Hummus Croutons w/Lemon Vinaigrette (Whole-Wheat, Gluten-Free Option)

Croutons are so easy to make - if you have a crusty or even soft loaf of bread you can make an addicting salad topper. When it comes to "homemade" food, nothing is better than warm, well-seasoned crispy toasts. Combined with tomatoes, greens, Italian herbs and lovingly coated with a nice lemon vinaigrette, this makes an excellent snack.

(Hummus Croutons Ingredients)

• 4 Slices of Whole Wheat or GF Bread
• 5 tbl Olive Hummus
• Minced Garlic Cloves
• Garlic Powder, Italian Seasoning and Salt
• Olive Oil (optional)

(Lemon Vinaigrette Ingredients)

• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• Juice from 1/2 Lemon
• 1/2 tsp Dijon or Stone-Ground Mustard
• Minced Garlic and Basil
• A pinch of Salt and Pepper

(Directions)

• Cut your bread into thick pieces.
• Coat with the above ingredients and bake at 400 degrees until crispy.
• Meanwhile whisk your vinaigrette ingredients together, making sure that everything has time to meld and that the olive oil is the first thing in the bowl.
• Allow the flavors to meld for about an hour, then combine with your favorite salad greens, croutons and enjoy.

Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Bento

This post is about some of my different experiences with this bento, the first being that I did some chocolate paintings (plus a multi-pic post)! I decided to save on the fat, and thus didn't do anything aside from the outline after I hand-drew each character. The only ones who are really missing from this bento are Puddin' and Irwin, but I may have something in store for them later. If you haven't ever heard of this show before, its about two children who trick the Grim Reaper into being their best friend forever and their adventures together. The chocolate painting above is the one with Billy, the lovable idiot who tags along with Mandy, and next to him are veggie dog fingers, dark cherries and a plum. Underneath there are spooky broccoli sprouts and a tofu Reaper.

Heeeeeres' Mandy! I feel like she's saying "Billy, you idiot. Don't you realize this is food?" as she lays atop the olive and hummus sandwich.

The trio huddled together, the summer heat didn't help them unmelt.

And here's the adorable, confusing, Fred Fredburger! Sadly for him, neither nachos nor frozen (soy) yogurt were used in this bento.

GABM Bento Ingredients:
1 Olive, Hummus & Sprout Sandwich
1 Plum
Cherries
Tofu
Chocolate
Veggie Dog Fingers
Green Beans


I hope you've enjoyed this as much as I!

Raw Vegan Brownies (Soy-Free, Grain-Free, Gluten-Free)

Lately I've been trying a lot more raw vegan foods and recipes to get rid of over-processed sugars and take a short vacation from wheat. It has really been working for me and I'm extremely energetic due to it, which just makes me a bucketload of fun. As for these brownies, you could say that they are more than chockful of nuts - the whole base is made out of nuts and pressed into the tops of each brownie is a delicious coconut flavored almond. It took maybe only three or four hours for these to dehydrate, but it depends on how moist or crisp you want these to be. They're lightly chocolatey but full of coconutty-goodness, and a sprinkle of stevia on top can really make them "pop!"

(Ingredients)

• 5 Softened Dates or Prunes
• 1/2 cup of Coconut Flour
• 1/4 cup of Plain Almonds
• 3 tsp Grated Raw Chocolate (sub cocoa if not fully raw)

(Directions)

• After softening your fruit in warm water, you can process it with the rest of the ingredients.
• Press into a dish lined with parchment paper and dehydrate at 180 degrees for 2-5 hours or until it looks well done. I still like to stick a knife in it to test its "gooeyness" and the edges to see if they are plump or crisp. Press it thinner if you like them a bit on the crisp and chewy side.
• Allow to cool slightly, serve and enjoy.