Gingerbread Persons

I loveeeeee gingerbread!! 

I’m not going to lie… while making my gingerbread house, I ate the characters that were supposed to go with it!!

Then I decided I needed to make my own… BUT the catch was, I wanted them dairy free (obviously) and no lard or margarine.

I found it!  Tweaked it and made it my own!!

DAIRY FREE SPICY Gingerbread Cookies

inspired by this recipe

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 TBSP ground ginger (I said spicy)
• 2 tsp cinnamon (maybe even more)
• 1.5 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1/3 cup coconut milk (or milk of choice)
• 2 cups flour – with lots extra for dusting

Preheat oven @ 300,  spray/grease baking pan – these are really sticky!!

Mix together sugar, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

Add in molasses, milk and flour.

Continue to mix in extra flour until dough is firm and not sticky.

Place dough in fridge for awhile (I only did about 1/2 hour)

Roll out very thin,  cook out your little people

Bake about 10 min, or until bottoms are lightly browned

LET SIT for 10 minutes before trying to get them off the baking pan.

Let cool and then decorate like all your friends!!  (or a few, as it’s hard business!)

I also made a few different icings. Icing is something I have never made overly good.

Sugar and Spice Icing

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• splash of vanilla
• 1 TBSP cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground ginger

Mix all together until smooth, may have to add extra milk or sugar to get desired consistency.

Dye-able icing

When I decided to make gingerbread people friends, I needed fun colors!

• 1 1/4 cup icing sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• splash of vanilla
• 1 tsp coconut milk (or milk of choice)
• Plastic baggies for each color
• Food coloring

Mix together everything until the baggies!(duh)

Make sure mixture is pretty stiff, because once you add the food coloring, it gets pretty watery.

Add icing to baggies,  right in a bottom corner… then add food coloring and SQUISH like crazy until it is all mixed in. 

Snip of a TINY corner or the baggie, and you have your very own piping bag!

If the icing gets too running, put in fridge for a bit!!

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Veg News just posted an AWESOME substitution guide for cooking vegan/dairy free!  Check it out here, it has suggestions for most of the common baking allergies!

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Have a great day!!!   Enjoy the cookies!

xo Jess

Feeling Dreamy?!

I know I am feeling dreamy today?  You ask why? Because I made Kris’s Coconut Dream Bars tonight!

Holy yum…  there is a God and he is Coconuty! :)

You have to go to her blog to see the recipe, but here is the short version (and you will be happy to know

I followed the recipe 100% – this is something I NEVER do)

I whizzed up some pecans and dates to make the crust

Then mixed up the other delicious (and good for you) ingredients to make the insides!

This recipe is 100% raw… except the chocolate/coconut oil that I drizzled over it (by accident) OOPS!

Dave gave them an 8/10 – and since he doesn't love dates, this is a good score!  I loved them… they were off the charts for me!

Thanks Kris – you are just as sweet and wonderful as these bars!

Ps. I posted my twitter status (about making these bars) then came to make these, finished them off, cleaned up, checked facebook all in 23 mins…  So they are quick too!

For dinner tonight I tested out THIS!

Which made this…


PS. I can’t wait for natural light to become part of my life again!
Lovely little zucchini noodles!  It was super easy, and I didn’t miss them at all with my spaghetti! 

I  bought mine off ebay, but I’m sure you could find one at any kitchen store, they are about $10-$15.

Here is the yummy pasta sauce I made

Bison sausage, green peppers, zucchini and sundried tomatoes with pasta sauce added later!

I topped it off with the dip from the other day.

Damn I’m good!  (haha) this tasted super fresh and cheesy!

I didn’t miss the noodles AT ALL
I really enjoyed having it a bit lighter!

Go buy one of those little babies NOW!! You won’t regret.

Onto breakfast- I’m all over the place today!
I made a not so pretty 3 min Tina cookie again
Tis UGLY – but tasted good – I used my new gadget to make carrot straws to go in it too!
Extra veggies YES!

With a green pink monster!

It was a simple one with frozen strawberries, spinach, banana and almond milk – that’s all folks, it tasted pink and delicious!

Jumping around like a crazy person again LUNCH!

Dave took me for dinner last night and I had a HUGE salad and french fries, and I brought the leftovers home for lunch today.

I added a can of salmon and some tomatoes – nothing fancy but it worked!

That’s all the eats from me tonight

But I wanted to say THANK YOU for all the responses on “bloggy friends being more supportive than some in person friends” – it’s interesting to know that their are MANY of you out there that feel the same way! 

I wonder if it’s because we all share such common interests?   I’m not to sure, but I’m grateful for all of you!

PS-this is not to say that NONE of my friends in real life are supportive,
because many of you are and I love you for it!

I just feel like it’s hard sometimes to take the time to really appreciate each other and how important friendships truly are! (Especially as we get older!)

I also got a lot of support regarding my discussing anxiety on my blog, it was hard to come out and say it, but I know I am not the only one, and hopefully I can help others by mentioning it!! 
For those of you who wrote me about it thank you!!

Phewf…  it’s getting serious around this place.  I best leave while I still have (wonderful) readers! hehe

I’m off to dream about random drug dealers and police chases!!
(3 nights in a row this has been what my dreams have been about, can you say CrAzY?)

Goodnight my lovelies! :)
Jess

Do you have bad dreams?  If so what are they about?

PSSSSSS.  Averie is hosting an amazing get away in San Diego this summer.... I wanna go!!   
Check it out! 

Yummy Dinner!!!!!!

I think I may have died and gone to Heaven!!  I just made the most AMAZING pasta dish. YUM!!
Here were the ingredients

Whole Wheat Pasta

Organic Sweetie cherry tomatoes

Marinated Artichokes

Chicken Spolumbo Sausage - so good, no fillers!!

Sun dried tomatoes (did not use I couldn't get it open boo)

Spinach (also didn't use because I need them for my green monsters)

Sun dried tomato gourmet mayo- amazing

Things to add next time;

Spinach

Basil

Roasted Garlic

Roasted peppers/zuchinni

I cooked up the sausage and pasta and then tossed it all together...

Then I mixed in the mayo about 2 tbsp - It's hard to find "creamy" pasta sauce that has no dairy.

When I received this mayo as a gift, pasta was my first thought - It was amazing, creamy just like alfredo!

 

I honestly felt like I had died and gone to heaven!!  It was sooo decedent.

Glad I didn't have to share it with anyone though, now I have at least 2 more meals leftover YAY!!

Besides this wonderfulness, I went for an hour and a half long walk/pull with my parents and Lance.

It was quite the workout, as he hasn't been for a walk for awhile because of our insane wind/rain storms.

It was great.  I love the trail that we went on, and it's super close to home!   After that I came home and watched some Planet Earth - what an amazing show, if you haven't seen it yet, go get it NOW!!

I am officially done all my Amazing Grass samples and am in love!!  The chocolate was not for me at all.  I liked all the other flavors and I thought the wheat grass was fantastic.

If you live in CR and want to order any let me know and we can order together and split the (expensive) shipping!  Here is the website.  I really really don't like the chocolate one though, so if you want mine, maybe we can make a deal, I've only used 2 scoops out of it!! :)  

I'm obbessed with green monsters right now and have 2 per day for the last few days. 

My energy is great and I feel fantastic!!

(Besides being tired from the lack of sleep from all the adventures this weekend)

We had a great night with friends on Friday night... and then went for sushi last night with some newer-ish friends that are fabulous!!   We ate way to much and had a great time! I had miso soup, green tea, a dynamite roll (super spicy tempura prawn and veggies), spicy scallop roll and an avacado roll.  I took some home and ate it as a midnight snack YUM!!

I didn't take this picture, but felt the need for a picture... too many words, not enough pictures!

I also went through a bunch of old pictures today...  haha.. I love memories... here are a few.

These two lovely ladies are two of my best girlfriends...   Love them to peices

 

4 of the sexiest bridesmaids around.  This is one of my all time favorite pictures.

We were in Mexico for one of my other best friend's weddings

 

Here is the lovely bride and I a few days before the wedding.

Could be look much different!?

Love you Amanda! xoxo

Anywhoo... I'm sure greatful for all my new readers, i'm over 600 visitors in less than a month!

Thank you thank you!!

Take care and enjoy your night,

Jessica