I belong amongst the blueberry bushes, of this I am certain.
If you thought I was going to let our previous blueberry tragedy get me down for long you were mistaken. After our sad, sad trip up to Hatcher Pass, I was on a blueberry mission! And our mission paid off! We were not disappointed, we hit the jackpot. So long Hatcher, we have a new place to pick. Yes, it's an hour and half away, but it's up by where Todd and I got married, it's beautiful and it's rich with wild Alaskan blueberries!
I was worried that we wouldn't find any, after being slightly traumatized (but not demoralized) from the Hatcher's trip...but...as soon as Todd opened the car door...look!
We could literally pick them from inside the car! I went beserk...obvs.
Bob was with of us of course. I was worried about how he'd do after Todd's hike on Saturday. In case you missed it on Produce On Parade's Facebook page, Bob had to be carried down Lazy Mountain by Todd and my little brother because his muscles gave out! But he was okay on the blueberry mission, thank goodness! He was definitely competition for the prime bushes! As soon as we'd find a good spot to settle down and pick he'd come rushing over and start nibbling before you could beat him to it!
I think we got enough to last us through the winter...though we may have to go back up this weekend just for the joy of it. Expect some sweet blueberry recipes in the near future! I have to say my utter favorite use of blueberries is to have them freshly picked and popped into warm oatmeal in the morning after a long backpacking trip, while still in the tent. There's no better way to have them! Trust me.
It was one wet and soggy trip, though we were tickled to be back up by where we got married again.
Here's half our harvest in the freezer. Yes, we use socket wrench sockets to stack the trays. We're real professional-like. Don't judge.
I cannot believe Todd's 27th birthday was a few days ago! How did we get so...mature? I remember thinking when I was in highschool, that when I was married, had a house and a career that I would have it all figured out and I would know who I was. Yea...I was wrong. I'm still finding out who I am! We had a family birthday bash for Mr. Todd outside our tiny little house. I'm not a big social person and it was the first "gathering" we really had at our house, so it was a big day all around! For Todd, myself and our home!
I made some amazing veggie burgers and a wonderful herbed potato salad. Todd always wants an ice cream cake for this birthday, but seeing that we're vegan now and the fact that I've never made an ice cream cake before (god, what a task!), I couldn't just hop on over to Dairy Queen or wherever and buy one.
I do not like ice cream cakes. One, because they're usually bought pre-made and I like to actually make cakes from scratch and two, I don't like my ice cream and cake to touch. You heard me! No touchy-touchy! Anyways, feeling bad for Todd, this being his first year sans-ice-cream-cake, I wanted to make him something special.
The last cake I made was for my birthday I believe. It was a vegan chocolate "cheese"cake, aka cashew based cake and pretty much everyone told me it tasted like bread. I happened to like it quite fine but the non-vegans were less than impressed. And so I vowed to never ever make a faux-dessert anything again.
Obviously for this birthday, a straight up chocolate cake would be hard to bastardize. This cake however is no ordinary chocolate cake. It's super special because it is an Oreo cake...and it is vegan...and it rocked my world and surely the non-vegs as well. Who is seriously going about life hating Oreos? No one. This chocolate cake has Oreo cookies baked right into the cake itself as well as incorporated into the frosting and then crumbled on top too! But wait, I even used "Birthday Cake" Oreos.
If you haven't had these yet, I will need to you stop reading this post, drop whatever else important thing you're doing and go get some. They smell like what I imagine heaven would smell like, and they taste exactly like how they smell...like heaven. Birthday Cake Oreos are heaven on Earth. Yes, my health conscious friends...this recipe comes with a warning (yes, I did make that sign above, heh heh). What? I can't always be perfect. This cake is so delicious though, you should sneakily make it before your parents come home!
Here's the birthday boy with a new Jetboil camping stove! Um, awesomeness! We're super excited to have a new camping stove. One seriously cannot have enough. They're like wool socks in that regard.
For a little hermit like myself, we threw a pretty good bash! This cake was one for the books. Surprise your next birthday boy or girl with this beautifully delicious cake. Sorry about the scrubs, yo. Hey, I got frosting ALL over them so it's a good thing I never found time to change when I got home from work! All's well. Except that I seemed to have lost my glass cake stand during our move last year! Sad face.
Take notice to Bailey being in every damn picture. He's like the dog version of Where's Waldo. I need to get him a red and white striped bandana...and maybe we should start calling him "Baldo"?
Birthday Oreo Cake for Todd
Serves: 12 (makes 2 9" cakes to be stacked and frosted)
Inspired by Life In Limbo
This chocolate cake has Oreo cookies baked right into the cake itself as well as incorporated into the frosting and then crumbled on top. Use "Birthday Cake" Oreos for a birthday surprise!
Ingredients
-- For the Cakes --
2 cups coconut milk (Silk) - I used unsweetened, plain
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. ground flaxseed
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
3 tsp. Kahlua or vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 heaping cup crushed Oreos - I used "Birthday Cake" Oreos...oh yes
-- For the Frosting --
1 cup of vegan butter, room temperature
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. Kahlua or vanilla extract
1/4 cup of coconut milk (Silk)
1 cup crushed Oreos
5 Oreos - for topping
birthday sprinkles - for topping (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 F and then spray the crap out of two 9" cake pans.
First, whisk the milk, vinegar and ground flaxseed together and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes.
Meanwhile in a large mixing bowl (preferably an electric stand mixer bowl!), combine the sugar, oil and Kahlua. Beat very well.
In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the remaining cake ingredients except the crushed Oreos. Whisk well to combine. Now, add the milk and vinegar mixture to the sugar and oil mixture and whisk well to combine.
Then, slowly add in the dry mixture. Whisk well, ensuring that the batter is smooth. Stir in the 1 heaping cup of crushed oreos.
Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans and bake at 350 F for 20-30 minutes.
After 20 minutes, check the doneness with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the cakes are finished cooking, if not then allow to the bake another 5 minutes and then check again.
Once they are done, leave them in the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Time to work on the frosting! Add the room temperature butter to that electric stand mixer bowl (wash it first!), and beat the heck out of the butter on high speed. Next, add the sugar slowly and then mix on high for about 3 minutes. Add in the Kahlua and milk and mix again on high for another 3 minutes, slowly adding in the crushed Oreos towards the end.
Once the cakes have cooled, carefully remove them from the pans. Use a flexible spatula and go around the edges beforehand.
Frost the top of one, then place the other on top of that one and continue to frost the rest of the cake.
Add some leftover crushed Oreos on top to finish! I also added a few whole Oreos and some birthday sprinkles.
Helllllo! I'm back! And jet lagged, for sure. As soon as we landed at 2 in the morning (it was dreadful), I told Todd that all I wanted to eat over the next week was green smoothies. I've been having some crazy green smoothie cravings, people! Strange, I know, but who's going to deny themselves copious amounts of nutritious green smoothies? Certainly not this vegan gal.
I promise, promise, promise to have some Turks and Caicos pictures up soon (you're all in for a real treat), but for now I will just share this amazing green smoothie recipe and then below, our family's search for Alaskan blueberries. They're beautiful pictures so be sure to check them out. Blueberry picking season is my absolute favorite time of the year. I look forward to it every year like a five year old at Christmas, just ask Todd. Back to the smoothie for now though, in all it's godly, green glory.
Why do people go with the "Green Monster Smoothie" name? Monster?? I'm not exactly sure, but what I can tell you is that this smoothie is your friend. Yes, your amazing green friend. It's no monster! It only wants to provide you with much needed nutrients and it sure did satisfy my craving...for now at least.
The Green Friend Smoothie
Makes 1 "BFF" Smoothie or 2 "Just Friend" Smoothies
Inspired by Myself
1 cup of non-dairy milk, I used almond milk
1-2 large handfuls of spinach
1 heaping cup of zucchini, not peeled and rough chopped
1 frozen banana, rough chopped
1 kiwi, peeled
1 1/2 Tbsp. flax seed
2 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds
2 tsp. dried loose-leaf green tea
2 tsp. erythritol or sugar
splash of vanilla
sprinkle of ground nutmeg and/or ground cloves
Put the milk in first followed by the remaining ingredients and blend on high until smooth.
[gallery type="rectangular" ids="1638,1637"]
Feel free to add in some vegan protein powder or whatever else you fancy!
I need a new protein powder y'all! I bought this pea protein powder from our local store...no bueno. Now in German everyone! Nicht gut.
The Green Friend Smoothie
Recipe Type: Smoothie
Author: Katie - Produce On Parade
Serves: 1-2
This green smoothie's no monster! It's your friend, here to help you get those much needed nutrients, so drink up!
Ingredients
1 cup of non-dairy milk, I used almond milk
1-2 large handfuls of spinach
1 heaping cup of zucchini, peel on and rough chopped
1 frozen banana
1 kiwi, peeled
2 tsp. erythritol or sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. flaxseed
2 tsp. dried loose-leaf green tea
2 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds
splash of vanilla
sprinkle of nutmeg
Instructions
Put the milk in first followed by the remaining ingredients and blend on high until smooth! Feel free to add in some protein powder or whatever else you fancy!
3.2.1251
And finally, on to blueberry picking.
Alaskan Blueberry Picking Adventures
People, it was a sad day. We went in search of blueberries and this is what we found instead...
Dead blueberry bushes! White little skeletons of what once flourished with bright green oval leaves and plump, sweet and juicy blueberries. I can only assume it was our dry and scorching summer. I almost died. I might have cried. I heavily sighed. Okay, enough with the rhyming already. No more rhymes now, I mean it! Anybody want a peanut? Now I have to go watch Princess Bride. Excuse me.
Utterly depressing, huh? Bob and I thought so. So we wallowed together in our blatant misery, clutching the only berries we could find.
We did have fun with our "monster" tree though. We always take the same posing picture. The tree has horns you guys! So that cheered me right up.
Our special blueberry spot is located in the beautiful Hatcher Pass, which at this time of the year is always occupied by fanatical blueberry harvesters like myself. However, for the last three years we've been crossing this creek with chest waders to a spot that isn't ever picked over, because let's face it...most people aren't hiking with chest waders and crossing rivers. Todd will cross first and then put the waders in a bag and throw them back across the creek for me! Could we just buy another pair of waders? Yes...but it wouldn't be as fun. Just trust me on this one.
Bailey gets really upset when Dad is on one side of the creek and Mom on the other, and so he ends up swimming frantically back and forth several times to check on the both of us. When I cross, he "helps" me by swimming right next to me and whimpering pitifully until I get across safely. He's such a sweetie pie! I always feel bad and try to express to him that I'm okay, as you can see below.
He likes to eat the blueberries. Normally, when we find a big bush of them and start picking, he prances over and promptly lays down and begins eating them all before I can pick them. He just juts out his little teeth and someone manages to gingerly pick an individual berry. It's really quite a peculiar thing to witness. Since the berries were super scare this trip, as I myself could barely find any, I decided to share what little I had with the gentle bear. I'm such a sweetie pie. See him nimbly eating the blueberry??
Don't let his manners get in the way of the truth though. He's a convicted blueberry eating monster! Downright guilty.
Todd is our resident photographer during our adventures and birthday boy in a couple of days! What a good-looking photographer. How did I get so lucky? It must be my Alaska wiles...
There's no doubt that our trip was a serious blueberry tragedy. However, we plan to try again next week in a different area. Last year's berries lasted us almost the entire year! I'm not buying blueberries for a whole year! That's madness!
The adventure wasn't a complete loss though, as of course we had a great time. A walk in nature is never a bad thing and we even got a couple good family pictures! I think Bailey should be a doggy model.
It's good to be home.
Happy End of Summer from Produce On Parade! Now go celebrate a warm summer well adventured!
I belong amongst the blueberry bushes, of this I am certain.
If you thought I was going to let our previous blueberry tragedy get me down for long you were mistaken. After our sad, sad trip up to Hatcher Pass, I was on a blueberry mission! And our mission paid off! We were not disappointed, we hit the jackpot. So long Hatcher, we have a new place to pick. Yes, it's an hour and half away, but it's up by where Todd and I got married, it's beautiful and it's rich with wild Alaskan blueberries!
Bob was with of us of course. I was worried about how he'd do after Todd's hike on Saturday. In case you missed it on Produce On Parade's Facebook page, Bob had to be carried down Lazy Mountain by Todd and my little brother because his muscles gave out! But he was okay on the blueberry mission, thank goodness! He was definitely competition for the prime bushes! As soon as we'd find a good spot to settle down and pick he'd come rushing over and start nibbling before you could beat him to it!
I think we got enough to last us through the winter...though we may have to go back up this weekend just for the joy of it. Expect some sweet blueberry recipes in the near future! I have to say my utter favorite use of blueberries is to have them freshly picked and popped into warm oatmeal in the morning after a long backpacking trip, while still in the tent. There's no better way to have them! Trust me.
It was one wet and soggy trip, though we were tickled to be back up by where we got married again.
Here's half our harvest in the freezer. Yes, we use socket wrench sockets to stack the trays. We're real professional-like. Don't judge.
How do you like your blueberries?
