surrounded by whiners

experiments

2007-04-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

I tried a few new recipes from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook just to avoid a trip to the health food store. The Chedda Cheez came out pretty good and has a nice flavor. The kids said it was too spicy to replace Vegan Gourmet cheddar, but they think it would be good as nacho cheese. It has a really strong roasted pepper flavor which might be why they called it spicy. It's always fun to cook with agar!!

Next was the Creamy Roquefort Dressing and Dip. Bland, bland, bland. I was really looking forward to this one but it was a disappointment. Partly because I loved Roquefort before being vegan, but mostly because I spent ALOT of money on the Umeboshi paste that the recipe calls for.

This last experiment was something my husband suggested, because of his love for Matzah Lasagna, and his desire to make a dent in the dozens of boxes of matzahs we have in the pantry. I thought it was a completely weird idea, but as usually happens when he comes up with an idea for a new dish, it was REALLY good!! So, introducing Enchilatzah Casserole!!!

This version was made with potatoes, black beans, and MSF Chik'n Strips. I meant to put greens in, but forgot. None of us liked the Chik'n strips so we've decided next try will be more potatoes and maybe taco flavored lentils.

I will leave you with a picture of the "breakfast in bed" my girls surprised me with a few days ago. Leftover Enchilatzahs, tortilla chips, carrots, cucumbers, and ice water. So sweet!

greens

2007-04-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

Two recent meals that were devoured by the whole family. I may have to change the name of the blog soon as the whining is becoming very infrequent. Asking for salads...eating greens...what's next!?!

Spanakorizo from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian

Lentil and Greens Stew (recipe) made with chard and kale. Served in a bread bowl. Gotta love that edible dinnerware! :)

Seriously, I am really seeing a change in my kids lately. Sometimes, I can't believe it. Mainly talking about my 6, 8, and 16 year olds (the 5 and 3 year olds are still not on board yet!) They discuss with me how sick they feel when they eat certain old favorites, and how much better they feel when eating healthy...they comment on how good dinner smells and then sit down and dig in, not questioning what the ingredients are...they specifically REQUEST undisguised, veggie-filled dinners...I could go on. This might not sound so amazing to some of you but it's like a complete turn around for them. Along with our bad choices in food, we had some pretty bad behavior in our kids at the dinner table. Who knew changing their diets would help in so many ways?

vacation, families, and food

2007-04-21T09:23:00.000-07:00

I've recently returned from vacation, had a wonderful time visiting extended family in San Diego and Sacramento. We ate so much garbage though. I'm really disappointed in myself. I want to be an inspiration and an example to my family and, instead, I eat what's easy and what's offered just to not be difficult. On one occasion, I contributed some food to a meal and with the exception of a few "What's that?" questions, it sat untouched and ignored by all but myself, my husband and my dad. When I try to teach them about eating better I get called a food nazi. So, I retreat, hoping some day they will understand that they can feel better if they eat better. Then, maybe they'll want to listen?

I was determined to avoid the fast food rut that we get into on long drives. I packed a snack bag for each of us to have in the car. It included crackers, sliced vegan cheese, carrot sticks, cucumber slices, apple slices, water bottle, Fruitabu (new Costco item - yay! LOVE that they call it "smooshed" and printed it right on the box. How fun! and that they are trying to give us parents an option for Fruit Roll-ups- THANK YOU Stretch Island!), and homemade chocolate chip cookies. The kids loved having control of their own snacks and it kept them fed and busy most of the way.

The kids and husband were begging to eat healthy the minute we got home. My husband has requested more greens, at every meal. So, I tracked down some interesting recipes to try out this week. The first was Sauteed Mustard Greens with Chorizo and Corn. I have fallen in love with mustard greens. Just used vegan ingredients with this recipe. Try it with Field Grain Roast Mexican Chipotle sausage

This is a keeper. The first night we had it served over brown rice. The next morning for breakfast, we stirred the leftover rice into the greens and wrapped it in a multigrain tortilla. For dinner, homemade tomato soup with a big scoop of the leftover greens. As much as I like freshly cooked greens, I'm really liking the precooked greens mixture in the fridge, ready to go into anything.

We also tried Pasilla chilies for the first time. I see them all the time at the market - beautiful, shiny, green chilies - but I didn't know what to do with them so I never bought any. They are so delicious and SPICY! We roasted them, stuffed them with cheesy smashed potatoes, coated with spicy breading and baked them. Good stuff. Too hot for all but one of the kids but easily cooled off with some ranch dressing or sour cream.

This is a picture of them after roasting and peeling...

and here they are after baking...

Childhood Obesity TV special

2007-03-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

Not sure how this will be presented, but I'm going to check it out. I thought others might be interested, too.

Food Network Special

AIR TIMES:
March 31, 2007 9:00 PM ET/PT
April 01, 2007 12:00 AM ET/PT
April 07, 2007 5:00 PM ET/PT
April 08, 2007 6:00 PM ET/PT

Childhood Obesity: Danger Zone
Obesity—it's the fastest growing cause of disease and death in our country, and it's attacking more than 12 million of our children. The Food Network goes to the front lines of the childhood obesity epidemic to find out what's fueling the explosion in overweight children and teenagers and what parents, teachers, doctors and public officials are doing to fight a problem the U.S. Surgeon General calls "more serious" than terrorism. While weight is the last thing most overweight teenagers want to talk about, we profile a 500–pound 18-year-old who's become a radio celebrity speaking candidly about his own struggle with obesity and his last-ditch effort to finally get his weight under control. We travel to Arkansas where governor Mike Huckabee has turned a personal weight battle into a public policy initiative designed to target at-risk children. We also meet an inspirational 14-year-old whose dramatic diet and lifestyle changes reversed his obesity-related disease. We learn how one Connecticut doctor is fighting back against unhealthy food by teaching kids how to become "supermarket spies" and "nutrition detectives." Finally, we visit a New Jersey school that transformed a budget cut into a student exercise opportunity, and a professional chef who's turning school lunch in Cambridge, Mass., into a healthy dining experience.

long time, no blog!

2007-03-26T11:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long absence! Life outside the computer has kept me very busy. Things are changing, and along with the things, priorities have. We have added a new item to the list of things we can't eat - gluten. This seems to be the greatest challenge yet. We started with some prepackaged, vegan, gluten free foods and, well, they're just yucky. A big waste of money when it comes to the kids. So, for now, while I learn about it, we're just trying to leave out everything containing gluten and slowly add in homemade replacements. Lots of GREAT blogs with tried and true tips and recipes out there...just trying to find the time to read and learn.

Here are pictures of our African food night. The kids had great attitudes about trying everything and especially loved eating with their hands. We all agreed that the flavor was a little exotic for us to love it on the first try but we are willing to try again. The injera I made was from a recipe by Rebecca Wood and I enjoyed the process right up until I tried to cook the bread! Then, I felt like a completely inept beginner! :) It was hard. I messed up about 90% of them. Luckily, they taste fine whether they're in pieces or not, and they have to be torn to eat with them anyway. I made seitan berbere stew, vegetable alecha, and injera. My favorite was the alecha. Very yum!

Next is Real Louisiana Red Beans and Rice from FatFree Vegan Kitchen, served in tortilla bowls. This was a big hit! I was feeling very bad about the fried tortilla thing (DEEP fried even!) but the kids just thought it was so cool to eat their bowl and I justified it by reminding myself we eat really good MOST of the time. :) That's sauteed kale with garlic and tomatoes on top. The red beans were most popular with my 15 year old son, and the little girls liked the kale best.

The previous night we had taco salads, which was the first time I had attempted to serve my kids salad as a main course. It went over very well!

Tex Mex "egg" rolls with creamy cilantro dipping sauce. These were delicious, baked instead of fried, reminiscent of restaurant appetizers. We actually made them our meal. Definately going to make these again.

Sorry about the lack of links to recipes, etc. I will add those later when I have time.

I'll leave you with this, made by my 8 yr old. This is what happens when I serve mashed potatoes...

playing catch up and dinner travel

2007-02-18T21:38:00.000-08:00

Homeschooling and spring cleaning has kept me very busy. I had a few minutes and wanted to throw some pictures on here that have been piling up.

We tried Mochi finally! The kids loved watching it cook! They liked the taste of the original flavor and didn't even want to try the pizza flavor! huh? Oh, well. My husband and I liked it. I ate my original flavor stuffed with homemade kimchi and the pizza flavor dipped in homemade marinara mixed with Vegan Gourmet cheese.

Here is some quickie sausage I made from frozen Boca burgers and a spice blend I found on the internet. Just threw it all in the food processor and shaped into small patties. Turned out really good! The kids liked it even though they won't touch Boca burgers.

Made some Foccacia Bread from Nava Atlas' Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons The family loved it! I thought it was quick, easy and good, except that the garlic and herb topping burned. Yuck! Not much worse than burnt garlic.

Oh, this was delicious! Texas Rainbow Greens. My husband and I ate it with quinoa. I didn't even try to serve it to the kids.

Weird "meat" in a can. My husband is curious about it, so a can usually ends up in the cart "to try". This was surprisingly good and I think will be one of my favorite dishes to serve to omnis. All but the youngest kid loved it. Companion brand Peking Vegetarian Roast Duck used in a recipe called Hoisin Duck and Greens Stir-fry (from a tiny little cookbook called Asian Food that I picked up at Costco a few years ago.)

Another canned "meat" Cedar Lake Chops coated with spicy breading and lightly fried in cooking spray. Also, surprisingly good. Was just okay straight out of the can. Wish I had more time to make homemade seitan.

I decided to make some Indian food a few nights ago, and, as a way to get my kids excited about trying everything out, I treated it as a "class". We pulled out the atlas and encyclopedia and read a little about the country before "tasting" some of the foods that are eaten in India. Although they didn't all pile their plates full and eat every bite, the kids were thrilled with it! So much so, that we've also "visited" Italy and Mexico since, and the kids requested Africa tomorrow night! I forgot to take any pictures but will be sure to start, especially if this is a recurring event! We may have to change our travel plans to once a week - I can't handle this many dirty dishes every night! :)

beautiful, delicious roasted veggies

2007-02-03T11:55:00.000-08:00

OH, MY! These are so amazing and addictive and I cannot stop eating them! Roasted Sweet Potato Fries and Cauliflower. Forever grateful to Bazu, for sharing this link which inspired me to roast cauliflower.

Roasted Sweet Potato Fries & Cauliflower

4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 tsp. hot chili powder
2 tbsp. jalapeno mustard
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. salt
3 cups sweet potato fries
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces

preheat oven to 400 degrees. in a large bowl, stir together first 8 ingredients. add sweet potatoes and cauliflower and stir until evenly coated. arrange veggies in a single layer on baking sheet. bake 20 minutes, turn veggies over, and bake another 10 minutes, until browned. Serve with ranch dressing and TRY TO SHARE!! :)

*cut the first 8 ingredients in half and use for just cauliflower or just sweet potato fries. good stuff!

curry pasta & kimchi

2007-02-02T06:54:00.000-08:00

Found this at Trader Joe's a few months ago and just got around to using it. They're very slightly curry flavored noodles, which is perfect for us because we like curry just a little bit. Used it in a typical breakfast soup. My two oldest girls ate it and liked it a lot, although they thought I went a little crazy on the chili sauce :)

And here's my first batch of kimchi this year. This is something the kids don't touch, but my husband and I love it. It's crunchy and sour and salty and has lots of "good for you" stuff in it. Check out Rejuvenative Foods for a store bought option. Used this recipe for the first time, and although it was barely spicy, it turned out good. I think the problem was that the recipe called for cayenne and not Korean chili powder.

vita-mix and healthy dessert?

2007-02-02T06:28:00.000-08:00

I need a Vita-Mix!! Are they as awesome as they seem?! I was lucky enough to take a trip to Costco last week with just one kid in tow, and was able to actually stand in front of the Vita-Mix demonstrator and see what it's all about. She made: soup in about 2 minutes, throwing whole veggies in the container; sorbet with cabbage, carrots, and fruity things (my 6 yr old PICKY eater ate it!); iced chocolate coffee; fresh fruit/veggie juice, etc. etc. It was so amazing! She made a Chicken Tortilla soup that smelled wonderful and made me want some, so, I came home and made one similar to hers.

I threw some very roughly chopped carrots, celery, zucchini, cilantro, bell peppers, jalapenos, onion, and garlic into a large soup pot with one can of undrained diced tomatoes and some water and seasonings (chili powder, cumin, etc.) Next, I boiled everything until it was soft and then blended it with my hand blender until it was smooth. Last, I added some cooked brown rice, corn, black beans and crushed tortilla chips. My three oldest kids loved it and so did my husband. Very heavy veggie flavor but kid friendly because there were no veggie chunks.

What about that "healthy" dessert?

My 3 yr old's eating habits have been really stressing me out lately. She refuses to eat anything but about 5 foods and we're starting to see "issues" because of it (don't worry - no details) One thing she eats very little of is grains and/or breads. I thought that I would try to make some low sugar oatmeal cookies and see if she would eat them. I never quite got that far though and decided to do a sort of no-bake, rice crispy treat...

This is what I ended up with. What a bomb! It didn't taste like a dessert. puffed brown rice, oatmeal, carob powder, brown rice syrup, vanilla, and soy nut butter. It was not sweet at all and it was so hard I couldn't even flatten it into the pan or cut it into bars or cookies. Needless to say, my 3 yr old didn't touch it. I kept it hoping I could salvage it, but I can't quite figure out how to do that. Any ideas for a healthy sweet with no dates?

a big thing

2007-01-25T22:32:00.000-08:00

Last night I spent a great deal of time on a brand new recipe for dinner and I was just sure all the kids would hate it.

Here's the big thing...it's HUGE!!

We sat down to dinner and all the kids held out their plates for a taste of whatever mom had been working on for the last few hours ("smells really good!" they all proclaimed)... they ate it, liked it (two of the kids asked for seconds!), left the table and NEVER asked what it was made of! After the shock wore off, I was grinning from ear to ear!!

Here's what we had...

cauliflower pasta sauce, tomato herb rolls, and spinach with mushrooms and garlic. The cauliflower sauce idea was from Josh at What Do Vegans Eat? I made several changes on his recipe but it's such a great dish that I think it pretty much can't be done wrong. For lunch today, I ate leftovers with some chopped tomato and jalapeno mustard and it was terrific! Great dinner...great progress from the family. There's hope :)

Another new recipe that went over well is Strawberry "Tofu" Yogurt from Tasty Vegan Delights again.

We ate it with a little granola and sliced bananas. Very light and fluffy. I missed the "sour" of regular soy yogurt but the kids liked this better than storebought.

Some other odds and ends...

a quickie lunch - some basic veg chili on homemade mini corn tortillas with chopped tomato.

a simple dinner - sliced Tofurky brand Beer Brats, sauerkraut, and potatoes, and sour cream cucumbers with Bragg's, and tomatoes. None of us really loved the brats. They were edible for sure, but not outstanding, and pretty expensive. The kids didn't agree about the edible part. They tried it with ketchup, barbecue sauce, and just plain soy sauce but the brats just would not go down. I really liked the Tofurky roast we had at Christmas, and was eager to try more of their products, but, now I'm thinking maybe it was the roast SMOTHERED IN GRAVY that I liked ;)

Strawberry "Tofu" Yogurt
Blend in a blender:

1/3 cup raw cashews
1 cup frozen strawberries, thawed and drained*
1/2 cup strawberry juice (drained from the strawberries mine didn't put out that much so I made up the difference with soy milk)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 12.3-ounce package Mori-Nu firm tofu
1 teaspoon vanilla
sweetener of choice, to taste

*If using fresh strawberries, use 1/2 cup white grape juice in the place of strawberry juice.

makes six - 1/2 cup servings

breakfast

2007-01-21T21:32:00.000-08:00

A few new recipes from a new cookbook, "Tasty Vegan Delights" by Gloria Lawson and Debbi Puffer.

Breakfast Banana Splits.

So delicious! Oatmeal in the place of ice cream. Only 2 of my five kids like oatmeal and this did not convert anyone, unfortunately, but it was a fun treat that we will bring back for sure.

And Tofu "Egg" Gravy on Toast.

I thought this was amazing! So creamy and delicious. It reminded me of the Eggs Benedict that I was such a fan of in my pre-vegan days. One kid out of five approved :)

Tofu “Egg” Gravy on Toast

Prepare 1 recipe of Tofu Scrambler using 14 oz. package of tofu (I use Bryanna Clark Grogan's recipe for Tofu Scramble mix.) in a large skillet. Set aside.

Blend in a blender until creamy
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup water

Add and blend
3 ½ cups water
1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Pour into the skillet with the Scrambled Tofu. Add
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes, or 1 small minced onion
¼ teaspoon dried garlic granules

Heat until thickened. Serve over toast topped with sliced tomatoes, fresh spinach, avocado, or vegetables of your choice.

optional: 2 T lemon juice

mushrooms

2007-01-18T11:23:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, I'm in a rut. It seems I'm just cooking the same old things. Money's tight, so, exotic ingredients and gourmet creations are going to be in short supply for awhile. I think the kids like it simple (think boring!) anyway.

I splurged on some portobellos recently and decided not to grill them as we usually do. Just doesn't feel right to grill when it's 12 degrees outside.

Here's a homemade green bean casserole with portobellos...

and mushroom stroganoff with broccoli and whole wheat rotini. Both were very tasty but the kids hated them. I tried :)

on a kick (again)!

2006-12-14T09:24:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Pixie at The Unlikely Vegan for the taquito idea!! I'm not quite sure how to lightly fry something (the tortillas seemed like they soaked up a TON of oil!) but I loved how easy it was to make a whole tray of these. I used my lentil taco recipe mixed with refried beans as a filling. Really fast. Big hit with everyone.

A few days before, I made the Zucchini and Black Bean Chilaquiles from The Vegetarian Family Cookbook. I've made these once before and thought they tasted especially good after being frozen and reheated. The kids hate them because of the large chunks of veggies but I had some zucchini and tortillas I needed to use up. My husband loves them so I made 4 trays and froze 3 of them for him to take to work in the future.

A shot of the filling before assembling...

the finished (and partially eaten) chilaquiles! I used Vegan Gourmet Cheddar in these but they are good without.

And finally, a special Christmas treat...empanadas. This is the first time I have ever tasted these and I am in love!! A friend from Veracruz, Mexico, taught me to make these recently and sent me home with about 3 dozen. The kids especially loved the strawberry and pineapple, but my favorite were the sweet potato and pineapple (pictured below.) melt in your mouth, delicious! Her dough was basically made with shortening, flour, sugar, and baking powder, but, apparently it's all in the technique :) Filling is usually store-bought preserves, but I opted to also make a homemade version hoping to be slightly healthier. I'll post recipes later.

recipe - tomato herb pizza/bread dough

2006-12-14T09:23:00.000-08:00

Tomato Herb Pizza/Bread Dough
Makes 2 pizzas or 2 regular loaves

1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1 Tablespoons sugar
1 ¾ teaspoons active dry yeast
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 ½ cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic pepper (or black pepper)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ cup tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
(optional) 2 teaspoons minced garlic

Pour warm water into a small bowl. Dissolve sugar in water and stir in yeast. Let stand about 10 minutes until foamy.

Put the flours, salt, pepper, oregano and basil into a large bowl and stir well to mix. Add the yeast mixture, tomato sauce, and olive oil, (and garlic, if using) and stir well to mix.

When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Wash the bowl and lightly oil it, place the dough back in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap or damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

When dough has doubled, punch it to deflate it and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces. (At this point, you can wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for later.) Form into rounds for pizza or shape and place into bread pans.

1. If using for pizza, cover and let rest for 10 min. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll the rounds out to crust size and spread with desired pizza sauce and toppings. Bake for about 12 - 15 minutes. (Bread sticks can be cooked at this temperature, also.)

2. If using for bread, cover bread pans and let rise 1 hour. Uncover and place pans into a preheated 375 degree oven and bake for about 20-30 minutes.

buffalo seitan braided bread

2006-12-10T00:49:00.000-08:00

I recently went on a "mommy field trip" (with some of the other playgroup mommies) to a place called Super Suppers. I'm not even going to link them - they aren't vegan friendly or the important part here. The important part is that I learned to make this really cool stuffed braided bread. Endless possibilities! Kid-friendly! Fairly easy. FUN!!! Seriously. My four and eight year olds even helped in the assembly. Isn't it purty? :)

Tonight's attempt was mainly created for my husband and me. Homemade seitan marinated in Frank's Red Hot sauce, tucked into the best pizza dough EVER with onions, and mushrooms. The finished product was dipped in homemade vegan Ranch dressing. Oh MY!! So GOOD!! The kind of good where you notice everyone at the table looking at you funny and you realize you've been moaning "mmmm" the whole meal. My oldest daughter tried some and loved it, declaring, "I'm having this for my lunch tomorrow!" (You have to put dibs on the good stuff around here or you get nothing!:) ) The rest of the kids were scared off by the spiciness. (bwa ha ha - more for me!) My next try will be a reuben-style braided bread, I think.

I took some detailed pictures of assembly since I wasn't sure how to explain it in writing. The bright orange stuff is a paste I made to really saturate the filling with "buffalo" flavor - more Frank's Red Hot mixed with Earth Balance and a little flour.

Check back in a few days for recipes!

soup again

2006-12-07T23:21:00.000-08:00

Seems all I do is make soup lately. It's simple, satisfying, warming...here are a few favorites...

Lentil Tabouli soup from Fat Free Vegan. It's a pressure cooker recipe that I just adapted for the stovetop. Delicious. Addictive. I always eat about 2 more bowls than I actually have room for because it just tastes so good. My older kids have been known to eat this but they don't appreciate the interesting flavors and hate the big chunks of tomatoes.
New England Clam-less Chowder from Nava Atlas' Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons. Big favorite of the kids. The one pictured has tater tots just to be different and more appealing to toddlers. I bake the tofu cubes to make them firmer and chewier.

tortilla pizzas

2006-11-06T19:24:00.000-08:00

Desperate for pizza and not enough forethought to make dough, this is what we created. It has been a real obsession with the kids for several days. Okay, and the adults :) Although it tastes nothing like a good pizza, it does taste good in it's own way, and it's easy - so that makes up for being really lame. No recipe required. Canned tomato sauce, herbs, spices, tortillas, toppings. You get the picture. I also discovered that Vegan Gourmet (Follow Your Heart) cheese melts really well if you put it on the sauce, instead of on the toppings.

party like a vegan!

2006-11-06T17:41:00.000-08:00

We recently threw our daughter a Halloween themed, birthday costume party and were pleased to serve almost all vegan foods. (The "almost" part is that we decided to provide an option for omnis) I tried to provide a healthy variety of foods without killing myself in the kitchen or going broke in the process. It was REALLY hard not to go completely insane making all kinds of Halloween-y treats but I figured I had spent enough on the rest of the party that the food had to stay simple. Besides, the kids weren't going to care if I fed them dirt as long as there were games and cake :)

Here's the menu:

barbecued Boca burgers
crockpot veg chili
crudites chosen by my 8 yr old birthday girl - cucumbers, carrots, celery, and asparagus
fruit salad consisting of watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, and grapes
tortilla and potato chips
ranch and onion dips made from Tofutti Sour Supreme
potato salad
pumpkin-carrot muffins
chocolate chip cookies
two birthday cakes
Spicy Cider from Trader Joe's

I was SO busy with entertaining kids that I forgot to take hardly any pictures. Overall, it was a great success and most importantly the kids had a BLAST!!

cake

2006-10-14T11:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, so there's not a whole lot that's healthy about cake but sometimes you just want it. Or is it that I want it? :) And it's got to be healthier to make it yourself than to buy it. But the good part is that these are slightly healthy and very vegan!

First, is the Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake I saw at where's the revolution? It was a nice simple recipe and had a really good flavor.

Mine sort of flopped and caved in but it tasted good! Packed full of locally grown apples. The kids ate all but one piece shortly after it came out of the oven. It was especially good eaten warm.

And it put me in the mood for more cake...and since I'm trying to avoid the non-vegan Pumpkin Spice donuts that are available this time of year at Krispy Kreme and I'm saving my pumpkins for pie, I thought I'd make a spicier version of the apple cake and leave off the sugary stuff that made it flop. I found a caramel frosting recipe on PETA2, used that instead on my right side up 2 layer version, made a few slight changes including using whole wheat pastry flour, and called it Caramel Applesauce Cake.

The frosting was way too insanely sweet!! Makes my teeth hurt just thinking about it. But it did look pretty :) The kids picked off the frosting. The cake was awesome though - very spicy! Just what I was craving.

And lastly, is the Dinner Cupcake that is still unnamed! I used the Savory Tofu Dinner Loaf recipe from Bryanna Clark Grogan and made individual loaves in a cupcake pan.

I then placed them in a cupcake paper and frosted with mashed potatoes and gravy. Fun, great flavor but the texture was too soft for us. Once again only the 3 oldest kids ate them (the two youngest ate just the "frosting") and everyone had a hard time with the fact that they LOOKED like cupcakes but tasted like something entirely different. It really plays a trick on your mind :)

soup

2006-10-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

The temperature is starting to get cooler so it's a good time for soup!

Baked Onion Soup - YUM!!

I received my new cookbook, Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons, and was dying to make some soup but had NO fresh produce. I was able to throw this together with what I had laying around though and no trip to the store required - Thank Goodness! Quick trips for a few items are never quick for this mom. Kids admitted it smelled wonderful but still said, "NO WAY!! I'LL STARVE!"

A surprise kid favorite, Split Pea Soup.
Who knew they'd eat something green with peas in it? Made this in the crockpot and it was so easy! Great dinner to come home to after a windy, freezing cold, nighttime soccer game. Very tasty with vegan bacon bits, and PHENOMENAL with zchug!!

Next to Hot and Sour Soup, this is my kid's all-time favorite, Potato Cheez Soup, my adaptation of Jo Stepaniak's recipe Cheez Please Soup . Really simple and versatile and delicious! And because I know you were asking yourself, "What in the world is zchug?!" ...here's the recipe.

Zchug
(I pronounce it "skoog", hubby teasingly calls it "skrog" not sure which is correct)

5-8 garlic cloves
2-3 medium hot chilies, such as jalapenos
5 fresh or canned tomatoes (I used one 15 oz can diced tomatoes)
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 cup fresh parsley
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp curry powder
seeds from 3-5 cardamom pods (or 1/4 -3/4 tsp ground cardamom)
juice of 1/2 lemon
pinch of sugar, if necessary
salt

Put all ingredients except the sugar and salt in a food processor or
blender. Process until well combined, then season with sugar and
salt. Pour the sauce into a serving bowl, cover and chill in the
refrigerator until ready to serve. Can be stored for up to 2 weeks
in the refrigerator.

playing with our food

2006-10-06T23:07:00.000-07:00

This idea came from Nava Atlas' website under Kid Friendly Recipes/Fun Food for Young Kids...Mashed Potato Volcanoes with Hot Lava.

I used my own nacho cheeze sauce for the lava. I added cooked quinoa to the potatoes (and NO ONE knew it! yay me - hidden nutrition) Served with dinosaur eggs (black beans with green chilies and cumin) and primeval forest (broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes) This was the BEST DINNER EVER!! The kids ate a little of everything, played with their food, lingered at the dinner table, had fun, and thought they had the coolest mom on the planet (besides Nava!) :)

Kids eating veggies and loving it!

frittata

2006-10-06T22:35:00.000-07:00

I go back and forth between trying to teach the kids to appreciate the goodness of vegetables on their own and hiding them ANYWHERE to just get them IN! This is another attempt of the latter. I guess they're not really hidden but they are smaller. The recipe came out good.

I made two versions of Bryanna's Tofu and Vegetable Frittata - one with spinach, artichoke hearts, potatoes, bell peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms;

the other with spinach, mushrooms, potatoes, and vegan bacon bits.

My 15 year old son ate one SMALL piece and said, "That was really good" (what 15 yr old boy eats one piece of anything deemed "really good"? ah, well, he gets points for trying to make mom feel better) The girls tried it and announced they did not really like it. Only 9 more tries until they begin to...

Used leftovers as a breakfast sandwich the next day and decided I liked it even better that way!

tofu crepes

2006-10-06T22:21:00.000-07:00

A nice alternative to pancakes and a new favorite of everyone in the family! A slightly altered version of Bryanna Clark Grogan's recipe for tofu crepes. We usually eat these with applesauce, cinnamon, and Earth Balance but can't wait to try other fillings. Not very photogenic but OH, so delicious. Pretty time consuming but can be made ahead and frozen.

Xigua!!

2006-09-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

...pronounced she-gwah, it is a Chinese name for a watermelon.

"It is the chief of this world's luxuries, king by the grace of God over all the fruits of the earth. When one has tasted it, he knows what the angels eat. It was not a Southern watermelon that Eve took; we know it because she repented." -Mark Twain

And a few days ago, we found one hiding in our old, neglected, weed-infested garden.

A beautiful, sweet, unexpected 12 pounder! How about that?

We assume it was one of the kids that planted a seed from a watermelon they ate at some point (they do that ALL the time) but we're not really sure where it came from. We grew some watermelons a few years ago in a completely different spot in the yard but they were terrible, tasteless little runts. Not this beauty!!

Amazingly sweet and about 20 degrees cooler than the air around it. It was as cold as if it came straight from the fridge instead of the garden. Here's a picture of the kids eating it at the sink. I did eventually get them to sit down with a plate at the table :)

What a terrific surprise!!

no stars

2006-09-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

I used a new recipe that was quick and easy. The kids all tried it but definately DID NOT like it. This is a very versatile recipe and it's possible I just picked a bad combination of veggies to use. I think it could be good if I changed some things, so I will keep it around and try again. This was the Vegetable Upside-Down Casserole from Nava Atlas' The Vegetarian Family Cookbook. (A great cookbook with some fantastic ideas in it! Very flexible recipes. I love the suggestions for variations, sides, etc.) For the kid version, I used black beans, corn, tomatoes, and green chilies - all veggies that my kids will eat - but somehow paired together in this recipe it didn't work for them. The adult dish contained leftover seitan ham, sauteed mushrooms, red peppers, onions, and jalapenos, plus the corn, beans, and tomatoes. I found it to be tasty with some soy sour cream and hot sauce. I served it with cheezy mashed potatoes.

taco night!

2006-09-12T11:36:00.000-07:00

This was so delicious...and easy. I like easy...especially considering how little my cooking is usually appreciated by the kids. The whole time it was cooking I had kids running into the kitchen, "Mmmm, what's for dinner, mom?" "It smells sooo good!" I think that's part of what makes this so good - the aroma leading up to the meal. I got some secret joy out of watching my kids eat a dish full of the hated, evil onion! HA HA

Surprisingly, it was loved by everyone but (as usual!) the two youngest. My 4 and 2 year olds wouldn't even try it (I think they ate cereal and fruit for dinner.) I made the lentils as taco filling the first night and served with a rice dish I converted from a soup recipe. For some reason, I got a picture of the rice but not the tacos. Used the leftover lentils for taco skins and remembered a picture that time. The leftover rice makes quick burritos.

I got this recipe from a group I belong to - it didn't say who wrote the recipe.

The BEST Lentil Tacos
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 cup dry lentils, rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup salsa
12 taco shells or small tortillas (for soft tacos)
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded soy cheddar cheese
Directions:

In a large nonstick skillet, sauté the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

Uncover, cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Mash lentils slightly. Stir in salsa. Spoon about 1/4 cup into each taco shell (or tortilla).

Top with lettuce, tomato, and cheese. Enjoy!

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 40 minutes (total)

Black Bean and Salsa Rice
6 cups cooked rice
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can corn, drained and rinsed
2 cups salsa
2 scallions, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
lime juice from 1/2 a lime

While rice is still hot stir in beans, corn, salsa, and chili powder. Sprinkle scallions, cilantro, and lime juice on top and serve.

fast food - raw cinnamon roll bars

2006-09-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

Like I mentioned before, convenience is a huge issue for me. I want it, I need it. But honestly, I just can't seem to get it together ahead of time and make quick food that's portable...and that the kids will actually eat. No more excuses. This is just about the easiest thing I've ever made. The most time consuming part is washing the food processor when I'm done. Okay, and maybe, wrapping all the little bars, but that's totally something the kids can help with. I got my basic idea here and then experimented with the rest. These are so delicious! 4 of my 5 kids loved them. The youngest used them like playdough which is pretty much what she does with all her food lately. So, for the kids that actually put food in their mouths, chew and swallow, it was a hit!

Cinnamon Roll Bars (raw)

1 1/2 cups pitted dates, packed firmly (about 32)
1 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup raw walnuts
3/4 cup raisins
5 teaspoons cinnamon

Place everything in the food processor and quickly pulse a few times to get the cinnamon incorporated. Switch to on and let it run for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, until you see the mixture start to form into a ball. At this point, turn the mixture out onto a cutting board covered with plastic wrap and press firmly with your hands into a large rectangle about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thickness. Cut into basically any shape that suits you (we did bars and bite size squares) and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Store in fridge. Makes about 6 large bars.

into the world of blogging

2006-09-02T10:36:00.000-07:00

For as far back as I can remember, I have been taught by my mom and my grandma about eating healthy. My mom tells stories of me harassing the other kids in 2nd grade because their sandwiches were made wrong (not whole wheat! the horror!) I was not a picky eater. Not only did I eat my vegetables, but I LOVED them! I still do. But, I gradually slipped away from all that, and took my family with me. We had become all about convenience and quantity. With a family of 7 on one income, it was hard to pass up the junk food totally devoid of nutrition when I could leave the store with 2-3 carts of food for under $100. Coupon clipping, and shopping based on what was on those coupons, finally did me in. That, and I have 2 kids with severe food allergies (dairy and peanut), and I was tired of cooking several different dinners every night or worrying that one of them might eat something that they were allergic to.

So, I set out to change the way we eat. Mainly, to get the dangerous foods out of the house, to feel better, lose weight, get healthier, and only cook ONE meal for the whole family. It began about a year ago, based on the McDougall way of eating, but we have gotten away from that a little and are just exploring the world of vegan foods and cooking.

My kids have come a long way from where they started but I am hoping to attain the ultimate goal of whine-free, vegan meals (where no one asks "Is it chicken or chicken?" while adding air quotes to the latter) Wish me luck!