My baking skills are still at the padawan* level, so when I read that the only “baking” this recipe needed was for the crust, I was confident that I couldn’t screw it up too much.  The crust was very easy to make and didn’t take very long at all.  The rest of the mixing and stirring (the pie filling) was fun and tasty.

Sidenote: the best part about vegan baking is not only creating delicious treats, but getting to enjoy tasting and licking the spoons EVERY step of the way.

Once it was ready to go, we topped it with some Soyatoo Rice Whipped Cream and enjoyed a wonderful treat.  Definitely a recipe to make over and over again.

*Padawan = Jedi in training.

This story begins on a hot day in June, when Bryan casually told me that a mother rabbit had built a nest for her babies smack dab in the middle of our condo-shared backyard.   How he did not assume my state of flustered panic to follow, I will never know.  Images of our friendly neighbor dogs mistaking these bunnies for a chew toy, and our wonderful lawn care team unknowingly mowing over the nest with horrific results, soared through my brain.  I kicked in to action, first placing a temporary sign next to the nest that read, “Attention fellow human and canine friends: Please be cautious around bunny nest!”, then set about researching online how to save these precious creatures.

How amazing the online world is! In a quick five minutes, I gained a wealth of knowledge about rabbit nesting patterns – they “hide” their nests in plain view, hoping to trick their predators, then keep watch of the nest from afar.  When the babies are very young, the mama covers the nest with fur from her own body and removes then recovers each time she brings food.  Good, but what could I DO to help (with minimal disruption to the flow of nature, of course)?

Finally, a kind website provided some suggestions.  I could simply cover the nest area with a wicker basket, cutting a hole out for mama to enter.  In order to check for abandonment, I could place a colored string in a tic-tac-toe arrangement lightly over the fur cover.  If the string was swirled in with the fur the following day, I’d know that mama was still returning for feedings (and, alas, she was!).

A couple weeks passed and, not wanting to disturb the fur covering, I still had seen nothing of the babies.  Many neighbors giggled at my sign (on which I had drawn my best smiling baby bunny) and applauded my work, and the lawn care men were careful to circle around the nest with their big bad lawnmowers.  One afternoon, I went out to cautiously lift the basket and – boop! –  a tiny-eared fluffy friend popped out with a startled glare. I then laid eyes upon the scene you see above, a snuggling pile of miracles ready to take on the world.

This experience served as the perfect reminder that the idea behind veganism, for us, includes more than just delicious, cruelty-free food choices.  It means living in compassionate alignment – acting in all areas of life with gentle concern for the well being of all members of this world.

The natural world, after all, belongs to the wildlife.  It was humans who came in with our homes, highways, and machines, and, with a dangerous sense of entitlement, uprooted their livelihood – a whole new set of obstacles for them to avoid and conquer.

This particular group of bunnies celebrated a joyful entrance in to the world – a peaceful haven before taking on nature’s challenges. A few days later, the furry little boogers had scattered on their way, leaving our backyard empty but my heart full.

After lucking out and confirming a spot at their Lakeview location opening dinner, we both excitedly rushed downtown and waited in line for our chance to order.  While waiting we got to sample their amazing Lavender Lemonade and Watermelon Fresca.  Both of them were so insanely refreshing and full of flavor, we couldn’t wait to fill our cups with more.

Considering this was our first restaurant opening, we weren’t sure what to expect.  I had assumed that we’d have a fixed menu of half-sized portions of select entrees and appetizers.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  We were each handed a card instructing us to choose one appetizer, one entree, one side, one drink, and one dessert.  And this wasn’t for us to share, this was for each of us individually!

As we pored over the menu trying to decide, I started thinking about that rare feeling we get when we can literally order anything on the menu.  It’s so refreshing to see more and more places offering more vegan and vegetarian options but it’s even better to find an entirely plant-based menu.

We decided to order some Sweet Potato Taquitos:

and some Native Chili as our appetizers.  The cornbread was so good.

Jenna ordered the Ensalada Azteca Salad as her entree.  (From the menu): “Fresh avocado, cucumber and jicama salsa atop quinoa, romaine and Chef Tanya’s award winning mango lime vinaigrette.  Topped with currants, toasted pumpkin seeds and cilantro.”  It was every bit of tasty and refreshing as the menu described it.

I decided to try the Scorpion Burger: “Chef Tanya’s original Tempeh burger!  Homemade blackened Tempeh, chipotle sauce, romaine, carrots, avocado, and onions.”  I added the melted Cheddar and some Sweet Potato Fries as my side.

Let me just stop here and point out the picture from the beginning of this post.  Once our food came out (and it only took about 10-15 minutes), our table was jam-packed with delicious looking and smelling food.  Every bite was as good as it looked.

Needless to say, we didn’t have much room to finish dessert so we polished off our Peanut Butter and Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits when we got home later that night.

I’m really happy to see a place like Native Foods not only opening more restaurants in California, but multiplying and moving their plant-based kitchens to the midwest.  Native Foods is a place where I could bring any one of my vegan and non-vegan friends or family members, and we’d all have a great time.  Can’t wait to go back and try everything else on the menu.

Admittedly, the first couple were too thick and definitely not the most attractive – luckily appearance has no impact on flavor – but my crêpe-skills (and my crêpe-confidence) improved greatly with practice.  Substituting strawberries for raspberries, the end result was a super-sweet, delectable breakfast that certainly tasted more like a dessert – or as I noted while devouring, a little bit like pancakes with a crunch!

This soft, rich, almost muffin-like fruity dessert is the perfect, refreshing summer treat.  So often, when bringing vegan baked goods to a gathering, I hear the following question: What replaces the eggs? The answer:  Usually nothing, really!

Here is a run down of the cupcake ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, pineapple, canola oil, sugar, and vanilla.  For the sweet pineapple topping, I varied from the original recipe by replacing the suggested vanilla with agave, as well as sprinkling coconut atop a strawberry garnish.

Seriously. One bite and you will wonder why humans ever began cooking with those silly eggs in the first place.

It also means a name swap.  Thefreedictionary.com defines “olio” as, “A mixture or medley; a hodgepodge.”  And what better way to describe our cruelty-free posts than a vegan olio of information?

In the coming months, we’d like Veganolio to become a positive resource and a community of sharing.  Wondering about an animal issue? Pondering your own lifestyle change? Want to know the reasoning behind our choices?  Hoping for a post on a certain animal topic? Throw your questions, comments, and requests our way (anonymously, or otherwise).

While there was a day when my mode of action resulted solely in passionate, at times heated, in-person discussions about the world of animal issues (oh yes, the personal battle with my own “angry vegan” stage was long and hard fought), I’ve grown to understand that only non-threatening education will help transform apprehension to understanding.  There is a time for it.  There is a place for it.  And we hope to create that place here.
Cheers!

We layered the tops of the enchiladas with tons of Daiya cheese, garlic, and some cayenne pepper.  They were delicious, spicy, and easy to make.  Another super quick and easy meal that made me look like I knew what I was doing in the kitchen.