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

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.

Holiday Wrap-Up

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!

FALL . . . lots of sewing & soup

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?

Vote for the Globies!

Wouldn't you like to help select the best and worst global warming performances? How satisfying would that be? Just click above. There's only 5 questions, so it doesn't take long. They'll announce the winners (and losers as the case may be) on February 23. Go vote! (Thanks for the link, Kleo :o)

This is 'Maple-Almond Granola with Cranberries and Blueberries' from "Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker". It's pictured on the one little patch of snow that I could find this winter. hmmmm... About the granola, it's Ok, & we're a bit spoiled by other granola we buy and haven't gone crazy for this. It'll be perfect for a pie crust. It was interesting making granola in a slow cooker, and it worked surprisingly well. This is one of my favorite cookbooks. I'm wondering if any readers have other Robin Robertson cookbooks?

Thanksgiving

A turkey walnut marked each person's place at the dinner table. (duck & mouse nuts) Our extended families couldn't join us this year, so we invited friends who didn't already have plans. They also had to be willing to experiment with us on several new vegan dishes. Not too many food photos because they didn't turn out well due to poor lighting. I was also in a hurry to just serve the food already and spare our guests waiting for photographs. Anyway, -- this is how it went.





Jeanne's Flaky Pastry
2 1/4 c. Flour
1 tsp. Sea Salt
3/4 c. non-hydrogenated shortening
7 Tbsp. ice water

Combine flour and salt. Cut in 1/2 cup of the shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Cut in remaining shortening until mixture is size of large peas. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time -- working the dough with a wooden spoon or your hands -- until particles cling together when pressed into a ball. Cover with a damp towel; let stand several minutes. (This is a good time to prepare your pie filling) Then, divide in half; roll into 2 9-inch pie crusts.

For the apple filling, I pared, cored, & sliced a 1 lb. bag of apples. Combined with 3/4 c. Sugar, 2 Tbsp. arrowroot powder, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice. Bake @ 425* for 50 minutes. When the pie edges are golden, cover with an aluminum ring to protect from burning.

Pumpkin Tofu Pie
1 15 oz organic pureed pumpkin
3/4 c. Sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
3 Tbsp. Arrowroot Powder
1 package silken, firm tofu, cubed
1 9-inch unbaked pie shell

In the processor, blend the pumpkin and sugar. Add salt, spices and arrowroot powder. Then, add tofu, and mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes at 425*, Then lower heat to 350* and bake for an hour. Chill and serve. This pie was a huge hit! :o)

This is 'Curly Kale with Caramelized Onions' from Vegetarian Times, Nov. 2006. This was good, but I'll go back to my regular way next time. We also had 'Best Brussels Sprouts' from Vegan Lunch Box, pg. 261. The name is fitting, and is our new favorite way to eat brussels sprouts -- lightly glazed with sweet & sour. I also made Idaho Mashed Potatoes with plain Silk and Earth Balance. I peeled and chopped the potatoes early in the morning, then put them in the pot and covered with cold water and ice for later. I made 'Old Fashioned Bread Stuffing' from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker, pg. 148. This was another success to add to next year's meal. It's great using the crockpot because it frees up hands to work on other parts of the feast.

This is our Tofurkey Roast -- Art added some carrots & onions. He also made Sweet Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, and a Green Bean Casserole. I was striving for a vegan Thanksgiving, and we came very close. If The Vegan Police had made a surprise visit, they would've tagged us for the marshmallows on top of the sweet potatoes and the whip cream for the pie.

It was a great meal, and we have so much to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!




Left-Overs Pot Pie
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 small onion
1 shallot
2 Stalks Celery
Sea Salt
2 Sweet Potatoes, cubed (optional)
left-over mashed potatoes
Fresh or Frozen Corn
2 Vegan Bouillon
3 c. Water
3 Tbsp. Arrowroot Powder
1/4 c. Fresh Parsley
Puff Pastry Sheet

Heat oil and saute onion, shallot, & celery until translucent. Add sweet potato, corn, bouillon, & water. Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat an simmer until cooked through. Mix 1/2 c. liquid from mixture and arrowroot powder -- stir back into mixture. Simmer until it thickens. Preheat oven to 425*. Coat with cooking spray and press a layer of left-over mashed potatoes in the bottom of a pie tin. I also added some left-over tofurkey. Then fill with the vegetable mixture. With a pizza cutter, and using the pie tin as a guide, cut a circle from one puff pastry sheet a little larger than the pie tin. Cut air release holes in the top of the pastry and fit on top, crimping the edges. Bake 15 minutes, or until brown and puffy.

Slow Stuffed Grape Leaves

from:
Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker (p. 20) I followed the recipe to a "TTT" - & tripled it!

This is the group of lucky dolmas going to the party. I sharpied a post-it for the dish that said "Vegan Stuffed Grape Leaves". I was little shy -- wondering if the crowd would go for the crackers + dip and cookies on the buffet --- or, turn a 180* and go for these very green & healthy morsels....




Here's 3 batches of dolmas (about 50) -- stuffed, wrapped, & ready for the Slow Cooker. It took a while to prepare, but well worth it. They vanished quickly at the party, and I felt a sense of victory for Veganism. It wasn't that people were starving, either, because there was plenty of left-overs of the junk food. They liked them. They really, really liked them! These were the perfect party pleasing appetizer.






for change.

Currant Apple & Oat Muffins, Millet and Root Stew, and a Vegan Cupcake

Currant Apple & Oat Muffins
1 C. Dried Currants
1 med. Apple (peeled & Chopped)
3/4 C. Vanilla Silk
1/3 C. Granulated Sugar
1/4 C. Canola Oil
1 C. All-purpose Flour
1 C. Quick Oats
2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 tsp. Cinnamon
2 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
1/4 tsp Allspice
2 Tbsp. Florida Crystals

Preheat oven to 400*F. Oil or line 12 muffin cups. Combine fruit, soy milk, sugar and oil. In another bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Mix together until just combined. Divide batter between the cups. Sprinkle tops with Florida Crystals (or Brown Sugar). Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

This is basically a veganized version of the recipe off the Sun*Maid Zante Currants box.

Abi and Jolie enjoyed the muffins very much. But they'll eat just about anything! :o)


The true test of a successful recipe around here is if Liv will eat it. She can be a toughie, but she really liked these muffins. So did I. This doesn't happen very often, so I'm taking note and throwing this one into the regular muffin rotation hopper! Next time, perhaps dried cherries, blueberrries, or raisins instead of currants.

Isn't she a cutie-pajutie in her rainboots?! (no storm in sight) She leaves them outside the door so she can throw them on in a hurry outside. The Mums behind were blooming like that in late October!








I love raking leaves. It's great exercise, but not too rigerous. It is outdoors in the crisp Fall air, and the kids gather around to help. Even Jolie runs through the pile chasing a squirrel from time to time. I've raked leaves everyday for the past week (body is sore) and there are still a few hanging on to the branches, but not many. Most of the trees are bare now and it is looking more like Winter.

This is becoming one of my favorite cookbooks.




My first recipe was 'Millet and Burdock Root Stew' page 84. I did not have (nor have ever heard of) Burdock Root, so I subbed in a sweet potato (white one). The rest of the recipe was straight, except I left out the mushrooms & ginger because I just don't like them.

I'm telling you, this was a delicious and satisfying meal. I'll be making this again





Here it is! The moment I've been waiting for... My first cupcake from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World (Congrats on being Cookbook of the Year @ Veg News Veggie Awards).

It is:

Simple Vanilla and Agave Nectar Cupcake (44)

Not-Too-Sweet Blueberry Mousse (153)

I topped with some electric blue sugar crystals!