Vitamix Spinach Dip

I don't remember the last time I had spinach dip. I've been lactose intolerant since 15, so I haven't had anything remotely creamy and delicious as this. Every holiday dinner there is this big bread bowl with spinach dip and I always have to pass. Not anymore! I've got my own vegan version with yummy garlic and rosemary bread to boot. This makes me happy. :)

This is the first recipe I have made from the Vitamix cookbook. All the other things that have been through it so far, I've churned straight out of my memory or imagination. I've never really been a fan of cooked spinach. The look and sour taste always got to me as a kid, so I have eaten it fresh or juiced since. Today I traveled back to that childhood dinner where I would play with the green goop and made it yummy. It was simple and a quick route to an appetizer before dinner tonight.

What You Need
16 oz (1 bag) frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup light mayonaise
3/4 cup Tofutti sour cream
1 slice lemon, seeded and peeled
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Dash of salt and pepper
Makes about 2 cups

What You Do 

• Preheat oven to 350*
• Thaw your spinach on the counter or in the microwave on defrost for 5 minutes. 
• Drain in a strainer, pushing down with a paper towel to get all the excess liquid out. 
• Place all ingredients in the Vitamix and turn to variable 1 for 15 seconds.
• Turn to variable 4 and use tamper to mix everything together. 
• After all is mixed and creamy, about 3 minutes, take out and pour into a baking dish. 
• Cook for 25 minutes. 

Enjoy with garlic or rosemary bread. I used a sourdough roll from Trader Joe's.

• Butter all bread slices with Earth Balance. 
• Top with garlic pepper and paprika for garlic bread. 
• Top with rosemary and paprika for rosemary bread. 

Use your favorite spices and get creative.
Suggestions: oregano, dill, basil


What is your favorite appetizer during the holidays?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

These are amazing. There cannot be enough pictures of them because of how delicious they are. Enjoy the food porn. I adapted this recipe from Peas and Thank You. I love her blog and highly recommend it. The only difference I made in the recipe was using all-purpose wheat flour instead of the mix, and took out the peanut butter chips because I couldn't find vegan ones. 

Who doesn't love cookies and milk? My last post was about a cookies n' cream ice cream and so it was natural for me to make the real thing next. I can officially say this is my new go-to cookie recipe. By the time I balled these up and got them in the oven, my stomach hurt from how much sugary dough I had consumed...and I still couldn't stop. 

Seriously, I'm warning you. You will LOVE these cookies. If you were that kid who would eat the chocolate chip cookie dough right out of the tube, you may not even bother cooking these. You'll give up on the idea of letting the dough out of your site and completely demolish it right there and then. No eggs, no worries...except gaining a pound in 15 minutes. We can run it off later, right? 

What is your favorite type of cookie?

Chocolate Chip Corn Bread

I have a sweet tooth. Not an itty bitty, sometimes craving sweets, sweet tooth, but a large, in charge, fat kid inside sweet tooth. I will put agave nectar and chocolate on anything possible. Don't judge me.
As I was licking the sweet leftover corn bread dough off the rubber spatula I thought, "this should be dessert." I had about two ramekins left of the dough and knew I couldn't just eat it with a fork all night. Today I followed through with this fatty idea and came across a new favorite: Chocolate Chip Corn Bread.

After I took my first bite I was like, "hmm this needs something." I then proceeded to cover it in Earth Balance and Trader Joe's vanilla coconut milk (the boxed kind). The bread soaked it right up and made it super moist, like when you dip a chocolate chip cookie in milk until it's practically falling apart. Mmm so good!

As I sit here and munch down on this beautiful dessert feeling like a piggy, I justify it by saying, "I'll be doing cardio in an hour. I need these carbs." Oh the joys of a workout schedule for excuses. Tony Horton says abs are made in the kitchen. I may be vegan, working out 6 days a week, and a health nut, but if my abs were made in the kitchen I'd have a 12-pack right now. I'm in there all day cooking up a storm, licking spoons, and drinking fresh juices.

Speaking of piggies, I went to a petting zoo last weekend. It made me giddy to pet the animals but sad because they were all tired. The best part was these black baby pigs that were so friendly. Mr.Organnix and I took affectionately to this one pig who was all about the attention. I started rubbing his belly and he flopped over and closed his eyes. We practically fell in love with this little guy and wanted to take him home.

Once I got to my humble abode I couldn't help but google pigs. I found this site about Micro-Nano-Teacup pigs that only grew to the size of a chihuahua! I was like holy crap, I want one of these. I can't get them out of my head and have decided the moment I move into a house with a yard, one of those tiny pigs will be my first addition. I just hope my dog will get along with it! If you've never seen of these guys, you have to see it. Here's a cute video of one with an actress:

What You Need
Bob's Corn Bread Mix
milk
oil or melted margarine
flax eggs
chocolate chips

What You Do

• Prepare corn bread mix according to package. 
• Add in chocolate chips. 
• Pour into ramekins or cake pan. 
• Cook for 25 minutes at 375*.
• After cooked, take out and place on top of oven. 
• Pour boxed vanilla coconut milk over ramekins or pan until it fills up to the edges. 
• Poke holes where the milk is so that it absorbs to the bottom.
• Let soak into bread until cool. 

Juicer Day!

I used to think that juicing was just another trend diet and people were losing all their fiber by sticking their fruit in a juicer and drinking the sugar result. Little did I know that a juicer can be way more than a pulp-eating machine. After weeks of researching juicing, and reading 21Pounds in 21Days I had to get a juicer. I learned how juicing vegetables can give you more nutrients than you could possibly chew. I eat salads, veggies, and fruits all day in my mostly vegan organic diet, but adding a fresh juice will benefit me that much more. Plus, the machine you see below is not solely a juicer. It makes wheatgrass shots, nut and seed butters and milks, strings pasta (something I'm dying to try), churns out frozen desserts, minces, and chops my worst enemy: the onion! (Aha! Take that onions. I've finally found your match!)

I researched them for about two weeks before deciding on the all-encompassing one below. I already love to prepare healthy organic meals but now I get to add the drink from scratch as well. It seemed a little daunting at first, and the research was quite overwhelming, but I found my way to an Amazon 5-star rated nutrition center.

Omega 8006 Juicer

It came with all of these fun parts which look complicated, but are totally easy to use! 

The first thing I knew I wanted to make (since it wasn't the day of the farmer's market) was banana sorbet. All it takes is a frozen banana:

After it came out tasting delicious, I decided to run it through again to increase smoothness, but added frozen raspberries and green grapes this time. It added a nice tartness but took some of the sweetness away from the banana. 

I had sorbet for breakfast that only contained frozen fruit. It was so good, and surprisingly filling. The spoon you see in the bananas is my boyfriend coming over to share the morning goodness. We couldn't resist!

After I visit the farmer's market I will post pictures of my first juicing experience. I can't wait to get some wheatgrass shots going!

Dr. Roni De Luz has taught me that detoxing is very healthy, and pretty much mandatory in the polluted world that we live. Since I don't consume the normal western diet, I believe in doing a daily detox. Instead of only devoting 21 days, or every weekend, or even a 7 day run to a full on detox, I've decided to do it daily. Eating organic, drinking live juices, and staying away from pesky processed junk 99% of the time is going to make me live ten years longer (or at least that is what my doctor tells me). I have not, and probably won't, indulge in colonics, but everything else that cleanses the body is under my belt.

Juicing vegetables will hopefully become a daily habit that I can't put down. I got addicted to eating healthy, now all I needed was to add on delicious raw drinks and desserts. I'm always searching food blogs for the next best healthy dessert, but now hopefully I (and you) will be returning to mine to ask, "Mm how did I make that?"