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Banana Muffins Vegan Style

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vegan muffinsVegan Muffins?  Blech!

I miss baked goods.  I miss making banana muffins with my kids.  

The warm smell of melted chocolate and banana . . . that–get’s me excited.

One of my final steps in being Vegan was the problem with eggs in baking.  The problem . . . is kind of complicated.  I have a CSA egg share and I don’t want to cancel it for a few reasons . . . really, do you want me to bore you with the details about my eggs issues?  I won’t.  Just know, that being a Vegan Mom among non vegans isn’t always easy.

I’m lazy!

Not exactly true–I’m more like the energizer bunny ;-) or a race horse.  But some times I just can’t battle the little things.  Like eggs!  I love my muffin recipes and I didn’t want to go and find another recipe (from some weird vegan cookbook) that I had to then tweak, just so I wouldn’t use eggs.  

I solved the problem by not eating baked goods.  No muffins, cakes, cookies.

Did I just say Weird Vegan Cookbook?

Actually, yes I did.  I love going to the library and getting armfuls of cookbooks.  Do I ever make anything?  NO.  I look at the pictures.  When I started to seriously pursue my vegan-ness I checked out vegan cookbooks.  What a mistake.  The cookbooks had all sorts of ingredients that I do not typically buy.  And if you are Vegan, and love using all those ingredients–knock yourself out.  It’s just not for me.

Real Mom, Real Food in a Real Kitchen

I do pride myself on being a real mom with big issues with getting the kids out the door . . . somewhat on time, making food that is healthy with REAL ingredients.  I do cheat on some things.  I will buy those microwavable rice pouches and those salad kits to save time–the kids are starting to have 3rd and 4th dinners at 9 and 11 pm and I’m a “real tired” mom at that point and they are on their own.  My point is I don’t like processed fake vegan food.  But having just said I don’t like fake foods . . . 

Fake Eggs

In this recipe I finally used my “egg replacer”.  A box of . . . what?  I’m going to admit something here–I just bought the egg replacer because I didn’t want to eat eggs but DID want to eat muffins AND didn’t worry about what was even IN the egg replacer.  That was not forward thinking!  What is even in it?

  • Potato Starch–that doesn’t sound bad.
  • Tapioca Flour–I’ve used that before in thickening my famous pies!
  • Cream of Tartar–I’ve used that before too!
  • Cellulose Gum and Modified Cellulose . . . hhhmmmm.  These are not on my spice rack!  Definition: A chemically modified form of cellulose (the principal component of plant cells) used to prevent ice crystallization in foods.  I can live with that.

This website is a great resource for crazy ingredients.  http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/  I use it often to figure out what I’m eating–then decide if I can live without it or not.  It’s all about making the best choice at that moment in time.  

[Tweet “Check out this amazing vegan banana muffin recipe at Renee’s Kitchen! #veganRenee #Yumilicious!”]

Finally!  The Recipe!

 

[yumprint-recipe id=’15’] 

 

 

 

French Toast Bake (Iron Chef Mom: Eggs)

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I’m thinking it had to be more than 20 years ago when I walked into Great Harvest Bakery on S. Main in Ann Arbor, MI.  I worked at the other end of the “mall” in the deli of a grocery store.  Glamorous no–on the verge of poor yes . . . but I was never hungry.  (and my friend Ken supplied me with as many lattes as I could drink!)  Oh, how I ramble . . . when I walked into Great Harvest it smelled like home.  When I was growing up it was my job to make the bread each week–5 loaves.  I still have a love/hate relationship with bread . . .

Great Harvest had bread, butter, jams and jellies . . . and recipes.  I love recipes–but I don’t collect them exactly.  I make them and if I like it . . . I keep it–if I don’t–the recipe goes.  This is the Great Harvest French Bread Recipe.

One more quick story–when we lived in Michigan, I made French Toast Bake often.  I loved making it for my nephews.  But then we moved . . . no Great Harvest here.  I painfully tried different breads . . . nothing compared.  So that last time I was in Michigan–I ordered 20 loaves of bread.  I didn’t really realize how much room that would take up in an already full van or how much room it would take up in the freezer.  Opps.  I make FTB once a month now . . . and that is the best Sunday morning of the month.

the kids love to help out!

the kids love to help out!

making it organic and frugal

making it organic and frugal

after I add the eggs mixture I pat it down (gently)

after I add the eggs mixture I pat it down (gently)

dot with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mix (which I always keep on hand--because life is just better with warm buttered toast with cinnamon sugar)

Ready for the oven, dot with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mix (which I always keep on hand–because life is just better with warm buttered toast with cinnamon sugar)

 

the awesome crunchy topping . . . it is so good you really don't need syrup

the awesome crunchy topping . . . it is so good you really don’t need syrup.  I serve this with bananas and seasonal fruit.

This recipe is from Great Harvest Bread Company call them at 734-996-8890 if you want to order bread–they will send it!  Click here for the website and more recipes!  Had I known . . . it would have been a much different trip home.

[recipe]1 loaf Farmhouse white or cinnamon crunch bread (10 cups of bread)

8 eggs

3 cups of milk

4 tsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 tsp salt

Topping:

2 T. butter cubed

2 T. sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Place bread cubes in a grease 13×9 baking dish.  In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt.  Pour over bread.

Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.  Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.

Dot with butter.  Mix sugar/cinnamon mix and sprinkle over the top.

Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour.  I uncover for the last 15 minutes to make a crunchy top.

It serves 6.[/recipe]

Organic tips:  this recipe can be completely organic.

Dairy free:  I have substituted Almond milk.  I liked it the kids did notice a difference.

Frugal tips:  Save the bag from the loaf of bread and use it to cover during the 8 hours.  I use old bread bags for plastic wrap.  My grocery store has organic eggs and organic milk 50% off.

I’m linking up with Iron Chef Mom and Frugal Fridays.

Food School: a 31 day course (day 6)

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I love Sundays!  Especially today–a blue sky, bright sun, crisp wind and soccer games!  

Typically, I make pancakes with sliced bananas and strawberries–sometimes with bacon.  It is a tradition that the kids love.   Some Sundays are busier than others so today I made orange cranberry scones and chocolate rolls, served with juice and strawberries.  

I need to honest and tell you that I cheated!  I used Immaculate Baking refrigerated scones and rolls.  But they are awesome!  They are GMO free and use unbleached flour . . . 

hhmmm.  do you know about bleached flour?  I’ll save that topic for tomorrow–but I will let you know that the solution to avoided bleached flour is one of the easiest things to change.

 

scones

scones

chocolate rolls

chocolate rolls

Open Wings is my favorite place for pottery!

Open Wings is my favorite place for pottery!

 

 

 

 

 

This is an example of the food that will be in the Blessed by Breakfast cookbook–creating beautiful food doesn’t need to take all day!

Be Blessed.

To receive a free copy of my Blessed by Breakfast cookbook, please go to http://blessedbybreakfast.com and sign up! I send updates that include; family tested and approved recipes, video tutorials, tips and tricks on how to begin your day with the blessing of food.

cookbook coming soon

Books I suggest: The Omnivore’s Dilemma: The Secrets Behind What You Eat,

Young Readers Edition The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

Hope’s Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet

Some of my friends have also joined the 31 day challenge:  

Anastacia Maness  http://rocksolidfamily.com/31-days-building-commitment/

Racquel Narciso http://howtomakeitinsanfrancisco.com/…/

Pamela Hodges http://ipaintiwrite.com

I’m linking up to these blogs.