Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Protein Shake

I’ll admit, I semi jacked this recipe from Pinterest. With all the different pumpkin spice items popping up in grocery stores this time of year, it can get awfully disappointing to be vegan. Except that when you’re a vegan, you usually have the mad skills to use REAL ingredients like REAL pumpkin and spices, instead of artificial flavorings, to make ACTUAL FOOD. This recipe uses real pumpkin, protein powder, and soy milk, to up the protein count. It honestly has almost a pudding like taste, and feels more like a nice fall treat than a shake!

• 1/2 cup canned or fresh cooked pumpkin
• 1/2 frozen banana, small to medium size
• 3/4 cup unsweetenen original soy milk
• 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice blend (usually includes cloves, allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon)
• pinch of ground ginger
• more cinnamon to top with

Throw everything into the blender! If you like a thinner shake, use ice instead of banana. Top with more ground cinnamon or if you don’t give a darn, a little coconut whipped cream. This will also bring down the calorie count. One serving will give you about 19 grams of protein and is about 235 calories. Now bring on the sweater weather!

Recipe: Waffles for One

Nothing is better than Brinner, Breakfast for Dinner! Sunday would always be the day on the weekend when my dad would bring home a bag of bagels for breakfast, and my mom would make the occasional shake n pour Bisquick pancake feast. It’s just a breakfast-y day. I typically don’t have time in the morning during the work week for a good breakfast and usually end up stuffing a luna bar or packet of instant oatmeal into my lunch bag. This makes a weekend waffle a definite treat. This recipe is quick, simple and if you’re a vegan baker, will have most of these ingredients on hand. Another plus to a vegan waffle, no cholesterol! Sub the all purpose flour for whole wheat and this meal can be borderline healthy.

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup almond milk or your dairy free milk of choice
• 1/4 cup unflavored, unsweetened applesauce

You can add whatever fruit you like or chocolate chips as well. Mix all the dry ingredients seperately from the wet. Pour the wet into the dry and whisk until combined. DO NOT overmix, it does not have to be perfectly smooth! Let the batter rest while the iron heats up, letting pancake or waffle batters rest for 10-20 minutes will not harm but help them along.Spray your iron with nonstick spray. I like my waffles crispy on the outside so I heat my iron up to the highest setting.

Take a 1/2 cup measuring cup filled with batter, and pour it into the center of the iron. Close the top and DO NOT PEEK!! When the light goes out they are usually done but like I said, CRISPY FOR ME! So I keep them in for about 20 seconds after the light. This recipe makes two full size waffles.

Top with your favorite maple syrup, fruit, powered sugar, caviar, anything you want! I go for dark amber maple syrup and some soy whipped topping! None of that Mrs.Butterworths garbage! Have you ever read the label on those syrups??