Monday, March 31, 2014
Hazelnut Oven Baked Pancake and a Giveaway!
It's Monday my friends and I'm feeling pretty Marvelous!!! I had an incredible weekend with friends and my little family, so I would say that's the perfect way to start this week off on the right foot! Also, I have an incredible giveaway to share with you all today along with a super easy, delicious and healthy recipe for an oven baked pancake. You can't beat that, right?!

MiMM MIMM #77 A Very Grateful Thanksgiving <3

Alright, let's be honest, life is busy. I feel like we are constantly on the go around here these days. I know we aren't the only ones, so lately, when I think about developing recipes, my first consideration is to come up with something everyone can do quickly and easily. 


I got to thinking about all the meals that are a little on the time consuming side and came up with pancakes as being one that we love, but I always dread the time I spend in the kitchen flipping them. I don't know about you, but when the weekends roll around, I just want to relax, drink my morning coffee slowly (instead of slamming it down my throat while driving) and watch home shows with my husband. Well, my kids have a different picture of what the weekend mornings should look like. They like to have a "Saturday" or "Sunday" breakfast, as they call it, which is completely different from any other day of the week kind of breakfast (you know like cereal or yogurt). I get it, the weekends mean big breakfasts with all the fixings! I love cooking, it's what I was meant to do, it's my zen, but with how busy things have been lately, I am really focusing on coming up with fast, healthy, simple recipes that don't actually taste like they are all of those things. 


So, this is when I had the idea for a baked breakfast pancake. This recipe is so simple. You just put everything in the blender, blend it all up, pour it into the pan and bake it! No standing in the kitchen for 30 minutes flipping pancakes! 


The topping options are endless. I topped ours with powdered sugar and caramelized bananas*. Strawberries and whipped cream would be amazing too. I'm definitely making this the next time we have company over for breakfast. A build your own topping bar would be perfect with this easy to make pancake. The boys enjoyed this so much, they went right back in for seconds! That makes me a happy mama. They don't even know this was good for them. Sssshhhh, don't tell them!


Hazelnut Oven Baked Pancake
serves 4

3/4 cup hazelnut meal
1/3 cup quinoa flour
1 TBSP sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs 
1/2 cup almond milk
1 TBSP lemon juice

1 TBSP coconut oil

Heat the oven to 425°. Place the coconut oil in a 10" cast iron skillet. Melt the coconut oil in the oven while it preheats.

Place the hazelnut meal through lemon juice in a blender and blend 2 minutes or until completely mixed together on high speed. Swirl the melted coconut oil in the pan to completely coat it. Pour the pancake batter into the pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until slightly browned on top. Serve warm with your favorite pancake toppings.

*To make the caramelized bananas, I simply melted non-dairy butter in a skillet, sliced the bananas, cooked them slightly and then added a little brown sugar and vanilla to them when they were just about done cooking.

How would you like to try out the new Hazelnut Meal from Bob's Red Mill and receive a $50 gift certificate to try out more of their amazing products? Well, here's your chance! You have multiple ways to enter. Make sure you leave a comment for each entry. Winner will be announced Tuesday, April 8th. Good Luck!

To enter the giveaway:
1. Leave a comment here telling me your favorite quick meal
2. Follow me on Facebook.
3. Follow me on Instagram.
4. Follow me on Twitter.
5. Follow Bob's Red Mill on Facebook.
6. Follow Bob's Red Mill on Twitter.

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posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 12:11 PM   56 comments
Monday, March 24, 2014
Gluten Free Protein Flatbread and The Most Amazing Sandwich
It's Monday!!! Yep, I'm in a good mood! I had a pretty incredible week with my guys last week that led right into a great weekend. Tony and I are working on some projects together for his work (he's an illustrator just in case some of you weren't aware). He just came off of a huge project working on the Vampire Diaries comic and he's about to start a new project. We also have things of our own that aren't licensed projects that we are working on together. So, fun stuff ahead! We got the chance to spend time together and just talk about all the things we want to do in the future. It was a GREAT week! So…I definitely feeling Marvelous in My Monday!

MiMM MIMM #77 A Very Grateful Thanksgiving <3

I also got the chance to get to the Asian market this week!!! Definitely a bonus for me since I finally got kabocha after 3 weeks of not having any. They didn't look so great, so I only got 4 small ones. Oh well, guess I need to go back soon. Confession…I have a serious weakness for kabocha. You know how some people love chocolate or wine? That's how much I love kabocha! Once I roast it, I'm better off just eating the whole darn thing so I don't have to think about it. Yes, I know it's a vegetable, but even still, it's a carb and you can go overboard. Who am I kidding, you can never have too much kabocha. :)

BWV-Round2-March_thumb

So, this week's MMAZ for Better With Veggies was to cook someone else's recipe.


I knew right away what I wanted to make when I saw Spabettie's kabocha sandwich.


Seriously, how could you go wrong? I did get a little overly excited and accidentally left the sautéed onions on the stove and didn't remember them until later. I dove right into that sandwich! OH MY GOODNESS!


The combination of sweet crispy kabocha with the spicy dijon mustard, the crisp refreshing lettuce and the soft doughy bread was nothing short of amazing. I used my protein quinoa chickpea flatbread for the sandwich to add a little protein to the mix. AMAZING! You all HAVE to make this!

Mini Qunioa Chickpea Flatbread Loaves
(makes 2)

1/3 cup quinoa flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/3 cup chickpea flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup egg whites
2/3 cup soda water

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the wet ingredients and mix well. Pour batter evenly into 2 greased mini loaf pans. Bake at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Ok, tell me, what's your guilty addiction? Kabocha really is mine. The boys make so much fun of me for it, but I just can't get enough.

I hope you all have an amazing week! I have a few recipes to share this week and a giveaway! Happy Monday!

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posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 5:30 AM   41 comments
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Hazelnut Pate A Choux!
I don't think I've mentioned it on here yet, but I'm happy to announce that I am an ambassador for Bob's Red Mill this year! You all know how much I love this company, what it stands for and the incredible products they continuously produce. They have some new products out and I was lucky enough to get to play in the kitchen with them. The first one I'm sharing is their Hazelnut Meal! Remember the Crunchy Hazelnut Granola Cereal? Yep, that included this amazing new product. I will be sharing more recipes and giveaways with these amazing products! For now, go check out my post on the Bob's Red Mill Blog featuring this Hazelnut Pate A Choux recipe! It's so easy and so delicious!

Hazelnut Pate A Choux

Hazelnut Pate A Choux filled with sautéed onion and bacon egg salad

Hazelnut Pate A Choux filled with chocolate hazelnut spread..

dipped in creme anglaise!

Hazelnut Pate A Choux baked glazed doughnuts

posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 12:46 PM   10 comments
Monday, March 10, 2014
Finding Happiness, Butternut Squash Rösti and Crunchy Gluten Free Almond Granola Cereal!
MiMM MIMM #77 A Very Grateful Thanksgiving <3
I want to start this post with saying that this weekend was really good for me in so many ways. I spent some amazing time with my men, I got to meet my niece and visit with my sister whom I haven't seen in 3 1/2 years, cooked A LOT, cleaned up the house some, did yard work (I'm so excited to get a garden going) and finished it all up with a walk last night at the park with my men. It was a much needed great weekend. I am, in fact Marvelous In My Monday!

Me and my sister Whitney with her little one Audrey!

I now want to give my thoughts on happiness…

I had a bad week last week. Sadly, not because anything bad happened, just that I was mentally in a bad place. I think I got more annoyed that it really wasn't a bad week and that there was really no good reason for me being so down. I think the biggest problems were that there are some things changing around here (for the better, but change just the same) and that I let all the little things in my head add up.   You know, the things you have no control over? Those little things that haunt the corner of my brain that will never be fully resolved. I need to learn to let go…

It didn't help that my schedule was completely thrown off either. My work schedule along with the fact that the kids are in school for an extra 30 minutes for the next two months to make up for the snow days really was frustrating. I felt out of it (out of control) from Sunday through Wednesday of last week. That was definitely my rabbit hole to no place good. I made the decision on Wednesday night when I went to bed, that no matter what, I was waking up with a better mental outlook. I don't know that I believe you can always choose "happiness". I am a happy person in general even through the bad. I feel like perspective is everything and learning how to deal with the harder things in life is the key. I am really working on it. I have an incredible little family here and some amazing friends (thank you to all of you that helped talk me through last week). I just let the crap add up. I don't want to be that person. I want to be able to focus on the good and let the bad go. About 3 years ago, I was living in a pretty bad place mentally. I have worked hard to bring my focus to the here, the now and the good that is all around me. I'm lucky in that I have an incredible husband that seriously always has my back. The man is a gift from the gods…I swear he is. I must have been really good in a former life to get him in this one. I guess all of this is to say in an open forum that I am happy. I am going to make an effort to be happy even through the not so good times. I am going to take some time everyday to look around me and notice the special moments that I normally let slip by me. I'm also going to work harder at doing the things that make me happy (like walks at sunset). I sat at dinner with my three guys on Thursday and Friday night. This is something that can't always happen with our crazy schedules. We all laughed so hard at stupid stuff for an hour both nights. I'm going to make a point of doing this so much more. While I know I can't always control things in my life, I do have control over how I deal with them. I need to go back to my New Years intention and focus on living purposefully.


Now, on to the fun stuff…

BWV-Round2-March_thumb

While working out is one of my favorite things to do to put me in a good mood, being in the kitchen is by far my all time favorite way to cleanse my mental palate (also, my actual palate). So, this week I have not 1, but 2 recipes for you! The food for Better With Veggies MMAZ was squash. I was happy to get in the kitchen and play around. I bought 4 different kinds of squash but one really stood out to me...


Butternut!


This recipe is really simple and really delicious, especially if you like texture with your food. 


These little baked butternut squash rösti are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. I have to confess, I'm not a fan of savory winter squash dishes. I mean, I love winter squashes, but I either eat them plain or I make them slightly sweet. So, I made these two ways…breakfast and dessert! Don't stress over the look of these. This recipe is definitely an metaphor for finding the perfection in the imperfect. The messy part is where are the crunchies come into play.

Served with yogurt and crunchy almond granola cereal.


Butternut Squash Röti
(makes about 9)

5 cups shredded raw butternut squash (about 1 lb 1oz)
1 flax egg (1 TBSP flax meal mixed with 3 TBSP hot water, allow to sit for 15 minutes)
1 TBSP cornstarch
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Preheat your oven to 400°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine everything together and mix well to make sure all of the squash is evenly coated. For each röti, scoop about 1/2 cup worth onto the prepared pans. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip (carefully making sure you scrape it all off the parchment and just fixing them as needed) and bake an additional 15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.


I decided to use a different meal for my Crunchy Granola Cereal this time…


Bob's Red Mill has a new product out! Natural Almond Meal! This stuff is amazing! You can bake your gluten free goodies with it and it works like a charm with my granola so I don't wreck my food processor! Such an amazing product!


Served with maple walnut dairy free ice cream and crunchy almond granola cereal.

Crunchy Gluten Free Almond Granola Cereal
(makes about 5 cups)

3 cup corn flakes (I used Attune Foods)
1 1/2 cup quick oatmeal (I used Bob's Red Mill)
3/4 cup natural almond meal/flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
9 TBSP egg whites
9 TBSP coconut sugar (I used NuNaturals)
3 TBSP melted coconut oil

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 pan with coconut oil.

Combine all of the ingredients in your prepared pan. Stir everything together smashing up the cereal as you thoroughly combine the ingredients. Bake for an hour to an hour and a half stirring every 15 minutes. Allow to cool and enjoy!

I hope you all have an amazing week! 
posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 6:29 AM   20 comments
Monday, March 3, 2014
Crunchy Gluten Free Granola Cereal
In truth, I started my week off in a bad mood. I'm always the first to say, "stop with the negative talk", but today really hit me the wrong way. I felt off from the second I got out of bed and let it ruin me for a good portion of the day. Things just weren't going my way and well, yeah…I had a serious case of the Mondays.

 MiMM MIMM #77 A Very Grateful Thanksgiving <3

Well, I've decided enough of the negative talk. Somebody posted on my instagram feed that it's all in how you look at it and I'm going to make today better! I'm working on some new projects and I need to look at the adventure part of these things and embrace the change. Negativity only breeds more negativity…so, today, I choose happiness! I'm always so inspired with how Katie puts her positive foot forward. Thank you Katie for making me see the Marvelousness in my Monday!


So, I've decided to share one of my favorite recipes as of late. I made this one up last week and have made it 4 times since. This should tell you how much my guys like it...before I could take a real picture, the container was empty and I was told that I needed to make more. 


This is more of a sweetened cereal than a true granola, in my opinion. You know the Honey Bunches of Oats cereal, well, this is kind of like that. I used Attune Foods cornflake cereal with some Bob's Red Mill oats and their new hazelnut meal/flour to make a super crunchy delicious cereal! This also works as a crunchy topping to baked goods or doughnuts (which is what I did with the picture above). So easy and so delicious!


Crunchy Hazelnut Granola Cereal
(makes about 5 cups)

3 cup corn flakes (I used Attune Foods)
1 1/2 cup quick oatmeal (I used Bob's Red Mill)
3/4 cup hazelnut meal/flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
9 TBSP egg whites
9 TBSP coconut sugar (I used NuNaturals)
3 TBSP melted coconut oil

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 pan with coconut oil.

Combine all of the ingredients in your prepared pan. Stir everything together smashing up the cereal as you thoroughly combine the ingredients. Bake for an hour to an hour and a half stirring every 15 minutes. Allow to cool and enjoy!

Happy Monday friends! I hope you're having a great one!

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posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 3:51 PM   15 comments

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Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen
Home: Atlanta, GA, United States
About Me: Lactose Challenged
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