palatable-thoughts

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The holidays are for baking and treats I do love making. I love to feed and to share in the enjoyment of good food. After all, food is better when shared. Wouldn’t you agree? Featured here: drunken cherry cheesecake bites with graham cracker crust, kissed with gold dust and stars, and hugged by candied crans! I am so thankful for the joy of cooking, baking, and loving. From my home and ❤️ to yours, happy Thanksgiving every day! 🎂🍰🧁🥧🍬🍭🍪If you need treats for your holiday party, email lovelylittlepastries@gmail.com to place your order today!! #LivetoBake #Baketolive #PalatableThoughts #lovelylittlepastries #holidaytreats #holidaycatering #NYCcatering #catering #Cateringservice #wedeliver (at New York, New York) https://www.instagram.com/meginsky/p/BqiKNHQA-iU/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1j046oyqtac22

[palatable-thoughts]

Some captured culinary creations from the weekend: baked apple cider donuts made w/ apple molasses (aka boiled apple cider); and my classic fave: tomato - sweet pepper - gruyere tarte. Life is meant to be eaten! Email LovelyLittlePastries@gmail.com to reserve your holiday sweets/treats/catering today!! #Livetoeat #Baketolive #IdRatherBeBaking #DIY #AlwaysHomemade #PalatableThoughts #LovelyLittlePastries (at Woodstock, New York) https://www.instagram.com/meginsky/p/BpzdPfvAeUd/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=rm3kv6ab1yro

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St. Patrick’s Day may be a week away but it’s never too early and always the right time for treats! #PalatableThoughts #NoBake #IdRatherBeBaking #BakingIsLife #WiltonChocolate #DIY #Homemade #MadeWithLove #BakingIsTherapy #StPatricksDay #Treats for my #SoundCloud peeps!

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I enjoy baking, eating, sharing, and loving! That’s why Valentine’s Day is so fun to celebrate! Hope you had a lovingly good one! 😘😍❤️ #PalatableThoughts #ValentinesDay #SoundCloud #MooreHart #BaketoLive #LivetoEat #LivetoLove #latergram

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Jan 9, 2018 Day 7 One week in the books of being a practicing vegan. #palatablethoughts #plantbased #vegan

[palatable-thoughts]

January 8, 2018 What would be Day 6.....if not for that bite of ice cream that attacked me on Saturday PM! More to come from my adventures in veganism when I return after one full week manana! Today's #palatablethoughts left nothing to be desired. #plantbased #glutenfree #vegan #cauliflowerpizza

[palatable-thoughts]

Chocolate Chocolate Banana Flax Seed Bread

I am still building my baking foundation, my repertoire, my vault of tried and trusted rock recipes that I am confident enough to memorize and and alter. And until I have reached a status only Martha Stewart, Julia Child, and my Aunt Jan have built, I will continue to adapt recipes to be that of a ‘Meganism’. Perhaps I will always adapt recipes. For that’s part of the beauty and fun of baking, is the opportunity get experimental; kind of like being a mad scientist in a laboratory finding the right formula!

For now, please enjoy this Megafied Chocolate Chocolate Banana Flax Seed Bread recipe adapted from SimplyRecipes, original link at the bottom of this post. Note what I changed or added with the ***asterisked-items. Read on below for the recipe and my take on the outcome of this recipe and just if it made my recipe box vault or not. 

Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe

Print

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Yield: Makes one 9x5-inch loaf

***I doubled the recipe because I had enough nanners I was trying to use as well as two room-temp adjusted eggs begging to be used. I also did not add any sugar to this recipe, relying on the sweetness of the bananas and chocolate chips.

Do not use Dutch processed cocoa for this recipe, only natural unsweetened.

Melted coconut oil can be used in place of the butter. The flavor will change a little and you may get a hint of coconut in the result.

There is only 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of baking soda in this recipe for leavening, so make sure your baking soda is still good! (See more info on baking soda and baking powder.)

Ingredients

***6 large ripe bananas (easily mashable)

1/3 cup melted butter

1 teaspoon salt (½ a teaspoon if using salted butter)

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ¼ cup all purpose flour

¼ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

***I dashed in some cinnamon & cloves in lieu of allspice for which I didn’t have on hand. Original recipe calls for ¼ teaspoon ground allspice

***I threw in ½ bag of milk chocolate cc. Origi recipe calls for ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 5x9-inch loaf pan

***Added ¼ c. ground flax seed

***Added 1/3 c. buttermilk

Method

1 Using a blender, food processor, or a fork, purée the peeled ripe bananas until smooth. You should have 1 ½ to 1 ¾ cups of banana purée. Butter or spray with cooking spray the inside of a 5x9-inch loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the middle.

2 Place the banana purée into a large mixing bowl. Stir the melted butter. Stir in the brown sugar and salt. Whisk to break up any clumps of brown sugar. Stir in the beaten egg and vanilla

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chocolate_banana_bread/

[palatable-thoughts]

January 2, 2018 Day 1!! Not 2! I misspoke (as we will when we’re burning the midnight oil). Today is officially Day 1:1 not Day 2. NBD! Listen in on 3 things I learned + 3 things I #❤️ about explorations in my vegan adventure.

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January 1, 2018 Pre-day 1 Each day is a new day to try, start, anything, something new! With this year I am choosing to go on a wild vegan experiment ride for the first 6 months. Come along with me! I’ll share recipes, challenges, opportunities and experiences along the way!

[palatable-thoughts]

Hey Friends & Fam! From my family to yours - a family pastime bestowed upon me some 20K years ago, I make beeswax candles and I bring them out at the holidays. Holla at me qif you’re interested. Sample here of colors for the 2017 season but they’re going quickly. Order within the next 24 hours and I’ll get these to you before Christmas,: burgundy, cranberry, hunter green, indigo eggplant, ivory, cranberry, apricot, mint, sunflower, natural. Keep the light in your lives! #palatablethoughts #ShineRight #ShineBright #DIT #holidaycheer #beeswaxcandles #family #pasttime

[palatable-thoughts]

New homes are for old cultural traditions, and this one I️ love and am grateful for, as well as thankful for a Mom who keeps our Ukrainian heritage alive. Pictured here: - Bread: So that our home may never know hunger. - Salt: May our home always have flavor. - Candle (homemade beeswax of course!): So this home may always have light and happiness. - Coins: So that we dwell in good fortune. (Now positioned above front door). - Honey: So that we may always enjoy the sweetness of life. (Made by bees in Sierra Nevadas) - Broom: Sweep away evil; the home will be clean. - Wine: Symbolizing the hope “Wishing joy, happiness, and good cheer to this house forever.” - Flowers: Appreciation of the hostess. #Treehive #CAtoNY #Peace #HOME #PalatableThoughts #Ukrainian #Family #Traditions #Thankful (at Woodstock, New York)

[palatable-thoughts]

Before on the left: one tarnished star hook. After on the left looking like new, using no harsh chemicals to rid of the tarnish but only 3 simple household ingredients: 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 c. w.vinegar, + flour to make a paste. Rub, wait patiently for 10 min., wash with warm water, repeat as desired, and voila! #NonToxic #DIY #HomeHacks #SimpleFix #Easy #Voila #PalatableThoughts #LaterGram #OldtoNew

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10 Easy Steps To Having an Urban Garden in NYC. 1. Identify outdoor spot that gets a TON of sunshine! Fire escapes make a GREAT use of space if you are not one of the chosen ones in NYC with a porch, balcony, or patio. (ask forgiveness not permission from Super!) ✌ 2. Obtain desired #NoMonsanto #MonsantoFree #Heirloom - if available seeds 3. Plant seeds and say a prayer! 4. Ensure your seedling babies have proper sunlight, but careful with this step as during germination, some require total darkness for a period. #🌞 5. Have patience (this is probably the most challenging step for me, but it is the most exciting step b/c every day brings an opportunity for development & surprise!) #🌱 6. Sing to your seedlings liberally everyday without fail. If you listen closely, they will sing back! FACT: plants DO respond positively to music! #🎤 7. Water pups but heed moderation. Over-watering can be as harmful as under-watering. #💧 8. IMPORTANT: Give your plant pups a heavy dose of LOVE. This is unarguably the most vital step.9. Repeat steps 4, 5, 6, and 9 in any order as needed. #❤️ 10. At long last! When plants have #blossomed and #fruited to desired stage for consumption, #harvest and enjoy, #raw or #cooked in your #favorite #recipe! From my #home to yours, so that you may get to experience one of life's greatest, most #rewarding, and #fulfilling #miracles #IdRatherBeGardening #UrbanGardening #NYCGarden #DIY #PalatableThoughts #GardeningIsTherapy #👩🏼‍🌾 #EatFresh #Organic #GardenToTable #CAtoNY (at Brooklyn, New York)

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When you love your coworkers but hugs and kisses in the workplace are an HR violation.........Happy Valentines Day from my heart to yours! #ValentinesDay #Love #Livetobake #PalatableThoughts #IdRatherBeBaking #BakedFromScratch #FoodPorn #FoodIsLOVE And this post wouldn't be complete without a fun, historic plug: http://time.com/4670016/kisses-history-video/

[palatable-thoughts]

Got lemons approaching the end? Squeeze some lemon juice for the future! #dontwaste #resourceful #eattherainbow #livetoeat #foodporn #palatablethoughts