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AMAZING Chocolate Silk Pie

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So I haven’t exactly cured my sweet tooth yet even if I am not going through kilos of sugar, butter and eggs every week.  Kicking sugar is next on my list, and I am working my way there by trying out sweet treats that don’t have added sweeteners (I go through a LOT of dates these days).

Yesterday, I tried a silk pie from the McDougal’s iPhone app, and it was AMAZING!  The crust is just dates and pecans, and the pie is just chocolate, tofu and peanut butter.  The result is so phenomenal that I will make this pie as a treat for non-vegan gatherings.  In fact, it was so rich, that I suggest only the very smallest slices (even my kids couldn’t finish a slice!).  It doesn’t have any added sweeteners, but because it uses chocolate, as opposed to cocoa powder, it does have sugar. It is also super easy to make as all you need is a Thermomix – or a high power blender and the only cooking is just to melt the chocolate.

I am posting the recipes here, with the changes I made.  Being in Germany, chocolate chips are hard to come by, so I used ‘Vivani’ brand kuverture.  I used the dark chocolate variety, and it contains only cocoa powder, sugar and cocoa butter.  It says it *may* contain milk or nuts, but that means it is made in a factory which also makes those things, so it is still about as vegan as any chocolate can be in Germany.  I also used a bit more tofu than called for because I just wanted to use a complete package.

The next time I make it, I plan to try with half of the filling and add the optional chocolate for the topping and perhaps a peanut butter spread on the crust.  

Definitely worthy of a special occasion!

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

 

Ingredients

 

350 g dark baking chocolate

400 g silken tofu

1 1/2 cups natural peanut butter

1/2 cup non-dairy milk

No-Bake Pecan Date Crust

  

Method

1. Prepare the  crust. 

2. Melt the chocolate (For Thermomix, chop chocolate at level 8 for 10 seconds to chop, then add the milk and melt at 50 degrees, 5 min, level 5)

3.  In a food processor or high-powered blender, add the remaining ingredients. Blend until very smooth, adding more milk, if desired. Pour the filling into the crust and refrigerate for 2 hours. 

Servings: 8

Source: Dr. Mcdougall

 

No-Bake Pecan Date Crust

 

Ingredients

2 cups raw almonds or pecans

3/4 cup pitted dates, preferably Medjool

  

Method

 

Place the nuts and dates in a food processor and grind until they’re a coarse meal. Press the mixture into a 9-inch spring form pan. 

 

Cinnamon Roll Success, Stevia Frosting Fail

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So I enjoy a good cinnamon roll, but it is usually neither healthy nor vegan.  When I came across this recipe from Naturally Ella the other day, I thought I had to give it a try.  Since I had also just finished reading a Rodale article on sweeteners, I thought I would give Stevia a chance with the frosting.

One of the other problems I usually have with sweet rolls is the rising time.  I started these the night before and let them do the first rise, then I rolled them up (using Rapadura as the sugar) and put them in a covered pan to sit overnight in the fridge.  I took them out the next morning and let them sit according to the recipe and they rose beautifully.  They came out of the oven fat and soft.

While the buns were rising, I took a look in my Thermomix cookbook as they have a recipe for the Rosinen Schnecke which look a lot like these rolls.  One thing I have noticed with the Thermomix recipes is that they always use fresh yeast and don’t seem to need a long rising time.  According to Joy of Baking.com, the only difference is that the dry is easier to keep as it has a longer shelf life and must be proofed, but that professionals tend to use the fresh.  However, I may try with fresh yeast next time and only 30 minutes for the first rise and 20 for the 2nd as that is how the Thermomix makes the Schnecke.  (There is an interesting discussion at The Fresh Loaf comparing the two, but don’t seem to say anything about different rising times).  In any case, fresh yeast is easy to get here, so I might as well try it.

So, for the frosting I really wanted to use cream cheese, but every vegan recipe for cream cheese frosting seems to require starting with a vegan cream cheese.  I have found one at Basic Bio, and it is okay, but I hate ‘wasting’ it as an ingredient. I did break down since it was the only way I could think of to give substance to my frosting if I wanted to substitute Stevia for cups of powdered sugar. I hate the idea of basically pouring cups of refined sugar over my food and Rapadura’s taste is really too strong for powdered sugar, so I thought I should try Stevia again for something truly guilt free.  I’ve read that Stevia picks up the flavor of the other ingredients, so it is good to consider the other ingredients and have something else a little sweet.  It is also suggested that you only add the stevia by bits and taste until the sweetness is appropriate as too much stevia becomes bitter.    So I mixed the cream cheese, juice of one lemon, a teaspoon or so of maple syrup and added drops of liquid stevia until the taste seemed right.  It did seem to improve with adding the Stevia, but I kept adding and it never seemed to get right.  In the end I thought it tasted ok and I put it on the buns.  However, I think it simply tasted slightly better than the start and because I had tasted it so many times, I couldn’t tell.  The kids hated it.  I don’t know if it was the original frosting or the amount of Stevia I used.  Next time I may just make Naturally Ellas frosting as it doesn’t have too much sugar, or I may use Dr. Fuhrman’s Macadamia Cream (just macadamia nuts with almond milk and dates).

If any of you has a good low sugar or sugar free frosting PLEASE share!!!

Simple Life

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I got this email from Spark People a couple of weeks ago, and it is some good food for thought.

The Real Simple Life

According to Duane Elgin, author of Voluntary Simplicity, there are three main areas to consider when attempting to tread more lightly on planet Earth: 

1. Your house. How big does it really need to be? Many people, especially in countries like the U.S., live in houses that are much bigger than they need them to be. All that unused space has to be heated and cooled, paid for and cleaned. Besides the fact that energy is being wasted on these big, expensive houses, isn’t life too short to spend most of it working to make mortgage payments? 

2. Your transportation. How big of a car do you really need? Having a minivan for your big family is one thing–riding high in an SUV just because you like the way they look is another. Someone is working very hard to pay those car payments. Is it really worth it? 

3. Your food. The average food item had to travel 1,500 miles to get to your plate. Everyone enjoys the flavor of a mango now and then, but there are lots of foods that are grown locally (often organically) that are much gentler on the ecosystem. Check out your farmers market for a great selection. 

Healthy Lifestyles, Healthy Living, Healthy Eating, Charlotte Bradley

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Healthy Lifestyles, Healthy Living, Healthy Eating, Charlotte Bradley.

Here are a bunch of articles on ‘alternative’ grains like buckwheat (Buchenweizen), kamut, millet (Hirse) and spelt (Dinkel). All of these are readily available in bio shops in Germany.  I just got back from the shop, and I am going to try the Buckwheat and rice flour chocolate chip cookies (gluten free).  She also has articles on stevia and Agave Nectar – both of which are now available in just about every bio shop I have been to localy.

Is home buying living simply?

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Signing my life away

Well, you may have noticed that I haven’t written much lately since I have been buying a home.  Part of the dilemma has been whether this decision will simplify our lives, and if the past few weeks are any indication, I would say not.

I don’t know whether it was my upbringing or our culture, but it was always ingrained in me that buying a home is the most sensible thing a person can do.  I was trained to think that this was a wise use of your money and led to less waste of resources.  I think this could be partly a cultural training as home ownership rates in the US average 68% and in Germany they are only 42% according to Wikipedia.  In researching my decision, I also came across a great calculator at New York Times that compares renting versus owning, and in many cases, renting can actually save you money in the long run.  For example, as a renter you don’t have to worry about repairs, improvements, property taxes, etc.  So in many ways, renting is living more simply.

I also wonder which way is most Biblical.  If we really wanted to stick to the teachings of Jesus, I don’t think we would buy homes.  After all, Jesus says don’t worry about tomorrow and don’t store up treasures on earth because where your treasures are your heart will be also.  I can certainly see the obsession that can develop as you worry about your home and possessions.  Ideally we would all be focused on more Godly thoughts of loving other people.  If I were a really good christian, I should rent an even cheaper place and instead of saving, should be giving my money to the needy.  Also, instead of all the time spent focused on keeping up with the house, spend that time helping people.

As an expatriate home ownership becomes even more complicated.  Every indication is that it makes more sense to hold onto your home for longer, and as an expatriate, you may not plan to hold a home in a foreign country for long as your job may take you away, or you don’t have the family ties to keep you there.  Furthermore, the customs and regulations around buying homes are different.  For example, in the US, it is common for people to buy and sell several homes in their life.  Owners often consider the resale value of their home and make modifications to increase its value.  In Germany, on the other hand, people tend to buy for life and don’t have the same motivations to make improvements.  Therefore, when you go to buy a home, most of them haven’t had any remodeling in 20+ years and will need some pretty extensive work before you move in.  Of course, the biggest obstacle to buying a home in a foreign country is language.  You may not understand the home descriptions or legal terms of the contract.  Shopping for loans or vendors and products for repairs becomes even more complicated.

To make things even more complicated, we bought a new build.

Our hole

This means complications in terms of clauses for finishing work, choosing all kinds of materials, making architectural adjustments, etc.  Each element requires lots of research, meeting with people and working into a budget.  Did I mention it is all in a language I am not fluent in?  This explains why I haven’t been to bed before midnight in over a week.

So considering all the complications I have just added to my life, why on earth did I decide to go ahead with the purchase?

  • Well, first of all, we are all human and don’t always make the most logical decisions. Perhaps part of me couldn’t overcome that sense that this is what I ‘should’ do?
  • Our family size has doubled (from 3 to 6) since we have been in our current home, so I was feeling the need for a different arrangement of space.  We won’t actually gain much in space, but we will have more rooms to separate people (my husband and I will have our own bathroom – yea!).  We will have a little outdoor space to expand slightly out to for eating or entertaining or even to store bikes and outdoor.  Honestly, I have dreams of a much bigger home, but at least keeping to a modest size does force us to be a bit more purposeful in our living.
  • After running LOTS of calculations, we have decided this will be a good move only if we commit to keeping the house for about 15 years and trying to pay it all off by then.  It then becomes our forced savings as we realize we haven’t been as diligent about saving money while living in Germany.  However, we don’t want to feel we have to stay in Germany, and the location we bought in will be easy to rent or sell.
  • Since it is a new building, we will be more energy efficient.  I also plan to look for more environmentally friendly floors and other features where possible.
  • Finally, there is always an appeal to having your own place to be able to do what you want in terms of design.  Now this does mean my thoughts will probably not be focused where Jesus says they should be, so I will need to work on that!

Therefore, buying a home may not be the answer to living simply, but one can still (and should?) make choices with a home to simplify their living.

Kale, the Superfood

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Everywhere I turn, I hear more about Kale.  I just got the following email from Spark People that gives a great synopsis.

 

Super food–Kale 

During your pregnancy, nourishing your baby is probably one of your top priorities, followed closely by satiating your endless appetite! You can satisfy both priorities with kale, the super food that should be on everyone’s grocery list.

Kale is called a “superfood” because it packs more nutrition per calorie than almost any other food. Unfortunately many people haven’t a clue how to prepare the stuff usually seen only as garnish beside the onion rings. Follow these simple instructions for delicious, tender, steamed kale:

  1. Select dark green crisp leaves.
  2. Wash kale in cold water, to remove sand or dirt.
  3. Fold the kale in half, lengthwise. Hold the base of the stem and rip the leaves from the stem.
  4. Add leaves to a steamer basket and place in a pan of boiling water, filled just to the base of the basket, and cover.
  5. Steam for about 4-5 minutes, then check for tenderness.
  6. Kale cools rapidly, so enjoy immediately. You can eat it plain, spritz it with soy sauce, sauté it with garlic and olive oil, or toss it into soups.
QUICK TIP :
Even kids like kale–especially if you start them young. Prepare as directed, then mince very finely. Serve it plain or mix it with some whole wheat pasta and they’ll gobble it right up. If that doesn’t work, try tossing it into their favorite soup.

A new you

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I recently came across a web page at Whole Living to basically create a new you in 28 days.  I was instantly mesmerized by the promise and signed up for the daily emails.

After these emails began drifting into my mailbox, I realized that this is not a new desire or practice.  Religions have offered fasting, meditation and other spiritual disciplines for thousands of years.  Honestly, if I practiced my Christian faith more diligently, I would not feel this need.  In fact, the primary draw of ‘religion’ is the inner peace that comes with it.  Actually, one of the most encouraging aspects of the Christian faith is that we don’t HAVE to do these disciplines.  We learn that we are accepted by God because he is loving and forgiving regardless of how disciplined we are, and this belief gives me a lot of peace knowing that pressure isn’t there.

However, if  I truly want peace in my life, I believe that comes by my drawing near to God through spiritual disciplines. It is too easy to be drawn into the distractions of every day life.  We lose sight of the big picture and lose the meaning of our existence.  Steve Jobs has a great talk on living each day as your last.  Basically, it forces you to think about what is really important in your life. How often do we spend our days bogged down in details that just don’t matter?

Carl Honore wrote a book, In Praise of Slow, which literally praises slowing down all aspects of your life – from eating, to reading, to sex – everything!  I’ve even heard that people who drive the speed limit or less are less stressed!

For me, this is a clear indication that I need God in my life.  Unfortunately, I face the same temptations as everyone else, and I get more wired and connected and busy every year.  However, for myself and my children, I think the best way we can cope with the pressures of modern society is to become more disciplined in our spiritual lives.  The Bible teaches in Galations 5:22 that as we practice these disciplines we will bear spiritual fruit of  love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control.   I would love for those adjectives to describe me and my family!