We’re not talking about infants from the Netherlands today. We are talking about Dutch babies, however. Actually, a Chickpea Dutch Baby to be exact. Confused yet?? Let’s clear this up…

In culinary terms, a Dutch baby, sometimes called a German pancake, is a large, fluffy pancake, started in a skillet and finished in the oven. So how does one “veganize” a recipe made primarily of eggs and milk?

Well, to be honest, this sort of happened by mistake. One morning, John and I wanted breakfast and I wanted to make pancakes.

“Oh God, here we go again…”

Let’s just say I don’t have a great track record making vegan pancakes. As in I’ve never gotten it right. I just can’t figure it out.

My love for the protein, fiber, and flavor of chickpea flour once again drew me to utilize this versatile flour. Remember my Vegan Spinach and Mushroom Omelet?! Same stuff I used there! I’ve made sweet omelets with eggs before, so why not try something similar here?

And ya know what?! It worked! I was so impressed with myself and my fluffy cake. Then I realized I was totally subliminally influenced by Alexis (aka the Hummusapien) and her Fruity Flourless Breakfast Pizza. So much for that originality I was so proud of…

But no worries! I’m just happy to have access to such great inspiration at my fingertips. Internet win!

This breakfast treat is quite literally a pan. cake. A cake that you make in a pan. A Dutch Baby… Are you buying that one yet..?  Maybe?? Either way, top this with whatever you like and shovel it into your empty morning belly! Berries, nut butter, or even just maple syrup, you can’t lose!

Pink Drink. Sounds an awful lot like Purple Draaank. But the two share nothing in common. This Watermelon Pink Drink is the ultimate refreshing summer beverage that won’t leave you with stained teeth and a sugar belly!

What does “purple” taste like anyways?!? I see all these wild colored potions in the “juice” aisle of the grocery store and can’t help but wonder how we’ve gotten so far from what real juice tastes like. Blue raspberry?! If you’ve ever actually seen a highlighter blue raspberry in your life, I’d love to hear about it.

What makes me even more sad is that the majority of these drinks are marketed to children. Packed full of refined sugar, artificial flavors, artificial colors, and who knows how many preservatives, those “juices” are quite literally one of the worst things you could give a child.

For some scary facts about what “natural” flavors may be, this article will open your eyes. Warning, if you’re uncomfortable talking about beaver anal glands, you may not want to read it. Yes, you heard me right.

After watching Katie Couric’s documentary Fed Up a few months ago, I’ve been making a concerted effort to always choose drinks and foods with less refined sugar. Sugar has more negative effects than I could even begin to list but the fact that your brain responds to it the same way it responds to cocaine is good enough for me.

But enough of the negative! If you are a sugary drink addict or have ever filled your body with a wild-colored, anything-but-natural drink, it’s ok. There’s no judgment here. What there is, however, is a solution!

Blending up melon into a crisp, refreshing liquid is pure brilliance. Not my original brilliance, but wonderful nonetheless. I added some lime and fresh mint for an extra detoxifying boost. Oh and flavor. This stuff is just bursting with flavor!!

The best part? You can make this in a minute. One minute. 60 seconds. Maybe less! I don’t want to hear “but premade juices are so convenient!” Uh uh sistas! (And brothas!)

Make this drink today! And if it’s the weekend and you happen to accidentally spill a little gin and soda water into it….. I mean what….. Your secret is safe with me. After all, we deserve a reward for avoiding all that refined sugar right?!

Last week, in the midst of getting a new fence, hosting an out-of-town guest, and throwing a 4^th of July party of 10, our air conditioning broke. Yes, it was 85 degrees inside our house. Needless to say, turning the oven on was not an option. Who wants hot food anyways when you’re already on the verge of spontaneous human combustion?! Not me. To cool off, I made this amazing Banana Blueberry Nice Cream.

“Nice” Cream?!? Bananas ~> ice cream ~> nice cream.

What I’m trying to say is, I blended up some frozen bananas until they were smooth and creamy and then face planted straight into them.  Slide the arrows below to see a before and after!

 

If you haven’t tried blending bananas before, now. is. the. time. I’m not kitchen you when I say the consistency is just like soft serve ice cream. Creamy. Dreamy. Sweet. Soft. Cold. Coldddddd. It was perfect.

While you can just use bananas to make nice cream, someone in this household as been a blueberry monster lately… And surprisingly, it wasn’t me!

“Where have blueberries been all my life?!”

John is nothing short of obsessed with the gorgeous, fresh, seasonal berries after we bought a quart at the farmer’s market last week. I’ve never had competition for my precious little fruits so it’s caused some tense moments at the fridge. Don’t worry, nothing a little counting and rationing can’t fix….

When blending blueberries in with the bananas, the nice cream turns a gorgeous color and texture. I topped mine with fresh blueberries and shredded coconut. John added his back to the blender with a little more almond milk for a milkshake consistency.

If you prefer a firmer ice cream, make this a day in advance and pop it in the freezer.  Then just scrape it every 30 minutes or so as it freezes to keep it soft. You’ll be able to get the lovely scoops seen in the picture below.

Who needs cream for ice cream?! Who screams for Nice Cream?!