Homemade Mini Cinnabuns

One of the main reasons I eat a plant-based diet is for health and nutrition reasons.   I'm addicted to the feeling I get from it, mental, physical and spiritual.  Most of my postings will be on healthful foods I eat on a daily basis.   I try to avoid white flour and white sugar as much as possible, however, I do like occasional sweet treats, and I know they contain these refined ingredients.  I came across this cinnamon-roll recipe browsing one of my favorite vegan blogs.  My family loves cinnamon rolls, so I had to give it a try.  Plus, my daughter helped me make them, and the time spent together was well worth it.  These are gooey, moist, and sweet.  Proof you can eat sweets without using animal products.  This recipe is adapted from VeganPandamonium.

Ingredients:
1 cup white flour (preferably organic, unbleached, Bob's Red Mill makes one)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (found at your regular supermarket next to white flour)
4 T. vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance also found at regular supermarkets)
1 tsp. fine sea salt
1 T. baking powder
3/4 cup vanilla almond milk
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 T. ground cinnamon

2 tsp. melted vegan margarine, set aside

Icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla almond milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450F.  In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in the margarine and using your fingers, kind of massage the butter into the dry ingredients. Next, pour in the milk until the dough gets thick and soft. Work the dough with your hands. Ball the dough up and set it on a floured surface. Roll the dough into a long rectangular shape about 14x10.  Brush the top with melted margarine and sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon on top.

From the long side, tightly roll it up.  Be careful and gentle, it can tear easily.  Then cut into 1 inch rolls. Place the rolls in a greased baking dish.  A pie dish works great.  Bake for 13-15 minutes, until puffy and golden.  Whisk up ingredients for icing and drizzle on top while slightly warm.  Makes 14 minis.  Yum!

How Sweet is your Oatmeal?

This is not quite a recipe for oatmeal.  You know how to make oatmeal.  And you know that it is super healthy for you.  Oats are full of vitamins, minerals, protein and a good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber.  Insoluble fiber's cancer-fighting properties are due to the fact that it attacks certain bile acids, reducing their toxicity.  Soluble fiber may reduce LDL cholesterol (bad) without lowering HDL cholesterol (good). Oatmeal lowers blood cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart disease.  It is another food I think of as a superfood.  So why on earth are we ruining it with so much sugar?  Read below for healthy ideas and tips for your oatmeal.

*Try buying just plain old Quaker Oats, you get way more for your money.  Buying prepackaged, instant oatmeal means extra salt and sugar your blood-sugar level does not need.  White table sugar is high on the glycemic index scale and causes your blood sugar to spike and then lower too quickly.  When THAT happens, the glucose gets digested too fast and then we are hungry again 5 minutes later.  White sugar is like CRACK. It's addictive.  Try Brown Rice Syrup.  It is lower on the G.I. than white table sugar.  It digests slower, leaving you satisfied and fuller longer.  It is thick like honey and has a slight vanilla flavor.  I even use it to replace white sugar in some baking recipes. Stevia is another sugar alternative that is zero on the G.I. scale.  Look here for a great article on the different kinds of sugar.

*In my oatmeal:  pinch of sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 Tablespoon of Organic Brown Rice Syrup, and topped with fruit!

Note: Brown Rice Syrup is sold in most grocery stores now.  Check the baking aisle next to all the sugars.