AeroGarden Review

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?

More Recent Eats (hits & misses)

'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.

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

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......

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?

This one's for the dogs!

DOG BISCUITS

1/2 c. cornmeal
2 c. whole wheat flour
6 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2/3 c. vegetable broth

We've made these before, and they are so easy, even a kid (or two) could make them!








Mix all the ingredients together well.













Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness.














Cut into desired shapes with a cookie cutter.












Bake 35-40 minutes. Let cool.













Store in your favorite doggie treat container, and dispense frequently.





Our bone shaped cookie cutters came from PeTA, along with the recipe. Check the sight, they have cool stuff for your animal companion.









Jolie liked them! She's our rescue dog. Avarie and I were volunteering for Best Friends at La Brea Tar Pits July of 2000. At the end of the day, she was the only pup not adopted and it didn't look good for her. I called Art to tell him of the situation, and without meeting her, said, "Bring her home", and she has been home for 7 years now. She is such a good dog. Check out her special talent! She will hold this pose until I say, and sometimes she can even catch it in the air. We love you & Happy Anniversary, Jolie! <3

Whoo Hoo! Goodies in the mail!

I received a phat little package this weekend from the super-cool, ultra-informed and compassionate KleoPatra! What a treat, and thank you so much!

"Pigs Are Friends Not Food" -- doesn't this sticker *scream* Kleo?! With my blurry photo, you can't quite make out the web address at the bottom: PETAKids.com




My girls helped me open it up, and Liv immediately claimed the spider as hers and tossed the Salamander bracelet to Abi to equalize it. My swift momma hand swiped the 100% vegan Endangered Species dark chocolate bar with raspberries for a later indulgent. Check out the adorable photo of Kleo and Mattie - that's on our fridge, held up by the San Diego magnet. Thank you for brightening our day! :o)
I hope everyone had a fabulous Earth Day, even though for most of you E-Day is everyday. Together we CAN! Peace.

Vegan Dog Biscuits

Jolie is dreaming about cookies beside her new 'Dog Bone Cookie Cutter Set' from the PETA catalog.

Urban Vegan hosted the tART contest, and the prize was a gift certificate from PETA.

Seems appropriate that the prize should benefit the only (official) animal in the house.






The set includes:
* Five Ways to Be Your Dog's Best Friend
* Vegan Dog Biscuits Recipe
* 7-piece Cookie Cutter Set

Here's Liv mixing the ingredients, while arranging the Cookie Cutters (big bone, medium bone, baby bone, dog house, big fire hydrant, baby fire hydrant, & dog paw).





Rolling out the dough.

The recipe yielded two packed cookie sheets for us, and we utilized each cookie cutter several times. About 35 biscuits.

PETA has lots of other cool things for animal companions that you may be interested in. When I grabbed the link, I saw a funny cat puke hazard sign for the floors.





Finally, Jolie's moment comes!

The taste test.

And.... She loved them! Schnup quickly ate as many as she could, and she wouldn't lie just to make us feel good.

I've seen her gobble up barf like it were a delicacy.

And, be finicky and refuse perfectly good food.

She eats what she likes. No excuses.

Jolie loves vegan treats -- here's a link with many recipes.





This is Jolie's special trick. She wins hearts over every time with this one.

She will stay like this as long as it takes. Then, after we say "OK", she'll toss the treat in the air, and many times she'll catch it in her mouth. It's impressive!

I didn't realize when I bent the dog bones to squeeze them on the cookie sheet that they'd be a perfect curve for her nose! Yeaah, for Jolie!

What can your animal companion do that's special?

Counting Soup

This photo shows us ready to mix together our 'Counting Soup' from Salad People by Mollie Katzen. Our ingredient line-up strayed slightly from the cookbook. In the white bowls there is cooked alphabet noodles with edamame, a bowl of broccoli, fresh corn cut off the cobb, and vegetable broth. The container holding the broth is one of the best garage sale items I've found. It sits on the stove and warms up liquid that you'll want to pour -- like syrup & sauces. Liv is hanging around in the background wondering when we're going to finish Mr. Pumpkin. You'll have to wait until tomorrow to see how he turned out!




Like many meals around here, Abigail was all over it while Olivia wasn't interested at all.















Here's the gift certificate I won from Urban Vegan's tART contest. I shopped the PETA magazine and placed my order today. What did I get? -- you may wonder. I'll let you know as soon as it arrives and I snap a photo. I love the anticipation of waiting for something in the mailbox! Thanks for that, Urban, and also for hosting a fantastically fun event while taking the opportunity to highlight such a compassionate organization.