Smoky Paprika Grilled Shrimp Skewers

July 13, 2020 by Rachel 25 Comments

Guys, it has been HOT across the midwest lately. Like, really, really, hot! In times like these I just cannot imagine turning on the stove or the oven to make dinner (and the other 5,000 meals a day my kids insist on eating). Luckily, the Instant Pot and the grill are my best friends! And these Smoky Paprika Grilled Shrimp Skewers are the most delicious way to beat the heat!

If you’re a fan of seafood, you’ll love these! They are just the right amount of ‘heat,’ but perfectly balanced from cooking on the grill! To get in our daily dose of veggies, we take whatever we have ready in our garden! Our zucchini and squash seem to be thriving this first year, so we have an abundance!

Speaking of gardens, this was our very first year growing and planting! Since moving into our new home almost two years ago, we now have plenty of space. We didn’t plant anything last year, as we were still getting settled. But this year I knew I wanted to plant as many veggies as possible!

Chad ordered two raised beds and we assembled them. Naively, I thought this would be enough space for everything. Guys — I was very wrong! While things are growing well and producing fruits and veggies, certain items are completely taking over! I, clearly, did not space seeds and plants out appropriately. And our cucumber plants are wrapping themselves around literally everything else!

I’ve certainly learned a lot with this first garden. And I’m already planning on purchasing several more raised beds after the season ends (in anticipation of next Summer)! In the meantime, we will enjoy the heck out of all of the zucchini!

So if you’re looking for a delicious, easy, weeknight recipe — then look no further than these incredible Smoky Paprika Grilled Shrimp Skewers!

Yield: 6-8

Smoky Paprika Grilled Shrimp Skewers

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
red pepper (to taste)
sea salt (to taste)
1 pound of shrimp, peeled and cleaned

Instructions

Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes in water before using.
Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, smoked paprika, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt together in a mixing bowl.
Add the shrimp to the bowl and mix until well-coated.
Let the shrimp sit for a minimum of 30 minutes in the fridge, covered.
Preheat the grill (or charcoal grill) to medium heat, oil the grates and grill the shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side until opaque.
Transfer skewers to a plate.
ENJOY!

If you’re looking for a dessert recipe to accompany these grilled shrimp skewers, be sure to check out this delicious chocolate tart!

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Vegan Chocolate Tart (gluten free / dairy free / Vegan )

July 8, 2020 by Rachel 23 Comments

Having two kids with dairy intolerances has its challenges. For one — it can feel impossible to make a dessert that kids enjoy. But the reality is that gluten free and dairy free desserts are way easier to make than you may think! In fact, this vegan chocolate tart, which is both dairy free and gluten free, is incredible and enjoyed by all ages!

Vegan and Dairy Free Doesn’t Have to be Difficult

Incorporating dairy free or vegan dishes into your diet is actually way easier than you would think. Mostly everything has a vegetable or nut substitute. And, in meals where appropriate, a ‘cheesy’ flavor is easy to replicate!

If you’re looking to incorporate more vegan options into your diet, there are a few things you should always have on hand! My suggestion is to stock up on cashews, nutritional yeast, and Ajoyo almond milk.

Lick the spoon! — It’s Vegan!

We’ve all seen desserts that look too decadent to eat. This is one of those. But it’s easier to make than you would think! Simple ingredients and a simple process. And absolutely nothing to stop you from licking the batter off the spoon!

Your family and friends will never know this vegan chocolate tart is also gluten free

Gluten Free + Vegan Chocolate Tart

Gluten Free / Egg Free / Dairy Free

Ingredients

Tart Crust

1/2 cup of buckwheat flour
1/2 cup of whole almonds
1/4 cup of cocoa powder
2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
1 tablespoon of corn flour
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter alternative ( or for non-vegan, unsalted butter)
1/4 teaspoon of salt

Tart Filling

7 tablespoons of dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup of vegan whipping cream
4 tablespoons of AJOYO Unsweetened Almond Milk, room temperature
1 teaspoon of instant coffee
1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
1 tablespoon of corn flour
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon of salt

Instructions

For the base / crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the buckwheat flour and almonds in a Vitamix or food processor and grind to form a firm powder.
Add the powder to a bowl. Then add all the remaining ingredients and mix it together by hand until everything is well combined.
Spray tart tin with cooking spray. Place the crust mixture on the tart tin and spread evenly with a spoon or hands.
Bake crust at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes (until cooked through).
Remove and set aside to cool.

For the filling:

Warm a medium saucepan over low heat.
Add the vegan cream, chopped chocolate, coffee, cocoa powder and sugar to the saucepan. Stir until all of the chocolate melts.
Add AJOYO Unsweetened Almond Milk to the saucepan and stir in the corn flour until it is completely dissolved. Cook and continue to stir until the mixture begins to thicken (about 5 minutes).
Remove the saucepan from heat, and add the salt, olive oil, and vanilla extract to the pan. Mix thoroughly.
Let filling cool for roughly 15 minutes before pouring it into the cooled tart base.
Spread the filling evenly and place in fridge for 6 hours to chill.
Serve with your choice of fresh fruits! ENJOY!

Tell me — what’s your favorite vegan substitute?!

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Five End of Summer Bucket List Items

July 7, 2020 by Rachel 33 Comments

After the Fourth of July, it always feels like summer comes barreling to an end and before we know it, we are back in the grind. That is why I made a vow to make sure my family takes full advantage of the rest of the season by coming up with an end of the summer bucket list!

Visit a Farmer’s Market and Make Dinner as a Family

Farmer’s markets are so fun to visit! I love browsing the different stands, seeing all the unique goods, and teaching my kids about new food. I also love knowing that I am feeding my family fresh, locally grown food that helps support Ohio’s economy. To make a fun experience even better, we plan to take the food selected by the kids and cook dinner together as a family. My apple galette recipe will be a perfect dish to serve at this dinner!

Go to a Drive-In Movie

I can remember my parents taking me to drive-in movies each summer when I was younger. I thought it was just the coolest thing to watch a movie in our car. This summer is the perfect time to introduce my kids to the drive-in movie experience. We haven’t been to a movie in months, so this will be extra special!

Get Some Ice Cream and Pay-It-Forward

One of my favorite things to do, summer or not, is getting ice-cream. For some reason, ice-cream just tastes better when someone else scoops it for you. Am I right?! But, do you know what is even better than ice-cream? Making someone else’s day! Next time we get ice cream, we will pay-it-forward and treat the next person in line with a sweet treat. I can guarantee my kids will enjoy the giving, more than the ice cream.

Ambush Your Kids with a Surprise Water Fight

My kids love when we play with them! They’ll love it even more if we surprise them with something totally unexpected like a water fight. We’ll fill balloons and buckets of water beforehand and ambush them when they least expect it. It will be a blast!

Actually Rest and Relax

Summer is supposed to be the time of year when things slow down so we can relax and enjoy each other’s company. With so many responsibilities, it is sometimes hard to remember to enjoy this slower season and live in the moment. We are going to make a pointed effort to rest and relax intentionally during these long summer days.

I hope the end of your summer is blast!

Tell me – what is on your end of summer bucket list?!

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Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe — Dairy Free

July 3, 2020 by Rachel 28 Comments

If you’re new around here, you may notice that I try to incorporate as many dairy free / vegan recipes into our life as possible. The reason being? Two out of three kids have had some sort of dairy intolerance. If you’ve ever shopped for dairy free products, you know it can get expensive. This is especially true when you have two kids who love yogurt. Enter: dairy free Instant Pot yogurt.

I have long heard about people brave enough to make their own yogurt in the Instant Pot. But I was always super intimidated with the process. I mean, it sounds complicated so it must be, right? I decided to try and figure out exactly what I would need to make it and I quickly realized it was a lot easier than it seemed!

What You’ll Need

Besides the Instant Pot, there were only a couple other “must-have” items for this recipe. First, you will need a vegan yogurt starter. I ordered this one from Amazon Prime and it arrived within 2 days. You’ll also need a cheesecloth, agar agar powder, and a reliable cooking thermometer.

Don’t Get Discouraged!

Once you have all of the items, it’s really quite simple! There’s a lot of waiting. Like, a lot. And I think the ‘time’ of all of it can be intimidating. But don’t let it be discouraging!

Tips for Making the Best Instant Pot Almond Milk Yogurt

Whatever you do, do not skip the thermometer step! Also, be sure that once the incubation period starts, you leave it. Don’t try and sneak a peek at the yogurt; this will have a negative effect on the results.

Yield: 8 servings

Dairy Free Instant Pot Yogurt

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 days

Additional Time 10 hours

Total Time 1 days 10 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

3 ¼ Cups of Ajoyo Sweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
½ teaspoon of vegan yogurt starter
4 teaspoons of powdered agar agar

Instructions

Turn the Instant Pot on by pressing the Yogurt button. Use this function and continue pressing until it reads “Boil.”
Pour Ajoyo Almond Milk into the Instant Pot. Add the agar agar. Whisk to mix well.
Use a cooking or candy thermometer to watch the temperature of the mixture. Wait until the temperature reaches between 110 - 115 degrees fahrenheit (this will take only a few minutes).
Once the temperature is reached, turn the Instant Pot off.
Use a mesh strainer lined with a cheesecloth to strain the mixture into a bowl.
Add the vegan yogurt starter to the mixture. Whisk until combined.
Pour the mixture back into the Instant Pot and close the lid. to start the incubation period.
Press the yogurt function, set pressure to “normal,” and set time to 24:00 (hours).
After 24 hours of incubation, remove the mixture from the Instant Pot and place in a covered container in the refrigerator for 10 hours.
Once the yogurt has sat refrigerated for 10 hours, mix the yogurt to combine (some will have settled). Sweeten to your taste (I prefer honey and almonds).
Enjoy!

Once your yogurt is done, top it with whatever you’d like. My kids prefer it a little on the sweeter side, so we use honey and strawberries to give it an extra kick! But I understand that a lot of vegans do not eat honey. You could also try sweetening with vanilla extract!

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How to Make the Most of Your Staycation

June 30, 2020 by Rachel 35 Comments

Let’s face it, this summer has been weird. Normally this is the time of year when we would be taking vacations, but most of us are stuck at home. My family and I were bummed when we realized we had to cancel our vacation. After being in lock-down, we were itching to get out of the house, so I developed a plan to make a memorable staycation. Here are four tips I used to make the most of our staycation.

Unplug

First and foremost – unplug. This should go without saying, but I know how easy it can be to check emails even when you are miles and miles away on vacation. It will be doubly tempting when you are on vacation, but close to home. Make a vow to yourself that you are going to unplug during your staycation. If you must check-in, designate one or two times a day that you get in touch, and then don’t worry about it for the rest of the day.

Plan Your Perfect Day

What is your perfect day? My perfect day would be sleeping in, eating brunch at a quaint restaurant that has excellent coffee, followed by browsing small shops, taking a walk in a nice park, eating dinner somewhere unique, and ending the day by watching a movie in my PJs. If I were on vacation anywhere, that is how I would spend at least one of my days, so I looked for a cool town within a reasonable driving distance and planned my perfect day there. It matters more that you are doing what you love, rather than where you are doing it. Let each person in your family plan their perfect day during your memorable staycation and you are sure to make some great memories.

Think Adjacent

You may be thinking, “but my perfect day looks like getting up and going to the beach, reading a book all day by the ocean, followed by seafood for dinner.” If you are like me and don’t live anywhere near a beach – your perfect day seems impossible. Instead of the beach, start thinking adjacent. What could you do that is similar to the beach, but within reasonable driving distance? Maybe there is a lake close by or maybe you have a family friend with a pool? Follow your day on the water by trying out a new seafood restaurant or maybe make your own seafood boil. It won’t be the same, but it will still be relaxing and a break from routine.

Create the Atmosphere

The road trip is part of the adventure when it comes to vacations. I have certain road trip snacks that I will only eat while on long car rides. Think about that snack you grab in the gas station in the middle of your trip. While you are driving to the next stop on your staycation, eat and enjoy it. My dad always blared Jimmy Buffett on the way to the beach. It was annoying, but it also made our trip special. What would be on your vacation playlist? Make a staycation playlist and blare it as you drive from place to place. Don’t forget the road trip games! Regardless of how long you are in the car, play one. Your kids will love it!

Making the most of your staycation isn’t difficult. You only need to do what you love, with the people you love! That’s what you really need to make a memorable staycation.

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Easy 4th of July Apple Galette Recipe — VEGAN!

June 28, 2020 by Rachel 27 Comments

As things really hang in limbo with the reopening of everything, the kids and I have been still hanging at home. But this has left a lot of time to try new recipes. Lucky for me, I have three little taste-testers — and one big one! Creating a vegan apple galette recipe just in time for the 4th of July was a huge success!

While not everyone agrees on meals I make (mostly because kids are picky, y’all!). They will always agree on dessert! And, can you blame them? Nope!

So I’m sharing this delicious (and vegan!) Apple Galette recipe — just in time for the upcoming 4th of July holiday! It’s sweet, a little tart, and a whole lot of delicious!

Apple Galette

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 3 hours

Ingredients

Crust

1 cup of whole wheat flour OR all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon of powdered sugar
6 Tablespoons of cold butter / butter alternative
1/4 Cup of water, ice cold
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon of AJOYO Unsweetened Almond Milk (for brushing)
1 teaspoon of sliced almonds (optional)

Filling

2-3 apples, sliced and cored
4 Tablespoons of powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon of powdered cinnamon
1 Tablespoon of lemon juice

Instructions

To make the crust:

Place the flour, salt, sugar, and butter into a bowl and give this a mix, breaking the pieces of butter into smaller chunks, rubbing into the flour.
Add the apple cider vinegar and ice cold water to the mix. Gently start mixing it with the dry flour until it starts to form a ball.
Once the dough is well mixed, wrap it with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours.

To make the filling:

Place the sliced apples in a large bowl. Toss the apples with cinnamon, powdered sugar, and lemon juice until well-coated.

To assemble:

Preheat the oven 350 degrees.
Remove the dough from the fridge. Roll out until relatively round and thin.
Sprinkle half of the sugar on the rolled crust.
Place the sliced apple filling in the middle of the rolled crust and spread it evenly leaving a half a centimeter edge.
Sprinkle the remaining sugar on top of the filling.
Take a small edge and fold it over the filling. Repeat this step taking small sections of the dough until the galette is formed.
Brush the folded over crust with AJOYO Unsweetened Almond Milk and sprinkle the sliced almonds on top.
Bake the galette for about 30 minutes or until the crust turns golden brown.
Let it cool before serving.
ENJOY by itself or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

As you can see, this recipe can easily be modified to be made into a fully vegan recipe. Some of my favorite butter alternatives are coconut oil and avocado oil, but I wouldn’t recommend either of those for this particular recipe. Instead, try and use the Country Crock Plant Based Butter Sticks! They have the same density and consistency of milk-based butter, which definitely helps in this recipe.

Tell me — what’s your favorite apple recipe?!