Crumble, Coconut and Carbs

The Awesome August giveaway is keyed up and ready to go, but for once, we are ahead of schedule (I'm sure this is a first) and it's only the 30th. What to do, what to dooo?  I have to find something else to blog about. Carbs?

There have been a lot more grain carbs than usual going down over here, due mostly to my insatiable post-illness appetite. Rainy days have become grainy days, it seems.  I needed to use up some apples that were loitering in the fruit bowl, and you know that means carbilicious fruit crumble.  

I believe it's supposed to be a dessert, but I use it as breakfast. Early morning workout + bowl of fruit crumble and coconut milk = great start to a Monday.

For this particular specimen, I veganised it by using a mix of coconut oil and 'lite' olive oil instead of the butter. That worked just fine. No complaints from the in-house taste tester, and he will let me know if anything tastes healthified. 

That's why I would not use extra-virgin olive oil in a crumble (or dressing). You need an oil with little natural flavour or bitterness.

I had intended to get into some salads and protein later in the day, but instead found myself at a  5th birthday party for a special little lady (my cousin's daughter).  

Carbs of note in the pic below include my grandmother's trifle (what? no sherry? she obviously made a childproof version), my cousin's pasta bake and a pink and sparkly cake.  I love family gatherings.

 There were the usual little girl party activities, like little girls playing with their dolls. :D

Naturally, I was given the standard family notice of approximately two hours so whipped up the quickest and easiest cake I know of.

Easy Peasy Gluten-Free, Vegan Coconut Cake.

I first considered the lemon syrup cake, which is also quite easy, but didn't have all of the ingredients. When it came down to it, I didn't have some of the ingredients for the coconut cake either (fridge list? Why you fail me?), and had to use quinoa flour, x-ing fingers that it would be ok. It was.

It seems like a very forgiving recipe. No matter what I do to it, the result is always edible.

Due to the 'using what I have' nature of the mission, I used coconut cream instead of coconut milk. This turns the cake into a real fat bomb. A delicious little fat bomb.


Question: Do you have any 'go to' things that you make for a pot luck dinner or party? Mine are an easy cake or a root vege salad. It would be great to get some other ideas. I need to diversify.

Next Up: Awesome August Superfoods Giveaway 
(and this time I mean it)

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