Change of Plans

November 24, 2014 by Britt Leave a Comment

Today’s post was supposed to be a recipe. It’s a recipe that still needs photographing, though, and, because I can’t leave well enough alone, one more round of testing. None of that happened.

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Weekly Links

November 23, 2014 by Britt 2 Comments

Lots of good reads this week, guys! I had a hard time narrowing them down. Hope you all had a great weekend and enjoy!

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How to make recipes that call for raw cashews without a high speed blender

November 22, 2014 by Britt 14 Comments

I use raw cashews in my cooking a lot. Like, a lot. Like, I just bought my third 4-lb bag of cashews since early August, which means that we go through about two pounds of cashews a month. See? A lot.

I use them to make plant milk when I need it, occasionally culturing that milk into yogurt, I use them to make creams and aioli, raw cheesecake, salad dressings, a mind-boggling variety of creamy pasta sauces and soups, and so much more. Raw cashews are one of the most versatile ingredients that exists. Period.

One of the things about using raw cashews in these ways is that, to achieve the best results, you almost always need a high-speed blender. I’ve made things for friends and family that they’ve wanted to replicate at home, and I always have to tell them that it’s probably not going to be the same. For instance, my mother-in-law loves this smooth, creamy, totally killer cashew ranch dressing that I make, but, when she tried it in the food processor at home, it came out a bit chunky and disappointing by comparison. Since cashews are the base for so many of the things I create, I’ve always felt bad that these recipes remain inaccessible to those who haven’t invested in something like a Vitamix.

I’ve had a sneaking suspicion for a while that there may be a way around this, but hadn’t actually tried it until about a week ago. The secret to making recipes that call for raw cashews when you don’t have a high-speed blender is this:…

Pumpkin Chai Smoothie

November 21, 2014 by Britt Leave a Comment

Every year, fall doesn’t really feel like fall to me until I’ve had my chai. For some people, it’s the pumpkin spice latte that marks the turn of the season. But once those leaves start to turn and the air takes on a chill, I am all about the spicy sweet warmth of the chai.

I will admit that this year I’ve also been all about the pumpkin. From pumpkin butter, to cake, to cereal, to pumpkin mac (oh yes, folks, there is a mac), to half a dozen other applications, it seems I too have caught the pumpkin bug….

Smoothies vs. Juice

November 20, 2014 by Britt Leave a Comment

My sister-in-law, Amy, left a comment/question on my What Vegans Eat post yesterday, referencing the photo above, that prompted me to start getting into the nitty gritty of smoothies versus juice. It occurred to me that this could be something that others might be wondering about as well, and, true-to-form, my response was becoming long-winded. So I asked and she gave me permission to re-post her comment and answer it in a post. Thanks, Amy!

Jeff and I are looking to put a vitamix on our registry… Which one do you have? Did you make that juice with the vitamix or a juicer? We want to also put a juicer on our registry, unless the vitamix can juice too.

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