ORGANIZED CHAOS

The Basically the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

September 24, 2016September 24, 2016Leave a comment

2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Earth balance, room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 Flax Eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups non-dairy chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line baking pan with parchment paper

In medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In large bowl beat sugars into butter, and add in flax eggs and vanilla.

basicchocochipcookies2 Add the dry mixture into the wet, stirring well.

Add in chocolate chips.

Scoop about 1 Tablespoon of dough, dropping onto baking pan 2 inches apart.

Bake 12 minutes, and let cool on pan about 5 before removing.

(You can also keep dough in refrigerator covered for later use.)

Butternut Squash Chili

September 16, 2016September 16, 2016Leave a comment

2 cans fire-roasted tomatoes with juices
1 can black beans + 1 can red kidney beans
1 Butternut squash, cubed
2 Green bell peppers, sliced
1 sweet Onion, diced
2 tsp ground Coriander
3 Tbs minced Garlic
2 tsp Oregano
2 Tbs Chili powder
1 Tbs ground Cinnamon
2 Tbs Olive oil
1 Tbs ground Cumin
1 salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
optional to add vegetable broth or water- I added about 12 oz with a vegan bullion cube

-In soup pot heat olive oil stove top on medium heat. Add in garlic and onions. Stir in all spices.
-Sauté about 5 minutes and add in sliced green peppers.
-Once veggie start to soften, pour in fire-roasted tomatoes with juices, and broth (optional). Mix all ingredients well.
-Bring chili to a simmer covered for 10 minutes, letting all flavors soak in.
-Add beans and squash. Bring chili back to a simmer and simmer covered another 20 minutes or just until squash is tender, but not mushy
-Add salt and pepper to taste
-Serve warm

Fall Granola

September 12, 2016September 12, 2016Leave a comment

2 ½ cup pecans and walnuts, chopped
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup coconut flakes
¾ cup raw sunflower seeds
¼ sesame seeds
¼ cup ground flax seed
1 tbs cinnamon, or as much as your heart desires
½ tsp pumpkin spice
about ¼- ½ tsp sea salt
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
¼ coconut sugar
¼ cup maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
If you buy whole pecans and walnuts, chop using blender or food processor. Chop roughly into about halves or quarters. In large bowl mix all nuts, seeds, and coconut flakes. Stir together and add in spices with a pinch of salt.

In separate smaller bowl, melt coconut oil. Stir in sugar and maple syrup until well combine.
Pour wet mixture over the dry ingredients and mix until all pieces are coated evenly.
Line large pan with parchment paper. Pour mixture onto pan and spread out evenly.
Bake about 20 minutes, checking halfway through and stirring, to ensure even baking.
Remove from oven and allow to cool about 10 minutes, on baking pan.
Crumble and place in air-sealed jars.

Infinity Yoga: Infinity Flow

June 9, 2016Leave a comment

Infinity Yoga: Infinity Flow (heated to 89 degree)
Brookhaven Georgia

A little blue house looking building next to a bigger shopping complex. When I first pulled into the half gravel parking lot I was questioning this reservation.

I quickly remembered not to judge a book by its cover. From the moment I walked in the instructor greeted me and welcomed me. I could

Immoderately tell this was an intimate studio as it appeared most people knew each other. Everyone was friendly. The owner even came out to greet me and welcome me to my first infinity class. One member told me this was going to be a challenge and she immediately befriended me before class. We all waited quietly in a small lounge area before the doors opened. As the open class a beautifully designed studio, dark wood floor

To make your reservation or for more information on other locations in the Atlanta area: http://infinityyogaatlanta.com

Burn Fitness: Burn Cycle

June 9, 2016June 9, 2016Leave a comment

Burn Fitness: Burn Cycle
Brookhaven, Georgia

Burn! That’s a perfect name for it. Not only do you sweat, you compete. You race against yourself and others in the class. Nothing beats a little friendly competition.

When we first began I wasn’t quite sure how the ranks worked.

You enter a stadium style studio with a screen projecting every participant’s bike number, name, and rank. Each bike is also equipped with it’s own computer breaking down RPM and Power.

As the class went on I saw my name go farther and farther up the chart on the big screen in the front of the studio; I went faster. I was motivated. Rather than getting tired, I pushed myself.

The class flew by with good music, encouragement from the instructor and intervals: hills, jumps, and sprints. We even had a little upper body workout with hand weights towards the end of class.

For me this class was a fun change of pace of a workout while on vacation. I was introduced to it by a friend and Lululemon employee who lives in Atlanta and I’m grateful for the recommendation.
This gym offers cycling, boxing and yoga classes. Be sure to check out their schedule at http://livetoburn.com

American Ninja Warrior

June 9, 2016Leave a comment

American Ninja Warrior Course at Sling Shot Entertainment

Norcross, Georgia

I hadn’t even landed in Atlanta yet, when Abby text me and said we had to go to this place: Slingshot. With her recommendation I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting myself into.

I did a quick Google search to discover there was an America Ninja Warrior Park, this is what we were going to check out (they also had bowling, go Karts, and arcade in other parts of the building).
This was about to get good.

Those days when you think your fit and you’re feeling strong and then you show up to only find you can’t complete majority of the obstacles on the course.

It was fun, it was challenging and it was very sad all at the same time.

My biggest achievement of the day was mastering the 14 foot warped wall. It took about 30 tries and different strategies. It took pumping myself up, determination, and pressure by spectators. Watching athlete after athlete fail, we were not about to leave until we got up and over.

When you’re about 12 feel up you have to take a leap of faith to grab the lip on top of the wall. When you think the hardest part is over, you’re wrong, you now have to use your small grip of one hand to pull your entire body weight over. It’s not easy, but I guarantee you once you finish, you feel very accomplished!

We didn’t leave there without a few bumps and bruises. I tore my back up sliding down the wall every time I failed (I learned if I ever go again to wear a closed tank tops), we had blistered on our hands and Abby even ripped her shorts. All in all it was a fun experience.

Up for a family day? They also have a Ninja Junior Course for children ages 12 and under. All day passes are $12-14 for unlimited play time.
http://slingshotplay.com

Matcha Green Waffle

May 5, 2016May 5, 2016Leave a comment

1 1/2 cups of coconut milk (or almond)
1 1/4 cup of gluten-free flour
1/4 tsp of baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 tablespoon of melted coconut oil
2 tsp matcha green tea powder
1 dash of agave

Blend or stir well with whisk
Preheat waffle iron
Cook in waffle iron as instructed
(Forms rather fluffy, if you prefer crispy: I toast mine on top of stove [high heat] for about 30 second each side after its finished cooking on the waffle iron.)

Top with fresh berries, coconut shreds, slivered almonds, agave or maple syrup. Enjoy.

Recipes makes about 3 waffle depending on iron size.
Since I typically make for myself, I prepare all the batter;they freeze well and can toast at later time.

Fun Vegan Rice Crispy

April 15, 2016September 16, 20161 Comment

Sometimes I just need a quick treat after dinner (or in the middle of the day.) Yesterday I was strolling down the cereal aisle at Trader Joe’s and stopped on a box of Rice Crispy’s. This immediately brought me back to rec. soccer, when we were rewarded with snacks after every game. I can’t even remember the last time I had a rice crispy treat, but it was most definitely store bought and individually wrapped in that shiny blue package.

Now that I’m a little older and a little wiser, I realized I could quickly whip up a healthier version to indulge on. This is probably the quickest dessert I’ve made. It’s vegan, takes about 15 minutes from start to finish and you can make them with as few as 3 ingredients!

rice.crispy 3 cups of rice crispy cereal
5 oz Dandies Marshmallows
1 heaping scoop of Earth Balance

Topping:
4 oz non-dairy chocolate chips
1 tsp coconut oil
Sprinkles, as many as your heart desires

To jazz it up and make extra special I topped with my favorites: chocolate and sprinkles

Melt the chocolate chips with coconut oil, stir together until smooth. Drizzle on top of entire rice crispy. Top with your favorite colorful sprinkles.

Set in refrigerator about 15 minutes to harden. Then remove, slice, and share!

Mushroom Risotto

March 11, 2016March 11, 2016Leave a comment

1 small sweet onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups coconut milk (I love the So Delicious Organic Culinary Coconut Milk)
2 cups of cooked brown rice
1 ½ cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup peas
2 tbs coconut oil
1-2 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
Salt and pepper to taste

-Cook rice according to package and set aside
-On medium heat, melt coconut oil and sauté onions and mushrooms in large pan. About 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are slightly browned.
Pour in coconut milk, and broil to a slow boil. Stir in nutritional yeast.
Add in the cooked rice and peas. Continuously stir for about 5 minutes until flavors are blended. The sauce will thicken up quickly.
Sprinkle salt and pepper to desired taste.

Peanut Butter Coconut Silk Pie with Chocolate Ganache

March 3, 2016March 3, 2016Leave a comment

1 vegan pie crust (chocolate graham or graham cracker) or you can make your own
Filling:
1 cartoon of organic firm silken tofu, pat dry to remove access moisture
¾ cup smooth Peanut Butter
2 Tbs maple syrup
1 can of coconut cream, option to freeze for about an hour- this will make it to easy to coop thick cream layer off

ganache:
½ cup non-dairy chocolate chips
½ cup almond milk
Topping: Crushed Peanut

-Bake your own pie crust or run to the store and buy one!
-In Vitimix, blend tofu, peanut butter, and maple syrup until smooth.
-Scoop the thick cream layer of coconut cream.
-Transfer peanut butter mixture to bowl and whip together with coconut cream
-Pour mixture into pie crust. Refrigerate about 30 minutes.
-Meanwhile, heat almond milk in sauce pan on low heat. Slowly pour in chocolate chips, and stir until melted and smooth.
-Remove pie from fridge. Slowly and evenly spread the chocolate ganache on top of pie.

Optional: drizzle more peanut butter on top and top with crushed peanuts
-Chill over night in fridge to solidify layers.
Slice and Enjoy!