Finger-lickin' Nana Puddin'

My grandmother makes the best banana pudding ever. I mean, EVER. A single bite of it is lasting ambrosia. It is a happy time whenever I get to visit her, period, but the icing on the cake is a delicious batch of banana pudding waiting for me. Now. The trouble is her recipe involves cool whip, which is full of hydrogenated oils and less than ideal not to mention the excess sugars in the pudding and sweetened condensed milk.

So, here's what I did. I made up a new "healthified" banana pudding recipe, which is very tasty in its own right. You may decide for yourself which route you take. Maybe you'll make both and have a tasting party for your tongue. Who knows?

Finger-lickin' Nana Puddin'
(Makes 6-8 servings)

3 super ripe bananas
2 ripe bananas (can be mushy or just ripened), thinly sliced
7.5 oz extra firm tofu
18 oz soft tofu
2 shakes cinnamon
1 heaping tbsp raw honey
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 box vegan vanilla wafers (or non-vegan, if you like - just check the box and make sure you know what everything in it is)

Take the overripe bananas, tofu, cinnamon, honey, almond milk, and vanilla and put all into a food processor or blender. Mix until all creamy and smooth.

Next take a bowl (tupperware or glass) and set a layer of wafers in the bottom.

Spoon in some of the blended mixture over top then layer in more wafers and banana slices.

Repeat until you have used up all the banana slices and the blended mixture.

Add one last layer of wafers on top and put into the fridge to set. Should be ready to eat in about an hour.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon and Honey Shake

Here is a recipe a friend of mine made me. It is a delicious, healthy pick-me-up energizer and gives you the same warm zing of L-Glutamine. :) He requests that I post a link to the blog, so here it is.


Cinnamon and Honey Shake
3-4 pints


Put into a big ole blender the following items:

1 Young Coconut, Meat and Water (the kind in the white husk - visit www.rawfoodmedia.com for instructions to open)

2 Big Handfuls Raw Cashews

At least one BIG GLOOP Raw Cold-Packed Honey, AT LEAST! (Piick one with a robust flavor too!)

2 Pinches Celtic Sea Salt (or other quality grey, unrefined salt)

Several Vigorous Shakes Organic Powdered Cinnamon

...and blend until it's super nice and creamy. If you want to make it creamier, add more cashews and honey. Then season to taste!

Once that's done, add ice cold filtered water or ice, and blend out the mixture until it's appropriate for drinking. Bottle it up, and you've got a delicious healthy shake that will keep your eyes bright and your tummy full! This recipe makes 3-4 pints, depending on how thick you make it and how meaty your coconut turns out to be.


This is super easy to make, very tasty, and - oh, shucks, just try it. :)

Aunt Mary in the Afternoon

One of my good (and ridiculously talented) friends has created a delicious summer (and really all year long) treat that is all natural and insanely addictive. His product, Aunt Mary's Velvet Ice, is relatively new but can be found in several Farmers Markets in the Los Angeles area. If you happen to come across this stuff, don't just get one silly 1/2 gallon. Get lots. Keep it in your freezer, give it to friends, serve it at parties. It's - quite simply - awesome.

In the event that you do manage to find this stuff (it should be available for online ordering soon), here is one example of how you can make it even more awesome for a summer evening get-together. 

Aunt Mary in the Afternoon 

(invented by J. Johnson)

2 cubes ice

2 generous scoops Aunt Mary's Lemon Mint Velvet Ice

3-5 fingers Tanqueray gin

Mix well. Serve cold. 

Taste-tester approved. :)

MIK - Missing in the Kitchen

So, as you may or may not have read, I took a temporary leave of absence from my kitchen play to go and shoot a zombie film. If you're interested, the trailer is available below. I am also currently in rehearsals for an awesome piece with Critical Mass Performance Group in Los Angeles which are going to keep me pretty busy for the next couple weeks. I will, however, be continuing to work my brain on new tasty treats for you guys. :)

Cheers! Have a peace!
Irenicineri


Biohazard (Zombie Apocalypse) Trailer 1 from Clay Von Thomas on Vimeo.

Delicious Morning Banana Milk

So I was looking for a way to jumpstart my morning energy levels and kept experimenting until this delectable AM treat swirled into my brain.

Delicious Morning Banana Milk

1 small banana
1/2 spoonful raw honey
sprinkle cinnamon
1/4 cup almond milk
optional, add a scoop of protein powder and a little more almond milk.

Take above ingredients, blend, and enjoy. This is also a great, healthy pick-me-up for later in the day. :)

Haiku for July

星の夜は暗闇までも透き通る　　 荒井晶子

hoshi o yo wa kurayami mademo sukitôru

starry night

even the darkness

is transparent

Akiko Arai

 from Ito-en “Tea, Please” Haiku contest, 2004,  Middle School Students Division Grand Prize Winner.  http://www.itoen.co.jp/new-haiku.

Mouthwatering Muesli Cookies

I have returned home, cleansed of blood and debris (I was shooting a zombie film), and thought a nice way to say hello again here would be to offer sweets. So here's a treat for all of ya'll who are still reading/subscribing/feeding good things to the people you love.

Mouthwatering Muesli Cookies
(makes about 24)

1 cup sweet sorghum flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup organic brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1.25 cups muesli (I used Trader Joe's Fat Free Blueberry Muesli, which is awesome. It has dried blueberries, raisins, currants, and apples in it and is made with whole rolled barley flakes and whole rolled rye flakes.)
~1/4 cup water

Set oven to 375F.

Stir the melted coconut oil, sugar, and vanilla extract together, then beat in two eggs. Add flour and stir. Fold in muesli. Add water little by little until the consistency is a little looser. The batter looked a little runny when I put it onto the cookie sheets (covered in parchment paper like always) but they fluffed up nicely in the oven.

Bake for 10-15 minutes. Longer if you like them a little crispier. Please note that they continue to become crispier as they cool, as well.

These are so tasty, and they make your kitchen (and the rest of your house) smell delectable. :)

Go on! Have a peace!