It’s time for another round of behind the scenes! For part 1, see this post.
Once again, I’m showcasing all of the flops, disasters, forgotten, and so-so recipes I’ve made since July. Only the best recipes get posted on the blog, but I think it’s fun to give you a sneak peek of what didn’t make the cut!
And show you some of the flops that I had to eat until I was blue in the face. I’m telling you I don’t want to see a sweet potato or spaghetti squash for a very long time…
Speaking of squash, I made a sweet cinnamon & Sucanat flavoured spaghetti squash.
I thought I was going to LOVE this change up from the usual savoury squash. It tasted good and all, but something was off and I got sick of it real fast. Butternut or acorn squash and a lightly sweet topping works, but somehow it just didn’t work with spaghetti squash…
Sure was pretty, though!
I’m guessing this was a brownie flop?
I really don’t remember! This was the only picture on my camera…no finished product. Suspicious…
I tried to replicate my Project Food Blog S’more in a jar, yet again.
Still didn’t turn out how I remembered it! I lost the recipe and haven’t been able to replicate it since last Fall.
Homemade Vanilla Bean almond milk!
It tasted pretty decent, but I didn’t find that it was much cheaper than buying it from the store. And the leftover almond pulp just stressed me out…
I made a navy bean based pasta sauce that was a huge flop.
Ok, it wasn’t that bad, but it was just bland no matter what spices and seasonings I added to it.
Navy beans are tricky to get right…
I tried an all natural, oil-free, and no sugar added granola bar recipe that I found on Pinterest, but I wasn’t a fan…It was pretty mushy and tasteless.
I made a gorgeous two-tier carrot cake…until it crumbled!
But love is all you need, clearly.
They are holding hands, right? bahah
I made a peach and cilantro pesto.
The pesto tasted great, but once on pasta it just tasted bland and boring.
Watermelon smoothies!
Just watermelon, ice, and almond milk.
Crock Pot Blueberry Pie steel-cut oatmeal.
I didn’t post this because I prefer the make-ahead steel cut oatmeal. Mainly because I really don’t like cleaning the crock pot! The oats just get all stuck on (even when I grease it) and it’s not a fun cleaning job. Or maybe I don’t know the trick?
I made s’more granola bars, based off my chocolate chunk toffee bars. I didn’t like them more than the original recipe, so I figured there was no point in posting. The toffee bars are the best! So far…
I made nut-butter crusted potato chips, but they didn’t turn out.
Stick with the nut butter parsnip fries, for sure.
I made that cinnamon sweet potato coconut soup that I told you about…
Nothing to write home about.
I also tried this magic trick for instant oatmeal. You pour boiling water over the oats and leave it in the jar for 15 mins. Sadly, it didn’t work for me after 4-5 trials using different amounts of oats.
Update: I did hear from a couple of you that you need to fill the oats half way up the jar. I tried this a couple times, but maybe I should give it another shot!
I made a vanilla cake batter smoothie. I prefer the chocolate one!
I roasted cherry tomatoes…
and made a roasted cherry & lentil wrap. The dressing I made for it was a bit off, so I didn’t post it.
Click “continue” for the other half of the post…lots more pictures to come!
Eric likes taking pictures of the moon…lol.
I bought a new kind of wheatgrass powder from Whole Foods.
These espresso beans are addicting, but a bit hard on my stomach!
I made ANOTHER sweet potato soup. I’m stubborn.
Second time is not a charm.
I made crispy pan-fried tofu which tasted pretty good, but I was reminded why I don’t eat soy. (I get stomach pains from soy)
Really good Cinnamon Bun oatmeal…lost but not forgotten.
I made roasted red pepper pasta sauce. I had such high hopes for this!
I wasn’t sold on it. It just wasn’t thick and creamy like I wanted it to be.
So I made another.
Close but no cigar.
I made Carrot Cake Granola Bars.
Eric said, “It’s a crime against humanity that you didn’t post this recipe.”
I think he liked them. ;) I loved these as well, but will need to work on the recipe a bit more.
I made Peach oats.
A bit tart.
I made tropical coconut milk pineapple oatmeal. It was quite good!
Pumpkin Butter Swirl Oats….also very good.
I shot my new Fall header on a coffee table in the back yard!
And things got a bit crazy, as usual.
So that’s what you haven’t seen since July! Time sure flies.
Any surprises in this post? Any crimes against humanity?
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{ 136 comments… read them below or add one }
WOW! Everything looks amazing!! :)
I love this behind the scenes post! Of course it would be awesome if meals turned out perfectly 100% of the time but we learn from our experience…and they can provide good laughs for later :). Hope you find that smores in a jar recipe soon!
WOW you sure are a busy bee testing out all these recipes in addition to the ones that make it onto the blog… i admire your creativity and determination :)
Hhahah I love these Ange! It’s nice to know that even pros like you have plenty of flops! I posted a roasted red pepper based sauce today that could be used on pasta I think – I poured it all over baked chicken but I’m going to try it with some noodles in the next couple of days. PS – I’ll be looking forward to that carrot cake bar recipe. You know what I’m like with carrots. ;)
Wow– it’s crazy how many meals don’t make the blog– although I have to say, I think some of your “flops” look like real winners!!!
The trick with crock pot oats is to put them in a water bath. I do one cup of oats in a pyrex dish inside my crock pot and then put enough water to cover the dish half way up the side. It works beautifully. You can add toppings in the water as well, except for nuts and stuff like that that you don’t want to be mushy.
Well you may call these flops but I found some good ideas in there…particularly the cinnamon bun oatmeal and pumpkin swirl oats! It’s nice to know it takes a lot of trial and error to get the good stuff :)
Good or bad, I would happily eat ANY of these! Especially those s’mores granola bars!!
i agree with eric… you realllly need to post that recipe :)
I love that you’re always working! Plus, it’s nice knowing that everyone has flops in the kitchen. I burnt butter once – I didn’t even know that was possible!
haha I didn’t either. I’ve heard of browned butter though ;)
I love these behind the scenes posts! It’s so assuring and fun to see that your favorite food blogger is also human! :0) My biggest continuous flop is never remembering how quickly lentils will boil over and leave a nasty smell hanging in the air.
I do that alllll the time
Wowza! Thanks for the recipes that you do post – the ones I have made have turned out great – now I can see why! You only post the recipes that meet your high standard! Thanks Angela.
I enjoyed this post Angela—it takes a lot to share your flops, haha! Makes me feel better about all of mine though! :)
Love seeing that I’m not the only one who screws up recipes sometimes! Even though your food may not taste great, your pictures are still gorgeous! Love the new header, btw!
Thanks Anne :)
cinnamon bun oats sound incredible!
I probably would have posted all of those just because I would have been proud of my ingenuity ;) No, thank you for not posting because I do the same thing- sometimes a recipe just isnt worth other people following if its not quite right!!
PS- I made vegan sweet potato biscuits with chilli and I am SOOO proud of myself, def. going to post that one! I used olive oil as my replacement for butter in the recipe- is there a better alternative when baking vegan?
Earth Balance is a good butter replacer.
Sweet potato biscuits could def. convince me to eat them again!
I feel so much better that you have as many flops as successes! :D
That pan-fried tofu looks amazeballs! I have such a hard time getting a good sear on my tofu…any tips?
I find using 1-2 tbsp oil is key for a good sear…and cooking until browned.
I tried the cornstarch trick but I didnt find it made a difference.
Even your flops look delicious :) And your photos are so great!
oh, angels, your kitchen flops would be my kitchen successes in a heartbeat!! those s’more brownies look fab.
Processed navy beans with diced tomatoes and spinach. Add some Italian type seasonings :) awesome pasta sauce!
ahhh I knew I should have added tomatoes! Great idea
Thought of you a while back when I saw this recipe for nut-pulp hummus: http://mynewroots.blogspot.com/2011/08/waste-not-want-not-raw-nut-pulp-hummus.html
I’ve not tried it, but everything else of hers that I’ve tried has been super delish. And really, what’s not to love about hummus?!
The pics look great but I know what you mean. If it don;t taste right why post?
Please post the carrot cake granola bar recipe (I haven’t tasted them, but I’d likely agree with Eric, so please do share!).
Also, the PB swirl oats and the tropical oats recipes look lovely. Could you do another oatmeal recipe round-up and include these ones… pretty please?
The pan fried tofu looks amazing!! Will you be posting the recipe for this?
wow, you sure do experiment a lot! I love the roasted red pepper sauce, I’ll have to experiment on that one myself!
I love seeing that everything doesn’t magically pop out of the oven or pan picture perfect whilst cartoon bluebirds flitter around your kitchen. Makes it feel like there’s a little hope for the rest of us! ;)
I’ve been eating zucchini in my oatmeal since I saw this on your blog a while back and have been really enjoying it. This morning, however, I branched out and added roasted delicata squash to it instead. Yum! The roasted delicata is really sweet and soft and went perfectly with oatmeal (and some cinnamon and maple syrup). Love your blog. thanks!
Ha ha… I loved seeing all of these “out-takes!” Definitely shows us the life of a food blogger and all the work that gets put into it.
I loved this Ang,
Some great recipes and IDEAS, whoa!
Haha, it makes me feel so much better when a recipe of mine flops, drops, sucks, or looks/taste awful! Thanks. :)
OUR Passions keeps us going, eh!
LOVE all the photos and now I am HUNGRY!
Thanks for sharing, Angela! Its nice to see how hard you work to make your blog so great. It inspires me to work harder on my own :)
I love seeing the behind the scenes photos! :) I hope you post the recipe for those carrot cake granola bars. Having leftover almond pulp would stress me out too.
Haha I loved all these random posts! Everything looks great, even though some didn’t turn out. I get stomach pains from soy too….
I so much appreciate that you never post any recipes that aren’t 100% winners. I love knowing that any recipe I make from your blog is going to be delicious!
goodness! you’ve been busy! and i must say, they all look good to me. I bet they were. I love the nut butter potato chip idea. What if you used peanut flour crusted on them instead?
how did you make the pan fried tofu?!?!? that looks so good!
Just sliced the tofu thin and fried it in 1-2 tbsp olive oil until browned on both sides.
We appreciate all your hard work in preparing recipes to share.
Thank you for the reminder!
I think those carrot cake granola bars need to be posted..asap! My stomach growled!
oh this makes me feel better…I’m still recovering from my unexpected loss of a Pumpkin Upside down cake, almond toffee, and a lemon cake…all in the same weekend… very tragic. However my second lemon cake survived. It feels better knowing that even the best cooks and bakers have bad days…or weekends.
Sometimes I literally have 4-5 flops in a row. Its the most frustrating thing in the world! Those cake flops sound heart breaking…I find cake flops hard to take! lol.
try making the roasted red pepper sauce as a garlic alfredo with roasted red peppers blended with it. its to DIE FOR! If I wasn’t watching my figure :) i probably would have ate the whole 16oz and my weight in angel hair pasta lol.
Oh Angela, I loved this post! You are such a dearheart.
My favorite parts were the randoms you snuck in:
“But all you need is love, clearly” {picture of gnarly, copulating bugs}
and
“Eric likes taking pictures of the moon”
I was seriously laughing out loud.
I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned this, but one of the reasons I love your blog and come back regularly is I get the feeling that on here, you are just exactly who you are. There is no ego here. Just you being you. You allow yourself to be vulnerable, and your authentic self shines through, and it’s really beautiful.
I’m glad that you understand my sense of humour! I usually just put it in for my own amusement, assuming no one will be laughing with me. Thanks for your kind words!
If these are flops, then my efforts are truly failures. This post is timely. I was just finishing up writing today’s post when I heard this disconcerting crackling sound… I forgot about the beans cooking on the stove. Again! They were so far over done that they turned to paste when I stirred them. ha! Bean dip : ) This wasn’t the intent, but I’ll roll with it.
lol…bean dip.
I forgot about beans on the stove last week and they burned to the bottom of the pot…black beans take on a whole new meaning. Could barely get them off!
I vote that you post the carrot cake granola bars!!!
What a fun post! Although, you mentioned your Fall header in a previous post, but I still see the other one. The one with the onion and garlic and what not. From the picture you posted here the Fall header looks beautiful!
Just press F5 and it will refresh the header :)
yup :) did that work?
Thanks! I can see it now. Looks amazing Angela!
I love the behind the scenes post!
I don’t know if they sell them in Canada, but some company – Reynolds Wrap, I believe? – sells disposable slow cooker liners. I never use my slow cooker without one.
Oh, post the vanilla cake batter recipe for us vanilla people!
Wow they really have something for everything these days! ;)
I still can’t see the header…
Food flops happen. They really stress me out and I’ve got learn not to get so upset about them. Flops are a part of trying new things…a large part!
I hold control + F5…and it refreshes the page
I’m the original poster of that oatmeal in a jar. Just by looking at the picture, I can see that you don’t have enough oats in the jar. Try it again, this time making sure to fill the jar halfway. Really, it works, and it’s so easy!
Even your less-than-successes are impressive though!
Ahhh it’s nice to know I’m not the only one with lots of flops!! xD
It’s so interesting you said that about navy beans! Because the other day I made a roasted pepper/onion/garlic pasta casserole with the beans as part of the sauce, and although it’s good–it was really tough to get the flavors right.
What a cute post!! Your pictures are superb!! Great job even if the recipes weren’t to your liking. ;) You’re a winner in my book!
Thanks for this post! You’ve really inspired me to branch out and try some new ideas, regardless if they’re successful or not :)
Wow! I am so comforted by this post! I’m not alone in having some flops! Thanks for all the testing and picture taking you do before posting a recipe.
With a remark like that, I’d love to try out the carrot cake granola bars recipe! :) & I made a watermelon & cucumber smoothie for breakfast this morning which I really didn’t think I would like that much, but it’s all I’ve been thinking about since! Haha
& I don’t understand the oats with the boiling water either… wouldn’t it take just as long to cook them on the stove?
Anyways, have a great day! :)
I think the idea behind it is that you can get ready for work while the oats sit in the jar, instead of standing over the stove top. I reeeeaally didnt like them in the jar though. I heard instant oats work better.
I posted about this further down. I do it in a bowl with normal oats and put just enough boiling water to reach the top of the oats, cover for 5 minutes then mix it up. So quick and easy, and I was really surprised at how creamy they tasted.
Angela, how did you make the Pumpkin Butter swirl oats? I have a batch of your pumpkin butter leftover from the Butternut bread I made this weekend and would love to use it in oatmeal!
Reay fun post! I would love to see the carrot cake granola bars, they look reeeeeally good! :-)
Ana
I’m enjoying seeing all of the creations you have made since July, even the flops. After all the flops are how we learn.
Leftover almond pulp can be used instead of almond flour in any baking recipe. When you do that, it is cheaper than buying the store bought almond milk & almond flour. I like to use the leftover pulp to make gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. Yum!
You make more “flops” than I do actual dishes in total! It’s crazy to see all the behind the scenes stuff, you guys must be up to your ears in food with the flops + successes!
It’s hard to believe some of these didn’t taste good b/c almost all of them look delicious!
I love this! Everything looks good. I would still eat it all! Give it up! :)
Whitney
I love this! I makes me happy as I always just imagine everything in your kitchen turns out magical. :) As for the almond pulp, I have made some awesome “cheese” with it. Or you can make crackers with it too! So many options!
oh girl.. my best dishes turn out like your flops.. and worse!
I do love that you have to try a couple times to get your recipes.. you’re not superwoman! lol..
PLEASE tell me some details of that cinnabun oatmeal!!! (what’d you use? toppings?)
Not sure if you can get them in Canada but in the US there are crockpot liners so there is no clean up. It’s really nice when you don’t want to clean and still want to use the crockpot.
Fun idea for a post! The leftover almond, after making almond milk, can be dehydrated and used as almond flour for almond cookies. I tried the oatmeal idea and it worked for me. Maybe you didn’t put enough oats with all that other stuff that is in the jar?
Omg wow.
ALL those things you made and DIDNT post!!??
First, anyone who says that bloggers don’t work on their recipe development has never come to your house!
And all those high hopes for things you really want to turn out but just didn’t quite…that is so frustrating.
As well as losing the recipe for things you made once. Or making them once, on a the fly, and they turned out great but then trying them again w/ really careful attn to details..and you never get it quite right like the first (random) time…happens to me too
“This was the only picture on my camera…no finished product. Suspicious…” <— LOL at that one
I loved this post. And 95% of everything you posted could be and probably should have been blogged about. Just sayin :)
I’ve been eating my oatmeal made in a jar ever since I stumbled across the method and I love it! If you made it the way you are picturing it, I’m not surprised you didn’t like it. You need to fill the oats HALF WAY UP to whatever jar you are using. In your picture, you’ve filled the oats MAYBE a quarter. You fill the jar half with oats, then top with your goodies, then fill the jar up to the thread with boiling water, put the lid on and shake well. Wait 15 minutes and then eat. The consistency is different than cooked on the stove, so it may not be your cup of tea, but it works great for me!
I tried that as well as still didnt work for me. Just didn’t like it I guess!
I agree with Eric about the Carrot Cake Granola Bars! Post the recipe! I really want a spoonful of the batter.
Another crime against humanity? Those oats in a mason jar. That’s just a crime against oats. They look so thin and watery! But wow, your Cinnamon Bun Oatmeal…that bowl looks like a major win. Nothing says “peaceful Fall morning” quite like that.
Love this :)
Good luck tomorrow with your medical results. I’ll think of you and hope it will all work out just fine and that you get the answers you want and need.
Yes! I love that you posted this. :)
I just tried the oatmeal in a mason jar trick and it worked well for me. I love how portable that idea is without using disposable packaging.
hahaha oh the ‘flops’ in the kitchen. I’ve had so many, some very similar to yours :P Lessons learned for the next time round ;) Fun post and pics!
Wowza, you’ve been one busy lady. I cannot even comprehend what I just saw/read. Can’t wait for those carrot cake bars!!!
my oh my – you HAVE been busy!!!!
I love this post! Good for you for owning up to your failures, I tend to try to pretend they don’t happen. My zucchini cakes that were so soggy and bland I wouldn’t even feed them to birds…oi.
Your sense of humour is awesome. Love reading your posts; always laugh out loud!
There’s so many of those recipes I’d love to have! Vanilla Cake Batter, Crock Pot Steel Cut Oats, Carrot Cake Granola Bars, and the Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal!
PLEASE do a post on the carrot cake granola bars! they look phenomenal! :) I’ll be waiting hehe
That pumpkin butter swirl oatmeal looks amazing! I’m so glad to know that I’m not the only one whose recipes don’t turn out quite right all the time. It even happens to seasoned pros!
That cinnamon bun oatmeal looks YUM! Recipe PLEASE!
I would love some carrot cake granola bars and agree with Eric completely! My fiance was drooling over your photo of the s’mores granola bar. We will gladly help you eat the flops!
Wow your try out sooo much! I wish I could find the time and money for so many attempts at recipes I make but.. I guess I’ll just stick to trying out your tried and true versions :)
It’s fun to see what didn’t quite make the cut for the blog–this might sound weird but it’s a nice reminder that no one is perfect when experimenting in the kitchen. Things can’t always turn out amazingly (though your food still LOOKS fantastic!!)
They may not have made the blog, but they all sure look darn good to me!
Super fun post!
Have you tried the crockpot steel cut oats on just the warm setting overnight? I tried this instead of the low setting and it turned out really good!
Oh cinnamon bun oatmeal! I want to know that one so badly since I have tried and tried to come up with a good one. If it ever resurfaces, please post! :)
YUM the toffee bars look great. I am a huge fan of your other ones and have made them quite a few times :) Would you be able to let me know what modifications you made to this one? :) They look delish!
Such a fun post :) I also used to wonder what the heck to do with the leftover almond pulp when making almond milk… UNTIL I mixed it up with some nutritional yeast, lemon juice and salt and pepper. The quickest “cheese” spread you’ll ever make, and I think it’s one of the best I’ve had.
You are posting the recipes for some of these right?
perhaps, if some of them turn out the way I want them to :)
Everything looks so good! Great pictures!! The S’mores in the jar look out of this world!!
I keep catching myself drooling.
I must start making more fall flavors.
You can use the leftover almond pulp to make homemade almond flour. I just spread it out on a baking sheet, let it sit overnight to dry out a little, and then stick it in the oven, as low as the temp will go, for an hour or two. You could probably use a dehydrator, too. Once the pulp has dried out sufficiently, I use my spice grinder to turn it into flour. When you consider the fact that you get two products out of the almonds this way, it really does become a huge cost savings.
If I’m too lazy to make flour, I add the pulp to my overnight oats, or to bread or other baked goods.
You my dear, are completely amazing!!!
I will never get over not having the s’mores cake in a jar recipe (as I have mentioned it at least 3 times before). But it’s comforting to know that you are still trying, and for that I am appreciative :-)
I love “inside info” posts like these! Thanks for sharing :-)
hahaha I sure have met Mr. Chocolate more than once :)
had to laugh multiple times while reading this
There were some tasty & eadible recipes in there, I thought! MMMMMM,…You certainly have been busy!!
I had to smile & laugh through the whole post! :)
Many greetings from Belgium!
Wow, I love this V.I.P. look. I feel so stealth. I really commend you for all of your trial and errors. You really do work so hard and it is super inspiring!
Whew! I thought I was the only one with recipe mishaps! You better be posting that carrot cake granola bar recipe soon! :)
You should try making your crock pot overnight oatmeal using a crock pot liner. My husband’s aunt uses them at every holiday and she’s always so glad she can just pull the liner out and not actually have to clean the crock pot!
Thanks for the honesty! It happens to the best of us. Oh, and yes, cleaning the crock pot is a major undertaking!
Even your disasters make good pictures! That first and last picture of the pot?? That’s whats happens to me way too many times making yogurt!!
Fun to see ideas, even if they don’t turn out!
I have a question, kinda unrelated, but I have seen posts of yours about oatmeal, and different ways of making it and etc, and on other blogs too.. is there a reason for ‘overnight oats’ or the steel cut oats? I mean I make and have always made rolled oats in the microwave or stovetop.. just wondering if there is a health benefit or reason for these other methods?
I have far too many of these incidences, thanks for sharing yours!
PS secret to crock pot cleaning is to not clean at all, by getting crock pot plastic lining. They apparently don’t stick to the crock pot and all you have to do is throw them out when you’re done eating/cooking. My aunt uses them all the time for Thanksgiving so we don’t have to clean up a whole lot.
Such creative flops! Sometimes flops are the most fun. My disastrous attempt at savory vegan ice cream sandwiches is one of my most popular posts. What’s up with that?
Cleaning oats from the crockpot is pretty simple… I just empty the crock pot and fill it with water up to where the “oat line” is. Then I just go to class and leave it to soak (for a few hours) and it pulls the oats right off the side. Good luck!
try marinating and then pureeing gigante beans. Add a teensy bit of evoo and red wine vinegar-amazing pasta sauce.
Any more crimes against humanity? Yes: not posting the Cinnamon Bun Oatmeal recipe! The recipe for apple Pie Oatmeal on here is my favourite thus far, but… perhaps I’m mistaken and just have yet to taste something as heavenly as Cinnamon Bun Oatmeal sounds.
I was always under the impression that almond milk was much cheaper to make than the store-bought stuff… unless it’s that much cheaper in Ontario than it is in BC. And I don’t doubt that the oatmeal and boiled water trick works for others, but I’ve never gotten it right either. :| At least overnight oatmeal always seems to turn out just right!
I want those recipes SO bad!!!! :)
I love how you post your ‘flops’…although what you consider a failure is probably delicious.
I like these behind the scenes posts :-)
For the oats and boiling water, I have had great success with using a bowl, pouring the boiling water over the oats/ingredients so you can JUST see it at the top of the oats and then cover for 5 minutes. It produces great almost-creamy oats. Very quick & yummy
I have a sweet potato soup recipe and it’s great…it uses peanut butter, but you could sub cashew or sunflower butter (not almond, that wouldn’t taste right). Are you interested?
oh my god, carrot cake granola bars? what a great idea! I can’t wait til you perfect and post that recipe. I may experiment a little myself!
Just saw your comments about making almond milk at home. In the UK, making your own almond milk is definitely cheaper than buying store-bought. However, I initially had the same concerns about wasting the almond pulp – until I discovered you can easily swap out half the flour in most quick bread recipes (e.g. banana loaf) with the almond pulp and you end up with a super moist crumb that is a bit nutty and has a bit more bite to it than using just flour (and I actually prefer it that way now!).
All the best
Sophia
Thats a great tip!
Angela! The secret to slow cooker oats is that you don’t use a slow cooker at all…use a RICE cooker! The nonstick coating and steam release, as well as different settings (you have to use one of the “fancier” computerized ones, although mine was only $60) and set it on either the quick cook/porridge setting or the white rice setting. It’s magic, every time. I will never go back!