Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's recommended that we have a good source of Vitamin A every other day. It's best utilized by our bodies if the resource is cooked and served with some type of fat. Do you cook carrots or orange squash every other day? I don't, but resolve to do better. I'm quite sure my university sons aren't eating dark orange veggies every other day either. So, this evening I baked cookies to send to them. Vegan and filled with Vitamin A, I think they'll enjoy them. Here's the recipe if you'd like a sweet and tasty way to get your vitamins!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

A delicious, moist cookie that freezes very well.

2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 (15 1/2 ounce) can solid pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
12 ounces vegan semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream the sugar, shortening, pumpkin and vanilla together. Mix until well blended. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Stir gently until combined. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts. Mix together. Drop by teaspoonsful onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 12 - 15 minutes.

These cookies are delicious; cake-like and the type that melt in your mouth. I think their flavor would be enhanced by a pinch of salt in the recipe. Although this is not a gluten-free recipe, I think it would be very easily converted by the use of a gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. The walnuts in this recipe add Omega-3's to the diet, and of course we all know that the chocolate is very good for us and high in anti-oxidants!

Biscuits & Chocolate Gravy

Craving chocolate, I sought to find some in the house. I couldn't find anything stashed away, but remembered a recipe that came in my email yesterday for Chocolate Gravy. I found it and adapted to my own vegan and gluten free version. Served over fresh, hot gluten free biscuits and sprinkled with chocolate chips, it was delicious! It's creamy, rich smoothness hit the spot.

Chocolate Gravy

3 tablespoons of gluten-free flour blend
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
4 tablespoons of granulated sugar
2 cups of soymilk
2 tablespoons of Earth Balance margarine
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Combine dry ingredients and place in a small saucepan. Whisk in soymilk, blending until lumps are gone. Cook on medium high heat until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat and add Earth Balance margarine and vanilla. Stir until completely blended. Serve over hot biscuits. Also good on pancakes, crepes, toast with peanut butter, or waffles.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Toast

Based on data from the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (Boston, MA), blueberries are among the fruits with the highest antioxidant activity. Using a test called ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity), researchers have shown that a serving of fresh blueberries provided more antioxidant activity than many other fresh fruits and vegetables."

http://www.blueberry.org/nutrition.htm

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Based upon these good facts, it's a good idea to incorporate blueberries into your diet. Fortunately they are delicious and easy to wash and freeze for out-of-season use. Blueberries are yummy eaten fresh and out of hand. But there are other great ways to eat them too. A handful of frozen blueberries added to a fruit salad makes a colorful presentation. Blueberries added to Swedish Fruit Soup enhance the soups colors and vibrancy. Many love blueberry pie and most families probably have their 'favorite' recipe for it that has been handed down through the generations. This morning we raided the freezer and decided to make blueberry toast. If you've never tried it, you really must. It's a pretty tasty way to start the day!

Blueberry Toast

1 pint fresh blueberries or 2 cups frozen blueberries
3 Tbsp. apple juice concentrate, frozen
2 - 3 Tbsp. agave syrup
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
2 - 3 Tbsp. cornstarch

Place all ingredients except cornstarch in a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and add cornstarch (mixed with cold water to form slurry). Return mixture to a boil and cook for three minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Serve over toast spread with almond or peanut butter.

Makes four servings.