High Fiber Vegan Brownies (Thanks Jackie M.!!)

High Fiber Vegan Brownies

Ingredients

1 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked dried beans)

2 cups water
1/2 cup prunes
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup dark cocoa powder

1/2 cup oats
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Place the prunes in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to start to break them down.

Add the black beans and process until smooth, adding a cup of the water in a steady stream to thin the mixture. The beans and prunes will be smooth with a few chunks.

Add the brown sugar and vanilla extract and pulse a few times to combine.

Add the oats, flour, salt and baking powder to the food processor and pulse until combined.

Add the remaining cup of water in a stream until a thick but smooth batter has formed. (You might not need all the water.)

Add the chocolate chips and pulse a few times to mix in.

Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, then pour in the brownie batter.

Bake 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before slicing into 12 brownies.

Note: For a party, slice into 24 brownies.

Number of Servings: 12

Nutritional Info

• Fat: 3.0g
• Carbohydrates: 32.7g
• Calories: 146.3
• Protein: 6.1g

~Walking in NYC to Give Them a Voice~

Walking for Farm Animals

The 2010 Annual Walk for Farm Animals in NYC
This year with the generous donations of friends, family and clients I was able to raise $1225 to help farm animals in need. Please visit the Farm Sanctuary Website (www.farmsanctuary.org) to learn more about this amazing organization!

Hi There!

So I've been playing with the cookie recipe and have made a few changes, good ones I think! I've been eating 2 of these for breakfast w/coffee (decaf, of course) and they are quite satisfying! Give them a try and let me know what you think!

Maple-Oat-Banana Breakfast Cookies ("Oaties")

A yummy high protein breakfast or snack, great for peeps on the go!

2 tsp. ground flaxseed

2 tablespoons water

1 cup regular oats

1 cup garbanzo bean flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup raisins (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 banana, mashed

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 375.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the flax seeds with the water and set aside until thickened.

Mix the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl.

Add the maple syrup, vanilla, mashed banana, and lemon juice to the flax/water mixture and combine well.

Pour into the dry mixture and stir well but don't over-mix.

Drop by heaping tablespoons onto a baking sheet lined with a silicon mat or parchment paper and flatten each cookie slightly with a fork.

Bake for 8-12 minutes or until bottoms and sides are lightly brown. Cool for a few minutes on a wire rack before serving.

ENJOY!!

Yield: 18 cookies

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per cookie): 78 calories, 5 calories from fat, less than 1g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 115mg sodium, 106.1mg potassium, 17.5g carbohydrates, 1.7g fiber, 7.6g sugar, 1.7g protein, 1.3 points.

The Great Maple Syrup Quandry

Hi There!

OK, so today's dilemma was that I bought this HUGE jug of Maple Syrup but I accidentally bought the wrong kind...DARK Amber (I prefer the taste of a lighter syrup) Hmm, what to do? So I started to search for recipes in which to use all this Maple Syrup so it does not go to waste...and here's my first attempt:

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2010/02/banana-maple-oatmeal-cookies.html

A GREAT website btw!

I substituted sesame seeds for flax/chia seeds (didn't want to go out so I used what i had in the house) and I used chick pea (garbanzo bean) flour to make the cookies a good high protein snack (oats as the whole grain plus the flour as the legume source.)

Waa-laa!! They came out pretty good! Kind of protein-y tasting (in a good way) and not overly sweet (which is fine by me b/c this way I am not tempted to eat too many of them) but pretty satisfying and nice w/a cup of herbal tea!

So check out he recipe and the rest of the great recipes on this amazing website, you'll be glad you did!

Cheers (proudly holds cookie high up in air)

Susan XX

How often have you had a chance to have a 20 pound bag of dog food donated to a shelter simply for writing a blog post? It’s really that easy. Pedigree has upped the ante big time. And please spread this message: The food drive is not limited to pet blogs. Imagine if we could spread this message beyond our circles and see how far it goes? The numbers could be substantial. Here is the full scoop:

• Each year, more than 4 million dogs end up in shelters and breed rescue organizations. Pedigree created The PEDIGREE Adoption Drive to help shine a spotlight on the plight of these homeless dogs.

• This year the PEDIGREE Adoption Drive is raising awareness for homeless dogs by donating a bowl of food to shelter dogs for everyone who becomes a “Fan” or “Likes” The PEDIGREE Adoption Drive on Facebook. So far more than 1 million bowls have been donated.

• Special for BlogPaws West: For each blog that posts about the PEDIGREE® Adoption Drive through September 19^th, PEDIGREE® will donate a bag of their new Healthy Longevity Food for Dogs to shelters nationwide. It’s simple: Write a post, help a dog.

PLEASE BE SURE TO VISIT:

http://www.lifewithdogs.tv/2010/09/write-a-post-help-a-dog/

Warmly, Susan and Miss Chloe Greyhound

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Strawberry-Almond Goodness

Susan's Strawberry-Almond Smoothie
OK, so I finally caved and bought the "Magic Bullet" blender... yes, the one from the cheesy infomercial... and it's awesome! Hint: Bed, Bath & Beyond - $49.99 (Thanks Jenn!)
So here's my fave smoothie recipe so far, VERY filling, balanced nutrition and oh so YUMMY !!!!!
Try it and let me know what you think!
Sue

Watcha need:
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 ripe banana
1/2 cup almond milk
2 oz. very cold water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1T rice protein (plain or vanilla flavor)
1T almond butter

Whatcha do:
Blend all ingredients and freeze for about 30 minutes... and enjoy!

Note: For those who follow WW this is 5 points :)