10 Ways Celebrate Mothers Day While Staying At Home

A little bit of creativity will make this mother's day special 

   I received a gift from Teleflora to facilitate this post.

 Mother's day is every day but one day a year moms get a day that calls for a celebration. This year celebrating mom calls for more celebration as the job of a mom has been quite different and at times difficult. Over a month ago while the world has been dealing with a respiratory virus, moms became homeschool teachers, birthday parade organizers, and virtual event organizers, as their children became their new office mates. Some moms had to work even harder outside the home and may not be able to even hug their child. Like always, moms stepped up to their new roles and have been doing everything they can to make sure their children are safe and loved. Moms have been working hard so their kids will remember the love and laughter that made this time a happy time at home.


Ways to celebrate mom while sheltering in place

Just because we have to stay home does not mean that we can't celebrate mother's day. We just have to be creative and as a mom  has always said: "it is the thought that counts." So while you may not be able to take mom out to dinner or visit your mom, there are plenty of ways to make this day special. As a mom to five kids, I have plenty of ideas of how I would like to celebrate mother's day.

Check out some ideas for celebrating mother's day:

1. Let mom sleep in Most moms do not get enough sleep so give her a day that she can sleep in. While mom is sleeping, take the kids for a walk so the house stays quiet. Forget making breakfast in bed, that way mom does not wake up to a mess in the kitchen. Instead, mom sleep in and let her wake up to a fresh cup of coffee or even homemade iced coffee, that has not been microwaved 100 times and enjoy her coffee in bed.

2. A simple breakfast in bed We moms do enjoy breakfast in bed, we just don't enjoy the mess in the kitchen. So serve mom a simple breakfast in bed, that requires no messy kitchen. My favorite breakfast in bed from my kids is a bagel with cream cheese and hot coffee. If you are able to clean up the kitchen to mom's standards, then make mom some healthy chocolate pancakes.

3. Clean the house Send mom out for a walk, by herself and while she is gone, put the kids to work cleaning the house. Mom will be happy for a day that she does not have to clean.


4. Order take out food To keep the kitchen clean, order take out food or grill outside. Use paper plates so mom does not have to look at dirty dishes. You can even enjoy the food picnic-style. outside so there are no crumbs for mom to look at on the floor. You can also make pizza at home with this delicious pizza recipe.

5. Send her flowers If you are able to find a florist that delivers, send mom flowers. Moms love flowers. Many florists are doing contactless delivery and will make mom a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

6. Send her favorite treat Places are still delivering and you can order many things online. So order mom her favorite box of cookies or another sweet treat. Then let mom enjoy the sweet treat all to herself with no one begging for a bite. You can also bake mom some cookies like these Chocolate Dipped Salted Almond Butter Cookies or Lemon Frosted Rosemary Sugar cookies.

7. A spa day While you won't be able to send mom to a spa, you can buy her the materials to let her enjoy a hot bath at home while you keep the kids entertained. Think bath salts, bubble bath, candles, and her favorite beverage.


8. Let her pick the movie Let mom enjoy her favorite movie without any noise. A great idea is to pack mom some movie snacks along with an electronic device with her favorite movie. Then tell her to drive away from the house and enjoy the movie in the car.

9. Take the kids for a walk Let mom enjoy a quiet house all to herself. So take the kids out for a walk or a long car ride so mom can enjoy a quiet house.

10. Ice cream sundaes Buy mom her favorite flavor of ice cream and all the fixings to make ice cream sundaes. The whole family will enjoy ice cream and a day with mom.

 If this is mother's day is a mom's first, I have some great gifts suggestions for new moms. These are gifts that new moms will love.

Mothers Day is not canceled

 I am sure you can think of other great ideas to celebrate mom. If your mom lives far away, you can send her flowers or a special package with many of these ideas. Just let mom know that she is the best and that she is appreciated. Don't forget to have the kids make her a card as mom's love the pictures that her kids make.

 Teleflora would love to say Happy Mother's Day to all the moms and they would like to thank you for your continuous support. Teleflora made a special video for moms called “A Mother’s Love” and you need to watch it as it is so awesome! Teleflora is still delivering flowers for mother's day and is doing contactless deliveries to keep you safe. I have received many flower arrangements from Teleflora over the years and each bunch of flowers always make me smile.

Happy Mother's Day!

Plant Based Crab Cakes That Are Vegan

Looking for vegan seafood recipes? A couple of unique ingredients are all it takes to make a vegan dish that tastes and looks like crab cakes.

This page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases 

 These vegan "crab" cake look-alikes have amazing texture and flavor, one bite and you will think they are the real thing. The plant-based version of seafood cakes is whole food, oil-free, sugar-free, and the recipe uses no processed ingredients or artificial ingredients, or colors. They are so easy to make, and you will agree that a vegan diet can be delicious. Following a plant-based diet is simple and delicious when you have the best recipes and some unique ingredients.

Plant-Based Crab Cakes

~ Are vegan

~ Looks and tastes like traditional crab Cakes

~ Delicious

~ Healthy

~ Can be made gluten-free

~ Dairy-free recipe

Check out the 5 unique ingredients

Unique ingredient ~ #1 Heart of Palm

The main ingredient in these wonderful "crab" cakes is hearts of palm. 

Heart of palm is a vegetable harvested from the inner core and growing bud of certain palm trees. This nutritious veggie is a great source of fiber, iron, and zinc. The heart of palm has a texture similar to crab and is usually sold in cans and glass jars. 

This recipe uses the canned version of hearts of palm. Hearts of palm in a can are packed in water or brine. This delicious vegetable gives the texture that is needed for the vegan "crab" substitute for this vegan recipe. Heart of palm can be found in most grocery stores and online.  

Unique ingredient #2 ~ Old Bay Seasoning

 The Old Bay Seasoning is another key ingredient, as it has the perfect blend of spices that gives the "crab" cakes the seafood flavor. Old Bay Seasoning is a seasoning blend that is often used in seafood recipes. This flavor spice of 18 spices can also be used to season chicken and veggies. So don't worry about buying a whole container of Old Bay Seasoning, as you will find many uses for the spice blend, and it is reasonably priced.

Unique ingredient #3 ~ Aquafaba

 I am sure most of you have never heard of Aquafaba. This vegan egg substitute is a wonderful liquid that is made from cooking dried chickpeas or dried garbanzo beans. This gel-like liquid is what most people pour down the drain after opening a can of garbanzo beans to make an easy hummus recipe.

 This unique liquid from cooking chickpeas can be whipped like egg whites to make vegan chocolate mousse or used like eggs to make vegan scrambled eggs. So for this recipe, you are going to need 1/4 cup of chickpea liquid or Aquafaba, so save that awesome vegan egg liquid from your can of chickpeas (store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks) or make homemade Aquafaba from dried chickpeas in your Instant Pot. Making Aquafaba is so easy in an Instant Pot. Get the homemade Aquafaba recipe here.

Unique ingredient #4 ~ Chickpeas

 If you decide to make your own Aquafaba, then you will be using the cooked chickpeas from that recipe. If you are using a can of chickpeas, then make sure to save the liquid from the can. The cooked chickpeas in this vegetarian recipe give the crab-like texture so it tastes like the real thing. I think when you make your favorite foods vegan, the texture is just as important as the taste.


Unique ingredient #5 ~ Panko

 To get the crispy crust on these delicious plant-based "crab" cakes, you will need some Panko crumbs. Panko crumbs are a coating used in many recipes, like fish. Panko is simply bread crumbs, so they are not gluten-free. If you need this recipe to be wheat-free, then use gluten-free bread crumbs.

A simple vegan recipe

 I was searching for how to make vegan mayo with Aquafaba when I came across this vegan "crab" cake recipe. Discovering vegan recipes like vegan tuna salad has made it so easy to swap out my favorite foods to eat more meatless meals and follow a plant-based diet.

So, make your Aquafaba and gather up the rest of the ingredients that you need for this delicious vegan recipe. You will also need a food processor to make the right texture for the cakes. If you don't have a food processor, you can use a fork to smash the chickpeas, but a food processor is an awesome small appliance to have in the kitchen for vegan cooking. 

Now is the perfect time to splurge on a food processor!

Pin this recipe on Pinterest to save it so you can make it later!

Diamond Art Club Is a Fun Screen Free Craft Kit For The Whole Family

A fun craft kit that the whole family can enjoy

  I received a sample from Diamond Art Club to facilitate this post.

 With millions of Americans staying home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are wondering how to keep themselves occupied. If you are like me, you are tired of everyone watching television and playing on their computers of devices. You may have brought out the board games or started a jigsaw puzzle and those are starting to get boring. I bet you are tired of the mess that kids have made with crafts like making slime or worse yet, having to get the slime out of the carpet. So how are we supposed to keep everyone entertained at a time that we can not leave the house?

A fun screen-free craft kit that protects the eyes

 All the internet surfing and binge-watching TV shows can put a considerable strain on the eyes and the body so it is good to walk away from the screen time. So have your family use their time of boredom to create a beautiful work of art that they can hang on the wall. This craft kit can keep the kids entertained and they can make a creative picture for mom while mom gets some quiet time. I don't know about you but as a mom, I am busier than ever during this stay at home time and have no clue how it feels to be bored. Between homeschooling and cleaning up the kitchen, I am worn out. So I am glad that my boys are enjoying a fun art kit that keeps them busy and keeps the house quiet so I can do my work.


  The Diamond Art Club makes affordable craft kits that you can do mess-free painting with "diamonds" and the result is a pretty picture. I selected a picture of a butterfly that was a simple art kit but so cool looking. The Diamond Art Club has a huge selection of sparkle art kits so I am sure you will find one that will please your eyes and will be a perfect work of art to hang on your wall. 

The craft kit from Diamond Art Club was easy for my boys to understand and was a perfect quarantine activity to keep my boys busy. We choose to set the "diamond" painting kit up on the dining room table so the family could join in on the fun. Like a puzzle, this kit can be enjoyed over several hours or days. Since my boys have online school in the morning, they are designing my beautiful butterfly picture a little bit each day. So I love that this crafting kit is keeping them busy every day. The boys take turns sticking the colored pieces on the canvas.

A mess-free paint by number craft kit

 If you have ever done paint by number coloring page then you will quickly learn how to apply the different colors on the painting. The kit includes everything that you need to diamond paint. The canvas has coded spaces that match the different Color-Coded Rhinestones. The process is simple as it is a process of using a special applicator to stick the rhinestones onto the canvas.


 It’s an easy craft to learn, affordable, and fun for the whole family.

 My one son told me that sticking the color pieces onto the butterfly canvas was super easy. Each day, I enjoyed seeing the progress of my work of art. My boys have decided that they will complete this picture by Mother's day and it will be my present. I am excited to see what the finished project will look like. Once they finish the butterfly picture, I might just have to order another kit so the boys can create a picture for their dad or for their bedroom wall. The Diamond Art Club has a wide selection of painting kits from beautiful portraits, landscapes, cartoon characters, and even ones that will look awesome in my kitchen.

Staying Fit While Having To Social Distance

The C lung virus pandemic can make it challenging to maintain a physically active lifestyle

 I received samples from Chil to facilitate this post

 Now that my new norm is having to shelter at home and stay away from other people, it has been a challenge to continue my workout routine. I have become creative in working out and getting my daily exercise as I do not want to be infected with the respiratory virus that can make me very sick. I have been getting out early in the morning to go running and have been running on paths that other people are not on. That has been making it easy to stay 6 feet away from others. When I do see someone on the same path that I am on, I make sure to pass them with plenty of distance between us.


 I have never liked to run with others as I use my running time as a thinking or clearing my mind time. I also like to run fast and most people my age could not keep up with me. The virus thing has changed my running routine a little bit as now I am running with my boys. My boys are not attending school so we are training together and I am enjoying their faster than my pace as it is helping me get stronger in my running speed. The boys and I have a fun game that we play when we run, when we see another person, we pretend they are a zombie and we run faster. My boys sure are giving my body a good workout every day which also means that my muscles have become sore. Sore muscles don't bother me as I have several natural ways to treat muscle pain from exercise.

The best way to treat sore muscles

 My favorite way to treat my achy joints and dull pain is with CBD. I find that my sore muscles get faster relief when I apply a CBD salve directly on the affected muscle and I love that I don't have to take any over the counter pain medicines that could affect my stomach. I have been a fan of CBD creams for quite some time and I am glad that I discovered Chil Wellness Aspen’s Maximum Relief Salve as it combines many of my favorite pain-relief supplements into one ointment. Now, I don't have to reach for my arnica supplement as this CBD salve has arnica in it as well as medical-grade Magnesium-Sulfate crystals, Boswellia,  and Menthol. This pain relief salve has 1000mg of high-quality Bio-Nano™ Full-Spectrum CBD so I can get moving again with my boys the next day. My personal trainers don't let me have a day off from running as they are training for a 5K race and want me to enter this race with them. I admit that I like to compete when I run a race and I am determined to place in my age category. Now that I am over 50, it might be easier to get 1st place in my age category. I have not entered a 5K race in a long time as I had some running injuries 5 years ago. Before my sports injuries, I did well in races and I won 2nd place in my age category.


No virus or age is going to keep me from running

 I have learned over the years on how to avoid injuries while exercising and I have not had any running injuries since 2016. I have learned how to listen to my body and know when I need to take a break from fitness or when a CBD muscle cream will help my muscles recover. I bet you have asked yourself, is it ok to workout when I am sick? I say yes, it is ok to workout when you are sick unless you have certain cold symptoms. Exercise is good for your body and immune system so during this virus thing make sure to exercise every day. I know that my daily exercise keeps my mind and mood happy so I am better able to cope with staying at home with my wild noisy boys.

 I also have been working hard on strengthing my muscles and I am proud that I can beat my younger boys in a pushup competition. My college kid is home and he again is inspiring me to continue to lift weights. Last July, the last time he was home for a school break, he inspired me at the local gym and gave me weight lifting tips. You have to see the before and after photos of my six-month fitness update to a stronger body. Even I was amazed at how strong my muscles were. So I am making good use of my quarantine time at home and using kettlebells and a rock-filled detergent bottle to continue my lifting of weights. My son has shown me new ways to strengthen my muscles and I am glad that I have a 100% organic American hemp salve that I can apply to my arms after I exercise. I am not going to let sore muscles or age get in the way of stronger muscles. I just turned 55 and I am determined to get a stronger body during this self-isolation. My new motto has been summer bodies are made in self-quarantine.


CBD gives me energy and hydration

 Now that the weather is finally getting warmer, it is important to stay hydrated while staying fit. It is a good thing to drink plenty of water before and after you exercise. Check out my hydration tips while exercising to make sure you are staying hydrated. When it is hot outside, your body may need more than water to stay properly hydrated so drinking a drink with electrolytes will help. I find that I am able to perform better when I drink a hydration drink before and after I run. That way my body gets the right balance of Water, Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, and Glucose. I am enjoying a lemon CBD hydration drink mix from Chil Wellness and I love that it is low in sugar. I find that the CBD helps my mind so I can focus better on my writing.

 Some people may be against energy drinks but I like consuming a natural energy drink before I run as the caffeine helps me get going in the morning. My body performs better with a small amount of caffeine and I never have the jitters or crash when I consume a natural energy drink like this delicious watermelon one with CBD. The CBD helps my mind so I can use my running time to compose my next article. My running time is also my thinking time and can compose a whole fitness article while I run. Now if I can just find a way to record my thoughts onto my computer while I run, then I could get so much more accomplished.

Workout safely

 During this lung virus outbreak, it is even more important to prevent sports injuries. So if you are new to fitness, gradually increase your workouts. Walking is a great form of exercise so don't start running until you have perfected the running thing. Sore muscles are something that you can treat at home but tearing or pulling a muscle may require a doctor visit. Biking is a good form of exercise but make sure to wear a bike helmet. There are many best exercises to stay in shape and even moms can exercise with these workout tips for stay at home moms. So don't let social distancing be an excuse for not staying fit as exercise is good for your immune system. Exercise is also great for your mental health and staying fit will help you better cope during this unpredictable time.

How To Make Vegan Scrambled Eggs With Chickpeas

 Vegan Scrambled Eggs Actually Taste Like Real Eggs. These vegan eggs have an amazing texture, one bite and you may never eat the real eggs again. This recipe is amazing and so easy to make!

This page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases 

 Who knew that you can make a vegan dish that tastes and looks like scrambled eggs. I know it sounds too good to be true but food can be delicious when you follow a plant-based diet. So how does one make a vegan version of scrambled eggs without using eggs? You simply use a staple that you probably have in your pantry- chickpeas. Most people buy chickpeas or garbanzo beans to make hummus but I am going to show you a whole new use for that can of chickpeas that you have in your food staples and it has nothing to do with those nutty-tasting chickpeas but instead the liquid or brine from the can of chickpeas. 

 That's right, the liquid in the chickpea can that you usually toss down the drain. So next time you open a can of garbanzo beans, drain the liquid into a jar and use it to create soft, curdy scrambled eggs that are plant-based. This magical egg substitute is called Aquafaba and can be used for many things like vegan chocolate mousse, vegan mayo, and vegan egg dishes. So start saving the can of chickpea liquid or learn how to make your own vegan egg liquid.

Learn how to make the magical vegan egg substitute called Aquafaba using chickpea cooking liquid

Vegan eggs are:

+ Delicious

+ Easy to make

+ Plant-based food

+ Nutritious

+ Vegetarian

+ Great for any meal

+ Allergy-friendly

+ Gluten-free

 That's right you can make your own Aquafaba and all you need is a bag of dried chickpeas and a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. You also will need a Mason jar. So buy the items that you need and then get the recipe for Aquafaba HERE.

Don't cook all the dried chickpeas

 To make the Aquafaba, you need to cook the dried garbanzo beans. Those cooked chickpeas can be used for many recipes like vegan tuna salad or oven-roasted garbanzo beans but make sure not to cook the whole bag of dried chickpeas. For the aquafaba liquid recipe, you only need one cup of dried beans. Then you are going to make homemade garbanzo bean flour from dried chickpeas or you can buy garbanzo bean flour. You will need garbanzo bean flour for the vegan scrambled egg recipe. Don't worry about not having any other uses for the chickpea flour as this high-protein flour can be used in other recipes like this delicious vegan omelet or even making grain-free gluten-free crackers. I swear I get so hungry from writing my recipe posts.

Tip: You can also use the Aquafaba from a can of chickpeas. 

You need to follow my Pinterest page for more delicious recipes.

How to make vegan scrambled eggs

 Making these delicious plant-based scrambled eggs is so easy. You just combine the garbanzo bean flour with the Aquafaba, nutritional yeast, and some spices. The spices give the vegan eggs their amazing yellow color and their great egg-like taste. Don't skimp on any of the recipe's ingredients like nutritional yeast as they are all needed for the flavor. Nutritional yeast is a great vegan substitute for vegan parmesan cheese and you can use the nutritional yeast to make vegan cashew cheese that is an awesome tasty spread that tastes like a pate. This vegan food plan is not that hard to follow as long as you have many plant-based recipes. Following a plant-based diet is a money-saving thing to do as a meatless diet is less expensive than eating meat. In my opinion, a meatless diet is better for your health. I mostly follow a vegan diet as it helps with my asthma as a dairy allergy was the cause of my asthma. I do occasionally eat fish and eggs but this vegan egg recipe is changing that. You can even bake without eggs with these 11 vegan egg substitutes. Once you try many of these vegan recipes, you might just stop eating eggs.

Scrambles like real eggs

 This unique vegan egg substitute even scrambles like the real thing. Once you pour the vegan egg batter into the pan it starts cooking like real eggs and then you are able to scramble the vegan egg mixture up. If you like veggies with your vegan eggs, I recommend cooking them or saute the veggies before adding them to the vegan eggs. You can use veggies like spinach, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and onions. You can even add vegan cheese to this delicious vegan scramble. I like adding green chile to mine.

Make sure to pin this recipe so you can make it later!

Homemade Aquafaba Made In The Pressure Cooker

Learn how to make the magical vegan egg substitute called Aquafaba using chickpea cooking liquid

This page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases 

 I have known about Aquafaba for a long time as I made a vegan mousse with it five years ago. While the chocolate mousse had wonderful whipped airy texture, the taste was not that good so I really never made it again. Five years later, I discovered that the taste of my plant-based mousse may have been off as I made my Aquafaba from canned chickpeas. Canned chickpeas have preservatives in them that may make the chickpea liquid have a bad taste. Making Aquafaba liquid from dried chickpeas results in a plant-based egg substitute that has a better taste and this egg-like liquid can be used in sweet and savory recipes that call for eggs.

What is Aquafaba?
For those of you who are still wondering what Aquafaba is, here’s a quick lesson. In Latin, Aqua means water and Faba means beans. One of the most recent and newest culinary discoveries (as recent as 2014), chickpea cooking liquid has been found to be an effective substitute in its ability to whip and hold air almost as effectively as an egg. Its uses have astounded everyone so much so that there is an official Aquafaba website! There you’ll find tips, recipes, answers and more to all your questions.



 I am talking about the liquid that comes along with chickpeas in a can, or the brownish liquid left behind after you’ve cooked chickpeas from scratch! Strange as it may seem this liquid from cooking chickpeas can be used in many delicious vegan recipes like scrambled vegan eggs, savory sauces, and sweet desserts like vegan chocolate mousse. I am still discovering the many ways that I can use this vegan substitute for eggs.

Vegan "Crab" Cakes

The most recent recipe that uses Aquafaba that I discovered was for vegan "crab" cakes. I was so excited to find a vegan crab substitute that I had to order a case of hearts of palm online so I could make this plant-based recipe. I am sure that I could find a can of palm hearts in my local store but this respiratory virus outbreak pandemic is having me stay at home. Since I have a dairy allergy that causes asthma, I am not shopping at local stores but I am choosing to shop for food online. My type of asthma causes my lungs to produce mucus so I can't chance catching this lung virus that produces too much mucus in your lungs. I remember how sick I was two years ago and I don't want this lung virus to cause a severe asthma attack that might land me in the hospital. For now, I am able to manage asthma symptoms naturally as long as I avoid my asthma triggers.

I also discovered a plant-based recipe for vegan scrambled eggs that uses Aquafaba chickpea liquid that is very similar to my vegan omelet recipe. I have yet to make the plant-based scrambled eggs but I am sure that the additional liquid from cooking chickpeas will help the vegan egg dish have a better texture and will form into an omelet or a scramble of vegan eggs so much better.

Cooking chickpeas

Cooking chickpeas is easy and you can cook chickpeas in the pressure cooker quickly. You can also cook chickpeas over the stove. After you make the Aquafaba recipe, you can use the cooked chickpeas for hummus or vegan tuna salad that tastes like the real thing. I have many different recipes for hummus but here is an easy recipe for hummus.

Chickpeas are a frugal pantry staple

I always have several pounds of dried chickpeas or garbanzo beans in my pantry as they are so versatile and have many uses. I love oven roasting chickpeas for a delicious healthy snack. You can also use the dried chickpeas to make chickpea flour. Chickpeas are a meatless protein that can be enjoyed in so many recipes. Chickpeas are an awesome frugal pantry staple for meatless meals and you will love their nutty flavor.


Homemade Aquafaba

 You don’t always have to open up a can of chickpeas to get a little Aquafaba. You can cook chickpeas at home yourself and make all the Aquafaba you’ll ever need! Homemade Aquafaba tastes so much better than the chickpea liquid from the can of chickpeas. Making Aquafaba is easy and only has 4 steps.

Step 1: Soak 1 cup of dried chickpeas overnight. 

Step 2: Drain out the water in which the chickpeas soaked in.

Step 3: Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook the chickpeas. 

Step 4: Cool completely with the chickpeas still in their cooking liquid. 


Additional notes for cooking Aquafaba liquid

+ The Aquafaba liquid may look brown in color but when whipped it turns to a white color
+ Aquafaba does not taste like chickpeas in recipes.
+ The pressure cooker method is best. If you choose to cook your dried chickpeas over the stove, you will end up with more liquid and it will not have the consistency needed for Aquafaba and will not work in recipes.

Buy the items you need to make Aquafaba



Make sure to Pin this recipe so you can make it later!

Homemade Aquafaba Made In The Pressure Cooker

Yield: 2 Cups

Author: Mom Knows Best

A vegan egg substitute that is basically the liquid from cooking chickpeas. This chickpea cooking liquid can be used in many vegan recipes like whip cream and scrambled eggs.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried chickpeas or garbanzo beans
• 2 cups of water

Instructions:

How to cook Homemade Aquafaba Made In The Pressure Cooker

1. Soak the chickpeas in overnight in water, completely submerged
2. Drain and rinse out the soaked chickpeas
3. Then add 2 cups of water and the soaked chickpeas into the pressure cooker and cook on the bean setting or 40 minutes on high. Cool completely with the chickpeas still in their cooking liquid.
4. Drain out the cooking liquid into a bowl and let it cool to room temperature. The liquid should be a light brown color and slightly thick.
5. Refrigerate for 1-2 weeks in a clean, air-tight container.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Dairy Free Whole Wheat Hawaiian Rolls

Baking with whole wheat flour can be challenging

 I received a product from Nielsen-Massey Vanillas in exchange for this content.

 During my stay at home time, I did a lot of baking but I had to make some changes to how I baked my bread and cookies. When I did my grocery food stock-up trip 4 weeks ago before my city asked us to stay at home to flatten the curve of this respiratory virus, the stores were all out of flour. I could not even get any flour online. I was upset that I would not be able to use my quarantine time to bake bread. Baking bread is my favorite thing to do when I have downtime. So I was so happy when my friend had some extra flour that she did not need. This friend has a baking business and all her clients canceled their orders, so she had no need for the bags of flour. I was so excited for flour so I could bake bread and cookies for my family. The only problem was the flour was whole wheat flour. I knew that this whole wheat would make some awesome whole wheat bread but making cookies would mean I would have to adjust my cookie recipes. I was up for the challenge of learning how to bake with whole wheat flour. I did like that my family would be getting the added nutrition from the wheat flour.


 My family was missing their favorite bread from the store and requested that I make some sweet Hawaiian rolls. So I searched online for a recipe that was similar to the Hawaiian rolls that I buy at the store. All the recipes that I found required white flour so I decided to try making these sweet rolls with wheat flour. If you have white flour you can make this recipe with white flour. I discovered that my whole wheat flour blend did change the texture of the rolls and made it a texture similar to wheat bread but the rolls were delicious. The rolls also did not rise that much due to the wheat flour that I used.

Tip for baking with whole wheat flour- wheat flour tends to not rise as well as all-purpose white flour so using a dough enhancer helps. Check out these 6 ingredients to help your bread rise higher.


Better your bake  

 Since so many people stocked up on flour, I can see many people learning how to bake for the first time. Baking things like bread and cookies is a great creative activity that has many benefits beyond providing nourishment and delicious treats for the family. Recent studies have shown that creative activities, such as baking, help people feel more relaxed and elevate happiness. So baking is an awesome hobby to learn while having more time at home. So if you are just learning to bake or rediscovering the joys of baking, you need to check out the "Better Your Bake" website to master the basics so you can truly enjoy the mindful benefits of baking. This baking website will help you bake delicious treats that your family will enjoy.

 The “Better Your Bake” website is designed to help you master the basics of baking so you can achieve those mindful benefits. This baking website is designed for all levels of baking. I have been baking cookies and bread for a long time and even I was able to learn new baking techniques.

 Now through June, Nielsen-Massey is bringing back the six-part series on BetterYourBake.com. In addition to the currently available techniques, we will be releasing three brand new techniques. Each will include a step-by-step video, pro tips from the team and delicious, seasonal recipes. 

Kneading Dough Tips

 My family was getting tired of my whole wheat bread and I did not have many of the ingredients that I needed to bake my other 11 homemade bread recipes, I decided to check out the Better Your Bake website for some recipes and baking tips for baking bread with whole wheat flour. I loved that this cooking website had videos that show common baking hacks. I also learned many baking myths and got some answers to help me become a better baker. I really enjoyed the section on bread kneading dough tips. These kneading dough tips would be great for first-time bread bakers. Tips like these can help bread baking folks know if their bread dough is ready to bake.

If your dough feels tight while kneading, let it rest for several minutes before continuing to knead.

Check to see if the dough is fully kneaded by performing the ‘windowpane’ test: take a golf ball-sized portion of the dough and gently stretch it apart.

 If the dough is properly kneaded, it will be elastic and form a thin membrane that you can see light through. If it is not fully kneaded or over-kneaded, the dough will break apart. 


One of the benefits of kneading by hand is that you’re less likely to over-knead your dough.


Want to bake bread but out of yeast?
 Check out these tips on how to bake bread without yeast HERE.

My favorite baking tip

 Through all my years of baking cookies and bread, I have learned that using quality ingredients makes a huge difference in taste. When I bake cookies, like my pumpkin pie spice sugar cookies, I used to use real butter as that gives homemade cookies the best flavor but now I am using vegan butter since discovering that a dairy allergy was causing my severe asthma symptoms. I have also learned that pure vanilla extract gives the best taste in all my recipes. My Dairy-free Whole Wheat Hawaiian Rolls recipe has pure vanilla extract in the ingredient list as I know that using the best vanilla will give it the best flavor. These delicious rolls have a sweet flavor that only pure vanilla can bring out. My favorite pure vanilla extract that I use in so many of my baking recipes is made by the Nielsen-Massey. Check out the facts about my favorite pure vanilla.

• Nielsen-Massey uses as few ingredients as possible when producing its pure vanilla extracts to create the highest-quality product available.  
• Nielsen-Massey is a family-owned and operated producer of premier pure vanillas and flavor extracts. 
• All Nielsen-Massey products are all-natural, allergen-free and certified Kosher, gluten-free and Non-GMO Project Verified.
• Nielsen-Massey uses a proprietary cold extraction process to preserve more than 300 delicate flavor compounds in their Pure Vanilla Extracts to consistently deliver the richest tasting vanilla from around the world.

Sweet dough baking tips

+ Sweet dough rises slower than dough without sugar.
+ Be patient when waiting for the dough to double in size
+The starter yeast takes 15 minutes
+ Add 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder to help the bread rise better

Additional baking tips

+ This is a wet dough and might be sticky to roll out. So lightly oil your hands before forming the rolls.
+ Use can pineapple juice as fresh pineapple juice has enzymes that could destroy the gluten.
+ A sweet bread dough can take longer to rise because sugar attracts water and then pulls it away from the yeast, leaving it thirsty and unable to grow. Using instant yeast is best but if you are using regular yeast, you may need to add 30 minutes to the rising time.
+ Bread with wheat flour tends to not rise as bread that is made with white flour so add 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder to help the bread rise better.

Make sure to Pin this recipe so you can make it later!

Dairy Free Whole Wheat Hawaiian Rolls

Yield: 16

Author: Mom Knows Best

A delightful sweet yeast roll that has a hint of pineapple taste. Made healthier than the Hawaiian rolls from the store as this recipe uses wheat flour

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon instant yeast-see tips for using regular yeast
• 1/4 teaspoon powder ginger
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice, canned
• 1/4 cup vegan unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, save the egg white for brushing on the risen rolls
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup wheat flour
• 1 1/2  cup white flour
• 2 tablespoons potato starch
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Instructions:

How to cook Dairy Free Whole Wheat Hawaiian Rolls

1. In your mixing bowl combine the yeast and water. Allow the yeast mixture to rest for 15 minutes.
2. Then add the pineapple juice, butter, brown sugar, eggs and yolk, and vanilla to the yeast mixture and combine well.
3. Add the flour, potato starch, and salt to the liquid ingredients and mix well.
4. Mix and knead the dough with your hands until the dough is cohesive and smooth; it'll be very sticky at first.  If you find the dough isn't coming together, add a tablespoon or two of flour. Kneading dough is very therapeutic so don't be afraid to use your hands.
5.  Lightly grease a large mixing bowl and place the dough into it. Cover, and let rise in a warm spot until very puffy, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
6. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan.
7. Gently deflate the dough. Divide it into 16 equal pieces, by dividing in half, then in halves again, etc. Round each piece into a smooth ball and place the dough balls into the greased baking pan. Make sure to space the buns in the pan.
8. Then tent the dough gently with lightly greased plastic wrap and let the rolls rise in a warm spot for an hour.
9. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
10. Mix the reserved egg white with 1 tablespoon cold water, and brush some onto the surface of the rolls; this will give them a satiny crust.
11. Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes or until a deep golden brown.
12. Remove the rolls from the oven, and after a few minutes, turn them out onto a cooling rack.
13.  Store leftovers, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days or freeze for longer storage.

Baking Tips

1. +Using instant yeast is best but if you are using regular yeast, you may need to add 30 minutes to the rising time
2. +This is a wet dough and might be sticky to roll out. So lightly oil your hands before forming the rolls.
3. + Use can pineapple juice as fresh pineapple juice has enzymes that could destroy the gluten.

Created using The Recipes Generator