~~~Irish Soda Bread!~~~

So today I've decided to talk in an Irish accent ALL DAY! My maternal Grandma Mary was born and raised the first eighteen years of her life in Limerick (my Grandpa Jim the first 20 in Tipperary). I picked up the accent from my Grandma who still retained it. Good thing my husband and son think I'm funny (so funny that sonny boy has decided to attempt his version of an Irish accent that's top notch! -it's in his blood). Little darling baby girl also lights up like a little leprechaun when spoken to in this Irish way ;)……. Top of the mornin to ya, ya bloody bastards! Enjoy~

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons white sugar

1/2 cup vegan butter, cut into pieces

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup currants (you can substitute raisins if needed.)

2 teaspoons caraway seed, optional

3/4 cup Soymilk (I used the full-fat kind--Eden brand is best)

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and grease a cast iron skillet.
Stir or whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl until evenly blended.

Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
Stir in the raisins, currants (if using), and caraway seeds (also if using).
Make a well in the center of your mixture and pour in the soymilk and vinegar. Stir with a spoon until the dry ingredients are moistened.
Turn the dough out onto a well floured work surface, and knead gently 8 to 10 times.
Place dough in skillet. It will flatten out a bit in the pan. Using a serrated knife, score top of dough about an inch and a half deep in an "X" shape. (The purpose of the scoring is to help heat get into the center of the dough while it cooks). Transfer to oven and bake until bread is golden and bottom sounds hollow when tapped, about 35-45 minutes. It may take a little longer as it takes longer for the pan to heat up. Check for doneness also by inserting a long, thin skewer into the center. If it comes out clean, it's done.

1: If the top is getting too dark while baking, tent the bread with some aluminum foil. Hint 2: If you use a cast iron skillet to cook the bread in the oven, be very careful when you take the pan out. It's easy to forget that the handle is extremely hot. Cool the handle with an ice cube, or put a pot holder over it.
Remove pan or sheet from oven, let bread sit in the pan or on the sheet for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool briefly. Serve bread warm, at room temperature, or sliced and toasted. Best when eaten warm and just baked.

The rip bowl

It goes without saying that most cereal is either full of sugar or has GM ingredients so we avoid that isle in the store like the plague. We are not a cereal family. Until now, that is. This "Rip Bowl" from 'The Engine 2 Diet' is a big fav now in this household! We're all loving it and especially the little one who wants to be a firefighter and is quite obsessed with Rip Esselstyn. There are all sorts of fruit variations to this that are equally as good (blueberries, kiwi, mango, strawberries, any other berries, etc.).

Ingredients:

1/4 cup raw old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup Grape Nuts or Ezekiel brand equivalent (we haven't used yet- still delish)
1/4 cup bite-size shredded wheat
1/4 cup Uncle Sam cereal
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons walnuts
1 banana, sliced
1 kiwi, sliced
Segments of one grapefruit and juice (We never did this, still turned out good)
¾ cup milk substitute of choice (I think almond is best!)

Instructions:

Toss all ingredients except the grapefruit and milk substitute into a bowl.
After cutting grapefruit in half, use a small, sharp knife to remove the segments. Add segments to the top of the bowl and squeeze in the juice.

Top the bowl with milk substitute.

Variations:

In a pinch, simply add water (the fruits blend with the water and give it a sweet taste)