Dana Crocker

St. Paddy's Day weekend was spent making food.  On Saturday the 16th, I really wanted to make raw hemp seed bars with cacao drizzle but I needed almond butter, which I didn't have so I decided to make almond butter first.  Has anyone ever made almond butter?  This was my second time and it's so frustrating to make.  If you don't have patience, don't even try.  It took 30+ minutes to get it to the correct consistency and I know I'll make it again but this time I'm going to make a big enough batch to make it worth it.  It took longer for me because I used raw almonds (roasted goes faster) and added no oil so it takes quite a bit of time to leech the oil out of the almonds to make it creamy. The final product was delicious though!

My only ingredients:  raw almonds and 1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt

All that work so I could use half of it to go into the hemp seed bars.  This recipe was much easier and a lot faster.  

I know a lot of these ingredients may not be available in your kitchen.  Being my diet is mostly plant-based (vegan), items like hemp seeds and almonds are very common in my diet.  Also, this recipe ends up being very expensive to make.  After I added up all the ingredients, I think it was around $18-19!!!  The hemp seeds equaled an entire bag, which is usually around $10 and almonds aren't cheap either.  I do have to say these were so delicious and I still have some left.  They are a great way to get some energy as they are probably higher calorie but they also have a great amount of protein as well.  They truly taste like a dessert.

On Sunday the 17th, I made vegan pancakes.  I figured I might as well make them green too.  I was so proud that M ate them as well.  Being that we are on completely different ends of the food spectrum, it always makes me happy when we can eat something healthy together.  I would share the recipe but I can't remember where I found it so pictures will have to do.

Four-leaf clover

Finally on Sunday evening, I made the most delicious teriyaki sauce.  I didn't have any fresh veggies in the house so I settled with a frozen package and steamed the veggies.  I used fresh rice noodles and roasted some cashews in the oven to add a little protein.  My final result was really delicious and I ate it for the next couple of meals.  The sauce was extremely easy to make and I feel good when I can make something that isn't full of chemicals and preservatives.  This sauce only lasts about 1 week or so in the fridge and it yielded over 16 oz.  

• 1.5 cups cold water
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce (I used Tamari, which is gluten free soy sauce. Try and find a brand that is organic or non-GMO as soy is one of the most genetically modified crops in the US)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons corn starch (again, try and use organic or non-GMO.  Corn is the other big crop that is mostly GMO)
• 1 tsp sesame oil (I didn't have sesame oil so I used peanut oil)

Put all together in a pan and whisk over medium heat until thick and color is dark. I put it what I wasn't going to use in a mason jar and let it cool for a long time before putting it in the fridge.  Enjoy!