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?
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!