YUMMY Vegan Dessert Site

I've discovered a new site. She asks you not post her recipes as she seems to be working up to a cookbook....and I want to honor that...so go check out Chocolate Covered Katie for "healthy," vegan DESSERT recipes.  Who would have GUESSED you can have really amazingly tasty VEGAN desserts.  My blog is my external hard drive, I have most our favorite recipes posted so I can cook while we're living in TLF's etc....but I'll write Katie's down and buy her cookbook when she gets it done - hopefully in a digital format. ::snort:: 

 In this particular recipe I changed 4 of the 5 ingredients....some out of necessity and  one by design. ::snort::... still, I'll play nice.  You know it cracked me up as I posted the title of this - I'm not sharing a KNOCK OFF recipe of a brand name? Go figure the ethics/copyright laws on THAT one.  Many of her recipes ARE originals and I do understand the need to balance, "Get your name known so you can publish," with "please don't take all my material before I publish and ask you to buy it." ::grin:: 

Oatmeal Craisin-Cashew "Lara Bar" - How cute does this look on my little Japanese Recycle plate?

Click here for Katie's original Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Lara Bars recipe.

No, I am not a Lara Bar lover....until this week. I bought some in Tokyo and they lasted from June - Sept 24th. We simply didn't like them, none of us. HOWEVER, as Michael says, "You know you've changed your eating when a Lara Bar is the height of decadence."  I tasted one a couple of days ago and LOVED it...sweet, chocolate, peanut buttery.....and so I went to order a slew of them for snacks on the go. 

I began to search for a vegan scone recipe yesterday and happened on this site....and saw the Lara Bars. I didn't think oatmeal/raisin would be very exciting...but I didn't have dates (they formerly terrified me) to make the Chocolate ones....I made this and will NOT be ordering Lara Bars. I know what is in these...cheaper, yummier! These are fantastic....and they aren't even the chocolate/peanut butter ones. Must got buy dates. 

Changes I made: Craisins as I didn't have raisins, cashews instead of walnuts, left out the salt as the cashews were salted, doubled the vanilla. I did use oats - but come to think of it - I didn't have "instant" and used my Bob's Red Mill Old fashioned. ::snort::  I'm telling you - these are good! Go make some. NO added sugar of any sort....none. Protein, healthy fat, fiber.... NOTE IT SAYS 6 TABLESPOONS OF OATS - NOT 6 CUPS...though I have lots of oat flour for using in other experiments now...

I may finally break down and buy the food processor Bosch attachment. This little (2 C) Cuisinart was working hard. 

I DID make a second bath...and all are now wrapped in the fridge. Yum - healthy and raw. I'll learn how to love being vegan.  

Stacia motivates me. She told me today, "Mom, I'd like you to be alive to play with my preschool children." OUCH -  Um.....me too, honey, me too! I can give up the cheeseburger (cholesterol, fat) - pains me to type THAT. 

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Every Week - Monday!

Prepping for PCOC again.

Doubling up Science and Math in prep for tomorrow off.

Brisket baking for FIVE hours - the ultimate test for a new vegan. ::snort:: I made this as my "main dish" and a side dish for Michael (and the kids?).  I subbed leftover spicy lentils for black beans.

Via Whole Foods Markets

Unfortunately, dinner prep ran late....I ended up taking it and scarfing it down in the chapel kitchen. The older two eat dinners on Monday at the chapel.

Alas, I could find no one to go with me...but I headed for my favorite neighborhood onsen.  That will need to be a separate post. 

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Almost Spectacular - Another G Team Adventure

Before I begin our sad saga....I must say I loved Michael's sermon this a.m. on I Peter 2:1-3. I believe the goal is to get through I Peter before we move to our next assignment. ::grin::

After church...well...it was Zander's day to pick our restaurant. We drove up to Lakeview Grill and it was CLOSED. We ate at the club.

Oh the unexpected adventures you have with a navigator such as I. I downloaded step by step directions from ITT to Inkadate...we wanted to see the Rice Art.... We discussed most mention going up the toll road...and these directions...took us OVER the mountains, around very windy roads....3 hours...and when we arrived...they had closed the observation tower 10 min earlier. That didn't deter us....we took some photos anyway....marked the coordinates on the GPS and may try again. This will be our last chance to do this before we leave Japan.  There WAS a very nice lady who tried in vain to get the guard to let us up. She knew how far we'd come...she kept saying "base, base."  The guard kept saying, "Dame, Dame, Dame."

I'm dreaming of how stunning this will be from ABOVE the fields...various kinds of rice to make designs....I'll share more about it when we get to go up the elevator.

Arielle climbed up on the top of the car and got the best vantage point of the day. 

More to come....we had noted a great playground on our way to the fields and went back there. Our plan was to check out the one field of rice art they had and then let the kids play before we headed home. 

You guessed it! They closed just before we got there...we got this shot from making Nolan balance on the top of a post....on his tip toes...while we held him and shouted encouragement. ::snort:: 

We got back to the playground to find it CLOSED too! Zander couldn't believe you can close a playground! LOL 

This zip line "thing" WAS open.....

VERY important for both parties to go the SAME way around the track

Always more fun when Dad gets involved

After playing, we found a vending machine with ice cream and treated the kids to their weekly ice cream ration. ::snort:: 

Poor Michael...I know he was exhausted. It rained all the way back...we took the toll road and it took 1 hour and 40 min to our door.  But it was about $27 in tolls - one way. 

We were told next Sunday will be the last day before the harvest the rice. Photos of the harvest may be fun too.  I've wanted to see this  for 3 years now.....I do think another try is in the future....this time we'll start early, take a picnic lunch and add another attraction or two to make the best use of the drive up. LOL 

Would you believe after 5 hours in the car to see something we couldn't really see....one of our children THANKED us for the day? These are good kids...not one complaint...

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Tea Parties and Dishes

Remember the birthday party that wasn't? Stacia is ready to collect on the promise of a "New Friends" party. We're going to have a Garden Tea Party (without a garden) next Saturday. I didn't know this until this afternoon. ::snort::

We used our trip to Hard Off to purchase 8 little tea cups which we'll use for favors and give away to the guests.

Arielle made these cute invites! 

A small gathering

of old and new friends

to get reacquainted

and chat till no end!

Join us for a Garden Tea Party

Saturday, 29 September

2:00 – 3:30 p.m.

Stacia’s  House (W700 Y)

Plans are in full swing now!  I think it will be a fun party for Stacia. The focus will be all on friendship and not on birthday. 

While we were at the recycle shop (thrift store)...I picked up a few more Japanese dishes...because they make me smile....and I've become a tad bit Japanese in that I like lots of small pretty dishes at a meal....and since my portions are smaller...the new dinner plates will be a treat to use.  Arielle and I decided I needed to buy quite a bit as they are SURE to break and I won't be able to replace them from dishes purchased in Japan...and there needs to be a few to leave to the girls when I "pass on".  Did I mention they make me smile? 

 
How often will I be able to buy plates with this marking in Japan?

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Rock Bands, Roller Slides and Dear Friends

We had two outings in mind: 1. a trip to Aomori to see the Jomon museum as we just finished studying that time period and/or 2. a trip to see the Rice Art. We decided, given my great talent for getting lost, both were a bit too far to go without Michael or a friend with us. We opted to drive up to "Towada Horse Park." 

On the way up I discovered my car does NOT get 360 Km on a tank of gas.  I starting having inklings and found  a station. I spent our snack money on gas...11 gal and I had only gone 280Km on the tank....which means we would not have made up up the hill AND back to a station. ::snort::

The parking lot was full - which was surprising...until we saw THIS.

The kids do enjoy these roller slides. We'll visit the various slides around here as much as possible in the next months.

 I was standing in this same observation tower three years ago, looking at this very view when I first said, "I think I could be happy living in Japan forever."  My opinion hasn't changed.  I noticed the colors are changing...a sure sign hot, humid summer may really be over.

 

The younger two went zipping down the hill. The older two and I took our time down the hill....and then I saw FRIENDS....such fun to meet up with folks you know unexpectedly. Stacia and Zander were with Jim, Marvie, Ashley and Alex.  It was nice to sit and visit...

....and play.... We helped each other with various emergencies...they loaned me yen for the "snack emergency" as you know - I put the ice cream yen in the gas tank. ::snort:: I jump started their car as we left.

I am trying to find the pancake drink in the vending machines and thought I'd seen it here...it wasn't. This melon drink was YUMMY though and I splurged while the kids had ice cream. 

On the way back we stopped at Hard Off (recycle shop - aka thrift store), but that's another post.  Great day - made even better by running into dear friends. We must be more intentional about the time we have left with friends. 

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Serious Sleeper

This girl can sleep ANYWHERE - seriously. I'm trying to figure out HOW you sit on the stair and then decide to take a nap....She woke up without a clue as to why she was napping on the stairs. 

Yuuki was giving her a "perplexed doggie" look and when I came back she seems to have decided to join Arielle.

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Perfect Pet?

Our goal this week was to tweak the schedule so we could all volunteer for PCOC on Tuesday and still get a full week of school completed. We succeeded...though it DOES mean we are FOCUSED for those four days...late afternoons of school...but done. 

The best quote of this week is from Stacia, after spending the entire week studying SNAKES - Ewwww!  "I think I'll get a pet bunny instead of a pet anaconda after all! ::snort::

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...