Cinnamon-Pecan Waffles (Pancakes) and 4th of July

I was hungry this morning! I didn't have any backup pancakes or waffles in the freezer so it was time to make some more. This recipe is from Cookin' Crunk for waffles. I didn't want to mess with the waffle iron and it was much easier to make pancakes. These are yummy! Whole wheat pastry flour, cinnamon, and toasted pecans make these pancakes nice and hearty. Lots of extras to freeze. Of course you have to top them with Earth Balance margarine and maple syrup! 

~ Cinnamon-Pecan Pancakes ~ 

4th of July is also my brother and sister-in-law's anniversary. They had a BBQ/swim party at their house and my brother loves these cookies I make. So I brought them a big plate of cookies for their anniversary. He was so excited! I have made them countless times; they are the best gingersnaps. 

~ Triple Ginger Gingersnaps ~ 

Since it was a barbeque I brought my own veggie dog and this broccoli salad from Give Them Something Better. It's always a hit whenever I make it.

The night before the 4th of July we had a huge thunderstorm. My little chihuahua, Lily, is petrified of them. I had read about these Thundershirts for a long time but never bought one because they were kind of pricey. After the thunderstorm though I called my local Petsmart and they had them. I picked one up for her and also one of my other dogs, Penny, for her anxiety. 4th of July evening started with a bang as our neighbors decided to have their own (illegal) fireworks show. Ugh! I put the Thundershirt on Lily and it was like a miracle. She settled down beside me and went to sleep. It's like a swaddling blanket that wraps snugly around them. I wish I would have had it for the thunderstorm; but I'm prepared now. Now I just need to buy two more; one for my basset hound, JoJo,  and one for Jet, the shih-poo!

Caramel Pecan Bars

Sweet treats for the week. My excuse for making these was the brown rice syrup in my pantry that I needed to use! This recipe is from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. 

Lots of brown rice syrup and brown sugar along with a cookie type crust. The top is layered with 2 cups of chopped pecans. This is like eating pecan pie in bar form! Definitely a once in awhile treat. 

~Caramel Pecan Bars ~

This week I also made a few other favorite recipes:

Rise 'n' Shine Granola
from How It All Vegan

Vegan Ranch Dressing
from Veganize This!


Emira's Speedy Gourmet Kale & Tofu Delight
from La Dolce Vegan! 

Pumpkin Pecan Bread

Another great recipe from Vegan Vittles.

I needed to use this can of pumpkin I had in the pantry and this recipe was really quick and easy. 

Hey, the bread actually rose above the pan! 

This bread is not overly sweet or laden with oil; a 1/2 cup maple syrup and only 2 Tbsp. of oil. Pecans and raisins give it extra texture and flavor. I sliced up the loaf and froze the portions in a bag. It quickly thaws out in the microwave for a tasty snack.

No-Bake Pecan Chocolates

These decadent jewels are from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar.

If your sweet tooth is calling you, these will definitely answer! I had a jar of brown rice syrup which I never use and found this recipe. Ooh, dangerous. Only five ingredients; pecans, brown rice syrup, salt, vanilla and chocolate chips; and you've got a chocolatey, nutty, chewy, caramel confection. They do need to be refrigerated as they are kind of sticky. 

Fudge Pecan Pie~pg. 256; Crust to Love Basic Pie Crust~pg. 262

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

I've made this pie before so I knew it would be delicious! This time I added a heaping teaspoon of espresso powder to make it extra rich. I tried a different pie crust this time. This one was kind of hard to roll out; it kept falling apart even after I chilled it. I had to just mush it into the pie plate but it tasted better than the All-Purpose Crust I've used before.

Apple Cinnamon Granola~pg. 47

Vegan Culinary Institute La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

I almost burned this batch; 20 minutes is almost too long to cook it. But I caught it just in time!

Homemade granola is so easy to make I don't know why I ever bother to buy it. I love the flavor of the apples, cinnamon and oats combined.