Peanut Butter Cup Bars

Ingredients:

1 package graham crackers (about 9 crackers), crushed into small crumbs
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1 cup vegan chocolate chips
1 teaspoon oil

Directions:
1) In a bowl, thoroughly mix together graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, peanut butter, and margarine.

2) Spread the mixture onto the bottom of a 9" x13" pan.

3) In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and oil, and microwave for 30 seconds. Mix the chocolate and continue to microwave at 10 second intervals until the chocolate is creamy and spreadable.

4) Spread the chocolate over the peanut butter mixture and place the pan into the refrigerator until the chocolate has hardened.

Hint: You can make graham cracker crumbs by putting them in a large Ziploc bag and then using a roller to smash them.

Makes: 18 bars, Preparation time: 15 minutes

Oriental Coleslaw

So easy and simple.

Ingredients:

Slaw:
1 - 1 lb. bag of broccoli coleslaw mix (or just coleslaw mix with added broccoli pieces)
1 package Oriental flavored Ramen noodles, broken up
4 oz. package slivered almonds
1/4 - 1/2 cup sesame seeds

Dressing:
1 package Oriental Ramen noodles seasoning
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar (more or less to taste)
1/2 cup oil (I recommend vegetable oil)

Directions:
Combine salad ingredients and dressing ingredients separately.
Toss salad with dressing right before serving (or the salad will get soggy).

Brown Sugar Toffee Cake

Serves 12

This cake turns out best when all ingredients have come to room temperature. Serve with vanilla ice cream.



1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
6 Tbs. butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup cold strong coffee
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup fat-free plain yogurt, at room temperature
3 milk chocolate-toffee bars, such as Heath

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray.
2. Whisk together four, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Beat butter, brown sugar, and sugar with electric mixer until smooth in separate bowl. Beat in eggs one at a time, and then beat in coffee and vanilla extract. Add 1/4 cup yogurt, and beat until smooth. Add half of flour mixture, and beat until smooth. Beat in remaining 1/4 cup yogurt, then remaining flour mixture. Beat 2-3 minutes, or until batter is smooth and creamy.
4. Spread batter in prepared cake pan, and bake 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, chop the milk chocolate-toffee bars into crushed bits (food processor or knife works just fine). Unmold cake from pan, and set on wire rack. Sprinkle chocolate-toffee bits on top of the cake while it is still hot. Cool completely before serving.

Recipe from Vegetarian Times magazine, May/June 2010 issue

Cooking on the Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian Trail is a 2175 mile hiking trail that run along the Appalachian Mountains through 14 states from Georgia to Maine. It begins at Springer Mountain in Georgia and ends with a 5-mile uphill climb of Mount Katahdin in Maine. My grandfather has hiked the entire trail, and following his example, my dad and I decided to spend 4 days hiking 30 miles of the trail in Georgia. We started at Springer Mountain and ended at a little place called Neel's Gap, 30 miles later.

Being the cook I am, I found it interesting as we prepared meals along the way. Most of the time, while we would hike, we were eating granola bars and trail mix. But once we made camp for the night, we'd usually have a hot meal. The picture you see below is of our stove. It's very lightweight (on the trail you have to carry everything on your back, so the lighter you pack the better) and cooks via gas. It would heat up very quickly and cook the food very fast.
Our meals had to be lightweight, easy to cook, but also filling and nutritious. I found these pasta dishes that you can heat up over the stove, but their are also ones that are in little baggies that you just add water to, plus we saw other hikers with freeze-dried food (like vegetables). We also went with the quick and easy favorite of Ramen noodles. Boy were those good after a long day of hiking, especially when the night was a little chilly.

And finally, what meal would be complete without dessert. Oh, we brought mini Snickers bars, Almond Joys, and Baby Ruth's, but those only go so far. So, I brought pudding! Now, you need milk for pudding and obviously there is none on the trail. So the next best thing is powdered milk. Boy did we love the pudding. Chocolate and sugar free (me being the health nut had to get the sugar free kind). Delish! Now, you need to cool it. Well, our campsite was right by the stream, so we just stuck the bowl in the water! My dad called it "God's refrigerator."

So, that's my cooking installment from the AT. I couldn't even go a week without cooking something and then blogging about it!

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs. flaxseed meal
• 1 cup oat flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbs. vegan margarine, softened
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup applesauce or prune purée
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries

Icing

• 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice

Directions

To make Cookies:

1. Stir together flaxseed meal and 3 Tbs. water in small bowl. Set aside. Whisk together oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in large bowl. Set aside.

2. Beat margarine, brown sugar, and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer 1 to 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add flaxseed mixture, applesauce, and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Stir in oat flour mixture with spatula or wooden spoon. Add oats and raisins, and stir to combine. Cover, and chill 2 hours, or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or coat with cooking spray. Roll cookie dough into golf ball–sized rounds, and place dough balls 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten each cookie to 1/4-inch thickness with bottom of drinking glass dipped in water. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until cookies look dry on top and are just beginning to brown.

Meanwhile, to make Icing:

4. Whisk together confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice in small bowl until smooth; Icing should be thick, but spreadable. Gently brush Icing on hot cookies with pastry brush. Cool 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in airtight container.

Recipe from www.vegetariantimes.com