Green Options

Summer is starting to wind down, and it’s time to say goodbye to weeks of eating far, far too much delicious ice cream. Thanks for all of the great comments and suggestions. You guys really helped take this challenge to the next level!

After six weeks of grueling, scientific research, here is my favorite flavor and the runner-up:

It’s been hovering in the upper 90s here in Atlanta, and weather like this makes me crave ice cream like no other. This year, I’m on the hunt for my favorite vegan ice cream! The plan is to try new pints each week and share my findings right here. I know, it’s a tough life I’ve got.

This week’s pick was a suggestion from my pal Rachael who works at the local co-op. It turns out they carry Living Harvest’s Tempt, a hemp-based ice cream. Hemp! I was pretty excited to try this one. Hemp is really excellent for you. It’s packed with essential fatty acids and all nine amino acids. On top of the superfood base, this ice cream is soy- and gluten- free, too! I felt pretty good about myself when I picked out a pint of chocolate fudge Tempt and served up a generous bowl after dinner. So what’s the scoop?

Rhubarb must often feel like the underdog of the gardening world. While everyone lusts after things like the first greens, peas and asparagus, rhubarb tends to fall into more of a love-hate relationship with folks: Either you crave it and know exactly how to transform it from pie plant to something amazing, or you had it once and swore off it forever.

But rhubarb takes on a deeper meaning for me each spring, as it pops up ruby red and ready in my Wisconsin garden on our farm. Call rhubarb my Yoda in the garden: if I take the time to be mindful, rhubarb reminds me of all those big picture life values I always need a gentle nudge on, especially during the busy spring gardening time. Here are some wise nuggets from rhubarb (followed by my favorite rhubarb recipe: Rhubarb Custard Bars):

1. Perennials Rock (and Simplify Life)
Every spring, without any shout out from me, the rhubarb reliably pops up in the garden. Now I realize this observation isn’t anything new, but that concept of “perennial” was something totally novel to my husband, John, and I when we moved to our farm over a decade ago, leaving the Chicago urban scene behind. We grew up in the land of the suburbs where everyone planted the flats of petunias and other annuals every spring, so the idea that something regularly appears with no effort on our part ranked utterly amazing.

One of the toughest parts of the holidays is indulging in rich, high calorie desserts.  And you’ll be hard pressed to find a bakery with organic goodies on display.  But the most difficult, for me, is baking at home where the temptation to voraciously consume an entire bowl of gooey batter is too much to resist — but far too gluttonous a proposition to consider.

So, to satisfy my need for sinful sweets sans the fat and calories, I embarked on a journey to create a healthy yet decadent delight that is as easy to make as it is on the waistline.  It’s also no accident that it has a striking similarity in texture and taste to buttery cake batter.  You’re welcome.

I also managed to resuscitate the vastly under used flavor of butterscotch in the process, which interestingly, contains neither butter nor scotch. Does anyone else find that puzzling?

You can ponder quandries like that while shoveling heaping spoonfuls of butterscotch goodness into your mouth but given the endorphin overload that will likely result from this delectable dietary dessert, you may only be able to muster mono-syllabic “Mmmm”s.

Okay. This recipe may not be the healthiest most sustainable, seasonal, vegan dessert or even what most people would consider traditional holiday fare. However, it has become a regular christmas staple in our household and like most traditions, it has a story attached to it.

Nothing dramatic really, but about 15 years ago, I was experiencing one of those ‘blue’ christmases that Elvis sang about - all lonely and weepy and not much fun. My friends took turns trying to keep me from total despair and I found myself slumped on a stool in my dear friend Roberta’s kitchen a couple of days before christmas. I was a bit like a dry sack of flour so she put me to work as she was busily preparing her family’s favorite holiday dessert, strawberry squares.

Keep reading to get this delicious recipe . . .

If you are allergic to wheat or you have celiac disease, or if you just plain love dessert, these chocolate chip cookies are sure to be a winner in your house.

This wheat-free cookie recipe is quick and easy to make, and by substituting the oat flour with rice or quinoa flour, it can be a gluten-free dessert. It also happens to be vegan, but you’d never know by the taste.

Wheat-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

If your family is anything like mine, your kids will be begging for dessert every night.

The problem with desserts is that they can fill kid’s bellies with tons of sugar right before bed, and the high cost of the ingredients can break your budget.

Having a recipe for a simple, healthy dessert made from ingredients you have on hand will help meet everyone’s needs. Full of fiber and sweetened with honey, this cake recipe is nutritious, filling, and cheap to make. Kudos to my wife for creating this knock-out dessert that satisfies the sweet tooth and fits our budget.

Even those who cannot commit to an extravagant chocolate creation or a rich fruit dessert will find solace in the satisfying sweetness and texture of this simple and moist dessert.

This cake has the texture of a quick bread and the autumn flavors of pumpkin and “pumpkin pie” spices. Pumpkin is one of those tastes that you either love or hate. This cake is designed so there is no doubt that you are eating pumpkin.

Sweet potatoes are not just for Thanksgiving dinner, and with this fall harvest recipe, you can eat your vegetables for dessert!

When the weather gets chilly and the leaves start to fall, a home-baked pie really hits the spot. Served with some spiced cider or a cup of dark roast coffee, a piece of sweet potato pie hot out of the oven is a little slice of heaven.

Sweet potatoes are rich in beta carotene (vitamin A), fiber, and complex carbohydrates, with plenty of vitamin C, manganese, and potassium. They are said to be beneficial for diabetics in stabilizing blood sugar levels and lowering insulin resistance, and have a low to medium glycemic index.

Plus, sweet potatoes taste simply phenomenal!

Lovin’ Fresh is a series of recipes designed to showcase produce gathered from local farms or grown in my own garden.

Homemade old-fashioned apple dumplings were a thing of sheer indulgence during my childhood.  We didn’t have them all that often, but when we did, it meant life was good.  Truth be told though, I’d almost forgotten about them until a month or so ago, when I was eating out and saw them on the menu.  Of course I ordered a dumpling for dessert, but it just wasn’t what I’d hoped it would be.  The apple dumplings of my childhood were large - gianormous really - made with a whole apple brimming with cinnamon sugary delight and snuggly down in a flaky sugary crust.  What I had at the restaurant was a small half apple with scant cinnamon and a dark egg-washed glossy crust around it.  I knew then and there that I’d have to recreate the apple dumplings of my memory. 

I’ve been making the same vegan chocolate brownie recipe for almost two decades. Recently, I decided to try a new recipe, since I have added eggs to my diet.  I searched the internet and found a recipe that promised to be the best brownies; however, they did not compare to my vegan recipe. Whether you are a vegan or not, these vegan chocolate brownies are quick, simple, and delicious.

Vegan Chocolate Pecan Brownies

Mix and cook on low heat until thick.  Cool completely:

• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 cup water

In a separate pot, melt:

• 1/2 cup margarine