My New Year's Solution

Tonight while I was doing my detox flow yoga, I felt myself starting to unwind from all of the holiday tension! I was very moved by the last two minutes as the instructor, Seane Corn, started giving thanks. I decided that these last two minutes of the video is what I want to live my next year by, and gravitate toward making this my every day for the rest of my days here! I thought I would share, and maybe you will be as moved as I was...

"Let's honor our planet by not contributing to the waste and abuse of Her resources. Let's let go of limited beliefs, old habits, and addictions, and open instead to new ideas and information that nourish and inspire our body, mind and spirit. Let's have the courage to regard each other with compassion, respect our own journey with patience, and live every moment with gratitude. Namaste.
Together we give thanks for all the gifts in our life. For the food that we eat, the air that we breathe, and this remarkable planet that supports and sustains us. We ask for the mindfullness to make healthier and more conscious choices and to continue to purify ourselves of the tension, toxins and perceptions that no longer serve our health and happiness. May our hearts open to know love, and let that love guide us in to depths of our deepest joy. May that joy be peace, and may this peace unite the essence of each moment, every breath and all beings as one. Namaste."

HAPPY 2012!!!!

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Okay nothing heals like baking, I promise. After making these, I stripped my daughter down to her diaper and we sat on the kitchen floor and ate these. We had a good time, our bellies were full and the floor was a mess. perfect. Here you go, I will do my best to remember measurements but some may need to be adjusted!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Earth Balance "butter" or use margarine
• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 Ener-G egg substitute (it is 1 1/2 teaspoons powder + 2 tablespoons water mixed then added to ingredients)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• about 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• semi sweet chocolate chips as many as you want!

Preheat oven to 350 and cream sugars and butter together with a fork. Add egg replacer and vanilla extract and mix together with an electric hand mixer. In a separate bowl mix flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt with a spoon. Put the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix with electric mixer. Add the peppermint extract, almond butter and chocolate chips and mix until the almond butter isn't chunky anymore. Form into the size that you want on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes depending on the size of the cookie! Let cool and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Quesadillas

I had the pleasure of going to one of my favorite cities this past weekend with my father.. Chicago!!! I finally ventured over to the Chicago Diner, their slogan "meat free since '83" says it all! It was this kitchy little diner with the most amazing menu/ staff! It was slightly overwhelming being able to order ANYTHING I WANT off of the menu! soooo I ordered lots! Dessert was the most fun to order! (I went with a cookie and cream cake with raw cookie dough on top...ymmmmmmmm)... I ordered sweet potato quesadillas as my entree and the first bite awakened my taste buds and I couldn't get enough! Even my "meat 'n' potatoes" dad couldn't get enough! I HAD to figure out a way to recreate this delectable entree! So here is my version that I made tonight.. I have to say, it did the trick!

 Ingredients:

• Spinach tortillas
• 1 can black beans
• fresh baby spinach
• 2 sweet potatoes
• tempeh
• 1/4 cup cheese (Daiya)
• 1/4 tspCinnamon
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Soymilk (original)
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance soy butter
• 2 avocados
• 1/4 onion

• 1/4 tsp EACH of basil, onion powder, and garlic powder
• dash of sea salt
• 1 tsp lime juice

* Skin and cut the sweet potato into about 6 pieces. Fill a pot with enough water to just cover your sweet potatoes. Place the potatoes in the pot and boil for about 15-20 minutes. While these are cooking, make your avocado dip. Take out the meat of your RIPE avocadoes and mash in a bowl with a fork. Dice the onion and add that to the mashed avocadoes. Put in your spices, salt and lime juice and mix with the fork. Set aside.

Once the potatoes are soft, drain the water and put the potatoes back in the pot. Add the milk, olive oil, cinnamon, sea salt, and butter. Mash until the potatoes are mixed and have a milky texture. Take a spinach tortilla and on half of it spread a thin/medium layer of the sweet potatoes. Next add rinsed/drained black beans just to cover the potatoes. Add about 10 baby spinach leaves, tempeh strips and sprinkle with cheese to cover the ingredients. Fold over the other half of the tortilla to cover your ingredients. Gently place on a skillet over medium heat, cheese side down. Press with a spatula or "flipper" as I like to call it! Once the side looks grilled, Place the flipper under the open side of the tortilla leaving the folded side farthest from you. Flip to the other side, using the folded side as a teeter totter so that none of your ingredients spills out. Press down firmly until the side is toasted.. this should only take a couple of minutes. Transfer carefully to a plate and cut into 4 pieces. The avocado is great on top or as a dip! These make about 2-3 servings. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Cookies

These were definately an experiment! I have to say that they turned out a little bit on the "cakey" side, rather than cookie, but sometimes that is okay.. The icing could've been thinner, but this was also an experiment as well as an excuse to use my pumpkin spice soy milk! p.s. regular will work just fine too :)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/8 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
• 1/2 cup vegan margerine
• 1 can pumpkin puree NOT pumpkin pie mix
• 1 tblsp applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 and grease cookie sheets and set aside.

In a medium bowl mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and salt. In a larger bowl, beat together the sugars and margerine.. it won't be creamy, but it just be moist and well blended. Beat in the pumpkin, applesauce and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mix and beat until well incorporated. I use an ice cream scoop, drop onto cookie sheet and bake for about 15 minutes.

For the icing, put 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons pumpkin spice soy milk, 1 tblsp margerine, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until smooth. Once the cookies are cooler, dip just the very top into the icing bowl and put on a wire rack or serve!

Peppermint Bark

This was so easy to make and turned out really yummy! I think it took me about 6 minutes to make! You need about 3-4 cups of chocolate chips, 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract and about 12 candy canes.... put the candy canes in a plastic bag and smash with a rolling pin or whatever you have around the house! Don't make into a powder, just crush into really small pieces. Set aside. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a sauce pan, melt the chocolate over medium/low heat.. there is nothing worse than burnt chocolate. Stir constantly, this doesn't take long. Once it is melted, remove from heat and add 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract and 1/4 cup of the smashed candy canes and stir.. pour into the 9x13 pan with parchment paper and spread as evenly as possible.. sprinkle the remaining candy canes on top and push down any larger pieces so that it stays in the bark. Place in the refridgerator for about an hour and break!

Hot Chocolate

My sister-in-law is the QUEEN of Hot chocolate.. but since she lives a million miles away at the moment and I REALLY wanted hot chocolate, I thought I would take a whack at it.. its not as easy as you would think! Finally, I made one that worked.. so here is the recipe:

• 1 cup original soy milk
• 1 1/2 tablesp cocoa powder
• 1/2 teasp almond extract (can also use vanilla or peppermint instead!)
• 1 1/2 - 2 tablesp of sugar

Bring the soymilk to a simmer in a sauce pan, add the cocoa powder, extract and a pinch of sea salt and whisk until cocoa powder is dissolved... it is going to take a good 8 minutes for this to happen so be patient.. just whisk lightly.. once the powder is dissolved, add the sugar and whisk until you don't see granules anymore.. serve! This is very simple, but when you are craving chocolate NOW, it takes an awful lot of patience! Enjoy....

Foods Around the World

I very very rarely buy packaged food.. but as I was doing some grocery shopping, I went down the "World Foods" isle and decided that I would try something I have never had before.. since I love lots about India and know almost nothing about their food, I thought I would try a packaged version, instead of blindly trying to make it! So I grabbed an Eggplant curry and these "crackers" called puppodums... never heard of them so I thought what the hell! First of all, puppodums are the most amazing things to watch in the world ... They come flat and very thing almost like phyllo dough, and you stick in in the microwave for about 40 seconds and it starts to ooze from the middle and the rest follows and crackles almost like popcorn! When it's done its very puffy and crunchy! Each one turns out different so it never got old watching them form! The curry was really spicy.. I am not sure all Indian food is like that.. but it was still pretty delicious because the spice didn't mask the flavors!

I just wanted to share this because it was something different and I found it very fun and exciting! I think that when my daughter grows to the appropriate age, maybe every once in a while we take a break from the kitchen and pick a country and try things like this out! If they have these products in your grocery store, I strongly suggest trying them out! P.s. I discovered that puppodums are quite delicious with hummus.. I guess thats the American in me.. take a little from every culture!

Pizza!

So I LOVE pizza! My husband hates tomato sauce and so I have always liked the idea of pesto on pizza.. so here is a recipe with a cashew pesto - typically pesto is made with pine nuts, but they were being recalled on the East Coast. Even though I am in the midwest, it made me nervous.. so cashews are nice becuase you just add the same amount, as if you were using pine nuts.

Ingredients:

• 1 - 12 inch- pizza crust (I bought one at my local health food store)
• 2 large tomatoes, sliced
• Vegan mozzarella
• A handful of olives, diced (I liked kalamata and/or black olives)
• 1 cup seeded and diced bell peppers - you pick the colors!

For the pesto, put all of the following ingredients in a food processer:

* 1 1/2 cups tightly packed fresh basil

* A heaping 1/4 cup cashews - raw

* 1/2 cup olive oil

* 2 tablesp lemon juice

* 2-3 cloves of garlic - depending on size

* sea salt to taste - about 1/2 teasp

* black pepper to taste.... a pinch

* 2 teasp nutritional yeast (this is option but if you are vegan this is a GREAT source of B-12)

* a pinch of cayenne

Blend these ingredients until smooth and set aside!

Okay back to the pizza:  Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the pizza crust on a baking sheet and put in the oven for about 5 minutes. Be careful, I found out the hard way that these crusts are VERY fragile before they are cooked. Remove crust from oven and spread the pesto evenly, leaving about an inch from the edges.. or however large you like your crust. Next add the tomatoes and then cheese - I grate "Follow Your Heart" brand of mozzarella.. this is my favorite.. but I do love "Daiya" and this comes already grated-  Sprinkles with olives and bell peppers, and whatever other toppings you decide to add! If I am feeding this to my daughter, I will add what I feel she is lacking - I added spinach one time and it was great - just pan fry it a little with a SMALL amount of olive oil until it shrivles and then put it on the pizza... Return and bake for about 10 more minutes or until the cheese is melted!!! Voila!

The choices for pizza toppings are endless - so make it your own!

Chocolate cures everything!

Okay, I promise I will post an actual meal again, but I have been on a dessert kick.. maybe holiday season?! These chocolate peanut butter cups were the perfect cure to a crazy day! So I will share the recipe.. its super easy and super worth it... enjoy!

* 1 cup chocolate chips
* 1/2 cup vegan margarine
* 3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
* 1/4 cup turbinado sugar.. only becuase I don't use white, but white works
* 3/4 cups crushed vegan graham crackers.. make them into tiny crumbs!
* 1/4 cup soy milk
* Crushed walnuts.. use your hands.. its a great stress reliever!

Place paper cupcake liners in a cupcake tin - makes 12.
Over medium heat, melt the margarine and stir in the peanut butter, sugar, and graham crackers. Once it is combined, remove from heat. Put about 2 tablespoons roughly into each liner. It JUST fills the bottom. If you have left over you can go back and fill it up a little more.

In another skillet, over medium heat, melt the chocolate chips and milk. Stir constantly .. there is nothing worse than burnt chocolate! Once it is melted, pour so that it JUST covers the peanut butter.. if you have left over you can go back and pour more in each.. there really isn't an exact science.. just make sure you have enough! Take the crushed walnuts and sprinkle over each cup. You can put these in the refridgerator for about 2 hours.. or if you are like me and can't wait 2 hours, put them in the freezer for about 1 hour and 15 minutes... Peace. Love. Chocolate.

Weather

Today while my daughter was taking her nap, I heard the wind rattling on my windows. Just as I looked up, my power went out. For the second that the power was out, I smiled. Do you ever think that maybe the world just wants you to stop and listen? I walked outside and stood there. As the strong wind rushed by me, I watched the trees sway back and forth and the leaves tornado around my feet. This is beauty. What if the wind that pushes against your chest and creates such an inconvenience when trying to open your car door, is breath. What if wind was the final assist for the leaves, as they say good bye and allow the trees to enter the conditions of winter? Listen. It is moving in more ways than the literal term. As I went back into my apartment, I sat and thought about weather. Rain. What if we looked at rain, not as percipitation that makes your hair flat? What if instead of running into the store to get out of the rain, we walked and enjoyed the wetness under our feet and appreciated the water that aids in growth. What if natural disasters were viewed as the earth evolving and not catastophic? It is disappointing when our basement floods because of the rain. It is scary when our cars slip on the icy roads. Its heart-wrenching when thousands of people lose their lives to natural disasters; I am not dismissing this. Just what if? It is amazing to me how the seasons cycle. How fall winds know how to prep for winter. How winter knows how to protect the soil. How spring knows how to birth for the summer. How summer knows how to reward and celebrate before heading into the cycle again. It never needs help, and it never misses a beat. It is incredible to me, that the earth looked so different millions of years ago, and how slowly, the earth continues these changes. Earthquakes are adjustments. Volcanoes, tornadoes... Hurricanes correlating with the moon.  When I view weather like this, I understand the cycle, and I can't help but feel connected.Whether we realize it or not, we too evolve. We are all connected and to me, it is more of a reason to believe that if we just rely on the earth for nourishment and relinquish control over other beings on this earth, we will thrive, appreciate and awaken. We are one, we are all created from the same hands, and if you just stop and listen, you will share this appreciation. Namaste.

Chocolate Chip Rice Crispy Treats!

Vegan desserts are by far the best part of being vegan! The flavors are more apparent and always seem to fill that sweet tooth void in my life! These were really easy and fun to make! Although there are vegan marshmallows.... which are insanely amazing, this recipe teaches you how to make rice crispy treats without them!

• 1 box brown Rice Crisps cereal (I prefer Arrowhead Mills)
• 1 3/4 cups brown rice syrup
• fine sea salt
• 3/4 cup almond butter, or your nut butter of choice
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips!

** Pour the cereal into a large bowl. Heat the syrup and a pinch of sea salt in a sauce pan over low heat. When the syrup liquefies, add the nut butter and stir until well combined. Pour over the cereal and mix well with a wooden spoon. Once thoroughly mixed and cooled to room temperature, add your chocolate chips and stir well. Turn the mixture out into a 9"x13" baking dish. Wet the wooden spoon and press down on the treats until it is flat on top. Let them cool in the refridgerator for 1 hour before cutting into squares! 

Tempeh Enchiladas!

Enchiladas are fun becuase you can basically stuff them with whatever vegetable combination your little heart desires and it is always delicious! Tempeh is a type of vegetable protein that looks like crumbled chicken in this recipe.. except its not so thats even better : )

You will need:

• 2 cups of water
• 1-6oz can of tomato paste
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 teasp chile powder
• 1 1/2 teasp ground cumin
• 1 teasp dried thyme
• 1/2 teasp sea salt
• 1 tablesp agave nectar
• 2 tablesp soy sauce

**Blend all of the sauce ingredients in a food processor/ blender until smooth. Put in a container after it is smooth, big enough to dunk a tortilla in.

• 1 and a half packages of Tempeh- I like garden vegetable
• 1/2 yellow onion diced
• 1 medium-sized green bell pepper seeded and chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 tablesp soy sauce
• 1/2 teasp black pepper
• 2 tablesp olive oil
• 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce

* Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly oil an 8x8 casserole dish. In a seperate bowl, use your hands to crumble the tempeh. Add all of the other filling ingredients and mix well!

** To assemble the enchiladas, first warm a couple of the corn tortillas in the microwave for about 8 seconds, otherwise they will not bend and you will want to whip them across your kitchen. After warmed, dunk in the sauce container. Make sure the sauce covers both sides of the tortilla. Add an adequate amount of filling, and spread it across the center. Sprinkle a small amount of grated vegan mozerella cheese ( I love Follow Your Heart), and roll into a tube, and lay in the casserole dish with the seam side down. Repeat with the rest of your tortillas (Should make about 8 or 9.. and yes they will all fit in the casserole dish if you are creative with it!) and place tightly next to each other. Pour the remaining sauce on top and sprinkle with some cheese becuase its delicious! Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese in melted! VOILA!

Black Bean Soup

Its time to snuggle on the couch with your bowl of soup and football on the television.... even if it's by your husband's request! Here is a good and healthy soup that warms you up and fills your belly!

** I used black beans that I made the previous day in a slow cooker, but you can just use plain black beans either cooked or canned, you are going to rinse all of the good stuff off of them anyways.**

Ingredients:

• 1 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 onion chopped
• 1/4 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teasp ground cumin
• 1 medium zucchini, peeled and chopped
• 1 tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped (or one canned tomato, drained and chopped)
• 2 (15 oz) cans black beans or about 3 1/2 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 3/4 teasp salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened and beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin. Stir briefly, about 30 seconds, then add the zucchini, tomato, and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer, covered, until the zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes. Measure out 1 cup of black beans and set aside. Put the rest of the beans and the oregano into the saucepan.

Transfer the soup to a blender, in batches if necessary, and puree until thick and creamy. Pour soup back into the saucepan and return to the stove over medium heat. Add the whole beans and the salt. Cook, stirring until warmed through. I usually wait until it bubbles and then turn the heat down, letting is simmer for about 10 minutes. The longer soups sit, the more flavors you will be able to enjoy! GO LIONS!

Pancakes!!

Pancakes are fun because you can add chocolate chips or bananas, or whatever is in season! My next adventure I think will be experimenting with pumpkin pancakes! I am on a pumpkin kick at the moment.. prepare! These are super easy and even if you aren't vegan, you usually have these things around the house anyways. This recipe makes me shake my head at why anyone would buy a pancake mix!! THIS IS SO EASY!!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 tblsp sugar
• 2 tblsp baking powder
• 1/8 teasp salt
• 1 cup soymilk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

** Combine all of the dry ingredients and mix them well. Then add the soymilk and vegetable oil. Whisk until there are no bumps or lumps! Spray a small amount of vegetable oil on your pan over medium heat and pour a small amount onto the pan in the same spot so that it becomes circular.. like a pancake.. wait until you see bubbles on the top and flip! Cook that side for a couple of minutes until you see a golden brown and you are done my friend! Enjoy!!!

Tim Who?!

I decided to try making timbales.. which is a french dish.. named after the type of pan they use to make them in. Typically a proper timbale is narrower at the bottom, but as you can see... mine are not. The neat thing about timbales?! They can be made with just about any grain and complementing ingredients! So I made Quinoa Amaranth Timbales... lots of protein for me and my little one : )

• Zest and juice of 1 orange
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1/2 a small onion, finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup amaranth
• 1/2 cup quinoa, well rinsed and drained in a small strainer
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 5 dried apricot halves, finely diced

**Zest the orange and set zest aside. Juice the orange into a larger liquid measuring device, then add about 1 and 1/4 cup of water to that. Set aside.

*** Heat the oil in a small saucepan. Saute onion until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin and cook for about 30 seconds.. until it becomes fragrant. Add the orange juice mixture and salt and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and slowly add the amaranth, whisking constantly. Add the quinoa and cinnamon and whisk to combine.

** Return the pan to the heat. When the water boils, turn the heat to low, cover, and let it cook on low for about 25 minutes... until all of the liquid has been absorbed. When the grains are done, stir in the dried apricot and orange zest. Stir briskly until well incorporated.

*** Spray your molds with nonstick spray. :: I used mini cake pans.. you can use anything and the food will take its form.. I am going to try cookie cutters next time .. you can use very small rubbermaids, dressing containers, teacups, etc. Pack the quinoa mixture firmly into the mold. Then IMMEDIATELY turn it out onto a serving dish or container, tapping on the bottom to help it release... you can serve immediately or save for later in the refidgerater!!

Risotto with a side of healing!

So for starters, I have come to the conclusion that I love cooking and absolutely suck at blogging! Soooo... I will do the best I can, but I am thinking this will be an "in-between semesters" thing... I am definately passionate about this lifestyle, and am still cooking just as often, but I don't have a lot of extra time to share! Anyways... why a side of healing? Well after making this meal I learned that mushrooms naturally help boost the immune system! And what better time to do that than now as we are heading into colder seasons?! Okay.. recipe...:

• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup dried shittake mushrooms
• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped shallots
• 3 cups thinly sliced baby bella mushrooms
• 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• a few dashes of pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/2 cups arborio rice (risotto)

** Bring the broth to a simmer in a medium-size saucepan. Add the dried shittake mushrooms and simmer for about 2 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a plate. When cool enough, coarsely chop them. Cover the broth and keep warm over very very low heat.

In a medium-size saucepan over moderate heat, saute the shallots for about 5 minutes. Add the baby bellas and sun-dried tomatoes, and cook until mushrooms are tender.... about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, shiitakes, herbs, spices and salt:  saute another 3 minutes.

Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes. Add a little of the broth at a time, allowing it to soak up as you stir it into the mixture. Keep doing this until the rice is cooked and the broth is fully absorbed.. it will take about 20 minutes.. serve it up!!!

I also discovered that you can freeze this for a while! So, half of my servings are sitting in the freezer for a lazy day~ Peace & Love

Breathe Kasey

So today I went to the grocery store (Meijer) to get a few items that my food co-op didn't carry. I am trying to make this "pudding" concoction for my newly picky eater daughter.. so that she is getting adequate amounts of veggies and such! Anyways, one of the ingredients for this is cashew butter. I went to meijer becuase there organic butters tend to be cheaper... as I was walking down the "peanut butter" isle I stopped only to read a sign that said.. "Due to a shortage in peanuts, we will not be carrying peanut butter until the end of September/beginning of October." I couldn't help but smile.. here is a little glimpse of my internal thoughts at that moment... " Peanut shortage?! Shocking! Maybe instead of using 30% of the world's land to plant corn, only to have a mass production and in turn modifying it into additives and dangerous ingredients, as well as feeding it to animals that, by evolution, cannot properly digest it.. why don't we use some of that good ol' land for peanut production.. oh wait its not a commodity crop which means it costs money! ::gasp::...peanut production low due to 40% temperature increase?!?!... .hmm couldn't be due to that non-existant global warming due to the greenhouse gas... due to the rise in cattle raising for meat consumption.. couldn't be..." thanks for the rant... ::deep breath:: thats all...

I'm Back!!!... with a sweet tooth!

WOW! Well, I haven't stopped cooking.. but unfortunately I stopped blogging due to the natural insanity of life! It has been a lot of fun, but since my daughter is 1 next month, I have been playing around with cake recipes and finger food, so I thought I would come back with a delicious, fun and easy cupcake/frosting recipe that is nothing short of heavenly!!!

Fluffy White Cupcakes

* 1 tblspn of apple cider vinegar

* 1 1/2 cups plain soymilk (I personally thing vanilla is too sweet.. your call)

* 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour

* 1 1/8 cups sugar

* 2 tspn baking powder

* 1/2 tspn baking soda

* 1/2 tspn salt

* 1/2 cup canola oil

* 1 1/4 tspns vanilla extract

* 1/2 tspn coconut extract ( try to find real, but it is VERY hard to find, so imitation will work as well)

~ PREHEAT oven to 350F. Spray 22 muffin cups with nonstick spray or line with paper cupcake liners and spray the liners with nonstick spray.. not a lot.. set aside.

Place the apple cider vinegar in the bottom of a liquid measuring cup and fill the cup with soymilk to equal 1 1/2 cups. Stir well and set aside (the mixture will curdle).

IN a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl whisk together the soymilk mixture, canola oil, vanilla, and coconut extract. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and beat until smooth using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Fill each muffin cup with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pan and place them on a wire rack. Let the cupcakes cool completely before adding the frosting!


Pineapple Frosting

* 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
* 1/4 cup nonhydrogenated margarine
* 1/4 cup well-drained crushed pineapple

SIFT the powdered sugar into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the margarine and crushed pineapple and beat with a handheld mixer. At first, this may seem too dry, but keep beating for about 30 seconds and you will have perfect frosting. It is SO much fun to make frosting! You will seriously be mixing, and it will turn into DUST and you will probably shout a few curse words, but like magic it starts turning into a liquid.. I thought it was awesome ha!

Chocolate Vegan Buttercream

* 3 cups powdered sugar
* 1/2 cup cocoa powder
* 1/2 cup nonhydrogenated margarine
* 4 tblspn rice milk
* 1 1/2 tspn vanilla

SIFT together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder into a medium size mixing bowl. Add the margarine, rice milk, and vanilla and beat well using a handheld mixer until the frosting is smooth. This turned out so amazing, I ate the extra with a spoon yyummmm!!!!!

Mediterranean Amazingness!

To say that life has been crazy is truly an understatement. Last night I went to see U2 in concert with Florence and the Machine.. simply amazing!! U2 has such a great voice with organizations like the Peace Corp and Bono co-founded an organization called ONE.. check it out at http://www.one.org/ . Heard of the FEED project?? Same organization.. very cool!!

Okay.. so just a fair warning.. this dish makes for lots of dishes.. but it worth it and very easy and fun to make!! This is a panko crusted eggplant with a artichoke mix and homemade pesto sauce. Another warning.. this will call for TONS of basil.. after robbing my father-in-law of ALL of his basil from his backyard, I had to hit 3 grocery stores in order to get enough! Anyways...

Ingredients:

Pesto Sauce:

• 1/2 cup walnuts or walnut pieces
• 3 cups packed basil leaves
• 3 cloves garlic.. just smash and chop don't have to be too precise
• 1 and half tspn of sea salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional, if you are vegan this is a great source of B-12)
• 2 tspn lemon juice.

Toast the walnuts in the oven on 350F for about 10 minutes. Combine the walnuts, basil, garlic, and salt in a food processor (easiest) or blender and process while you add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Add the nutritional yeast and lemon juice, and pulse to combine. The sauce should be the consistency of a slightly grainy paste, not a puree.

For the artichoke part: (p.s. if artichokes are too salty for you, try fresh zucchini.. it makes for a great substitute!)

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1/2 tspn dried thyme
• 1/2 tspn salt
• a few dashes of fresh black pepper
• 8 plum tomatoes, diced ( I cheated and used 15oz cans of tomatoes.. I used about 1 and a half cans)
• 2 cups chopped artichoke hearts (cheated here too.. I bought them canned in quarters and chopped them)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced, pitted kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup capers drained
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I just rip it)

For Eggplant:

• 1 cup water
• 1 tblspn cornstarch
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tspn dried thyme
• 1/4 tspn dried oregano
• a few dashes of black pepper
• 1/2 tspn salt
• 1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/4" thick
• oil for frying ( I used vegetable oil)

Prepare the artichokes:

In  a large skillet over medium heat, saute the onions in the oil for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 more minute. Add the thyme, salt, pepper, and tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes have broken down and released their juices, about 5 minutes. If you are using the canned tomatoes, don't drain the juice. Add the artichoke hearts, olives, and capers; simmer for 10 minutes. Add the basil and cook 1 more minute. Cover to keep warm and moooove on!!!!

Prepare the eggplant:

Have ready a flattened paper bag to drain the oil. Recycle!! In a broad bowl whisk the cornstarch with the water until dissolved. Fill a dinner plate with the flour. Onto another plate sift together the bread crumbs, spices, salt, and pepper. Line up the dishes as such: flour, cornstarch mix, panko. Heat a little over 1/4" of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Dip an eggplant slice in the flour, then in the cornstarch mix, and then in the breadcrumbs.. flip it so you get both sides.. I used tongs for this part. When you have dipped about 4 slices into the mix, use the tongs to place them in the oil and cook until they are lightly browned.. usually about 3 minutes. Flip them over and cook the other side for about 2 minutes. Transfer to the paper bag and let the oil drain. Proceed with the rest of the eggplant!

Assembly!!

Pour some of the pesto onto the plate. Place an eggplant slice on the sauce, then a layer of the artichoke mix, then an eggplant slice, then another layer of the artichoke and then one last piece of eggplant. Top it off with some sauce and enjoy!!

Grillin' Time!!!

If your in Michigan like me, we wait all year for those 8 weeks of summer! HA! These are really easy to make and a lot of fun. Basically you just take some vegetables that you life and add them to the skewer.. and grill em up! I am a dork and forgot to soak the sticks.. so make sure you soak your sticks in water for atleast 30 minutes before grilling other wise they will fry up like mine did! I used, onion, pineapple becuase I love grilled pineapple, red/green/yellow bell peppers, and mushrooms.. you can also add tofu to this and it is pretty amazing! Use a dipping sauce if you would like or eat alone.. yummy yummy!!!

Molasses Cookies

So this was the dessert for the Father's Day meal.. my theme for Father's day was memories .. molasses cookies are my dad's favorite cookie.. and veganized they are! He loved them even more!!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups and 2 tbspn flour
• 1 tspn ginger
• 1 tspn cinnamon
• 1/4 tspn salt
• 2 tspn baking soda
• 1 tspn Ener-G Egg Replacer (comes in a box and is pretty common)
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 6 tbspn water

** Preheat the oven to 325F**

**Sift flour, spices, salt, and baking soda together. In another bowl cream together water, shortening, sugar, molasses and egg replacer. Don't worry, the shortening will not completely break down at this point, but it will when it's all said and done so it doesn't have to be perfect at this point! Slowly pour the flour mixture into the shortening mixture and stir each time you pour a little in.

Drop by tablespoon a couple of inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. I personally like using the spray canola oil. Bake for 15 minutes!!**



An Easy Addition

So the yummy pineapple stuff happens to be the pineapple-cashew quinoa stirfry recipe that is already posted on here.. I made this meal for my dad on Father's Day because it is one of his favorites that I have made in the past.. I did add a couple of things to this as you can see, so here they are! The first addition is the:

Mango Spring Roll

Ingredients:

• 1 mango peeled and sliced into thin strips
• 1 cup brocolli sprouts
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 4 ounces of very thin rice noodles
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, very finely chopped.. I used a meat pounder thing.. just becuase it has that name doesn't mean that is what it should be used for! I put the peanuts in a plastic bag, rolled it up and smashed away!
• 20 rice paper wrappers
• Thai dipping sauce (recipe will be after this one)

** Boil a medium-size pot of water. Turn off the heat and add the noodles. Let them soak for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the noodles and run them under cold water until they feel cold. I stick my hand in there and stir them around a little. Transfer them to a bowl and begin your rolls!!

Have a pie pan ready to roll! Fill it with hot water, tap is fine and a clean counter space. Place the rice wrappers, two at a time, into the water until they are flexible(30 seconds to a minute). Carefully remove from water and lay flat on a clean surface. In the lower two-thirds of the roll, place about a tablespoon of noodles and sprinkle some peanuts over top of them. On top of that place about five or six mango strips and on top of that place some bean sprouts and a couple cilantro leaves. Fold the left and right sides over the filling, then take the bottom of the wrapper and begin rolling. Keep them chilled until your ready to serve your yummy goodness!!!** This is not a recipe to measure, you can do so much to this, once I added avocado to it, after the first couple of wraps you will figure out just how much stuff YOU like to put in each one!

Thai Dipping Sauce

• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon Asian Chile oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped.. or Kaseyfied
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons sugar

** Mix all the ingredients together and serve with the rolls!**

The other thing on the plate is the molasses cookie! Recipe to follow!!



Sarah's Meal!

Potato and Kale Enchiladas with Roasted Chile Sauce

So really quick, remember that psychology assignment I was talking about in my last post? Well he pointed my response out and said it has been a while since he has seen an educated response from an animal activist :) WOO HOO!! I got an A!

Okay, now this is another recipe that looks WAAYYY harder than what it actually is.. I call this Sarah's meal becuase I have a friend who is trying out the dark side due to medical problems she is having and has to watch her sodium content in her food.
Sarah, I will have you know I researched a little about sodium contents in food and found that a low sodium diet should contain 400-1000 mg of sodium in a day, and the potatoes in this meal, which is the largest part, only contains 2-6mg!
This is also a fun recipe becuase you can add spinach, peppers, whatever your little vegan heart desires!

Ingredients for Enchilada Chile Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
• 1 onion, cut into small dice
• 4-ounce can of green roasted chiles (found in world foods isle)
• 2-3 teaspoons chile powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon marjoram
• 1-28oz can diced tomoatoes with juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

** Don't get too caught up on how small your dicing those onions, all this is going into a blender anyways.**

Ingredients for Potato and Kale Filling:

• 1 pound yukon gold potatoes
• 1/2 pound kale, washed, trimmed, and chopped finely
• 3 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4  cup vegetable broth (Sarah I recommend using water for you my love)
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• salt to taste.. less is best.. I used about 1 teaspoon
• 12-14 corn tortillas

PREHEAT the oven to 375F and have ready a pie dish..

~~Prepare the enchilada sauce first:

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, saute the onions in oil for about 5 minutes, basically until they are soft. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, bring to a simmer, and remove from the heat. When the mixture has cooled enough, puree in a regular ol' blender until the mixture is smooth and even.



~~Prepare the filling:

Peel and dice potatoes, then boil them until tender.. this takes about 15-20 minutes. Drain and set aside. Cook the grapeseed/olive oil and minced garlic in a saucePOT over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the garlic is sizzling and slightly browned. Add the kale, sprinkle your salt, and raise the heat to medium, stirring constantly to cover the kale with the oil and garlic. Kale shrinks right down just like spinach. Partially cover the pot to steam the kale until it has wilted.. this happens quickly.. usually around 5 minutes.

Remove the lid and mix in the potatoes, vegetable stock (water), lime juice, and salt. Use the back of a wooden spoon to mash some of the potatoes.. I like mine a little chunky just like my babies :) Cook another 3-4 minutes, until the stock or water has absorbed. Add more lime juice or salt to taste.

~~Create the magic! If you have kids, this is a lot of fun and messy they will love it!!

Have ready a pie plate filled with about 3/4 cup of enchilada sauce, a casserole dish (atleast 11 x 7), a stack of corn tortillas, a lightly greased, heated pan (for softening the tortillas), and the potato and kale filling.

Ladle a little bit of the enchilada sauce onto the bottom of the casserole dish and spread it around. Take a corn tortilla, place it on the heated pan for about 30 seconds and flip it over for a few more seconds..until it is soft and pliable. (this is where the kiddos come in) Drop the softened tortilla into the pie plate filled with sauce; allow it to get completely covered in sauce, flip it over, and coat the other side! P.s. I double up on the tortillas becuase they tend to tear easily...so soften up two at a time and dip them in the pie plate individually then continue with the next step..

NOW, place the tortilla in the casserole dish and layer it with another heated, sauce-covered tortilla. Run the potato filling down the middle and roll it up! Continue with the rest of the tortillas, and tightly pack them suckers next to each other.

Pour about a cup of sauce over the top (saving some for later!), cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for about 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, until the edges of the tortillas poking out are slightly brown. Allow to cool slightly before serving! Enjoy!! 



I served this with some boxed mexican rice and refried beans becuase those are my favorites.. go crazy!

Egg Salad Sandwich

UGH!!! Before I begin with these recipes, I just need to take a deep breath and relax. I am currently a student and for my degree I am required to take a Psychology course. Tonight, our discussion question was "Should animals have equal rights?" Of course most people took the approach of "no silly, animals can't vote!" Okay well this isn't funny, clearly animals should not have the right to vote. Having the right to live fully and have the rights that apply to them? YES! Do animals have the capability to be scared, happy, sad, angry? YES! Any different from us? I think not. Babies can't talk. They have the ability to be sad, happy, angry, and scared. Should they have rights? Most of you will be appauled at the fact that I am comparing a child's rights with an animal.. but yes, it is one in the same. Amen.

Egg Salad Sandwich

Ingredients:

*1/2 cup medium or firm tofu

* 2-3 tablespoons of vegan mayonnaise ( I LOVE Veganaise)

* 1/4 teaspoon turmeric

* 1 tablespoon celery, finely diced

* 1 teaspoon green onion, finely diced

* dash of pepper

* 1/4 teaspoon mustard (optional, but I love mustard)

~~ In a small bowl, mash together the tofu, mayonnaise and turmeric. Mash the tofu to your consistancy desired. I personally like small chunks. Stir in the celery, onions, pepper, and mustard if you are using it. Spread it on some bread!

You can also use, sprouts, lettuce, grated carrots, or annyyytthing else!!!

This will fool the biggest egg lovers!

p.s. Eggs are often the hardest to replace for someone who is making the switch. The fact that tofu comes in so many different consistencies helps tremendously. I will be attempting tofu scramble here shortly. I have only had it in restaurants, so that experience will be coming soon!

Enjoy!!

Changing The World One Spoonful At A Time....

So today I went to my hometown and visited my family for my mother's birthday. I brought fluffy white cupcakes, some with a pineapple vanilla frosting and some with a chocolate ginache frosting..as people were enjoying these, I couldn't help but over hear some say what they just could not live without and how there is no way that vegan would work for them! This got me thinking... If I had to give someone interested in veganism ONE piece of advice it would be, don't get rid of it until you find a satisfactory alternative! I know this sounds like common sense, but this can be harder than you think.. just becuase its vegan cheese, doesn't mean its good! This also had me thinking about one of VegNews' named 10 most inspiring vegan geniuses, Ellen DeGeneres.. yes she is amongst 10 of the most influential vegan minds! Among other things, on her website, she challenges readers to send in their favorite recipe to be "veganized." How neat?!

So, like I was saying, don't get rid of something until you find a great substitute! As you gain more knowledge about what you are eating, this may be hard as you want to stop consuming it RIGHT NOW! But, by pulling away from everything and not knowing where to turn, this could lead to going back to your old ways or leading a very unhealthy lifestyle! I thought I would share a few of the books that helped me educate myself about this lifestyle and what has helped me stick to it!

**Becoming Vegan by Brenda Davis, R.D. & Vesanto Melina M.S., R.D. ~  This book has everything from the background of the vegetarian movement, to the vegan food pyramid and food guides, to how to have a healthy vegan pregnancy and raise a healthy vegan child! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!

** In Defense Of Food by Michael Pollan - this book really exposes the food industry as a whole, so when you get sick of hearing over and over again that meat is bad.. why not learn about what you ARE eating.. like genetically modified soybeans and what not.. He starts the book out by saying "Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants."

**Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman & Kim Barnouin.. although I hardly trust any sort of nutritional advice from two retired models, I really liked their "grocery list" this is great to use for my above statement about substituting and learning your knew isles! I also really enjoyed their web resources at the end of the book.. depending on your personality, this book will either crack you up or piss you off!

** Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook by Moskowitz and Romeo... a gift from my sister -in-law, this book has forever inspired me to cook and you will find some of their recipes throughout my blog!

Anyways, for those of you who have been vegan for years you know that knowledge is key and you can never know to much! For those of you just dabling with the idea, take a look at these the worst that will happen is that you will learn something about your milk that you didn't want to know ;)

Curious about the top 10 most inspiring vegans?! Well I will tell you!
1. THE PERSONALITY: Ellen DeGeneres: In 2009, veganism gained of the most charismatic and influential figures in pop culture! While interviewing with Katie Couric, Ellen says that after reading Skinny Bitch and watching the documentary "Earthlings," she just couldn't participate in that sort of torture. She is the national spokesperson for Farm Sanctuary's Adopt-A-Turkey campaign. She says that in today's world, "Its never been easier to be vegan."
2. THE FINE TUNER: Patrick Brown: A Stanford biochemistry professor, is famous in his field for transforming genetic research with his invention of micro-array DNA.. He is currently studying the HIV virus to find a cure and has published his own scientific journal. This scientist recommends a complete transition to plant-based agriculture, not only for the obvious economical reason, but also for ethical reasons. P.S. did you know that livestock accounts for 27% of human caused methane and 65% of nitrous oxide emmision? He claims that by making this switch it will stop the deterioration of the environment.
3. THE TECHIE: Biz Stone: He is actually the co-founder of Twitter and has recently posted an article named, "The Rise of the Power Vegans." He claims that by going vegan, his career took off based on his clarity and awareness. He is an honory board member at WildCare in California and also champions for Farm Sanctuary..
4. THE MATH MAESTRO: Brian Greene: Basically supports the vegetarian movement.
5. THE MOTIVATOR: Tony Robbins: He is one of the best motivational speakers and ends all of his sold-out seminars with the advice that the kinds of changes people want to make to better their lives cannot be made while they consume animal products.
6. THE PROTECTOR: Sara Shields.
7. THE THINK TANK: Jason Gaverick Matheny
8.THE DETAIL DETECTIVE: George Church
9. THE RE-INVENTOR: Steve Wynn: Everyone knows Steve Wynn! Responsible for the Las Vegas strip basically! Vegan and animal-activist, has many many vegan options on all of his menus and was the first to bring in the animal-free acrobatic troupe Cirque du Soleil!
10. THE MOGUL: Russell Simmons!
P.S. Sundays will be like this.. no recipes just fun info!

Namaste.

DUH!

http://www.vegnews.com/web/articles/page.do?pageId=3360&catId=8

What is the first thing that doctors tell patients who have diabetes, are obese, or have cardiovascular disease (just to name the top)... eat more vegetables and eat less meat??!?!?! YUP!!! Thank you VegNews for posting this article, it is always reassuring to see medical and scientific research backing us up!!!

Pineapple-Cashew-Quinoa Stir-Fry

 I don't know about you but when it FINALLY is warm outside, heavy food is NOT what I want in my belly. I like this dish becuase quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is one grain that is chock FULL of protein and the pineapple has a way of lightening this dish up a bit. One of my personal favorites.. I will be making this again for Fathers' Day! Here it goes!

Ingredients:

Quinoa:

• 1 cup quinoa, well rinsed and drained
• I cup pineapple juice
• 1 cup cold water
• 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
• ( Your going to need to prepare the quinoa and leave in the refrigerator over night.. or atleast an hour)

Stir- Fry:

• 4 ounces cashews, raw and unsalted
• 3 tablespoons peanut oil (found in the "world foods" area of your grocery store)
• 2 scallions, sliced thinly
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• If you have a garlic mincer at home, I find that if you press it a couple of times and then scrape with a knife I can get it all out..
• 1 hot red chile, sliced into very thin rounds
• Don't worry if you are like me and HATE spicy stuff your not going to taste it.. promise
• 1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, rolled and sliced into thin shreds..
• I am a goof ball and accidently used dried basil and it worked fine.. just don't use as much
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
• About 2 cups bite-size chunks fresh pineapple
• Look for this in the salad bar area or near the fruit already cut up if it's easier for you.. thats one I did.. but PLEASE don't get the canned crap.. it will ruin the dish and then I'll have to find you :)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• This is in the world foods area of the grocery store.. it's not that uncommon
• Lime wedges for garnish

* Now with recipes like these, where the preparation is what takes forever, I like to do it all at once and then set it out so that I can just grab and go!

** Prepare the quinoa first:

Combine the quinoa, pineapple juice, water, and soy sauce in a medium-size pot. Cover, place over high heat, and bring to a boil. Stir a few times, lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 12 to 14 minutes.. until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa appears plumped and see-through. Uncover, fluff, and let cool.

For best results, place the quinoa in an air tight container and refrigerate overnight. If you're in a hurry though, chill the covered quinoa for atleast an hour. When ready to use, break up any chunks of the cold quinoa with a fork.

FINALLY PREPARE THE STIR-FRY!!!

Use the largest nonstick skillet you have. Have all of your ingredients chopped and easily within reach. Place the cashews in the dry pan and heat over low heat, stirring them for about 4 to 5 minutes. They will start to look slightly shriveled when they are good and done!

Remove the cashews from the pan, raise the heat to medium, and add the peanut oil, scallions, and garlic. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the sliced chile pepper and ginger. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, then add the bell pepper and peas. Stir-fry (basically take a couple of wooden spoons and cross your arms, it will move the dish around and sort of give it a sautee deal).. for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the bell pepper is softened and the peas are bright green! Add the basil and mint, and stir for another minute before adding the pineapple and quinoa.

In a measuring cup, combine soy sauce, vegetable stock, and mirin. Pour over the quinoa mixture. Stir to incorporate completely and coat the quinoa. Continue to stir-fry for about 10 more minutes.. until the quinoa is very hot.. I use wooden spoons for tossing or stir-frying..

Serve with lime wedges and addition soy sauce to season individual servings to taste! Makes about 4 servings..

Okay, so this dish is amazing by itself, but I did add some strips of tofu. I just took extra firm tofu, drained it and sauteed it in a small pan with some olive oil, salt, and pepper!

PLEASE don't get discouraged with how much is in this recipe, once you get going with it, it really does go by super fast and is very basic.. you will do fine! Surprisingly there really aren't that much dishes to clean afterwards!! Trust me, if I can make this recipe with my lovely daughter strapped to me, any one can make it!! The nice thing about this dish, is that just like Chinese Take-out its even better the next day... and the next day...

My Staple... Banana Bread

I thought I would start with something I make A LOT! Since I can't share my "White Ain't Right" bread recipe, due to the fact that it is one that has been passed down in my husband's family for generations, and I have been lucky enough to marry in to such a tradition.. name created by my free-spirited and fun mother-in-law :) I thought I would share this bread recipe since everyone seems to enjoy it!~

^^Never use a hand mixer for banana bread becuase it makes it gummy.. mix with a wooden spoon just until the wet and dry ingredients are combined! These can also be made into muffins.. bake for about 18 minutes for those.

Ingredients:

* 3 large very ripe bananas

 (If you stick them in the freezer when they start to go brown, they are good forever.. just pull out 3 and let them thaw and voila!)

* 1/4 cup applesauce         

* 1/4 cup canola oil            

* 1/2 cup sugar                   

* 2 tablespoons molasses    

(If you lightly spray the spoon with canola oil, the molasses slides right off)

* 2 cups all-purpose flour    

* 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 

*1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

~ PREHEAT oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9x5- inch loaf pan, or two medium size ones if you want to share the love!

~ In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas, I use a potato masher but a fork will do just fine. Make sure they are mashed really really well. Add the sugar, applesauce, oil, and molasses, and whisk briskly to incorporate.
~Sift in the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Use a wooden spoon to mix until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined. Fold in vegan chocolate or carob chips, if using. I sometimes put in chopped walnuts.. you can buy them in the baking isle.
~ Transfer the batter to the prepared pan(s) and bake for 45 to 50 minutes... the top should be lightly browned and a knife inserted through the center should come out fairly clean. If you used chocolate chips, the knife will come out very chocolatey and that is fine!
~~ Remove from oven and invert onto a cooling rack, flip the bread right side up and let cool! I will usually wait about 10 minutes and slice off a piece!! 

ENJOY

Introduction

Hello and welcome to my page! This will mainly be about vegan cooking... and everything in between!

For starters, I am an Air Force wife, a mother to a beautiful little girl who hasn't quite reached 1 year, a nursing student, a proud member of PCRM and VegMichigan, and a vegan chef.. in training :) My husband left for basic training in March of this year, and we will not be together again until close to the New Year.. so I thought I would use this time to put myself through my OWN boot camp! Since I LOVE being vegan and always rant about how easy it is and how much fun it is, I thought I would work on my cooking skills and try new things! Who would've thought that it would end up being one of my biggest passions?!

I want to use this blog to share all of my experiences and recipes as I go! I won't lie, I probably will not be cooking everyday and ::gasp:: do the occasional frozen dinner; but I also wanted to use this blog and write about new information that I have found ... maybe about vegan news or clothing/products that I recently bought and LOVE or (hopefully not) dislike..

Welcome and I hope I can help you in some way!

Peace in oneself. Peace in the world.