October Closing Thoughts

Today is the last day of Vegan MoFo. It's a good day to mark the beginning of my new diet. I think those 15 pounds of Daiya found their way directly to my you-know-what. Look, I know it's not always polite to talk about your weight. Obviously, we all come in our own beautiful shapes and sizes, and I only judge myself. I'm 5'3", I have no thyroid, I'm not genetically skinny, I have short legs (ha), and this is a subject I'm always going to struggle with. I am currently 20ish pounds heavier than my "normal weight." I never lost all of it after I had Sissy, but I did lose all but 10 pounds of it...then I gained back 13 the past 6 months, which is so depressing. (It was sort of emotional eating. It's kind of been a weird 6 months. Which led me to stop regularly exercising. And I just like to eat. It was also my thyroid medication, which is always being adjusted. ) It's not all about the scale; it's about how I feel. And I do not feel like myself right now. Plus, if I was going to even think about having another baby (my poor husband will fall over when reading that), I need to take action now because...historically...ahem...I've been known to gain 60 pounds while pregnant.

I've already started this week replacing a meal each day with fresh juice. I go over to my parents' house to walk on the treadmill, then use Dad's juicer. Thursday, I made carrot, beet, celery, apple, orange, mango. Friday, I made beet, apple, orange, pear, grapefruit, carrot. I'm talking about it because I think it's important to have goals for yourself, and I also think it's a good idea to announce those goals publicly. It's accountability. I don't need to be making doughnuts right after I said I'm trying to lose weight...I could secretly make them and just not post the pictures...I won't do that, though!
I'm going to get back to more raw foods and more vegetables overall. Today, I tried out Kristen's Cheezy Hemp Nacho Sauce. Loved it! Here is the link to her recipe. I really enjoy her blog (I've mentioned her before) because of the great raw recipes (I've also purchased one of her ebooks.) and also because of the way she honestly shares what is going on in her life, including travels, infertility problems and and her recent pregnancies. I like food blogs that "say a little more."

Anyway, this sauce was great as a dip for raw veggies (would also be good with chips, I'm sure) and as a sauce for a veggie burger (which I did for Ryan today) or as a salad dressing.

Strangely enough, today I discovered I love...raw celery sticks. If you would have asked me before if I loved celery, I would have been very neutral about it (I always just use it in recipes). I think the mistake of celery is not cutting it into thinner strips, like above. I think I've also never gotten into celery because it's always served with ranch dressing or full of pimento cheese, etc....so when I was young I never got into the habit of eating it. I like it just as much as baby carrots now. Poor celery; I really didn't give you a chance before.

Since this is the last day of V MoFo, I went through my pictures and here is every other picture I have taken of our food the past few months. Guacamole with flautas. I rolled up a corn tortilla with refried beans (sealing it with a little of the beans) and fried them in a skillet. The kids ate these up.

Spinach-Artichoke Dip - I threw a bunch of ingredients in the blender, sort of versions of this recipe and this one. It was mostly spinach, artichokes, Vegannaise, garlic, non-dairy milk, Galaxy Foods Parmesan, and Daiya cheese. It was the richest, most gooey and sinful thing I may have ever eaten. It was so good that I can assure you I won't be making it anytime soon.

Potato salad from Veganomicon...we've made this and the book's macaroni salad a few times this summer, and they were both great recipes.

Minestrone with low-sodium vegetable broth, cannelini beans, kale, carrots, squash, zucchini, and hemp seeds sprinkled on top. Garlic toast made with Serenity Farm Bread, which we love. Serenity Farms Bakery is located in Leslie, Arkansas. If you're ever driving up Hwy. 65, stop at the location that is also a small health food store or downtown where the cute bakery with a wood-fired brick oven is located. We love their bread. It's made without yeast, sweeteners, additives, or oils.

Baby carrots, just barely steamed, with spices (I felt very fancy making this kind with the stems; I never had before.), steamed greens with garlic, steamed butternut squash with walnuts and a little agave nectar drizzled on top, and grilled cheese sandwich with tomato. I wrote about this kind of "uncheese" and the cookbook I love here.

Enchiladas...for the record, here is my favorite enchilada recipe. I didn't use that one this time. I always make my own enchilada sauce because I have yet to find one to buy that doesn't contain sugar. Does anyone know of one? I just mix, in a pan over low-medium heat: tomato paste, water, a little cornstarch, salt, a little garlic, and a little chili powder (can't make it too spicy for Tornado). I covered the pan with a little sauce, dipped each tortilla in the sauce, then rolled each up with more sauce, black beans, brown beans, corn, and chopped zucchini.

So don't even THINK you're going to see me eating anything like these cheesecake bites anytime soon...it's not going to happen.

I'm very excited about the time change. A lot of people don't like the time change. My husband is the #1 un-fan of the time change. I say, every year, I'm going to buy him one of those artificial light therapy boxes. I rather like the dark; it's cozy. I like the extra hour. It usually does wonders for me. I feel like I haven't really caught up from last spring. Maybe, just maybe, this will be exactly what I need to get me back on track with life.

Happy Time Change and Happy Halloween, for those of you who care.

Pasta, Four Ways

Isn't it pretty and bright? And it was delicious, too. The top spaghetti was mixed with basil walnut pesto and peas. The next one was a nutritional yeast and nut based cheese sauce. The next one was just marinara with seitan, olives, and tomatoes. Finally, the last one just had olive oil and spices with broccoli. I added strips of stir-fried squash, bell peppers, and more broccoli to separate the different kinds. Plus, Dash is much more willing to eat his veggies if they are "on the side."

This is one of my favorite places to look at beautiful dishes of food. They're always so well presented and photographed. I wish I could LIVE in their house.

A Few Things We've Eaten This Week

So...apparently I am NOT as schooled in the urban dictionary as I thought I was. I did not know, as pointed out by the apparently down-with-it Murphy's, that mofo is an abbreviation for something other than "Month of Food." I apologize, therefore, if I offended you with all my slang (even though I didn't make it up...click here to read posts from more MoFo participants). Never fear, though. According to the Urban Dictionary (which never fails to amuse me) itself, mofo is actually a term of respect. This is exactly what it says: This meaning tho is meant to be non abusive, almost as a sign of respect or greeting for fellow friends..It must be stated tho that the use of the full word is a sign of abuse. Examples: Hey, Mofo = Aceptable. Hey, (insert other word) = Abuse. The examples are always the best.

This dish is dedicated to my Momma. When we were young and she would have to leave for work on a summer day or whenever we were going to be alone, this was a dish she often left for us in the fridge. (Probably often in this same casserole dish I've inherited.) We just had to stick it in the oven. Pasta, peas, sauce, and cheese melted on top. It's just as good now.

Oatmeal with almonds, flax, agave, and berries. I'm REALLY trying to eat more oatmeal. As opposed to...ahem...Panda Puff's or something like that. When I do eat Panda Puffs, I try to, at least, add some almond slices. And breakfasts these days have been eaten on the car, on the run (for the kids, usually apple slices, toast, granola bar, or bag of nuts)...this new life of mine=not so fun. (More on that later.)

I made these Blueberry Banana Muffins from a recipe I got out of either How it All Vegan or Veganomicon...I can't remember which. I was scribbling some recipes down quickly, while in the library parking lot before I left those books in the drop-off. Those are both great books, though. I just need to purchase them. I'm pretty certain it was my fault they didn't turn out they way I'm sure they were intended. I think I was missing a liquid ingredient because the batter was really dry. They seemed more like scones than muffins. Regardless, they were eaten, and the key to this story is: I don't know why I don't make muffins more often. They're always a sure-fire hit and can be made so healthy.
See? I can barely read my own writing. I always think I'm going to be able to read my writing when I write fast, and I always think I'm going to remember what I meant by an abbreviation...I never learn.

I attempted this recipe for the Mac 'n Cheese Bites that I've really been wanting to try from Vegan Mom. Here is the recipe. Hers look a lot prettier than mine. I started making it then realized I was out of key ingredients. I tried to "make do." I was out of soymilk, onions, and Earth Balance. Pretty substantial ingredients. I should have just waited. I used water, tahini, and cream cheese. Haha. I was also out of cooking spray so I just oiled the muffin tins with my Spectrum Organic Shortening. It actually turned out really tasty (I made 12 "muffins" and 12 "loafs," and there was nothing left. They were scraping at the pans to get everything they could because they all liked them so much.); however, they stuck to the pans without the spray and Earth Balance. I look forward to trying this recipe again as it was intended, with all the proper ingredients. I think they're a great idea, regardless.

Vegan MoFo

Vegan MoFo (Vegan Month of Food) is almost up...the other night I made stuffed bell peppers, using peppers from dad's garden.

I stuffed them with a mixture of quinoa (did you know quinoa is a whole protein and contains more protein than any other grain?), onions, leftover taco crumbles, corn, tomatoes, avocadoes, spices, and salsa.

Here they are after I added the whole wheat bread crumbs and Daiya cheese...are you sick of that word yet? Daiya, Daiya, Daiya. Tornado gobbled up 2 bell peppers himself and asked if he could take one in his lunch the next day, which he did. Dash and Sissy ate a modified meal this night...bowls of quinoa, tofu, cheese, baby carrots, and also avocado and tomato for Sissy.

I just wasn't into the idea of stuffed bell peppers, and I didn't feel particularly hungry. I just ate some of the roasted garbanzo beans I'd made from using up the pot 'o beans I had from the day before. In a bowl, I drizzled them with olive oil and salt. On half of them, I also sprinkled Simply Organic spicy steak seasoning. I baked them at 375 for about 45 minutes, I think. I turned them halfway through. Yum. These didn't last very long around here. Here's another recipe for them.

To My Husband

This post is in honor of my brilliant husband. I think the saying goes: "Behind every great man is a woman..." I think, in my case, there is this great man behind me. I can't even tell you how smart and creative I think he is. (supportive, unselfish...etc.) First of all, I think he's a genius, when it comes to his job (and all things technological). I could never do what he does; my brain just does not work that way. Then, besides that, he is an elementary teacher at heart, and I feel like I'm married to this little computer of ideas. And if I have an idea, I talk it over with him, and he perfects it. He learns how something works, and he can tell you all about it five years later. He always lets the kids go with him to do errands, even though it would be much simpler if he went on his own. He gathers the kids around him at night for a nightly devotion and prayer. Those are just a few things I love about him. I know he's going to roll his eyes at all of this because he knows he's not perfect, and I'm not saying he's perfect. He can be impossible at moments, let's be honest. :) Then, besides all of that...he makes me healthier, too. I could so easily be a "junk-food" vegetarian because that's sort of what my natural palate leans toward...but besides the fact I choose to do better on my own, he encourages all of us to eat more vegetables, etc. He tells ME that I need to start preparing more raw food again because he really felt good when I was doing that. He stopped eating meat (around 7 years ago) as a (huge) gesture to me, but along the way, he has developed his own feelings about the subject.

I love that he is sensitive and compassionate about the same things I care about. I've mentioned before, we argued when we were engaged about whether or not we would take our kids to McDonald's. Now, when I'm not even in the room, I sometimes catch him talking to the kids about why we don't eat animals. And I see him with Dash, talking gently about why it's important to be kind to the little snail or rolly-polly or whatever he is holding. All of that warms my heart tremendously. I realize how much I lucked out in the husband-picking department. He's about as perfect for me, as I imagine they come.

He is always concocting these great ideas for meals. The other day, when he was driving home, he told me he was thinking about blending icecream with Larabars. So this weekend, that is what we did with some vanilla Soy Delicious. Here is our version of a Concrete or Blizzard.
We made different flavors. First, Cherry Pie. Then Banana Bread flavor mixed with Chocolate Coconut. And finally, Apple Pie. The ingredients of a Larabar are dates, nuts, and then whatever extra flavor is added, like bananas or cocoa powder and coconut.
I pinched the Larabars into pieces for the food processor, then blended them a little before adding the icecream, then blending it some more.
Here is another dish that Ryan created...about 11 years ago. I was working 3 jobs at the time, and when I came home late, he had supper ready for me. He did that a lot. He named this dish Tortilla Picante, and we still enjoy it often today. First, you cut corn tortillas into strips, and cook them with olive oil in a skillet. They will get crispy. Put them aside. In a large pan, add chopped avocados, mashed silken tofu, olives, garlic, salt and plenty of salsa. (We always used Picante Sauce back then, which is how it got its name, of course.) Then, add the corn tortilla chips back in, until they are chewy.

Dash Antics and Magic Loaf

My 4 year old son is so lovely. I mean, he really is. He's a cute, little fella. He can just astound us with his sense of curiosity, the sweet ways he shows us love, and his ability to decipher the marvelousness of God's creations.
He likes to give Ghetti rides in his big Tonka truck. Creative and sweet. So, yeah, he does amazing things...and sometimes by amazing, I mean ARE YOU CRAZY?! Today I saw him acting funny with a straw in the kitchen. I went on with my business. A little bit later I realized he was in the downstairs bathroom with the door closed. I entered. (Of course. You always enter a closed-door room that Dash is in.) He had filled the sink up with water, and the straw was in his mouth in the water. I'm sure he had been blowing bubbles, and I'm sure he was also drinking the water. Because his excuse was, "But I was really, really thirsty."

Today for lunch I made my husband proud by making a "meatloaf"ish meal. He always asks for one. And I've been meaning to try out The Magical Loaf Studio. I saw it on Vegan Lunch Box. It worked great. You just have to pick your protein, carb, liquid, nuts, veggies, binder, and spices. I used lentils, wheat germ, whole wheat bread crumbs, vegetable broth, walnuts & almonds, carrots & onions & a bit of spinach, ground flaxseed, oregano, Italian seasoning, ketchup, cumin, and salt. It was so easy, and it was so good! You should definitely try it.

We also had steamed broccoli because, like I've said, it's just an easy vegetable all the kids will eat.

I also experimented with scalloped potatoes. I had already peeled the potatoes when I realized my nutritional yeast was missing. I have no idea where it is; maybe it's at my parents'. So I couldn't use this recipe I planned to use from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. I looked at it for ideas, and I also looked at this one from Tofu-N-Sproutz. I ended up slicing the potatoes and cooking them (careful not to overcook them since they're also being baked). Between the layers of potatoes I spread a mixture of unsweetened almond milk, Tofutti Sour Supreme (the non-hydrogenated version of their sour cream), flour, cornstarch, garlic, onion powder, salt, lemon juice, and cashew butter. I can't tell you the amounts; I've mentioned before I get very distracted using recipes. I topped it with some Orgran Rice Crumbs and Daiya cheese. Speaking of Daiya...my friend Carrie told me she saw Daiya being used/talked about on the ellen degeneres show (because Ellen is vegan) the other day. Here is the recipe for vegan tacos her personal chef made.

Supper Last Night

Nothing too original for supper last night...just made a salad (and garlic toast again; doesn't garlic toast make any meal great?), but Ryan, Tornado, and I LOVE salads (if made properly). (We're working on Dash and Sissy, and they're getting better.)

Ingredients: baby romaine, romaine hearts, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, avocado, onions, cannelini beans, Tofurky kielbasas cooked and cut into chunks (our favorite analog), and West Soy baked garlic and herb tofu (our favorite kind of tofu).

We also tried adding two new products, and they were both hits...

The first one was hearts of palm. I'd never really tried them before, until I recently had lunch with my little sister Tracy at Cafe Bossa Nova in Little Rock. It has Brazilian cuisine with vegan options. I always feel better about "vegan options" at a restaurant if the item is actually called "vegan ____" and the waiter seems comfortable with the word. I ordered the black bean soup and the salada de palmito, which is imported Brazilian hearts of palm, red onions, and tomatoes drizzled with a balsamic vinegar, olive oil and oregano dressing. I realized I need to start using this vegetable, which is packed with iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and copper. It's also low-carb, not that I care about that sort of thing, but you may.

Tornado loved them so much he asked that I put them in his lunch the next day.

In regard to Dash and Sissy and salads...well, they had altered versions of our salad. Sissy had broccoli, tomatoes, avocado, tofu, kielbasa, beans, a tiny bit of the lettuce/spinach, and the dressing. Dash had broccoli, tofu, kielbasa, beans, a tiny bit of lettuce/spinach, and the dressing. We know what they will refuse to eat, and we try pick our battles. Dash is the pickiest, and we're just happy that he WILL eat baby carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower. If he won't eat zucchini, squash, or brussel sprouts, then fine. He will eat small amounts of lettuce and spinach on a sandwich. He HAS gotten better about trying a lot of things we ask (very nicely) him to try, so we feel proud of him for that. Which, I think, proves that you just have to keep surrounding them with healthy foods, talking about how good it is for them, and offering it to them.

We also used this new (I guess it's new? They were giving out samples when I was at Whole Foods today.) Hemp Oil Sweet & Sassy dressing. It was just as good as any dressing, to me personally, and the only ingredients are organic cold-pressed unrefined hemp seed oil, organic raw agave nectar, organic raw apple cider vinegar, organic celery seed, and Celtic sea salt. The benefits of hemp oil (over 90% unsaturated) are Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids and GLA (which is gamma linolenic acid). I don't perfectly understand everything there is to know about EFA's, but I do know that oils are supposed to be in a ratio of 3:1 (in regard to omega 6 and 3), and hempseed is. Here is an article talking about the health benefits of hemp products.

Peanut Butter Cups

We made these peanut butter cups the other day. Peanut butter cups were probably my favorite candy growing up. After school, when I had to stay for practice, etc. I was always hungry. We would go next door to Rapid Robert's for a snack. I spent a lot of time in my life at 'ol Rapid Roberts. I never had a lot of money with me, but I could usually scrounge up a dime or quarter (I forget how much they were) for a little miniature p.b. cup. I was only a vegetarian at that point, and I really didn't have the healthiest eating habits altogether (not that a miniature p.b. cup necessarily hurt me unless you keep in mind I probably had a chocolate caramel fundraiser candy bar for lunch).

Anyway...this is only the 2nd or 3rd time I've made these, but it's super easy. I made these rather quickly so they aren't as pretty as I would like for picture purposes. Here is an official recipe on VegWeb. I didn't really use the recipe, though. I'm a little ADD when it comes to following recipes. Which is probably why I'm not the "best" cook in the world. Add it to the list of "things I'm working on."

I cut my muffin paper liners in half. I melted chocolate chips in the microwave, then used a spoon to spread it evenly all inside the liner. I put them in the freezer for a few minutes until they hardened, then filled each one with natural peanut butter mixed with a bit of powdered sugar and a dash of salt. (Next time I'm going to try sticking with straight peanut butter, for health purposes, and see if it affects it too much.) Melted some more chocolate to cover the p.b., then waited for them to harden again. The kids loved them!

And in other news...

...it sure has been chilly around here lately.

Vegan Month of Food

I had really promised myself that I was going to cut back on my vegan food pictures, for the sake of my carnivorous (omnivorous, I hope) loved ones. However - and this is really not my fault (I didn't make this up)...it's World Vegetarian Month, only to be followed by World Vegan Month...and this month begins Vegan Month of Food (Vegan MoFo). So, if you love me, bear with me as I join in. I'll try to not be too annoying. Matt, I know you love me, despite of our differences.

Amy's Enchiladas is one of my favorite foods in the whole entire world...I could eat these everyday. I love Mexican food so I think I love them because they aren't something I can order at a typical Mexican restaurant. They are spicy and flavorful, and I'm not the best at being a "flavorful" cook. I really need lessons on how to use spices more effectively. Sissy and Dash love these enchiladas, too, but it's a little too spicy for Tornado's palate. This is the entree choice with two enchiladas...

...and the whole meal choice with rice and beans. The beans that come with it really don't look like the ones in this picture, but they are SO good. I wish I could replicate whatever they do to make it for myself.

I prefer buying the low sodium versions, when available (although I probably make up the difference when applying my own salt). It's a good thing I have low blood pressure because I eat entirely too much salt. I really need to work on that. (The meal has 740 mg sodium, the entree has 390, and the low sodium version of the entree only has 190 mg...also FYI, calories are only around 330ish.)

It just so happens that my mom sent me an excited text last night, informing me they are now selling some frozen Amy's products at Wal-Mart. The meals are only $3.18, which is a great deal compared to 3.99-4.99, that I usually see them for. (I actually paid over $5 locally the other day, which is ridiculous.) Isn't my Mom sweet? She tries to act all stubborn and irked at my diet sometimes. But she was just as excited for me about the price as I was because she knows me, therefore knows it's one of my favorite foods and was genuinely happy for me. And besides, I really think she is a vegetarian somewhere deep within...I would share with you one of the funniest stories of my whole year related to that, but...she would be mad at me. Oh, man, I'm laughing again so hard right now, as I type this. Ask me in private, and I might tell you. :)

My beloved enchiladas just got even better. With my new shipment of Daiya cheese, I think I have created my most favorite food ever. It is a tie with chocolate mousse. I texted Ryan the other day while I was eating it because it was that good. I think because it tastes so much like the Mexican Villa dairy cheese enchiladas of my youth. I always try to eat my enchiladas with a fresh salad on the side so I don't feel so processed. Here I added some yellow bell pepper from my dad's garden and some arugula.