn’t call it that until this moment (but we’re totally calling it that now. Right, Bethany?).

Because gluten-free pretzels cost about $400/bag, I couldn’t bear the thought of using them in this recipe. Also I didn’t have any in the house at the moment. So I mixed up some peanut butter with some coconut flour and added a little raw honey. I didn’t sweeten the chocolate chips because, duh, they’re already sweet. I also didn’t refrigerate the balls before dipping them in chocolate because, duh, I’m lazy. I’ll admit it got a little awkward there, but, me and my balls, we made it through just fine. And they were delicious, my balls.

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And that is the story of how my Saturday began and ended with chocolate and coconut flour. It was a good day. Now I shall go have more peanut butter balls.

Bye, 2011. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. (Here are the tweets.)

That is all.

Oh. And here are the tweets.

Why? Why are all the people being stupid at me today? Why?
Dec 1

Margie, playfully, to me: Aw, it only took up six minutes arguing with you. You can’t even take up a ten minute argument. You’re worth nothing.
Dec 5

Margie: Right now is the future for 1981.
Dec 6

Why does autocorrect correct things to stuff it still doesn’t recognize? It’s like, “No clue what you were going for, but I’m righter.”
Dec 8

The Doctors are all playing against himself on Wii Sports Resort. Wow. Grammar is hard with time travelers.
Dec 10

Elliott, complimenting me: “I love your smelling.” Thanks, dude. I think.
Dec 14

Elliott, misunderstanding a Doctor Who line while reenacting the scene with Legos: “Look, they’re having fish sticks and fingers!”
Dec 14

You know what’s normal? A kid’s party at 10:30 pm. Normal for my neighbors, I mean. #feelingstabby
Dec 17

Totally just saw Wil Wheaton or his doppelgänger in La Mesa.
Dec 19

OK, pudding, I will make you now.
Dec 19

Gillian Anderson has one of my favorite noses. Just FYI.
Dec 20

It’s so disheartening to dust in the late afternoon sun when you can see the motes just waiting to land all over your shelves again.
Dec 21

I totally just had a bad dream about kittens. I didn’t know that was possible.
Dec 23

I was just wondering what happened to my Pet Shop Boys CD and then I remembered it was a cassette tape. Which I probably still have.
Dec 23

Jesus Christ Superstar totally counts as a Christmas movie, right?
Dec 24

Margie: I predict boredom!
Dec 29

Elliott: Ew! I hate drooling. Margie: Me, too, but I only do it when you’re annoying. (To punish him.)
Dec 29

Word to the wise: when your kid complains that something smells like poo, “your mom” is not, it turns out, a good reply.
Dec 29

Overheard in line at Blockbuster: “Lord of the Rings is another good trilogy. But not unless you watch The Hobbit first.”
Dec 30

And the winner is….!

I’m honestly a little astonished that I’m remembering to do this in a timely fashion. Go, me! Remember that contest last week? The winner is Becca! She asked me if I wore the mustache out in her comment and you know what? I didn’t. It was confiscated from me by a kid and that kid (whichever one it was, I didn’t notice) wore it outside. Does that count? Becca, send me your address, please, to zebrabelly at gamil.com.

And now hopefully I can catch up to some of these Reverb Broads posts.

7 Days: Day 7 (It’s Too Early)

I mean. It IS almost nine, but my brain isn’t awake yet. So we decided to play with Photo Booth’s mirror effect. It was more fun than I expected. And I expected fun. The best part? Two coffees in every picture. Even if I don’t always have a head to drink it with.

7 Days: Day 6 (That *is* a Doctor in my pocket, but I’m still happy to see you.)

So my son got these toys for Christmas yesterday. And I has a jealus. I’ve seen them before, but I had no idea I NEEDED them until now. Back in 97 or so I used to carry a Jeff Goldblum around with me wherever I went. And for awhile I spent time driving with a John Cusack in my car. (He was bored…. CARDboard! Har!) I think I need need a Doctor to keep with me at all times now.

Notice how I shoved Eight back in the back there? I still haven’t forgiven him for that heart attack where I leaned without warning about the 13 lives rule.

And since iTunes or the BBC or someone is trying to ruin my life and the Christmas Special isn’t yet available to download (CRY) I shall have to find something ELSE to do tonight. Curse BBC America for not running directly into the TV in my house like all the other channels. *exasperated sigh*

7 Days: Day 5 (Happy Place)

Uh. Was I supposed to do vanilla? I don’t think I had any vanilla today. Although we felt my shirt was fairly vanilla-colored.

Anyway, today I went to my happy place (Torrey Pines) with Summer and Claire for a hike and a picnic on the beach. And it was perfect. The sky was clear, the air was warm but not hot, the waves roared. Perfect.

Before we hit this quiet spot, I tried to get a photo of us standing in front of the ocean, but a crowd was forming and was threatening to, like, view scenes in MY photo spot. So my friends saved me a spot. I love those people.

I mostly forgot that today was Christmas which was just fine. I had my holiday earlier this week and it was fulfilling and magical and perfect. I felt no loss at not being with my kids today. Although I miss them when they aren’t here, I was glad they got to spend the day with their Daddy.

Since Claire is Jewish and Summer had no Christmas plans until evening we decided to meet for a hike. The last time Summer and I hiked Torrey Pines on a major holiday there was an earthquake. Luckily we avoided that this time. I’m glad. I don’t want to be responsible for earthquakes.

After a fancy picnic on the beach (of soy sauce eggs, dates stuffed with goat cheese, baba ghanoush, sugar plums, tangerines, and coffee) Claire and I went to see Breaking Dawn (Summer wanted no part of that for some probably highly intelligent reason). The movie was slow and honestly boring, but it had its moments. And by “moments” I mean “hilariously terrible moments“. I completely lost control at the styrofoam cup of blood. Styrofoam cup of blood. With a straw. The juxtaposition had me laughing so hard I was surely pissing off all the tweenagers in earshot. It was fabulous.

All in all it was a pretty lovely day. Good friends, Torrey Pines, laughing so hard I nearly peed. Happy.

7 Days: Day 4 (Chocolate)

What? At least I did the theme from two days ago. Also, you have to find at least two kinds of chocolate on your own. It’s like Where’s Waldo, but with chocolate! What could be better?

You can see the evolution of my living room. I took a picture like this last winter run, and another in the spring. I’ve since inherited lots of stuff I had to find places for so it looks even more different. But I love my home. I feel happy just sitting here in this room.

Tonight I’m cuddling up with my chocolate (and maybe I’ll get around to dinner at some point) and watching either Twin Peaks, Portlandia, or one of the movies on my queue I never get to. Right after I finish listening to the newest Nerdist podcast with David Tennant.

7 Days: Day 3 (The Tamales are Tamales!)

I decided to make tamales for Yule this year, but during the process I became quite worried as to how they’d turn out. The husks didn’t cooperate at all, I think they needed to soak longer maybe. The process required a lot more cuss words than I’d been prepared for. But when it came time to eat them they were not bad at all. They aren’t the prettiest tamales ever, and some on the edges of the crock pot got crispy (mmmm…. crispy…) but they generally resembled tamales and were declared to be delicious by everyone, even my picky six year old.

I found the recipe here and it was fairly easy except for the part which was difficult (the assembly).

On a side note, I took this photo, was disappointed that my hand didn’t make it in the shot, and then realized that my torso totally also counts as me. And then I realized that my other hand actually did make it in the shot. Thank god I’m cute.