Vegan Cakes for the Whole Family

Healthy Bean Cakes

Being vegan in a home you share with carnivores isn't easy. Especially when your out-numbered two-to-one. My Men and I, we've come to an agreeMent on what will make us all happy for main dishes. It's easy enough to find a way to please ourselves at breakFast and lunch. The easiest Food to please everyone concerned is dessert! It's also the most fun.

I've been able to come up with healthy "cheesecakes" and pound cakes. And now-cakes with the nutritional punch of beans! Yes, they are rich, satisfying and delicious. As with many of my creations, these two stemmed from several vegan Cooking classes. I've never been one to "stay" with in the original confines of what was gone over by those particular chefs-after all, we all have different preferences. These following recipes are ones that my family enjoys, but it's more of a method-feel free to change it around, try a different bean or flour! But, since it is baking-for the integrity of the dessert, do not change the portions!

Oh, to keep it moist-make sure to use the glaze!

Spicy Bean Cake

Preheat oven to 350 and liberally oil an 8" square or round pan.

In one bowl combine:

2 C Oat or whole wheat flour (stone ground might make this too dense, try the pastry version)

1 Tbsp of cinnamon

1 Tsp ground ginger

½ Tsp ground cloves

½ Tsp kosher salt

2 Tsp baking powder

In a blender-puree:

2 C cooked cannelli beans (either from a can or cooked from dried)

¾ C unFiltered apple juice OR cold coffee

¾ C pure maple syrup OR honey

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Pour bean mixture over dry ingredients and stir until very well blended. If it seems a little too thick-add a bit more coffee/juice to mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake on middle rack for about 45 minutes. Cover with glaze.

Glaze:

Simply stir together:

1 Tbsp of your favorite vegan margarine

3 Tbsp pure maple syrup

½ Tsp of ginger, cinnamon and vanilla

Spread over warm cake.

If spice cake isn't "your taste", try this citrusy flavored bean cake instead!

Same beginning instructions as above-preheat oven to 350 and liberally oil an 8" pan.

In one bowl:

2 C of whole wheat pastry flour or oat flour

2 Tsp of baking powder

½ Tsp kosher salt

1 Tbsp each orange and lemon peel zest

In the blender, puree:

2 C cannelli beans

½ C thawed frozen orange juice concentrate

½ C lemon-lime soda

1/3 C pure maple syrup or honey

Using the same method as the spice cake, blend the pureed bean mixture into the flour mix. Using some water if it's too thick. Pour into pan and bake for about 45 minutes. Glaze, while warm with an Orange or Lemon glaze made of:

3 Tbsp of pure maple syrup

1 Tbsp of your favorite vegan margarine

EITHER: 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1 Tsp lemon zest OR

2 Tbsp orange juice concentrate and 1 Tsp orange zest.

Both recipes are also delicious as muffins. If desired, add 1 C of chopped dates, other dried fruits or even mini -chocolate chips for a special morning treat!

Refrigerate the leftovers for up to 4 days or freeze in Ziploc bags. Cakes and muffins taste better warm. Another case of being able to have one's cake and eat it too!

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Get In Your Greens - Enjoy a Green Smoothie For Breakfast

The Standard American Diet (SAD) that most people eat these days is seriously lacking in greens. By having a green smoothie every day for breakFast, you can get easy get the required amount of green leafy vegetables in your diet.

Green smoothies also are a great way to get your daily vitamins and antioxidants. It is a much yummier to drink your vitamins than to choke down a big, dry pill each morning. Plus, by getting your vitamins directly from a Food source, you know that you are getting the most pure form of the vitamins.

Although green smoothies may look off-putting because of their bright green color, they are actually very delicious, as they are made up of 60% fruit and 40% greens. The fruit is the main flavor in the drink, so even if you don't like salad, you can get your greens in because you don't taste them. After your first drink, the color won't bother you anymore, as your mouth will associate the green with delicious.

Here's how you make a green smoothie.

1. Cut up some fresh fruit and put it into a high-speed blender container. Regular blenders don't have the horse power that you need to make a smoothie that has a nice smooth texture. So unless you don't mind a lot of chunks, a high speed blender is recomMended.

Select only a few fruits at a time for the best tasting smoothie.

Fruits are anything that has seeds in it. An apple is a fruit, but a tomato, avocado, cucumber, and red bell pepper are also fruits.

My favorite combination is banana, mango, and strawberries.

2. Add water to the blender so the fruit is covered. Pure spring water is best.

3. Top up the blender with fresh green leafy vegetables.

Each morning be sure to rotate which greens you use in your smoothie so your body doesn't build up high levels of any one alkaloid. Some of the greens you can choose from include kale, parsley, spinach, bok choy, dandelion greens, swiss chard, and lettuce.

4. Blend until smooth and enjoy!

Keep it simple - don't mix in too many ingredients. If you keep it to only fruits, green leafy vegetables, and water, you will get the best results. Another bonus is that it will be easier for your body to digest. So skip all the powders, seeds, and other additives that you may be tempted to throw in there.

So now that you know how easy it is to incorporate more greens into your daily diet, start blending and reap the rewards of improved health.

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How to Troubleshoot Your Air Conditioner

Even though some Air conditioner repAirs need to be handled by a professional, qualified repAirman, there are some simple maintenance repAirs air conditioner owners can do themselves after some basic trouble shooting. One of the biggest problems is the air conditioner is not cooling the area. If it runs but does not cool, it most likely needs to be cleaned. Cleaning an air conditioner should be done on a warm day and all power to the unit needs to be shut down via a disconnect panel by the outdoor compressor. All debris and leaves should be removed from the outdoor condenser. Then remove the protective grilles and use a soft-bristled brush to clean out dirt from the fins.

If the air conditioner does not go on automatically when turned on, sometimes it is a question of the thermostat. Make sure it is set at "cool" and the temperature set on the thermostat is below the current ambient temperature. If this is set, check out the main electrical panel as well as any secondary circuit panels. Look for a blown fuse or a tripped breaker. Sometimes the fuse just needs to be replaced or the breaker needs to be reset.

Sometimes the temperature may swing or it may drop too low. If the temperature in the room swings more than three degrees Fahrenheit when the air conditioner goes from off to on, it may mean that the air conditioner pump is not cycling often enough. If the temperature in the room drops down further than what the temperature is set on the thermostat, most often it means the thermostat is not properly calibrated. Either that or the thermostat does not get a good sampling of the room air from where it is installed in the room.

A common problem many people face is that a pool of water starts to form around the air conditioner. Air conditioners create a large amount of condensation and it tends to exit via a drain tube. Then, it should enter into a floor drain or get carried away with a condensate pump. However, if water is starting to pool at the base of the air conditioner, most likely it either means that something is blocking the flow of water or the pump is not properly looking. First see if a tube is leaking, if so then it just needs to be replaced. To test the pump, pour water into the pan. If the pump does not start, there are two possibilities - it either it is broken or it is not receiving any power. Sometimes, especially if the air conditioner is running for a long period of time, there can be ice forming that blocks water from getting into the tube. If this is what is happening, first check if the Filter is dirty. If the Filter is not dirty, it most likely means a low Supply of refrigerant. In this scenario, it is best to phone an HVAC professional.

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