8.27.2008

autumn is coming!

i love hot chocolate. i am lactose intolerant. most just-add-water hot chocolate mixes have at least a bit of dairy stuff in them. so, i went from chocolate soy milk to vanilla almond milk with cocoa powder & lackluster results to almond milk with tj's mint cocoa powder & still lackluster results . . . then i remembered heidi swanson's recipe for coconut chocolate pudding. & i was like, "yoooooo, maybe i can pull this off."

no measurements, just ingredients & instructions:

1 bar of 70% scharffen berger chocolate
coconut milk (i used the cheapest brand they have in my supermarket, and it's totally FAT & tasty)
chocolate almond breeze
vanilla hemp milk
cayenne pepper
cinnamon
sea salt
fresh cracked black pepper
chili powder

liquids go into the saucepan, chocolate goes in after the liquids, completely optional spices go in (to taste)
the whole thing gets sexy and kinda boils, you remove the pot from heat (and turn the damn burner off, too)

you pour some into a mug and sip your life away.

8.11.2008

mashed potatoes.

(what? in august? YES.)

i saw this recipe from heidi "i am secretly the devil because i want you to cook and eat all the time" swanson and had to try it for myself.

holy crap. it's delicious. my variations:

no scallions, just fried shallots
veggie broth instead of milk
garlic powder in addition to fresh garlic
a sprinkle of cayenne
smart balance instead of butter (it was all i had available)
no parmesan

it's awesome. i wanna add some more potatoes to it. such goodness.

getting ready for fall . . .