Vegan Vice

Recipe Testing for Dynise Balcavage "The Urban Vegan" newest cookbook - part 4

2011-03-07T08:17:00.011-07:00

Substantial Mix-n-Match Salad

Mango (Passion-less) Sorbet

Mushy Peas

Post-Race Protein Shake

Sticky Rice with Mango

Chocolate-Dipped Things

Baked Polenta Fries

Easy Apple Tarts

Orange-Soy Seitan Tenders with Polish Pimped Mashed Potatoes & red kale

Recipe Testing for Dynise Balcavage "The Urban Vegan" newest cookbook - part 3

2011-02-20T20:55:00.006-07:00

Shamefully Simple Chickpea Chili

Chocolate Popcorn w/cashews

Chocolate Popcorn w/cashews & Abi

Sesame Seed Cookies

Baked Apples

Pimped Mashed Potatoes - Polish Mash

Recipe Testing for Dynise Balcavage "The Urban Vegan" newest cookbook - part 2

2011-02-20T14:48:00.008-07:00

Peppermint Bark

15-Minute Ice Cream Pie (Coconut & Mango)

Marinating Seitan Kabobs

Smoky Yogurt Dipping Sauce

Seitan Kabobs with Smoky Yogurt Dipping Sauce

Baked Agave Tofu

Balsamic-Baked Beans

Latkes

Tostones

Recipe Testing for Dynise Balcavage "The Urban Vegan" newest cookbook - part 1

2011-02-20T14:21:00.008-07:00

Smoky Zucchini Bean Dip

Chocolate-Covered Cherries

Mega-Israeli Salad

Balsamic-Baked Beans

Tonight's Dinner

2010-01-10T21:30:00.003-07:00

This is the first photo taken with my new photo box I got for Christmas. I'm so excited that I can now take food photos at night!!
Starting at 12 and going clock-wise:
1. Steamed collard greens with fresh lemon
2. Black Eyed Peas cooked in the Crockpot with sweet onion, garlic, and serrano pepper
3. Vegan Orange Chicken in tangy orange sauce with fresh oranges
4. Mashed potatoes
Garnished with boiled gold beets and a cherry tomato.

Halloween Treats

2009-10-21T09:26:00.012-06:00

SPIDER CRACKERS
Ritz Crackers with peanut butter inside to hold the 8 pretzel legs. Use a small dab of peanut butter to attach the raisin eyes.
Tailor these to your kids preferences. Another healthy variation is almond butter, cranberries, and Ritz whole wheat crackers.
My kids love making and eating these. A perfect October after school snack!

APPLE DUMPLINGS
1. Core and peel apples, leave an inch of the lower unpeeled.
2. Divide a pie crust for each apple and place the apple on top.
3. Fill the core with a small mixture of raisins, cranberries, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

4. Press and seal the pastry around the apple. Put a dollop of coconut oil on the top.
5. Bake the dumplings @ 375* for about 15 minutes while making the basting sauce.
6. Bring 2 tablespoons Earth Balance, 3/4 C. apple juice, 3/4 C. water, 1/2 C. sugar, & 1/8 tsp. cinnamon to a boil in a small sauce pan. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

7. Baste the dumplings with the sauce and pour the rest in the pan and continue to bake about 30 minutes until they are tender. Continue to baste the dumplings about every 15 minutes.

Roasted pumpkin seeds are always a treat this time of year! I hope you are enjoying a healthy Halloween season!!

Vegan Treats! really is a treat.

2009-10-10T15:15:00.000-06:00

Daily Plan for Healthy Eathing. Good for You, the Earth, and Animals

2009-09-23T12:05:00.005-06:00

From Scratch is always best. . .

2009-06-30T09:17:00.002-06:00

Is your vegan food really vegan? They tested 17 LA area vegan restaurants for non-vegan ingredients. Read to find out why seven of them failed miserably.

Follow Your Heart Cafe

2009-04-13T21:57:00.007-06:00

We were hungry and couldn't face cooking in Art's LA closet-of-a-kitchen. Plus the girls were with grandparents, so we were free to eat experimentally. Our options were limited since it was late on a Monday. Taking all this into consideration, we cut across the San Fernando Valley to Follow Your Heart Cafe, a mostly organic veg eatery that's open 7 days a week until 9. I was excited to eat at this vegetarian landmark and slather vegenaise on everything!

There's my Italian Salad (marinated artichoke hearts, garbanzo beans, red onion, black olives, tomatoes, pepperoncinis, on a bed of organic greens)

and Art's Caesar Salad (vegetarian version of the classic with organic Romaine lettuce, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, croutons, with garlic bread)
Both salads were delicious and devoured.

"finally!" There's Art's Reuben (thinly sliced wheatmeat, natural swiss cheese, sauerkraut, mustard and vegenaise on oversized rye bread)
Mine is a Club (triple decker with wholewheat bread, turkey-style wheatmeat, vegetarian bacon bits, tomato, lettuce, vegenaise, and I added avocado)
each had carrots piled high and was delicious. But Art's would have been better had it not sat in the window for so darn long. duh!

Here's a photo of my sandwich sitting lonely on the table waiting for the other. We waited and waited, and our waiter was no where to be seen, and no one else received our wondering glance. I watched the sandwich sit under the heat lamp...
Never fear, the service won't keep us away, and perhaps it'd be better next time? Though Art chalks it up to classic vegan service. Is there something to this? Have you gotten apathetic service at veg restaurants?

Veggie Grill, Vicious Dogs, & More. It's Southern California, baby.

2009-04-03T07:10:00.003-06:00

The girls and I met Karen for lunch at the Veggie Grill on Campus Drive. This place rocked my taste buds and is 100% animal-free! I have a fantasy that this restaurant replaces every single McDonalds on Earth. Imagine that.
Karen ordered The V-Burger (grilled steak burger) for now and The Stack (grilled veggie sandwich) for later at work. I got the Grillin' Chickin' (with cilantro pesto, avocado & other veggies on a wheat bun). Quinoa is a treat in the salads and you must get Sweetheart Fries.

I can't resist vegan cookbooks, so I was eager to check this place. The store is tucked in the back corner of a San Diego shopping center - similar to the way the books are crammed in the store. Stacks and piles of (mostly) cookbooks everywhere! I like scavenger hunts and found an abundant vegetarian section, but not one vegan book. With all the clutter, I asked. She said there's a HUGE demand for vegan cookbooks and she can not keep them in stock. Disappointing. A Moosewood and Newman's Own Organics Guide was the best I could do.

Vicious Dogs. It's a meathouse with killer vegan hotdogs! Willie understands and cooks it separately with pride. I've raved about this place a time or two before, and I mean it, if you are anywhere near North Hollywood and crave a delicious, no fuss, inexpensive vegan meal, you must give this a try. Really, do yourself a favor.
You see fries, a plain with ketchup for Abi, and my new favorite. A #4 "Chicago Style" featuring tomatoes, onion, peppers, pickle, & green relish. What a treat! So fresh & zesty!

I savored a shopping spree at Whole Foods while in California. I miss them and Trader Joe's dearly since moving to Idaho, but I digress. These are the things that caught my eye: I'd buy both food bars again (Organic Fiber Bar & Raw*Revolution) which are vegan and raw. Nature's Path Hemp Plus Granola is completely addicting. O.N.E. coconut water is rich in potassium & good in smoothies, but I'll stick to bananas. We went ga-ga over the eco-planet cookies. And I look forward to raw chocolate adventures with the cacao beans.

and look! I won a BIG jar of Vitamineral Green from Kristen's Raw, who drinks it daily, says: "Many ways... in a fruit smoothie is great, or add a teaspoon to a green juice. If you're not used to it... start small with a teaspoon in whatever you put it in. I'm at a tablespoon serving now, but I worked my way up to it. Sometimes I just chug it down fast with some water or orange juice - it's very green, but so good for you! It's easily hidden in smoothies though :)"
Next up is a Follow Your Heart restaurant review.

Mostly Green

2009-03-09T07:39:00.013-06:00

I updated my FB status with, "Vicki asks What to do with all this broccoli?" Getting responses like a YouTube of Dana Carvey's "Chopping Broccoli", or the "Love Food Hate Waste" link with recipes to use it up. Or, a PPK recipe Theresa suggested "Classic Broccoli Quiche" which you see. It was OK. I think it'd be righteous sandwich spread, or burrito filling - being complimented by other ingredients. If nothing else, go learn potluck faux pas & eves drop on the fall-out of one potluck party gone bad.

This is the pie shell I used for the quiche. It was delicious and convenient. No wonder Wholly Wholesome was named "Best Pie Crust" in the November 2008 issue of Real Simple Magazine.

Green because they are organic, animal-free pie shells. They are available in Traditional, Whole Wheat & Spelt, as well as Graham & Chocolate Pie. No kneed to roll the dough.

My Costco broccoli bag continued...
VICKI'S BROCCOLI POTATO SOUP
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
3 lb yukon gold potatoes, chopped
6 cups boiling water
2 tbsp "Better Than Bouillon" vegetable base
4-5 cups fresh broccoli, cooked & drained
sea salt, fresh ground pepper & nutritional yeast

1. In a soup pot saute onion & garlic in oil. Add potatoes, water and veg base. Cover, bring to boil and then reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Clean & remove broccoli stems and steam. Once cooked add to soup.
3. In a food processor puree the soup and return to stock pot. Season with salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast.
If you're lucky, you'll have Sweet & Saras on hand for dessert! Seriously.

Have you heard of Cono Sur?
You can feel even nicer drinking this wine because it's green. They are the first winery in the world to obtain CarbonNeutral delivery status, which means that CO2 emissions from the shipping has been measured and balanced to net zero through Greenhouse Gas Emissions reductions projects. They also grow organic grapes, and ride bicycles. Bet they recycle & compost too. And the wine doesn't suck either!

recipe testing The Urban Vegan: 250 Street-Smart, Animal-Free Recipes (32-35)

2009-01-08T21:47:00.002-07:00

TUSCAN BRAISED BEANS

COCONUT-LIME BARS

LUNCH MUFFINS

Some of my new favorite things...

2009-01-06T00:06:00.001-07:00

A place I love to get lost is Creative Kismet. I always see the cutest handmade things and am flooded with clever ideas to inspire me.

I love how Regina recycled vintage neckties to make this lovely flower brooch Olivia is modeling. Thank you for the gift! :)

Woot! I won a contest at VegDining, and the prize was a bracelet of my choice from Snooty Jewelry! Thank you! :)

I loved my new bling bracelet even more when I found out this company's mantra is to promote compassion for animals, people, and the environment. This is a company worth promoting, so go and get yourself some bling!

I was thrilled to receive a copy of Amey's annual cartoony vegan cookbooklet again this year! Such a clever way to share vegan recipes & captivating cartoons. Thank you, Amey! :)

You'll want to check out more of Amey's artistic talent here.

Another favorite Christmas gift was from my friend, Wendy. His and her matching LifeLine Green water bottles. After bummin' water off Wendy at playdates for so long, we now can rehydrate ourselves in style. The lovely background is my new fashionable shopping bag the bottles came in.

Thanks, Wendy! You know exactly what I like. :)

With so many reasons to be thankful, I wanted a new way to show it. Handmade cards adapted from Family Fun Magazine.

PHOTO HOUSE CARD

Supplies: heavyweight white paper, markers and/or crayons, photographs, craft glue, scissors

If you'll be mailing this card, make sure it will fit into an oversized envelope without folding.

Draw and color a house, including a window for each family member. Cut out the window, and place photos behind, taping in place. Glue another piece of paper to the back to cover the photos and on which to write your message.

I made 6 different houses which we sent out, but not before going to Kinko's for extra color copies to have on hand as personal stationary.

The whole family had fun picking photos and coloring. They didn't take much time to make, and now I'm thinking of the possibilities -- Christmas cards, invitations, birthdays, etc.

recipe testing The Urban Vegan: 250 Street-Smart, Animal-Free Recipes (26-31)

2009-01-02T20:09:00.002-07:00

CHOCOLATE-CHIPOTLE CHILI

CREAMY CILANTRO-LIME SAUCE

SWEET FRENCH TERRINE

MOROCCAN MILLET TIMBALES

LEMON-SCENTED CARROTS WITH CAPERS AND CORIANDER

VIETNAMESE-INSPIRED TAPIOCA PUDDING

recipe testing The Urban Vegan: 250 Street-Smart, Animal-Free Recipes (21-25)

2008-12-30T21:36:00.008-07:00

CHERRY-CHOCOLATE CHUNK SCONES

WHEAT-FREE SOFT PRETZELS

DOUBLE APPLE CAKE

CHOCOHOLIC PANCAKES

POTATOES WITH 40 CLOVES OF GARLIC

recipe testing The Urban Vegan: 250 Street-Smart, Animal-Free Recipes (15-20)

2008-12-25T19:53:00.008-07:00

Arty-Farty Party Nuts

Chocolate Mousse

Tapenade

Tri-Color Quinoa

Niblet Salad

Blueberry-Banana Bread

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

2008-12-21T23:57:00.007-07:00

Thrill your kids with these simple holiday treats! The idea came from Family Fun Magazine, but you can making them vegan using the following ingredients:

Nutter Butter cookies, red Sunspire candy, pretzels, semi-sweet chocolate chip, and white frosting.

Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, you'll go down in history!!!

recipe testing The Urban Vegan: 250 Street-Smart, Animal-Free Recipes (6-14)

2008-12-21T22:00:00.005-07:00

PUMPKIN SPICE BABY BUNDTS

COCO-MANDA MUFFINS

BERRY TART (with Clementine Oranges)

PEPPERY PARTY CRACKERS

SANDWICH MOUSSE

CRAN-APPLE OATMEAL

ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLE

REAL HOT CHOCOLATE

CARAMEL SAUCE

recipe testing The Urban Vegan: 250 Street-Smart, Animal-Free Recipes (1-5)

2008-12-21T21:21:00.012-07:00

GREEN GODDESS SOUP

10-MINUTE CORN CONSOMME

SMOKY SPLIT PEA SOUP

SUPER-SONIC SUNFLOWER SQUARES

JOHN'S TOMATO BRUSCHETTA TOPPING

Cheap Vegan Eats, Hollywood

2008-11-25T09:58:00.004-07:00

It feels great to be back in So Cal! Yesterday, we rented bikes and cruised Venice Beach.

I wanted to check out the new vegan restaurant, Seed, but my family expired before I could find it. Next time. Anybody eaten there? But I have nothing to complain about, the food so far has been delicious and priced just right! Here's an unofficial guide to eating cheap in and around Hollywood!

I have been known to rave once or twice about the soul food served up at the Hollywood Farmer's Market Sunday mornings at Selma & Vine by A Taste of Life. As usual, Art and I shared the soul food dinner combo with kale, black-eyed peas, vegan pot roast and macaroni and cheeze. comes with cornbread. $12 -- For the price, you can't do better than this if you don't mind sitting on the sidewalk.

This is a new favorite routine of mine:

Go to How's Market, NoHo. Order tofu skewers from the service deli. Check the deli case, and if you're lucky, there will be inari sushi (basically rice inside tofu pouches). Go to the coffee counter and score yourself a Peet's Coffee. Settle at a table in front of the TV and enjoy the newspaper left behind. -- less than $10

I've been dying to try Vicious Dogs since Art discovered it and wrote his guest post.

The owner's name is Willy, and he boasts 4 varieties of vegan dogs. He magically transforms Yves hot dogs into something that looks like this (minus the giant bite). Mine had grilled onions & peppers, sweet & sour sauce, and chopped tomatoes for only $3.99

Abi enjoyed hers plain with ketchup. We sat out front watching the cranes across the street build a new theatre.

All is good here in California! We're looking forward to more adventures including Thanksgiving with family. Hope yours is full of happiness.

XO

Thanksgiving Dessert Turkeys

2008-11-20T00:21:00.001-07:00

We hosted a kid's Thanksgiving craft party recently, and I wanted to share this sweet idea with you. It's easier than pie, 99.9% vegan, and 100% kid approved!

Get Newman-O's (I used Wheat & Dairy Free Creme), Candy Corn (they do contain honey), dark chocolate covered almonds, and frosting. I'd describe how to make them, but you get the picture! :)

Pampered Chef Vegan Cooking Show

2008-11-16T20:29:00.001-07:00

Here's Marliece setting up the party in my home. I met her through a vegan meet-up group (click here to find/start a group), we got to talking, and I became interested in hosting one of her cooking shows.

We decided on a veganized version of the 'Chipotle Ck*n Cornbread Cups'

1 c. grated vegan cheddar cheese
1 c. cornmeal
1 tbsp. sugar
1 1/4 c. Tofutti sour cream
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp Chipotle Rub (PC item)
1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
1-2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 c. finely diced cooked ck*n (Morning Star Meal Starters Chik'n Strips)

1. Preheat *350. Combine cheez, cornmeal, sugar, 1 c. sour cream, flour and 1 tbsp. of the rub to form a thick batter.

2. Spray mini-muffin pan with nonstick spray. Divide batter evenly among the cups, and bake 15 minutes until golden brown.

3. Saute bell pepper. Add ck*n and remaining rub and heat through. Combine ck*n mixture, green onions, 1/4 c. sour cream in a small bowl.

4. Remove muffins from oven and quickly press tops to form cups. Cool. Divide ck*n mixture evenly among cups. Top with additional sour cream and sprinkle with cilantro if desired.

The party was fun, the food yummy, conversation casual, and check out this kitchen booty I received. . .

Mini Muffin Pan
Mini Tart Shaper
Season's Best Recipe Book
Prep Bowl Set
Food Chopper
Mini Loaf Stoneware Pan
Sweet Cinnamon & Chipotle Rub

all this for $28, which is less than the price of the chopper alone! Not bad, eh? :)

Green Your Diet

2008-11-06T20:37:00.000-07:00

Australian Anzac Biscuits

2008-10-02T12:39:00.004-06:00

I'm delighted that my daughter's school has adopted an international focus in their curriculum. I hopped on board the cooking committee, and our first mission was to make Australian Anzac Biscuits for the entire school. How fun! There were four of us baking, and there was enough for the staff, too. These traditional biscuits were baked by anxious wives and mothers during WW I, packed & sent to the Australian soldiers in the trenches.

I veganized the recipe (easy since it didn't call for eggs), and tweaked it slightly (my changes in parenthesis), and these cookies (actually called "biscuits") are simply delicious!
Appropriate for schools since they aren't obscenely unhealthful, and are basically allergen-free without nuts or dairy. You could probably make them gluten-free using 1 1/4 c. spelt flour instead of white.

Anzac Biscuits
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup desiccated coconut (I used regular & processed it to fine in my food processor)
1 cup white flour
1 cup sugar
125g (4oz) butter (Earth Balance, of course)
2 tablespoons golden syrup (I used 2 tbsp. brown rice syrup & 1 tsp. molasses)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon boiling water

Preheat oven to 300F
1. In a big bowl, mix oats, flour, sugar & coconut together.
2. In a little bowl, melt syrup, molasses, & butter together.
3. In a baby bowl, mix soda with boiling water. Add to melted butter and syrup. Then, add that to dry ingredients.
4. Place 1 tablespoonfuls of mixture on parchment paper lined cookie sheets (allow room for spreading). Bake for 20 minutes.

5 Ways to Save the World

2008-09-18T22:20:00.002-06:00

1. Cut out the meat. Cows require 8-10 lbs. of grain to produce 1 lb. of beef, and they consume half of all the antibiotics used in the USA, and livestock is a bigger source of greenhouse gases than the transportation sector. It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce 1 lb. of meat, but only 25 gallons to produce 1 lb. of wheat. The world's cattle alone consume a quantity of food equal to caloric needs of 8.7 billion people -- more than the entire human population. Nobody should be going hungry if we were all consuming our fair share.
2. Avoid packaging and processing. Buy more corn on the cob than corn chips. In many cases, companies use even more energy packaging the food than making the food itself.
3. Buy local. Shop farmer's markets, or become a member of a CSA. You'll get the freshest food possible and keep farmers in your community. Click here for CSA options near you.
4. Choose organic. Organic agriculture minimizes our exposure to toxic and persistent pesticides in the soil, air, water, and food. Let's reduce chemical use.
5. Cook and eat together. Americans are eating more calories than ever before, and spending less time and energy preparing food. Eating wholesome foods doesn't have to chain you to the kitchen. A head of broccoli can be sauteed with garlic in the same amount of time it takes to get fast food. Don't forget the original fast foods: an apple, some nuts, edamame. They'll satisfy your cravings -- and your conscience.

So, if you want to change the world, change what you eat. Food is the area of your life where small modifications can have a big impact. YOU can have a positive impact on global warming, your water supply, community stability, family welfare, your health and appearance, and the beauty & integrity of your regional landscape. Go here or here to begin.

Good Dog Treats

2008-09-14T17:50:00.007-06:00

Wow, I really feel like a stranger around here. Life has gotten in the way of blogging lately...

For instance, it was shocking to discover a lump the size of a lemon on Jolie's side. The vet operated the next day, and she got her stitches out two days ago. It scared me so much I took myself in for a mammogram. It wasn't so bad.
The girls put their heart into making some treats for our Good Dog.

GOOD DOG TREATS

1/2 cup cornmeal
7 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup water
1 tsp Kitchen Bouquet

Preheat the oven to 35o* F. Mix all the ingredients together well. They each made their own batch, and we shared the extra treats with some good dog friends, Suki & Mattie.

If the mixture is too tough to stir, encourage them to use their hands to knead the dough. Dog treats are the perfect recipe to let the kids fully experiment.

My kids are always jones'n to work with knives. Only certain meals warrant a butter knife at the place setting, and cutting up the spaghetti by yourself is about as big as it usually gets.

The point is, Abi was thrilled to divide the dough into 4 parts.

Roll out the dough, doing only one section at a time to keep it manageable for little hands. It should be about 1/4 inch thickness before busting out the cookie cutters.

Bake 40 minutes.

Making homemade dog treats is a great way for kids to practice their culinary skills. I let them take the leading role every step of the way giving them skills with a no risk recipe. The treats always turn out, and not one has gone to waste. We talked about Jolie's surgery, stitches, life and death, and it felt good to celebrate our dog together.

Abi likes to assist Jolie's special talent of

balancing treats on her nose!

Let the kids do the cooking for a special dog in your life!

This is our favorite way to get around town. It's hard not to feel smug passing parked cars with the breeze in your hair and then parking right by the entrance. Segue: See our Obama sticker on the side? Art did the music score for the upcoming film, "Third Term," which explains the connection between McCain and Bush. This is a food blog, not a political one, so I'll leave it at that, and ask that anyone interested can check out the trailer and watch for parts of the documentary to air on TV soon, in selected theaters and on DVD.

Bear Sweets

2008-07-16T22:10:00.004-06:00

We used to make something like this when I was a kid. We creatively called them Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats, and it's what we settled for when we were out of marshmallows.

Things have changed since then. I don't feel the same love for marshmallows, and thanks to my daughter, they now have a snappy new name.

Bear Sweets
1 1/3 c Rice Krispies
1/3 c confectioners' sugar
1/3 c smooth peanut butter
3 tbsp Earth Balance

Adorn with dried cranberries, blueberries, raisins, nuts, or piped icing. Olivia can't resist chocolate chips, and pictured are baby sized semi-sweet m&ms I found in bulk, and 'Lets Do Organic Coconut Flakes'. Use what you have.

Mix together the cereal and confectioners' sugar.

Melt the peanut butter and margarine in a pan over low heat.

Pour the mixture into the bowl and stir until everything is well mixed together.

Use an ice cream scoop to divide the mixture into 6 parts on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Squish them together to make patties. Use a plastic baggie as a glove to keep fingers clean if you must. Try to flatten and consolidate them as much as possible.

Decorate!

Chill in the fridge about 30 minutes or until they hold together nicely in your hand.

To say these were a hit with the younger generation would be a serious understatement!

Cherry Orange & Creamy Peach Sorbet to Cool Ya

2008-07-11T13:04:00.005-06:00

Summer's in full swing, and we've found a delicious way to keep cool! It's simple, nutritious, and you don't even need an ice-cream maker.

Cherry Orange Sorbet

2 c fresh/frozen cherries
2 c orange juice
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Put everything into a food processor and puree.

Transfer to a pitcher, and pour the mixture into 2 ice-cube trays and freeze it until firm.

When you're ready to serve the sorbet, transfer the fruit cubes to a food processor. Pulse them, in short bursts, to make smooth sorbet.

Serve & eat immediately.

Here are the ingredients for another batch of sorbet.

Creamy Peach Sorbet

1 c coconut milk
1 large banana
3 peaches (I used some I canned last year)

This yielded a creamy, tropical flavor that my family loved.

Next time you make a smoothie, pour some of it into ice-cube trays to blend later into a frozen treat. The possibilities are endless, and I have a baggie in the freezer loaded with various frozen fruit ice cubes ready to be made into sorbet.

And because it's vegan, you'll also be cooling the planet. Does it surprise you that dairy cows are responsible for 25% of Idaho's carbon footprint? Dairy production produces loads of methane gas, which is 20 times more effective as CO2 at trapping heat in the atmosphere. Read this article to learn more about the vegan/global warming connection.
Hey, this dish is so chill that you might need toe socks to warm up your flip flops!

Vicious Dogs (Art's Guest Post)

2008-07-04T20:27:00.010-06:00

I have the opportunity to guest blog here for Vicki, I've been on the hunt for new vegan grub in the LA area. I have tried various veggie dogs in town, including Pink's on La Brea (they have a "Pat Morrison Vegan Dog"), and also Orean's in Pasadena (they have a good BBQ tofu dog), but NOBODY beats the vegan dog at this place I found. It's called Vicious Dogs, located in the NoHo Arts District on Lankershim Boulevard. They have several vegetarian or vegan style dogs, take your pick. I grilled the owner (pardon the bun) on whether the dogs were actually vegan.

Sure enough, they are! Yves, and he was kind enough to pull them out and prove it! He tosses them on a special section of the grill, and you can order them any way you want. I've tried several varieties, but the best one, and what seems to be most popular there with vegans, is the "Sweet and Spicy" vegan dog. Damn, it's so good I have to cuss about it! I usually order two of them, they are $4.00 each, it's got grilled onions, grilled peppers, sweet and spicy sauce, and a delicious soft bun with the jumbo Yves dog in there.

The onions and peppers are grilled in a pan with olive oil. I caught this photo just as he had tossed the stuff on the grill. You could smell it already. They report that the vegan dogs are one of the most popular (there is a large arts community in the area and we know that artsy people are often vegans). Well, you can have it anyway you want, so I'm thinking about coming up with my own variety and asking him to name it after me. He has an "Original Willy Style" which has a special chipolte sauce and other stuff, but I'd say my favorite is the sweet and spicy and that's going to be hard to beat.

Look at that puppy! It was so good, after taking the photos, I wolfed it down and then got another one to go! You can call in your orders and each dog is made specially and ready to eat when you get there. Or, do like me, and order the dog there and talk smack with the owner, which is more fun, and probably why it's called Vicious Dogs. The difference here is that the vegan dog is cooked perfectly on the grill, as opposed to boiled or microwaved. We've tried the Foreman grill at home and it's okay, but nothing like this. So let me know what you'd put on a special vegan dog and maybe I'll get one named after me?

Hot Dog Top Dog

2008-06-29T23:31:00.004-06:00

My family prefers Yves Hot Dogs, hands-down. We've tried other veggie dogs, and think these are by far the best. Abi digs the taste, Art likes how they grill, and I like that they are nutritious, vegan, and can be found at WinCo (our regular grocery store).

Even our dog agrees that these hot dogs are top dog.....

A Hot Dog slipped out of the package and on to the floor.

My daughter screamed "Oh no!" as our dog Jolie quickly claimed the spoils and trotted it back to her spot to enjoy...

Coming in for this photo, Jolie gave me a warning growl to say she wasn't going to give it back.

I came back to find Abi double-fisted with hot dog. She gave me a warning growl to say she was keeping both of them.

That's a lot of hot dog hoarding! So I thought it'd be fun to capitalize on the Hot Dog enthusiasm.

Vegan Lunch Box has a great recipe for 'Pups in Blankets'. After dressing them up, we liked calling them 'Mummy Dogs'.

It was a snap to also make the 'Piroshki' because I happened to have left-over mashed potatoes in the fridge.

Here they are oven ready. We gobbled them up without a photo they were so irrestible. What's stopping schools from serving these in their lunches?!

What's Been Goin' On...

2008-06-19T09:20:00.005-06:00

This is a photo of Liv begging with all her might. When she heard we were baking a birthday cake for grandma, she made me get down Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World, and flipped through until she came to page 65, and said, "This is the one. Make this one." I've never seen her do this before. I was convinced, and would have attempted it if I'd been prepared. I couldn't find the agar I used back in 2006, was out of silken tofu, and am unfamiliar with castor sugar. So get this creamy picture out of your mind! It's not what I baked.

I came up with this 'Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting' from Joy of Vegan Baking. I've found that one of those giant tupperwares upside down transports a cake from my spring form pan perfectly. The red lid is beneath the plate.
I like this cookbook because it uses ingredients I have on hand and I haven't found a dud. It was a dense & delicious cake, and the frosting could have used more soy milk (my bad). Olivia never mentioned the creamy cupcake again. We'll tackle that another day.

My mom LOVES roosters, so I felt lucky to spot this cookie jar from the street at a garage sale. $10. Sold.

I filled it up with the crowd pleasing 'Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies' from Vive le Vegan!

I went over the critical 11 minute cooking time, and even a little crisp, these cookies are great.

If I'd had an Endangered Species bar, I would have made our favorite cookie, 'Chocolate Mint Melties' from eat, drink, and be vegan.

We think these cookies are the best.

See Jolie checking out the best of a Farmer's Market run? Tomato, Swiss Chard, and Kale plants for our garden. I also picked up some vegetables from The Peaceful Belly, but overall, I can't help but be disappointed about the lack of variety at the market. Next time I'm doing a head count, cuz I think there's as many meat vendors as veggie vendors. Is that wrong? I'm for local selling, buying, eating, etc. & I know meat speaks volumes of my location, but still...

Speaking of veggies... This is the 'Super Spring Salad' from the May issue of Meatout Mondays. It's a recipe from the wonderful blog, Live It Up Vegan!

As much as I love this kind of food, my family does not. Their idea of trying the salad was plucking out the big chunks of fresh corn cut off the cob. I don't overly try to convince them and enjoy it myself over the course of a couple days. Loved it! Thanks, Gaia!

Lately, this has been occupying the girls while I cook or do the dishes. They love it.

Write the shape of a letter using white glue. Stick beans (or noodles, or whatever) along the shape.
They are now on "J" and I plan to string up the alphabet.

This idea came from Kids Craft Weekly, which is a great resource for fuss-free themed ideas.

The kids also love to get in on the kitchen action using rolling pin and cutters. Abi had fun making 'Whole Wheat Sesame Crackers' from May All Be Fed by John Robbins.

Originally I was drawn to his 'Chapatis' recipe on the opposite page to accompany the dish below, which was my second (hand) Smoked Paprika experience, which is much less harmful than it sounds! :)

The crackers scooped up this 'Chana Dal'

2 c (uncooked) split baby garbanzos (chana dal)
6 c water
3 cloves red garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
sea salt to taste

Saute the garlic in oil until fragrant, add the rest and simmer until tender. Puree to desired consistency (I reserved some). Feeling brave, I threw on tomatoes after learning that tomatoes are OK if they're still on the vine, cherry, or from your own garden!! Buy organic.

I broke my Smoked Paprika seal on this awesome 'Smoked Paprika Hummus' recipe that the urban vegan sent after reading my desperate plea below.

This was delicious! I used Triscuits to scoop, and when those were gone, I grabbed a spoon. Thank you for this yummy recipe, Dynise!!

We've been bicycling everywhere! I pull the girls in a trailer and it feels great on many levels. More later.....

Holy Smoked Paprika, Batman!!

2008-06-04T22:27:00.005-06:00

A thoughtful friend gifted me a can of Spanish Smoked Paprika for my birthday after reading how deprived I was feeling.

Now, I can't wait to try it!!

Please, can you help me remember all those fabulous recipes using Smoked Paprika?

Go Vegan with Oprah!

2008-05-28T08:57:00.004-06:00

She's doing a 21 day cleanse, which is vegan, sugar-free, caffeine-free, alcohol-free, and wheat-free. What's left?! Find out on Oprah's blog where she shares her menus and a few recipes. Oprah says, "How can you say you're trying to spiritually evolve, without even a thought about what happens to the animals whose lives are sacrificed in the name of gluttony?" Oprah is recognizing that conscious eating goes far beyond calorie counting, and in the process could become a "Skinny Bitch!" More importantly, conscious eating is about this, this, this, and even that is just the tip of the (melting) iceberg. Hey Oprah, have your chef make "Chickpea Cutlets" from Veganomicon, goes well with a green salad, and risotto topped beet circles. Do you think Oprah will stick with it?

How about her Chef? His name is Tal Ronnen, and he's worked Sublime in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Candle 79 in New York City and Madeleine Bistro in Los Angeles. He assisted rocker Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders in opening her restaurant, VegiTerranean in Akron, Ohio. He is also the founder of Veg advantage, a non-profit dedicated to helping other chefs offer vegan selections on their menus. That's quite a resume, and wouldn't it be nice to have him cooking?! For dessert, Oprah might like Apple pie from The Joy of Vegan Baking.

ProBar

2008-05-22T09:36:00.000-06:00

I was excited to find a package from ProBar on our doorstep. They sent a sampling of their new 'Sweet & Savory' line for my consideration. How fun! I learned that Pro Bar is a whole food meal made with organic ingredients, no trans fat, rich in raw foods, and vegan. Sounds good, eh? They really are, but we had to play favorites, and Art was willing to humor me with a taste test. We ranked the bars according to what we thought we'd like (anticipated). Then, ranked them again after tasting and analyzing each bar (actual).

Art(anticipated) -- Art(actual)
#1MaplePecan #1MaplePecan
#2CocoaPistach #2CherryPretzel
#3CherryPretz #3KettleCorn
#4KettleCorn #4CocoaPistach
#5SesameGoji #5SesameGoji

Vic(anticipated) -- Vic(actual)
#1CherryPretzel #1CherryPretzel
#2KettleCorn #2KettleCorn
#3SesameGoji #3MaplePecan
#4CocoaPistachio #4SesameGoji
#5MaplePecan #5CocoaPistachio

I'll pick up a ProBar next time. Each bar is packed with whole pieces of nuts and fruit, and the combination of sweet and savory flavors keep your taste buds interested. They're delicious and good for you. What is your favorite flavor (anticipated or actual)?!

Flore & Fun

2008-05-15T09:39:00.003-06:00

Art wanted to take me back to his current favorite, Flore (3818 W. Sunset Blvd. Silver Lake 323.953.0611) because last time we had brunch, which is a limited menu compared to the dinner and not a fair sampling of the many delectable options.

We both started with a bowl of the soup of the day 'Roasted Broccoli Soup' and I nearly licked the bowl. It was so tasty! I put the sprouty things in mine which tasted like radishes.

I was torn on what to order, and mentioned the 'Delectable Selectable' to our server. He kindly tipped me to get 'The Salad' instead because it includes all that and more: Bed of mixed baby greens topped with portions of tofu egg salad, shredded carrot, baked tofu, roasted beets, edamame salad, tomato, avocado, daikon sprouts, and a side of hummus. $9.95 Such a great sampling of the delicious, fresh food.
Art's regular is the 'Avocado & Seitan Salad' $8.95, which is basically what you see. We enjoyed the patio street scene.

If you have kids in LA, you gotta go here....

The Boone Children's Gallery -- LACMA West
6067 Wilshire Blvd. @ Fairfax Ave. 323.857.6128

This photo shows only a small portion of the large, stocked art studio that everyone is free to explore.

The exhibit is called Construct -- where you can learn, play, paint, build, and be artists. It's so great.

The Boone Children's Gallery is an open art studio for everyone.

Here are Abi & Liv painting to their heart's content.

We enjoyed checking out this city built from recycled materials, complete with planes and rocket ships hanging from the ceiling.

Did I mention that this is all free?! Free of charge for you, and for the kids. This must be the best deal in town for kid's activities. I highly recommend it, and we'll be back for sure.

The girls were zonked out in the backseat when we drove by Nature Mart on Hillhurst and Art says, "I'll drop you, and park," gifting me a rare opportunity to shop hands-free. I wandered around a bit, then spotted something I've been wanting to try for years -- Uncle Eddie's Vegan Cookies. I had to cross state lines to finally find them, and it was well worth it. I selected the peanut butter chocolate-chip cookies and they were soft, super delicious, and a family favorite for sure. Wish we had another bag.

So Cal.... So Nice

2008-05-12T17:50:00.002-06:00

We had a blast in Santa Monica! We rented bicycles and cruised the boardwalk taking in the scene. Then we hung out on the pier before heading to the beach.

The girls took naps on the way to the Grandparents where they would spend the weekend.

Art & I were on our way to San Diego!

We picked up 4 orders of our favorite 'Sweet & Sour Ckn' from SipZ to-go. We downed 2 of them on a bench in Pacific Beach watching the surfers.

We stayed in our friend's pool house, and we ate the other 2 orders of sweet & sour beside the pool.

Our friend also loaned us a couple bicycles and that is how we got around. Riding bikes along the boardwalk is one of my favorite things in life.

But it made us hungry, and we were ready for something else! We found our way to Veg-N-Out in San Diego's North Park area.

I had a 'B.B.Q Chick'n Burger' and Art tried the 'Dijon Chick'n Mushroom burger', both with the house salad. We shared an order of Onion rings.

It's a small, casual, vegan & vegetarian restaurant with a patio to enjoy. Great food!

We were at the Goodwill on Garnet, when I looked across the street and saw this brand new sign. We walked over and the owner was literally painting the walls of this not even opened yet restaurant. Right now, they have the store open with all kinds of raw & vegan supplies. Next time we're in San Diego, we'll try Synergy. The owner told me they have raw vegan ice-cream!

I picked up a bracelet and vegan bar for my good friend who I was about to see.....

It was awesome to see Karen. We caught up to her in La Jolla with Mattie and friend Barney. We had a great time chatting it up, and she gifted me a big bag of birthday goodies. What a sweetie-pie! Thanks, Karen!!

Back in LA, we wanted to go back to the Hollywood Farmer's Market. We couldn't resist getting more soul food from A Taste of Life, including black eyed peas, macaroni & chz, bbq tofu, greens, rice, and cornbread.

We ate it on the curb with everybody else. So delicious, and all vegan.

I also picked up a mango-raspberry-peach cobbler from CobblerMania. They sell cobblers at several Farmer's Markets, and their slogan is, "So good you'll (want to) slap somebody!" Can't say I had that impulse, but it was very delicious. The cobbler has a hand-rolled crust, is dairy and egg free and sweetened with Agave nectar. All the cobblers, including peach, apple, pear, and rhubarb are made with fresh, hand-cut fruit.

Then, we picked up one of these unique bouquets for my Mother-in-law for Mother's Day.

We've been having a great time here, and I'm really amazing at all the new veg eateries.

Hope you are doing great, and I'll be by to say hello soon. :)

Leaf cuisine

2008-05-06T13:47:00.011-06:00

Yesterday, we had lunch at Leaf cuisine, it is:

RAW
VEGAN
ORGANIC

They recycle, compost, use non-toxic cleaning supplies, bio-diesel vehicles, recycled paper & corn based to-go cups. Grains, seeds & nuts are soaked & sprouted. Their food is not heated above 110*F.

We were eager to give this nutritious, environmental, ethical, healthful, green, living foods restaurant a try!!

We went to the Sherman Oaks location (14318 Ventura Blvd - cross street is Beverly Glen) 818.907.8779

We shared a 'Tropical Trip' smoothie, and it was a delectable mix of mango, papaya, pineapple, banana, coconut mylk & dates. $5.99

I ordered the 'Trinity Sampler Salad' which is choosing 3 selections - what a great way to sample the menu! I chose Veggie Sunburger (veggie-seed croquettes topped with sweet tangy tomato sauce) Flying Falafel (sprouted chickpea falafel croquettes with creamy tahini sauce) and Bombay (sprouted lentil croquettes topped with creamy coconut-curry sauce) My favorite was the falafel. The salad was fresh with many kinds of lettuce, sprouted mung beans, cabbage, carrots, sprouts, tomatoes. $11.99

Art wanted the 'Hale Kale Salad' (chopped kale, avocado, sprouted wild rice, mung beans, tomatoes & cayenne) but they were out. $9.99

So he ordered 'Coconut Mushroom Medley Sandwich' (coconut & portobello loaf with mushroom sauce, romaine, tomato & sprouts between slices of herb bread) $9.99

Last night, we rode the Metro Rail to Olvera Street for some Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Here we are waiting in line, listening to the mariachi band, & watching people buy souvenirs at the outdoor markets. It feels like Mexico!
By the time we sat down, it was too dark to snap photos of our potato tacos and margaritas. OLE! We hopped off the metro at exciting Hollywood & Highland to have a beer before heading home. The kids are having a blast too @ Camp Grandparents! :)

Vegan Variety along the 101

2008-05-04T22:52:00.005-06:00

After a nice long winter in Idaho, we are stoked to have a short visit to California to see family, friends, and have some fun!

We visited the Hollywood Farmer's Market, this morning, where we used to shop for organic produce and enjoy socializing and some food when we lived in LA.

Now, it's great to visit and see that many of the vendors are still there, and some have gotten better.

After passing some irresistible strawberries and piles of asparagus and other yummy veggies, we had to take time out for some grub.

We have loved the vegan soul food place for years, but we had never known the name, they are called A Taste of Life and we thought it was more like a taste of heaven.

The food was served, as always, with a smile and there were so many choices. As I snapped this photo, they asked if I was a vegan blogger. At first I was hesitant but I then admitted my mission, and they were very happy to let me know that they love vegan bloggers and they also love all things vegan!

We shared a $10 plate of food: mac & cheese, greens, bar-b-que tofu, and black-eyed peas. Of course, it's all vegan, along with the cornbread. We were tempted to go back for seconds but we had to save room for later.

Our market bounty: HUGE artichokes, strawberries, fingerling potatoes, oranges, lemons, and beets, as well as some pistachios.

After Art treated himself to a haircut in Silverlake, and myself to a Goodwill binge, we went to Flore (3818 W. Sunset Blvd. 323.953.0611), where they were having their Sunday brunch. I got the bagel, soy cream cheese, tomato, onion, avocado and a side of potatoes. Art got the Tofu Benediction which was amazing with a tahini style hollandaise, tofu on toast with kale, tomatoes and avocado. Art ate his quickly and did not flinch when the man at the table next to us asked what Art had ordered. It was too late because now brunch had ended and it was lunch time. Too bad for us because the lunch menu is amazing and extensive ... we will have to come back now (awww, too bad, huh?)

We also had a late nite dinner last night at Astro Burger (on Melrose near Gower) which was great as usual, I got the gardenburger with vegan patty, avocado, soy cheese, tomato/lettuce, veganaise and mustard! Art got his usual.... veggie ham sandwich. Along with fried zucchini sticks the tab was $17!
This fast-food restaurant sells it all ~ meat, vegetarian, & vegan.

We worked up another appetite after taking a 3 mile walk that we used to do many times back when we rented an apartment in the "Beachwood" area of LA. It's a beautiful loop through the Hollywood hills with amazing architecture, lush landscape, and breath-taking views of the city and Hollywood sign. Art had the great idea to go to Leonor's Restaurant. There was a point in our lives when we ate here every night. We ordered the same things. Mine is their "Salad Forever-Young" with cabbage, beets, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, & soy oil & apple cider vinegar. Art goes for the "Chicken Salad" made with soy mayonnaise, soy chicken and topped with soy cheese & avocado. They serve massive portions of food featuring super fresh veggies and all vegan. Go to their Studio City 818.762.0660 or Valley Village 818.769.6315 locations for great food with no frills.

Compost Happens!

2008-05-01T15:11:00.004-06:00

A composting bin is the perfect way to make Earth Day last all year! This is what I've learned...

1. Get a bin (Check this site for options)
2. Layer the bottom with sticks & fill 3/4 full with leaves or newspaper. Add enough water so it resembles a damp sponge.
3. Toss in scraps. Stir. Cover with 3 inches of newspaper or leaves each time you add.
4. After about 6 months you'll have nutrient rich compost.

What do you need to make great compost?
1. air
2. water (moist, but not soaking wet)
3. carbon = brown organic kitchen & yard waste (leaves, straw, wood chips, newspaper)
4. nitrogen = green organic kitchen & yard waste (dry grass, salad ends)

You need a lot more carbon than nitrogen, so rip up your newspapers. And the smaller the pieces you add, the faster the process.

Things to avoid: meat (duh), dairy (double duh), oil & fatty substances like salad dressing, citrus because it's hard to break down, diseased plants, pet poo

Things to add: leaves, sawdust, hay, straw, fruit, clean veggie waste, jack-o-lanterns, coffee grounds including the filter, tea bags

Even the smallest things, when done collectively, can make a big difference.

EARTH & HEART = anagram (photos from today)

2008-04-22T22:39:00.005-06:00

I usually don't wear message shirts. Just not my style I guess.

But today I felt good wearing it.

The shirt felt right and good. Literally because it's 70% bamboo & 30% organic cotton and is the softest shirt I own; and figuratively because today, on Earth Day I felt free to be passionate about the environment.

We know Earth Day should be Every Day, and that is even more crucial after 8 dismal years with Bush (arguably the most anti-environmental president in our nation's history). No matter who wins, it'll be a greener white house. We can make sure of that by educating ourselves and those around us, becoming politically active, and voting with our dollars by supporting those who are making efforts to use good environmental practices. Be a proud tree hugger!

Feeling empowered, I decided to make cupcakes! I only needed: Cherrybrook Kitchen chocolate cake mix and vanilla frosting mix, Keebler Bug Bites (yes, they're vegan), the usual suspects, and a jar of beet juice.

I've been "dying" to try natural food dyes since learning that artificial food colors are derivatives of either coal tar or petroleum. Eck. Red #40 has been banned in at least 8 European countries and linked to several health problems. Oooh.

For a craft, the kids painted ladybug rocks.

I vowed that I wouldn't buy anything from the store, and I didn't.

I'm proud of my resistance to not buy more black paint, even though we were dangerously low. You can see, that as it turned out, there was plenty to go around.

We went for a hike to explore some of nature's wonders.

There were 4 moms and 9 kids whose age ranges 1 to 5 years.

Then, we came back for cupcakes. Ta Dahhh!

I like this pastel shade of pink and will keep the beet juice in the fridge. Next time we cook kale, I plan to bottle some of that juice as well.

Anna mentioned that on St. Patrick's Day she put some kale water in with the mashed potatoes and they turned a bright shade of green. Very cool!

My eco-friendly friends brought some cool gifts. Wendy was finished with a couple copies of 'body + soul' and passed them on to me. I flipped through and spotted ads from Matt & Nat and articles on power foods. Another green gift was a basil plant from Anna. Thank you!

Next time, I'll post about my Earth Day gift to myself.... A COMPOSTING BIN!!!!!! Can you tell I'm excited?! Thanks for your composting tips, Anna and Lynn, I'll add water tomorrow. Until then, happy Earth Day today and always.

EARTH & HEART = anagram

2008-04-22T00:36:00.000-06:00

"The world will not evolve past its current state of crisis by using the same thinking that created the problem." --- Albert Einstein

Thoughts of Earth Day flood my mind.

Change. Choices. Eco. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Activism. Co-op. Vegan. Global Warming. Phantom. Greendimes. Refashion. CSA. Xeriscape. Composting. Organic. Local. Sustainable. Carbon Footprint.

One thing is for sure.... Being Green is in! People are recognizing that the best chance for a healthy environment is through the everyday efforts of many people rather then the Herculean efforts of a few.

There are lots of ways to Go Green!

REDUCE ~~ Learning to do more with less can be a rewarding and challenging goal. Recently, my neighbor and her friends challenged each other to not buy anything brand-new for 6 months (other than food and basic essentials). She learned to take a moment and consider each purchase and ask: Do I really need this? Can it be reused? Can it be recycled? Can it be bought used? Can I borrow it instead? My neighbor didn't win the competition, but she did save lots of money and felt empowered by not purchasing potential junk. And by telling me her story, it rubbed off on me a little and I began scrutinizing my own purchases. (Talk about the good stuff you're doing to reap the ripple effect!)

REUSE ~~ Take your own canvas bags to the grocery store, keep them in your car, and be proud of them. Stock your kitchen and dining room with cotton rags and cloth napkins instead of paper towels and disposable napkins. Reuse envelopes to send notes to school. Reuse those fancy glass & plastic containers things come in.

RECYCLE ~~ Everything you can to save valuable resources from being wasted, and keep them out of landfills.

WATER ~~ Many of us think of water as an infinite resource, and it seems that way when the faucet is on, but the truth is that water is an increasingly limited resource. Try capturing water from the faucet while you wait for it to warm up and use it to water the plants. Use non-toxic soaps and detergents. Sweep - don't hose down driveways and patios. Refill reusable bottles with filtered water rather than buying bottled water (I want a Sigg!). Eat less meat - producing a 1/4 lb. beef patty requires as much as 2,900 gallons of water, according to Cornell University.

AT HOME ~~ Turn off lights, and replace them with energy efficient compact florescent bulbs. My friend, Wendy, has inspired me to turn down the thermostat and wear slippers and housecoat. I want to unplug & hook up all the devices such as computers, televisions, stereos, coffeemakers and phone chargers to power strips to easily turn them off when not in use to prevent vampire power drain.

Truth is, there are several things on my Green To-Do List. Bicycle more. Trade in for a Prius (or at least something more efficient). Capture rainwater from the gutters. Install solar panels. Plant xeriscape plants and replace grass. Use a clothesline to dry the clothes. The list could go on and on...

It's easy to feel overwhelmed, powerless, and even skeptical that the efforts of any one person will impact the world's environment. Just remember the message in Dr. Seuss's 'Horton Hears a Who.' It cannot be denied that the greater the number of people who resonate with an idea, the greater the impact. That's why the green movement momentum offers so much hope this Earth Day!

What are your Green Goals this Earth Day?

AeroGarden Review

2008-04-14T11:42:00.006-06:00

Olivia and I won two Aerogardens in PeTA's Cooking with Kid's Contest (click to see the winning cookie!) which included two seed kits: Italian herb (mint, Italian basil, dill, thyme, parsley, purple basil, chives) and cherry tomato.
Here's a current photo of the herbs, and as you can see it's raging ~ I can barely keep up! In fact, I need to harvest the dill and dry or freeze more basil. If you like to cook with fresh herbs, you would love an AeroGarden. You don't need to be a gardener to be successful, and it's the absolute ultimate in organic, fresh & local!

Here's some dried Italian and purple basil:
1. Cut the stem. Dip the herbs quickly in a bowl of cool water and shake off the excess water. Pat the herbs dry.
2. Cut several holes in a small paper bag. Place the herbs inside, and secure the opening of the bag and the herbs with a string.
3. Hang it upside down for a couple days until dry. The bag protects the herbs from sunlight and keeps it clean.
4. Store in an airtight container ~ an old sea salt container is perfect.

And yes, we've had our share of pesto! And there's quite a reserve in the freezer as well, so don't be surprised to see pesto on baguettes, pasta, pizza, polenta ~ well you get the picture.
Art threw some basil in the risotto last night and the flavor was very apparent and special. It's a fun charge to clip some herbs for a recipe.

As nice as all the herbs are, what I was really looking forward to was fresh tomatoes!!!!!

But that was not to be. I pulled the plug on my "experimental" tomato plants recently because they grew into the grow lamps rapidly, singeing the leaves, making me trim them back buds and all only to do it all over again. Please understand that these were NOT the original Aerogarden seed pods. The original seedlings were plucked out by my mis-guided 2 year-old gardener. Not wanting to waste the nutrients or opportunity to have fresh winter tomatoes, I started again & "cheated" with regular cherry tomato seeds from a packet. Experiment failed.

The AeroGarden fueled my desire to move away from processed foods, away from food traveling great distances, and away from farming chemicals. To become a little more self-sufficient -- though that could never be, as my seed experiment illustrated. You need their seed kits, and they aren't cheap. ($19.95) But I must admit, the luxury of having fresh tomatoes in the middle of winter would be awesome. I'd like to try them again as well as the strawberry plants.
Why is it that organic produce gets the sticker?

Check it out!

2008-04-11T18:18:00.004-06:00

I was quoted in the Scene section of my local newspaper today!

"Why isn't there a vegetarian restaurant in Boise?"

The title of the article is a sad reality for me...

Foods & Fads

2008-04-10T19:07:00.003-06:00

It snowed yesterday!

So we made what we think will be our last snowman of the year....

Which is kinda weird, since this is what we were doing just the day before....

That's Spring in Idaho for ya.

Liv's favorite cookie! Oatmeal chocolate chip. I use the recipe 'Oatmeal Raisin Cookies' from The Joy of Vegan Baking and simply sub in the chips. I LOVE that this recipe uses ground flaxseed instead of eggs.
I sent some of these cookies with Art to band practice the other night. Art produced the band's CD and also will be playing guitar for a few numbers at their Record Release Show. You can check them there:
www.the-invasion.com

'Wolffie's Banana Blueberry Muffins' from La Dolce Vegan!

These muffins are really good - light & moist. I always omit the ginger and use vanilla soy milk.

When I want an easy & reliable recipe, I turn to Sarah Kramer. Who is Wolffie, anyway??

'Crock Pot Stew'. I've made this once or twice before, but this time I topped it with Lightlife Steak Style Strips. If you haven't tried the strips before, you should. They are really good and are super easy to prepare.

'Blueberry Cake' from The Joy of Vegan Baking for my friend's birthday. (At some point in life, one candle is sufficient)

Ann doesn't like things overly sweet or fattening. I wanted her to enjoy the dessert without feeling guilty, so I thought this would be perfect. Her first post-bite words were, "Light, delicately sweet. Mmmm, this is really good!"

For an appetizer, I served an old favorite of mine -- Dreena Burton's 'Cornmeal-coated Polenta Fries' from the Dec. '06 issue of VegNews. (#52)

The dipping sauce is my own creation!

1 package Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
1 can Mandarin Oranges
Many squirts SRIRACHA Hot Chili Sauce

Before eating, think about where milk comes from

2008-04-05T06:28:00.005-06:00

I did not compose the following essay. It was a letter to the editor recently printed in my newspaper, which brought me to tears. This letter brings to mind the recent Hallmark meatpacking scandal, which is common in factory farming. I share it here with you.

Once there was a cow #83729. She lived on a factory farm and never saw sunlight or felt grass under her feet. She was repeatedly impregnated. Her babies were always taken away within a day of being born, because humans wanted the milk that was meant for her calves. #83729 was milked for 10 months a year (including seven of her nine months of pregnancy). No wonder that only after four years they sent her worn-out body to slaughter.

She has also become lame because of the strain of constantly being pregnant and giving milk. During the transportation she fell and couldn't get up. They pulled her out of the truck with a chain and she crashed to the ground breaking her hip bone. They rammed her with a forklift in an attempt to make her stand up. When that didn't work they jabbed her in the eyes and sprayed water into her nose. Finally she managed to stand up and with staggering feet she walked to the killing floor where she died a horrible death. Next time you enjoy your ice cream or slice of pizza, please think about where the milk to make those things came from. Terhi Stratton, printed in the Idaho Statesman (02-27-08)

To sign-off on an upbeat, I leave you with a delicious milk-free muffin!

'Double Chocolate Muffins' from La Dolce Vegan, pg. 236.

Trust me, even finicky kids can't tell it's soy milk inside.

Easter Ideas

2008-03-27T00:06:00.005-06:00

My daughter's birthday was on Easter this year, which I guess won't happen for another 220 years. That's a good thing, because with Easter, a birthday, and a party, it has been busy! So yeah, this post is way late for Easter '08, but I'd much rather you consider it early for '09. :)

Abi shares a birthday with a friend, and we made this for her - a paper mache egg with a stuffed animal chick. It was so much fun, that we made more little eggs as party favors.

EASTER PINATAS

What You'll Need: Balloon, newspaper, large bowl, water, flour, paint, paintbrush, goodies.

What To Do: Tear newspaper into strips. Mix flour and water together to make a paste. Blow up a balloon, and cover it with strips of newspaper dipped in the flour and water paste. Cover the balloon completely. Allow it to dry for a day or 2, turning it occasionally during that time.

If you're going to try this, here's something I learned....

I made two batches of little eggs, and at this point, I tried two different methods. The first time, I cut the egg, filled with goodies, and taped shut before painting and found that the egg stayed closed better. For the second batch, I painted the egg before cutting inside to add the goodies and found the egg looked prettier, but the tape didn't stick as well.

When the balloon is dry, paint it in bright, decorative colors. We painted a little everyday for about a week...

My five year old loved dividing all the goodies into equal piles for each party guest.

Tying them up with yarn was great shoe tying practice!

Here are some of our eggs in different stages of the process!

This may be a new Easter tradition for us. It was a really fun and creatively forgiving project. We reused some old newspapers and really created something out of not much at all! The girls LOVED opening their eggs to reveal surprises.

Another (less messy) Easter alternative is filling plastic eggs with stickers, candy, pictures, and small trinkets. Use the same plastic eggs year after year.

Or, you could make salt clay dough ornaments. Have the kids use Spring cookie cutters to make bunny rabbits, butterflies, or flowers. Before cooking the dough, use a chop stick or toothpick to poke a hole so that you can hang your ornaments by a ribbon. Here's the recipe and directions.

Hope you're having a spectacular Spring! I'll be bunny blog hopping soon...

Candy Balls

2008-03-10T23:05:00.002-06:00

These balls of energy are easy to make and quite a popular snack around here!

You'll need:
1 medium banana
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1 tablespoon milled flax seed (optional)
your choice of toppings like chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, shredded coconut, cranberries, or raisins

Here's how:
In a medium bowl, mash together the banana and peanut butter. Stir in the wheat germ and flax seed. Roll individual tablespoons of the mixture into balls, then roll the balls in your choice of topping. Chill until firm, or like my kids do, eat them right away!

My choice toppings: coconut, mini semi-sweet chips, goji berries, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and crushed cashews

Girl's choice toppings: mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, and mini semi-sweet M&M's. (Chocolate and more chocolate!!)

Their toppings were bulk bin finds, and doubtfully vegan. Veganism is my vice. My job is to find ways to get my veggie girls to eat nutritiously. This one worked! Adjust your toppings accordingly.

More Recent Eats (hits & misses)

2008-03-04T23:16:00.005-07:00

'Corn Muffins' with blueberries from The Joy of Vegan Baking. I used flaxseed instead of Ener-G egg replacer and vanilla flavored soy milk. The recipe doesn't specify, but I think I shouldn't have drained the can of corn, as the mixture was quite thick making the muffins dense. I liked them well enough, but the girls didn't.
Does anyone else listen to Colleen's podcast, Compassionate Cooks? They are super informative & interesting.

That chocolate craving hit us, so I endorsed a batch of 'Bitchtastic Brownies' because the recipe was printed in VegNews (#60) and also because "Skinny Bitch" is in my purse for reading on the go. This picture depicts the best part of our brownies -- scraping down the bowl and licking the spatula. Did I make a mistake? Was that a recipe misprint? The batter seemed runny with 3/4 cup silken tofu plus oil, and only a 1/3 cup flour. Whatever the reason, our brownies resembled gooey fudge, which Liv enjoyed with a spoon until I said "No more."

I love cooking with my crock-pot, so naturally, I was most excited to come across this page of recipes from VegCooking. I followed this recipe exactly for the 'Crock-Pot Chili' adding the optional veggie burger crumbles (Morning Star).
Verdict? Let's just say that If I were going to a chili cook-off tomorrow, this is what I'd making tonight! With a couple minor adjustments like more red pepper flakes, and Art requested sauteed seitan on top next time.

Here's the finishing touches for another recipe from this month's VegNews (#60) 'Irish Soda Bread' by Robin Robertson. This was a quick bread to make from scratch and delicious, too.

Perfect for soaking up chili.

The bread was served warm with a slather of Earth Balance, alongside the chili, topped with a dollop of vegan sour cream, parsley from my AeroGarden, and a ring of steamed kale.

We enjoyed this meal very much! The girls wouldn't touch this meal with a ten-foot pole, but I have high hopes!

Scanning the freezer reminded me that we still had lots of fresh-frozen cherries from last summer. I spotted a blueberry cobbler recipe in The Joy of Vegan Baking, subbed in my cherries, and before you know it, we were eating 'Cherry Cobbler' like it was July.

Taking the skin off garlic is one of Liv's favorite ways to help in the kitchen. This one gave us an extra lesson on how things grow... For example, did you know dinosaurs are the same color as garlic shoots?!

Finally, I couldn't resist making 'White Bean and Kale Soup' which won "Best Soup" in Vegetarian Times', March '08 issue. It was flavorful with yams, great Northern beans, kale, & curry powder -- though it called for smoked paprika, which I can not find anywhere in town. Suppose smoked paprika has penetrated the Idaho state border? Questionable. I should probably just take Julie's advice and visit Penzey's.

Recent Eats

2008-02-21T15:01:00.007-07:00

'Potato Chips' are classic. These are a healthier version and take only a little time to prepare.

You'll need 2 baking potatoes, 2 tablespoon olive oil, sea salt & freshly ground pepper, 1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley (from our AeroGarden)
Preheat oven to 400*. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice potatoes 1/8 inch thick and toss with oil to coat. Season with salt & pepper. Bake until crisp and browned. Transfer to coffee filters and top with fresh herbs and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately.

Recently a friend asked me "What do vegetarians eat on St. Patrick's Day?"
Hmmm, I've never really thought about that, and didn't have an answer until receiving the March '08 issue of Vegetarian Times. I counted all the recipes, and of 37, 17 are vegan. This is one of those, featuring seitan (I used White Wave), stout beer (Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale), butternut squash (organic), edamame, and fresh thyme (Aerogarden). Yume!

'Updated Irish Stew ' plated up with steamed collared greens, an Idaho potato (with chives from Aerogarden) and Earth Balance, and sliced baby orange bell pepper.

This was good enough to become a new tradition as I've never actually had Irish stew.

I was skeptical of 'Carrot-Pineapple Sunshine Muffins' from Veganomicon from the get-go, and only made them because I was out of stuff for the other muffins. The description says, "These muffins don't rise very high, preferring to have a flat, crisp top instead."

Ahhh ha! I'd found a dud recipe from Isa. Everybody knows the muffin top is the best.

But Liv really wanted to make breakfast muffins and was the prime motivator for our kitchen adventure. We found out she's quite talented at straining pineapple juice.
Art snagged a muffin while they were cooling. "What're these?" And after much munching and "mmmmm-ing" He proclaimed that these were the very best thing I've made since Chocolate Mint Melties (eat, drink, & be vegan). So glad I gave these a try, you should too! :)

Happy Valentine's Day! (food is the way to a heart)

2008-02-14T23:50:00.002-07:00

For these chickpea tacos, I started out making my newest addiction 'Tamari-Roasted Chickpeas' from eat, drink, and be vegan. As ususal, with coconut oil and lime juice. This recipe is memorized.

Next, the shells received avocado, tomato, and black olives. I didn't even use salsa. The flavor of the garbanzos carried these taco all the way.

I thought making sugar cookies would be a fun thing to do in the afternoon, but feeling slightly lazy, I busted out a Cherrybrook Kitchen sugar cookie mix.

I've tried most of their products, and each time I've been very pleased, this is no exception. I'm still impressed at the idea of having vegan convenience.

Italian Basil is the first official harvest from the Aerogardens we won in PeTA's Cooking with Kid's Contest. (I'm still glowing)

Just enough to make 'White Bean Hummus with Fresh Thyme & Basil' from eat, drink & be vegan. Imo, Dreena is pretty much the queen of dip, nibblers, spreads, & appetizers...

And this was a yummy dip, although Art said it was too strong for kissing. Just eat up, then go brush.

I'll tell more about the AeroGardens in another post, but here's a sneek peek at what's "growing on" around here: mint, Italian basil, dill, thyme, parsley, purple basil, chives, and 3 cherry tomatoes.

It's great having some fresh greens to eat in the dead of winter. The girls are completely fascinated with the quickly growing plants.

Last week, Art bought me these pretty roses --- before Valentine's day, and before I made these cookies. Just because. What a sweetie!

I made 'Oatmeal Raisin Cookies' again from The Joy of Vegan Baking. I used whole wheat pastry flour and subbed semi-sweet chips for the raisins. These cookies were great, and more on the healthy side. How do I love this cookbook, let me count the ways......

couple kinds of soup for my (wonderful) in-laws

2008-02-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

As Martha might say, "soup is a good thing to have on hand with guests." It fills the house with an inviting aroma, and it's easy to warm-up upon desire. My in-laws were in town to help celebrate a certain someone turning 5 years old! Hard to believe.

This is 'Split Pea and Parsnip Soup' from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker.

Here are the ingredients for the soup ready to go minus some chopping. This was my favorite of the two soups for a couple reasons. Foremost, I enjoyed the flavors, though I think the parsnips may have turned some off. Parsnips have a strong, earthy flavor that may be unfamiliar. For me, however, after carefully choosing, peeling, and cutting them into half moons, I was already fond of them.

Secondly, I enjoy the ease of my Crock Pot. Simply prepare the ingredients, and press a button. Fresh From The Vegetarian Slow Cooker is a wonderful cookbook, and may as well have the word "vegan" in the title, as I've never run across a recipe using dairy.

And, if possible, this recipe is even easier if you have a helper to pick over and rinse the split peas.

Here is the making for my in-law's favorite soup, 'Roasted Butternut Squash Soup' from Vegan with a Vengeance. I make it for them each time they come to town, and they keep on coming!

The hardest part of this soup is peeling the 5 pounds worth of squash. Maybe I'm a wimp, but my arm was sore afterwards!

Here it is after the fun part - pureeing everything in the food processor. The kids gather around, and I always have an audience for that part!

Each bowl served had a drizzle of maple syrup on top, which put the flavor factor over the top.

Soup. It's a good thing.

Feeling The Joy of Vegan Baking!

2008-01-24T22:08:00.000-07:00

It was a perfect situation for making 'Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins' from The Joy of Vegan Baking.....

We had 4 ripe bananas!

With a little help, this recipe is easy enough for an "almost" 5 year old. Pick your favorite muffin liner design for 12 cups, and use your fine-motor skills to separate them.

Measure the dry ingredients.

We used whole wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose.

Carefully stir that together.

Use a potato masher to squash 4 ripe bananas. This requires some muscle!

While that is going on, mom can use a hand-mixer for the sugar & oil.

Sample the semisweet chocolate chips to make sure they're not poison before adding to the flour mixture. I know it's risky, but someone has to do the quality control.

Finally, combine all the ingredients.

Carefully fill the muffin liners, but not too full.

We had enough batter to also make a little heart cake. It turned out perfect.

The girls LOVE, LoVe, love these muffins! I believe they think they're getting one over on me because there are chocolate chips...
When actually, I'm getting one over on them because of the 4 bananas and whole wheat flour! Just think of all that beneficial potassium, vitamins A, B, & C, & fiber! I feel really good about serving these to my kids.
What joy have you baked from this cookbook?

Julie's Sausages!!

2008-01-19T15:26:00.000-07:00

After reading about Julie's sausages, I wanted to make them right away! Deciding to do without a store-run for the exact ingredients, I tried to get as close as I could to the recipe using what I had.
Btw: If you're like me, and enjoy cooking shows, you'll definately want to see all of Julie's cooking videos. Bonus! She gives you the recipes, too! What could be better? Well, she makes it fun, too. :)

Chefs in training mixing the dry ingredients:

vital wheat gluten
nutritional yeast flakes
chickpea flour
onion powder
coarsely fresh ground pepper
ground paprika
salt
ground allspice
2 Tbsp poultry seasoning (to make up for the spices I didn't have)

When mixed with the wet ingredents:

Better than Bouillon veg base (to make up for not having Bill's Best)
cool water
garlic
olive oil
soy sauce

the mixture comes together really fast, and it's easy to work with.

Here I am just before rolling the last of 7 sausage logs. Scoop up dough with a measuring cup, and form into logs. I was surprised that the dough wasn't very sticky at all, and quite easy to manipulate.

A unique aspect of this recipe is that you steam the sausages!

Our tamale steamer worked great, as usual, for these kinds of steaming projects. I was able to fit 5 sausages along the bottom, with 2 stacked on top. I do wish it had another shelf as Julie described hers.

After they cooled at room temperature, I removed the tin foil, and stored them in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Don't they look great?

The spices are on spot. No overwhelming flavor, ready to take on your unique spice preference.

Later that afternoon, I served them with pita chips and stone ground mustard. It was a delicious snack for Art and I.

The girls were curious, especially after all the cooking excitement earlier, but neither were brave enough to try it. One of these days, I think they will try it, and I think they'll like it, too.

Again later that evening, Art was mixing us cranberry & vodkas (so rare an event, the bottle is literally over 10 years old, so I took a photo!) and decided that called for cutting another log!! Yes, we are exciting married people.
Next, we plan to sautee it in teriyaki for rolls, or for a tofu scramble, or soup topper. We have some thoughts on the next round of spices, to add other sauces to experiment because the possibilities are endless!

Some new favorites

2008-01-17T21:34:00.000-07:00

These are 'Jam-Filled Oat Bran Muffins' from The Joy of Vegan Baking (turn to page 46 for a photo of what they should really look like!) Much lovelier indeed, but I'll tell you, these were so delicious, like a yummy bowl of oatmeal on the go - lightly sweetened with your favorite jam. I ate the entire batch by myself over a 3 day period (I tried to share), and the last one was as delicious as the first. I'll be making these again very soon! Hmmm, what jam to use next... I love this cookbook even more!

While scanning Nava Atlas' "The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet" thinking to myself what a cool cookbook concept, I got the idea to try it myself. Use only 5 ingredients, and try to make it taste good!

My 5-Ingredients: black beans, coconut milk, elephant garlic, carrots, & serrano pepper.

What would your 5-Ingredients be???

Clean, chop, and saute 2 carrots, 1 clove garlic, and the pepper, then cover to steam with 2 tablespoons water (water doesn't count as an ingredient... right?). Drain & rinse the beans, place in a soup pot, add the coconut milk, and the carrot mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer until you can easily fork a carrot. Let it cool, then whiz it in your food processor with 1/2 cup water to desired consistency. Garnish with shredded carrot. I didn't even add salt (that would be another ingredient... right?) to the soup, and it was yummy, but what can I say, I love coconut!

Perhaps I'm the last blogger to have tried Dreena's 'Tamari-Roasted Chickpeas' from eat, drink & be vegan, though I don't know why. I knew I'd love this recipe, I just didn't know how much. Chickpeas are my thing, and usually I just eat them out of the can, so I'm excited about this new way of eating them, and of course, I opted for the coconut oil here.

Speaking of... Did ya hear? Dreena's next VegNews article will be in the March/April issue - a hemp feature! I'm hemp to that!

Vicki's Stew & French Rolls

2008-01-15T20:34:00.000-07:00

I like to have a meal ready for Art when he has a late flight. This was for him.

Layered in the Crock Pot --
1. Red Potatoes, chopped in large pieces
2. Carrots, scrubbed & wheeled
3. Saute in canola oil: 2 cloves elephant garlic, 1 large sweet onion, 3 serrano peppers, 2 tsp. chili powder, 2 tsp. sage, & 2 tsp. thyme

4. Cover the veggies with water and add 2 Tbsp. Better than Bouillon vegetable base, and 1 bay leaf, and plenty of fresh ground black pepper.
5. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours.
6. Whisk together 4 Tbsp. arrowroot powder + warm both to thicken. Throw in a handful of fresh Green Beans or frozen peas. (I forgot peas!)
7. Cover & cook another 20 minutes.

The next day, we dressed it up a bit with Veat's Bites & French Rolls. Art sauteed the Bites with Earth Balance and some of the stew broth, braggs, & kitchen bouquet.

I used Kramer's 'Easy French Bread' recipe from La Dolce Vegan! I adore this recipe as you can tell here & here. This time, I used 1 1/4 cup each of spelt, all-purpose unbleached white, and whole wheat pastry flour. Divided and shaped the dough into 6 and placed in my jumbo muffin tin, slashed the dough diagonally, and topped with poppy seeds. Art really enjoyed and appreciated this meal, especially that the veggies were large and I didn't use any weird spices! I love the ease and results of my Crock Pot! Do you have any favorite slow cooker recipes??

Cherrybrook Kitchen

2008-01-13T16:20:00.000-07:00

A dear friend was coming over for lunch so that we could celebrate her birthday. I decided to try these Cherrybrook Kitchen baking mixes I brought home from California.

It's a dairy free, egg free, and nut free line of baking mixes. We read through the ingredient list just to find out exactly what was inside the box. We nodded in agreement recognizing each item and that we actually had it stocked in our own kitchens.

And, the cupcakes were delicious! Even my finicky daughter, who often shuns sweets, thought these were the absolute bomb. Hey, I felt good serving one of these for dessert after a healthy meal was eaten, and she thought the exchange was good, too. I used the chocolate cake and chocolate frosting mixes. Too bad they don't sell this at our Co-op, but looking at the Cherrybook store finder, I see that Fred Meyer does. As a mom, these mixes are the perfect solution for classroom treats, which need to accommodate food allergies.

We made another snowman! Even though most of the snow is melted by now, we've had more this year than in the recent past. This is such good news!

Anyone else have good news to share? I'd love to read your answers to this question posed recently by Cafe VegNews.

Holiday Wrap-Up

2008-01-05T23:56:00.000-07:00

We did lots of delicious eating over the holidays! This was my Christmas dinner plate:
*Idaho potatoes mashed with soy milk, Earth Balance, and sea salt
*bread stuffing with vegetable broth
*Tofurkey slices
*Brussels sprouts sauteed in EB
*side green salad with local greenhouse
tomatoes & carrots
*fruit salad with apples, pears, banana, and pineapple with juice (less local):

With all this food preparation, it was nice having a couple helping elves in the kitchen!

We strive for food that is locally grown and organic. We're completely vegetarian (consume nothing with eyes) and almost vegan (eliminating dairy)! We realize the immense impact our day-to-day food choices have. Reducing or eliminating meat consumption is something concerned citizens can do every day to help our planet. In the face of our daunting global warming problem, I find it comforting and encouraging to know there IS something you can do every time you eat! The force of the fork has great potential! Pass it on. . .

All of this healthy eating is great fuel for a winter bicycle ride around town and through city parks. What an exhilarating ride!

Art was able to stay home from work a couple weeks, and we vacationed at the best place... home! :)

BIG smiles for snow! Bring it on!

It took several hours to build Frosty and was quite a playful workout. To Liv's delight, he looked in our kitchen window for about a week!

Below is a photo of a warming meal! From Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson, 'Sweet and Spicy Lentil Chili' I added celery & carrots, omitted the red bell pepper, with Eden organic crushed tomatoes.

Next time it'll be in a burrito with rice &/or sauteed seitan, Smart Ground by Lightlife, tofu scramble or something. . .

This time, the 'Skillet Corn Bread' from Veganomicon stole the show - the Double-Corn Variation. I feel like a (mad) scientist curdling the soy milk with apple cider vinegar to simulate buttermilk. ahhhha!

'Chocolate Brownies' from The Joy of Vegan Baking. Warning! These brownies are super moist and sinfully chocolaty! Your resistance will be low. . .

The fun here is using ground "good for you" flax seed as the binder. That's right, just whirr it up with water in your blender, and presto! No eggs needed. (or wanted.)

This cookbook really is awesome, and I'm still bent on baking every single item!

So yummy, you won't mind cleaning up after Santa!

2007-12-24T13:21:00.000-07:00

COCOA FUDGE COOKIES

1 C. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
5 Tbsp. Earth Balance
7 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
2/3 C. white sugar
1/3 C. packed brown sugar
1/3 C. plain or vanilla soy yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Combine flour, soda, and salt in a small bowl. Melt EB in a large saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa and both sugars. Transfer to a large bowl and add yogurt and vanilla, stirring to combine. Add flour mixture, stirring until moist. Drop by level tablespoons two inches apart on baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes or until almost set. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if you want. Cool on pans for 2 to 3 minutes or until firm, then transfer to wire racks. Makes 19 with my medium cookie scoop.

*Adapted from Alice Medrich's recipe in Cooking Light Jan. 2002 issue.

Special Lunch @ Native Foods

2007-12-23T00:15:00.000-07:00

We were going to have lunch with one of my favorite people..... KAREN!

We were meeting her at Native Foods in Costa Mesa. The girls and I were early, so we explored The Camp, which is the eco-friendly shopping mall where NF resides.

The girls enjoyed running up and down these steps, relaxing in the hammock, and listening to giant wind chimes up above.

After enthusiastic greetings and photos-ops, we sat down to lunch.

Karen and I shared nachos, pizza, and edamame, all of which was very delicious.

But, it was more than food. We were excited to see each other and catch-up. We had a lively lunch full of conversation, and laughs, and the patio was a perfect setting to celebrate being together again.

I was super impressed with the children's menu!

This is what Abi had: "Save the Chicken" Nuggets, with brown rice, dipping veggies with Ranch, and a mango smile. Abi really enjoyed this, and I would have been perfectly happy with this meal myself. She let me have a nugget, and it was delicious!
Liv had the "Cheese" Pizza with banana slices on the side, which was also quite tasty.

After lunch, we took Karen with us to The Farm at The OC Fairgrounds. This is a favorite stop for us and you can see more about the farm here and here.
Karen had a special way with the animals. They must have sensed her warm and caring spirit. They'd go to her, and she would rub their heads or scratch their ears and talk to them dearly.

We were all happy piggies that day! :)

San Diego

2007-12-06T23:01:00.000-07:00

Fall disappeared while we were gone, and this photo was taken before going to CA. It's 'Banana Crumble' from The Joy of Vegan Baking. It's super easy to make and fun to serve in individual dishes. You must eat this dish warm with a scoop of Soy Delicious vanilla. Really, you must!

Thanksgiving was spent in Irvine with the extended family. Art and I brought a Tofurkey, and the relatives thoughtfully made a special portion of dressing without chicken for us. Now that's love!
After the festivities, the G-pa's took the girls and Art and I headed to San Diego. We found a bargain on Craig's List, and this was the view from our windows. There were as many dolphins as surfers out there everyday!

We rented bicycles and left the car parked the entire time. We peddled to Vegan Zone to get food.

We know what we like, and ordered the same thing as always. Art is partial to the 'Pineapple Burger' and I dig the 'High Protein Salad'. This time, we also shared the 'Sate'.

This restaurant is a great beach alternative to the regular junk. I highly recommend it.

We scooped up the girls later in the week and headed back to San Diego for some kid touristy activities.

Don't our little spuds look like So-Cal locals sitting below a palm tree wearing shades?!

We went to SipZ because we were starving after playing all day. This is the best food, ever! For real. As you can see, the ambiance is nothing special, and the service lacks unless Karen is with us. But doesn't matter because they have fabulous food! Check our parade: the person seating us, Art (hand extended in the middle), Liv, Abi, and me following with a camera. Hard to fly under the radar with this procession! :)

We ALWAYS order the 'Sweet & Sour Chicken' and this time, we ordered two more to go. For the chicas, we got a plate of steamed veggies and rice. It was a somewhat peaceful meal because the girls were entertained by the fish swimming beside us.

The girls and I spent a day with Karen, and I plan on sharing some photos next time. Lately, I've been a bit out of it, literally. Some major dental work, and some narcotics to go along. So, not much cooking happening, mostly just maintaining. Hope you're doing well!!

FALL . . . lots of sewing & soup

2007-11-10T12:16:00.000-07:00

It's Fall. My favorite time of year. We've been immersing ourselves in bicycle rides, pumpkin patches, and piles of leaves.

Squirrels have been busily harvesting our two walnut trees. Hustling here and there stowing away for leaner times. As I read my newspaper recently, I mused how much smarter they are than we. Water has run out in Orme, Tennessee, and they say the crisis could serve as a warning to other communities to conserve water before it's too late. Any one's home town could be next, with long-term droughts and dwindling water supplies.

Here's two of our best jack-o-lanterns. Nothing fancy here, folks, but it was fun to light them and turn off the lights for dinner.

'The Best Pumpkin Muffins' from Vegan with a Vengeance. Yes, these are good, and we thought even better with a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. But, really, there isn't much that those won't improve! :)

'Winter Squash and Sweet Potato Soup' from "Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker" is such a delicious soup, and this cookbook is the reason why I LOVE my crockpot. Here's it is before cooking. Six delightfully aromatic hours later, I pureed it, topped with toasted pumpkin seeds from the weekend carving, and served with crusty bread.

I was thinking about Amy's Mexican Casseroles, and wanted to see how close I could get on a homemade vegan version. Here's the ingredients minus some El Paso enchilada sauce.

Here it is out of the oven. The verdict? It was pretty good, and has lots of potential. Next time I'll cut the polenta in thicker slices instead of making a shell and add lots more sauce. It could be better.

'Roasted Carrot Coconut Soup' from La Dolce Vegan! I omitted ginger, lemongrass, corriander seeds, and cilantro and still this soup was plenty flavorful for me. I really like that the recipe yields 2 large or 4 small servings - just enough for me to finish myself during the week. The soup coincided with a giant bag of baby bell peppers from Costco.

I've had the sewing bug lately. I made four Halloween pillow cases using these helpful directions. Next time, I'll make the hem shorter because the case isn't quite long enough to cover the pillows.

I also sewed two baby blankets and 6 matching burp cloths for gifts that I forgot to take photos of. Congratulations to Esther & Elaine!!

I got the idea for these "Giving Thanks" or "Thanks Giving" banners from a Pottery Barn for Kids catalog. It is made from felt and sewing scraps. It was fun to sew, and the girls had fun helping me arrange the letters.

I also finished the anniversary quilt that I began in August. It's a full-sized and the back is completely denim.

Next on the sewing front, I want to refashion some clothes -- make a skirt out of old pants, or make a quilt from worn clothing. I vow to abstain from buying new material. I will use what I have, reuse items as fabric, and get it from a thrift store.

What's the latest on the vegan cookbook scene? These two much-anticipated gems, of course. Veganomicon is the size of a college textbook, and flipped through each page the night it arrived.

'A Hummus Recipe' from Veganomicon made into a pita "sammich" as those brilliant cookbook girls would call it. The hummus is thick, and there are beets and organic baby lettuce to add some crunch. I ate these for about a week. I opted for cumin, and discovered a love match.

'Sweet Potato Lentil Chili' from eat, drink, & be vegan. What a hearty and delicious chili! I love Dreena's flavor combinations. She gives some choices: I opted for coconut oil, green lentils, and black beans. I love the sweet contrast to the spices. I want to make everything in both these cookbooks!

Olivia and I received some exciting news recently....

We entered PeTA's first ever "Cooking with Kids Contest" and we actually won!! I feel so honored.
Fellow bloggers may remember that I posted about this recipe about a year ago, and decided to bring it back for the contest.

We're heading to southern California to spend Thanksgiving with family and we hope to check out some new places to eat... Any suggestions?

Sifting

2007-10-17T10:59:00.000-06:00

I've been getting my money's worth out of this flour sifter I found at a garage sale.

It's a simple, fun, and helpful task that gets the girls involved.

Following is a look at what's been the result of all that sifting....

'Berry Oat Squares' from La Dolce Vegan!

I used some of my apricot-pineapple jam along with frozen blueberries for the filling, which was a tasty combo.
I guess this looked too healthy for my girls, and they wouldn't even try one, so I ate them all myself! I don't suggest this. Instead, make them when there's others to partake because you just can't stop 'til they're gone.

'Banana Bread' from The Damn tasty Vegan Baking Guide!

I added a handful of chocolate chips because it draws interest from the girls. This was good and we enjoyed it warm from the oven, though it seemed too moist to enjoy later that day. I used a silicone non-stick and perhaps that's the reason? Or maybe it just needed a bit more time to cook? Or, I over-filled the pan? Who knows! :)

'Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins' from The Joy of Vegan Baking.

Can you tell I like this flavor combo? This recipe is perfect for using up ripe bananas, taking four. I had 3 large bananas, and instead of mashing them, I pureed for a consistent texture. These muffins were perfectly delicious, and the whole family enjoyed them. I'll be making these again soon.

'Chocolate and Vanilla Marble Cupcakes' from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World.

These were fun to make, and a bit messy. I'm a competitior, and read the text, "Add both to the cupcake liner at the same time, side by side. Some people may not have the hand-eye coordination to do this (as easy as it sounds)...." to be a challenge! lol! Here is my handywork before clean-up. :)

'Chocolate Mousse Topping' from VCTOTW crowns them.

Silken tofu makes for the most luscious & light topping, along with providing a nice shot of protein from an unsuspected source.
I made them for Art's birthday last month. We both thought they were good enough, but nobody took the last one, and I probably won't make them again unless I need some coordination training. :)

I had a cookie recipe in mind, so first I needed to prepare the cookie sheets.

I like to alternate stacking cookie sheets and parchment paper. The top cookie sheet serves as a guide to trim excess paper, and also weighs down and conforms the papers so they don't slip as easily.

'Oatmeal Raisin Cookies' from The Joy of Vegan Baking are a delectable classic.

I didn't have oat bran, so added more of the rolled oats which worked out well for me. The rest of the recipe was by the book, and I used our favorite golden raisins. It yielded 3 dozen cookies using my medium scoop, and I shared a couple dozen with my neighbors. I enclosed lists of the ingredients, and I wonder if they'll notice there's no dairy?

To tally it up, that's 4 recipes tried, and 4 outstanding successes from this cookbook. With that track record, I feel comfortable trying recipes out on guests! Anybody else experiencing the Joy? :)

Apple Picking & German Apple Cake

2007-10-12T20:52:00.000-06:00

It's Fall, and we felt the calling to go pick apples, so we headed to Emmett, and followed the signs. At first, we thought we were at the same place as last year, but wound up finding another delightful orchard. Wee King's Orchard (2955 W. South Slope Road 398-8047) is an acronym of their 3 children's names and their last. They saw the property online, and sight unseen moved here from Monterey California. They thought it'd be fun to run an orchard, and found that it is, plus lots of hard work. They love it!

Here's their seasonal line-up:

Cherries in June
Apricots in July
30 varieties of Apples Aug/Oct
Empress Plums in September
Italian Prunes during September

Apple break! Picking apples makes you hungry and we were pleased to be lost in the Fuji section.

We also picked up pie pumpkins and ornamental gourds from their produce stand. Our city girls enjoyed running through the orchards, chasing a cat, and exploring their garden as we exchanged stories with the owners. It was a lovely day.

The apples we didn't eat fresh went into this 'German Apple Cake' from The Joy of Vegan Baking. I had four apple recipes in mind from this book and this was a great choice! Art and I ate the entire thing over the next couple days and didn't feel one bit guilty! :)

Hey, anybody going to the upcoming Vegan Holiday Festival in Portland? You could hear Brendan Brazier, or dish it up with Julie Hasson! Among the exhibitors will be Food Fight!, VegNews Mag, & Herbivore. Sounds like an awesome event!

The Joy Of VEGAN BAKING

2007-10-06T09:52:00.000-06:00

Look what I got in the mail yesterday! The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. You've seen her column in VegNews, and ask a vegan, plus all sorts of other great accomplishments.

But let's talk about this cookbook! It's thick (287 pages) with full page photos on about every third page. She offers tips, serving suggestions, food lore, and clears up cooking confusion with clear explanations. This is the closest thing I've seen to a vegan baking "Bible" covering the full range. To help us find our way through the 15 chapters of baking options, she also sorts her recipes by ingredient, seasons, and celebrations & occasions.

I'm becoming somewhat of a vegan cookbook collector, and this one definitely deserves a tiara! I'm impressed.

I decided to make the 'Pumpkin Spice Bread' for the girl's snack since we were painting pumpkins and feeling very Fall-ish.

I appreciate her option of using either Ener-G Replacer or ground flaxseed, and I used the later. I used 1/3 ww flour and 2/3 white, which is the balance I seem to prefer. Being out of ground cloves, I subbed pumpkin pie spice. The rest was straight up, and of course I added the optional chocolate chips.

The verdict? Fit for a princess! Delicious. This recipe makes a lot. For me it yielded a full-sized loaf pan and 12 muffins. She recommends making 4 mini loaves to give as gifts, which would be a great treat to share. The girls are eating some of the left-over loaf for breakfast as I type -- and it's awesome the next day, too! I really can't wait to fully explore this cookbook, and at the moment, the book remains open, either in the kitchen or on the nightstand! :)

Vicki's vegan version of the Idaho Potato Tart

2007-09-30T12:26:00.000-06:00

Here's a savory side-dish made with our state's pride & joy... the potato. I modified this recipe from the Idaho Potato Commission.

5 med. Idaho potatoes (red or white)
1 leek (or a bunch of green onions)
1 red bell pepper
sundried tomato pesto
1/2 c vegetable broth
Earth Balance
fresh ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425*
2. Slice potatoes very thinly using a food processor or mandoline and divide them into 3 equal parts. Do the same with leeks & red pepper.
3. Oil a pie pan with vegetable oil and layer one third of the potatoes in the pan. Spread a layer of pesto over potatoes. Top with leeks, red pepper and sprinkle with some fresh ground pepper.

4. Place another third of the potatoes on top, layering evenly. Add another layer of pesto, leeks, red pepper, and fresh ground pepper.
5. Top with the last third of potatoes, spreading to cover. Pour vegetable broth over all; season with pepper and dot with Earth Balance.
5. Oil the bottom of another pie plate and place on top of the potatoes. Weigh that down with a cast iron skillet. Bake for 1 hour. Remove the skillet and pie pan and bake for another 15 minutes until browned.

Let it cool a bit before serving and it'll slice better. Cover with tin foil and keep in a 200* oven until company arrives, or take it with you to the vegan potluck. It's easily transportable and great to make ahead of time.

Perhaps that's what I'll do next weekend at my first vegan potluck! I found a group after reading on Amey's blog about Meet-up. Go and search your city for a vegan group, or start your own. What dish has been successful for you at a vegan pot luck?

Vinegar is magical!

2007-09-20T21:57:00.000-06:00

It feels good to have "Mickey'd" the floor today, which is what we call cleaning the hardwood floor, because that's how the previous owner, Mickey, did it. She told us how, and we've memorialized it with her name. (We think we're so clever!) It's easy, inexpensive, and makes our floor shine. Put some water in the sink, add a couple cups of white vinegar, and with a rag for each hand wipe the floor clean. Old cloth diapers work great! :)

Here's the line-up. They are tough on floors, and the main reasons why I grab the jumbo size white vinegar. I've noticed you can really get in touch with your floor on hands and knees, and as I was down there today bonding, it occurred to me that this might just qualify as a green activity. After all, how many other cleaning agents are completely edible? I googled, and as you may know, there are numerous uses for vinegar. If you're interested in green cleaning, don't buy chemicals you can't pronounce. Instead go here, here, and here for some great vinegar uses! As a segue back to food, perhaps next post we'll be eating off the floor....

Double Chocolate Decadence Cookie

2007-09-19T15:01:00.000-06:00

I found a new vice today! Since seeing ads in VegNews, I've wanted to try an Alternative Baking Company cookie. Their goal is to make the best cookie in the galaxy, and aside from homemade, I'd say mission completed. The cookie is moist and full of flavor. What it lacks is hydrogenated oils, cholesterol, preservatives, artificial ingredients, refined sugars, eggs, dairy, and honey. On top of all that, it seems like a really cool company. The back of the packaging explains why one should eat organic and vegan. Do yourself a favor and have a cookie!