Wedding Fare

Photo booth madness!

 A few months ago, my cousin got married, and we are all so happy for her and her new husband, who we all like very much!  The wedding was one of the most lovely I have ever been to...but we were of course a little worried about the food situation.  My brother and his wife are also vegan and vegetarian (respectively), so they was a nice little crew of us who were waiting with baited breath to see what would be on the menu.  We were ASTOUNDED when it came time to eat and there were options for us!  I think I actually cried a little.  There was a stuffed squash and noodle and veggie dish that was amazing.  On the buffet there were grilled (like, really fresh and grilled, not just overheated) summer vegetables, hummus and pita bread, and even a mashed potato bar with a separate bowl of mashed potatoes just for us!  And to top that all off...the caterer made VEGAN CUPCAKES for us.  I am pretty sure it was the same recipe that I use from Isa's book Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World.  They were yummy, we were all full and so happy, and the wedding was like a dream.  Because we were not hungry, we were able to dance all night and really enjoy ourselves too!  The catering company is called Chef by Design Catering Company in Virginia Beach, VA.  I HIGHLY recommend them, I was very impressed!    Additionally, my general suggestion is to NOT be afraid to speak up about your dietary needs when you RSVP for a wedding or similar event, because you might just be pleasantly surprised (or in my case...mind-blown!).

Pierogies Done Fast

 I used to LOVE pierogies when I was a teenager.  My brother, sister and I would make a whole box and just eat that for dinner on any given night, especially when we were in a hurry.  I wanted to make a vegan version for my own family, but all the recipes that I saw were a bit...ummm....complicated.  Ain't nobody got time for that!  So I mulled this one over and decided that if I could just make the dough, then I could fill the pierogies with instant mashed potatoes and then boil them.  This was very effective and turned out to be pretty quick and easy.  Here is the dough recipe that I used followed by my own assembly instructions: 
Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus flour for dusting the work surface
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sunflower oil
• 1 cup water
• Box of instant mashed potatoes
• Optional: Diced onions, nutritional yeast

Preparation:

1. Combine flour, salt, oil and water in large bowl, and mix until dough forms a ball. If dough is dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until moist. If dough is sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it's smooth.
2. On a floured work surface, knead dough 3 or 4 minutes or until elastic. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 
3. Make a pot of instant mashed potatoes, maybe about 4 servings.  You can dice up onions and add them if you want.  You could even mix in a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor.  Let the potatoes cool before using.
4. Roll out the dough flat and cut into circles that are maybe 8 inches in diameter.  It depends on how big you want them.  I will leave that up to you.  Put a dollop of potatoes in the middle of each circle and fold the edges around the potatoes so that it looks like a semi-circle.  Pinch the edges together so they stick.  Once you have finished making the pierogies, put them in a pot to boil for about 3 minutes.  When they float they are done, but be careful because they don't always float.  That might be a myth even, I am not convinced.
5. You can serve them with vegan sour cream or even salsa or marinara.  Get creative, they are good with pretty much anything.  Some people fry them in oil once they are cooked through.  Before you fry them, you can actually freeze them and they keep for 3-6 months. 

Get the kids to help, it'd be hard to mess this one up!

When the moon hits your eye like a big...

Pizza Pie!  My family and I went on vacation to South Carolina, USA this year and we discovered a groovy new place to eat...Mellow Mushroom Pizza!  We checked out the menu online and were really excited to see tempeh, tofu, seitan, and Daiya cheeses on the "create your own pizza" list!  Woah, it was like my kids had died and gone to pizza heaven.  ANY cheese or protein could be substituted for something vegan.  They also can make salads, calzones, hoagies, and even have appetizers that cater to veg needs.  As you can see by the photo, my kids were so happy and we ate there more than once during our stay!  If you are living or traveling in the USA, there are many locations, especially on the East coast.  Check out Mellow Mushroom's website to see if there is a location near you and to view the menu.  If you aren't near a Mellow Mushroom, you can always gather ingredients at your local grocery and make your own :-)  Sometimes, your own is simply the best!

Sleepover Solutions

Mobs of kids take over my living room.

So my kids are at the age where sleepovers have become pretty common.  Sometimes they are even last minute, which would drive any parent over the edge, but when you have a vegan kid, it poses a whole new set of problems.  I always make sure that I know the families where my kids are spending the night.  I have actually refused to let my kids spend the night somewhere because I didn't know them very well.  I know, I'm totally uncool...but I'm OK with that!!  Anyhow, because I know the families, they are usually aware of the fact that my kids have dietary restrictions.  Pretty often, they are kind enough to buy things like veggie burgers or Oreo cookies to have on hand.  Typically, though, I send an "overnight survival pack".  In addition to the sleeping bag and change of clothes, I pack something for them to eat for dinner, something for them to have in place of birthday cake if needed, and something to eat for breakfast.  And I always make sure well ahead of time that they know that I intend to send stuff.  I have NEVER gotten any grief from the host family...ever.  And if I did, I would really question who my kids were hanging out with.  I think having an emergency food backup is a great idea for ANY vegan on the go, cause you just never know what is going to happen.  Life is frustrating enough...don't tackle it hungry :-)

Thanksgiving with the Turkeys 2013

 Here are some photos from our annual trip to Poplar Springs Animal Sanctuary in Poolesville, MD, USA to have Thanksgiving with the Turkeys.  This is always a great opportunity to meet other vegans, eat without worrying what's in our food, and enjoy time outside with the animals.  To visit Poplar Springs' website and find out what else they have going on, click here.

 

Apple Dumplings

 My husband's grandmother has always lived on a farm.  Her cooking is simple but filling.  I have posted her pot pie recipe before.  Last winter she shared a recipe with us that I am in LOVE with!  It is very easy to veganize.  Pillsbury crescent rolls are vegan already (check the label!), but I buy the store brand.  Then of course I substitute regular butter with Earth Balance vegan butter, which is available most places, even WalMart.  It is mouth-watering and was a great addition to my holiday table!

Read Your Labels!

I am a busy mom and a full-time teacher...I love to cook and do it regularly, but it absolutely thrills me when I find a product that is yummy and makes me proud to serve it to my family.  That's why I read labels!  It's like a treasure hunt at the grocery store, and I typically find what I am looking for.  For example, recently I started craving cinnamon rolls.  Made a batch from scratch...took forever.  I felt good about it but I cannot do that frequently, I just do not have time.  So I kept thinking that there MUST be something at the grocery store...I was right!  After reading the labels for several different brands of easy bake cinnamon rolls, I found that the store brand was exactly what I was looking for.  You see, many of the everyday products that people eat are, in fact, vegan and they do not even realize it.  Potato chips, oreos, pastas, you name it.  So I read a LOT of labels, and it does take time.  But that's OK, because finding those products that are quick and easy but good for my ethics saves me time in the long run.  I love it when I can whip up a hot and wholesome meal...after working all day, picking up the kids from swim training, and squeaking home around 5:30 pm.  Just be careful, when you are reading those labels, there are a few key words you want to avoid that a lot of people do not usually recognize: sugar, rennet, lard, sodium, bha, caffeine, caramel, carrageenan, calcium disodium, lactic acid, maltol dextrin, modified food starch, mono-and diglycercides, monosodium glutamate(msg), nitrites, polysorbate, propyl gallate, red dye 40, saccharin, aspartame, & GUMS-arabic,cellulose,xanthan gums.

Ice Cream Dreams

Every once in a while I come across some new product at the grocery store that I didn't even know existed...this is one of my new favorites!  Yours Truly cones are remarkable, they taste delicious and they are reasonably priced.  When I was a kid, I was a big fan of drumsticks, and these are even better.  Instead of nuts, it has cookie crumbles on top of hard chocolate on top of soy ice cream on top of a cone.  There is even solid chocolate in the tip of the cone.  My kids love, love, love these, and I can get them to do just about any chore around the house if I bribe...errr...REWARD them with a Yours Truly cone.  These are not at most grocery stores yet, but it is worth taking a look in your store's organic section or taking a trip to a whole foods type store.  I mean, I love a pint of soy or rice milk ice cream, but this is just a different experience altogether...yumm...

Time Flies!

I cannot believe it, but this month marks our FIVE year anniversary as vegans!  I guess five years in kid years is a long time...my two don't remember being omnivores.  My youngest was breast fed for a year, and when we went vegan he was only two, so this lifestyle is pretty embedded in him.  It's certainly not always easy, and we do miss out on what the "Joneses" are doing every once in a while (although we have never been too concerned with what the Joneses are doing...they don't look like they are having any fun and they are always a little grouchy), but it's just such a part of now that I cannot imagine living any other way!  Everyone benefits!  Let's put this into perspective with a handy-dandy statistic (from Vegan Heights):

Water saved in one year by being vegan - 1,400,000 gallons

Water saved by 4 people being vegan for 5 years - 280,000,000 gallons

A Blueberry Muffin Obsession

This is not the first (or the second, even) time I have posted about blueberry muffins.  I don't know what it is about a delicious, warm blueberry muffin that makes any morning so much better!  So I have posted recipes for muffins before (search breakfast), but I do not usually have time to make muffins from scratch.  Surprise!  Most of the time I have not given much thought to the muffin mixes at the store until now.  Duncan Hines has a Blueberry Streusel muffin mix that is amazing.  Not only do they use real ingredients with nothing artificial, but they also include a can of REAL, wild blueberries.  Fast, simple, but you will need to make sure you have a box of egg replacer handy.  If you try this mix, please let me know what you think, my kids gave it two thumbs up!

Valley Earth Fest Pasta Salad!

Wow, it has been SUCH a long day! I can't believe how much fun it was to table at the Valley EarthFest today...I met a lot of great people and passed out a ton of samples and literature. I want to post more, but being as tired as I am, I am just posting quickly for those of you that I promised the pasta salad recipe to! It cannot be easier...or tastier :) Chick'N Pasta Salad
What you need:
Two packages of Gardein Chick'n Scallopini (frozen food section)
 One box of pasta shells
 One jar of vegan mayo (I used Nayonaise, but Vegenaise would also be great)
Diced: cucumber (seeded), bell pepper, celery, black olives, spring onions
 Two TBSP olive oil
 Salt and pepper to taste
What to do:
 Cook your pasta and drain it well. Add olive oil to the water to prevent sticking. Put into a large bowl. Put some olive oil into a skillet and sauté your Chick'n Scallopini cutlets. What is nice about Gardein is that it caramelizes if you cook it for long enough! Once they are cooked, set them aside to cool for a bit. While the cutlets are cooling, add the veggies to the pasta. Add about half of the jar of Nayonaise and stir well. add the salt and pepper...I said to taste, but I add about a half of a teaspoon of salt and an entire teaspoon of ground pepper. Stir again. Dice your Chick'n, and put it into a container. Chill the rest of the salad. When you are ready to serve, add the Chick'n. If you add it too soon, it will not have the same chicken-like texture. Serve and enjoy! Thanks to everyone who stopped by to see me today, I hope you take the time to read some of my earlier posts, there is all sorts of useful information, especially if you are like me...working full time and trying to create a healthier lifestyle for my kids at the same time. If you were lucky enough to talk to my fantastic children today, you know what I mean!! Check back again soon for more about my experience at the Earth Fest today, including my thoughts on some of the topics that you lovely people brought up to me today!

Gluten-Free Vegan?

Gluten-free vegan chocolate chip pancakes.

Being vegan is more challenging than the average American diet...it's more challenging than just shoving whatever looks good into your mouth!  You have to put some thought into what you are going to eat, how it is going to be prepared, when you are going to eat, and even why you are going to eat it.  After any major change to your life, though, you get used to it and it is no big deal anymore.  That is what happened to my vegan family.  We have been vegan for almost 5 years now, and it is really just second nature...we know what we are doing, haha!  So I was in the nice groove at home, I knew exactly what I wanted to get at the grocery unless I was trying a new recipe here and there, and life was good, smooth sailing.
Now, insert daughter with stomach/digestive problems.  We had already given up milk because of a lactose intolerance (we gave up dairy before we even gave up meat or eggs!)...what's a mom to do?  I made a doctor's appointment, but that is still weeks away.  Something that seemed to help a lot of people with stomach issues is a gluten-free (GF) diet.  RED FLAGS: we eat a LOT of wheat products...even gluten just by itself (seitan, beautiful seitan!).  But I felt like I HAD to try something before the doctor.  I did some research and found that my little vegan's symptoms were very similar to those exhibited by those with a wheat intolerance.  So I decided to try it for a week, and the results were undeniable.  She said that after a few days, her constant stomach aches and gas were gone...that was enough for me, but she looked less bloated as well.  So it has been 2 weeks and she is doing great, although you can tell right away if she accidentally eats something with wheat in it!
So WHAT, you may ask, are you possibly giving that child to eat that is vegan AND GF?  Well, it is not as hard as I though it would be, although her choices have been significantly reduced.  We have a great local grocery that has several sections of GF products from crackers and cereal to pasta and bread.  If we have stir fry and noodles, she has stir-fry with rice.  If we have tacos with Boca grounds, I might make her some separate filling with rice or Textured Soy Protein.  On a typical day she eats corn chex and fruit for breakfast, has PB&J on tapioca-flour bread, potato chips, and apples for lunch, and for dinner we substitute a lot.  It just takes a little extra thinking, but it is worth it in the end.  A happy kid means a happy mom, gluten-free vegan or not!

Snowballs!

There is no better time of the year than winter to make snowball cookies.  My aunt used to make them when I was a kid, and I always remembered them.  Before this year, I had never thought to even bother making them, but there is no time like the present.  Here is a great recipe that I picked up at VegBlogger.  It is very good...I do not chop my own nuts, I buy crushed walnuts from the grocery store.  These are pretty fast to make, and they go well with any plant-based milk :)
What you need:

1 cup of vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)
1/4 cup vegan sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans work best)
1 cup confectioner's sugar
What to do:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Add the butter, sugar and vanilla to a mixing bowl and use a hand mixer on it until it is fluffy. Then add in the flour and combine the ingredients. Next, add in the nuts and mix everything together. Then, have the kids take small amounts to create one inch balls out of the dough. Place them on the cookie sheet, at least an inch apart. Bake for 28-30 minutes. Once you take them out of the oven, roll them in the confectioner's sugar while they are still hot. Place back on the cookie sheet to cool. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving With The Turkeys 2011

Me and Will Tuttle

My crew in the food line.

Piggy Nose

We had another fantastic time at the Thanksgiving with the Turkeys at the Poplar Springs Animal Sanctuary in Poolesville, MD, USA.  It was a beautiful day, clear and brisk, and it was perfect to hang out on the farm with our friends the animals.  We always enjoy going out to Poplar Springs, but Thanksgiving is the best because they host the biggest vegan potluck I have ever seen.  Table after table of delicious vegan eats.  Since hundreds of people show up, there are hundreds of dishes to choose from.  There was a great selection of wine and drinks and desserts as well.  Even though I do not know most of the people there, I always feel right at home!  The turkeys always eat first, since they are the guests of honor.  They get long trays of corn and other things turkeys like to eat.  Then the people eat, and it is amazing.  Once we got our food and sat down, I got the surprise of the day...right over my shoulder, not more than 30 feet away, was the one and only Will Tuttle!  If you do not know who Will Tuttle is, you need to.  His website says, "Dr. Tuttle presents about 150 events yearly  at conferences, retreats, and progressive churches and centers throughout North America. A former Zen monk with a Ph.D. in education from U.C., Berkeley, he has worked extensively in intuition development, spiritual healing, meditation, music, creativity, vegan living, and cultural evolution."  He wrote the book "The World Peace Diet", which is "the first book to make explicit the invisible connections between our culture, our food, and the source of our broad range of problems—and the way to a positive transformation in our individual and collective lives."  He signed my copy and I got to meet and talk to him.  I was so honored!  The rest of our time at Poplar Springs was spent wandering around and visiting the other animals (especially our favorite, the pigs), talking to new friends, watching the kids run around and play, and digesting!  If you have the opportunity to make it out for this event, you really should!  Start looking for announcements on their website around September.

Halloween Treats

We had another super Halloween this year, I always enjoy this holiday because it kicks off the official holiday season for me.  The kids wore some interesting costumes...we had an angel and Darth Vader.  Trick-or-treating can be more of a trick than a treat for parents of vegan children, though.  We have played around with different ideas in the past, but this year was the best so far.  That's why I want to share it with you!  We did the traditional door-to-door candy collecting, but immediately afterward we went to my parents house.  Everyone, including the friend we were trick-or-treating with, dumped out their bags and we sorted candy right away!  My guys gave up ALL their chocolate and other non-vegan things and then traded them for candy they could eat.  This was great, and everybody got plenty of sweets!  Our favorites are Smarties, Nerds, and Jolly Ranchers!  Hope yours was great, too :)

Vegan Photography

I recently had some very lovely "vintage" themed family portraits done!  I am very happy with them, they turned out great, if you are in the NOVA area check out Abby Neese Photography.  Having family photos taken is a great way to preserve memories and share your life with other family members and friends who may be far away.  I have gotten into the habit of posting my family photos on FaceBook with the security settings very high so that family and friends can enjoy my photos any time that they want.  If you are considering having your portraits done, keep one thing in mind...be SURE to use a photographer that uses digital photography instead of traditional film!  Abby used a Canon digital that was as big as her entire forearm.  "Who cares?!?!" you may be asking.  Well, one thing that many people do not realize is that photography film is not vegan or even vegetarian for that matter.  No really, no lie.  Gelatin is used to make the film, and gelatin comes from rendered animal parts.  "So wait...you mean Jello isn't vegetarian?" you might be saying while trembling in a state of shock.  That's right, do NOT make room for the Jello!  ANYTHING made from regular gelatin is NOT veg-friendly.  That includes marshmallows, a personal favorite of mine.  It's a good thing that there are several different kinds of vegan marshmallows available.  You can also get vegan Jello, if Jello's your thing.  So hunt down a photographer that uses a great digital camera, and if you are still using a 35mm for your personal camera, this is THE time to make the switch to digital because they are not as expensive as they used to be.  And, for your enjoyment, here is a sample of my recent family portraits, lovely AND vegan!

D.C. Vegfest 2011

Veg Kids!

Wayne Pacelle

Here are a few photos from the D.C. VegFest that we went to on the 24th of September.  We had an awsome time, I was especially impressed with the speakers.  Isa Chandra Moskowitz is the author of the Post Punk Kitchen and she actually did a book signing after she gave a demonstration on how to make vegan gumbo and pumpkin cheesecake.  Both were delicious and I brough my copy of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World for her to sign.  Yeah!  Wayne Pacelle, the CEO of the Humane Society, was there signing his book, as was Colleen Patrick Gourdreau.  I am a regular listener of her podcast, The Compassionate Cook.  I really had stars in my eyes for a little while there.  One of the main things that we came to do was EAT!  If you get a chance to take the family to a vegetarian or vegan festival, you should, because there is always tons of food.  And as a vegan, I like to eat a LOT!  I had some great nachos, and they had pumpkin spice whoopie pies.  A whoopie pie is like a GIANT cream-filled cookie/cake.  They are unbelievable!  My kids were thrilled to see other vegan kids, and we actually signed them up for a Vegan Kids playgroup there.  If you are a lonely vegan, a festival is a great place to hook up with other vegans and get plenty of great info on what to do next.

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Vegan Chocolate Chip Coookies (by popular demand)

Homestyle Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies (recipe by Dreena Burton)
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄4 cup unrefined sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
1⁄3 cup pure maple syrup
1⁄4 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
1 – 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla
1⁄4 cup canola oil (a little generous)
1⁄3 cup non-dairy chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). In a bowl, sift in the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the sugar and salt, and stir until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup with the molasses and vanilla, then stir in the oil until well combined. Add the wet mixture to the dry, along with the chocolate chips, and stir through until just well combined (do not over-mix). Place large spoonfuls of the batter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and flatten a little. Bake for 11 minutes, until just golden (if you bake for much longer, they will dry out). Let cool on the sheet for no more than 1 minute (again, to prevent drying), then transfer to a cooling rack.
I make these for every holiday and event, and they are the BEST chocolate chip cookies ever. I have heard this from vegans and omnivores alike. You have to taste them to believe it!

Quickie Soup and Sandwich

Another fast meal: Large can of tomato soup (store brand!) mixed with water or plain soy milk, and grilled "cheese" sandwiches. Just use soy cheese (Vegan Gourmet is pretty easy to find) and Earth Balance buttery spread. Serve with applesauce or some other quick veggie/fruit! This meal always gets two thumbs up from the kids!