Summer Abundance: Rhubarb

Summer is one of my favorite seasons...at least early summer is. I'm not sure that early summer is considered a season, though. The breeze is warm, not stifling. Grass is rich and green. Growth in the garden is just beginning, and there's a wonderful smell in the air. 

We just happen to be the grateful beneficiaries of our friends summer (over) abundance. We haven't been able to plant our garden this year, but we've been blessed with cucumbers, tomatoes, kale, and rhubarb from other's gardens...no zucchini yet, but I'm sure it will come! {Insert smily face here}

I was experimenting with rhubarb combinations the other day, and while strawberry with rhubarb is still my favorite, apple and rhubarb pair nicely, too. The texture of the fruit, the sweetness of the apple balancing out the tartness of the rhubarb...it's a perfect match. 

I made a rhubarb betty....that wasn't a big hit. My next try was crisp. Mmmmm. We all agreed that it's a keeper. 

Ingredients:

3 cups rhubarb, washed well and sliced into chunks

1 cup apple (of choice), peeled and diced

1/2 cup strawberries, washed and sliced

3/4 cup sugar (or cane juice crystals)

1 Tb. flour

2 tsp. instant tapioca

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

pinch salt

Streusel Topping:

1 scant cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup margarine

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine prepared fruit with sugar, flour, instant tapioca, lemon juice and salt. Stir to combine and set aside.

In another bowl, combine dry streusel ingredients, then add margarine. Using a fork (or your fingers), crumble and cut the margarine into the flour mixture until it resembles large peas. 

Pour fruit mixture into a lightly oiled or Pam-sprayed 8 x 8 baking dish. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over the fruit. Place in stove and bake for approximately 40-45 minutes or until topping is beautifully golden and fruit is tender. 

Juices will be bubbling in the baking dish, and you may want to have a cookie sheet under it...just in case! :-)

Serve warm with non-dairy vanilla ice cream, whipped topping, or enjoy it plain. 

Baked Doughnuts...Need I say more? :-)

I really always wanted to make doughnuts. When I was a little girl, there was an elderly gentleman who lived up the road from us and he was famous for his delicious (fried) doughnuts. I've always thought the raised doughnut making process would be difficult: making the batter, waiting for the oil to reach just the right temperature, making sure it doesn't get too hot and incinerate your doughnut, frying batch after batch...Wouldn't it be nice if there was an easy baked recipe that didn't require the wait? I've found one! 

I modified a Pinterest recipe from Shugary Sweets, and found that it was very easily made vegan and CHOCOLATE! Be careful with this recipe...it's rather addicting, and if you're watching your weight, well...

Ingredients:

Vanilla Variety

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla 

1/4 c. vinegar (or egg replacer to equal 2 eggs)

1 cup soy, coconut, or almond milk

2 Tb. soy margarine, melted

Chocolate Variety

Simply add 1/3 cup carob or cocoa powder and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon to dry ingredients listed above. 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a doughnut pan with cooking spray (or lightly grease with Crisco) and set aside. 

In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. In a separate small bowl, combine all wet ingredients. Add wet to dry ingredients and gently mix just until all the flour is incorporated. You'll have a fluffy thick batter. Spoon batter into a piping bag (or a Ziploc style plastic bag) and snip off the corner so that it is about the same size as the width of your doughnut pan indentions (?). Squeeze batter into each doughnut form, filling about 3/4 full. 

Slip doughnuts into the oven and bake for about 12 minutes. You'll want to check them and if the cake feels firm and bounces back when you touch it, they're done! YAY! Remove from oven, allow to cool for a few minutes, then turn the pan over to release them. I place them on a wire mesh cooling screen. When they are cool, they are ready for your favorite glaze.

Here is the one I used from Chef Chloe Coscarelli:

Chocolate Glaze

1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

2 Tb. plus 1 tsp. soy milk

1/2 cup powdered sugar 

Combine chocolate chips and soy milk. Process in microwave for about 30 seconds or until chocolate chips have become melty and it becomes a sort of ganache. Stir in powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. 

Dip your doughnuts head first into the glaze, swirling your wrist around to evenly coat the top of the doughnut and twisting the doughnut as you remove it to give it a nice finish. Decorate with your favorite toppings: nuts, sprinkles, etc. 

Enjoy!!! 

Yield: 9-10 doughnuts

Giant Oatmeal Cookies

These are the best oatmeal cookies I've ever tasted. Seriously. I found the recipe tucked neatly inside my Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book and thought, "Hmmm. Exactly how giant can they be?" I found out. I had a difficult time finding a storage container wide enough to fit them.

I made them first as directed with dried tart cherries. Within a week I was making them again with dark chocolate chips and orange zest. Both times? Amazing. (I veganized them by substituting chia gel for eggs and margarine for butter.)

Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup margarine
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tblsp. Chia gel (or egg replacer equivalent for 2 eggs)
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups snipped dried tart cherries
1 tsp orange zest

Instructions
Grease a cookie sheet; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and shortening with electric mixer for 30 secs. Add brown sugar, white sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until fluffy. Add egg replacer and vanilla and beat thoroughly. Beat in flour. Stir in oats, dried cherries, and orange zest.

Fill a 1/3 cup measure with dough and drop onto greased cookie sheet. Press into a 4 in. circle. Repeat with the rest of the dough, placing cookies about 3 inches apart.

Bake at 375* for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden. Let stand for a minute then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Yield: 14 large cookies
(You might split them in half to savor the joy a little longer...or maybe not.)
;-)

Coconut Creme? Um....Yes, please!

So, I've been on a pie kick lately. I made a double batch of pie dough and pressed single crusts into disposable pie tins. They are now waiting patiently in the freezer until I'm ready to use them. It's all about efficiency for me...

My husband loves coconut cream pie. I believe it might be his favorite. I thought I would surprise him one evening with a sweet treat and make a vegan Coconut Creme pie. Modifying a vegan vanilla pudding gave me a good start....The results were, can I just say without sounding too ostentatious, AWESOME! I honestly couldn't believe it.

I have to share this recipe with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. (I made three pies in two weeks! Disclaimer: We shared with others.)

Ingredients:
2 cups original soy milk
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch or two of salt
1 tsp vanilla
Scant 1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut (I used sweetened), plus a little more for toasting
1 container non-dairy whipped topping

Instructions:
Place all ingredients except shredded coconut into medium saucepan. Being to a boil, stirring constantly so the cornstarch will not clump. As it begins to thicken, add shredded coconut to pan and stir to combine. Pour hot filling into a prebaked pie shell. Allow to cool in the refrigerator for several hours before smothering under a blanket of non-dairy whipped topping. You won't need the whole container-just a few cups.

In a dry pan, spread a thin layer of shredded coconut. Stirring frequently over medium heat, toast the coconut to a lovely light golden color. When it cools, sprinkle decoratively over your pie.

Return pie to the fridge until ready to serve, that is if you can wait that long!

*You can modify this recipe to make many other flavors of cream-style pies. I've made a "Mounds Bar" pie with chocolate and coconut that was pretty tasty, too. Oops! Shouldn't give all my ideas away...;-) Enjoy!

Vanilla Chai Cupcakes

I've been on a baking frenzy lately...I don't know why, but I seem to be obsessed with cupcakes. I never even liked cupcakes! I think it was the frosting ~ Why do people like frosting? Thick, sugary goo that impairs the lusciousness of the cake? Well, I guess not all frostings are like that.....but I digress.

So, today I was going through a box of food items that some friends left for us when they moved to Australia. Imagine my delight when I saw a container of Chai Spiced Tea. Instantly my creative juices started flowing. Chai Cupcakes! Here, I thought, is an original idea! I doubt anyone has thought of it...Ugh! Martha Stewart and a host of others beat me to it.

So, thanks to Darla of Bakingdom.com, I found my perfect Chai Cupcake recipe. If you love a warm Chai tea on a cool autumn day, this is the recipe for you. Sorry it's not an original, but I did make a slight adjustment. I discovered a perfect substitution for cake flour! I'll share the joy in the ingredient list. I'm so excited about this recipe because you can substitute applesauce for eggs. Not only is it low fat, it's full of awesome fiber, too!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cake flour (If you don't have it, mix 1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour with 1/4 cup of cornstarch to equal 2 cups. Then portion out your 1 1/2 cups. Cool, huh?)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 tsp. ground cardamom

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cloves

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup margarine

3/4 cup applesauce

1 cup soy milk

4 chai tea bags (I used Stash brand)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with cupcake papers. This recipe will make about 18 regular size and 24 mini size.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices; set aside.

In a small saucepan, warm milk until it just simmers. Remove from heat and add the tea bags. Steep for 10 minutes. Remove tea bags and allow the milk to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add applesauce, just until combined.

Sprinkle 1/3 of the flour mixture over the butter/sugar/applesauce batter and mix with a hand mixer on low speed until just combined. Add 1/2 of chai milk mix and beat on low until combined. Add another 1/3 of the flour mix and beat. Scrape the bowl, then add remaining milk. Mix until incorporated, then add the last of the flour. Be careful not to over mix.

Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 of the way full and bake for approximately 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it. I always like to test the tops of the cupcakes, too. If they spring back when lightly touched, they are most likely done.

Allow to cool completely before frosting. Darla suggested using a cinnamon scented buttercream frosting. My husband would like a cream cheese style frosting...You choose what you'd like to accent them with.

Enjoy! I certainly will...as my exercise regimen increases.

Awesome Find

To all my vegan friends who can't indulge in soy: An awesome find! I've been on a special elimination diet for the past week to determine what could be causing my newborn son to have some digestion issues - No soy, no dairy whatsoever. My husband and daughter went on a date and brought me back something special: Purely Decadent Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert made with Coconut Milk. The only flavor that doesn't contain soy or dairy is the Cherry Amaretto, which is fine with me! It is absolutely delicious. I just had to share. Now, off to....Well, I'll let you guess! :0)

Peach Berry Cobbler

There is a great little market not far from where I live that has fantastic deals on produce every Wednesday. This last week I was able to find peaches for about $.49 per lb. Of course, I had to buy at least a pound or two. Now that I had my acquisition, what would I do with it? I looked to find a great recipe for peach cobbler. I found this one for Peach-Blueberry...Tell me, how can you go wrong with that combination? I took it to potluck and it was scarfed up pretty quickly. I had to make another one for our family to enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup soy milk

1/4 cup margarine, softened

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 Tbs. cornstarch

1/2 cup cold water

3 cups fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced

1 cup fresh blueberries (frozen work well, too)

1 Tbs. margarine

1 Tbs. lemon juice

2 Tbs. white sugar

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl. stir together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and baking powder. Mix in milk and 1/4 cup margarine until smooth.

In a medium saucepan, stir together the brown sugar, cornstarch and water. Mix until smooth. Mix in peaches and blueberries. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Mix in 1 Tbs. margarine and 1 Tbs. lemon juice. Continue cooking until the butter melts. Pour into an 8x8 baking dish. Evenly spoon batter over hot fruit.

As a final garnish, mix together 2 Tbs. sugar and cinnamon in a small container. Sprinkle over the batter as much as desired. (I only used half of the mixture.) Place the baking dish into the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the crust comes out clean.

Yield: About 9 servings

Original Recipe was submitted to allrecipes.com by Amy Posont. I've tweaked it to make it vegan.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Gracie and I were in the mood to bake cookies. I have an over abundance of peanut butter, so naturally the best way to use it up is make Peanut Butter cookies, right? Daddy has been gone all weekend (just arrived early this morning) so we decided to surprise him with a little treat.

This recipe is very easy. Measurements are pretty much the same throughout, so it's easy to memorize. I substituted flax seed for egg and like the gentle nut flavor it adds to the dough. 1 tablespoon ground flax seed mixed with 3 tablespoons water is the equivalent of one egg. You could also use chia seed gel which adds yet another layer of protein to these delicious cookies. 3 tablespoons of chia seeds mixed with 1 cup of water yields a nice thick gel. 3 tablespoons of gel equals 1 egg.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar or 1/4 cup honey

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 Tb. ground flax seed, mixed with 3 Tb. water

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Granulated sugar

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, baking soda and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in flax seed mixture and vanilla until combined. Mix in as much flour as possible with the hand mixer. Stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon.

Shape dough into 1-in balls. Roll in additional white sugar. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten by making crisscross marks with the tines of a fork.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 7-9 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Tasty, tasty! Enjoy with a short glass of soy or almond milk. :-)

Something Different

I know...it's been a while since I've posted anything. There is a good explanation for that! Around the time of my last blog, I discovered the joys of morning sickness. I was sick for seven weeks straight, sometimes not able to get out of bed without being overcome with nausea. I couldn't think about food, much less cook, thus the quiet blog. (We are due in early October.)

Yesterday I was given a bag of plums. I've never cooked with fresh plums before, but I had seen a recipe in my recent Vegetarian Times magazine that sounded good, Plum Cobbler. Since I had most of the ingredients on hand, I decided I would put it to the test. The results? My husband thought, and I quote, " it was awesome".

My 3 year-old daughter enjoyed helping me make this dessert. She washed the plums and carefully placed most of the ingredients into the blender. It's a joy to watch her take an interest in something that I'm passionate about.

The texture of the cake-like topping is very moist due to the escaping juices of the fruit as it cooks. The cobbler has a nice contrast of sweet to tart.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. fresh or frozen, thawed, pitted and halved plums or apricots, or trimmed, halved figs

6 oz. silken tofu, such as Mori Nu, drained

1 Tb. cider vinegar

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 Tbs. cornstarch

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray deep-dish glass or ceramic pie dish or 9-in. square baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange fruit in layer in prepared dish.

Blend tofu in blender or food processor until smooth. Add vinegar and 1/4 cup water, and blend until smooth. Add sugar, vanilla, and almond extract; puree 1 minute or until sugar dissolves. Add flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Blend again for about 2 minutes, or until a smooth thick batter forms.

Pour batter over fruit in baking dish. Bake 30-40 minutes, or until top is golden-brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

*This dessert freezes well, too. Wrap the baked, cooled cobbler with foil and plastic wrap before freezing. Thaw frozen cobbler, remove plastic wrap and foil, and warm in a 350 degree oven 20 minutes or until filling is hot and bubbly.

You can find this recipe in the July/August 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times.

Fruit Empanadas

So, tomorrow I am making a mexican themed breakfast, complete with beans, huevos rancheros, and fruit empanadas. I like to practice the principle of eating like a king for breakfast, a prince for lunch, and (sometimes) a pauper for supper. It doesn't always happen that way, but I try to have great filling breakfasts as often as possible.

One of my first purchases as an adult was the cookbook 1,001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes by Sue Spitler. It has inspired many of my own attempts at creating delicious meals. Today I'm going to share the fruit empanada recipe ~ simple and delicious.

Ingredients:

Filling ~

1/2 cup dried apricots

1/2 cup dried sweet cherries

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup sugar (you could cut down on this)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

dash of lemon extract, or some lemon zest

Pastry ~

1 1/4 cups white flour

1 T. sugar

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

3 Tbs. shortening

1 tsp. lemon juice

3-4 Tbs. soymilk or water

Instructions:

Heat apricots, cherries and water to boiling in a small sauce pan. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until fruit is very soft, about 5 minutes. Mash fruit with fork until almost smooth; stir in sugar and spice.

Meanwhile, make your pastry. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in lemon juice and milk, a tablespoon at a time to form a soft dough.

Roll half of the pastry on a lightly floured surface until 1/8 in. thick; cut into circles with a 3-in. round cookie cutter (I used a glass cup). Place slightly rounded teaspoon of fruit mixture in center of each pastry circle; fold the pastries in half and crimp edges with tines of fork. Make a slit in top of each pastry with a knife.

Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees until golden, 12-15 minutes.

Yield: 24 empanadas [They are about 3-bites size! :)]

Enjoy ~

Wacky Banana Cake

This recipe is adapted from my Better Homes and Gardens Baking Book and it's in a section called Baking with Kids. This should tell you how easy this recipe is! It's so good, too. The original recipe calls for chocolate chips and butter, but you can easily substitute carob or vegan chocolate chips and margarine. It's called Wacky Banana Cake because you mix all the ingredients right in the baking dish.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

2/3 cup mashed banana

6 Tb. margarine, melted

1/4 cup cold water

1 Tb. vinegar

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or carob chips

1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional, but a delicious addition)

Instructions:

In an ungreased 8x8x2 in. baking pan, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the bananas, melted margarine, cold water, and vinegar to the dry mixture. Stir until just combined. Sprinkle the chocolate or carob chips over the top of the cake. Bake in a 350 degree oven 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Halfway through the baking time, sprinkle the nuts over the top of the cake. When done baking, remove from oven and cool in pan on a wire rack.

Yield: 9 servings

Pumpkin Bars (To Die For)

Yummmm! This is my all~time favorite recipe for pumpkin bars. I first tasted these at a rehearsal dinner for a friends wedding and just had to have the recipe. I've never liked the amount of eggs required, though. I experimented last night using a bit of silken tofu as a substitute for eggs and voila! My family agrees that these are the best thing they have eaten all week! The tofu makes the bars more cake like: fluffy, moist, and without the eggy taste. This could easily be made into a pumpkin cake or even cupcakes!

Ingredients:

1 cup silken tofu, blended until smooth (I used Mori-Nu Tofu)

1 2/3 cup white sugar

1 cup oil

16 oz. pumpkin

2 cups white flour

2 tsp. baking pwdr.

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

Instructions:

Combine wet ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. Mix wet and dry together, making sure all the flour is incorporated. Pour onto a sprayed medium sized cookie sheet and smooth out. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. You can frost these with a mixture of powdered sugar, vanilla and water, and it yields a light "crunch" to the top of the bar.

Yield: Depends on how big you cut the bars! :) I cut 28 medium sized squares.

Enjoy these "melt-in-your-mouth" gems (as my husband calls them).

"Decadent Peanut Butter Pie"

It's sounds ridiculously difficult with the long title, but it really is a piece of...pie! I veganized this recipe, just to see if it could be done.

Ingredients:

1 chocolate graham cracker crust

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature (*veganize by using 1 container of Tofutti cream cheese)

1/2 c. white sugar

1 12 oz. container Cool Whip, thawed

1 jar Smucker's Hot Fudge Spoonable ice cream topping (*veganize by using melted vegan chocolate chips)

Instructions:

Beat together peanut butter, cream cheese and sugar. Gently fold in 2 cups of the whipped topping. Spoon mixture into the pie crust and using a spatula, spread the mixture evenly to the edges of the crust.

If you are using the hot fudge topping, reserve 2 tablespoons in the corner of a resealable sandwich bag, then microwave the rest of the jar of topping. (If using melted chocolate chips, place about 1/4 cup in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Remove and stir to melt.) Spread the chocolate over the peanut butter filling and refrigerate to set.

After the chocolate has set, take 1 cup of remaining whipped topping and spread over the pie, completely to the edges. Take the reserved chocolate topping and squeeze in decorative lines across the top of the pie. (You can do lines with the melted chocolate chips, too).

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 6-8 servings.

* Note: The only downside to using the melted chocolate chips is that they will harden too much and you will not be able to cut through without demolishing your beautiful pie. I've got to work to tweak the recipe so that it will not do that. I fed most of this pie to some little children in my apartment court and the resounding consensus was ~ "MMMmmmm! That was really good!" Children are brutally honest so I guess this is a good indicator of the like-ability of this dessert.

Creamy Pumpkin Pie

One of the main reasons why I love this season is Variations on a Theme in the Key of Pumpkin! Pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bars, pumpkin cheesecake...the list goes on. I've been trying to find a good vegan recipe for pumpkin pie that does not taste like raw pumpkin plunked in a pie shell, and yesterday I met with success!

Ingredients:

1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 c. silken tofu, processed in blender (with a little water) until smooth

1 cup soy milk (optional ~ I didn't use it because the tofu was so smooth)

1 9 in. pie shell

Instructions:

Cream together pumpkin, sugar, salt, spices, and tofu. Add milk (if you are using it).

Pour into pie shell and bake at 375-400 degrees for 60 - 75 minutes. Makes one 9" pie.

This pie tastes just like a regular pumpkin pie, but doesn't include the eggs or condensed milk, which I feel better about. It's texture is a little soft, but definitely delicious!