“There is Nothing Like A Dream to Create the Future” – Victor Hugo. I think that’s so true. What we dream of, and what we think, absolutely sculpt our reality. I could get really deep with that whole thing, but I know you’re just really wanting to know if those are real, vegan, gluten free, Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls in the picture above, and I am happy to say, YES, they are!! As if vegan, gluten free chocolate cinnamon rolls aren’t enough, these babies actually have mini chocolate chips rolled into them, and they are glazed with a Chocolate Gourmet Espresso Glaze!! The rolls are great, but the glaze really takes these to the next level! So, these are pretty much proving that quote right… I have been dreaming of cinnamon rolls ever since I went gluten free about 5 years ago, and that time I saw a photo of cinnamon rolls baked in a cast iron skillet, I knew that must be in my future! So let’s talk about how to get these fluffy, chocolate COFFEE cinnamon rolls into your future….
Vegan & Gluten Free Strawberries and Cream Scones
Vegan and Gluten Free Strawberries and Cream Scones?!!! Yes!! Ok, the first thing I have to say about this recipe is, I ❤❤❤ strawberries, photography, and anything pink or red, so shooting these pictures was A LOT of fun! Spring is definitely in full swing here in Southern California, and one of the best parts of this season, is fresh, juicy, organic strawberries! I live near the coast and they grow a lot of strawberries around here, so they are showing up in big gorgeous flats at the farmer’s markets, so how can you resist? I *might* have over bought this past weekend, and once I got them home thought, ‘what am I going to do with all of these berries?’! They don’t last long and I seem to be the only one in my house that is completely in love with them. This love of strawberries runs deep with me. When I was a kid, my favorite toys were my Strawberry Shortcake dolls. My favorite book was “The Strawberry Dress Escape” by Crescent Dragonwagon. My mom made dresses for me with strawberries on them, and my room was decked out with.. you guessed it… Strawberry Shortcake. Oh, and my favorite treats, Strawberry Ice Cream, Strawberry Milkshakes, Strawberry Pie, you get the idea… So when I got the idea for these Strawberries and Cream Scones, I worked on the recipe until it was up to my strawberry obsessed standards, and now I’m so excited to share it with you!! The recipe is easy to put together and they don’t take long to bake, so you need to make these ASAP! These yummy scones are prefect for serving for breakfast, brunch (Mother’s Day!) or at tea time… and you can eat them for dessert too, they are just that delicious!
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Vegan Gluten Free Cinnamon Blueberry Pancakes
Pancakes come in all shapes and sizes, but I have to say that my favorite ones, are of the fluffy, pillow-y variety! So how do you make them fluffy, when you are making vegan, gluten free pancakes? Well, when I went to work on this recipe, that was priority number one! Priority number two is that they needed to incorporate aquafaba. Why? Because I have to say that I’m fascinated with it! So, for those of you not in the know about this yet, I’ll give you a very quick primer. Aquafaba is the latest and greatest egg-replacer that you probably have in your cabinet right now. The vegan community is buzzing about it! It was discovered about a year ago, and it’s been revolutionizing the way people bake without eggs. It’s basically just the bean brine that your canned beans come packed in. Mind blowing, right? Yes, it’s really that simple! Now, people are taking it a little (or a lot) further than that, and actually whipping it into a thick, creamy consistency and baking it into meringues, icings, and all kinds of wonderful creations! It’s really quite amazing, and a lot of fun to experiment with. In a lot of recipes however, you can just substitute one egg with 3 Tbsp. of the liquid (no whipping required) and it works great. This pancake recipe is sort of a hybrid, in that it takes just a short whisking, but the results – light, fluffy, gluten free pancakes on your plate are so worth it! If you are adventurous and give this new aquafaba thing a try, definitely leave a comment at the end of the post and let me know what you came up with. If you ‘d like to connect with other aquafaba experimenters, pop onto Facebook and check out the Vegan Meringue – Hits and Misses group, it’s a pretty active group and it’s fun to see what works and what doesn’t. And if experimenting in the kitchen isn’t your thing, or you just don’t have the time, then don’t worry friends, I got your back! I do the experimenting, and you get yummy, tested recipes! If you want to get those yummy recipes right in your inbox, and never miss a single one – sign up for my email list. It’s right over there ——> to the right —–>in the sidebar! So, back to what’s really important here…. Yummy, Fluffy, Cinnamon Blueberry Pancakes!! Make them this weekend for breakfast, or dinner. You can even freeze some them and pull them out on a week day for a quick, filling breakfast before work or school. And while you’re in the pancake making mood – definitely make up a quick batch of this crispy Vegan Bacon (yessssss!) to go with your pancakes! 😋
Tofu Bacon is the perfect compliment to these pancakes!
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Tofu Bacon
Bacon. It’s everywhere! People love bacon. And not just eating it, they wear it on t-shirts and earrings! I’ve seen Christmas decorations that look like bacon! It pops up in ice cream, on pizza, and wrapped around everything under the sun. It seems to be the one item that will make any food more attractive. You could say anything and if you include “bacon”, you’ve won over 99% of the population. Let’s be honest, it’s delicious. But what if you don’t eat bacon, for one reason or another? (There are lots of reasons not to eat bacon, but right now we’re going to assume that you’ve already got a reason.) Make some Tofu Bacon! Seriously. Is there anything tofu can’t do?
Tofu Bacon is easy to make, and it has all of the qualifications that you expect from bacon. We’re talking the salty, smokey, savory, slightly sweet, crispy traits that make bacon completely irresistible! I’ve made this recipe a million times for my vegan cooking classes, and many catered brunches (full of non-vegans) with menus that included tofu bacon, so I can assure you, it’s a crowd-pleaser! There’s a few different ways to prepare it, and it’s just as versatile as the ‘real’ thing! Think, breakfast sandwiches, pancakes, salads, mac and cheese, etc.! Best of all, tofu bacon is cholesterol free, has lots of protein, and is way lower in fat than bacon. Once you’ve made this addictive tofu bacon, you’ll want to make it again and again. I’d actually recommend making a double batch, because my next two blog posts are going to be recipes that utilize this amazing tofu bacon…. and you may also be prone to eat several pieces while you’re making it… and you may have to fend off hungry kids and husbands that smell this delicious concoction coming from the kitchen and sneak in to steal several pieces off of the plate before your meal. It happens people!
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Dark Chocolate Banana Nut Muffins
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Wow! Hi! I’ve taken a pretty long break! I just got back from a cross country road trip with my hubby, sons, and our 2 dogs! We went from our home, here in California, to Maryland and Virginia to visit my family. That’s where I’m originally from, and my whole family lives there. I haven’t seen them in a long time, and we had a wonderful trip and a great visit. Best part about being out on the road? Seeing new places all the time, taking the kids to really interesting places and taking lots and lots of pictures!! A little teaser for my next post…. I will be posting a recipe that was inspired by one of my favorite stops on our road trip! It’s a dish I’m completely OBSESSED with it, and that’s all I’m going to say about it for now. So make sure you don’t miss it because it’s awesome! Hint: I’m talking about this city… if you know where this is, then you win!
Do you know where this is?
So, now we’re back, and I am enjoying using my oven again. I have to say that even though I have an oven in our fifth wheel, I rarely take the time to bake anything while we’re traveling… unless it’s like French fries or something! Even though the salesman did point out that our unit has an oven, for ‘baking cakes and pies’ when we were buying it. Ummmm, cakes and pies, when you’re camping? Yeah. Right. (Side note – if YOU make cakes and pies while you’re camping, then you’re my hero, and I’ll be over at dessert time!) One of my kids’ first requests when we got home was more “banana muffins”! I usually make a bunch ahead of time and bring them with us, but they go fast! They were gone about two days into our 2 month journey! They are super yummy, and a big family favorite around here!
Dark Chocolate Banana Nut Muffins
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Angel McNall is the author and photographer of High Vibe Lifestyle. For over 20 years, Angel has been teaching people how to live more vibrantly by eating a plant based diet, and using plant based medicine. 
