Coconut Oatmeal Layer Cake

Layer 1
2 EnerG eggs with water
3/4 cup shortening (smart balance light)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup coconut
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp molasses

Layer 2
1 3/4 cup coconut
2 EnerG eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk

Cream sugars and shortening for 1st layer. Add in remaining ingredients and pour into a greased casserole. Cream sugars and shortening for 2nd layer. Add in remaining ingredients and spoon on top of 1st layer.

Glaze
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. coconut extract
3 Tbsp. dairy free milk

Blend together then pour over top of cake.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

I had made these oatmeal brown sugar bars once that were awesome. Rich, moist, amazing. But I wrote the recipe down on a piece of paper, placed it on the desk and it promptly got lost. So I did the best I could to remember the recipe, which was layer 1. It just didn't fill out the pan right though!!! So I decided to make layer 2 to place on top. Neither layer turned out as I actually wanted, but both were good. I think for the original bars I was trying to make, there were 2 cups of brown sugar and more shortening. I'll have to try again for those sometime soon :-)

Pumpkin Seed Meatballs

Our son was dedicated at church this week, and we had the wonderful experience of going to our good friends home to celebrate afterwards with a fantastic shared lunch. I made these little meat balls that were quite fantastic! I didn't write the recipe down, so the below is a guess! I'll write it down next time I make.

1 1/2 cup of oatmeal, cooked with 2 cups water until thick and sticky.
1 1/2 Tbsp. Maggi's sauce (fermented wheat based sauce, similar to soy sauce)
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. salt
1 3/4 cup finely ground pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 cup finely ground sunflower seed
2 cups quick oats
1 cup crispy rice cereal
additional oatmeal or crispy cereal to make a firm textured, sticky ball

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until the texture is similar to a looser type cookie dough. It should be very moist and sticky. Spray hands with cooking spray and roll into walnut sized balls. Fry in oil until crispy on all sides, then bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with a tomato sauce if desired.

These were good plain, smothered with tomato sauce or would be fantastic with spaghetti or on a meatball hoagie sandwich. I think these went over pretty well! I went with about 45 balls, and came home with 5 :-)

Sunshine Burgers II

I seem to make these differently every time they are made! I just improvise and use what I have. I am bringing them to a friends tonight for supper, so wanted to actually record and accurately measure every ingredient. Here is version #2:

3 cups raw sunflower seeds, ground in food processor
2 cup cooked brown rice, ground in food processor
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1 1/2 cups water + 2 cups
2/3 cups whole oats, cooked with 2 cups water
2 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal, one free of corn syrup
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp Maggi's sauce (soy-free soy sauce at Asian market) or soy sauce
3 medium carrots, cooked half way and then ground in food processor

Grind to medium consistency in food processor the sunflower seeds. Empty into large bowl. One cup at a time, grind 2 cups of rice in processor. On the second cup, I add all my seasonings and 1/2 a cup or so of water to make sure everything gets evenly mixed in and there are no clumps of garlic or onion powder! Transfer to large bowl. Meanwhile, add oats and 2 cups water to saucepan and cook on medium 5 minutes. Should be thick and very sticky. Add all remaining ingredients to bowl and dive in with your hands to combine. Taste a clump of mixture, or cook a small patty to taste for seasonings.

I form my patties 1/2 an inch thick and about 3-4 inches across. Fry in 1/4 inch of oil in a large hot, non-stick skillet. Cook til dark golden brown on both sides.

Makes 12 large patties and 5 little kid patties (2-3 inches across and a bit flatter.)