tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6793100187014671162024-03-19T15:39:47.858-07:00One Vegan MomMy blog had the title
of Transition from
Vegetarian to Vegan
for over a year ...
times have changed !
I am comfortable in
my Vegan skin and
declare it
whole-heartedly !veggiecnchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16011705492537846899noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-679310018701467116.post-29598473196579116342009-10-06T09:57:00.000-07:002009-10-06T09:57:49.336-07:00Simple FoodSometimes simple is BETTER. There are times when I WANT gourmet food with many steps to prepare ... and a sink full of dishes. There are times when I want comfort food and a casserole in the oven. And then there are SIMPLE meals. Just as much satisfaction with so much less work. :) <br />
<br />
Today I am blogging about simple food ... that just happens to be QUICK food too. :) What is YOUR favorite simple dish/meal ? <br />
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Mine (hands down) is PASTA. Last night I made 10-minute pasta in one pan ... does it get any better than that ? I'm not including a recipe but rather the method I used. It seems a bit lengthy when typing it out but it's so quick !<br />
<br />
1. Non-stick wok or deep skillet with water 1/2 way up the sides<br />
2. Vegetable soup base (instead of salt)<br />
3. Once the water was at a rolling boil I added in enough pasta (linguini) for 4<br />
4. When the noodles were just shy of being done I drained the pasta water/broth off into a mug for later<br />
5. I halved a pint of grape tomatoes, added some minced garlic, and tore in some basil (saving more for finishing)<br />
6. Once all the liquid from the tomatoes was absorbed I added a handful of nutritional yeast and the cup of cooking liquid a little at a time to make for a "creamy" sauce.<br />
7. That was it ... and if I had used angel hair pasta instead of linguini it would have been more like 6 minute pasta ! :)<br />
<br />
It had such a great flavor and was mild enough for my oldest son and the babies too ... I just put the "baby" portions in the food chopper to break it down a bit. It's all to taste ... since we were catering to adults and children there was no "heat" but my husband was able to add hot sauce to his in the bowl.veggiecnchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16011705492537846899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-679310018701467116.post-47911242433173877062009-10-04T09:15:00.000-07:002009-10-06T10:58:48.437-07:00You say it's your birthday ! ...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGrI8uJXqlfJZzKAn1zkQkqaaITa04qjF_EhZhc6tMni8-sdtXg26OLfpghPqMwIZmAyxyZTvg89l31nlCs2eWGpSb-XUUYMFDXal24OPfe_NlV7nMr2jXojZAu4ITWQBNAoOxA3XYWnSN/s1600-h/100_1197_0072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $r="true" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGrI8uJXqlfJZzKAn1zkQkqaaITa04qjF_EhZhc6tMni8-sdtXg26OLfpghPqMwIZmAyxyZTvg89l31nlCs2eWGpSb-XUUYMFDXal24OPfe_NlV7nMr2jXojZAu4ITWQBNAoOxA3XYWnSN/s200/100_1197_0072.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVzhBmaVHaYS03cCmn_Y5k_sgaKVudyWeSXa3bf5caZd6urZxC0Bu1AF0YAakekP0TnYTmOXL2MNusSwHJW9Or9UjkmPgzWkPmMKGN4Amb-cAPqaGPuwKRdBU1CHPiYs7kXr54sFHfo_ar/s1600-h/100_1226_0099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $r="true" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVzhBmaVHaYS03cCmn_Y5k_sgaKVudyWeSXa3bf5caZd6urZxC0Bu1AF0YAakekP0TnYTmOXL2MNusSwHJW9Or9UjkmPgzWkPmMKGN4Amb-cAPqaGPuwKRdBU1CHPiYs7kXr54sFHfo_ar/s200/100_1226_0099.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>Well, it's not MY birthday but the birthday of my twins (Avery & Catherine) ... ONE YEAR OLD ! ! ! :) I made some lovely Vegan cake bites and will be posting pics later today. Off to enjoy my babies. :)<br />
<br />
I used a mix as time ran out and I needed something fast ! :) I used the Yellow Cake Mix from <a href="http://www.cherrybrookkitchen.com/products/yellowcake.php">Cherrybrook Kitchen</a> and it <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">turned out just fine ... tasted like (good) Nilla Wafers. <br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerYM6WiCykKzA2sok6n6ueXggjUFZNGsBVPAfUi1e1JBCyckf8feRoncQ_Y7qL2_U6eAGh4DWVtLCmr_AB2b3Zs2ZKoKy2PA6A9eXNv0xkHmLUUrNUdkVLhAL5oTANTzyzkth6XzFSXrd/s1600-h/yellowcake_box.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $r="true" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerYM6WiCykKzA2sok6n6ueXggjUFZNGsBVPAfUi1e1JBCyckf8feRoncQ_Y7qL2_U6eAGh4DWVtLCmr_AB2b3Zs2ZKoKy2PA6A9eXNv0xkHmLUUrNUdkVLhAL5oTANTzyzkth6XzFSXrd/s200/yellowcake_box.gif" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I didn't want a huge cake and tons of sugar so I simply dusted the mini-cakes with edible glitter.<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5O_U1YX0quCJ71CQEUupHJlYYfCHYbVpJGm62_GuLYhaTsjylwfscbVWeVOP1wnb2JnaIgVLKibv03KXTMq51tot-NLEBhtfCPTBaTSgC2EOmrV0lwpPOYDvliRIyev2ysypmidttgLnP/s1600-h/100_1207_0081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $r="true" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5O_U1YX0quCJ71CQEUupHJlYYfCHYbVpJGm62_GuLYhaTsjylwfscbVWeVOP1wnb2JnaIgVLKibv03KXTMq51tot-NLEBhtfCPTBaTSgC2EOmrV0lwpPOYDvliRIyev2ysypmidttgLnP/s200/100_1207_0081.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_4NmanRo1SoVUxQcWitnsJeUPDO0PdoOxvLn1wX9xIl4yRlg3LA17eQoDMl0aEGg41LE79majDBvvVHOfvA4UXTI5hPVZ28MJmK1AoTTj1IVhoc5E5A0sfLAQ0CZ-wLtqvQvlomWhw_B/s1600-h/100_1229_0102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $r="true" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_4NmanRo1SoVUxQcWitnsJeUPDO0PdoOxvLn1wX9xIl4yRlg3LA17eQoDMl0aEGg41LE79majDBvvVHOfvA4UXTI5hPVZ28MJmK1AoTTj1IVhoc5E5A0sfLAQ0CZ-wLtqvQvlomWhw_B/s200/100_1229_0102.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>veggiecnchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16011705492537846899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-679310018701467116.post-85822757004733490682009-10-02T12:41:00.000-07:002009-10-02T12:44:24.632-07:00It's refreshing ...It's refreshing to go somewhere for lunch and find things on the menu you can EAT. :) It's refreshing to ask for something without cheese and not be looked at like you are nuts. It's refreshing when you start in with "is xyz vegetarian" and are told "yes but if you are Vegan then ... would be an option". It's refreshing to find a staff member that clearly KNOWS what goes into the menu items. <br />
<br />
We have family in town for the weekend and meals out are always interesting with 1 Omni Senior Citizen, 1 Vegetarian Adult, 2 Vegan Adults, 1 (picky) Vegetarian Child, and 2 Vegan Babies ! :) We ended up going to <a href="http://berryhillbajagrill.com/home.html">Berry Hill Baja Grill</a> for lunch (last minute) and had quite a nice experience. <br />
<br />
The first thing going for us was that we were early-birds and waltzed in at 11:15. You know you've got kids when that's a normal time to eat lunch! hahaha The second was that this is a restaurant/bar combo without table service which seemed to work to our advantage when we were able to seat ourselves and order when we were ready ... and were able to leave when the "natives got restless" as we had paid for our meal in advance. The third bonus as far as I am concerned was that they had an all-you-can-eat salsa bar + tortilla chips. Woo Hoo ! ;)<br />
<br />
It's the small victories that mean the most! :)veggiecnchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16011705492537846899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-679310018701467116.post-13062908484354400492009-10-01T11:33:00.000-07:002009-10-01T11:43:29.387-07:00October 1, 2009 - Kickoff VeganMoFo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6s_IkiaEuK_1To-1IvZ_Q4xHp5S7Bzmb0HbmLB-stF_Gx8KoZ9Wa1rps3eAY-P4J8Vc37tWhHV3DYIfeQDmt7cwPNgaXtBN91hu4SJpfdgIu05md7pysYZjSrNtWfZ06ScsDMUmLW-tTJ/s1600-h/vmf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" iq="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6s_IkiaEuK_1To-1IvZ_Q4xHp5S7Bzmb0HbmLB-stF_Gx8KoZ9Wa1rps3eAY-P4J8Vc37tWhHV3DYIfeQDmt7cwPNgaXtBN91hu4SJpfdgIu05md7pysYZjSrNtWfZ06ScsDMUmLW-tTJ/s400/vmf.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>Today is the first day of VeganMoFo ... The Vegan Month of Food. I am going to join the "mob" and blog every day for the entire month. I needed to increase my blogging frequency and this is the PERFECT opportunity ! <br />
<br />
On the heals of my 28-Day Vegan Kick-start I am itching to get back some of my "convenience" foods. <br />
<br />
<br />
Every day we eat ... for nutrition, for comfort, for a sense of community ... in social gatherings, at dining tables, on TV trays, and (sometimes) standing in front of the refrigerator. I have a degree in nutrition. Take from that what you will ... there are plenty of Respiratory Therapists that smoke! :) Taking your own advice is always the difficult part isn't it?<br />
<br />
My husband and I are self-proclaimed foodies and enjoy cooking together ... too much sometimes. :) Some people could care less about food ... I am not one of those people ! It's not ALL about recreating dishes from my past pre-Veg life ... modification of lifestyle not withstanding. <br />
<br />
Sometimes it's about looking into the eyes of my children and wanting to create nutritious meals that taste GREAT. My husband was brought up in a household where meals were HEALTHY at the expense of flavor ... part of the Fat Free Revolution in the late 80's when plastic cheese and rice cakes reined supreme. :)<br />
<br />
Sometimes it's about wanting a chocolate chip cookie the size of a saucer ... or ooey gooey pizza that you would SWEAR has "real" cheese on it. Regardless of the reason I am always searching for innovation in my Vegan kitchen.veggiecnchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16011705492537846899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-679310018701467116.post-929654102929246442009-09-13T01:26:00.000-07:002009-09-13T01:26:42.444-07:00Site Overhaul ...Okay so this entry is not food related but I just wanted to post a "bear with me as I overhaul my blog" note. So ... for the ONE person out there reading my blog please bear with me as I overhaul my blog ! ! ! :) LOLveggiecnchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16011705492537846899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-679310018701467116.post-90527795127231009882009-08-31T08:44:00.000-07:002009-08-31T08:46:52.973-07:00Yummmmmy UmamiDo you ever have one of those meals that just leaves you wanting ... MORE ? ? ? You know that you have had more than a portion but yet you could easily keep eating it. Yummmmmy Umami flavor is what I am talking about. There is no recipe here ... just a little of this and a little of that. The next time we make it I will post pics but last night I was too busy EATING the food to photograph it ! :) <br />
<br />
Homemade fried rice ... precooked rice, canola oil, stir fry veggies, sesame oil, light tamari , ginger, garlic and prepared "egg" (tofu, ground tumeric, Bragg's, & pink salt). This was a late-night convenience meal and EXACTLY what we were looking for to fill the void left by a lack of access to such establishment. LOL We had things leftover but (of course) you could use freshly made items ... the rice is best for this when it's NOT freshly made as it tends to get gummy. If you want to just throw it together as quick as possible I'd use veggies off of the salad bar and ready-rice. <br />
<br />
We simply started with a hot pan, the canola oil, ginger, & garlic ... then add the veggies. When they are tender and starting to brown slightly add the rice to the pan. Now you can stir in the tofu "eggs" followed by a tiny bit of sesame oil and tamari (or your favorite soy sauce) to taste. <br />
<br />
The key to the tofu is to have it done beforehand ... crumble an extra firm tofu (refrigerated version works best here) into a dry (non-stick) pan, add tumeric until it's the color you want it, a dash of pink salt to give it a bit of sulphur flavor, and a few sprays (or drizzle) of Bragg's to add some body. A spatula with holes or a potato masher works well to break up the tofu into tiny pieces. <br />
<br />
Of course if you don't have fresh garlic and ginger you can used ground and combine it with the oil in the pan. There is a version for everyone here ... make it all fresh ingredients & brown rice with minimal oil or closer to take-out with frozen veg, plenty of oil, white rice, & dripping with soy sauce ... or anywhere in between.<br />
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Happy Eating !veggiecnchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16011705492537846899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-679310018701467116.post-9527039227068178222009-08-28T14:21:00.001-07:002009-08-29T19:17:47.269-07:00PCRM EventHere is a link to some info on the 21 Day Vegan Kickstart.<br />
<a href="http://support.pcrm.org/site/PageServer?pagename=21day_vegan_kickstart">21 Day Kickstart</a>veggiecnchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16011705492537846899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-679310018701467116.post-6967044406566894612009-08-25T10:47:00.001-07:002009-08-25T11:05:03.323-07:00It's Been a While !Ok so once again it's been a good while since my last entry.<br />It's not that I haven't eaten some amazing Vegan food ... or that I haven't faced struggles living in Houston, TX as a Vegan ... but just that LIFE has happened and writing a blog entry has fallen to the bottom of my list. :)<br /><br />I am writing today (briefly) about a late-night episode of <em>Good Eats!</em> (Food Network) I watched recently on the topic of Avocados ... <em><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/good-eats/curious-yet-tasty-avocado-experiment/index.html">Curious Yet Tasty Avocado Experiment</a></em>.<br /><br />My mind always starts in with questions of "what could I substitute?" so when Alton Brown started talking about looking at an avocado as one would an egg both my husband and I snapped to and eagerly watched !<br /><br />The recipe I have decided to try my hand at today is the <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/avocado-ice-cream-recipe/index.html">Avocado Ice Cream</a>. I have prepared the base using soy milk in place of the whole milk and soy cream in place of the heavy cream.<br /><br />I have added a salted caramel syrup made from:<br />1 cup of light brown sugar<br />1 cup of soy cream<br />1 tsp Maldon sea salt (flakes)<br /><br />I will post the results asap. :)veggiecnchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16011705492537846899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-679310018701467116.post-66687157264177984412009-06-16T05:37:00.000-07:002009-06-16T07:00:33.790-07:00Two Words ... Vegan MarshmallowsLong before the thought even entered my mind that it was about time I make the transition from Vegetarian to Vegan marshmallows were <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">off limits</span> due to the gelatin used to make them.<br /><br />There was a short period of time in my early college days when I went on a "marshmallow bender" and ate as many as I could ... the giant puffy kind ... that swell in your stomach and make you beg for mercy once they have stewed there for a while waiting to be digested ! Ah, the ignorance of youth.<br /><br />This also reminds me of a couple years later -- after transferring from my Community College to a University. On a pit-fire excursion for ceramics class I was tempted by marshmallows dancing on twigs in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">crackling</span> fire ... that charred exterior with the molten insides that I remembered from childhood <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">dangling</span> there and calling my name. As I had the PETA fact sheets playing through in my head I also had my (rather charming) professor taunting me ... "just ONE marshmallow? How long has it been since you've had a marshmallow? Oh, wouldn't it be awesome after all this time!" Be it the crush I had on him, the lateness of the hour, or just simply being human I ate the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">bruleed</span> morsel and felt a moment of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">ecstasy</span> ... followed by a rush of regret. Yes, I am still talking about food here and yes it was "just a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">freakin</span>' marshmallow" I didn't 'fell' a deer or anything but to me it was just as bad. All of that work supporting my 'cause' for what? I quickly let myself off the hook for the event -- I was human <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">after all</span>. My only veggie friend at the time came to the pit armed with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">veggie dogs</span> and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">mangled</span> coat hangers so that we too could participate. Good times!<br /><br />All of this rambling brings me to present day when such a thing exists as a VEGAN MARSHMALLOW sans gelatin. They must be refrigerated, are a bit pricey, and the cost of shipping is rather cost-prohibitive but alas they exist. This elusive Vegan mallow can be difficult to get your hands on ... to my knowledge there are 2 brands only - one air puffed version & one gourmet/homemade style. The later was found on a recent trip to <a href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/">Whole Foods Market </a> in the refrigerator case between goat's milk yogurt and a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">kefir</span> drink so it's amazing that I even stopped to look at the little squares of goodness because at first glance (given their location) I thought they were a farmer's cheese or <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">paneer</span> of some sort. There was no <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">price tag</span> to be found but I knew they would be around $6 and justified the purchase as my "treat" for the week. Now, trying to explain to a 5 year old boy who has never tasted a marshmallow before that he can only have ONE is a whole other story for another blog entry. :)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sweetandsara.com/products.php">Sweet & Sara (R)</a> makes the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">luscious</span> homemade/gourmet style Vanilla Marshmallow I speak of . Though I have not had the opportunity to try the air puffed variety they are made by <a href="http://www.chicagosoydairy.com/index.php">Chicago <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Soydairy</span></a> and are called <a href="http://www.dandiescandies.com/">Dandies Vegan Marshmallows</a>. I found them online while drooling over the junk-food offerings at <a href="http://www.foodfightgrocery.com/">Food Fight! Vegan Grocery</a>.<br /><br />I am excited to make some Vegan <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">S'mores</span> with my oldest son later today!veggiecnchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16011705492537846899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-679310018701467116.post-39703518532783043762009-06-11T09:26:00.000-07:002009-06-11T11:49:08.957-07:00Fun With Food !<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 162px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 123px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346140118994619282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBYShfHXf9BT3F6wecIWenGe883fdEjv5WVA042HOE7x7WATF1z9nmNu6Oqp5zHm6SHmgcs7NrD9k7xIFqi8IlsS-Nq60OHjePb0q5UTp-I9XcIBuNQngH7tIDpY2bi2mq2fuSha0ZZ4J6/s320/100_0861.JPG" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBBqTG-NdVCJqwe3HMfm-Bxv0GrfH4l2ZB-i5dud2M-dlEe3DhqBXASEGGUhOdnamx3DHEltWMRTHo_5B_M8jqk3NWLWS3caSK2bV6m9R8AKkUtVWm6V1gBlJWeN7D-y97vO1XBm3kGNVE/s1600-h/100_0867.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 159px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 124px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346140119463500674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBBqTG-NdVCJqwe3HMfm-Bxv0GrfH4l2ZB-i5dud2M-dlEe3DhqBXASEGGUhOdnamx3DHEltWMRTHo_5B_M8jqk3NWLWS3caSK2bV6m9R8AKkUtVWm6V1gBlJWeN7D-y97vO1XBm3kGNVE/s320/100_0867.JPG" /></a><br /><div><div><div><div>No, my life is not ALL about food but I am a self-proclaimed "foodie" so it's a pretty significant portion of my daily routine. :) I have been having lots of fun with food since my last entry ... I should have taken better mental notes though because some of it is escaping me at the moment. I will start with this morning and work my way back ... or try to anyway. ;)</div><br /><br /><div>A recent thumbing-through of old PETA materials brought a few dark horse products to light for me ... things at the regular old mega mart that I wouldn't normally look twice at ... pizza crust in a tube being one of them.</div><br /><br /><div>1.) This morning I pulled out the Pillsbury Original Pizza Crust, unrolled it , pressed it out a bit, and brushed it with melted Earth Balance. Then I sprinkled on a mixture of cinnamon + sugar that I keep on hand for toast, rolled it up, sliced it into rounds, and placed it on my Silpat lined baking sheet. :) After about 25 minutes at 350 degrees I had my very own cinnamon rolls ! Yes, they were simple and less nutritious than other breakfast foods but they were nostalgic ... memories of making cinnamon rolls from scratch with my Grandma Gobin flooded my mind. Other than the time and labor involved in the original these were also not laden with lard. :)</div><br /><br /><div>2.) Recently we used the Pillsbury Thin Pizza Crust for making pizza as a family. My FAVORITE pizza sauce (hands down) is <a href="http://www.muirglen.com/products/product_nutrition.aspx?upc=7-25342-28301-9">Muir Glen</a> ! I hate to even admit it but until we discovered theirs my favorite pizza sauce was one that came in a kit ... you know the one with the chef on the box. ;) Sad but true. Anyway, we made a simple one with just "cheese" and one with 1/2 pineapple + 1/2 mushroom,olive, and fresh basil with garlic. So so so YUMMY ! Our oldest son (and the only one old enough for pizza) likes pizza that has "orange & white cheese" so we used both the <a href="http://www.followyourheart.com/vegangourmet.html">Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet(R)</a> Mozzarella style and Cheddar style blocks which I threw into the food processor to shred. Everyone enjoyed it more than words can express! Yes, we could have gone to the new pizza place that offers Vegan pizza but we would have missed out on the bonding experience ... and our wallets would be much lighter. :)<br /></div><div>3.) We had a friend and her son over three times since my last post, once for a snack and twice for dinner. She is in transition from a healthier version of the "standard American diet" to a Vegetarian diet. In this time of change I feel it's important to support her ! So, we had meals that are easy. </div><br /><div>The first meal was pasta with sun dried tomato pesto & olive/mushroom tapenade (super-quick in the food processor) with broccoli romanesco and garlic bread. I am drooling thinking about how tasty it was ! </div><br /><div>The second was a simple meal of spring rolls (purchased at Costo) with a few dipping sauces and an Asian spinach salad with edamame, sliced almonds, and mandarin orange segments with a soy-ginger dressing. YUMMY !<br /></div><div>To break the ice (food wise) on our first play date I made the very best peanut butter cookies I have ever tasted ... and they were Vegan. Even my husband who doesn't eat cookies ate 3 or 4 ! </div><br /><div>I used the <a href="http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/#/great-taste/recipe-17/">recipe</a> I found on the Earth Balance site and just added peanut butter chips. Between 3 adults and 2 little cookie monsters we ate 2/3 of the cookies that afternoon ... and the remaining dozen were split between my cookie jar and a goodie bag for the road. :)</div><br /><div>That's all I can think of for now but you better believe it's a daily joy to discover awesome shortcuts to incredible Vegan edibles !</div></div></div></div>veggiecnchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16011705492537846899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-679310018701467116.post-59194326143221613752009-05-30T20:27:00.001-07:002009-05-30T20:50:21.696-07:00Like a Kid in a Candy StoreToday we went into town so to speak ... we live so far North in Houston that certain areas of it seem as though they take forever to navigate ... as though we live in the country and have to "go into town". :) Living in Austin around the corner from Central Market would spoil anyone let alone self-proclaimed foodies so it was a rare treat to visit Houston's Central Market. I was like a kid in a candy store as we navigated the winding isles wondering what would be around the next corner. As I peered around the end of one aisle a middle-aged lady wielding a mini-cart clipped me and as the searing pain of metal against my ankle set in I managed to utter "oh, that's okay" when given an apology. It was an accident after all.<br /><br />I couldn't help but flash to a memory from the Westgate Central Market in Austin about 5 1/2 years ago when an actor (T.L. Jones) of recent No Country For Old Men fame ran over my foot with his shopping cart while making a b-line for the beer/wine section of the store ... I would not have even given him a second thought if it were not for the fact that I was about 7 months pregnant at the time and that he didn't even seem to notice me being there let alone say "excuse me".<br /><br />Okay, that has nothing to do with the topic at hand but nonetheless part of my HerStory. :) So, we had a great family outing to CM and came up with endless possibilities for this week's menu plan. There are (as I have discussed in prior entries) many Vegan options in the traditional grocery store but it's just nice to go to a specialty market and have even more choices. The sheer excitement of seeing Banyan Foods Vegan Egg Rolls in several varieties invokes visions of a toddler with the first taste of chocolate.veggiecnchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16011705492537846899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-679310018701467116.post-24636868195849328502009-05-28T10:45:00.000-07:002009-05-28T11:55:26.277-07:00Comfort FoodA recent stressful event left me searching the pantry for ... comfort.<br /><br />My newly adopted Vegan life gave me pause at a moment when I normally would have eaten my way mindlessly through this and that. There was a time when I would have done so without even a second thought. I would have made a blue box of mac & cheese (you know the one) and would have polished off well more than a single serving. Once upon a time I would have found <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">solace</span> at the bottom of a pint container of ice cream or in an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">ooey</span> gooey cheesy pizza. Gluttony? Sure. But more than that the "comfort" should always outweigh the guilt. Right? Sometimes it is more simple as with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ramen</span> Noodle Soup when I am feeling a bit under the weather or mashed potatoes when I have an upset stomach.<br /><br />All of this leads me to these questions -- 1. When do we learn to turn to food for comfort? 2. Why do some people eat with their emotions and others not? 3. If it's not acceptable to eat emotionally then why does our culture have the phrase "comfort food" ?<br /><br />There are certain food associations that are quite clear in etiology for me as with the soup. I have memories from childhood of my Grandmother making me <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ramen</span> Noodle Soup with crushed saltine crackers when I was sick. Of course it was cheap and had whatever animal extractive was cheapest but the nostalgia is there ... so now I make it with the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Asian</span> noodles and my <a href="http://www.superiortouch.com/btb.htm">Better Than <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Bouillon</span></a> paste (Vegetable Base) and VIOLA! it's Vegan Noodle Soup. :) Mashed potatoes are an easy one with the addition of <a href="http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/">Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread </a>and <a href="http://www.silksoymilk.com/Default.aspx">Silk Unsweetened <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Soymilk</span></a>.<br /><br />I am using my transition from Vegetarian to Vegan not only to change what I eat but how and when I eat it. Rather than searching for the Vegan Mac & <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cheez</span> that comes closest to the blue box version in order to facilitate my "comfort food fix" I took the opportunity to examine why it has given me "comfort" in the past. Was it the flavor, the texture, the process of making it, or was it tied to something else ? ? ? I don't have all the answers yet but it's a work in progress.veggiecnchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16011705492537846899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-679310018701467116.post-19043337481726979292009-05-25T08:56:00.000-07:002009-05-29T20:45:13.246-07:00Grocery Store "Finds"As a wife and mother it seems as though I find myself cruising the isles of the grocery store pretty often. I don't mind it at all as a diversion tactic with the twins who are now getting close to eight months old. Before having children my husband and I would linger in the isles of the original Whole Foods Market in Austin (before the monster world-headquarters was born) and spend Saturday afternoons deciding what we wanted to eat for the week.<br /><br />In Austin it seemed as though anything and everything was at our fingertips ... and we took it for granted. :) Now, in Houston, it's most certainly more work to get the products we have gotten used to having in our daily lives. That said, we live in North Houston (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Tomball</span> technically) so Whole Foods (or Central Market for that matter) is a "trip" rather than a jaunt around the corner. Of course I am just whining and as a "responsible Vegetarian" I need to be eating at home more and learning to cook basic foods with items available at the regular old grocery store. :)<br /><br />Not all Vegetarian/Vegan foods are healthy nor do I feel the need to eat certain foods just because they are Vegan. My biggest guilty pleasure lately was Sweet Chili Doritos ... MSG and all ! ! ! I didn't let my oldest son even try them because I knew they were "bad" but now they have DISAPPEARED off of the shelves ... everywhere. Has this happened all over the country or were they just not popular here ? ? ? Were my husband and I the only ones eating them ? ? ? Who knows ? On a positive note I don't NEED the Sweet Chili Doritos and my waistline will appreciate a more figure friendly snack. :)<br /><br />I am excited when I see "normal" foods that just happen to be Vegan. In one of my favorite magazines (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error"><a href="http://www.vegnews.com/web/home.do">VegNews</a></span>) they have a blurb every month that highlights such products. I smile every time I can go to a movie (not very often these days) and have <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error"><a href="http://www.petakids.com/candy.html">Twizzlers</a></span>. :) No, they are not <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">health food</span> but they are a nostalgic part of movie-going for me ... memories of going to see <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Arachnophobia</span> and using <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error"><a href="http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/">Twizzlers</a></span> to tickle my Aunt's leg and freak her out ! <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">LOL</span><br /><br />In closing, here's to finding the <a href="http://www.petakids.com/accvegan.html">extraordinary</a> in the every day items we encounter !veggiecnchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16011705492537846899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-679310018701467116.post-1515025133390352022009-05-23T16:09:00.000-07:002009-05-23T19:44:09.112-07:00No, I am not a "Hippie" !Recently a friend of mine said I came up in a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">convo</span></span> with someone I don't know based on lifestyle choices that are seemingly unconventional. After a complete stranger has queried as to whether or not I am a "hippie" I decided to post this to my blog. :)<br /><br />No I am not a Hippie.<br />Yes I am 100% Vegetarian (aka Vegan)<br />Yes I get enough protein<br />Yes I intend for my children to be Vegetarian (while I support their right to choose later in life)<br />Yes I gave birth to twins at home<br />Yes I take my children to the pediatrician when appropriate<br />No it's not your business whether or not I choose to vaccinate my children<br />Yes I have breastfed all three of my children<br />No I do not have a problem with those who cannot breastfeedveggiecnchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16011705492537846899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-679310018701467116.post-87797299941374217472009-05-18T14:47:00.000-07:002009-05-19T01:42:49.270-07:00My lovely hubbie (and children) gave me a laptop for Mother's Day ! ! ! I was sooooo excited.You wouldn't think that it would make such a difference but with 7+ month old twins to take care of it's a hassle to boot up a "regular old PC" ... esp. when it's connected to the living room TV and used with a mini-wireless-keyboard.<br /><br />Since then I have been much more in-touch with family & friends. After hearing from the "100th" person that they did 'whatever' on facebook I decided to take the plunge and sign up. WOW ! I had no idea it would be so great ... I never did all that much with myspace and just thought it would be the same old same old. Nope.<br /><br />I am doing pretty well on the "Vegan-Front" these days ... just taking it one meal at a time. I think something that helps is that I am not focusing on what I can't eat now but what I should be eating as a responsible Vegetarian ... not to mention someone with a nutrition degree. :) It's all feeling like second nature. Houston is most certainly more of a challenge than Austin (or San Marcos for that matter) to find products but then I don't live where a trip to Whole Foods is easy. This is good in that it forces me to find the "gems" among common grocery store items. :) I think my favorite find in the sweets arena is this chocolate spread made by a Kosher food company (Bright Morning I think is the name) ... it's like Nutella without the hazelnuts or dairy. Yummmy.veggiecnchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16011705492537846899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-679310018701467116.post-73857881629269641522009-05-07T08:29:00.000-07:002009-05-07T08:33:51.510-07:00I am so bad at keeping a blog ! :)Okay so it has been over a year since my last post and what I did not know at that time was that it wasn't my second child but my second and third ... TWINS ! I don't have time to post more than that right now but needless to say life is crazy as usual. :)veggiecnchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16011705492537846899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-679310018701467116.post-34498827536664146272008-03-13T11:51:00.000-07:002008-03-13T12:08:40.310-07:00Lots Going On !<a href="http://babystrology.com/tickers/baby-ticker-glass.swf?parent=Mommy&year=2008&month=10&day=29&babycount=1"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://babystrology.com/tickers/baby-ticker-glass.swf?parent=Mommy&year=2008&month=10&day=29&babycount=1" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Ok so LOTS GOING ON since my last entry ! </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>First off my Dear Husband gave me <a href="http://www.theppk.com/"><em>Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World</em></a><em> </em>for Valentine's Day. :) What I DIDN'T know at the time of my last entry was that I was VERY NEWLY PREGNANT ... conception date 02-06-08. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>So as I type I am now 7wks + 1 day pregnant ! ! ! This is our second child ! ! ! I was Vegetarian while carrying my son so it's not all that different this time around ... just fighting the "nostalgic" moments that include Dairy. :) The first half of that pregnancy was not that great from a nutrition standpoint ... lots of sugar, fat, & junk food. This time will be different.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I am in the process of finding out what "settles" these days ... so far it's steel cut oatmeal, crackers, baked potatoes, and water ... veggies & fruit seem to be "iffy" but that will pass soon. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>As for the last posting I did gain access to The Vegan Freaks Forum. :) Yippee ! It's nice to have such a great "community" to belong to. My other support these days (outside the home) is CafeMom.</div>veggiecnchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16011705492537846899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-679310018701467116.post-1606230852408474032008-02-13T05:51:00.000-08:002008-02-13T06:06:33.505-08:00Waiting on Response From SiteWell, about a week ago I found a site that I found while web-surfing ... there is a moderator-approval process and I don't know that they want me as a member so I am being patient and waiting to see if I become a "member". SO ... I wanted to take this opportunity to post here in my blog Transition from Vegetarian to Vegan what I put as my "reasons" for being Vegan (which I happily claim as my "label").<br /><br />As posted on <a href="http://www.veganfreak.net/">www.veganfreak.net</a> in the Vegan Freak Forums (introduction thread) :<br /><br />"Hello All ! My name is ____ and I am happy to have found you ! I began my journey as a Vegetarian the second I started eating solid foods. I did anything and everything (including the bury-it-under-other-food trick) as a youngster to avoid meat. I was in a single-parent home from the age of 5 but every Summer with my Grandparents on the "Farm" involved a great deal of bargaining ... "if you will finish that bite of ham you can have a ______ (insert any number of baked/fried goods containing lard)."I felt triumphant as a kid when I would get my favorites such as PB & J or mashed potatoes w/peas. I have a lot of emotional and painful memories involving forced omnivorous behavior. What my otherwise caring and gentle Grandfather didn't realize about taking me to the Barn to see the pigs, the field to see the cows, and the freezer to see the "slaughterhouse spoils" was that it only re-inforced what I felt every time I was made to "take one bite" ... sick. As a kid I just wanted to spend time with my family and was never forced to witness the brutal aspects of farmlife so it took a while before my confidence caught up with my feelings and I could stand up for myself (and the animals). As I matured and read everything I could get my hands on regarding health, nutrition, & animal rights my lifestyle changed. Some things were abrupt and clear-cut for me and others took time to weed-out of my life. My Mom was supportive of my choices overall and I attempted to become Vegan several times over the course of my teen years but being in a one-income (limited at that) home in a small town made it difficult for me to find alot of things that make living the Vegan Lifestyle easier. I was never much into eggs to begin with so that was not a stretch ... cheese was the issue. Once I was more educated and understood that there is an addictive quality present that was a much more simple undertaking ... until then there was a "disconnect" between my box of Mac & Cheese or slice of American & the suffering of cows in order for me to afford it. (not to mention the chemicals, add.'s, & preserv.'s) So, now 29 years old and married with an almost 4 year old son I find myself making choices not only for myself but for MY family and am PROUD to be Vegan ! My son will not have the painful food memories that I do ... I am thankful for that. He doesn't know that others would think it's odd to not include eggs/butter/cow's milk in his Birthday Cake ... he just knows that it's GOOD ! I have become very comfortable in my Vegan skin & now it's time to battle the school-age issues for my son ... well come September anyway.That's a little of my "Herstory". I look forward to getting to know you too!"<br /><br />SO ... there it is. Regardless of whether I can become a member of the site or not it was great to write all of that down somewhere that someone (other than me) could read it. I feel much more clarity in everyday "things" since making the transition from Vegetarian to Vegan ... of course for me I still remember as a kid there was less of the term "vegan" being used and more of the term "strict vegetarian" so depending on the circle in which I am conversing I may still label myself Vegetarian ... I don't think they are mutualy exclusive. :)veggiecnchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16011705492537846899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-679310018701467116.post-72640790612906214322008-02-06T08:15:00.000-08:002008-02-06T08:29:43.233-08:00Playing Catch-UpOkay so now it's February and 2008 has gotten off to an interesting start. A week after I wrote my last entry we (Me + Husband + Son) made a sudden move to San Marcos, Texas. It's only 30 miles from the part of Austin we were living in but nonetheless it was a sudden and welcome change of pace.<br /><br />The first two weeks here was full of home-cooked food and online research as to local restaurant options. After eating out a couple times and discovering that Chipotle was the best Vegan option we have gone back to the kitchen to tweak some favorite recipes. We have discovered some great "finds" here like The Cornucopia Health Food Market & (believe it or not) H.E.B.'s Healthfood Isle at the larger of the 2 H.E.B.'s in town.<br /><br />The other pleasant surprise has been the library here ... it's nice to have just one in a great location versus dozens all over the place. Plus, they had a couple Vegan cookbooks to check out and that has been helpful with recipe ideas. Since the last entry I have also discovered Isa Chandra Moskowitz and The Post Punk Kitchen in my online searching and am in AWE. :) As soon as I can talk the library into purchasing her books I am all over that ... although I will most likely find them on sale first it would be nice to know they are there and that others can benefit from them as well.<br /><br />That's all for now but I know that I will have time again soon to write more regarding this wonderful lifestyle !veggiecnchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16011705492537846899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-679310018701467116.post-45894667558362016222008-01-04T11:16:00.000-08:002008-01-04T11:27:51.560-08:00Crazy Busy Life :)<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#330033;"><strong>Okay so we are all super-busy these days ... it's 2008 and I can hardly believe it. </strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>I have gone back and forth with Vegetarian ... Vegan ... Vegetarian ... Vegan since I started this blog in September. </strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>That's it, I am going to "grow up" and listen to my body (it doesn't like dairy at all), my heart (nothing should suffer from my lifestyle choices), and my mind (as an intelligent woman I KNOW that animal products are not for me). </strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>So, there it is ... as close to a New Year's Resolution as I am going to get (don't subscribe to them). :) Onward !</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>I am what I eat, drink, and think !</strong></span></span></span>veggiecnchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16011705492537846899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-679310018701467116.post-51717789095208696652007-09-11T09:32:00.001-07:002007-09-11T09:32:36.913-07:00I am just setting up this blog ... more laterveggiecnchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16011705492537846899noreply@blogger.com0