A big part of the downsizing challenge is getting rid of as much food as possible before moving. While my fridge has been almost completely empty for the past few weeks, my cabinets are another story.

Instead of going my usual route of making some sort of baked good, though, I ended up with this.

ingredients:

• 15 ounces chick peas, drained
• 14 ounces diced tomato (including the liquid)
• 1 cup spinach (I used frozen)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

directions: Combine all ingredients except for the spinach in a large/medium-sized pot. Heat to medium-high for about 5 minutes, then turn heat down to a simmer for another 25-30 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes. Mix in the spinach and cook for another 1-2 minutes, just until the spinach wilts/heats through.

Eat as-is or atop a grain of your choice. I went with quinoa.

For a dish that doesn’t include any fresh ingredients, this tasted like it was straight out of….somewhere really fresh. And it was so easy to make! Definitely a new go-to meal for me.

What meals do you make when you’re trying to clean out the pantry?

No, this isn’t the bread bowl you eat your broccoli cheddar soup out of (I’m looking at you, fellow Panera Bread lovers).

But it does make for a pretty rockin’ breakfast. Or dessert.

Dinner…maybe?

pumpkin banana bread bowl.

adapted from Elise’s Pumpkin Banana Bread

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 banana
• flax “egg” (1/2 teaspoon ground flax + 1 teaspoon water)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon canola oil

directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make flax “egg,” set aside. In a small bowl, combine flour and baking soda. In another bowl, mix together the pumpkin, banana, maple syrup, canola oil, and flax “egg.” Add wet ingredients to dry and combine well (the batter will be very thick). Transfer to a smallish greased oven-safe bowl. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick (or butter knife, ahem) comes out dry.

You can eat it straight out of the bowl…

…or plop it onto a plate.

Topped with peanut butter, of course.

Clearly this isn’t a “light and fluffy” bread. It’s dense, filling, and all sorts of delicious.

xoxo G

It’s no secret which team I’m on.

In fact, just yesterday I shared the blondie love with a group of girls from my church, and I’m pretty sure I represented my team well.

I had plans to make yet another batch of my favorite treat for a get-together at Amanda’s house tonight, but then a thought so crazy popped into my mind that I just had to see if it would work.

It did.

…because who ever said that brownies and blondies couldn’t share the spotlight simultaneously?

ingredients:

• 1 box brownie mix*
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the icing (optional):

• 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
• 1-2 tablespoons milk
• 1/3 cup shredded coconut

directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine brownie mix, 2 eggs, canola oil, and water. Then mix in the shredded coconut. Set aside. *Depending on what brownie mix you used, the additional ingredients (eggs, oil, etc.) might vary, so you can either follow those or the ones that I used.

In another bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and melted butter. Then mix in 1 egg, then the vanilla, then the flour. Combine well.

Pour the brownie batter into a well-greased 9×13 pan and spread evenly. Pour the blondie mix on top, and then use a butter knife to swirl the two batters together. Bake for 30 minutes.

Lastly, make the icing by microwaving the white chocolate chips for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, pour over the brownies, and top with more coconut.

Let cool completely before cutting.

Or…don’t.

These turned out to be the ooeyist, gooeyist, most delicious brownies I’ve ever had.

In other words, if there were ever a time to put aside my general dislike for chocolate, this would be it.

You could really go with or without the icing, but…well, why would you?

I can’t wait to share these with my friends!

But for now, nap time. Enjoy your weekend, dolls. xoxo G

What’s your go-to recipe when cooking/baking for others?

As I sit on the train ride home from work every evening, I tend to do a mental scan of my kitchen to figure out what I can eat for dinner. I don’t know why, really, because I always end up eating the same thing anyway.

Truth be told - I haven’t had a new item in my kitchen for at least a few weeks. Unless there’s a specific recipe that I’ve been dying to try, my grocery store visits are strictly to reload on the staples - milk, peanut butter, etc.

The other night, though, I managed to switch it up with some of those everyday ingredients and created quite the treat.

inspired by Averie’s Raw Vegan Cheesecake

ingredients:

• 1/4 cup regular oats
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
• 2 medjool dates
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 (heaping) tablespoons peanut flour **
• 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
• sprinkle of stevia/sweetener (optional)

directions: Place the oats, dates, and cocoa powder in a food processor or Magic Bullet-like blender. Pulse/grind until it reaches a sandy consistency. Then mix in the milk – resulting in a dough of sorts. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix together the yogurt, peanut flour, peanut butter, and sweetener (if desired). **If you don’t have peanut flour, you can use an additional 1 or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter.

Line the inside of a separate bowl with plastic wrap. Press the crust down to the bottom of the bowl, and then top it with the mousse mixture. Lightly fold the plastic wrap over the mousse and press down gently. Freeze for about an hour. Yields one to two servings.

I was actually pretty surprised at how freakishly good this mini-pie turned out to be. I was especially pleased with the crust - it set well in the freezer and was a great contrast to the creamy mousse topping.

I intended for this to be a single-serving recipe, but I didn’t realize just how rich and filling it would be. So go ahead and share this with a friend.

…or just wait 20 minutes and dig in to the second half yourself.

What are some ways that you switch it up with “everyday” ingredients?