• 6 c old fashioned oats
• 1 c coconut
• 1 c sliced almonds
• 1/2 c honey
• juice of 1 orange
• juice of 1 lemon
• orange zest
• lemon zest
• 1 1/2 c dried cranberries

Mix all ingredients except the cranberries well and bake on a cookie sheet at 200 degrees for three hours or until desired crunchiness. Add dried cranberries when cool.

Are sliced almonds too expensive at your local grocery store? Buy them in bulk here.

I have yet to find a from-scratch whole wheat pancake recipe I like better than Hodgson Mill’s Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancake Mix, so that’s what I use. For 8 pancakes, I use

• 1 1/2 c pancake mix
• 1 c soymilk
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed (to replace the egg)
• 2 tbsp all natural applesauce (to replace the oil)
• ~3/4 c canned pumpkin
• dash or two cinnamon
• dash or two nutmeg
• dash or two ginger

Mix all ingredients together and prepare as directed on box. We eat them with 100% pure maple syrup. Yum!!

Oatcakes:

• 1 c flour (I use half and half white and whole wheat, or 1/4 white and 3/4 wheat)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar (I’ve used both honey and agave nectar; both work well)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 c old fashioned oats
• 1/2 c margarine (once I made it with applesauce instead of margarine; they tasted the same, just a little chewier)
• 1/3 to 1/2 c milk or soymilk

Combine ingredients. Add enough milk to make a medium soft dough. Flatten into rounds about 1/3 of an inch thick. Bake 12-15 mintues at 400 degrees or until slightly brown. Serve with slightly thickened fruit (recipe below) or eat as a breakfast biscuit.

I have added about 1/4 c ground flaxseed and 1/2 c chopped raw walnuts, just for the sake of getting more heart-healthy omega-3s, but as I said, the recipe is perfect the way it is!

Raspberry Peach Topping:

• 1 can of sliced peaches, no sugar added
• 8 oz frozen raspberries, no sugar added
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 4 tbsp cold water

Heat peaches and raspberries on the stove until boiling slowly. Mix corn starch and water separately until soupy; stir slowly into fruit and stir until thickened.

For one serving,

• 3/4 c water
• 3/4 c old fashioned oats

Boil water and add oats. Return to a boil, then turn off the heat. Cover, when the boiling has settled down enough that they won’t boil over, and let sit for a few minutes.

For sweetness, add 1 tbsp maple syrup, cinnamon to taste, and/or 5 or 6 pitted dates after you’ve put in the oats and before you turn off the heat.

• 4 apples (I used Golden Delicious)
• raw walnuts, finely chopped
• raisins
• cinnamon
• drizzle of agave nectar
• tiny pat of margarine

Core the apples and take out the seeds, leaving a hole about 3/4 inch to 1 inch wide. Mix up the walnuts, raisins and cinnamon and stuff into the hole in the apple. Drizzle the agave nectar over the filling in each apple–less than 1 tsp per apple–and put the margarine on top of the filling. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, until the whole apple is very tender.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium to large onion, diced
• 2 or 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 1 lb firm or extra firm tofu
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
• 2 tsp McKay’s chicken-style seasoning
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp turmeric

Saute onion, garlic and green pepper in oil. Meanwhile, drain tofu and squeeze out excess water. Mash with your hands and set aside to drain. When onion is translucent, add mashed tofu to onions and pepper. Saute for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally,

Blend in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.

• frozen bananas
• fresh or frozen strawberries
• chocolate soymilk

Blend in a blender, adding soymilk to desired consistency.