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
Smoky Zucchini Bean Dip
Chocolate-Covered Cherries
Mega-Israeli Salad
Balsamic-Baked Beans
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!!
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!!!
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! :)
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.....
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! :)
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.
"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?
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...
'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.
