tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66299476723526152662024-09-11T08:37:26.929-04:00This is a journal of my journey as a mom of two little girls plus our attempt at becoming a vegan family. I have tried many recipes and different approachs to making the vegan switch easier and I will share my experience with you.mnash0915http://www.blogger.com/profile/16085550160877709197noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6629947672352615266.post-38841726630058870022011-08-24T13:27:00.001-04:002011-08-24T13:27:45.868-04:00One of the traps that vegans can fall into is eating too much pasta. Especially vegans like me that are tired at the end of the day and don't really like to cook that much. I have found that an easy way around this is to prepare things that can be used as quick and easy side dishes. I tried this recipe this week and it was great. <br /><br />Three Bean and Corn salad<br /><br />Use one can of three of your favorite beans. I used black beans, kidney beans and pinto beans. Rinse them and place them in a large bowl<br />Add:<br />3 green onions chopped <br />3-4 tbs chopped fresh cilantro<br /><br />In a blender combine:<br />3 chopped plum tomatoes<br />2 garlic cloves chopped<br />1 tsp cumin<br />Black pepper and salt to taste<br />1/4 c olive oil<br />2 tbs apple cider vinegar<br /><br />After the above ingredients are combined in the blender, pour over the bean mixture. Let stand for at least 30 min at room temp to let the flavors combine. Salad can be served warm or cold<br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />mnash0915http://www.blogger.com/profile/16085550160877709197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6629947672352615266.post-9921834162122560882011-07-29T12:09:00.001-04:002011-07-29T12:09:18.103-04:00This time of year is great for vegans because there are wonderful farmers markets or just great produce from your own garden but, who wants to cook when it feels like 100 degrees in the kitchen!<br />This is a great time to break out some of those cold soup recipes. One of my favorites is a gazpacho. It is quick and easy and a great way to use those fresh tomatoes. <br />Here is the recipe:<br />2 large tomatoes cut into quarters<br />1/4 c onion chopped<br />1-2 cloves of garlic<br />1/4 cucumber <br />1/2 green pepper<br />Juice of a half of a lime<br />Handful of chopped cilantro<br />Salt<br /><br />Add all the ingredients to the food processor and blend until just slightly chunky. <br />I serve this with an appetizer of hummus and some toasted pita chips. <br /><br />Yum! Dinner is served and you never turned the oven on!<br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad <br />mnash0915http://www.blogger.com/profile/16085550160877709197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6629947672352615266.post-10996707417426609222011-07-15T12:19:00.001-04:002011-07-15T12:19:29.901-04:00I am home all day with two small children and I have decided that the key to sticking to our lifestyle choice is to stock the house with vegan choices that I want to snack on or fix for dinner. The kids always want snacks and it is easy to just grab what they have and snack on it as well but it isn't always the best choice for me. Our oldest loves cheese. She always loves cookies too as well as goldfish! Yum! I try to keep vegan snacks like veggies or oatmeal raisin cookies that I make to satisfy my snack habit. <br />The first thing on my list when it comes to sticking to the vegan diet is plan ahead. Plan ahead when you are leaving the house so you aren't tempted by fast food or forbidden snacks. Also plan ahead if you are going out to eat. Look up the menu on line and read through it for vegan options before you get to the restaurant. That will give you a better idea of the options they have. Some parts of the country are easier than others to find good vegan options!<br />Just keep in mind that you made this decision for ethical reasons or for health reasons and you can stick to it and be satisfied with a little planning!<br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />mnash0915http://www.blogger.com/profile/16085550160877709197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6629947672352615266.post-83495644689645697042011-07-13T08:56:00.001-04:002011-07-13T08:56:53.866-04:00I have a little play date to go to tomorrow and I need some quick and easy cookies that kids will like. Before we adopted the vegan lifestyle I made Pillsbury funfetti cakes and cookies all the time. Everyone loved them. What is not to love?? So I still had a box in the pantry so I read the box and the ingredients are processed and full of sugar but there aren't any milk or eggs in the mix so I used Ener-g egg replacement and canola oil and voila! You have vegan cookies to take to a friends or just for a quick dessert when you have company!<br />Enjoy!<br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />mnash0915http://www.blogger.com/profile/16085550160877709197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6629947672352615266.post-84874799797859129752011-07-03T17:13:00.001-04:002011-07-03T17:13:02.991-04:00One of the big challenges when you choose the vegan lifestyle is to eat at other people's houses or at restaurants. <br />We were invited to a BBQ Saturday night so I volunteered bring some snacks. I made a very quick batch of hummus and doctored it up to look impressive. I added a teaspoon of minced garlic to the center after putting it in a cute bowl and then I chopped some Roma tomato and placed it in the center as well. I serves with sea salt organic pita chips and everyone loved it plus it gave us something for us to snack on that we were sure was vegan :) <br />Enjoy!<br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />mnash0915http://www.blogger.com/profile/16085550160877709197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6629947672352615266.post-85908411945150073932011-07-01T17:57:00.001-04:002011-07-01T17:57:25.534-04:00I love Seinfeld!! Love it! So on one older episode George mentions that his mother made 'all this paella' and what is she going to do with it! Jerrys parents had just cancelled on Estelle so she had a ton of paella and no one to eat it. So...this sparked my my curiosity and I decided to find out what paella was and to make it. <br />So I found this Quick Vegetarian (Vegan) Paella and it is yummy!! This make a huge batch and is good for left overs and may even be better warmed up the next day<br /><br />Ingred: <br />2 T olive oil<br />2 c chopped onion<br />2 c chopped green pepper<br />1 c mushroom<br />2 garlic cloves minced<br />3 c uncooked quick cook brown rice<br />2 c vegetable broth<br />1 c water<br />1 tsp ground turmeric<br />1/2 tsp dried thyme<br />2 c chopped tomato<br />1 c frozen green peas<br />1/2 c pimento stuffed olives chopped<br />2 T chopped flat leaf parsley<br />1/4 tsp ground pepper <br />1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts drained and coarsely chopped<br /><br />Heat olive oil over med-high heat and add onion, pepper, mushroom and garlic and sauté 5 min<br />Stir in rice and next 4 ingredient (through the thyme) and bring ton a boil<br />Cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 min<br />Stir in tomato, peas, olives, parsley, pepper and artichokes. <br />Cook 3 min or until rice Is tender and mixture is throughly heated<br />Garnish with parsley<br /><br />I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!<br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />mnash0915http://www.blogger.com/profile/16085550160877709197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6629947672352615266.post-56998104405498731022011-06-30T20:57:00.001-04:002011-06-30T20:57:01.723-04:00Tonight was a good spaghetti and meat sauce kind of night<br />This is something we had often before we went vegan so I quickly found a way to adapt the old recipe to our new eating habits<br />The first thing i do is use Ronzoni Garden pasta made from veggies and then I chose a vegan sauce like Meijers organic sauces and I add my own touches. I get Meatless Crumbles and fry them in olive oil and garlic and add them to the sauce with some fresh mushroom and basil. Then I let it simmer for an hour or so. This give a jar sauce a good home made taste. I serve over pasta and add some soy cheese. <br />One of the main things I did when I decided to convert the whole family was try to find ways to make the same meals we were accustom to but with vegan substitutes. That way it was not so hard for my family to get used to. Luckily we like trying new dishes and i have purchases a few vegan cookbooks and I try about two to three new recipes every week. It has really made a huge shift in how we few food. It seems like an adventure!<br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />mnash0915http://www.blogger.com/profile/16085550160877709197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6629947672352615266.post-17096896280785606742011-06-29T07:54:00.001-04:002011-06-29T07:54:14.196-04:00Last night I tried something different. I have been trying to use what the farmers market has in plentiful supply as well as limiting our rice/pasta intake. I have found that with the vegan cooking that we can get into the habit of eating way too much pasta and rice. I use only a low glycemic index pasta that is made from vegetables and I try to use brown rice but still the best way to get the most out of the choice to be a vegan is to limit those starches and try to go with meals of fresh veggies. <br />I always use a firm or extra firm tofu to fry and about 30 min or longer before I am ready to fry it I take it and drain the water out off of the tofu, slice it or cube it and lay it on some paper towels. Then I cover with paper towels and put something heavy on top of it like a pot or a plate to try to soak up as much water as I can. Then I take a frying pan over medium heat and add some olive oil plus some minced garlic. I place the tofu into the pan fry on both sides until golden brown.<br />I remove the tofu and put it on a plate to wait for the veggies to cook. The add a little more oil and garlic to the pan and I threw in a half a head of shredded cabbage and some match stick carrots. Fry while stirring until cabbage is soft and wilted. I put the lid on to keep some of the moisture in. <br />At the end of the cabbage's cooking time you can throw the tofu back into the pan with the veggies to warm it up or serve them separate. You can also serve this over some rice and splash with soy sauce before serving. <br />Enjoy!<br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />mnash0915http://www.blogger.com/profile/16085550160877709197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6629947672352615266.post-41238589925054083822011-06-27T21:45:00.002-04:002011-06-27T21:49:24.995-04:00Tonight I tried a new recipe for an applesauce cake and it was great!<br /> One of the things I have found about vegan cooking is that the baked items are not nearly as good as they were with real eggs. I have tried a ton of egg substitutes from flax seed to Ener-g. I know there is a ton of chemistry involved in cooking so I am still working on getting the baking down. But this applesauce cake is a recipe that was created for the regular population and I made it vegan by simply using soy butter. It was great warm right out of the oven. I added blueberries to mine because I had a ton from the grocery today but if I was going to make it on a regular day i would put raisins in it and you could always add nuts. I hope you enjoy the recipe!<br /> <br /> Ingred:<br /> 1/2 c soy margarine<br /> 1 c sugar (I used 1/2 raw sugar, 1/2 white)<br /> 1 c applesauce<br /> 1tsp baking soda<br /> 2 c flour (I used whole wheat)<br /> 1 tsp cinnamon<br /> 1 c raisin<br /> <br /> Cream the margarine and sugar, then add applesauce and mix well. Then stir in remaining ingredient and pour into a greased 8x8 pan. <br /> Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 min and enjoy nice and warm!!<br /> <br /> <br /> - Posted using BlogPress from my iPadmnash0915http://www.blogger.com/profile/16085550160877709197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6629947672352615266.post-66153209231452547952011-06-27T16:09:00.001-04:002011-06-27T16:09:13.309-04:00Tonight is one of those nights where I don't want to cook and I really don't want to get the kitchen messy so I have a few stand bys to make sure we eat healthy and stick to our vegan commitment without doing a lot of work<br /><br />Tonight we are going to have veggie patties on the grill. I prefer Boca brand and the are pretty cheap compared to the others. My husband still likes to start up the grill. He says he doesn't miss meat but he misses the experience of grilling. (must be a man thing). So I keep things on hand that he can throw on the grill<br />Before I make the veggie patties I like to marinate them or put soy sauce on them. It really seems to help with the consistence and flavor. <br /><br />I am also going to sauté some egg plant and zucchini in olive oil with garlic and make a quick vegan pasta salad to go with it<br /><br />I am going to try an apple sauce cake tonight too. If it is good I will share the recipe tomorrow. <br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />mnash0915http://www.blogger.com/profile/16085550160877709197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6629947672352615266.post-5152654737565391152011-06-25T09:40:00.002-04:002011-06-25T09:48:42.438-04:00Today is our little girls 3rd birthday party and we have invited over a bunch of family and we want to feed them dinner so my husband threw a big piece of pork onto the grill. Not exactly what I want for dinner so I made a couple of vegan side dishes so that we would have something for dinner. Plus I always keep some veggie burgers and soy links on hand to throw on the grill so that my husband feels like he is really grilling :)<br /> <br /> One of my favorite side dishes is<br /> Roasted Potato Salad<br /> Ingred: <br /> 1lb Yukon gold potatoes diced <br /> 1 medium leak sliced lengthwise and cut into pieces<br /> 1/4 c olive oil<br /> Salt and pepper<br /> 15.5 oz can of chick peas<br /> 1/3 c chopped sun dried tomatoes<br /> 1/4 c green olives sliced<br /> 3 tbs white wine vinegar <br /> <br /> Put potatoes and leaks in a glass 13x9 baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then drizzle olive oil and stir to coat. In a 425 degree oven roast the mixture for 10 min, stir and the roast another 10 min until they are cooked but still firm<br /> In a separate bowl mix remaining ingredients then when potatoes have cooled, combine<br /> I like this salad room temp. I think it brings out more of the flavors<br /> <br /> Enjoy!<br /> <br /> - Posted using BlogPress from my iPadmnash0915http://www.blogger.com/profile/16085550160877709197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6629947672352615266.post-81886855779704006732011-06-23T22:41:00.001-04:002011-06-23T22:43:56.768-04:00We made the tempeh and grilled it. It was good! I have read some bad things about it but it is worth trying and putting your own spin on it. After it is boiled it will take on pretty much any flavor that you marinade it in. It had a nutty texture and ours had a garlic flavor. I recommend it for the grill. It gave my husband something to grill and he appreciated that. After we stopped eating meat the grilling slowed down considerable! I would also say that the tempeh would be great if you grilled an extra piece and had it on hand for lunches. It would be good sliced and stuffed in a pita with fresh veggies!<br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br /><br />mnash0915http://www.blogger.com/profile/16085550160877709197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6629947672352615266.post-79355479864650786742011-06-23T09:19:00.001-04:002011-06-23T09:19:39.826-04:00Hello again!<br />I have refocused the theme of my blog. I started this blog with the intention of writing about my family and my experiences as a stay home mom. When my first daughter was born everything was right with the world. I was so excited she was here and my parents were coming to visit every two weeks and I was keeping a very clean house. I was able to quit my job and stay home with the baby and I felt like everything was going my way. Then my mom got sick in January of 2010 and passed away in December of the same year. Now nothing is the same and I struggle every day to just take care of two kids and keep my head above water. <br />I have decided to focus on vegan recipes and my quest to make my family healthier through the vegan lifestyle. We live in a community that doesn't necessarily embrace the vegan lifestyle. Very few restaurants offer vegan choices but we love to eat out so we find a way! I have scoured vegan cookbooks and vegan websites to find recipes that my family enjoys. I am going to share the recipes that i have tested and some tricks that i have learned<br />I hope you enjoy and I appreciate any comments you may have<br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />mnash0915http://www.blogger.com/profile/16085550160877709197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6629947672352615266.post-40242179151758792802009-10-15T14:02:00.002-04:002009-10-15T14:10:04.383-04:00Wow...the weather is getting colder and the food it getting more plentiful. It seems like I cook so much more when it starts to get cold. Do I think I need a layer of fat for the winter? I dont.<br />It seems that since the arrival of Katie who is now 16 months old, that time has gone by so fast. Even the days that I thought would never end with no sleep and crying and all that stuff that new babies do. I cant believe all of that is over. Now she walks and is always on the verge of talking. She says certain things, strange things but they are cute none the less. <br />Today she walked around for a long time with mittens on. She has never had mittens on before so I am only assume it was entertaining. She finds something new every day to experience. Things that are so simple to me are fascinating to her. Qtips...she loves qtips. I dont know why. She finds them very amusing.<br />It is all so happy and so sad at the same time. I know that someday I will forget so many of these little things. I know that someday I will say she is 16, not 16mt and she will want nothing to do with me. But right now, while she will let me, I will hold her and snuggle her and play with her and kiss her all I can. <br />I want to remember all the little things she does. I try to video tape as much as I can. We bought her a toddler recliner for the living room and she thinks it is so much fun. She laughs at it, she plays in it, she lines up toys along the arms, she stores fish in the cup holder and she bounces on the seat. She sit in there like an adult with a book. She looks so big to me. Her outlook on life is admirable.mnash0915http://www.blogger.com/profile/16085550160877709197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6629947672352615266.post-62187251132028224982009-09-09T13:08:00.002-04:002009-09-09T13:23:33.572-04:00Katie is so independant that she wants to walk all over and she wants to be alone. None of that 'holding mommies hand' stuff...that is for wimps! Today we went to the part and she explored everything. She has such an inquisitive spirit. I wish that we could all keep that forever. It is too bad that life squashes that eventually. To her right now, everything is new and exciting and the possibilities are endless. Watching her brings a whole new perspective to light for me. <br />We are going away this weekend. I have never left her before. My parents and mother in law are keeping her and I trust them, that isnt the problem. I am just stressing out about leaving her. I feel like I am going to be too far away to come home if she needs me. It is hard to explain how much different/better life is since she got here. It seemed perfect. Sometimes I am afraid that things are so perfect that it cant last.mnash0915http://www.blogger.com/profile/16085550160877709197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6629947672352615266.post-28389406947472768752009-08-18T11:42:00.002-04:002009-08-18T11:45:22.923-04:00I love love love pink. Yesterday we bought a new computer for me. I am using my computer for work and it keeps crashing etc so we decided to buy a new computer and it is PINK. LOVE IT. It will to be here for a couple weeks but I am too excited. I am just like a kid, I get so excited about new toys!!<br />I will report and post a picture when it gets here. It is going to be adorable :-)<br />It has just been a good week. I hope it continues.mnash0915http://www.blogger.com/profile/16085550160877709197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6629947672352615266.post-13607721406390217482009-08-18T11:32:00.002-04:002009-08-18T11:38:29.711-04:00I am struggling to concentrate today. I have work to do, I know I need to be motivated. We have a lot going on in the next couple weeks and I have a project due next Friday and I cant get going. I am very lucky to have the job, I know that, I just need to get going. For some reason I just want to clean the house...NOW, that would never happen if I didnt have something to do. IF I had the time to clean, I would want to read. I guess it is all relative.<br />I feel so lucky today. I feel blessed that my husband has provided all of this for us. Katie is so happy, she is walking around all the time now and she seems so happy. All I want is for her to be happy. I love being here with her and seeing her happy.<br />Today I need to go to the store and get a couple things for our trip and then work on the freelance project. That is the agenda. It is so much different than my life used to be with work and deadlines and stress and meetings. There is a new kind of stress but it is managable. <br />I just feel lucky today. I hope Katie is in a good mood when she wakes up and we will go shopping.mnash0915http://www.blogger.com/profile/16085550160877709197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6629947672352615266.post-78169364247007582602009-08-17T20:25:00.000-04:002009-08-17T20:34:52.876-04:00That is the question!<br />This is a place to find people that have similar feelings about life and motherhood.<br />I love being a mom, I love staying home with our daughter...she is 14 months old now. Staying home and just being a mom brings new challenges. There is the lack of adult conversation and the lack of that feeling of accomplishment from bringing in an income. But there is the satisfaction of knowing that the Katie is safe and in good hands all day. That she is loved and well taken care of. There is also the feeling that sometimes there is never a break. I have a great husband that acts as a sounding board for me. I also freelance on line as often as I can. <br />I am so lucky to have the ability to stay home. This life has been a great journey but I believe that now that I have had a baby, the real fun is about to begin and I would like to document it all!mnash0915http://www.blogger.com/profile/16085550160877709197noreply@blogger.com0