Vegan Linda

Our B Game

2012-01-30T07:12:00.000-08:00

Several dinners lately that were good, but not awesome. They were all just a bit off. Parker gave them a "B".* When I make them again, I'd probably change a couple things to get the grade up.

Caldo Verde with Crumbled Tempeh from Appetite for Reduction

This one grew on me so maybe it is one of those soups that is better the next day. I used sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes and the red chard Josie talked me into buying (she loved to beg for chard at the co-op even after I've filled our cart with kale and collards, this is good because she is teaching Rob and me to like chard more). Josie ate all her chard first then didn't want to eat the rest of the soup, but she liked the leftovers so maybe she was being stubborn.

Mac and Cheezeburger Bake and Energy Bites from Quick-Fix Vegan and version of my Cherry Chocolate Nut Green Smoothie

The only changes I would make for the Mac and Cheezeburger Bake were things I did outside of the recipe anyway. I used quinoa pasta which didn't work so well in a bake because the pasta got pretty crunchy unless it was completely covered in sauce. Whole wheat pasta next time. I loved the carrots, peas, corn, and green beans I added, but the Daiya cheese was completely not necessary so I'd omit it (the Daiya was my addition just because we had a bit to use up). I change up the Energy Bites every time so these have cashews, apricots, walnuts, sunflower seeds, tahini, and blackstrap molasses. Energy Bites are always a hit with the kids and they will gobble up as many as I make. The smoothie actually didn't have greens in it this time, just frozen cherries, cocoa, walnuts, flax seeds, rolled oats, soy milk, and an peeled orange beet. Delicious and nutritious.

Here is Dr. Greger's recipe for a healthy milkshake that is similar.

Cajun Beanballs and Spaghetti from Appetite for Reduction

Creamy Mushroom Fettuccine from Appetite for Reduction

I made both of these dishes on the same night so we could each have our pick of tomato sauce or mushroom sauce and just made a big batch of whole wheat spaghetti. The kids were pretty disappointed with the Beanballs. We prefer the Tempeh Sausage Crumbles. I might play with the beanballs to make them more flavorful. The tomato sauce was just okay. I prefer the one I usually make, but this isn't the recipe's fault. I think it was actually the tomatoes I used. I bought a case of Eden's tomatoes in the amber jars, but everything I made with them tasted a little off. The packaging is new so maybe I'll wait for the kicks to get worked out. The tomatoes were also much darker than normal too. We all preferred the mushroom sauce, but even that was just okay. I added red pepper flakes to mine and enjoyed it much more. Overall we have really enjoyed Appetite for Reduction, just a few recipes we probably won't make often. We can't always bring our A game.

*I have to mention that I despise grades and this is one of the many reasons I homeschool. Parker has taken a liking to grades now that he's in public school which makes me want to bring him home, but I totally understand. I was a grade hound in school and had to have the best grade and everything was about the A+ or the test scores. I would rather Parker not make the same mistakes and learn for the sake of learning and not just do what needs to be done to get the A. Love of learning is something ever child has naturally and I don't want him to lose that love and just go for grades. Grades and learning are not the same thing. He came home with several awards from school and while I understand why they do awards, it makes me cringe.

A bonus picture of Josie's new haircut. Actually, it is her first haircut ever. Rob cut all of our hair (I have banges now and our friend Chandra was sweet enough to come fix them a bit). I love being able to see her eyes now!

Veggies and Dumplings or Peanut Sauce and Quinoa Pasta

2012-01-26T17:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's lunch, Veggies and Dumplings from Vegan Diner. I made the Chicken Style Seitan Loaf from Vegan Diner first and then decided to the do the veggies and dumplings so I add about a fourth of the seitan loaf to the finished dish. I used red onion, Better than Bouillon, and white whole wheat flour (which is really all we have on hand so I use it for everything), but pretty much followed the rest of the recipe. I don't think the kids have eaten dumplings before, but I assumed they would like them. Parker loved it, but said he'd like it without the dumplings too. The little ones completely surprised me, especially my bread loving Dema, and they ate around the dumplings. Crazy kids! Rob was happy since veggies and dumplings are a comfort food from his childhood and I thought it was a nice stick to your ribs kind of meal.

Since we had a late lunch I thought we'd do something light for dinner. I saw Robin's post for National Peanut Butter Day and was inspired to make a version of one of her peanut sauces in Quick-Fix Vegan, but because of the peanut shortage and the fact that I only had almond butter on hand it became almond butter sauce. Whatever, it was good (Parker asked for leftovers to be packed in his lunch and Dema and Josie asked me to make it again tonight) and I added a bit more of the seitan. So we didn't have a total gluten overload, I made quinoa pasta and you can see the peas and carrots. Severed it with more of the veggies and dumplings and some apples. That is a picture of a young me in the background.

Everyone Needs a Day Off

2012-01-25T16:20:00.000-08:00

One of the most stressful times for me as a parent is Parker's pediatric cardiologist visit. Don't get me wrong, pediatric cardiologist are some of the best people on the planet. I am always amazed by how down-to-Earth, respectful, compassionate, intelligent, (insert your favorite positive adjective here) ped cards are and I'm not a huge fan of allopathic medicine. We've seen several ped cards in the last twelve years and I have loved each and every one of them. Still, I dread the visits more than anything else in my life. Fortunately, Parker only has to see them every other year now, but in some ways that makes the visit even more difficult.

I walked to Parker's school yesterday right before lunch to pick him up and then we walked downtown for bite to eat. We don't get a chance to eat together without the rest of the family very often so it is a big treat for both of us. Parker chose Esquire for a black bean burger. Now this probably sounds pretty awful for me to take my child to grab a veggie burger prior to getting a cardiac ECHO, but he eats healthier than most people I know and it is a fun place to go.

Eating at a bar before or after his appointment is starting to be a tradition. This is Parker and Rob playing billiards at Crane Alley after his appointment two years ago.

After lunch, Parker and I caught the bus to his appointment. The ECHO is first so the doctor has something to look at and it is the part of the appointment that bothers me the most. When Parker was just a baby I would nurse him during the ECHO. Both of us on the examining table and the sonographer being ever so sweet to try to work with us. Actually, the technicians have always thanked me for nursing him (as he grew older we would bring a portable DVD player or some favorite books) since it can be a horrible experience for everyone involved trying to get a baby to be still for 20 minutes or 60 minutes in some cases while they have goop on their chest and are being prodded with a transducer. While I don't have to cajole Parker into being still anymore, it is hard to hear the whoosh whoosh instead of a proper thumping and I used to watch the screen to learn as much as I could, but now I avoid the screen for fear of seeing something. Yesterday the sonographer asked Parker is he has been short of breath, this sends my mind into all sorts of places I don't want to go. No, he hasn't shown any signs of anything wrong EVER. Yet still they told us he needed open heart surgery at two and a half years old. Did the sonographer see something? I hate trying to read the technician as much as I loathe to look at the Doppler imaging of my child's heart on the screen like a growing Midwestern storm.

After the half hour ECHO, we wait and wait and wait. Over an hour, in an examining room, not the waiting room. We've been forgotten at a pediatrician appointment before so we start to get a little nervous. We open the door a bit and talk tad louder so they know we are there. Parker brought a book, but he doesn't read much before he gets antsy. Talking is better. We talk a lot, but not about his heart. We talk about Minecraft and school. We talk about the environment and dogs. We tell silly jokes and get slap happy. It has been two hours now and the highly refined carbs of his lunch added to the hospital lighting is making Parker sleepy. We are moved to another room and told we are next. The ped card has an intern with him today so things are taking a little longer. I really don't mind, I would rather the doctor not rush. These things can not be discussed in five to ten minutes. I am happy to wait for our time and I'm happy for other families to get their questions answered by a doctor who is willing to spend quality time.

Finally, one of my favorite doctors in the world walks in. He is brought to our little college town from Children's Hospital of Illinois in Peoria, IL. I appreciate his willingness to come to us so all the heart families in our area don't have to drive a couple hours to him. Our doctor is so sure and completely competent, but in such a wonderfully accessible way. He is "old school" and able to diagnose many heart issues with his stethoscope (backed up by the latest in technology, but he gets it right before all the expensive pictures). I want to tell the young intern (who I find out is going in family practice not cardiology) that she is so lucky to have even a few hours with this doctor. I want to grab her by the shoulders and shake the yawn out of her. I know she is overworked and has little time to sleep, but seize this time with this doctor...please!

Notice how respectful and sweet he is with my growing boy. My twelve year old with his shirt off and two people listening to his heart, he is a person. A person born with a heart condition. Not someone who has treated their body like crap for years and now has heart "disease". He didn't do this to himself. He didn't make the poor choices and then ask for pills to make things better. This person before you was born (probably due to environmental factors as we destroy this planet we all live on) with two holes in his heart, a tricuspid valve with only two cusps and a leaky aortic valve. Listen to his heart and empathize with what he is feeling. Only a few days from turning twelve, he is getting to the age where his condition is becoming his responsibility and not something his parents can shoulder on their own. Be careful with the words you use. Our wonderful grandfatherly ped card knows all of this and more.

Dr. A talks directly to Parker and carefully explains everything to him. As he writes down notes, he exclaims how much Parker has grown and how incredibly healthy he looks. I start to breathe normally again. I didn't even know I was holding my breath. I heard Dr. A talk to the technician, I know he's thoroughly looked through the ECHO results. The other shoe is not falling today. The probably inevitable valve surgery is not in our near future. Not today. We never know as his body grows how it will affect his heart. Kids at school, even adults, say things about Parker's stature. Taller is always better for boys this age. Dr. A is happy. Parker height and weight are great. He has shorter parents and shorter grandfathers so being the tallest is probably not in his future, thankfully. We don't want his heart to have to work too hard just to live. He's played soccer, flag football, cycled in races, and is generally a very active kid. He can remain so, hopefully, for his entire life. The doctor is very impressed with how well Parker is doing, how well the surgery was performed almost ten years ago now, and how Social Studies is Parker's favorite subject in school. Dr. A tells us we should come back in two years, growth is a variable that can change things quickly for his heart, best to keep a close eye during these years. I'm happy with two years, it seems like such a long time when the forms have three months, six months, nine months, and one year at the outside. Once Parker is done growing, he'll probably be able to go much longer between visits, but a cardiologist will always be in his life.

The one sad part of the visit is our doctor will probably be retired within two years. Of course, I don't know how old he is, but I'm sure he has put in his time for longer than I've been alive. When Parker was in NICU, I saw some of the long hours ped card put in and I feel for their families. I don't know how they do it, but I'm so glad they do.

When we arrived home, after a short bus ride and a mile walk, I realized how draining the day was for both of us. I offered Parker the day off from school the next day (today) and Thai take-out for dinner. He was happy for both. So, yes, I'm the bad mom who encouraged her son to cut school today (we called in to excuse him), but really I think a mental health day was needed. He read a lot and did some of the homework I assign him as extra to what they do at school, but he also relaxed and I slept for twelve hours straight last night (never happens) so I know it was the right decision for both of us. We did get some time alone to talk about yesterday's appointment. Parker thinks about other first and really didn't want me to worry yesterday, but he was able to articulate his own anxieties today. He asks a few questions about what the intern said and he hugs me close to say how happy he is that he is vegan. He knows he is doing the best he can for his heart and that he's decided to practice yoga more often and meditate. How I miss having my sweet smart eldest son around every day. Every moment with him is a gift.

Everyone needs a day off.

C is for Curry Powder

2012-01-23T20:41:00.000-08:00

Used a load of curry powder tonight. Curried Cabbage and Peas, Butternut Coconut Rice, and Masala Baked Tofu all from Appetite for Reduction. Dema and Josie talked me into buying two cabbages today at the co-op so I decided to make the purple one into Curried Cabbage and Peas. Josie wasn't super hip about the Butternut Coconut Rice, but Parker, Rob, and I loved it. Parker didn't eat seconds of the Curried Cabbage and Peas, but that wasn't a big surprise since he shares Rob's dislike of all things cabbage. We are working on that since purple cabbage is a inexpensive antioxidant boost.

All three kids enjoyed the tofu, but no surprise there. I served all this with a Orange and Blue and Green All Over Smoothie (one bunch kale, 4 Tablespoons ground flax seeds, one bag frozen peaches, frozen blueberries, a bit of shredded coconut, one ripe banana, and soy milk) just in case the kids didn't eat enough of their dinner. I liked each part of the meal and they all tasted good together, it was a lot of curry. I need to find a curry powder (or make my own) that we really love. The one we have is just okay. Anyone have suggestions?

Clean Out the Refrigerator Champagne Brunch

2012-01-21T14:00:00.000-08:00

A lovely brunch this morning with things from our 'frige that needed to be used up. Collards from Farmer Greg, an orange pepper from Greg and Vicky, mushrooms from Farmer Greg, carrots, olives, capers, tofu, and the rest of the Daiya cheese and panko from last night's meal. There was also a bottle of champagne taking up room so we made it a champagne brunch for the adults. Hearty, tasty, and we have room to add this week's produce delivery from Farmer Greg and our weekly co-op run. After brunch, Rob and I snuck away to his attic office to watch Downton Abbey on Netflix while the kids played downstairs. Josie loves to watch Downton Abbey with us, but she doesn't stop asking questions ("Mom, I think he is in love with her? Is she in love with him. I think the daughter is really a princess. Do they pay the servants?) the entire time which makes it less enjoyable for us. The rest of the day will be spent playing games with the kids, reading books, walking to the library, and enjoying a sunny lazy weekend.

TGIF Comfort Food

2012-01-20T22:00:00.000-08:00

We had our friends Alicia and Sean over tonight with their adorable new baby, Easton. It has been way too long since we've seen each other so it was great to catch up.

I made Skillet-Baked Panko Cutlets from Vegan Diner and

Butternut Squash Mac 'n Cheeze from Oh She Glows. Comfort food on a cold night, sweet friends, and good conversation. My kind of Friday night. Now off the cuddle with my family.

More Soup For YOU!

2012-01-19T08:57:00.000-08:00

Okay, really more soup for us, but feel free to stop by and have a bowl.

Rob made Parker's Favorite Turnip and Kale Soup last night with turnips we bought a last week from Farmer Greg. I'm posting the recipe again for Rachel since she is supposed to be cooking with turnips this week. Parker asked for leftover soup for lunch today. Did you grow up eating turnips? The greens or the root or both? We don't make this delicious dish often enough. That is Parker at six months behind the soup. He was about seven or less when this soup became his favorite.

Parker's Favorite Turnip and Kale Soup

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 pound turnips (the root), peeled and cut into a 1/2-inch dice
6 cups vegetable stock
1 1/4 cups barley (barley gives a great toothy texture and we prefer the non-polished barley)
1 bunch kale cleaned and cut in bite sized pieces
salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: minced parsley and hot sauce (optional)

Heat oil in large soup pot. Toss in the turnips and saute covered on medium heat, about 15 or so minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the broth and barley, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook, covered, for about 30 minutes. The barley should be soft and chewy. Add kale and wilt for 5 minutes covered. When ready to serve, stir in salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley. We also like to add a dash of Cholula, but it tastes great without.

Bringing Out My Inner B****

2012-01-18T21:52:00.000-08:00

Baker, what were you all thinking?

After ballet today, Josie asked if we could go to one of the local cafes for a vegan cookie. In a moment of lunacy I thought I was one of those homeschooling moms. You know the type; perfect, making batches and batches of great tasting baked goods for their brood while knitting all the clothes for the kids and teaching the family dog sign language at the same time teaching college level classes to their seven year old and administering first aid to the baby bunny they found on their daily nature walk and blogging about the entire day in their spare time*.

So I promised delicious fresh-baked cookies to Josie as I bundled her up for the bike ride home. I managed to put off baking cookies pretty much the entire day because to be perfectly honest baking does not bring out the best in me. It brings out my inner two year old.

I open up the cookbook (in this case, Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson) and I'm immediately irrationally defiant. Oatmeal Raisin Cookies is the one I chose since they are Rob's favorite type of cookie, I have all the ingredients (sort of, we'll get to that in a minute) and aren't they supposed to be one of the easiest thing to bake?

I am not known for following recipes. I used them as a jumping off point or sometimes as something to read while I make something completely different, but following a recipe to the letter...not my style.**

So I start to question everything. What do you mean "preheat the oven to 350 degrees F"? Is that good for the environment?*** "1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar". Whoah, wait a minute, aren't we working toward a color blind society? What do you have against dark brown sugar?**** Hm?***** Soften the margarine? F that, I'm keeping that stick of Earth Balance in the refrigerator where it belongs until the last possible second.

Okay, now maybe I'm acting more like a teenager. Most kids at two don't know their alphabet well enough to say "F that". "3 Tablespoons of soymilk or almond milk"? I have both soy and almond milks, but I use unsweetened coconut milk just to mess with this recipe. It has somehow become personal. "In a large bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the..."? I have a stand mixer, but just because YOU told me to use a stand mixer I am using my 50 year old hand mixer. Got something against my antique hand mixer? Not good enough for you? "Don't overbeat the batter." Like this? Overheating my hand mixer and then kneaded the crap out of the dough isn't good enough for your wimpy dough? I don't have any use for delicate cookie dough in my house.

Wrestling with sticky dry dough, checking to make sure I did indeed put all the wet ingredients in the mix, and ignoring the fact that it was suggested that I wet my hands prior to forming the cookies, cursing all baked goods under my breath, and finally throwing the two baking sheets in the oven. No I did not press them down a bit as per the instructions. If they want to flatten into cookies instead of being a ball lump, they had better melt. I gobbled up some of the remaining dough because at this point there is no way in hell I'm going to cook another batch. Disgusted with the raw sugary sweetness I encourage Rob and then Josie to eat the rest of the dough.

The kicker was the truly helpful note at the bottom. It starts with "As a perfectionist cookie baker..." and this pushes my perfectionist buttons and I go through all the reasons we should or shouldn't strive for "perfection" and guilt issues about not following the directions and not heading the warnings which were meant just to help me make the best cookies I can possibly bake. This drama could be exasperated by the fact I just started my period today.******

Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet until the completely cool? Hell no, I'm taking those bad boys off so soon I cause 2nd degree burns on my fingers so I can use the last bit of daylight to snap a crappy picture. So there! I really showed that recipe, damn these cookies aren't half bad. I think I'll eat six...

Why don't I bake more often?*******

*Spare time is code for nursing the baby.

**Unless I'm testing recipes for a cookbook. It just shows how much I love helping new vegan cookbooks birth into the world.

***I read somewhere years ago that most of the time we really don't need to wait until the oven is preheated and it is a big waste of energy, but I'm guessing wherever I read this that they made some exclusion for cookies.

****For some reason we have two packages of dark brown sugar, several packages of powdered sugar (which we rarely use...where did they come from?), and date sugar, but no light brown sugar.

*****I want to be clear I am not talking to Julie Hasson. I don't know her personally, but on her blog and in videos she seems like about the cutest nicest person on the planet. In fact while I'm getting belligerent with the recipe, I'm saying a little mental prayer-like apology to Ms. Hasson as I pretty much go against everything she has carefully written.

******Yes, I have just joined the list of food bloggers who talk about menstruation during a post about cookies.

*******Visions of my kids creating a cool cookie jar in pottery and me filling it with healthy-ish baked goods and the kids self-regulating their sweets consumption while they remodel our kitchen with the math skills they learned at home.

Orange and Blue and Green All Over

2012-01-17T18:58:00.000-08:00

I made some seitan from Vegan Diner last night and decided to make Diner Granola (with walnuts and cranberries) while I was at it. So the kids had a bit of granola before I walked Parker to school and then headed out with the younger ones to walk/bus to the co-op.

We brought my BAB (big ass bag) and filled it with kale (okay, there is also chard, two bags of clementines, a bag of apples, a four pound package of tofu, a couple bulbs of garlic, several big red onions, a rutabaga, ginger, bread, Veggie Booty (on sale), several bags of Daiya (sale!), yam and black bean tamales, a bag of local salad mix, and big local carrots, but most of the room was taken up by lots of bunches of two different varieties of kale).

The kids had a little lunch before we headed out again. Josie is crazy about the vegan quiche at the co-op. Today it was greens and onion quiche. Dema had half a vegan breakfast burrito and they both had a snickerdoodle, but they saved most of their cookie to eat with hot cocoa at home. The lovely Illinois weather went from the 50's while I was walking Parker to school to flurries while we waited for the bus after shopping. Thus, I felt a warm beverage was in order. I used a tablespoon of chocolate hemp shake, soy milk, and a bit of cocoa powder for the hot chocolate. The kids used their Sweet and Sara mini marshmallows I bought them for the holidays. It warmed them right up. Then I cooled them off again when Parker came home from school.

I couldn't fit a couple bunches of kale in the refrigerator (they need to make those silly produce bins twice as big) so I cleaned them off and put some in what I will call the Orange and Blue and Green All Over Smoothie. The colors for the university in our town are orange and blue. This means everything is orange and blue so Strawberry Fields has a smoothie made with blueberries and peaches (I don't know what else, but pretty sure just soy milk and maybe banana) called the Orange and Blue. This is our version of it with kale, soy milk, frozen blueberries from a local farmer, frozen peaches, a banana, three tablespoons of ground flax seeds, and a sprinkle of shredded coconut. All organic, of course. The kale originally took up the entire Vitamix container so Dema helped me pack down to get the rest of the stuff in, but the banana stubbornly stuck up over the top anyway. The Vitamix handled it fine and the kids were slurping their smoothies from the glass straws and asking for seconds. Glad I made a bunch! Our friend Jair was over and he took a sip (usually he enjoys the food I offer him), but I think the color was too much for him so Josie drank his.

I chopped up the rest of the kale that wouldn't fit in the refrigerator for soup. I'm on a big Appetite for Reduction kick lately (if you haven't noticed) so it won't come as any surprise that tonight's soup is from this cookbook. Quinoa, White Bean, and Kale Stew was started with one of my favorite kitchen activities

crushing herbs! Josie helped me crush the fennel. There is just something completely gratifying about working with the mortar and pestle.

I was able to use one of my huge local organic carrots I just purchased (these four carrots weighed more than 1.5 pounds).

During the vegan meet-up, Mel and Sue (from the Decatur Vegetarian Society and former and hopefully future guests on FFT) suggested Rachel and I talk about new-to-us produce on the show. I vowed Sunday on air to try out rutabagas. I don't think I've cooked with rutabaga before. It isn't really attractive from the outside.

But it looks kind of cool on the inside. I used the rutabaga in place of the parsnip the recipe called for. I also substituted sweet potatoes for the white potatoes in the recipe (I have yet to find a recipe that isn't improved by this switcheroo). I added a couple tablespoons of nutritional yeast at the end as well.

It was just what the doctor ordered on this cold blustery evening. The taste reminded me of another favorite, Chickpea Noodles Soup from Veganomicon.

I served it with a little local mixed greens salad with walnuts, golden raisins, and some pomegranate seeds from the freezer (I buy them when they are on sale and freeze the arils) and topped it with a little Annie's Naturals Pomegranate Vinaigrette. I don't usually buy salad dressing since it is super easy and much cheaper to make our own, but this was on sale a while back.

With the addition of an organic clementine we scored at the co-op, it was another winning winter dinner.

Leisurely Lunch and Laksa

2012-01-16T14:43:00.000-08:00

2nd Avenue Vegetable Korma and Cranberry-Cashew Biryani from Appetite for Reduction

Since Parker had the day off from school and we were all home for lunch. I decided to spend a bit of time in the kitchen making a leisurely lunch for all of us. I was in the mood for Indian today and Rob was busy working in his attic office. Rob is much more comfortable cooking Indian food than I am, but I didn't want to bother him. This meal came together almost effortlessly and the results were so satisfying that I will never be shy about cooking Indian again! Both of these recipes use minimal oil so while it was very filling it wasn't heavy, if that makes sense. I used a combination of broccoli and cauliflower and more of the zucchini our friend/neighbor Vicky gave to us. The kids really enjoyed this meal with the subtle not overpowering Indian spices. I also baked some vadas (from the freezer) for them. I biryani recipe only called for one cup of rice (precooked) and I was skeptical this amount would be enough for all five of us. We usually cook three cups of rice at a time, but it was really a perfect balance for the korma and even with everyone having seconds (or thirds in Parker's case) it was plenty of food for lunch.

I made the Curry Laksa from Appetite for Reduction for dinner to use up the rest of the coconut milk from lunch and some bell peppers from a couple days ago. We always love laksa.

Whirlwind Weekend

2012-01-15T21:00:00.000-08:00

A busy weekend for us and it isn't even quite finished.

We hosted a vegan meet-up Friday night. The hit for me was Rachel's Spinach Balls, but then I saw the amount of Earth Balance and my heart fell. No wonder I loved them! I have to come up with a 40 year old vegan friendly version. I just can't eat like a teenager any more. Of course, my kids can and did. They loved the peanut butter cupcakes provided by our new neighbors (yes, we now have a couple living across "our park" from us and they are vegan...we are taking over the world).

Lots of yummy hummus. This one was happy hummus (I think the green is pesto?)

The roasted cauliflower and pita chips was a favorite of Josie's.

This pasta, beans, red sauce, kale, and Daiya bake was a big hit too. I think Amelia? brought this one and I need the recipe. Amelia definitely brought some chocolate peppermint soy milk, a little adult beverage to go in it, and some spectacular whip cream (did you make it, Amelia?).

Here is Parker's first plate of food with the scornbread (Jazzy Vegetarian's cornbread made with bananas courtesy of Eric) and There was a lot of food I didn't get a picture of. Everything was delicious, as usual.

My contribution to the evening was Lotsa Veggies Lentil Soup from Appetite for Reduction. I used red onion for the onion and kale instead of spinach because that is what I had. My neighbor, Vicky, brought over some zucchini Friday or I wouldn't have made the soup. We rarely have zucchini around this time of year. I didn't try the soup during the meet-up because I was too busy eating what everyone else brought. There was a bit leftover so I warmed it up for breakfast the next day and it was even better than Rob's favorite (the French Lentil Soup with Tarragon and Thyme from Veganomicon). I also made a version of our new favorite soup, Coconut Corn Chowder from Quick-Fix Vegan. I've made quite a few changes to the chowder so I'll post the recipe soon, but I highly recommend Quick-Fix Vegan. It is one of the few cookbooks I just leave in the kitchen to use on a daily basis.

Two of our young friends joined the fun at the meet-up because it was our neighbor/friend's 40th birthday and they went out for dinner without the kids and then to a local bar. We joined them at the bar after most of the meet-up guests had left, thanks to my sister who stayed to watch all five kids and host the remaining vegan meet-up guests. We felt awful running out so early, but we wanted to take to join our friend for a drink and toast his 40 years on the planet. I'm glad the meet-up people felt comfortable enough to hang out even after we left.

Saturday morning Rob and Josie walked downtown and caught a train to Chicago. Josie's bestie, Teagan had a birthday party in Chicagoland on Sunday. Our fabulous friends Todd and Katherine let Rob and Josie stay with them even with the due date for their second child coming up very fast. Katherine is the most amazing person working full time at her toy stores at nine months pregnant and then keeping her son and my daughter last night while Todd and Rob went to see a movie.

Meanwhile back in C-U the boys and I were eating brunch on Saturday of blueberry and banana pancakes, snuggling in bed reading books, laughing, playing Minecraft, and watching one of their favorite cartoons on netflix. I don't think I've mentioned Avatar: The Last Airbender before, but I should. The kids discovered the show after a trip to North Carolina a year or maybe two ago. They love that the main character is a ethical vegetarian and values all life. The show teaches wonderful lessons, but it a interesting way (Rob and I even like to watch the show). It is something all three kids can and want to watch. Check it out!

Saturday evening our friends Ricky and Catharine had us over for dinner. The boys were able to play with their twin boys without Josie getting in the mix. A nice change, of course they miss their sister, but sometimes it is nice to not have her always with them. Ricky made yummy curry and we had great conversation and they picked us up and dropped us off since it was pretty cold out and the bus isn't super convenient on the weekends for our area. We really have the best friends!

Today the kids were eating leftover coffee cake (I made another East Coast Coffee Cake for our dinner at Catharine and Ricky's) late this morning when one of their friends called asking if the boys wanted to meet at a local school yard to go sledding. We all walked to to the "hill" with the sleds, but they also took turns with their friends "snowboard". Yes, we have very little hills around here, but they work. The friend lives close to the school so we went to his yard to see the amazing igloo he built. All three boys could fit inside it.

I had the radio show and in the afternoon so we had to leave before the kids were ready. I arrived home around 4:45pm after the show, but we still finished a wonderful fun dinner and cleaned the dining room and kitchen before 6:30pm. I started marinating the tempeh before we left for sledding (it doesn't have to marinate more than an hour, but it seemed fine being left longer). The dish is Buffalo Tempeh over Mac and Trees both from Appetite for Reduction. I was not blown away about the Easy Breezy Cheezy Sauce the first time I made it, but it really works with the Buffalo Tempeh. I used Parker's favorite hot sauce for the tempeh and it took almost an entire bottle so I'm not sure how often I can make this. Rob is not a big mac and cheese kind of guy, but I know he would have enjoyed the tempeh. The picture in the background is a four year old Parker. I can't believe he'll be 12 in just a few weeks!

The boys had one of my favorite So Delicious products yet for dessert, the Coconut Almond Mini Bars. Purely decadent coconut, almond, and chocolate combine to taste toffee-ish to me and it is just the size for a special treat. Speaking of treats, Rob and Josie are on the train headed home!

Kale Quesadillas

2012-01-14T14:35:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt like you are being pulled in ten different directions? I feel this a lot lately. Especially with my eldest being seven and a half years older than my youngest it seems that it is getting harder and harder to make everyone in the family happy.* Dinner is the exception, the kids are almost always happy with their food.

Thursday night was another cheater night and Rob and I decided to make kale and pepper quesadillas with Daiya's pepper jack flavor. We had some on hand since Parker asked me to try to make calzones at home. The kids haven't had quesadillas often so they were fussy when we first mentioned what Rob was making for dinner. They quickly ate their words and their weight in quesadillas.

*Life seemed so much simpler back when this picture was taken. Rob and I were sixteen years younger and living in DC. I am carrying Rob on my back (I'm not sure why, but it was foreshadowing to the many years of babywearing ahead of me) as we showed his father and brother the DC tourist spots. I wouldn't trade now for then, not even for a second, but it was very easy.

Artichokes, White Beans, Tempeh, Kale, and Figs

2012-01-12T10:29:00.000-08:00

Dinner last night felt like such a cheat. When Rob and I first started dating over 17 years ago, I was in my early 20's and had lived on my own for five years, but I didn't own any real knives and most of my "cooking" was really opening a box or picking up the phone. Rob was in his early 30's and while no chef, he had a great set of knives if you know what I mean. He used to tease me that I hadn't cooked a meal if it didn't involve cutting up an onion. Josie had ballet yesterday and we had a leisurely time shopping for clip-on earrings at a couple of the vintage stores downtown for her BFF Teagan who is turning four soon, we also checked at Jane Addams bookstore for a book for Teag, but nothing struck Josie as being the perfect book, then we bought some bread at Pekara for dipping in the soup. But, the bread was warm when be bought it and well, Dema asked for some when we arrived home and eventually all the bread was gone by the time I started supper. I decided to shelve the soup idea. I've been trying to be better about planning meals ahead of time, but goes against my nature.

What I ended up making was Linguine with Artichoke and White Bean Alfredo (I used whole wheat gobetti instead of linguine) from Quick-Fix Vegan. I opened up a can of white beans and a can of artichokes and with a few other ingredients blended it together in the Vitamix and it was sauce (I skipped the optional soy creamer and it was plenty creamy). It totally felt like old times since it was so easy. I did make some Tempeh Sausage Crumbles to zest the dish up a bit (I also added a bit of cholula, but it didn't need anything with the crumbles) and Rob made some garlicky kale to complete the meal. We had fresh pears and apples for dessert.

Now this is all normal stuff for us to eat, but it is good to know that most of what we ate in this meal has some extra benefits beyond great taste.

With dinner being so quick and simple, I had to make something else. Breakfast has become an interesting time around here since Parker started public school. We were cooking a hot breakfast for him, but the younger kids don't get up that early or if they are up they aren't ready to eat yet. Often Rob is the one to get up with Parker while I snuggle with the little ones (I know my life is tough). Rob would make steal cut oats or grits, enough for all of us, but it was usually cold or lumpy by the time Dema and Josie were ready to eat. So we started using instant oatmeal. This is typically something we eat only when we camp or if we are staying in a hotel, but I bought three types of organic instant oatmeal on sale through our buying club. This way we can just heat up some water and everyone can eat when they like, but most of the time the younger ones opt for something else for breakfast. I'm trying to find more things I can make the night before so send ideas please! We made the Banana Flapjacks from Vegan Brunch one evening and they were perfect warmed up the next day for Parker's breakfast. Last night I baked East Coast Coffee Cake from Vegan Brunch. I've made this many times, but usually with berries. Parker has berries in his oatmeal most days so I went with the fig option. It was so hearty (I also added walnuts to the topping and used white whole wheat flour instead of all purpose) and perfect for the first day of real winter weather (our first real snow of the season!). Parker also had some oatmeal with ground flax seeds (I was up with him this morning and I always add flax) raspberries and soy milk so he was able to walk to school in the snow with a warm full belly. The little ones, especially Josie since she is my fig lover, were more than excited about the snow and the coffee cake when they finally got going.

Veggie Potpie Stew and Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits

2012-01-11T11:43:00.000-08:00

Veggie Potpie Stew and Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits from Appetite for Reduction

I used half a red onion that we had in the refrigerator. One of the benefits of using red onions for everything is they tend to be more potent and the ones we've been buying are huge so I can use half for one recipe and have some leftover for the next meal. They are also higher in antioxidants than yellow and white onions. I used sweet potatoes for the stew instead of white potatoes and I added some corn. The stew was wonderful and I'd love to make it again, but my yellow split peas must have been old because they took forever to cook. I intentionally started the stew early so it would cook longer than the thirty minutes specified in the recipe, but the split peas were still a tad firm. Do I have to compost the rest of my yellow split peas or is there something I can do to make them more edible? I rinsed them before cooking, what if I soaked them? Anyway, it is a another great recipe from Appetite for Reduction and reminds me of the Amy's pot pie filling which I think anyone would eat with spoon...and now you can. I might try the stew with tempeh sometime or red lentils since my yellow split peas seem to be a dud. The biscuits? How can one go wrong with drop biscuits? They are so simple and with a cup of sweet potatoes they are super moist and nutritious. There is a definite nutmeg flavor so cut the nutmeg if you aren't a fan. Parker had two servings of the stew, but gave his biscuits to his siblings (which they more than willingly took off his hands). The little ones finished off the biscuits for breakfast and asked me to make more. I used four sweet potatoes/yams (I had a mixture of both in our root product bin) for this meal. We are planning our garden for this spring and if any locals want to go in on some sweet potato plants, let me know. They will be around $.50/plant and they are shipped to us at our planting time (May, I believe).

Dema-ism: We love Berkeley Breathed (veg/pro-AR artist) and my sister has given a couple of his books to the kids over the years. One of Dema and Josie's favorites is Mars Needs Moms. We found the movie based on the book was streaming through Nexflix so I decided to watch it last night with the little ones, while Rob and Parker had some time together. At first Dema said the book was much better and he was disappointed. Then as it got to the part where the mom takes off her helmet and gives it to her son so he could breathe on Mars and she would surely parish, I noticed that Dema (7) was wiping away tears. Now the kids are very empathetic (as children naturally are) and they get upset, scared, sad, etc. over various topics in movies and books. I don't remember them crying during a movie before. It was so obvious how deeply that scene affected Dema and so sweet. I was glad he felt comfortable crying and didn't feel the need to hide it, but I wouldn't have noticed at all if we hadn't been snuggling all together. He stated at the end that he "guessed" the movie was pretty good too even if it was different than the book. How I love that intense young man.

Getting Back in the Kitchen and Soy Curls

2012-01-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

We made it back from NC in time to rest up, fill our refrigerator with kale, and then attend the awesome annual New Year's Eve party at Erin and Brian's house. Rob was on top of things that morning and soaked some black beans, cooked them, then "refried" them with kale, and made them into his awesome tamales. All the while I was catching up with our friend, Monique, for five hours. He even served us coffee while the beans were cooking. I am one lucky, lucky woman.

Photo by Erin D

The party was loads of fun, as usual. Brian has a new fryer and they fried a wide array of foods, but I was good for the most part and stuck to

Photo by Erin D

Gita and Seth's sushi,

Photo by Erin D

Erin and Loretta's spring rolls, and Rob's tamales. Brian was super sweet and fried up a couple pickles for Parker (he ate some at the Sport's Connection in Charlotte, NC and was hooked).

Photo by Erin D

We played a Wii dance game (so much fun!), consumed Brian's wonderful alcoholic concoctions (cake vodka is surprisingly good),

Photo by Erin D

watched all the kids be adorable, stayed up way too late (walking home at 3am this year was much warmer than in past years - what is up with our weather?), and made our way over the next day to watch football and/or Love Actually. They are the hosts with the most.

We ended up eating tamale filling (Rob made about 80 tamales which were gone within 24 hours, but he could have made twice as many) in wraps with brown rice and salsa for days. No complaints, his tamale filling is eat out of the bowl good. Rob made some black eyed peas with greens too so the first week of the year was all about greens and beans. Not a bad start to 2012.

All the leftovers meant meant I didn't really need to get in the kitchen for a while, but it was so nice when I finally did. I love to cook, I just don't love to feel like I have to cook. What finally got me slicing and dicing again was Friday evening when Rob said he would go pick up some tofu burritos at Cactus Grill. We were out of most of our fresh fruits and veggies so it sounded like a plan. Then I went downstairs and decided to start chopping up the leftover half of red onion and it became In a Hurry Red Thai Curry (except I used a bit of blackstrap molasses for the sweetener and four teaspoons of red curry paste). I used sweet potatoes, steamed frozen broccoli/corn/carrots/green beans, and leftover soy curls.

I know I am a couple years behind the times, but I finally tried soy curls. I bought some goodies for the kids from Pangea and added a few bags of Butler's Soy Curls to the order. I have heard so much about them, but can't find soy curls locally. I'm not a big TVP fan so I wasn't sure what I'd think of the famous curls. For those of you who haven't tried them, a bag makes a hell of a lot of soy curls. The are rehydrated and grow like Sea Monkeys. I threw half of them in a tomato based pasta sauce with pasta just because I'm lazy like that. The kids loved them, but Rob and I found them chewy like calamari (ugh, can't believe I ever ate squid in my pregan days!) and just as tasteless. So not sold, but I had half a bag of these things in the refrigerator already hydrated and I was worried they might start to breed. I cut them up and added them to the curry. Score! This is what soy curls are made for, in my opinion. I added them right after the onion and let them cook for a long time with the curry paste and garlic so they took on some flavor. They added a nice texture without being too chewy and we didn't really need the tofu. I get the hype now. I could have used seitan with similar results and seitan is easy and cheap to make, but I'll use soy curls from time to time for a quick addition to curries or I might try to make this. I am giving a bag to our friend, Katie, and I can't wait to hear what she thinks of them.

One night we were toying with the idea of heading to Thara Thai for pho, but Parker had a friend over and we decided to make something so he could stay for dinner if he liked. We were very low on fresh produce, but I cracked open Appetite for Reduction and the Red Lentil and Root Veggie Dal was the answer. I asked Rob to start the recipe since I was in the middle of moving furniture around and I told him just to use beets and sweet potatoes for the parsnip and rutabaga (we had regular carrots which we prefer over baby carrots anyway). This made him fussy (he doesn't like to substitute), but I cut them up for him and it turned out great and very pretty. It was so nice that we cooked because we ended up having enough to invite Parker's friend for dinner and his parents and sister. It was so nice to catch up with them (I love impromptu dinner guests!) and the kids were stoked to be able to play longer. The recipe says it serves six, but nine of us ate the dal with basmati rice and chapati with a little leftover. I added peas to the dal in the morning for a picture and it looked pretty festive with the red beets making the dal red and green the peas. We used red onions, sweet potatoes, and red lentils in this dish and it was tasty and filling. We will make this often.

Chasing Health NOT Skinny

2012-01-05T09:43:00.000-08:00

Love this post by Virginia Messina and this one on JL Goes Vegan. A big tall green smoothie cheers to you both!

Update: Another post on this topic from Virginia and the Stop Chasing Skinny blog. I wrote my own story and then deleted it because really there is so much great stuff being said that I don't need to add to it, I just need to make sure people go to the links.

Tasty Traveling Treats and a Warm Start to Winter

2012-01-03T08:24:00.000-08:00

We set out for North Carolina in the rental car after the solstice. Rob's family lives in Charlotte, NC and we brave the unending car ride to see them at least a couple times a year. It is technically only twelves hours, but with the child who hates cars it feels much, much longer. We've been car-free since Josie was a little over one so she is kind of anti-car. She doesn't like to sleep and she dictates what is playing on the radio or if we listen to an audio book, etc. She is basically the worst car trip companion ever. Awesome neighbors, Vicky and Greg, gave the kids some Christmas presents before we left.

One of the presents was this doohickey (don't know what it is called, but it is a magnet that works kind of like a yo-yo) which saved us hours of complaining. It was great until Josie tired of playing with it and then it became a projectile. We will have to seriously look into flying or taking the train in the future. We didn't have to stop for food the first day because we made baked tofu and hummus at home before setting out. The kids ate their weight in both with some apples and oranges thrown in so we made pretty good progress the first day.

Taking the scenic route through Tennessee was not the most exciting part of our journey. After a day and a half in the car, the kids (and Rob) needed a break to stretch their legs.

Ready, set...

Go!

Now back to the car, we are almost in North Carolina!

One of the bright points of our drive is always Asheville, NC. What would we do without Asheville? The mountains,

the funky over-priced art scene,

the veg restaurants,

the reggae musicians singing in the cafes (Ras Berhane was doing a solo gig at Green Light Cafe while we were there on the way home),

the purple tour buses with friendly tourists waving to us,

the friendly reminder to eat right and exercise (we eat more and move smart when we're in Asheville - oops!), the gray haired cyclists showing their stuff on the hilly downtown streets, the hard to find cooperatively owned coffee houses/bookstores with plenty of dreads and tattoos,

the hip coffee shops

serving vegan baked goods

with cargo bike decor

and solar powered hot water. The Portland of the Southeast.

We often stop at Laughing Seed Cafe when passing through Asheville, but this trip I wanted to try something new.

The Green Light Cafe caught my eye when I searched for veg eats in Asheville. I called ahead to make sure they were open since we arrived around lunch on Christmas Eve. They are located not to far from Laughing Seed and in a great area for walking around and taking in the city.

The staff was very nice and the feel is much more hippy/hipster than fine dining which suits us, especially after so much time in the car.

The green (spiked with chlorophyll) water was a hit with the kids. As was all the food.

The nachos were so popular, Dema talked about them all week so we promised to eat at Green Light Cafe on the way home as well. I don't know if the kids have eaten nachos before, but they now have a new favorite food. Beans, greens, and an awesome sauce is always number one with the kids so we might have to try this at home. The eating out during this trip was very Daiya heavy and full of new foods (like fried pickles) that caused me to let go and remind myself that we were on vacation.

The boys each ordered the Margherita Pizza (with Daiya), but Josie begged a slice from both of them so when we hit up Green Light again on the trip home she ate her own pizza.

I had the Tempeh BLT with added avocado which hit the spot. It was just the right temperature with the flavors melding harmoniously with each bite. It had the taste of something naughty, but was actually pretty healthy.

Rob ordered a Indian inspired special which is not on the menu. He said it was quite good, but I was too full to try it even with Josie eating my chips.

As you can see above, we grabbed a cup of coffee for Rob and some dessert for the kids at The Green Sage which is just around the corner from Green Light. Then back in the car for another two hours of driving before our destination of Charlotte, NC. We stayed at Rob's dad's condo so we were able to do some cooking. We made a quick pasta with red sauce and mixed greens salad with carrots and more of the baked tofu we brought from home. A nice relaxed Christmas Eve.

The kids spent a good portion of their time in Charlotte with their beautiful cousin, Lillian. She just turned ten in November and they all adore her. She was so sweet to share all her new birthday and Christmas presents with the kids.

Josie especially enjoyed the microphone and balance beam. I think she was singing to Lillian's barbie dolls. Yes, she really wants a microphone now.

The boys had a great time with Lillian's new skateboard. We don't really have any hills to speak of in our part of Illinois so it was thrilling to ride down the cul-de-sac.

Lillian's steep driveway was also lots of fun. The boys loved her new rollerblades and her helpful hand.

Going up is sometimes more challenging than going down.

One of the fun treats of spending Christmas day at Lillian's is riding in her grandfather's antique car.

Josie had enough of cars on the drive down. She stuck with the scooter which was sporting one almost square wheel after being used at full speed by Parker down the driveway which sent him all the way across the street up the neighbor's driveway and back to the street even with pushing on the brakes (I'm surprised we didn't see smoke).

Josie and I took a walk and ended up at a nearby playground. It was almost surreal to be playing outside in late December with no jacket.

It rained a lot after Christmas, but luckily the sun came out for lunch. We had some money to spend at REI and we don't have one close to where we live so we did my least favorite thing and went shopping at the mall. The only thing that got me psyched up for shopping was checking out an Indian place I found online close to REI. When we finally found Bollywood Bites, we all had a sinking feeling. It was a couple tiers behind a strip mall, no tables inside, and it smelled more like a dry cleaners than an Indian restaurant.

We made the most of it and ordered some food and wiped off a nearby plastic table for an impromptu picnic. Verdict? Josie said it was the "best picnic ever". The food was Indian fast food, but we love Indian fast food. It was surprisingly good and not as greasy as one would expect.

Bhindi Masala is always a favorite in our family.

As is Chole with samosas. We will call it a messy success and all the food was packed away in full happy bellies before we headed back to Lillian's.

Aunt Stephanie is extremely sweet and let Josie play in the veil from her wedding. Josie loved it! Sammy took the opportunity to give the pretend bride a kiss.

Josie enjoying Lillian's backyard for the last time.

Rob's brother and sister-in-law are selling selling their house and his dad is moving in with them so we enjoyed the condo and the house for the last time. The kids are sorry to see both go, but we hope for a pleasant peaceful transition for all of them and can't wait to see where they all call home next.

Josie tried the skateboard at Freedom Park, the kids kicked the soccer ball around, we walked and rollerbladed. I have to admit, winter is pretty sweet in the south.

We weren't outside the entire time. One day we checked out the Sports Connection. Where the older kids climbed the walls,

Josie showed off her basketball skills (nothin' but net),

and the boys displayed why they may never get a driver's license.

We also met up with our friends Buzz and Dave who were in town from Cali. We all ate at our normal go-to Thai place, Deejai, just a short walk from the condo. It was so nice to catch up with them and we all stayed up past our bedtime chatting. Edamame and veg sushi was the best part of the meal for me. Rob and I shared a curry, but their curry is good, but a tad sweet for my taste. The service is always good and the very friendly and the food is pretty fast. They seem to easily accommodate larger parties which is a big plus for us.

The last evening we had to eat at the Mellow Mushroom which is also close to my father-in-law's condo. The kids love being able to order vegan pizza, but this time I suggested Parker try a calzone. None of the kids have every had one before. It was a big hit with Parker. It was HUGE! The pictures only show half of the calzone stuffed with Daiya, portobello mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes. Food comes slowly at Mellow Mushroom so the kids ate TWO hummus plates before eating their pizza/calzone. The waitress was amazed. We did take a little bit home, but even that was eaten as a snack before going to bed.

Parker was so impressed with the calzone that he ordered another the next day for lunch when we stopped in Asheville on our way back to Illinois. The Green Light Cafe calzone wasn't quite as big, but large enough after Parker had his fill of nachos. This calzone was also stuffed with Daiya, portobello mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes, but with a spelt crust. Parker said he liked both the Mellow Mushroom version and the one at Green Light so we'll have to try to make them at home sometime.

Rob was done with Daiya for a while so he went healthier with the Macro Bowl.

I had the daily special tempeh dish with roasted sweet potatoes. The sandwich was just barely warm, which was disappointing. It would have tasted much better if it had been hot, but the sweet potatoes were the star and I could have eaten an entire plate of them. They were roasted not fried with just a bit of seasoning. Dema and Josie stuck with the Margherita Pizza, which Josie ate all by herself (they are personal sized pizzas, but still) after enjoying her share of the nachos. We stopped by Firestorm Cafe and Books after lunch at Green Light Cafe because I read online that they have vegan donuts. We didn't find donuts, but after finally finding Firestorm not far from Green Light, but definitely off the beaten path, we did find some vegan truffles and other sweet treats so the kids were happy. If we had more time, I would have loved to spend more time checking out the books, but we were all in a hurry to get farther down the path toward home.

That night we found ourselves in Lexington, Kentucky. We tried several restaurants on the list, but none of them seemed to be open so we found ourselves at the Mellow Mushroom again. This was fine for the kids and Josie went with her first Daiya calzone and the rest of us had veggie packed pizzas. I ordered root beer for the kids since it was our last dining out of the trip. Parker refused to drink it since it has "beer" in the name (the bottle probably didn't help) and the younger kids weren't big fans probably due to the carbonation (we don't drink soda at home). So I drank my yearly root beer and I'm quite satisfied to go another year or two before drinking another one. I was also happy to fill my house with kale when we finally arrived home. It was great to see Rob's family, our friends living in San Francisco, and the weather was nice, but as Josie said for the last couple hours of our drive it was nice to be "home sweet home".

Groovy Gifts

2011-12-19T07:21:00.000-08:00

We are not really doing the gift thing this year. The kids are getting one big present each, but something they will share with the rest of the family. We don't have a tree up or anything. I just can't get into the gift giving or receiving this year. Rob and I are giving each other the gift of saving for a new roof (this spring seems like the time) and a much needed kitchen remodel (still in the dream stages).

Here are some fun gifts that I would be buying if we were really doing gifts this year:

Online

The Vegan Stoner's Snack Book I know, I probably shouldn't promote something like this since I'm a mom and all, but it looks too cute. I just recently found The Vegan Stoner blog and I'm jonesing for more.

Papa Tofu Loves Ethiopian Food cook zine. Me want!

Vegan Cuts has a couple code for Strawsome. We have enough glass straws for the entire family, but if we didn't I would buy these.

Fred Eats a Pea, but I would also want a rescued greyhound to go with. I've been thinking about adopting a greyhound for years, but I had one reason or another (kids too young, business in the house, etc.). Perhaps my dream will become a reality next year.

Local!
I've been using Charity's soaps and body products for years. They are homemade with great care and attention to quality. Charity is an awesome person and many of her products are vegan. Great for gifts, but also throughout the year.

Common Group Co-op gift cards. Who doesn't need food?

A membership to the Art Theater Co-op. A perfect gift for the movie-buff on your list. They get to be an owner of the coolest theater in town.

A membership or donation to WEFT 90.1 FM (home of Food for Thought). Your community radio station.

Parker already received his big gift:

A new laptop (red!) from HP (thanks, Rob!).

Candy Holiday Houses

2011-12-18T09:45:00.000-08:00

A dozen neighborhood kids all converged on Vicky and Greg's house yesterday to make gingerbread houses, but we used cardboard instead so we called the candy holiday houses.

This is just the type of crafty fun project that I never had the guts to do with my kids at home. It was even more delightful with a whole gang of kids from toddlers to teenagers.

Vicky and Greg provided the space, most of the supplies (Vicky asked for recommendations for vegan candies and we brought a few of our own), the vision (Vicky has done this many times before and she had magazines with ideas), and a glue gun (Vicky is amazing with that thing, cutting pieces of cardboard and gluing it to the particular child's preference).

Josie and her friend working on their houses or maybe eating the decorations.

Dema and his cottage.

Josie's castle right after I told her we weren't going to eat it.

Parker's finished castle.

The three candy holiday houses (Josie's, Parker's, and Dema's).

The kids had a fabulous time and were completely hopped up on sugar when we left with our finished creations three hours later. We have the best neighbors in the world. (Thanks to Todd and Tai, who came down from Chicago to spend some time with us and all the good pictures are Todd's work. Tai was busy being adorable and possibly eating a bit of candy.)

Lentils, Frozen Pizza, and Mummies

2011-12-15T15:21:00.000-08:00

I figured today would be a good day to cook from Appetite for Reduction. What with all the So Delicious products being consumed, I felt the need to balance things out.

Arabian Lentil and Rice Soup and whole wheat gobetti with Easy Breezy Cheezy Sauce and veggies (broccoli, peas, carrots, and cannellini beans) with green tea with lemon in the background

The soup is a keeper. I had some lemon zest in the freezer* and jarred lemon juice. You can definitely taste the lemon in this soup, but I found it refreshing. I could even get into eating this soup in the summer because it has a fresh light taste. Red lentils are my preferred lentil, but Rob goes for French lentils for soup so I'll make his favorite this weekend. It calls for brown basmati rice and it cooks all in one soup pot, which is a plus for lunch. I was not blown away by the Easy Breezy Cheezy Sauce from Appetite for Reduction. I much prefer Three-Nut Cheeze Whiz sauce from Quick-Fix Vegan. I may need fat in my sauces.

Yesterday was pizza day at Parker's school. Most pizza days we make our own or order a pizza the evening prior to send it with him the next day. This week we tried something new. Rob cooked up a Tofurky Italian Sausage frozen pizza while Parker ate breakfast. He packed the entire pizza in Parker's to-go ware. He easily ate it all for lunch (it is supposed to serve three, but Parker can eat a lot) so we'll stick to making our own for the family, but this is a great options for pizza days when we don't have time to make something the night before. The pizza is loaded with veggies which is just the way Parker likes it. There is just a dusting of vegan cheese to hold it all together (which helps when transporting to school). I've only noticed these locally at Strawberry Fields, but I've already put in an order for a case to keep in the freezer.

Parker's grade had Egyptian Museum day today. It was so much fun. Parker and his partner (who sadly went home sick so he didn't get a chance to present) created a display about mummification. Parker has already told us all about mummification at home so we visited the rest of his class and learned a great deal about King Tut, pyramids, "peaceful" Queen Hatshepsut, warfare in ancient Egypt, wigs, makeup, and jewelry for men and women of the time, Ra (the sun god), and many other fascinating aspects of ancient Egyptian life. All the kids did a great job and Dema and Josie had fun asking questions and getting attention from Parker's friends and teachers.

I had to drag Josie away from this exhibit with faces to color and pretty colored pens to color them with. Ancient Egypt has always been a favorite topic for the kids. As Parker was collecting his things to ride home with us, Josie and Dema told me some of the facts they learned. They said it was hard for them to hear everything so they suggested the projects get spread out more so the din wouldn't be quite so loud. Fun and educational event!

*I used to buy organic lemons and they would invariably get moldy before I could use them...no more! Now I zest them immediately and freeze the zest and refrigerate the juice.

Wee Ones Wednesday - Turning the Other Cheek

2011-12-14T15:27:00.000-08:00

I mentioned almost two weeks ago that my eldest, Parker, was slapped on the face by a girl at school. They are in 6th grade and this is Parker's first time being slapped and I'm hoping it is the last. For those of you who know him, you can imagine how completely shocked and upset this event was for him. The way he recounted the events minutes after they happened (I was there picking him from school - we bike to and from school with him and usually one or two of his friends) he had not even been speaking with the girl directly or about her, in fact I'm pretty sure she wasn't even in his consciousness. They were not in any argument and there was little warning. She hit him on the shoulder first and asked if it hurt and when he said it didn't she slapped him and asked if that hurt. It did. I thought this was strange, but 11/12 year old humans are strange. They don't always think things through or think at all before acting. Still, I believe we should be able to ensure our children will not be physically assaulted at school. We talked with Parker about the incident and he was sure he wanted to file an "incident report". We said we supported him and trusted him to deal with the situation.

The next day he tried in three different classes to get a pass "to file an incident report". He said those words and each teacher said they would let him go, but never did. Things get busy and Parker isn't the most assertive kid in the class. A couple days after the slap, Rob offered to go into the office with Parker before school to file the report. Parker was even more sure about going forward since the girl had pinned him against the wall and was angry at him for telling people about the slap (she did it in front of several people so I'm not sure how she thought it was going to stay quiet). She never once apologized for the slap and continued to try to get him to apologize for telling people (he told one person and you know how that goes). This upset me more and if she had apologized that would have been the end of it, but she did the opposite of apologize and this made me worry.

Two weeks after the original incident, they were in the after-school, but on school property, club again (where the slap happened) and working with x-acto knives. She said something to the effect "You should be scared. I would stab you right now, but I would get arrested so I won't." She was on the other side of the table at the time with a knife in her hand. This was the final straw for me. The "incident report" had not be addressed in the week and a half since it was submitted and now things seemed to be escalating.

I emailed the principals and met first thing the next morning with one of them. Apologies and explanations for why nothing had been addressed and within hours Parker and the other student had been brought in separately and together. We had a rocky start, but I am satisfied with the way the school handled things in the end. We are quite lucky that Parker has such clearly caring and dedicated teachers and the administration came through as well. We are still figuring out the balance of letting Parker be his independent self and when to intervene, but we usually take our queue from him and we trust his instincts.

Parker was so upset to be "getting someone in trouble" that he was almost crying for her when she apologized and gave some sort of explanation in the office. The next class they were in together, he approached her and said "Can we be friends?" and she said something like "We already are." I really am amazed by him sometimes. I'm not sure I could have been so forgiving so quickly. He even said it was the best day at school yet. Nothing makes him happier than people getting along and peaceful solutions. I'm not sure if Rob and I are ready for middle school drama, but here we are and we'll go through it for the next nine years. Who said spacing children out was a good idea?

Parker attended two sleepover birthday parties in the last ten days. He is a homebody and likes to sleep in his own bed, but he had a fantastic time at both parties. The first one was just a block away so he walked over and was clowning around before he left. He thought he looked like an explorer with his backpack and sleeping bag. This party was for a friend he unfortunately doesn't see often, but they have known each other since they were little. The kids were having pizza so we ordered a vegan pizza and had it delivered to the party. We also sent vegan ice cream and baked goods. The food worked out just fine and a great time was had. The second party was at the house of a new friend across town and the mother was so awesome about making a vegan dinner, vegan cake, and vegan pancakes for breakfast the next morning. I met her for the first time while I was dropping Parker off, but we all were surprised to find out that she know my sister. Small town. Anyway, Parker raved about the dinner she prepared and I need to contact her for the recipe. He was very impressed and appreciative that the family thought of him. We've never really had any bad experiences with birthday parties, I guess we're pretty fortunate.

Another first for Parker, he performed for the first time with the Drama Club. It was really a cute little play about middle school. They performed in the lunchroom at the school in the evening for a dessert theater. We signed up to bring a dozen cookies, but I brought four dozen. The kids requested Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles and Chocolate Peanut Butter Pillow Cookies both from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. I made one batch of the snickerdoodles spicy like my kids like them and then a batch toned down for the play. I used almond butter instead of peanut butter for the pillow cookies. Rob helped me with the filling and kept saying it seemed to dry so we put in way too much So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer (French Vanilla flavor, still working through the So Delicious coupons from VeganMoFom, best giveaway ever!). When I was assembling the cookies, I could tell something was a little wrong, but they turned out flatter than pillow cookies should be, but they were awesome! The filling tasted nougatty and I'll definitely make them like this again sometime. One of the parents selling the cookies at the play asked about them because they were quite popular.

Today was Josie's last dance class of the year. It was also a "audience day" where the parents get to watch and sometime participate. It gets pretty crazy, but Josie is usually very intense on these days and she listens to her teacher with complete and utter respect. Ms. Kate may need to take her for a couple months and then perhaps Josie will listen to us. Anyway, Rob rearranged his work schedule and took Josie to dance so he could be her audience member. She has been looking forward to this day for weeks! She also gave Ms. Kate a small token of our appreciation, a gift card to Common Ground Co-op. Josie was so excited that Ms. Kate was happy with the present. The pink outfit is from her BFF's Amara and Indigo and I can barely get her to wear anything else. She also insists on wearing half a dozen barrettes which are promptly taken out as soon as dance class is over.

Dema is enjoying special one-on-one time with our thoughtful neighbor, Margie. She borrowed a chapter book from a retired teacher friend and is reading a couple times a week to Dema at her house. Dema adores this time and they are on to the second in the book series. Margie doesn't just read to Dema, but she also gives him a special snack (and two to take home to his siblings). Margie introduced Dema to Justin's dark chocolate peanut butter cups, which he appreciates, but what he talks about non-stop after his time with Margie is the wonderful story they are sharing together. As the middle child, this attention just for him is priceless!

Parker has been asking for us to add more mushrooms to our diet. I bought a bunch at the co-op yesterday and made Thai-Style Coconut Soup. I can't believe it has been awhile since I've blogged about this one. So easy and you can make it hot or mild. I made a double batch today so we'd have enough for lunch, but Parker could also have some for dinner since he was at school. Our friend, Ernesto, was over prepping our upstairs for painting (yay!!!!) so he enjoyed a couple bowls too. We had apples, baked tofu sandwiches, and bananas with peanut butter and dried cranberries as well.

Today with the first coat of primer. This is just a small section of the area being painted.

Here is the wallpaper I was taking off and the bonus second layer of old wallpaper and glue behind it.

Ernesto is amazing and was able to get more done in a few hours than I have been able to do in months. He is super efficient even with a four year old talking his ear off the entire time. Josie would not leave him alone and was trying to teach him ballet while he worked. He's a great sport! I can't wait to see the finished walls!

Sinless and Savory Soups

2011-12-13T11:03:00.001-08:00

Okay, we haven't just been consumed with consuming So Delicious products. We've been souping it up as well.

We all loved the Coconut Corn Chowder so much, the family requested it again. I started to make it just to realize I didn't have any corn in the freezer. No fear, I just turned it into a vegetable soup (omitted the coconut and add a bag of organic vegetable mix - yes, I did think for one second about take the corn out of the mix and using just the corn, silly though!) and added some star pasta (cooked it separately and added it since it tends to totally soak up any liquid and take over). We'll call this Vegetable Soup with Pasta, genius, I know. Rob, my husband who was very slow to come around to quinoa, said he would have preferred quinoa in the soup. Score!

Last night was Quinoa Kidney Bean Sweet Potato Stew (it was supposed to have black beans, but I didn't have any soaked and cooked, but I did have a couple cans of kidney beans). Very flavorful. I was wondering as I added the spices if this stew would end up being confused. The spices didn't seem to have a theme, but it worked out to add complex and layered taste that worked well. We prefer black beans, but I think I would continue to use kidney beans in this recipe. More of Josie's pottery in the background, this one is a rabbit bowl.

Parker is doing an essay about school lunches for his English/Language Arts class. He usually does not spend much time looking at what is served at school and is pretty intent on his own lunch. Yesterday he had leftover brown rice, steamed broccoli, seared tofu with tahini sauce and a Asherah Vegan Burger (Chipotle flavor) on focaccia bread. I asked him last night if he knew what the school serves for lunch. He had to make a persuasive argument about the lunches and if they need to be improved. We printed out the menu on the school website so he could see that he might possibly be the only kid at school yesterday with quinoa and sweet potato (in the burger), broccoli, brown rice, and tofu. (Although we were both pleasantly surprised to see collards on the menu for one day during the month.) He told me last week that sometimes the adults at school come look at his lunch to see what he is eating. This made us both smile. One of the things I miss most about homeschooling with Parker is having him here for lunch. It was so much easier to ensure high quality nutritious and delicious meals when I could serve it up fresh to him. I can empathize with the task the school district has in front of them with certain federal standards (no matter how arguably flawed)*, food that needs to be prepared in quantity and stay temperature controlled through several lunch periods, and kids who will throw away food or not buy food they don't want to eat. I think Parker and I will both learn something from this assignment.

*From our school district's website: "In order to receive the benefits of the NSLP, participating schools must offer free or reduced price meals to eligible children. The schools must also comply with nutritional requirements outlined by the federal government. These guidelines follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans which recommend no more than 30% of a person’s calories come from fat with less than 10% from saturated fat. Lunch menus must also be designed to provide students with 1/3 of the key nutrients they need each day (calories, protein, Vitamins A and C, and iron). " More about this in a future post.

Put the Chocolate Mint in the Coconut and Shake it All Up

2011-12-12T10:43:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, you are sick of hearing about So Delicious, but I'm not done blogging about their great products. The newest taste sensation is the holiday flavor Mint Chocolate for their Coconut Milk. Just the right balance of minty chocolate and coconutiness (another non-word that should be a word). I adore coconut, but for those who don't - no worries it isn't overpowering. I think it would be fabulous hot, but we drank ours chilled. This one isn't for chugging, but for sipping and savoring the flavors. All three tastes: chocolate, mint, and coconut are blended together in perfect harmony. If only all of life could be this balanced!

Full of Figs

2011-12-10T18:35:00.001-08:00

I was happily shopping at our local co-op the other day. It was a normal pleasant time with Josie selecting some Arkansas Black Apples and Dema picking up a 4 lb package of our favorite tofu. Saying "hi" to Amelia and Josie enjoying her vegan spinach quiche (and maybe a roll, half a breakfast burrito, and a scone, but the quiche was her favorite).

Dema devoured black bean a yam tamales and a scone of his own. The next thing I know, I'm at home with Fig and Hazelnut Spread in my hand and Rob asking what it was, how we were going to use it, and how much it cost. The last thing I remembered was looking at the spread and thinking, why? The sale tag brought it to my attention and the rest just seemed to happen on its own. It is quite good smeared on bread and Josie couldn't get enough of it, but I'm wondering if food just jumps into your cart at the store or is it just me?

Wednesday I had a meeting and needed to leave at dinner time. Another impulse buy (on sale at Common Ground) to the rescue!

Wild Rice Cranberry Fig Roast en Croute from Field Roast (picture from their website)

I missed the bus so I actually was able to try a slice. Excellent. I love to make my own seitan, but I'll pick this up whenever it is one sale. Great to have in the freezer for a quick dinner. Rob made garlicky kale to go with it and there was enough leftover for Parker to take a slice of roast and kale for lunch the next day. All the kids loved it. Great texture, the cranberry and figs are lovely with the spices from the seitan. Of course, the kids being kids love anything en croute.

A Nod to the Nog

2011-12-08T14:51:00.000-08:00

I love nog. I loved it before going vegan and we used to make our own vegan version (just for special occasions) before they came out with the pint cartons of vegan nog. Some days I feel like I should change my blog name to "Vegan Oldtimer" since I'm always droning on about the old days when we had to walk uphill both ways to the health food store for the bite of tempeh. Anyways, now we have so many different vegan nog options there will actually be vegan nog tasting at our local co-op's owner appreciation day next week. Is life good or what?

I recently tried So Delicious Coconut Milk Nog (thanks to VeganMoFo it didn't cost me anything!) and I have to say...it is soooo delicious! I don't like a nog that is skimpy on the nutmeg and this is the nutmegiest (this really should be a word) nog I have tasted to date. I want to marry this nog or maybe Rob and could have a threesome because I'd really like to keep him. The kids are fans (I cut it with regular soy milk so their pure little bodies wouldn't have too much sugar, or so I could make it last longer and have more to myself bwahahaha!). For adults, I have to say it tastes pretty fantastic with some Kahlua. I mean move over brandy - Kahlua is the spike for my nog from now on. I also baked up some East Coast Coffee Cake from Vegan Brunch to test out the baking magic of So Delicious Coconut Milk. I was right, this is the bomb for baking. I wouldn't buy it just to drink. I prefer my other plant milks for everyday use, but it is worth buying a carton for special holiday baking.

Quick Coconut Corn Chowder

2011-12-07T18:31:00.001-08:00

Last night Parker had practice for a play the drama club is putting on this weekend so he was home a little late. We wanted to support the band/choir/orchestra for the 7pm concert, but Parker had homework to finish and the kitchen was a mess so I decided on something quick and warm for dinner.

Coconut Corn Chowder from Quick-Fix Vegan

I substituted a sweet potato for white potato, a red onion for the yellow onion in the recipe, and added a tablespoon of jarred jalapenos with wonderful results. The soup tasted awesome before adding the coconut milk so I would probably make it without sometime too. I did puree it a bit, but kept it pretty chunky. The cilantro is perfect so don't forget it. Parker had three bowls for dinner and asked for the leftovers (just one bowl) for lunch today. This reminds me, I need suggestions for lunch contains for soup. We have this container we bought from Common Ground Co-op and I like it for adults, but it is a little hard for Parker to open if we screw it on tight enough to not spill and it always comes back home with the top a mess. I does keep the soup warm though, but I'd like to find something more like an insulated stainless steel bowl. What do you all suggest?

Josie was tired and fussy about half way through the concert. She loved seeing our friends in the band and choir, but we arrived close to starting time so there were no seats. We were all bundled pretty well from biking to the school so we quickly were hot and tired of standing. Note to self, get to school events early. Who knew? I had to bribe her with promises of dessert when we got home. The last thing that sounded good to me after thawing out from the cold dark bike ride home was ice cream, but it actually tasted pretty good. I made a banana split with So Delicious ice cream (the VeganMoFo giveaway that keeps on giving!), a scoop of chocolate peanut butter and a scoop of vanilla, and a bit of a "dessert fail"*. It was mighty good and Josie's mood was much improved. Yes, even I do the classic parenting mistake of bribing my four year old with sweets when she is about to say very loudly that she "NEVER WANTS TO STEP FOOT IN A SCHOOL AGAIN". Luckily, she only said it loud enough for me to hear before I ushered her out into the hallway. Parker's play on Saturday (at the school again) will have desserts served so she should be okay.

*I picked up Clean Start at the library the other day and the first recipe I tried was probably the least healthy. The Peanut Butter Balls looked easy and something small to brighten up Parker's lunches, but my bulk almond butter is really sticky and never rolled into a ball. I gave up and made it into a brownie type thing and it was actually pretty good so here is what I ended up making.

Dessert Fail Almond Butter Bars

1 cup almond butter (we use raw unsalted and it has to be pretty fluid or you should just make the balls)

1/2 cup maple syrup (next time I would use dates or figs to sweeten)

1/2 cup crispy rice cereal

1 bar vegan baking chocolate

shredded coconut

shopped walnuts

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (I just use a stainless steel bowl over a sauce pan with water). Combine the almond butter, sweetener, rice cereal, and melted chocolate in a bowl then spread the mixture in a small square casserole dish. Top with chopped walnuts and shredded coconut to taste (press them down to stick to the almond butter mixture). Freeze or refrigerate until hard. Cut in squares and enjoy.

A Bake and Loaf from Vegan on the Cheap

2011-12-06T13:09:00.001-08:00

Mexican Rice and Bean Bake with leftover sauteed turnip greens (Josie's pottery pig in the background)

Sunday I was feeling eh, not really sick, but just a tad unmotivated and a slight headache. Rob sweetly took care of breakfast and lunch, then offered to fill in for me on the radio show. He was meeting a friend downtown for drinks and some sort of sports game so it would be more convenient than waiting for me to get home. This meant he was out for dinner and I was feeling lazy. I flipped through Vegan on the Cheap and found the Mexican Rice and Bean Bake. I'm always skeptical that brown rice will cook well in the oven, but I decided to give it a shot. I did cook it an extra ten minutes so more of the liquid would soak in, but it was simple and a huge hit with the kids. The Cheezee Sauce on top is also from Vegan on the Cheap. Rob had sauteed the last (for real this time) of the greens from our mini-CSA the night before. We had a few turnips leftover so I added them for a complete meal. The kids were exclaiming how delicious everything was and I'm sure to make this more often this winter. It is supposed to be less than $1.00 per serving, the dish used staples we had on hand (we'd cooked up some pinto beans a few days before) and you can make it to your particular tastes. I used medium salsa with black bean and corn and jarred jalapeno peppers for a bit of a kick. The leftovers I made into a wrap for Parker's lunch. He gave the lunch a big thumbs up too.

Comfort Loaf and whole wheat penne with veggies and leftover Cheezee Sauce (Josie's pottery leaf in the background)

I have never been a meat loaf fan so I rarely make any vegan loafs, but this is about to change. Veg loafs are so much better than meat loaf and really have little in common with them except that it is a great way to use up leftovers. The Comfort Loaf in Vegan on the Cheap calls for pinto beans (still had some to use up) and tofu with veggies and the usual suspects of bread crumbs and vital wheat gluten. Walnuts add some nutrition and crunch and next time I'll probably add some nutritional yeast if I think about it. I used the leftover Cheezee Sauce from the Mexican Rice and Bean Bake for a quick pasta with veggies to round out the meal. Parker's lunch today was a Comfort Loaf sandwich with some unsweetened ketchup on a bun. The Comfort Loaf and Cheezee Sauce are both less than $1.00 per serving. Who says eating well has to be expensive or hard? Both meals took minimal time to prepare and the oven did the rest. Even with my wait to the last minute ways, we ate in a timely fashion with leftovers for lunches. Who knows what we could do with some actual planning?!

Today is Brought to You by the Letter "P"

2011-11-29T09:11:00.001-08:00

Persimmon Smoothie

Yes, it is green, I can't help but add kale* to my smoothies. This one has peeled persimmon, a couple large handfuls of frozen mango, half a bunch of kale, a cup of Coconut Milk**, three Brazil nuts, a small handful of walnuts, one peeled orange, a small handful of dried figs, about two tablespoons shredded coconut.

Puttanesca Tofu Scramble

Quickly becoming our favorite scramble, Rob made this again over the weekend and took a picture. He is usually not one to photograph his food.

PPK's Seitan Roast with Shiitakes and Leeks

I saw this seitan recipe on PPK and then one of my FFT team members, Rachel, raved about it on our show Sunday so I knew I had to make it. We had some dried shiitake mushrooms which Rachel said would work fine...they did. Parker's social studies teacher asked Parker the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to bring in some seitan after the holiday break. I usually make some sort of seitan on a weekly basis now that Parker is in public school. Seitan is versatile and easy to make into a wrap/sandwich or throw into other dishes, but I didn't want just any seitan to be Parker's teacher's first taste of seitan so I made this long seitan roast with shiitakes and leeks (I used shallots, not the same, I know, but I didn't have leeks). Parker's teacher gave it thumbs up. We all liked it too. I thought it was even better the next day than right out of the oven. Tonight I served it with mashed potatoes.

*I'm sure you've heard about the Eat More Kale controversy. It made me want to own Eat More Kale shirts. I hope it makes you want to do the same.

**I never win anything, but I won two giveaways during last month's VeganMoFo. I've already blogged about the Amande yogurt (I bought more of that too), but I also won So Delicious products. The first one I tried was the Coconut Milk. For those of you not in the plant milk know, this is not like the coconut milk in a can you put in curries. This tastes more like rice milk to me with a bright white color (the soy milk we buy is more of a beige). I hadn't tried it before now because the saturated fat content is high for a non-dessert (in my opinion), but for people who don't mind that or who want a change from soy/rice/hemp milks this has a good flavor. It doesn't really taste like much at all which makes it good for cooking too. The texture is really smooth, which is nice.

Monday-itis

2011-11-28T20:03:00.000-08:00

Parker woke up "sick" Monday morning a couple weeks ago. It happens almost every morning after a day off from school. It is funny since he knows he can go back to homeschooling at any point. He talks about coming back, but he wanted to wait until after the Speech competition and now he wants to wait until after a school play in December. He likes the teachers and the kids, but he complains the days are too long and he doesn't get to see us enough. He says certain things bother him about school, but it also addictive. We'll have to discuss this more because I'm not really sure to go with that one.

His Monday-itis is even worse after a three of four day weekend. Last night he was pretty sure his days at school are numbered. It didn't help that he was slapped in the face today by a girl in his Art Club (we are still trying to get to the bottom of what exactly happened, but it was unprovoked and he was completely shocked). The club is on school grounds, but after school and this particular club is not run by a teacher at his school. I wrote most of this post prior to this incident and I am almost speechless. What are 11/12 year old kids thinking these days? I don't know if the girl is bullying, joking around, or maybe she likes him...any of the above does not make hitting another person acceptable.

We had our first parent/teacher conference a couple weeks ago. It was interesting. Of course we heard what we already knew - Parker is a great person, likable, attentive in class, smart, respectful, etc. He takes his time (which is a negative in public school), but is able to multi-task (which apparently makes up for it). We saw five teachers - at his school they only make one team teacher available, but we cheated and went around to find which of his teachers could just chat for a few minutes and they were all very nice about it. Rob and I both walked away with kind of a sick feeling in our stomach and it reaffirmed many of the reason I chose to homeschool in the first place. It wasn't that we didn't like his teachers, but there are just some things which are standard in conventional schooling. A holistic approach to learning really can't be achieved in that setting. We are extremely displeased with the principal. We tried to meet with her the day of the conference and have since sent a couple emails which have been completely ignored. We live in a small town so I don't want to get into too much detail, but I have serious concerns.

The positive part of this conventional school experiment for me - Rob understands more clearly why I was passionate and insistent on homeschooling our children from the start and I can see some of the pros of conventional learning and have started to incorporate them into our homeschooling day with Dema and Josie.

Dema is currently working on "4th grade" math so I was looking into different curriculum options when I found this:

I was pretty impressed that I instinctively used all the techniques they cover so I decided to stick with what I'm making up on the fly and Rob adds a bit here and there (his undergrad degree is in math so why not use it), but really Dema has a natural acumen for arithmetic. His comfort with math might be related to his OCD, he loves the rules and structure of numbers where the rules of reading words always have exceptions so reading is more stressful for him. One of the pros of Parker attending school, he used to compare his math abilities to Dema's and with Dema being four years younger it was hard for Parker not to feel he was math challenged. In school, Parker has come into his own and math is no longer his least favorite subject. His teacher is wonderful and said he could move up to honors math, but he's happy where he is for now.

Açaí

2011-11-27T20:57:00.001-08:00

Josie would like to review a new to us product. I'm not big on buying packaged drinks, but I was looking for ways to get Açaí in our diet.

I happened across two products in our buying club catalog which I decided to give a try. One was a drink.

Sambazon Açaí Berry and Vanilla Protein Smoothie was a huge hit with all three kids. Josie took a sip and declared her new found strength and then took a picture to post on the blog. The mustache is a fun side effect too. The drink is not overly sweet (although it does have added sugar, unfortunately) and has just the right amount of vanilla. It is also filling enough to be part of Parker's school lunch. I wouldn't buy them all the time, but they make a great once in a while treat, especially on days when I don't feel like making a homemade smoothie. I'm buying the unsweetened Açaí pulp smoothie pack this month and we'll let you know what we think.

Happy ThanksLiving!

2011-11-25T09:16:00.001-08:00

We had our second annual Thanksgiving Indian Feast. When Columbus bumped into an inhabited island which would later be part of what many considered the New World, he thought he had landed in India. Some say he was pretty insistent about finding "India" to his dying day. So we think Indian food is just, if not more, appropriate for Thanksgiving than what had become "tradition" in the last 150 years. We celebrate with a sense of irony, but more importantly a deep love for Indian food. This year we are thankful to have Gita and Seth with their girls, my sister and her fiance and their friends Lesley and Don, and my dear friend, Monique, who I've known since Parker was a toddler and her new beau, Ernesto, with us to celebrate. We made enough food for several parties and everyone brought delicious dishes too so I was pretty sure I wouldn't need to eat again for a week.

Rob's Baingan Bharta - when we used to frequent Indian restaurants in the DC area, baingan bharta was Rob's dish. I have grown to like the homemade version much more than what we can get when eating out.

Rob's Chana Masala - we make chana masala a lot and it is one of our kids' favorites.

Rob's Mushrooms with Peas - suggested we make this and it was good, but I would make a few changes. Parker is all about mushrooms right now for the health benefits so he was happy to see this on the table.

Rob's Bhindi Masala - I would marry Rob all over again for this bhindi. It is by far my favorite dish!

Rob's Vegetable Pulav - I suggested we make this new to us recipe from Manjula's Kitchen and now I'm sure this will be a staple at our dinner table. We made plain brown basmati rice too, but next time we will make this with the brown.

Linda's Ginger Cookies - These are from Healthy Cooking for Kids. Josie formed the dough balls for me so they aren't the prettiest. I was originally going to make Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Crunch with the ginger cookies and the nuts below, but the kids liked them so well as they were that I left them.

Linda's Maple Roasted Nuts - I used to make these all the time. The recipe is from Healthy Cooking for Kids which was my first favorite cookbook after having Parker. I used cashews, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and Brazil nuts.

Linda's Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

I've made this before (in fact this picture is from a couple Thanksgivings ago) and the kids always ask why I don't make it more often. It is super easy so I might make it a couple more times before the end of the year.

Gita's Aloo Gobi - Aloo Gobi was my first love when it comes to Indian cuisine so I was happy to see Gita brought some.

Gita's Apple Pie - Gita is famous at our house for her pies, they never disappoint. She also brought coconut ice cream to put on top.

Ernesto's Cuban Beans and Rice with Plantains - The best beans and rice. He used frozen plantains, I have to try that. I also fell in love with his rice cooker with the clay pot. If anyone out there has one, let me know how you like it.

Karen's Seitan Parmesan - I need to loan Vegan Diner to Karen more often and have her come over for dinner.

Stuart's Fruit with Ginger - Stuart shares Josie's love of ginger.

Stuart's Colorful Salad - Josie is looking at this right now and asking for some. It was chock full of great things from Brussel spouts to purple cabbage to quinoa!

Stuart also brought some great falafel from a mix, and Lesley brought a yummy fruit crisp which I didn't get a picture of. Gita brought her raita (the yogurt looking topping in the middle of the plate) and it is always such a treat because we never make it for ourselves. We also made some samosas and paratha from the freezer. Whew, that is a lot of food!

I bought this three in one slow cooker last year and I'm always so happy with my purchase, especially when we have parties.

Friday I avoided cleaning up from the party by cleaning out the garage. This led to Josie deciding to try her hand at a pedal bike. She loves her balance bike (we are anti-training wheels) so I didn't push the next step, but she was really awesome on the bike and spent the entire beautiful unseasonably warm November day cycling around the park. Dema learned to ride on this bike (handed down to us by a friend whose youngest son borrowed our balance bike which helped him learn to ride the pedal bike) when he was three Easter weekend. He also learned by riding around our park. A perfect way to spend the day off. We may have also eaten a bunch of leftovers, it was too good day.

Two Soup Night

2011-11-21T17:54:00.001-08:00

Parker asked me to pack some soup for his lunch this week. I started Curried Yellow Split Pea Soup from Vegan on the Cheap in the slow-cooker while he was eating breakfast. My slow-cooker is old and I think it runs a tad cool so I put the soup on high instead of low. I'm glad I did because the split peas were barely done when we sat down for dinner. My slow-cooker hasn't had this much action since we inherited it. I think I'm finally seeing the value of slow-cooker meals. (The beautiful artwork in the background is thanks to Amara and Indigo, they made these colorful birthday cards for me.)

I was worried we wouldn't have enough leftovers with one type of soup so I also made Peanutty Pumpkin Stew from Vegan on the Cheap on the stove top. I changed things up a bit. (Gita gave me a knitting project - and she started it for me, thank you! - and the cool Frida card - in the background - for my birthday. We've been studying Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera* in our homeschooling this year so the kids thought the card was very cool.)

I used red onion because they have more antioxidants, used sweet potatoes instead of white and roasted them with the garlic and carrots. I also used almond butter instead of peanut butter, pinto beans instead of kidney, and jarred jalapeno peppers so they weren't mild. I pureed it all before adding the beans and peas. I add two cups of cooked quinoa right before serving, but aside from all that I pretty much followed the recipe. I garnished with chopped peanuts. I served vadas to dip in either soup. The Peanutty Pumpkin Stew was the hit! The split pea soup was good, but the pumpkin soup was the one Parker had two bowls of and requested for school the next day. I can see this stew becoming a winter regular. Delicious and super nutritious!

Dessert was Gold Bar Cookies also from Vegan on the Cheap. We don't usually have dessert, they just eat some fresh or frozen fruit after dinner if they are craving something more, but I made these bars this weekend for a delicious Indian meal with lovely friends and the kids requested I make them again. Both times I made the bars with mango fruit spread. For the second batch of bars, I played around with the sweetener using a combo of date sugar and blacktrap molasses instead of brown sugar and it was much better tasting and the base stuck to together better. I also added shredded coconut to the top as Robin suggests in her recipe, but I forgot to add the nuts and golden raisins. I used walnuts both times instead of peanuts and this time I just added the nuts and raisins about five or ten minutes before it was done baking. I liked it better this way, but both are good. I thought these tasted a bit like my memory of pop tarts, but Rob didn't get that from them. Everyone agreed they were yummy.

*Some things Dema thought you should know about Frida and Diego:
"Frida Kahlo was famous for painting self-portaits and her husband Diego was famous for painting murals. Once Diego was going to paint something at Frida's school when she was young (before they were married) and he fell of the scaffold, but wasn't hurt. All he cared about was his mural. He painted about bad things like Army soldiers killing workers. Frida put soap on the stairs in her school to make Diego slip and fall. Later they married (when Frida was older) and Diego was a lot bigger than Frida and a lot older and I don't think he ever found out that she put soap on the stairs. Frida had polio as a child and always had a problem with one of her legs. She painted some creepy pictures like the one with two Fridas and it looked like there was something connecting their hearts. I think the married Frida hod blood on her dress. They lived in the Blue House which Frida's parents used to live in. Diego's twin brother died of a disease when they were babies so Diego was sent away to the mountains. Frida had to be in bed a lot when she was sick and started to paint. Frida died at the age 47. Next time I will tell you about Harriet Tubman." He talks faster than I can type so I think I might have missed a couple things, but if you are seven (or four) and want to learn more about Frida and Diego, we suggest you start with Frida Kahlo: The Artist Who Painted Herself and Diego. We've had these books in our home library for years and they kids have always enjoyed them.

Something Smells Fishy

2011-11-21T07:21:00.001-08:00

Okay, I know I'm probably the only one, but...does anyone else out there get a fishy smell on their hands when they peel clementines? I didn't think so. It happens sometimes with regular oranges too. I've been peeling a lot of them since our neighbor, Vicky, brought over a bunch. The kids love them and I do too, but I have to wash my hand immediately or the algae fishy smell makes me gag. Maybe it is like the thing where some people (not anyone in our family, thankfully!) think cilantro tastes like soap.

Penne-Wise Peanutty Pasta from Vegan on the Cheap (with veggies added and almond butter used instead of peanut butter) and peeled clementines

The kids liked this pasta to spite their initial skepticism. They complain each and every time I mention serving pasta these days. It is just too boring. In the end, they enjoyed it to the point of being sad when it was all gone, but there was much groaning before they took a bite. They think I'm cutting corners when I make pasta and they want a "real meal". Hopefully, it will come back in fashion when warmer weather comes, but for now I'll give the people what the want - soups, brown rice and veggies, enchiladas, etc.

Shorter of Breath and One Day Closer to Death

2011-11-19T13:25:00.001-08:00

Okay, I mentioned that I would talk a little about my depression over the past year. It is mainly to apologize to everyone I know or have had contact with over this time because I was completely falling apart at the seams and unfortunately is was not the best time to have me as a friend. I didn't even know how bad things were on a day to day basis. I would get a suicidal thought here and there, but a lot of life was in flux and it never seemed to be seriously serious. I mean, I really wasn't ready to admit that I was a middle class white American housewife cliche. In fact I didn't even realize how long I'd been depressed until our little book club read Cutting for Stone. Thankfully, I didn't read it time for our discussion because it so effected me it would have seemed impossible to discuss it, even with the incredible women in the book club. I had a total "aha" moment about my feelings of being abandoned emotionally by my father, but I still couldn't bring myself out of the cavern of darkness. It made me more upset since I have a pretty good life. I didn't deserve to be depressed. I mean look at all the suffering in the world and how very privileged and lucky I am - have always been. I hated myself for being so selfish as to not appreciate everything and everyone I had in my life which led to more pain and guilt and depression. I think you can kind of see the cycle here.

On top of my still feeling the hole my mother left in my life when she died nine years ago and my perception of being unloved by my aging father, I had tons of guilt. Guilt really has no positive effect and should be completely abandoned, in my opinion, but old habits die hard. My grandfather (my mother father) outlived two wives, two brothers, his parents, his daughter, and countless friends and family members. He came to my house a couple weeks before his death and he was not happy. He said he was ready to die and that getting old was not all it was cracked up to be. He was in his 90's. In some ways talking to him, before I rushed to his unconscious side as he was dying a few days later, made it easier. I felt like he was ready to go, but later it just made me sad. I mean I hope I am ready to go when it is my time, but I feel like his last couple years were not happy and that makes me feel like I should have done more. My mother said while she was dying in the hospital from undiscovered cancer that growing old was not all it was cracked up to be. I will always feel like I should have done more for her. She was completely giving and loving up to the very end and I had a two year old, my first child, so taking care of my mom and Parker at the same time was a nightmare. I would be so much better at it now, but the days spent in the hospital room trying to keep Parker occupied and be there for my mom were not my best.

My mom was 57, eight years older than my husband is now. Just as bad as me turning 40, is my husband turning 50 next year. It doesn't seem possible. It just snuck up on me. 50 doesn't seem old, not really, but both our mothers died in their 50's. It seems like just yesterday my husband was 32 and he was teaching me to rock climb at Seneca Rocks and where the best vegan food could be found in DC. Where does the time go?

Aging is a two-edged sword. I'm not ready for the alternative, but I don't have a lot of role models for aging happily. I do feel better now. It was almost immediate...the day I turned 40 it was like a weight had been lifted. I was 40 now, nothing could be done, I survived, and now it was time to go on. Not just go on, but now I could do anything I wanted to do. Not that I had a whole hell of a lot of limitation the day prior mind you, but for some reason the thing I had been dreading for a year had actually been a freeing experience. I have a husband who adores me and finds me amazingly attractive - and lets me know on a more than daily basis - even when I spend end of autumn with uncombed hair and living in men's organic cotton long johns resenting the times I have to put on jeans to leave the house. Now to be fair to my husband, I don't think he's noticed that the long underwear is men's and they are not his. They were given to us unopened by a friend who thought they might fit Rob and I was desperately cold one day (have I mentioned we don't turn our heat on until my birthday each year and once we do it gets to be a balmy 60 degrees in the house). I have also mentioned that I'm tipping the scales at 20 lbs past my "cruising" weight* so my normal long underwear while not so distractingly loose in the groin area is also so tight as to be uncomfortable in other areas. Forty, for those of you not there yet, is all about comfort. I think I could get used to that part.

I am married to a lovely man who is really the best friend I've ever had - another cliche, but completely true - and have three children who force me to grow even when I don't want to and teach me more about myself and the world than I ever learned before they were born. My life really rocks.

I treated myself to reading both Seriously...I'm Kidding and Bossypants** in the last 48 hours which has affirmed my comfort with 40 even more. Nothing like putting aside all the intense reading about political and social issues around the world (I picked up Raising Elijah at the same time, but I made myself read the lighter stuff first) for some Ellen and Tina. Just what I needed. Perhaps laughter is the best medicine.

So, dear friends/family and readers I have never met, I have had my year of wallowing in depression. I survived it and I know not everyone does. It is serious and so many people suffer silently. This is another reason I wanted to mention it because it is not a personality defect, it doesn't mean I am weak, it isn't caused by what I do or don't eat or my lifestyle, and it can effect anyone no matter how many blessings they have in their life. Thankfully, all along I knew in the back of my head somewhere that I would not feel this way forever and I think that is what kept me going. I couldn't will myself out, I tried. Thanks to everyone for being so patient with me over the past year. I hope if any of you are suffering that you know I am here if you ever want to talk. I hope you all feel loved and supported, but I also know that sometimes that isn't enough. It will get better.

*This is the weight I end up at when I'm living my normal semi-active life and eating as much of anything and everything I want. The working out like I should and not going back to seconds and thirds is even lighter. My current weight is actually more than I weighed the day before I gave birth to Parker. I don't mind where I am now, but my problem knee feels better at my cruising weight and I definitely feel better when I'm exercising more and doing yoga regularly.

**My four year old saw the cover of Bossypants this morning and said, "Hey, that's Liz Lemon!" Yes, she may have seen a couple episodes of 30 Rock with us on Netflix. I figure most of the inappropriate stuff goes way over her head, but we try to watch it while she's asleep now. It might be ironic that 30 Rock is one of the things that got me through this last year. I have grown to love Alec Baldwin not just for being a vegetarian actor with unapologetic liberal views, but for an actor who is so incredibly awesome he doesn't mind poking fun at himself. I put him on my short list of actors who would be completely wonderful to have as an older brother...William Shatner is another one - also veg and so cool he doesn't have to take himself seriously.

Seitan Roast

2011-11-16T16:58:00.001-08:00

I don't like the term "meat substitute". When I eat tofu or seitan, I'm not substituting for the meat I could be eating. I'm eating tofu and seitan because I like it. I don't want to be eating muscle and body fat. I'm sure the reason I ate meat as a kid had a lot more to with spices or sauce than with the taste of the actual flesh. In fact some things remind me of meat to the point where it kind of grosses me out. From veggie patties and tofu are all foods in their own right. I don't substitute anything for meat. I just eat plants.

I've mentioned before that I was an extremely picky eater. The worst. I did what I was told, was graded very well in school, never was much of a trouble maker, didn't utter a cuss word until years after my classmates were cussing up a storm...you get the picture. Yet, looking back at my childhood I am sure that I was a complete and utter pain to my mother. She never said it, but being a mother for over 11 years now I can completely empathize with the stress my fussiness must have caused her. She attempted to feed me something that resembled a nutritious diet three times a day. The woman was a saint. I hated pretty much all vegetables, but I had a special dislike of cooked carrots - raw was great, but cooked was yuck to the point of gagging. I didn't look forward to the obligatory 70's pot roasts since they included cooked carrots. I loved cooked carrots now, but I never thought to make a roast until I noticed the seitan roast recipe in Vegan on the Cheap. I don't use my slow-cooker very often since I don't think 8 hours ahead what I'm going to make that day and I like the act of cooking, but throwing everything into a slow-cooker has its advantages. Rob and I had a mini date night last night so I thought it was a good day to make this for the kids and my sister (who is a rock star for watching the kids on a week night).

Slow-Cooker Seitan Roast from Vegan on the Cheap

Slow-Cooker Seitan Roast take two (pre-cooking)

They all gobbled it up and Parker asked me to make more for his lunch tomorrow. I used mushrooms both times (which the recipe doesn't call for) and this time added some purple potatoes Vicky and Greg gave us.

Mice and Beans

2011-11-15T08:01:00.001-08:00

Mice and Beans was one of Parker's favorite books when he was little. He loved all books and I would read hundreds of books to him a day, sometimes until midnight. Ah the joys of parenting one, how easy it was! This book has a compassionate theme and, although it uses personification to make the mice seem lovable, it is pretty cute. They do talk about cheese in this book, just in case some of vegan parents out there mind. Recipes are included at the end of the book. I know I avoided a lot of books when the kids were younger based on food they discussed or depicted. Mice and Beans also has nice messages about family and what is important (it doesn't matter if your house is too small or your napkins don't match). This is the time of year when mice try to take up residence in our old house so I try to remember they are sentient beings too as I try my best to keep them out.

We ate a lot of rice and beans (and greens) last week. In various combinations, it never gets old. My kids always go for black beans if they have a choice and it turns out, they are higher in antioxidants than other beans so - good choice!

Brown rice, black beans, garlicky kale and turnip greens, Amy's black bean and corn salsa, and tofu burritos.

An inside view because of love the little "hairs" on the turnip greens.

Beans and greens with salsa and tofu.

That is a Tasty Burger

2011-11-14T18:19:00.001-08:00

Yes, my husband likes to quote Pulp Fiction and he did it often while eating the new to us veggie patties from Asherah's Gourmet. They were on sale this month through our buying club so I bought a case of the chipotle flavor to have on hand for nights when I'm at the gym or for Parker's school lunch. I made them tonight since I wasn't hungry (they come in four packs) and I really wanted to see if the family liked them. I served them with dried apples which I also bought from our buying club to do a little experiment to see if they end up having an effect on cholesterol. They look like chips, but they taste so much better. Great side for the veggie patties. The patties were quite tasty according to the family. I love to make my own chickpea quinoa burgers with kale, but these are very convenient with the just the right amount of kick from the chipotle and a short list of completely pronounceable ingredients. They will have to share the title with Sunshine Burgers for our favorite veggie patty.

Josie doing/being laundry. Just because.

Remembering Loved Ones

2011-11-12T05:40:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was Veteran's Day so Parker had the day off from school. We didn't get a chance to do our Day of the Dead tradition on the actual Day of the Dead since it was terribly rainy, I was recovering from an illness, and Parker was at school and he didn't want to miss our Day of the Day ritual. I figured Veteran's Day was a good day as any to remember those in our lives who are no longer with us. I didn't take my phone or camera though so you'll have to check out DotD 2010, DotD 2008, and DotD 2007. This year we went to Transitions Resale Store to donate some clothes and talked about how it benefits the Center for Women in Transition - which my mom was very involved in for many years. We made our usual stop at the Y Eatery for pad thai and talked about how my mom worked in the building and loved the tofu pad thai. This year I brought other food from Common Ground Co-op to make their lunch more of a meal. They ate raspberries, almond yogurt, and apples with their pad thai. We ran into several people we know and the kids were so eager to explain about their dead grandmother and how we remember her every year. I'm not sure anyone understood. The kids really look forward to talking about my mom and this year my grandfather too, hearing stories from my childhood, Parker talks about what he can remember from his two years with my mom still alive, etc. Each of them have their own ideas and feelings about death. I am lucky to get to share such moments with them. I adore them so much and their depth never ceases to amaze and inspire me.

I bought refrigerated silken tofu accidentally (I thought I was buying our regular firm tofu, but put the wrong number in the system) through our buying club a month or so ago. We don't use silken tofu often so I've been looking for ways to use it up. I finally finished it off last night on Vegan on the Cheap's peanut sauce. This is my first recipe to make from this cookbook. I tested some of the recipes for Robin, but I realized recently my sister had the cookbook and it was still at our house from the year she lived with us...bonus!

Roasted beets, brown rice, garlicky kale and turnip greens, peppery tofu, and peanut sauce.

We serve some variation (this one is mustard greens and the kids used a tahini sauce) of this meal at least once a week and two of the kids named it their favorite meal in the interviews I did with them for VeganMoFo. It really is a meal we can all enjoy each time and it never gets old. I used the rest of the silken tofu (the sauce didn't call for an entire package) on a chocolate smoothie (cocoa powder, rolled oats, silken tofu, vanilla soy milk, dried cherries, dried figs, and flax seeds) which was decadent enough to be called dessert, but really full of healthful things. I based this on a Healthy Chocolate Milkshake video from Dr. Greger's site.

Know Your Drugs, Know Your Doses

2011-11-09T16:31:00.000-08:00

We all rarely go to the doctor and then we unintentionally schedule one dentist appointment and two physicals on the same day for Rob and me. On top of that, none of the appointments are anywhere close to each other and it was a chilly rainy day. Rob's current job has an insurance company which is big into "knowing your numbers". We'll need to have yearly physicals as long as we are with this insurance company. Aside from being a huge baby about getting my blood drawn, I love to check out the numbers so it doesn't really bother me too much.

Rob's Numbers (49 years old):

Blood Pressure - 112/80 (he's always a bit high)
Pulse - 66
Total Cholesterol - 154
HDL - 38
TC/HDL Ratio : 4:1
LDL - 105
Triglycerides - 55
Glucose - 76
Rob didn't ask for a B12 test, he finally has come around the last several years to taking a B12 supplement on a regular basis so I'm not worried. His levels have always been within normal in the past.

Linda's Numbers (2 days before turning 40):

Blood Pressure - 102/68
Pulse - 72
Total Cholesterol - 167
HDL - 48
TC/HDL Ratio - 3.5:1
LDL -110
Triglycerides - 43
Glucose -82
B12 -852

My numbers have been much better, but I'm not surprised. The week of binging on vegan chocolate chips and almonds while watching The Tudors on Netflix was probably not helpful. This has been a tough twelve months starting almost a year ago when my grandfather (my mom's dad) died. I've dealt with some severe depression (more about that in a later post) which I've eluded to. I'm about 20 lbs over my "cruising weight", but still well within BMI normal...I was surprised the nurse didn't mention my weight gain, but I'm guessing she didn't compare to my old records. I don't think I've had a physical for something like eight, maybe ten, years. I've had a several blood draws over the last ten years so I'll probably look up the results.

A couple observations from our most recent experience with our health care system. Most of the health care in this country is predicated on people eating the SAD. Focusing on the numbers really makes people feel like a number. Surprise. We saw two different health care professionals and neither one of them looked at us as a person. Sure, the information can be helpful, but only if taken as one part of a more complete complex picture. My doctor (a resident) from my last physical about ten years ago called me up personally and talked about everything we discussed in his office and the results of my blood work. He was impressed with my numbers and asked me about my lifestyle, etc. This time I receive a call from a technician and she stated that my LDL was "too high" and I should work on my "diet and exercise". I'm not denying that, but if someone really does have a health issue they need addressed (like my mother, who for years was morbidly obese and she was told the exact same thing with no help whatsoever on what eating better was or how to exercise when she had no cartilage in her knees so moving or even sitting was extremely painful) what are they to do? Of course, I believe it taking responsibility for our own health. This is one of the reasons we live the way we do. I do believe our health care system is missing the mark. We did get tetanus shots pushed at us. Of all the shots, I was surprised this one was the one they decided to promote, especially with flu season upon us.

Cuban Black Bean Soup from Viva Vegan served with brown basmati rice (she suggests long white rice, but brown basmati is the closet rice in our cupboard and I think it worked great) and cashew creme (also from Viva Vegan and a recipe suggestion) with a couple drops of chipotle hot sauce. I'd love to have my friend, Monique and her new beau over to try this one. She knows Cuban food so I'm curious if this would pass for her. It is definitely a soup we'll make again and again.

For my birthday dinner I made a huge pot of wing-it tomato soup. Tomato soup is one of my favorite comfort foods from my childhood. My mom made it "right" by adding milk to the canned (you know the brand) soup and my dad made it "wrong" by adding water to the canned soup. Ironically, this soup has no milk, not even soy milk and it is excellent, if I say so myself.

Grown-up Tomato Soup
1 large onion, diced
1 small green pepper
several roasted red peppers (I used maybe six or half a jar)
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp za'atar
6 cups water with 1 tsp Better than Bouillon dissolved
1 medium to large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 medium or 2 small white potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 - 1 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup tahini (a couple tablespoons works fine too)
pepper to taste (the more the better)
salt to taste (1 tsp to start with)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
pistachios or pumpkin seeds and more za'atar for garnish (optional)

Soften the onions in a large soup pot with just enough water for the onions to not stick. Add the peppers and cook for a couple more minutes. Add the garlic and spices and cook for one minute (keep adding a bit of water if everything is sticking). Add the water, sweet potatoes, and white potatoes and cook covered for 20 minutes (until the potatoes are soft). Add the nutritional yeast, tahini, salt, and pepper and heat for a minute or two. Take the soup off heat and puree it with an immersion blender. Add the lemon juice and stir. Taste for salt and pepper, add more if needed. Serve hot and garnish. Great with a nice crusty bread.

Stay Home Sunday

2011-11-06T10:47:00.000-08:00

We were going to spend the weekend out of town for my 40th birthday, but several things did not come together and we are home. It all worked out for the best. Last night we watched the new version of Gulliver's Travels. Ugh, I think this can be categorized under the "dumbing down of America". I knew a movie starring Jack Black was not going to be educational, but even the kids were disappointed, although they did find some of it stupidly funny. The kids listened to the audio book unabridged version of Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift a little while ago. We watched the miniseries on Netflix several months ago. The miniseries was surprisingly well done and it added to their understanding of the book and we were able to delve deeper into the satirical nature of the Swift's work. Also, how some of his critiques of government could be relevant today.

This morning we were able to enjoy the extra hour of sleep, snuggle with the kids for a while after they woke up, and make an easy, but enjoyable breakfast before starting our various jobs around the house.

We love puttanesca sauce so I'm not sure what took us so long to make the Puttanesca Tofu Scramble from Vegan Brunch. We had awesome some French mix pitted olives from World Harvest which made this dish extra tasty. Rob used up our last tomato from our mini-CSA (I know we keep saying the last, but the CSA just keeps giving, yay!). At first, Parker was disappointed that it wasn't our normal tofu scramble with kale, but then he had two servings so he was won over.

For the kids, I added bananas-peanut butter-golden raisin (one of their favorite quick snacks) and vanilla soy yogurt with frozen raspberries. This should keep them satisfied until we have enchiladas for lunch.

Come Dancing

2011-11-05T16:12:00.000-07:00

Last night, Parker had his first public school dance. He let me take a picture of him as we locked his bike up at school.

He's so fun and goofy! It was just for the 6th graders and I assumed not much dancing would be going on. I assumed wrong. He had a great time and he said his one regret was not dancing more. He is definitely not Rob's child. I think there should be more opportunities for pre-teens to dance. He's had a great time at weddings, but really what other place do pre-drinkers get to dance? So glad he was able to experience this one and that he had a fabulous time.

The one issue with the dance was timing. Parker was at school until 4pm for Speech Club and the dance started at 5pm back at the school. He wasn't really ready for a big meal at that time and neither were the rest of us so I figured it was the perfect night to make enchiladas.

We received a bunch of tomatillos in our mini-CSA a couple weeks ago and I wasn't sure what to do with them. I decided to crack open Viva Vegan for a salsa verde recipe, but I also found a recipe for Potato Chickpea Enchiladas. I was lazy and made the salsa verde one day and then didn't have pine nuts for the creme and we didn't have corn tortillas. Last night I decided to sub cashews for the pine nuts (the recipe linked to above has cashews anyway, but I just found that link) and whole wheat tortillas for corn ones.

I also used white northern beans instead of chickpeas, sweet potatoes for most of the potato, roasted the potatoes, onion (I used sweet instead of red), garlic, and jalapenos instead of boiling the potatoes.

The results? The best enchilada I have ever tasted. Seriously. I would make them exactly the same way again. The white beans were creamy and sort of melted into the filling, roasting really brought out the flavor of the veggies. They were quite spicy so Dema ate the filling (two helpings), Parker had his with avocado, and Josie has hers with avocado and vegan sour cream. We have plenty of salsa verde so I'm tempted to make more. Check out Terry Hope Romero's video for making her enchiladas so you can have some too.

Today was another first for Parker. We woke at 6am to head out for his first Speech competition in the vegan food desert called Effingham, IL. It does, however, have a song. Yes, they call it Effington, but it is obviously Effingham and it is on the way to Normal, IL. A little taste of the Midwest for you all.

It was a long drive for us on a Saturday morning. Thankfully my sister came over to watch Josie and Dema (they were still asleep long after we left) and loaned us her car. Parker ate a bit before we left, but none of us were really awake enough to eat. He slept most of the way and the actual competition was short and sweet. It was fun to see him and the other kids perform. He was tired and felt like he did poorly on his improvisations with his partner, but she called after we arrived home and said his entire team got ones so he felt much better. All along he's said he wasn't nervous, but I could tell when it came down to it, he was. How nice to get his first one out of the way and I hope the next one is closer and we can sleep a little later.

Linky Love - Recipes I Want to Try

2011-11-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

This year's VeganMoFo had me adding more and more blogs to my favorite list. I usually read blogs on my iphone and see things I like, but never find them again. I decided to start keeping a record, then I thought I would go through each of the vegan blogs on my list and find something I'd like to make from each of them. I hope you click through and find a blog or recipe that is new to you. Tell them I sent ya.

Beautiful Vegan's Kiwi-Lime Pudding
     My kids would eat kiwis every day if we had them around. I know they would heart this pudding.
Bitter Sweet's Green Garlic Dip
Garlic and greens? I'm there!
Bonzai Aphrodite's DIY Homemad "Green Powder"
     It bugs me that most green powders sold in stores have spirulina in them and we avoid it (check out the link) so I was super excited to see the DIY "Green Powder". I have a dehydrator and can't wait to put it to use on some greens.
Brown Vegan's Popeyes Biscuits
     Not the healthiest recipe out there, but I think this might have to show up for Rob's 50th birthday next year. His MaMa (maternal grandmother) used to whip up biscuits like nobody's business. I'm sure these biscuits will remind him of her.
Chef Chloe's Panang Curry
     Sweet potatoes and kale in a Thai panang sauce? Yes, please!
Cold and Sleepy Cooks' Quince-Glazed Black Bean Cutlets
     Quince is definitely an underused fruit in our house.
Cooking Vegan Food Up North's Rose Hip Soup
     It is beautiful, it is soup, and it is made with rose hips.
Craving Veggies' Robin Robertson tester recipes
     This is a call for her to get back to blogging (if she wants too), but I would make any of the tester recipes from Quick-Fix Vegan.
Creating with Parker's Spicy Mac and Cheese
     My son, Parker, started his own blog and his recent cheese sauce recipe is his first post. I look forward to him making this again and coming up with new recipes.
Diet, Dessert and Dog's Spiced Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread
     Pumpkin is on my mind right now so pretty much anything with pumpkin as an ingredient catches my eye, but cream cheese is a plus.
Down Home Vegan's Pasta alla Carbonara
     I was going to pick another recipe on her blog, but I had to pick this recipe dedicated to her father's birthday. My dad's birthday was also in October, but we have spoken for months (we live maybe four miles from each other). This is a post for another time, but I will probably have to get it out at some point. This past also just looks really good.
Dumbledore's Vegan Army's Chocolate Frogs
     I will never make these, but I would love to be the kind of mom who would. Totally awesome!
Everyday Dish - Julie Hasson's Pickles
     I can't believe this is the one I picked from all of Julie's lovely posts, but Parker adores pickles and I need to start making them myself.
Fat Free Vegan's White Bean Salad with Za'atar
     She had me at za'atar.
Get Sconed's Chipotle Yum Sauce
It has "yum" in the title, oh and I love chipotle.
Good Good Things' Cashew Dill Sauce
One can't have too many good sauce recipes.
Healthy Happy Life's Cranberry Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
I love me some Brussels sprouts, I crave cranberries, and balsamic vinegar is the best.
Happy Herbivore's Fat-Free Whole-Wheat Pumpkin Bread
I told you, I'm into anything pumpkin right now.
Hell Yeah It's Vegan's The Best Pecan Pie
Pecan pie, people, 'nuf said.
I Eat Grains' Damn Good Vegan Chili
It is damn good and it is chili weather.
It's Raining Kale's Quinoa Granola
I really like quinoa in granola. Does anyone know if uncooked quinoa has similar nutritional value to cooked?
Jack Norris' Pea Counter
Okay, this is not a recipe, but it is my new favorite site for nutrition info for meal planning and tracking what we all eat from time to time.
JL Goes Vegan's Curl Paprikash Sandwich
Paprikash is fun to say and I need to just try soy curls already.
Just Another Vegan Blogs' Zucchini Corn Casserole
I've had this and it is darn good!
Kiss Me, I'm Vegan's Lindsay's Cashew Cheesy Cheese
Cashew cheese is the best.
Kittens Gone Lentil's Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites
This is not a recipe, but a cookbook I think I should buy after reading her blog. With a three growing kids in the house (one of them a male tween), I think this cookbook would come in handy.
Life on the Vegan Highway is Good's Quick and Easy Tacos
Not really a recipe, but a great reminder. We hardly ever eat tacos and they are easy and fun, we must make some soon.
Manifest: Vegan's Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup
     Sweet potatoes, cauliflower, soup = yum.
Meet the Shannons' Brussels Sprouts in Sriracha Lime Sauce
     Brussels sprouts again, I'm in the mood.
MeloMeals' Healthier Brownies with Banana Soft Serve
     Sounds like a glorious dessert after a bit too much unhealthy lately.
Midlife Vegan+'s Cheryl's Summer Salsa
     I know it isn't summer anymore, but I love chunky homemade salsa.
Midwest Vaygun's Simple Spiced Delicata Squash
     Delicata squash is my favorite.
Miso Vegan's Sweet Delicata Squash Pudding
     I told you delicata is my favorite.
Mo Betta Vegan's Swedish Meatballs
     Who doesn't enjoy a good vegan meatball?
Necessary Strangeness' 20 Minute Quesadillas
     I rarely think to make quesadillas, but they are so quick and satisfying.
No Meat Athlete's Rice and Beans
     In the winter, rice and beans is a staple in our house. Here you find five different variations on rice and beans so you never get bored.
Oh She Glows' Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch Cookie Dough Balls
     They call for brown teff flour! I have a bunch of brown teff flour! It is fate.
Olives for Dinner's Vegan Doughnuts with Cardamom-Pistachio Glaze
     Seriously, I would hope I don't even have to explain the appeal of this one. I will probably never make them, but would love someone to make them and share one.

This was fun, but took a hella long time. I'm halfway and will finish sometime soon, I promise.

Candy Apples, Dandelion Tea, and Green Alfredo

2011-11-03T05:30:00.000-07:00

I felt like the walking dead on Halloween so we canceled our party, turned out all the lights (first time to do this on Halloween), and I stayed in bed while Rob trick-or-treated with the kids. This means a whopping three pictures of them in their outfits and one complaining short video as he realized the camera was set to record. He was a trooper and dealt with everything on a work/school Monday/pseudo holiday. I am thankful.

Halloween 2011:

Amara, Indigo, and Josie (she had three outfits and ended up wearing Bat Girl sans cape with tiara with the matching pumpkin container provided by thoughtful neighbor, Margie)

Parker as the red ninja and Dema as the black ninja

The boys trick-or-treating at Vicky and Greg's (they always have some vegan candy for the kids and so do Margie and Rick...lovely, lovely neighbor friends).

I am also thankful for awesome friends. Seth made vegan caramel for candy apples for our party. I never made vegan caramel, but Seth isn't vegan and he makes it. How cool is that?!

Gita offered to bring a few candy apples over even without the party. Aren't they cute?

These treats totally made them forget about their disappointment and made me feel like I wasn't the worst mom in the world getting sick on Halloween. Gita also took Josie to pottery and they joined Rob and the kids for trick-or-treating. You guys are the best! It took that afternoon/evening and the next morning for the kids to eat them. The caramel hardened quite a bit, but it didn't deter the kids. I thought about warming them up, but it was a challenge they enjoyed. Parker ate his apple to stem/seeds, but left some caramel. Dema ate all the caramel and left most of the apple (he loves apples, but the caramel was the point this time). Josie ate most of hers and then gave me the rest. This pretty much sums up a lot about their personalities.

I felt fine Tuesday and probably overdid it, but you know how when you feel awful then you feel better you just get this huge burst of energy and happiness? That is how I felt on Tuesday. I am thankful for dandelion tea because I consumed copious amounts of the stuff Monday and felt better Tuesday so maybe that helped. I have now grown found of it, so that is a plus too. I really felt like cooking again for Wednesday lunch...

Rice Noodles with Alfredo-like Sauce from Vegan Planet

The recipe calls for fettuccine, of course, but all I had was rice noodles. As I was cooking, I thought, "This is an accidentally gluten-free meal." We aren't gluten free, but I've been paying more attention to that since we have several friends avoiding gluten now. Then I added some Vegan Diner seitan to it, but if you are gluten free this is a great recipe because the rice noodles worked just fine. I wanted to add broccoli, but only had one bag so I ended up pureeing it all with the sauce in my Vitamix so there would be no fighting over who got the broccoli. Ends up not being an issue since three out of five people don't like Alfredo sauce in my family (Parker and I love it, but Parker was at school...yet another reason I miss homeschooling him). Rob didn't even like Alfredo in his pregan days, but I still hope to win him over some day.

This sauce is not oily like Alfredo tends to be and has silken tofu as an ingredient and I had some to use up. I thought it was light, but filling and just Alfredo enough. The seitan really added to the flavor, but it would have been fine without. I would not leave out the broccoli and pureeing it in the sauce made it slightly green so great for this time of year. I added flax seeds to the sauce in the Vitamix, just for fun, and I would do that again as well.

Dema and Josie did eat it with mangoes, but they said no more pasta for a while (we have served a lot of pasta lately). I made some salsa verde so we'll be having enchiladas soon.

Wee Ones Wednesday - Vegan Academy -Trees

2011-11-02T07:07:00.000-07:00

I started this post over a month ago, but here ya go*...

Homeschool is in full fall swing at Vegan Academy. We "school", or "unschool" - as one with a thing for labels might say - all year round. Living is learning. With an OCD seven year old, structure is needed a bit more than with my other two children. Living with OCD has been an amazing learning experience in itself and I plan on blogging more about it in the future. I've thought about renaming the blog since I'm going to get into many topics which aren't food related, but I'm still Linda and I'm vegan so it can stay.

Parker's 1st full day of conventional school (6th grade)

I used my 11 year old's new adventure into conventional public school as an opportunity to rearrange things a bit with our homeschooling.

Huge Blackboard (salvaged years ago from a local school remodel) from Awesome Neighbor Vicky (covering one of our coal burning, thus unusable, fireplaces)

Dedicated Bookshelf to all things nonfiction and/or "educational"

Assorted Workbooks

Now, I only have a seven and newly minted four year old with me during the day and this alone changes things. One of the lovely benefits of education at home is a variety of ages (if you have more than one child or belong to homeschooling groups). I remember the stories my dad told about his experiences in a one room country schoolhouse and his mother (my grandmother) teaching (before she was married, of course, they didn't allow married women to teach at that time...goodness knows what a married woman might pass onto those innocent little ones...so glad times have changed). I liked hearing about the younger kids learning from the older ones long before I was a parent myself. I am the youngest in my family with my closest sibling a whopping seven and a half years older, so it made perfect sense to my child brain that a mix of ages in the classroom can lead to positive learning opportunities. I certainly learned much from my sister and brother.

Dema explaining his take on arithmetic

Well, for the eldest this situation can also lead to frustration. I noticed this as a child as well, although my sister doesn't remember ever being frustrated with me, I remember her fury. The four year difference between Parker and Dema is more pronounced now, at 11 and 7, than ever. I'm sure as they grow older the age difference will matter less. The virtual expansion and shrinking of time. Whatever the reason, our current dynamic of 7 and 4 year old or Dema and Josie is working quite well. Dema doesn't feel he needs to compete with Josie and he enjoys mentoring, even when she doesn't really need it.

My sister gifted the kids years ago with some magazine subscriptions. I'm not big into magazines, but I'm so glad she did. They are lots of fun and add to our homeschooling experience. One day in late August, Dema and Josie were done with what I had for them "schooling-wise" and started looking at the magazines, not usual. At the end of one of them, there is a cut and glue type of project which we usually skip, but the kids insisted we put together a little leaf booklet.

This evolved into going outside (which we do every day, several times a day, a bonus to homeschooling) in search of trees we could identify with the booklet. It was so much fun and we roamed for hours around our neighborhood.

Pine tree in Our Park

Ginkgo tree in Our Park

Locust leaves in our booklet

Sun and trees - photo by Dema

Aspen tree in the 'hood

Locust Tree in the Neighborhood

The kids took turns looking for a particular tree and taking pictures. They had a great time noticing the differences between the trees and what trees we didn't have names for and how scientists name new discoveries, etc. We talked about the animals and insects which live in the trees or around them, how they may look for specific trees and why or why not.

Josie being (a tree)

We ended up playing at a nearby park on the way back home. It is these spontaneous events which make homeschooling so worthwhile for me. The kids are learning about what they are interested in at the time and it sticks with them in a different way. I know I've named some of the trees before, but after our outing, they remembered the names and would point them out in our normal daily lives.

*It is good for me to go back and read this post now that we have a quarter of public school under our belts and trees have turned colors and are losing or lost their leaves. Next Wednesday, I will reflect on where we all are now, Parker's views on public school, our views on public school, and what the younger ones are up to at Vegan Academy.

The End of an Era

2011-11-01T19:59:00.000-07:00

I am close, so close, to weaning my last child. I've been a lactating mom for 11.5 years straight and I've formulated a post about milk (cow's milk, human milk) in my mind hundreds of times over the years I've been blogging. This post will still not be that post that aches to be written, but hasn't incubated long enough.

I know this is my space, it isn't like I have a slew of readers I want to keep happy, what was I waiting for? I guess I did have a business over that time and some very dear/wise friends gave great advice to me before I started my venture. One of the pieces of advice I didn't think I would follow, and probably didn't follow very well, was don't make big political stands on issues. You never know when something you say will turn a potential customer off or come back to haunt you. Well, I closed the business at the end of last year at the height - or depth - of a very dark time for me. I've been crawling my way out in a glacier sort of way, a couple steps forward and four back. One thing that may possibly help is taking the kid gloves off. I will be 40 in eight days and I'm ready to say "hello" to my (more) outspoken I'm old enough to stop caring (or start caring about the important things) about what people think or how they take what I say side. Respect of other views is still necessary, I don't think I know the one right way to do anything. There is a balance to be had and I would hope after forty years of living I had mastered a bit of balance, but it is time to push that comfort zone. In one of my favorite group fitness classes, we are told to push ourselves to the point of almost falling to learn how to right ourselves again. This is supposed to the work the muscles which we use to catch ourselves so when a fall happens it is an easy and correctable occurrence. I'm paraphrasing, but I like the concept and hope to work on this in every aspect of my life: physical, mental, relationships, parenting, etc.

I'm coming to an end of an era in my life. The last twelve years have been about pregnancy, birth, nursing intermixed into my other work within my community and family. It is bittersweet to think of the letting go of some of the most intense and intimate moments of my life into my fond memory, at the same time gaining a level of freedom and autonomy I haven't felt since becoming pregnant with our first.

Or it could just be that I was sick yesterday and spent a good portion of the time watching our neighbor's trees, which were several stories high and older than anyone I've ever known, be slowly and carefully cut to the ground. Too much time to reflect. Either way, this blog will be evolving and I'm happy to be talking to myself or for some of you to come along for the ride.

Thai-Centric Mac and Cheese

2011-10-31T08:19:00.000-07:00

Thai-Centric Mac and Cheese from Urban Vegan's new cookbook, Celebrate Vegan

Love Thai, love vegan mac and cheese so no surprise that it was love at first bite! I didn't use coconut oil (don't usually have it and am trying to cut down on all oils), used the Vitamix, served with quinoa pasta, and added some veggies for a orange Halloween lunch. Celebrate Vegan is going on my holiday wish list.

I hope you all have a great Halloween. I really enjoyed VeganMoFo this year and look forward to catching up on all the posts I missed during the month.

Control the Water and You Control Everything

2011-10-30T17:22:00.000-07:00

We watched Rango this weekend. Lots of guns for a movie without humans (okay, there were a few), but it was cute (okay with Johnny Depp as Rango, it was pretty adorable, if he would just go vegan...). Rango covered water issues/control over natural resources/greed/over or unsustainable-development, as well as friendship and team work as all good family films are wont to do. All good topics for discussion and thought. Water is/will be the big environmental issue of our children's generation.

Hydration was on my mind so I decided to review our newest coconut water purchase. Naked coconut water was on sale through our buying club. I send coconut water in Parker's school lunch a couple times a week. Our main hydration drink at home is water, but we also consume our fair share of white tea, veggie/fruit smoothies, and as a special treat, coconut water. We like the mango peach flavor with actual mango puree and a bit of peach it has a subtle, but a taste which isn't over-powering, but very refreshing. I think we've tried enough coconut water brands now to conduct a taste test to figure out which one is our family's favorite.

No Such Thing as a Free Lunch

2011-10-29T17:11:00.000-07:00

There is such a thing as free dessert. Thanks to the wonderful folks at VeganMoFo headquarters, we won free Amande Yogurt in the giveaway. I never win giveaways, so it was even more fun. The kids waited impatiently every day for our coupons to arrive in the mail. They came the day we went shopping, after we had already returned...bummer.

Rob went shopping this morning and came back with a bike trailer filled with food and four containers of almond yogurt. Parker and I were already preparing lunch, but Josie and Dema could barely contain their excitement so I said they could have some as dessert.

Parker made some yummy vegan mac/quinoa shell and cheese for lunch and I warmed up some Diwali dal and chapatis. Parker has a new blog and will share his recipe for cheese sauce there. It is definitely full fat and low on nutrition, but sometimes comfort food is more than the sum of its nutrients.

The kids tried the cherry flavor and the coconut flavor Amande yogurts and the boys preferred the cherry. Josie and Rob preferred the coconut. I had a small taste of each and I like the shredded coconut texture in the coconut, but I think I liked the cherry a bit better. The texture was very similar to the soy yogurt we usually buy and the kids said they like it just as well. "It was filled with delicious yumminess." said Parker, but he added "I don't want to insult the soy yogurt company. I really enjoy them both." Always the diplomat. I would buy both again as a special treat, but when we buy yogurt we usually buy bigger containers so my next Amande purchase will be the 24 oz. vanilla.

Thanks Amande and VeganMoFo!!!

I Want to Eat My Kitchen

2011-10-28T19:11:00.000-07:00

My friend, Loretta, cued me in to a lovely smelling new-to-me cleaner. I picked some up at Healthy Green Goods in Evanston, IL during our visit. I am usually fragrance adverse, but the Sink Into Your Bliss tub, tile, and basin cleaner in tea tree and peppermint is so yummy it makes me want to find more things to clean in my house. I tried it out on my kitchen sink first and I wanted to lick my kitchen. I know we are supposed to talk about food during mofo, but this cleaner will remind you of candy canes and holiday treats. Remember, it really isn't a food and don't eat it, but it will make you happier to clean your sink.

Tahini Snob

2011-10-27T18:14:00.000-07:00

I am married to a tahini snob, there I said it. Rob is as into organic foods as the next vegan, but when it comes to tahini he kicks my organic jars to the curb. You have never seen a grown man throw a sulk like Rob sulks if we use some sub-par tahini. People have given us jars of their favorite tahini, but none of them stand up to his brand. We are known far and wide for our awesome hummus and maybe it is due to the tahini. He buys it in the 1/2 gallon jars, which, once empty, make great containers to store bulk foods in. Rob's tahini brand of choice is Ziyad. He is serious about tahini. Except no substitutes!

Happy Diwali!

2011-10-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

We had a fruit-filled day today. Since it is still dark when Parker gets up for school, the younger kids have been sleeping in so they have breakfast after Parker is long gone. This means I don't cook bigger breakfasts as often anymore since we have two of them. Dema and Josie feasted on kiwi, soy yogurt with blueberries, and grapefruit.

Josie wore the new outfit she bought this weekend, at the vintage store downtown, to ballet. She pretty much wears it as much as she can. Who can resist sparkles and bright colors?

We cycled from ballet to the library where we also had lunch. I had it together today and brought water, lunches, and Josie's new snack bag. Tofu wraps with Mindful Mayo and mustard. I am now a fan of Mindful Mayo after years of being a Vegenaise girl (I haven't tried their new soy-free version yet, though). Rob's a tough sell so we'll let you know when he tries it. Dema and Josie don't like any mayo at all, but Dema said it was pretty good. Josie only had mustard on hers.

They also had apples and an assortment of nuts/dried fruit in Josie's snack bag. We love all nuts, but we've been spending the money on pistachios more often since reading Vegan for Life. Pistachios are a good source of lysine which is an amino acid that can sometimes be hard to get in a vegan diet (although it is found in soy products, legumes, and quinoa and we obviously don't avoid soy or any other legumes or quinoa). It really is just an excuse to eat pistachios more often. They are ranked in the top five nuts for antioxidant levels and they are addictive.

Dema's snack after our appointment downtown was the last of our watermelon which will probably be the last one of the year. As he was eating this one, he asked for more. Sorry, bud, it's all gone.

Dinner was our Diwali celebration. We aren't Hindu, but we have quite a few Hindu friends. Last year my husband celebrated Diwali at work, but this year he works at home and I wanted to get the entire family involved.

I lighted the candles,

cooked up some Sweet Potato Dal*

and some paratha from the freezer.

We served it with brown basmati rice and garlicky kale (we had a tahini and walnut sauce Rob whipped up for the kale that some of us put on after the picture, not so Indian tasting, but still delicious).

*The Sweet Potato Dal was one of the first dishes my mom made vegan and could prepare by heart. That was her biggest complaint when I went vegan that she had to open cookbooks again. Soon she embraced it and delighted in finding new recipes and cookbooks, but remember 17 years ago there weren't a lot of vegan cookbooks readily available like they are now. I don't know where she found the recipe and she passed away over nine years ago, so sorry if I'm stepping on any toes or breaking some copyright.

Mom's Sweet Potato Dal

1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander or garam masala
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups red lentils, rinsed
6 - 8 cups water
2 - 4 cups peeled, diced sweet potatoes
1 tsp iodized salt (or to taste)

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat,. Add the onion and saute until translucent, add garlic and heat for 2 minutes. Stir in the spices except salt and cook stirring for one or two minutes. Stir in lentils and water and cook uncovered over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sweet potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 30 - 40 minutes. Add salt. Serve hot. Feeds 6 - 8 people.

As we enjoyed dinner, I read the Hindu section from our Faiths Like Mine book. The Story of Divaali was our bedtime book.

I hope all of you who celebrate Diwali had a great one!

Things That Make You Go MMMMM

2011-10-25T17:42:00.000-07:00

Apologies to those of you who came to this blog because I'm in the Healthy/Whole Foods MoFo category. With all the trips to the Chicago Diner and busy days/nights, I think I belong in the Comfort Food section this month. That is how it goes sometimes.

I have fond memories of waking up to English muffins for breakfast. As I recall, it didn't happen too often, but sometimes my mom would spread margarine on the muffins, top them with jelly (my favorite as a kid was grape and I pretty much wouldn't eat anything else), and broil them until the edges of the muffins were dark and crisp. The jelly would almost turn to candy and it would stick to my teeth as I ate them. I made these on a whim this morning since we receive several packages of whole wheat English muffins in our buying club order on Monday. Luckily, my kids love a variety of organic fruit spread and I rarely buy grape. I guess this whole wheat version with Earth Balance and fruit spread might be slightly healthier than my white flour muffins with sugar filled jelly. I think this is the first time I've made them since Josie's been alive so it isn't like we have them often. If you want to make your own, check out the Earth Balance Giveaway.

I served them with English muffin baked tofu sandwiches with Daiya. Broiling the Daiya in the toaster oven works well and I have to admit my baked tofu* is the bomb so these were pretty darn tasty. We may have gone through two packages of English muffins today (without Rob eating any) between the younger kids eating them for brunch and Parker eating some for an after-school snack. Okay, I had one just to make sure all the "mmmm"s from the kids were for good reason.

I had to make two batches of baked tofu to keep up with my hungry crew (Rob eats it with a few drops of hot sauce as he walks through the kitchen back to his office). I picked up some hot sauce labeled "local" at the co-op the other day and decided to put a bit on the tofu as it baked as well a bit on it after. We now have a new favorite hot sauce. It is made with organic ingredients and less salty than many hot sauces. The version I bought, Devil's Breath is made with balsamic vinegar which adds dept and the peppers have just the right amount of heat so you can use a little and still get quite a kick.

On the website it says they are located in Broughton, Illinois and they have a few other products we will have to try.

Josie got a bit too much Devi's Breath and cooled off her mouth with one of her favorite treats, vanilla soy yogurt with frozen blueberries. It is so much more fun and economical to buy the big containers of yogurt and everyone can add the fruit they prefer. It looks pretty too.

*Slice a pound of tofu any way you like, I often do long rectangles because it is easy and quick to flip. In a large long baking dish put some olive oil (doesn't have to coat the bottom), Bragg's amino acids or tamari (now it should coat the bottom), a teaspoon or so of blackstrap molasses, sprinkle nooch over the bottom (add a bit of hot sauce or curry power if you like) and spread it all out with a spoon. Dredge the tofu in the sauce and pack them into the dish. Cook at 400 to 415 degrees for 10 minutes and turn them over to cook for another 10 to 20 minutes (depending on how crisp you like your tofu...Rob likes it crispy and the kids like their less so).

It wasn't just the food that made us go "mmmm" today, it was the beautiful weather. 70 degrees in late October is heavenly and fleeting.

We spent most of the day out in "our park"; climbing trees,

checking out leaves,

chatting with neighbors,

and hugging trees. mmmm!

What Should I Do With My Tomatillo?

2011-10-24T18:34:00.000-07:00

We received some tomatillo fruits in our mini-CSA on Friday. I didn't realize what they were at first because I don't think I've ever grown or bought them. Crazy, eh? I love the outer paper-like shell and the slight stickiness to the fruit inside. I immediately thought of salsa, but there has to be something more creative to make with these...any suggestions?

We have a monthly buying club where we buy in bulk directly from UNFI. We've belonged to buying clubs off and on for years and it really cuts down on our food budget and allows us to eat mostly organic foods. It also makes shopping easier because we can concentrate on produce. I rarely run out of nuts because I have a steady supply in the freezer and we have space to store 25lb bags of dried beans and flours. The only drawback is when I'm counting on something to come in and it is out of stock. I don't know until the delivery day what is actually coming so it can be pretty disappointing. This time it was nut butter. I had promised Josie I would make what the kids lovingly call Glorious Pad Thai.

I'm sure you've all seen this video and the kids love it. I don't follow the Black Metal Chef's recipe, but I find it fun and I started making my Pad Thai all in one pot like he does when I'm in a hurry. Homemade Pad Thai will forever be "Glorious Pad Thai" to my kids. No peanuts and no nut butter made me skip the Pad Thai. I could have made my own almond butter with the raw almonds and the Vitamix, but I didn't. I use brown rice noodles (from the buying club, I haven't found them locally yet) so it makes me feel a little better about making pad thai and I can't really tell a difference in taste or texture.

Instead I used the quinoa pasta I ordered (it came in 8oz. boxes so I had to supplement with whole wheat) and improvised a tomato sauce (tomatoes from our CSA and a can of fire roasted tomatoes, green peppers from the CSA, a hot pepper from the CSA, some cashews, some chickpeas, a load of garlic, miso, and kalamata olives topped with fresh ground pepper, a bit of nooch, and walnuts). The quinoa pasta was fine, but the nutrition content didn't seem to be much different from my whole wheat pasta and we obviously aren't gluten free, but it makes a nice addition/change to regular pasta. No complaints and great Monday night meal.

Pale Pizza Pajama Party

2011-10-23T17:49:00.000-07:00

Josie and I finished up our girls' weekend with a pale pizza pajama party. I have a hard time cooking for two when I'm used to cooking for five or more so I decided to be lame and use up some things we had around. The result was this pale pizza and the last of the Brassica Soup I made for the guys. I wasn't even going to mention it, but Josie said it was super yummy and I should blog about it. Vicolo crust, a big layer of homemade hummus, some Daiya, and Tofurky sausage. I fell for hummus pizza when we were in Colorado before Josie was born, but don't make it often enough. We prefer my homemade seitan, but the co-op had Tofurky on sale. After eating, we snuggled in bed and read books, then she insisted on doing some homework in her workbook which I use to keep her distracted while I'm homeschooling Dema. We topped off the evening by watching A Hard Day's Night.

The guys were home on the morning train today and it wasn't soon enough for Josie. She loved our girl time, but missed her bros. She also missed seeing Todd, Katherine, and Tai.

Rob brought a picture of Tai asleep on Todd's shoulders so we had a cuteness fix. Rob also took pictures of their first trip to Handlebar, a place for vegan food and cycling advocacy. Two of my favorite things.

Dema's French Toast with candied pecans and blueberries from Handlebar

Rob's Vegan Diablos from Handlebar

Vegan Breakfast Burrito from Handlebar

Thumbs up from all the guys and I can't wait to try it myself sometime soon!

Thanks to Not Your Parents' Granola for the Liebster award! This is sweet and what makes it even more awesome is she also highlighted I Eat Grains which is written by Rachel, a local blogger, vegan meet-up participant, and we've recently added her to our radio show. Very cool!

Here’s how it works:

You show your thanks to the blogger who gave it to you by linking back to them.
Spread the blog love by picking your top 5 bloggers (supposed to be those with less than 200 subscribers, but it’s hard to tell) and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
Post the award on your blog.
Bask in your vegan blogger awesomeness.

I've added so many new-to-me blogs to my blog roll it is hard to bring it down to five, but here we go...

1. The Happy Go Lucky Vegan - fantastic food and fashion all in one blog.
2. Fork and Beans - love the name of the blog and the vegan candy posts have me drooling.
3. Second City Vegan - we obviously enjoy Chicago and Lisa's blog.
4. One Arab Vegan - more than great hummus, I can't wait to read more of Nada's blog. She is currently studying in Nottingham, England where my sister studied and lived for a time (and found it tough to be veg) so I love to see her living there vegan.
5. Olives for Dinner - we are olive-lovers and I'm always intrigued by couples who can make it work when one is veg and the other isn't.

I hope you all had a great weekend and check out these great blogs.

Disco Lemonade

2011-10-22T15:01:00.000-07:00

Crazy girl weekend started last night as we patted the guys on their heads and watched them walk downtown toward the train station and their guys weekend in Chicago. We partied hard and long, starting with peeling into Josie's pomegranate from Common Ground Co-op. We made a tactical error and only bought one so we had to hide the precious fruit and dig in once the big brothers were out of sight. Josie sneaked a seed or two as we extracted them from their home, but she took a picture before taking them upstairs.

Nothing like snuggling under the covers eating pomegranate seeds and watching movies on Netflix with someone you love. Once the sweet jewels were devoured (I didn't get a one), the noochy popcorn was requested and inhaled solo by my little sweetie. I am the youngest of three too and I know the sweet peace of not having to share with siblings with bigger hands.

She did share a square of my new favorite candy bar, Equal Exchange Organic Dark Chocolate with Almonds. I had to check several times after biting into this tantalizing treat to make extra sure it was vegan. It just tastes so smooooootthhh and with just the right about of almonds. I will never eat a handful of vegan chocolate chips with almonds again, this chocolate bar is the only way to combine two of my favorite foods. Send us case of these and we'll love you forever.

We took our time waking up this morning, but the first words out of Josie's mouth "I miss my boys." made me get out of bed to call them. Luckily, we were able to catch them before they headed out our beloved Chicago Diner and I convinced them to check out Handlebar instead, for blog purposes don't ya know. I took a shower as Josie lounged and I heard her talking as I dried off. I was hoping no one was in the house, but it didn't seem like her normal imagining voice so I came into the bedroom to see her chatting away with Amara and Indigo on my iphone.

We finally got our bums up and out of the house into the warm fall sun. We walked to Champaign Surplus and downtown to get a drink after the crazy crowds and lines. We stopped in at Pekara to see if they had anything to wet our whistles. I noticed French Lemonade on the menu and asked what made lemonade French. The woman working the counter showed me a bottle and said it is flown in from France. Well, it is girls' weekend so I said, we'll take two. We love to support our local economy while staying true to our international tastes. I have to say the French know how to make some lemonade, not too sweet and a bit fizzy. It would make excellent disco lemonade.

Sorry, we heard that song on the way to Evanston a couple weekends ago and I had to work it in. We were refreshed enough to take in a couple secondhand/vintage stores downtown. We both found some dress up clothes. Hers would be fun for ballet as well and I think mine will be my first adult Halloween costume (that I can remember, we are not big into dressing up, but this year I've been feeling the urge). After trying it on at home, I've decided it is Morgana from Merlin, but that could be the excess of Netflix Merlin episodes last night after Josie fell asleep. No pictures, sorry. We did talk to the guys on while playing at Westside Park and they thoroughly enjoyed Handlebar and Rob promises he got pics.

MoFo Miscellany

2011-10-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

Let's all do a happy Friday dance. It is also sunny in my part of the world today so things are cold, but bright which always makes me happy. It is also the last (probably) day of our mini-CSA from The Mulberries Farm and Orchard so I have broccoli/kale soup cooking on the stove and tofu baking in the oven to make room for the new local produce.

If you are local and not in the mood for cooking, Friday means Cactus Grill has a deal on their vegan tofu burritos. Yum! This one was Josie's, but your burrito could be even better with veggies, hot sauce, and/or guac, whatever you like. If you have a family of five, I suggest calling ahead to make sure they have enough tofu cooked up. No problem if you don't call ahead, just a longer wait. Love local restaurants, especially when they have vegan items on the menu.

Rob and the boys are taking the Brassica Soup and baked tofu on the train to Chicago tonight. They are staying with our friends, Todd and Katherine. Katherine's awesome toy store is having a huge 15th anniversary sale this weekend so if you are in Chicagoland, check it out and you might run into my guys. Building Blocks has some of our favorite games like Apples to Apples, Bananagrams, and Bug Bingo, wooden toys, educational toys, books, and so much more.

For locals who into fall camping, looking forward to the cold winter ahead, or planning how to survive car light/free in cooler months. You might want to check out the "sidewalk sale" at Champaign Surplus.

We bussed to Common Ground Co-op today to pick up some fruit and staples we won't get from the mini-CSA and they had these awesome t-shirts. Parker couldn't wait to put his on. You know you want one!

We also tried the chocolate flavor Zico coconut water. This flavor has coconut cream as well as water so it tastes more coconut-y than their other flavors. A plus for coconut lovers like our family, but more of a dessert than a hydration drink. Ironically, the Iron Chef challenge this weekend is coconut...mmm.

I have to brag about my new bag too. My neighbor/friend, Deborah invited me to a Thirty-one party at her home. I'm not usually big into going to home sales parties, unless they are "romance products" since those can actually be pretty fun, but even then how many sex toys does one household need I ask you...anyway, Deb is uber cool promised mixed drinks and yummy appetizers prepared by her hubby so I went. I'm glad I did. I scored this awesome bag which starts out normal size and then expands when you buy too much at the co-op after going in for "just one thing". At least that is what I use the bag for. I don't even want to add up the poundage for this haul (two 3 lb bags of onions - they were on sale, two banana bunches, loads of sale honey crisp apples and some red pears, a couple yams and a sweet potato, local hot sauce, a bag of grapefruit, a loaf of bread, coconut waters, popcorn, Tofurky, etc.) and I don't suggest you all try this at home...it can be a back-breaker.

Here is what it looked like all filled up. Cute, eh?

Josie and I will be having a glorious girls' weekend. I'll post about our adventures in the kitchen and elsewhere this weekend. Check out Aladdin Jr. at the Virginia Theater (the last show is Saturday) starring our friend, Isabella, as Jasmine. If you have some time on Sunday, listen (online for you non-locals or people tied to their computer) to Food for Thought with Rachel and me. Have a good one!

Time to Clean

2011-10-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

My kids love to check out the veganmofo headquarters site each day to see what is happening. They especially like the giveaways. I mean, who doesn't, right? This one is tough though because it entails showing you all the inside of our most sacred place in the house...our refrigerator.

The kids (Dema and Josie) were actually running downstairs to the kitchen, camera in hand, singing "we wanna win some vegan meat". Not my proudest moment, I tell ya.

Sorry about the other worldly light. No matter what I did, it still looks all extraterrestrial. Boy do we need to clean out our frige. I promise, if we win the Lightlife Giveaway, we will do some serious scrubbing and purging (you don't see that Dandies bag off to the left do ya? or the cooking wine, how long has that been there?).