Gran Gala & peanut butter seem like an unlikely couple, but they go well together surprisingly…
Ingredients:
1 C cooked oatmeal
1 T peanut butter
1-2 T gran gala soaked blueberries
Directions: Mix together and enjoy!
Om,
Renata
mOMent: Peace on Earth and mercy mild…
These cookies are one of the standards of our Christmas baking celebrations. They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The crunchy pecans and tart-sweetness of the cranberries really make a complex and well-rounded flavor and texture. They are really, really delicious!
Makes about 48 cookies
2 C all purpose flour
1 t baking soda
½ t baking powder
½ t salt
1 C (2 sticks) Earth Balance, room temp
1 C granulated white sugar
1 C packed brown sugar
2 flax eggs (2 ½ T flax meal 6 T water)
1-3 t vanilla
1-2 pinch cinnamon (or ½ t? ish)
1 pinch nutmeg
2 C oats
1 C dried cranberries
1 C chopped pecans
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix flax and water in a separate dish and let gel up.
3. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.
4. Beat Earth Balance in a bowl until softened (but not liquidy). Beat in flax eggs until well combined.
5. Beat in vanilla.
6. Beat in sugar.
7. Mix in flour with rubber spatula.
8. Mix on low for 5 seconds. Batter will be thick.
9. Stir in oats, cranberries and pecans.
10. Drop by the rounded tablespoon onto parchment cookie sheet, roll into balls and place 2-inches apart. (Try to keep the dough cool in between baking sessions, I keep mine in the fridge)
11. Cook 11 minutes, until golden brown.
12. Cool cookies on sheets for 1-2 minutes then transfer to cookie racks and cool completely (or eat while hot!)
Om,
Renata
Rate these cookies here
mOMent: Sometimes all you need in life is a good, hot cookie…
This was our Christmas dessert, and my om of the day…
Serves 12
2 cups dried apricots, thinly sliced
8 oranges, plus 1 tsp. grated orange zest
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped candied ginger
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup oats
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbs. vegan margarine, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 9-inch-square baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Cut ends from oranges. Stand 1 orange on cutting board, and slice away peeland pith. Cut orange into quarters; cut quarters into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Repeat with remaining oranges, and transfer to bowl. Stir apricots, currants, and candied ginger into oranges. Spread mixture in prepared baking pan.
3. Stir together flour, oats, sugar, orange zest, and salt in bowl. Rub margarine and vanilla into rice flour mixture with fingers until combined and mixture forms large crumbs. Spread crumb mixture over orange mixture.
4. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until top of Crisp is golden brown. Cool 10 minutes; serve warm.
Ingredients:
1 C cooked oatmeal
1 T brown sugar
1 T raisins
1 big smile
Directions: Mix in a bowl and give him a spoon…Watch the joy spread.
Om,
Renata
mOMent: The smile of a young one is all we need to remind us that joy and peace are our natural state. How wonderful is that?!
Ingredients:
1 C cooked oatmeal
2 t dried cranberries
1 T honey or brown rice syrup
1/4 t cinnamon
salt to taste
a little butter or Earth Balance if you like
Directions: Mix all together, add to oatmeal and enjoy!
Om,
Renata
mOMent: Stay in the positive, but don’t forget why. If negativity begins to brew, see it for what it is and let it go in a healthy way…
mmmmm…Clementines…
My favorite oil (at least today that is…)
Simmer until perfect and yummy!
Ingredients:
1 C cooked oatmeal
1 Clementine, peeled and separated
2 t agave
zest from clementine
1-3 t coconut oil
Directions: Zest and peel Clementine. Add to small pan with coconut oil and agave. Simmer until warm and fragrant (just a few moments). Add to oatmeal and enjoy!
Om,
Renata
mOMent: The day after any holiday can be a day full of rest and relaxation for many of us. What will you be doing today, if you celebrated Christmas yesterday?
Ingredients:
1 C cooked oatmeal
1 T peanut butter
1-2 t agave
1/2 apple, chopped
1/2 pear, chopped
Directions: Heat peanut butter and agave in saucepan and add fruit. Add a little water if you need to thin it out a bit at first. Cook over low heat for a few moments until fruit softens. Mix it in oatmeal and enjoy!
Om,
Renata
mOMent: What memories would you like to have in the future, of 2011? Imagine yourself in 2012…what are your favorite memories of 2011?
Pear and Maple Caramel Om of the Day…
2 T maple caramel with chopped pears, over low heat…
Simmer until melted and yummy!
Ingredients:
1 C cooked oatmeal
2 t maple caramel
1 pear chopped
Directions: Cut up pear and simmer in small pan with maple caramel until soft (adding a little water if necessary). Add to oatmeal and enjoy!
Om,
Renata
mOMent: Where’s Santa?
Yes, warm simmered pear with maple caramel. How delicious… Mmmmm…
finished product
fresh pears before they are simmered
fresh pear and a jar of maple pistachios
Ingredients:
1 C cooked oatmeal
1 t maple caramel
2 T maple pistachios
Directions: Cut up pear and simmer in small pan with maple caramel until soft (adding a little water if necessary), add pistachios and simmer for a few minutes longer. Add to oatmeal and enjoy!
Om,
Renata
mOMent: It’s Christmas Eve Eve…what are you doing today?
Another trip to the Indian/Pakistani market yielded some great finds…of course! When doesn’t it?
Ingredients:
1 C cooked oatmeal
2 T coconut chip (that’s what it says on the bag, I thought it was kinda funny)
1/4 C guava juice
Directions: Mix it up and enjoy!
Om,
Renata
mOMent: Have you had much time this season to reflect on 2010? What is your most proud achievement of the year?
Yes, I know I’m so predictable. If we have a yummy dessert, it almost always ends up in the om of the day. This is no exception. I made this delightful fresh crumble for dessert last night and it was soooooo good, we needed a replay!
Here’s the recipe for the crisp
Ingredients:
1 C cooked oatmeal
2 heaping spoonfuls of crisp
Directions: Mix it up and enjoy!
Om,
Renata
mOMent: Instant replays, slow mo’s and pause are some of the benefits of technology. If you could have any of these for a moment in your life, what would you choose?
So you know the other day when I shared the vegan maple caramel recipe? And then after that there was the maple pistachio recipe? Well…today I just added the maple pistachios plus a touch of maple syrup to the om of the day.
Ingredients:
1 C cooked oatmeal
1/3 C maple pistachios
2 t maple syrup
Directions: Mix maple syrup and oatmeal, top with maple pistachios. Mix it up and enjoy!
Om,
Renata
mOMent: What’s your favorite part of the week leading up to Christmas? Mine is the anticipation of seeing those I love on a day full of so much festive cheer and love!
Who knew? Well, I had a suspicion that it would work, or at least be worth an om of the day.
dried pineapple and maple caramel sauce (chilled, so not so saucy)
heat until sauce infuses the pineapple
Add to your om!
Ingredients:
1 C cooked oatmeal
1/3 C baby pineapple
1 T maple caramel
Directions: Heat pineapple and maple syrup until pineapple plumps up a little and the sauce is nice and toasty. Add to oatmeal. Mix it up and enjoy!
Om,
Renata
mOMent: What will you do in the New Year? Do you find it useful to reflect on years past?
Who doesn’t LOVE caramel…and maple added to that?! What a treat! Follow the link to the recipe for the caramel.
Ingredients:
1 C cooked oatmeal
2 T maple caramel
Directions: Mix it up and enjoy!
Om,
Renata
mOMent: Joy, Peace and Noel…what’s your favorite holiday word?
I used this recipe from Oprah’s website. The only change I made was the butter. I substituted Earth Balance for the butter and I have to say this recipe rocks. For me, the sauce is more solid at room temperature but as soon as it is heated up it’s perfect for drizzling and enjoying on most things.
Melting the butter and adding the brown sugar.
stirring….
I don’t have a picture of the final result…but it doesn’t really matter because it is so goood! I’m gonna go sneak a spoonful right now!
Maple Caramel Sauce
Servings: Makes about 3 cups (three 8-ounce jars)
Ingredients
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup pure maple syrup
Directions
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add sugar and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved, then adjust heat to medium and boil 2 minutes longer. Add maple syrup and boil, stirring frequently, until sauce is thick, smooth, and coats a spoon, 2 to 4 minutes longer. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Pour into heatproof decorative jars and cool completely. Refrigerate in tightly sealed jars for up to 2 months.
Mmmmmmm….
This was off the cuff this morning, but well worth it…and a little orange liqueur in the morning ain’t so bad either 
Trader Joe’s Unsweetened Blueberries…yum!
Heat blueberries with Gran Gala or Gran Marnier
Enjoy your om!
Ingredients:
1 C cooked oatmeal
1/4 or more cups of gran gala soaked blueberries
Directions: Take some unsweetened blueberries and heat them in a saucepan with enough gran gala to cover the berries. Heat until the blueberries are plump. Mix it up and enjoy!
Om,
Renata
mOMent: Joy, Peace and Noel…what’s your favorite holiday word?
We found this interesting coconut jam (which is more like coconut curd) at a local Asian Market…It has egg in it so I made it for the hubby, but it looks interesting and reports confirm that it’s tasty!
Ingredients:
1 C cooked oatmeal
1-2 T coconut jam
Directions: Mix it up and enjoy!
Om,
Renata
mOMent: Do you run early or late? Does it bother you when others do the opposite?
Ingredients:
1 C cooked oatmeal
2 T pumpkin puree
1 T chia seed
1 squeeze of agave syrup
Directions: Mix it up and enjoy sweet spice!
Om,
Renata
mOMent: What are you most proud of in this moment?
We have discovered the most AMAZING superfood juice. It’s called Rushmore. It’s totally packed with delicious fruit (too many to name here, but go to the website) and each serving has about a zillion health benefits including 100% of your daily servings of vitamin C, B2, B6, B12, Pantothenic Acid, Folic Acid…and that’s just the beginning. You should definitely check it out if you’re in the market for something with antioxidant and wellness benefits. So of course, I found a way to work it in to om of the day…and it was perfect!
Ingredients:
1 C cooked oatmeal
2 oz (or more) Rushmore
Directions: Mix all together and enjoy the rush(more)…I know, I know, I’m a cheezeball!
Om,
Renata
mOMent: It took 14 years to carve Mount Rushmore and over 90% was carved using dynamite. That’s a lot of time and a lot of explosives. Have you ever considered taking on a project of that magnitude?
