Vegetarian Family

A Peek @ Food We Eat & Things We Do!

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Carrot-Raisin Muffins & Easy Pleasin' Oat Bars

Liv loves to help in the kitchen, and I'm pleased that she enjoys cooking. My little kitchen helper is especially good at stirring the dry ingredients while I mix the wet. I usually call off the items as I measure and toss in the bowl, and she gets especially excited when I start working with the teaspoons. When I say "teaspoon" she hears "tastespoon" and wants to sample everything with these cute little spoons that must be for tasting. It tickles me so much. Here she is concentrating very hard on keeping the flour, sugar, etc. in the bowl.


Her favorite thing to cook is muffins, and I decided on the 'Carrot-Raisin Muffins' in VwaV. It's a good stand-by recipe because we usually have all the ingredients on hand, and they were good. They aren't the most exciting muffin I've ever tasted, but they were all gone before I cleaned up the kitchen. Sometimes good is better than exciting when you're really hungry.




I had 2 overripe bananas, and like a sleep-walker, I opened up Vive for the 'Banana Oat Bundles', but I glanced at the 'Easy Pleasin' Oat Bars' and decided to toss the sorry bananas and make these instead. Why? Well, I had made the bundles quite a bit, and had never made these. Plus, I think it'd be kinda cool to have made every recipe in Vive before Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan! comes out. It'll be a toughie, because it's hard not to get stuck on one recipe and make it over & over instead of trying a different one. Anyhow, with the Oat Bars, Dreena suggests adding different flavors and textures, so I added Let's Do Organic coconut and chocolate chips. These easily pleased me! They are delicious & nutritious.

15 Comments:

Blogger t. said...

I totally relate to getting stuck on one recipe! I am like that! The same chocolate sponge cake has been cooked at least 20 times in the last 3 months, over and over and over again...

9:05 AM  
Blogger MeloMeals said...

I am going to make her pineapple lemon bars one of these days.. I just got her cookbook several weeks ago and I can't wait to try her baked goods.. I'm not a fan of baking in the summer, so we'll see if I hold out til fall.

9:11 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have the opposite problem...I like to try a new recipe everytime!

like a sleep-walker...that was funny!

1:12 PM  
Blogger Dori said...

Nice looking oat bars. Cookies are alright, but sometimes a bar is better!

2:04 PM  
Blogger Shananigans said...

I love to bake, there’s something so therapeutic about it in a way that cooking is not. I’ve made the same banana bread recipe for years, but I’m one of those don’t mess with success people. I should really break out and try new things once in a while.

4:24 PM  
Blogger Eat Peace Please said...

Vicki, everything looks amazing! I like your variation on the Oat Bars. Liv is so cute and it brings me back to helping my mom in the kitchen when I was young. Great post!

4:36 PM  
Blogger Carrie™ said...

I have yet to make the oat bars or the bundles. Someone else must be stuck in a recipe rut. HA! I have two bananas sitting here that are nicely speckled brown now. I don't like bananas just as they are and only use them in baking. They taste better that way. Maybe it's time to break this rut I'm in and make the banana oat bundles! In a couple of days those nanners should be nice and black and just begging to be baked. Vicki, you're my muse today!

8:15 PM  
Blogger turquoise cro said...

Cute lil Olivia, I can just seeeee her tasting things with those tastespoons!lol I think I need to eat more oat products! These look yummy! I throw my too ripe and plain rotten bananas out around my rose bushes! I read somewhere it's very good for them!

9:14 PM  
Blogger Peter Matthes said...

That photo of Liv looks like a television commercial for home baking.

Those Banana Oat Bundles look really good. It is too late to go out here, but now I am very hungry. ARGH @%$!

10:28 PM  
Blogger Crystal said...

Liv looks so cute!!

I love your kitchen (from what I can see). So much prep space! I'm jealous.

-Crystal

7:49 AM  
Blogger Vicki's Vegan Vice said...

megan: sometimes I get stuck on recipes we love, but I also really enjoy trying new ones!

melody: I've been eying those pineapple lemon bars too! I really love lemon & I think that's a unique combo.

dori: I agree! :o)

shannon: I hadn't really thought about that, but I think you're totally right about baking being theraputic!

leslie: You cooked lots with your mom? What did you like to make? I really don't have memories of cooking with my mom ~ mostly just watching her. but she did some amazing things like canning, and all sorts of "from scratch" things that I really wish I knew how to do now ~ then, it seemed so stupid.

carrie: I know you're a vive fan, so the bundles are certainly calling your name if you have brown bananas ~ they are quite tasty in the morning.

cinda: Thanks for reminding me! I heard that bananas are good for roses ~ does it seem to help yours? My roses seem to be done blooming for now...

peter: I love your dog mug-shot! If you do television commercials, sign my girl up ~ we could start up the college fund!!

crystal: thanks so much. I love my kitchen, and it's the largest/nicest one I've ever had. We've lived in several places where the kitchn is as large as our current closet. It is a really bright bold RED ~ not what I would have chosen, but I've grown to love it.

8:56 AM  
Blogger Eat Peace Please said...

Well, the best *proof* I have is a photo of me being 3 years old, up on the counter, pink apron and pigtails with cookie dough from ear to ear!

Otherwise, just like Liv, I mixed, poured (already measured items) and as I got older I helped prep more, epecially for easy nights like Taco night and pasta night. Keep in mind, I am the only veg in the family (even back then).

9:08 AM  
Blogger Tanya Kristine said...

what a cutie. i remember cooking with my mom and all i watned was the beaters and the bowl. i would get pissed when she'd use a spatula to scrape the bowls.

i was an awful child.

i'll have to make some muffins soon... i have all the liners and am ready to go! any suggestions on your fav?

9:31 AM  
Blogger urban vegan said...

Liv is lovely! And so is the food.

10:15 AM  
Blogger KleoPatra said...

Little Liv is such a sweetie. Look at her go! Organic coconut and chocolate chips... what a heavenly combo...

7:51 PM  

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