Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Original Poster: I Bake He Shoots

I had first seen this recipe a few weeks ago now and thought it looked amazing. I'm not sure how I stumbled across it but I bookmarked it as soon as I did cause I knew I would have to try it out at some point. I made these just yesterday and tried them this morning...maybe, possibly for breakfast.. but they were amazing! Very sweet! I really like the creamy peanut butter taste mixed with the crunchy Rice Krispies texture. Then of course the chocolate on top is just amazing too. The best thing about it is that it's SUPER simple to make!

Ingredients: 
2 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
2 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. vegan butter melted and divided
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup non-dairy semi-sweet chocolate

Directions:
1. Butter an 8x8 pan and line it with parchment paper that hangs over the edge of the pan just a little bit. I used non-stick foil because that's what I had on hand. This also worked fine.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cereal, confectioners sugar, peanut butter, vanilla and 1/2 cup melted butter.
3. Press mixture into prepared pan. Make it as flat as possible.
4. Melt chocolate. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring and repeating  until chocolate is completely melted.

5. Add in your remaining 2 Tbsp. of melted butter to your melted chocolate. Mix together well.
6. Spread chocolate mixture over the peanut butter mixture.
7. Place in refrigerator for at least an hour until set. I left mine in overnight and it was perfect the next morning.

Product Review: Don't Be Piggy Meatless Sausage Patties

I thought I would mix the blog up and start doing some product reviews as well as recipes. I love trying new vegan products and to be honest, on the weeks when I'm not feeling well and am not really doing much cooking for myself, it will be much easier to keep up with posts! So here we go, my first product review - if you've tried this yourself, please let me know what you think of it!

Last weekend my husband and I went to Wegmans for the very first time. It reminded me a lot of Whole Foods, which I love so I was excited to see what all they had to offer. I actually saw this towards the end of our grocery trip - and I'm glad I did. I've tried many brands of vegan sausage patties, and to be honest, they're all pretty good to me. I'm not super picky. If it tastes any way close to the real thing, I will eat it! I've had the Gardein brand of sausage patties when they first came out and I think these taste very similar.. and they DO taste very close to real sausage. I didn't even know Wegmans had their own brand of things like this but I would definitely recommend trying them out if you have a store near you. I saw that they also had a 'Don't Be Chicken' and 'Don't Have a Cow' theme too. So there are more meatless options to try out if you are interested!

This is how I like to incorporate the patties into my breakfast: in a sandwich! I just toasted some bread, heated up the patty, some tofu scramble that I already had made, and added a little vegan mozzarella cheese! It made me think of a local restaurant I used to go to where I got egg sandwiches almost weekly for breakfast. However, this is much much better AND cruelty free. There's nothing better than that!

   

Brussels Sprout Chips

Original Poster: Epicurious

This past weekend I decided to FINALLY give Brussels sprout chips a try. I've seen them pop up on Pinterest a lot and I always thought they looked delicious, I just never got around to making them. I love Brussels sprouts and was craving them so I thought why not try to make them a different way this time. This recipe is a-maz-ing. I used half of a small basket of Brussels sprouts that I bought at a local farmer's market and I will shamefully say I ate them all. The entire batch that I made, I ate! However, they shrivel up to next to nothing so...That is what I am telling myself to not feel guilty about it! I'm never hesitant about throwing down as many Brussel Sprouts as I please but this recipe does use more oil than I'd typically like so the next time I make it, I will cut back on the oil even more than I did since I was halving the recipe. For the sake of making this least confusing as possible, I'm going to just post the recipe from the website because I would assume most people would make larger batches than I did (and I totally recommend that!).

Ingredients:
1 lb Brussels sprouts
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Remove the leaves of the Brussels sprouts. This is the most tedious and time consuming part. You may have to cut the base of each Brussels sprout off in order to remove all the leaves.
3. Spread the leaves out on a tray lined with foil.
4. Sprinkle leaves with oil and salt.
5. Pop in the oven for 10 minutes, flipping the leaves half way through cooking time. Take them out when they're browned and crunchy!

Macaroni Salad

So this is another recipe that I kind of just 'winged'. I went by taste as I added ingredients until it had the familiar taste that I liked! When I think of my mom making macaroni salad when I was young, I remember it being very simple. Mayonnaise, onions and egg whites. Since I'm vegan now, obviously I cut out the egg whites (though I think in the future, tofu might be an excellent replacement) and just used a vegan-friendly mayo. I tried out Just Mayo for the first time and thought it was really good for this recipe. I will definitely be making it again!

Ingredients:
1 lb. box of elbow macaroni
2 cups and 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 1/2 cup diced onion
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper

Directions (very simple):
1. Cook your pasta according to package.
2. Cut onions while pasta is cooking.
3. Pour cooked pasta into a large mixing bowl, add in the mayo, onion, Dijon, salt and pepper.
4. Mix until all ingredients are well blended.
5. It's best when cold, so keep it in the fridge until it's ready to be served.

Garlic Soup

So this post is taken from my first cooking blog I started years ago. I tweaked the recipe a bit but stole the pictures from that post just because I liked them better than the ones I tried taking today. 

I first tried making this garlic soup (also called Cesnecka) when my husband got back from a trip to the Czech Republic. He had it while he was there and raved about it so of course I tried to replicate it. I remember the entire kitchen smelling like garlic when I first made it and thinking I did something wrong. That there was no way Greg would like anything that had THIS strong of a garlic flavor to it. But I was wrong - he said it was really good and after years of making it, it's actually one of my top favorite soups now! Honestly, my favorite part is the toasted bread that you toss in at the end. It's just mushy (which is actually a good thing) and buttery..and just amazing. Now, before I give the recipe - I will stay it's probably not the healthiest of soups. Depending on how much broth you use - it can be very high in sodium. For me with POTS (and usually having blood pressure that is too low), this isn't a problem for me but for other people you might want to add more water instead of broth. I do 3 cups 'beef' broth, 4 cups water. I would probably do half broth if it was just for myself - but since my hubby is eating it too, I try to cut back a little on the sodium. Just enough so it doesn't lose too much flavor.

Ingredients:
8 cups 'beef' broth (4 cups broth, 4 cups water - OR 3 cups broth if going lower-sodium)
6 cloves of garlic
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. marjoram
1 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. vegan butter substitute
5 medium-large potatoes peeled and diced
1 Tbsp. parsley
slices of bread (1-2 per bowl of soup)

Directions:
1. Mash the garlic together with the salt.
2. Place the garlic/salt mixture in a large pot. Add broth and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and let simmer.
4. Add potatoes, marjoram, pepper and butter. Stir.
5. Simmer uncovered until potatoes are tender.
6. Fry pieces of buttered bread and cut into squares.
7. Place 1-2 pieces worth of bread into hot bowl of soup.
8. Sprinkle with parsley.

Peanut Butter and Banana Nice Cream

So this recipe is very simple. I don't have an 'original poster' link to share with you this time because I've made this so many times over the years that I just kind of winged it until I found the perfect amount of everything. However - I will still have this recipe posted on my Spinnin' n' Pinnin' board on Pinterest, so the whole 'pinning' theme is still incorporated!

So, 'nice cream' is basically a cruelty free version of your typical ice cream. To be honest, I've only ever tried making banana/peanut butter and plain ol' vanilla. I plan to branch out more in the summer! However, I made THIS ice cream in the dead of winter. A week before we got a ton of snow to be exact.. Despite all the cold weather we've been having - I still wanted ice cream! I usually eat mine straight out of the blender like this so it's more like soft serve. If you want a more solid, scoop-able texture, just blend it and pop it in the freeze to enjoy later.

Ingredients:
2 frozen bananas
3 Tbsp. chocolate PB2 (You could probably use regular peanut butter too - I just prefer PB2 because it's less calories and fat)
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
1. Blend your frozen bananas until smooth.
2. Add in peanut butter and vanilla.
3. Blend until everything is combined well and until you've reached desired thickness.
4. Dig in!

Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes

Original Poster: Sarah Bakes Gluten Free

So this weekend here in Pennsylvania we got snowed in! We got about two feet of snow and while we were stuck indoors, I figured why not bake?! I was randomly very hungry for donuts. I usually don't crave them at all. Maybe once or twice a year I'll whip up a batch of some sort but that's it. Even before I went vegan - donuts were a rare thing for me to eat. Anyway, I also wanted them to be quick and easy. I wasn't feeling the greatest the day I made them so I didn't want something that took a lot of time or a lot of clean up. I did a quick search on Pinterest and this was one of the first recipes that came up.

A quick disclaimer, I didn't make these gluten free because as far as I know, my body has no problem with gluten. However, if you need it to be gluten free, just follow along with the original recipe and make the gluten free substitutions! Also, in the original recipe they were cinnamon sugar donuts. I was out of cinnamon so I just used pumpkin spice instead! Tasted amazing.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 almond milk
2 Tbsp. shortening, melted (I use Crisco since it's vegan friendly)
oil for frying

For the donut coating:
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. pumpkin spice

Directions:
1. In a pan (or saucepan if you're like me and are a little afraid of frying things), heat up approximately two inches of oil.
2. Mix together your sugar and pumpkin spice in a paper bag and set aside.
3. While your oil is heating up, prepare your donut mixture! In a bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add in your almond milk and melted shortening. Stir until all ingredients are well blended.
4. Using a spoon, make balls of dough and gently drop them into the oil. I'd recommend doing 3 or 4 at a time. Cook on each side for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Remove donut holes from pan/pot and place on a towel lined plate to soak up some of the excess oil.
6. After about 10 seconds, pop the donut holes in your paper bag with the sugar and pumpkin spice. Fold over the top of the bag and give it a good (but gentle) shake.
7. Repeat the frying, drying and paper bag steps until all your dough is gone.

They have a nice, fluffy consistency to them. I had a small glass of almond milk with mine!

Burrito Bowl & Enchilada Mix

Original Poster: Veggie Inspired

I saw this pin on Pinterest quite awhile ago and honestly forgot that I already had all the stuff on hand that I needed to make it! I was looking for a new - somewhat simple idea for a blog post. If you hadn't noticed - I was a week behind on my 'once a week' posting schedule due to not feeling well lately. I've been dealing with some pretty bad dizziness..but hey, that IS where the 'spinnin'' comes into play with this blog - so it's to be expected! However, in keeping with my goal, I was determined to catch up. Therefore, I am posting TWO recipes this week! Like I said, I wanted it to be something quick yet healthy and filling. So here it is, a burrito bowl that I decided at the last second to turn into an enchilada!

Ingredients:
2 cups of brown rice
1 can of black beans
1 cup of sweet corn (I used canned corn)
1 small onion diced
1/2 red pepper diced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
10 oz. Old El Paso enchilada sauce
Old El Paso enchilada seasoning packet
Old El Paso enchilada shells (if making enchilada)

Directions:
1. Place a small skillet on medium heat. Add in olive oil along with the diced onion and pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes. While the veggies are cooking, begin to cook your rice as well.
2. While you're waiting for the rice to cook - rinse and drain the beans. Set aside.
3. Once your veggies and rice are ready, start to combine all your ingredients into a medium sized pot on medium heat. Stir everything together.
4. Add in enchilada sauce and seasoning packet. Stir well until everything is warm.

At this point, if you are just making the enchilada bowl, you'll have what looks like the picture above. Ready to eat just as is! However, if you want to use the Old El Paso enchilada kit - I think this is a GREAT mixture of rice, beans and vegetables to fill it with. I followed the directions on the package, added my own vegan Mexican cheese blend on top, drizzled a little bit of enchilada sauce over it all and let me tell you, it was absolutely delicious. I will definitely be making it again!

Tofu Scramble

Original Poster: Minimalist Baker

So this has got to be one of my favorite breakfast foods. Tofu scramble! When I first went vegan, I found a frozen tofu scramble from Amy's, but they were a bit expensive (in my opinion) to get too often - and now I can't even find them in our local stores anymore. I tried this recipe oh, probably a year ago now - and was very please with how it turned out! I tweaked the original recipe a bit to my own liking. Here is what I use:

Scramble:
1 14 oz. package of extra firm tofu

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 onion, diced
1/2 red pepper diced
2 cups baby spinach

Sauce:
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric

Directions:
1. Press your tofu for approximately 15 minutes.
2. While tofu is draining, prepare the sauce. Add all the seasonings together in a small bowl. Once combined, add small amounts of water (I eyeball it, but I would suggest going teaspoon by teaspoon until you have a sauce-like consistency). Set aside.
3. Once tofu is drained, pat dry and with a fork - crumble the tofu into smaller pieces.
4. Prep the veggies. Place a medium sized skillet on low heat. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Once hot, add your diced onion and peppers. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes.
5. Add your spinach. Cover and simmer for 2 minutes.
6. Move your vegetables to one side of the pan and add in your tofu. Saute for 2 minutes then add your sauce. Pour it mostly over the tofu first, then mix it all together to evenly distribute. Cook for 7 minutes until tofu is slightly browned.

Sometimes I will make this with potatoes or like today - just have it with a piece of toast. You can even use two pieces of toast and turn it into a sandwich. Melt some vegan cheese on top - mm mm!

Creamy Garlic Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

Original Poster: Minimalist Baker

When I found this post on Pinterest, I got a little excited. Before I went vegan, I used to be a huge fan of Domino's Alfredo pasta bowls. It was a weekly tradition for my now husband (then boyfriend) and I to get Domino's and I would get the same Alfredo pasta bowl almost every week. However, I eventually learned that they're not even vegetarian friendly! There is chicken fat in their recipe. Shocker, right? So throughout the years I've occasionally tried to replicate the taste of that bowl. I haven't found anything that tastes super close to it yet, unfortunately - including this recipe. However, it IS a good pasta dish. If you're looking for something more like the Domino's bowl I was talking about - try this recipe from my old cooking blog here. It's the closest thing I've created so far. But believe me, I will keep trying to perfect it!

Moving on to the pin of the week:

Now, I cut the recipe in half so this is the perfect amount for two people. My husband is not a vegan - so I made a smaller amount to just have one night of leftovers for myself. Here are the amounts I used, you can tweak it to however much you need.

1 1/2 cup grape tomatoes

5 oz. penne pasta
olive oil
4 cloves of garlic

1 medium shallot

salt and pepper

vegan Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp. flour
1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
*

Directions:

1. Line a baking tray with foil. Cut your cherry tomatoes in half. Lay them out cut side up on the tray. Toss some olive oil and salt on top. Bake for 20 minutes. Set aside.
2. Cook your pasta as directed on package. Once done, drain and set aside.

3. Prepare sauce. In a large skillet, on medium-low heat add 1 Tbsp. of oil. Allow it to heat up, then add in your chopped garlic and shallot. Cook for 3-4 minutes until softened and fragrant.
4. Stir in 2 Tbsp. flour.

5. Slowly add in your almond milk. Just a little bit at a time. Add in a few shakes of salt, pepper and vegan Parmesan. Continue stirring for approximately 5 minutes, until sauce starts to thicken.

6. Transfer sauce into a blender until creamy and smooth. Once done, place back in pan on low heat until desired thickness is reached.
7. Add pasta and roasted tomatoes. Stir. Add desired seasonings.

* I would suggest adding more garlic - I had to add garlic powder at the end of the recipe because I didn't feel like there was enough taste to the cream. I also added oregano and basil for more flavor as well. I would say I used 3 Tbsp. of the vegan parmesan too. As you might guess, I like a lot of flavor to my food.. However, it WAS very creamy!

Again, it wasn't quite the recipe I was looking for, but still not a bad pasta dish. 

Until next week!

Introduction!

Hello! My name is Nikki and this year I have decided to try and make a fun little goal for myself to once a week, attempt to recreate at least one thing that I have pinned on Pinterest. I have already made a lot of things that I found on Pinterest over the past couple years, but I thought it would be fun to document the experience. Plus, whenever I find something I really, really like I always try to share it with as many people as I can and I thought this would be a great way to do that!

Here I will be sharing a variety of pins, but I have to admit - I see myself making a lot of food posts. I've been a vegan for almost 5 years now and I'm always looking to try a new vegan dish or sweet! I also plan on sharing crafts, beauty items, home decor - etc. Anything that I think someone else will like - I'll be sure to share it on here. All vegan-friendly and cruelty free, of course!

So a little about me - I'm 27 years old. From Pennsylvania. Right now, due to health reasons I am currently a housewife. I have two (fairly unheard of) medical conditions that effect my day-to-day life. One of them is a form of Dysautonomia called POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) and the other is a genetic connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS). For me, I think these conditions go hand in hand and to make a long story short - both my blood pressure and heart rate fluctuate a ton and I am left feeling dizzy, short of breath and exhausted a good bit of the time. I thought I would explain that aspect of my life a little bit because that is actually where the name of this blog was inspired from. My sweet hubby actually thought of it and I think it describes me perfectly. In my attempt to cook, bake or anything I put my time and energy into - more often than not, I'm left feeling dizzy and 'spinny'. So Spinnin' N' Pinnin' was the perfect name for what I am about to try and do with this blog! (Just a side note: If you would like to learn more about the health conditions I listed above, feel free to check out my other blog, Chronically Hopeful, listed on one of the tabs at the top of this page).

Well, I think I have rambled enough for my first post! I hope you enjoy this blog!