Vegan, Gluten Free Pizza Dough

I cannot tell you what a saving grace this has been for me, it's so quick and delicious that I sometimes can't believe that I'm able to eat it and not get sick! It's also my solution to when I have a leftover can or portion of coconut milk that I didn't need for a recipe (I haaaate wasting canned coconut milk). 

I first was using a paleo Naan recipe from MyHeartBeets but I've really went wild with it to make it fit whatever my purpose is. I don't follow the portions of tapioca and almond flour anymore, I just add some of each until I get the density that I want. For pizza crusts, I add A TON more almond flour and tapioca so that I get a thick, dense batter. 

Essentially the recipe is:

Coconut Milk + Tapioca Flour + Almond Flour + Salt 

You can modify from there: Add some garlic, Thyme, Rosemary, Parsley, Cajun Spice, whatever floats your boat! 

I cook it same as in the original directions (So basically like a pancake) and then let them cool before storing in the fridge (or freezer) until I need them. Then you just reheat in the microwave (The hotter you get it, the more floppy it will be) and then use it as a wrap or gyro bread, personal pan pizza crust, etc. 

The crust was pretty floppy but I could still pick up the slices easily, or eat with a fork (but that's how I like my crust anyways). 

Here I added some Earth Balance and garlic powder, sprinkled some Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top and microwaved for 2 minutes to make a "white pizza" - YUM! And also a good way to use up the last of my shredded cheese. I'm sure it would be just as delicious with vegan cheese as well - and I'm definitely going to experiment with that in the future. 

Increase Wisdom, Decrease Gluten

I was going back through my blog from 2012 and, while it was an incredible trip down memory lane, there was plenty of cringe-worthy stuff to go through.

First off, I didn't realize HOW MUCH GLUTEN I was consuming on the daily... breads, pasta, seitan (hello pure gluten), veggie burgers, pretzels, bagels, oh my god. No wonder I would wake up feeling fine and by the end of the day I looked like I was 6 months pregnant. I would literally cry on the way home from work because I was so bloated and miserable (and in pain!) without any understanding of why I was feeling that way! It wouldn't be until November of 2014 and a trip to the emergency department before I discovered that gluten and I just weren't meant to be. Looking back it makes sense, I was tired all the time, I slept A LOT, I was depressed, and I had the GI habits of a donkey.

After discovering my pretty significant gluten intolerance (I have never been formally tested for Celiac's Disease and honestly, I don't have any of the hallmark signs), I took a hiatus from my veggie ways and went back to meat, meat and more meat. It was my crutch.. eggs were my only binder for breads.. dairy was safe. But that too made me feel like shit.

It wasn't until I took a step back and breathed, got myself aligned mentally and spiritually, that I could look outwardly at what I was doing with my diet and health and truly improve upon it.

I discovered my love for all things hippie, natural, and pagan. I discovered my keen interest in astrology, yoga, crystals, meditation. Oh my god, meditation - it is the purest and best thing you can do for yourself. Once I took on a more simplistic way of life, it seemed second nature to apply that to my eating habits. Another cringe-worthy moment from my past was how much processed vegan products I was using, trying to mimic a meat-eaters diet with vegan junk.

Sure it was animal free, but it was still highly processed and not real food.

Then it dawned on me... the simpler the better. Some of my favorite foods are naturally vegan/vegetarian.

• Chips and Guacamole 
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
• Lentil Soup
• Rice and Beans 
• Cheese Nachos 
• Popcorn
• Oatmeal
• Baked Potatoes (any type of potatoes for that matter)
• Salads

I could go on and on...

Not only are these things veg in their natural state, but they're so much more affordable than all of the vegan fake-meats that I was buying. And they sure as hell taste a lot better!

I will always be curious to try new products and will buy them, even if they're a major fail (hello vegan nacho cheese- I'm looking at you!), but time and time again I'm realizing that homemade and simple is the way to go.

For dinner I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, some Brussels sprouts dipped in hummus. I'm completely satisfied, I feel good, no animals were harmed in the making of my dinner, and I am not farting myself into the next galaxy. All wins in my opinion.

So through my time, I hope to collaborate an arsenal of simple, affordable, and gluten-free vegan recipes to keep me satisfied and my conscience clear, and hopefully I will have the time to share my recipes here with all you lovelies! (If anyone's listening, that is).

Yumvelope Review - August 2012

Awe crackers, this got lost in the shuffle of my unwritten posts list! Sorry Yumvelope, my darling, delicious, dependable Yumvelope.....

So in this bunch we had a yummy assortment, everything was a sweet, no salty unfortunately. 

I have to be quite frank and say that I wasn't in the mood for hot tea in August, so I put that in my cubbard for later.. and... I haven't used the baking mix or cashew butter yet.... 

Oh.. and I still have the biscotti... teehee

The fig bar tasted like a fig newton which was exciting though, and the bliss bar was surprisingly good even though it looked a bit weird.. 

I was just too busy in August to write a full review.. I'm a slacker.. but at least you can see what was included in the envelope eh?

Happy Hump Day!!

I absolutely love Wednesday because (as far as the weekend is concerned) it's all uphill from here! Just gotta get through Thursday and woohoo bring it on Friday! 

Breakfast was the standard, Italian tofu scramble and my coffee with soy creamer and splenda. I volunteered to stay 2 hours in clinic this morning and I was super hungry so I grabbed my Lara bar to munch on while I was down there. 

Now I was a little skeptical about how tasty this would be, the ingredients were literately only dates, peanuts, and salt. I was pleasantly surprised- I actually snarfed it down so fast I forgot to take a picture! It was delightfully delicious and I'll definitely be having this again soon. I can't believe how great it tasted, the dates weren't really noticeable it just tasted like, well, a peanut butter cookie! Also cool, they are: vegan, kosher, raw, gluten free, and soy free. True story. 

After I nommed on my delightful Lara bar I pulled out my bag of orange sections I prepped for a snack. I took one bite, spit it into the bag, and pitched the entire bag. I barely like oranges as it is and if it isn't tart and fresh tasting, gag city for me. Couldn't do it. 

I finished in clinic, saw my patients, and then went back to my desk to nib into my lunch box for some hummus and cukes- my last hummus container!!! I need to get to Costco this weekend. 

Lunch was my leftover from yesterday, quinoa topped with baked yam and tofu, seasoned with Bragg's and nutritional yeast. I had to smile because my coworker said it smelled really good but I knew if she knew what was in it she'd cringe. Oh well, Braggs does smell great.

ALSO, I had a healthy.. surprise... waiting for me when I got home. And by surprise I mean I'm surprised it even showed up. I signed up for a subscription to Healthy Surprise on June 5th, they said it would take 3 days from ordering for it to get to my house, and here we are June 20th and it's just showing up. Need we do the math? Now granted this is partially mostly Fed Ex's slow-ass fault, but it also took 3-4 days for them to process my credit card. I am generation Y- I demand instant gratification! Just kidding, and maybe I've been spoiled by my Amazon Prime account, but that is just far too long especially when they say it'll take 3 days. Not a fan. 

I am however a fan of snacks and surprises (regarding food that is) so I was happy as a clam once I got to open the box. 

SURPRISE!!! What's inside?

A whole lotta snacken' that's what! I'm surprised by how much was included and I got the smallest box.

Fruit bar

Apple chips

Super yummy- only one ingredient- apples :)

Oohh.. fruit nut bar

Vanilla maple flavored almonds

Hemp seeds! I'm super excited to try these out!

An energy bar

Gluten free vanilla cookies

Some sort of cinnamony crisp snack

Thai lemon curry flavored nuts- I tore into this bag because I was so curious to try them out. Pretty decent, I love curry so I was a big fan of the flavor, I'm not a gigantic cashew fan though so that was kind of a downer. Mike liked them alot I think. 

I'm nervous I'm going to have an allergic reaction to the cashews though, keeping my fingers crossed. I hate urushiol with a passion.  Lots of handwashing.

Dinner included: strawberries and snap peas from the CSA followed by a veggie burger with tomato, onion, avocado and veganaise. Did you know veganaise (or mayonaise) mixed with ketchup is the ultimate dip for french fries? Yup. Give it a try.