Oatmeal Waffles

My friend, Tammy Harris, gave me this recipe just in time! Since we've changed our diet, I have not make our standard Krusteez waffles. Much to the dismay of my seven-year-old, Andan. He's been asking me (daily it seemed), and I just haven't been able to come up with anything. And then Tammy saves the day (or should I say morning :-0). All this recipe consists of is one part rolled oats to one part non-dairy milk (Tammy said Vanilla Soy). She suggests one cup per person. mix ingredients, cover and refriderate over night.

I added to the recipe a little. This is DEFINATELY kid approved! Elijah ate two! That's never happened.

What I love about this recipe is that there is no added sugar, it is super simple, super healthy and SUPER yummy!

4 cups rolled oats
4 cups almond milk
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp of vanilla

Mix ingredients, cover and refridgerate over night. When I opened it in the morning, I thought, "I can't put that in the waffle maker!" LOL So I sent the mixture through the food processor (blender would work too). Heat in your waffle maker until steaming has stopped. These freeze well and cook well in the toaster.

Non-fried Beans

Elijah, my three-year-old, loves Roserita Refried Beans. He's at that stage where the same thing for lunch

e v e r y d a y is just fine with him, and preferred. If you know what I mean. Sometimes, when something is working, you just don't want to mess with it. So I've been a little leery of trying to make a healthier version of these...afraid he would reject my beans and refuse any and all beans in the future. I actually did try with a TASTY black bean sweet potato mix (that's a recipe I WILL have to share soon!). It didn't fly! Now we classify beans, "Are those black or brown, Mom? I only want brown, ok?" So I got the message..don't mess with the "brown" beans!

BUT...I found this recipe on www.allrecipes.com called Non- refried beans. The reviews were excellent, so I decided to tempt fate. The results were great! AND....They passed the kid test!!!!!

This recipe is so yummy (and easy), I can't wait to make it for a family gathering...yes, it's that good!



3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
1 onion quartered
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
9 cups water

1 jalepeno, optional ( I didn't add this, but I will when making for someone other than my kids)


1.Place the onion, rinsed beans, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin into a slow cooker. Pour in the water and stir to combine. Cook on low for 8 hours, adding more water as needed. Note: if more than 1 cup of water has evaporated during cooking, then the temperature is too high.

2.Once the beans have cooked, strain them, and reserve the liquid. I removed the onions as well. Using a food processor blend beans until smooth and creamy. You may need to add some of the liquid until it reaches the desired consistency.

This recipe made about 7 cups of non-fried beans. I cooked my beans overnight. I got up once to check the water level and ended up adding a cup of water

Chickpea Sandwich Spread

This chickpea (garbanzo beans) spread is so yummy and versatile. Chickpeas are a great source of protein as well. The first time I made this, I used cayenne pepper, salt, garlic powder and red onions. It was good and it had a kick to it. Perfect to top with lettuce and tomatoes. This morning I used red bell pepper, green bell pepper, onion, garlic powder and salt. SOOOO GOOOD!

You can used canned garbanzo beans. I like to buy them in bulk, soak them over night and then cook them for an hour. I keep some in the fridge and freeze the rest. Chickpeas are great for making hummus as well!



19 ounces chickpeas

1/4 red bell pepper

1/4 green bell pepper

1/3 of an onion

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

about 1/2 cup veganiase or non dairy sour cream

Pulse chickpeas in food processor until blended. Add veganaise, salt and garlic powder to food processor and pulse (add just enough for a creamy smooth texture). Put mixture into a bowl. Pulse onion and bell peppers in food processor until chopped. Mix into chickpeas.