Friday FAQs: Spice mix uses, smoothie freezer packs, coconut milk differences, and more!

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Whew, what a whirlwind start to September we’ve had! Between home renovation setbacks, caring for a sick toddler, and the launch of my new cookbook, things have sure been lively. But I’m happy to say Oh She Glows Every Day has now hit shelves across North America (why is releasing creative projects into the world so darn scary?), the little one is in good health, and the reno situation is…well, a typical reno situation, hah. But all of that aside, we’re super excited for this month as Adriana turns 2 in a couple weeks and my due date is just days after. There’s no doubt that this month promises to bring some big changes in the Liddon household. I’m basically feeling every kind of emotion you can imagine right now.

Before I get to this week’s Friday FAQs, I’d like to let you know about some retailers carrying Oh She Glows Every Day. In the US, you can currently find the book at Barnes & Noble and Sam’s Club. In Canada, you can find the book in Costco, Chapters/Indigo, and Loblaws! More to come soon.

Last but not least, I’d like to share this week’s #osgeveryday blog tour posts. I can’t thank these lovely bloggers enough for their kind words. Be sure to check out the links below for some recipe sneak peeks, giveaways, and Q+As!

  • Mandy’s Healthy Life
  • The First Mess
  • Oh My Veggies
  • Yum Universe
  • Cookie + Kate
  • Carrie on Living
  • Wholehearted Eats
  • Detoxinista
  • My Darling Vegan
  • Vegan Crunk

 

Q1. Hi Angela. These new veggie burgers look great. I have a question about the sweet potato—in the directions you write that it works out to about 4 cups, but when making the patties you only use 2 cups of cooked potato. Is this because you are accounting for some “shrinkage” during the cooking process? Hehe. Thanks in advance!! I love your first book and can’t wait to buy the second.

A. Thanks, Melanie! Yes, you are totally correct…there’s shrinkage! Haha. 4 cups raw sweet potato (or squash) translates to just over 2 cups cooked. I hope this helps clarify. Feel free to make extra and serve it alongside the burgers!

Q2. Wondering—will your Oh Em Gee Veggie Burgers hold up on the grill??? I’m looking for something that can hold up to grilling as my parents love making hamburgers and I need an alternative for my husband and myself. 🙂 Thanks!

A. Hi Becky, I haven’t tried it yet, but I think they would! I’d suggest prebaking in the oven for 15 minutes, and then grilling on each side for a few minutes over medium heat. If you give it a try, please let us know how it goes!

Q3. Hi Angela! Love your site and cookbook. It’s helped me a ton since I met my (vegan) boyfriend almost 2 years ago. I’ve been dying to ask, do you have any more specific suggestions for using the 10-Spice Blend? I see you’ve written “pasta, potatoes, soups” but any other recipe besides your 10-Spice Vegetable Soup?? Thanks!!

A. Hi Kayla, This is such a great question! The wonderful thing about the 10-Spice Blend is that it’s so versatile; you can get really creative with how you use it in your kitchen. Aside from the 10-Spice Soup (which is an OSG cult fave!), you could use it to kick scratch tomato sauce up a notch, or add a new twist to roasted potatoes or Lightened-Up Crispy Baked Fries (The Oh She Glows Cookbook, p. 203), kale chips, Crispy Baked Onion Rings, Pan-Seared Garlic Tofu (OSG Cookbook, p. 197), or Perfect Roasted Chickpeas (OSG Cookbook, p. 220). I love adding a tablespoon or so to Endurance Crackers, and sprinkling it over toast topped with avocado and hummus. You can also try it in my Oh Em Gee Veggie Burgers and Metabolism-Revving Spicy Cabbage Soup (Oh She Glows Every Day, p. 139).

Q4. Hi Angela, great suggestions for make-ahead meals! One question…what do you mean by a ‘smoothie pack’??

A. Hey Allison, By a smoothie pack I mean that I freeze some of the non-liquid smoothie ingredients in a freezer bag. It’s a fun little trick for make-ahead smoothies! For example, you can turn my Green Tea Lime Pie Smoothie Bowl into a freezer pack. Simply place the spinach, banana, avocado, and matcha into a small freezer bag, then press out the air and seal. This can be stored in the freezer for 1 to 2 weeks. When you’re ready to use, simply add the coconut water, lime juice/zest, and maple syrup into the blender along with the contents of the bag. Blend on high until smooth (adding ice only if necessary).

Q5. I loved your homemade Bailey’s recipe, but I think I messed up somewhere by using normal coconut milk in a carton for the “light” coconut milk. Do you think that’s why it wasn’t as thick as it should have been? Thank you though, for this amazing recipe!!!

A. Hi Sierra, If you mean the cartoned coconut milk (the kind typically found near soy or almond milk in the grocery store), I do think that’s the likely culprit! Like soy and almond milk, this type of coconut milk is really more of a dairy milk replacement that is best consumed as a beverage or used in smoothies, over cereal, and so on. It’s typically watered down and contains other additives as well, and so it tends to be lighter/thinner than even the “light” canned coconut milk. In my recipes I will specify canned coconut milk, and also indicate whether I used full-fat or light. Another possibility as to why it was thin is that the liquid needed to be cooked down longer than it was. So you could always try throwing it back on the stovetop and simmering it a bit longer until the volume reduces. I hope you still enjoyed the Homemade Bailey’s, though, even if it wasn’t quite as rich!

Comment of the week:

With the release of my new cookbook, I’ve received so many warm, enthusiastic messages that I can’t pick a single one to highlight. Some of them seriously brought me to tears. Thank you to everyone who’s picked up a copy of the book, placed it on a wishlist, signed it out at the library, or simply shared their support for this latest adventure. You helped make Oh She Glows Every Day a reality and I couldn’t be more grateful. 🙂

PS—That cute little spice mix at the top of this post is the Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix! It takes minutes to throw together and you’ll be sprinkling it in everything from oatmeal to smoothies to pies and more.

Oh She Glows

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix

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For the past couple seasons, I’ve been on the hunt for pumpkin pie spice mix. And I’ve been slowly going crazy not being able to locate it in any local grocery stores. Don’t they know how many they would sell from me alone?! I longed for the day I would cross paths with it, making a mental note to buy 10 if I ever did. Only that day never came and I went about my life smiling on the outside, but secretly feeling like a piece of me was missing. Until that beloved day when a recipe just fell into my lap!

I feel like fellow bloggers and cookbook authors, Nicole Axworthy and Lisa Pitman, get me. They know that vegan staples aren’t always offered in grocery stores (yes, I just called pumpkin spice mix a “vegan staple”…let’s go with it), and sometimes we want or need to make things in our own kitchen. In their new book, DIY Vegan, you’ll find more than 100 vegan recipes showing home cooks just how easy it is to create knock-offs of common store-bought staples, only without the sometimes scary ingredient lists. For the most part, I try to limit the amount of prepared foods that I purchase due to the unpronounceable ingredients many contain. And really, these foods don’t always leave me feeling my best. Yes, more and more brands are coming out with simple, whole-foods ingredient lists (hooray), but sometimes these brands aren’t accessible or they’re just plain old expensive. So, I enjoy making my own staples when time allows; especially if I can make a huge batch and store it for several months, like with this pumpkin pie spice mix. Major kitchen win!

As Nicole and Lisa say, "Seriously, are you going to pay extra for someone else to stir your spices? We didn’t think so. Make your own in seconds, make some for your friends, start a business selling your own spice-stirring services. And then eat pie."

In DIY Vegan, you’ll find vegan recipes like Buttermilk, Cashew Coffee Creamer, Simple Sour Cream, Coconut Yogurt, Cultured Nut Cheese, Whole-Grain and Seed bread, Cheesy Crackers, Taco Seasoning, Spelt Pizza Dough, and many more. I went straight for the Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix of course, and after falling in love I made a triple batch to keep on hand. It’s just so easy and flavourful, and now I never have to go without. If you noticed that super cute jar at the top of this post, you’ll see that it also makes a fun gift for the pumpkin pie spice mix lover in your life. Just place the spices into a tiny jar (you can layer it for fun), add some baker’s twine, and loop on a homemade tag. Wouldn’t this be a cute idea for a housewarming gift or a party favour? Or maybe I’m just weird. Rest assured, if you ever brought me this I would light up like a Christmas tree.

Coming up soon, I’ll be sharing a baked good that I created using this very pumpkin pie spice mix. You don’t want to miss this one, folks. It’s the seasonal baked good I promise you’ll want to whip up all season long. So go on and make this spice mix then meet me back here for Part 2! Deal?

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Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix

Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, no bake/raw, nut-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free

Use this pumpkin pie spice mix in cakes, cookies, bars, oatmeal, smoothies, lattes, chia seed pudding, and more! I like to keep a large batch of it on hand and I find myself using it in just about everything. This recipe is reprinted with permission from DIY Vegan. Copyright © 2015 Nicole Axworthy and Lisa Pitman. Published by St. Martin’s Griffin.

Yield
2 1/2 tablespoons
Prep Time
5 Minutes
Cook time
0 Minutes
Total Time
5 Minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I pack it in the teaspoon)
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:

  1. Combine all the ingredients in an airtight container or jar. Attach lid and shake to combine. Store at room temperature for up to 6 months. Shake jar before each use.

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Photography credit: Ashley McLaughlin Photography

A big congrats to Nicole and Lisa on this beautiful cookbook, and for allowing me to share this recipe with you today! DIY Vegan is hot off the press this Tuesday, October 27th so be sure to check it out online and in bookstores!

Oh She Glows

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte with Salted Pumpkin Spice Syrup

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I’m baaaaaaaack!

Miss me? Better yet…did you miss my tempting recipes popping into your feed each week? I sure have missed you all and this blog. Thankfully, it’s finally time to kick up my heels and celebrate because I handed in my second cookbook manuscript yesterday. All 250 pages of it including 100+ recipes (most are new!), headnotes, chapter openers, introductory chapters, etc. I seriously can’t believe I did it. Can someone pour me a drink…or 10?! I’m so excited to get my life back in order! And I’m so excited to start sharing recipes on here again at regular intervals. I have SO many ideas/goals/hopes/dreams for this space.

It’s funny how different the first book writing process went compared to the second. When I submitted my first book’s manuscript, I don’t think I had ever felt so much doubt in my life. I had all this anxiety near the very end and concluded that a bunch of finalized recipes had to be re-worked at the last minute. All of a sudden, none of them were good enough. Eric was like, did you fall on your head…they taste amazing! Yes, writing recipes for print brought the cray cray out in me. I turned into a full-fledged RECIPE-ZILLA.

I kept coming back to the age old question – Is this book enough? – which I think deep down means, Am I enough? Am I good enough? Yea, I’m getting deep today. It’s a question I’ve struggled with my entire life so I shouldn’t have been surprised when this crippling doubt reared its ugly head. In the end, the first process taught me how to make peace with my work, the creativity I put out into the world, and with whatever the response to the book would be. That’s a big one. I just had to let it all go.

I’m not saying I haven’t had moments of doubt during the second book’s creation because I surely have, but this time around I’ve felt much more focused, organized, and best of all, confident in my ability. It was something only experience could teach me, I think. Even Eric mentioned how calm I was this last week as I put the final touches on everything. (Ok, ok, I handed it in 4 days late, but when your editor gives you an extra weekend you take it!) Even though I know there is a lot of work ahead (many rounds of edits, design collaboration, press, etc), at least I (kinda, maybe) know what’s to come.

But I’m totally not thinking about that right now. Now is the time to drink all the espresso! Can you tell I’m hyper? Just a bit. Yes, I’m getting festive with homemade pumpkin spice lattes, and I hope you’ll join me. I’d say these are a serious upgrade from my 2010 attempt (cue nostalgia from a blog post 5 years ago!), but how could it not be with a homemade pumpkin spice syrup?! I am obsessed with this homemade latte recipe. Can’t stop. This syrup is a game changer, and you’ll find yourself dreaming up many ways to use it. Always a good detective, I bought a legit Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks so I could compare them side by side. Guess which latte won?

homemadepumpkinspicelattevegan

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte with Salted Pumpkin Spice Syrup

Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free

I don’t have an espresso machine so I find the easiest way to make an authentic-tasting latte at home is to simply buy a few shots of espresso at the local coffee shop! I’ve tried using strong coffee as a substitute for espresso (in varying amounts) and I don’t find it comes close to being as good as the espresso version. It’s not horrible tasting by any means, but it misses that incredibly rich, deep, and flavorful espresso flavour which I think is key for a latte. So yes, I think it’s worth the effort to use actual espresso here. That being said, feel free to experiment with coffee versions too. Eric, who isn’t a coffee fan, loved a version I made with 1/4 cup strong coffee instead of 1 shot of espresso. It was so much milder, and didn’t have a pronounced coffee flavour. Lastly, a note about milk frothers: I don’t own one, but I discovered that you can create super creamy and frothy almond milk by adding the heated milk into a French press and pumping the plunger for 30-60 seconds vigorously. (Note: I use a plastic french press so I am not sure if this is safe with the glass kind! Be cautious if trying it out.) It creates the creamiest almond milk EVER! I am seriously hooked. I tried coconut milk and didn’t have quite as frothy results. Soy milk will also work well, but I prefer the flavour of almond milk here. Actually my @theglowspot instagram post had a great discussion about various plant-based milks and their frothing ability…pretty interesting stuff! Let me know your tips below.

Note: The Salted Pumpkin Spice Syrup is lightly adapted from Paleo’ish On A Dime.

Yield
3/4 cup syrup + 1 latte
Prep Time
5 Minutes
Cook time
5 Minutes
Total Time
10 Minutes

Ingredients:

For the Salted Pumpkin Spice Syrup:
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened pumpkin purée*
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt or other fine sea salt, or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla bean powder or 1 vanilla bean, seeded or 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
For the Pumpkin Spice Latte:
  • 2 tablespoons (1 shot/1 ounce) espresso
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 3-4 teaspoons Salted Pumpkin Spice Syrup
  • Coconut Whipped Cream, for garnish (optional – I usually skip it)
  • Dash cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, for garnish

Directions:

  1. For the Pumpkin Spice Syrup: Whisk together all syrup ingredients in a medium pot over medium heat. Simmer for about 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until smooth and slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Once cool, pour leftovers into a jar and secure lid.
  2. Prepare the espresso. Tip: I like to buy a few espresso shots from the coffee shop since I don’t have an espresso maker. I keep leftovers in the fridge for 1-2 days and reheat as needed.
  3. Add milk into a small pot. Heat over medium and bring to a simmer. Immediately remove from heat. Froth the milk using a milk frother or a French Press. Tip: I use my French Press to froth the milk. Simply add the heated milk into the press and secure lid (make sure it’s closed and not vented). Pump the plunger vigorously for about 30-60 seconds. Be careful as the hot milk can shoot out a bit.
  4. Pour hot espresso into a mug. Top with all of the frothy milk. Add 3-4 teaspoons of the syrup, to taste, and gently stir to combine. Top with a dash of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, and Coconut Whipped Cream, if desired. Serve immediately. The syrup will keep in an air-tight container in the fridge for at least 2 weeks, most likely longer. You can use it in regular coffee too, or try stirring it into a bowl of hot oatmeal for a seasonal twist!

Tip: If your pumpkin puree is on the grainy side (some brands are more than others), it might benefit from a quick blend or puree in the blender or food processor before using.

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Photography credit: Ashley McLaughlin Photography

Oh She Glows