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?
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!