kbaked

20 minutes or less, 5-ingredients, cake, cookies, delicious, dessert, vegan, vegan baking, vegetarian

Vegan Cocoa Puff Cake Mix Cookies

September 30, 2018October 7, 2018by Katherine Baker3 Comments

3-Ingredients, 12 minutes, and delicious cookies? You betcha! These Vegan Cocoa Puff Cake Mix Cookies are where it’s at.

You may be asking yourself: “How is this magic possible? How can I make fluffy delicious cookies that taste like literal cocoa puffs using only 3 ingredients?”

Well, the answer is: I cheated. Yup, I used a box. But not boxed cookie mix. Boxed cake mix. That’s the secret to these delicious too-good-to-be-true cookies.

I actually learned this secret from my friend in elementary school (hello Allie, if you’re reading…improbable but if you ever see this, you da best!). Her genius mother taught us how to make cake mix cookies. I was skeptical, but one bite, and I became a believer.

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daily eats, dinner, life, lunch, snack, vegan, vegetarian, weekly eats roundups

Recent vegan eats: fall edition

September 27, 2018September 27, 2018by Katherine BakerLeave a Comment

Hello friends! It’s vegan eats roundup time. Today I’m sharing some eats from the past few weeks in hopes of inspiring some yummy planty goodness in your life. Hope you enjoy!

Cinnamon sugar toast:

Been on a kick lately. Who’s with me? Pure nostalgia in every bite. When I want something sorta sweet and Cathy after dinner these days cinnamon sugar toast is where it’s at. This is just TJ’s 100% whole wheat sandwich bread ($1.99) with vegan butter, cinnamon and sugar. Mmm yes please !

Pasta + Salad + Green Goddess dressing + roasted veggies, all in the same bowl:

Am I the only one who likes them together? Always have, always will. This is some Banza I boiled up and added some Trader Joe’s green goddess dressing + nutritional yeast, roasted broccoli + tomatoes (I took home some raw veggies that were leftover at an event a couple weeks ago and about to be thrown out), frozen peas, and hemp hearts on top of some mixed greens. Yum! Flavors + textures all the way.

Vegan oatmeal cookie dough protein bars:

So frickin’ yummy! Recipe is here, ICYMI.

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life, public health, sustainability, travel

Stories From Alaska: Sustainable Fishing, Health Impacts of Climate Change, and How To Talk to Skeptics About Climate Change

September 25, 2018September 25, 2018by Katherine Baker2 Comments

Holy busy season! The last couple of weeks have been a total whirlwind of business. Full-time grad school + TA-ing + my research assistant job + applications for next year : I feel like I’m using the weekends just to catch my breath from the week before and get my stuff together for the week ahead.

I’m happy and grateful for all of the opportunities on my plate right now, but am also excited for any upcoming break in my schedule to devote more time to creative pursuits, including this blog.

While I’m working on a couple of other pieces for this site, I thought I’d share some other content from across the interwebs. This week 3 of my stories from my trip to Alaska were published, and I thought I’d share them here for two reasons: first, because I feel like I don’t really mention writing I do outside my blog very much on my blog and maybe that’s kinda weird? And second, it’s #NYCClimateWeeek, so I thought timing was ideal for some climate-related content on the blog.

See below for my photo-essay, op-ed on talking to skeptics about climate change, and video about sustainable fishing in Alaska, and then enjoy a photo dump from my travel:

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baking, cookies, dessert, gluten free, vegan, vegan baking, vegetarian

Chewy Vegan Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Protein Bars

September 21, 2018September 21, 2018by Katherine Baker4 Comments

I have a love for sweet carb-y goodness that fuels me up without making me feel sugared out. Something that will appease my sweet truth, but also make me feel like I’ve eaten real food. That’s why I love things like VVegan Banana Bread, Blueberry Flax Muffins, and Chocolate-Dipped Nut-Butter Stuffed Dates. And now these Chewy Vegan Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Protein Bars.

These are made with a secret ingredient – chickpeas! Now, before you abandon this post convinced I’ve gone mad, I promise you can’t really taste them. This is not a sweetened hummus bar (though I’d probably be down to eat that too). This is a neutral-based soft baked bar that is packed with protein, fiber, and flavor.

I’ve done the whole bean-based cookie dough thing before, and enjoyed it quite a bit. Only recently did I think “hey, maybe this will taste good baked!” So here we are.

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life, sustainability

5 Eco-Friendly Products I Really Love

September 16, 2018by Katherine Baker2 Comments

Hello friends! Today I’m going to share more of a ‘lifestyle’ type post, and give shout outs to some of my favorite sustainability-minded products. Now before I go any further, I want to mention that this post is not sponsored in any way; I simply want to share things I love with people who might be looking for eco-friendly products themselves.

K, sweet. Let’s get into it!

1. Stasher Bags

I cannot say enough good things about Stasher bags. Consider me obsessed! I have 4 in a variety of sizes (they come in sandwich size, snack size, and gallon size), and rarely buy or use plastic bags anymore, minus for some incidentals here and there.

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daily eats, life, Uncategorized, vegan, vegetarian, weekly eats roundups

Vegan Eats Roundup: Back to School Edition

September 13, 2018September 13, 2018by Katherine Baker3 Comments

Back to school, back to busy season! My goodness it’s been just over a week and I already am feeling all the feels for this fall. Excitement, stress, uncertainty, and gratitude for opportunity! Between being a full time graduate student, TA, and rewatch assistant, it’s been a 10-day whirlwind and we’re just getting started.

I thought I’d do a recent eats recap for ya. I was doing them weekly for a while, but have sort of transitioned to bi-weekly, just because most of the time I’m lazy and forget to take pics and/or because I usually eat some variation of pb&j for most lunches during the school year (hey, it packs well and tastes delicious, don’t judge me). So here we go! Hope this inspires some yummy plant-based food ideas for you.

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baking, cake, chocolate, easy, vegan, vegan baking

Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake with Chocolate Buttercream (And How to Veganize A Non-Vegan Cake Recipe)

September 8, 2018September 8, 2018by Katherine Baker2 Comments

Do you ever just feel the need to eat deliciously rich, Bruce Bogtrotter-worthy chocolate cake? Because I do. That’s where this Vegan Chocolate Cake with Vegan Chocolate Buttercream comes in.

One thing a lot people don’t realize about vegan baking is that it’s actually quite easy to veganize a lot of “conventional” recipes with a few simple swaps.

Non-dairy milk for regular milk, vegan butter in place of butter, and an egg replacement (1/4 cup applesauce or canned pumpkin, 1 tablespoon chia seed or ground flax + 3 tablespoons of water, or 1/4 cup silk tofu, to name a few) for the egg, whipped aquafaba for egg whites, etc, and viola! You’ve veganized your desired “conventional” baked good.

Now, it may take a couple of attempts to figure out which replacements you like best, and/or which ones work best for your old favorite “conventional” recipes, but it’s truly not as scary as it sounds, and experimenting in the kitchen, though it can lead to some epic fails, can also lead to exciting new and wonderful creations of your own.

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health, healthy, life

Some Random Thoughts

September 4, 2018September 4, 2018by Katherine BakerLeave a Comment

I had a bit of a weird long weekend dealing with the highs and lows of the mega-strong antibiotics I’m on and decided to not pressure myself to engage in any immediately demanding work or social media on Sunday and Monday. I just needed a break.

But today is the first day of school and I’m chillin on the A train and feel like penning some random thoughts as a blog post. I personally love reading these kinds of posts, so I’m gonna try some out here. Let me know whatcha think!

1. Gratitude

I had a pretty meh summer. Emotionally, mentally, and physically (shout-out to the mud wasp who stung me and gave me cellulitis lol), it just wasn’t what I’d imagined (for the most part, there were definitely some highlights – like my trip to Alaska – though!)

But lately I’ve somehow shifted a lot of precious anger, resentment, and sadness. I think part of it has been just realizing how fortunate I am in many aspects of my life. Yes, there are struggles, heartbreaks, and disappointments. And sometimes you work your butt off for what seems like nothing. And sometimes people are just straight up mean or rude or try to get under your skin.

But I have a lot to be thankful for. Where I go to school, the amazing opportunities I’ve had lately, my precious pea of a dog, and incredible friends.

I don’t know how or why this attitude shift happened, but I am here for it (lol). Less attitude –> more gratitude. 😎

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cauliflower, gluten free, glutenfree, health, healthy, hummus, Uncategorized, vegan, vegetarian

Cauliflower Steak with Herb & Hummus Sauce and Hazelnuts

September 1, 2018September 2, 2018by Katherine BakerLeave a Comment

I love cauliflower; it’s one of my favorite vegetables. I’d even go so far as putting in my top three most loved vegetables, alongside sweet potatoes and romaine. And lucky for my tastebuds, cauliflower is finally having the moment I’ve always believed it deserves, and I’ve been trying it in every shape and form I can get my hands on. However, I realized last week I’d not yet made a Cauliflower ‘steak’ before, and then when whole heads of cauliflower went on sale when I was at the stores a few hours later, I decided to give it a try, and the Cauliflower steak with Herb & hummus sauce was born.

The result was an interesting and different veggie-packed dish that I will make again and again. Now, obviously, a cauliflower steak is nothing like a beef steak and I am by no means trying to fool anyone there.

Rather, I think this is a fun way to eat veggie and should be enjoyed in its own entity (I feel the same way about rice vs cauliflower rice – just different foods completely, so I don’t compare or replace them with one another, but enjoy them for what they are). I went with a rather simple preparation for the cauliflower. Just a bit of high-heat oil, salt, and pepper.

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health, nutrition, public health

5 popular health trends I don’t buy into

August 30, 2018August 30, 2018by Katherine Baker6 Comments

1. Collagen-mushroom-potion-infused-bulletproof-caffeinated beverages

Seems like it’s mega on-trend to whip up $12 lattes filled with grass-fed collagen, 8 different mushroom powders, and 17 other expensive supplement potion/powders these days.

It’s not that I have anything against those drinks; in fact I can appreciate the creativity behind them and recognize that they may be filling if they’re brimming with fats and protein powders. I simply don’t really buy into the grandiose health-promoting claims of these concoctions.

First, let’s talk about collagen. I’ve been digging through clinics research about it and am planning a whole post devoted just to collagen. But to keep it short and sweet in this post, let’s just say that from what I’ve read so far, I’ve concluded that if you’re into collagen and your diet lacks protein, it can be a source of protein for you.

But I’m not yet convinced that after orally digesting collagen and your stomach acid has broken it down, that it can actually maintain its structural integrity as collagen and end up in your skin and hair and nails as such.

There is some mixed clinical research on collagen and joint health, and a couple of studies on collagen and beauty (some of which have been funded by collagen supplement companies), but at this point in my PubMed dive, I feel the research is a bit shaky.

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