VeganCowGirl

World's Cutest Vegan Bunny!

2011-04-22T19:52:00.004+02:00

Oh, it has been a very long time. So much has happened since my last post when I wised the vegan blogging world a goodbye.

We have happily moved home to Canada and in amongst sorting ourselves and our lives out in the wonderfully vegan world of Toronto, we have had time to get some brilliant photos of Aodhan taken. The wonderful photographer-woman-extraordinaire behind the camera, otherwise known as Nicola Toon of Hulahoop Photography is running a new Spring Contest.

Of course wanting a new set of photos of our beautiful boy I have entered a photo of Aodhan I took this weekend (note: bunny ears made by my amazing friend Alia - visit her Etsy store here).

I would now love it if everyone hopped on over and voted for Aodhan's photo.

Here is what you have to do:
Go to Hulahoop Photography's Facebook page and 'like' them
click on this link that will take you to Aodhan's picture and 'like' it.

Feel free to share it on your facebook page and spread the love for a great photographer!

Thanks everyone and happy vegan easter long weekend!

This VeganCowgirl is Riding Into the Sunset

2010-02-15T16:40:00.003+01:00

I am tucked into our bedroom, with Kevin and Aodhan's laughter keeping me company from the other room. This soundtrack to my writing underlines my need to shift blogging gears. I admit that the minutes I steal, when Aodhan has fallen asleep next to me in our family bed, are spent reading blogs about Attachment Parenting, Extended Breastfeeding and how to be a Crunchier Mommy. It isn't that I don't terribly miss Jessy's great bread recipes or reading about Liz's Montreal vegan adventures. I do, I do. It is just that there are only so many compartments in this mama's head and only so many seconds (yes, seconds, not minutes or hours) that I can borrow from Aodhan's needs to satisfy my reading pleasure.

I am ready to move on. I am ready to join the lactating sister wonderland and start writing about my own experiences as a full-on attached gentle mama, and the politics that I see whizing all around parenting.

I will miss blogging as a VeganCowGirl, but I plan to let a sparkle of her live on as I share the odd recipe on my new blog, where I will write about everything from how to get poop out of your cloth diapers to what it feels like to nurse through having a milk blister on the end of your nipple (for the fifth friggin' time).

I love the readers of VCG. You have been awesome and supported me through losing my family dog, finding out (with shock and some horror) about Aodhan. You have been great! And, of course, when I have time I will be reading and trying all of your recipes. This has been a great circle of writers and cooks to be a part of.

If you are interested in reading my new blog just drop me an email and I will be happy to share my new link.

Be well and veganny!
Lyndsay

Just one of the reasons why I love Kevin....

2010-01-31T13:30:00.001+01:00

Lyndsay: Hmmmm, I really have a craving for cake.

Kevin: What kind?

Lyndsay: Peanut Butter and Chocolate Brownie.

Kevin:

Feeling Saucy

2010-01-29T20:27:00.003+01:00

I am feeling a little saucy! Mostly because I can’t get enough of the apple sauce we keep making….I mean it. We keep making it. Every three days I run out and Kevin goes to one of the various local markets (ok, there are some things I love about Brussels), and picks up more local Belgian apples and away we go again.

It is so dead easy. Take 7 – 8 apples, core them, cut them into fours, and into the big pot they go. We add about two teaspoons of cinnamon and just enough water to stop it burning on the bottom (about 1/2 cup), and then we leave it alone for about 2 hours. Seriously – divine. No sugar, no nothing, just pure apple goodness.

I am also feeling a little saucy because I quit my job! Yes, yes, yes. I quit. I wasn’t really keen on the idea of going back to work after my year leave was up, even before Aodhan was born. But, now that he is here and we are full on with the Attachment Parenting, I can’t imagine not being with him through all the stages and changes that his childhood will bring him. Of course I am a privileged mamma who has that as an option and thank bejebus everyday for having a partner who supports this type of childcare and family love.

But the good stuff doesn’t stop there. I was thinking that even though I wouldn’t be returning to classroom, I still want to be busy and keep growing while I help mini-me grow. I was contemplating my PhD studies, I was thinking about a bunch of different things, but what really drew me was the idea of becoming a doula…and that is exactly what I have started to do. I am training through Childbirth International and I should be all trained up and ready to help babies come into the world by the time we make our next move (oh yah, we are hopefully moving….back to Canada!) in July. I really couldn’t be more excited…or sauced as the case may be

Raw Rolls

2010-01-27T13:08:00.008+01:00

I know I should be doing something like cleaning up the kitchen (aka: bombsite), making creative flower arrangements with photos like the one I saw at playgroup yesterday that made me feel like a loser for not even having time to sort my socks from my undies, or, doing some reading about parenting that might have held a magical secret for dealing with my 7 month old who had a meltdown during our walk today that resulted in my pulling out my boob in the middle of the street in -4 degree weather. But no....instead, as Aodhan munches on his monkey, I am blogging! Yah!

I made a killer lunch today. Really raw avocado rolls. Not just raw veg, but raw EVERYTHING. These rice-free, protein packed sushi rolls were a perfect 'get me through the rest of the day until Kevin comes home' kind of snack. And, so much more easy to assemble then their rice filled brother.

Seriously - you have to make these. Go and do it right now. Go!

2 cups of raw sunflower seeds - soaked for 1 hour.
1 lime
2 sheets of nori
1 ripe avocado

I whirled up my seeds and lime in my food processor (much to Aodhan's horror), and then simply used this seedi-goodness in place of rice filler for my rolls. It took me all of two seconds to assemble the avocado rolls and about 2 minutes to down them! Num Num!

And...as you can see - they were fun for the whole family!

Food for Love

2010-01-22T16:32:00.003+01:00

It all starts with that first Mother's Day breakfast you make. You know the one - Relish and Applesauce Pancakes or something equally revolting that your sleepy mother manages to ingest (or hide) because you are standing at the end of the bed smiling a sloppy smile. As foodies, many of us use our kitchen skills (wackiness), to show affection, love, and thanks. First date dinners, birthday cakes, get-well-soon soups, the list is endless, right?

Yesterday, I made a special batch of cookies for someone who I love very much. She is one of those special lights in the world. You know who I am talking about. They always have bandaids, they know what teas are good for a cold, their purses are likely to have just about anything in them that would help someone in need. These people are also often unaware of their seam bursting goodness and go about life doing good just because of who they are. I was lucky enough to have this person around me while I was pregnant, and she was pivotal in getting me through that time in a country other then my own while missing my own family in a huge way. She has stayed close to Aodhan and I and we are lucky to have visits with her about once a month. Lately there have been (and will be) some new babies born amoungst our community of international friends and she has been right there with these women - supporting, helping and loving. She is a super star and I just love her to bits.

Knowing that we were going to see her today, I made a new cookie so that I could pass some goodness onto someone who does so much for everyone around her. I made Ginger Spice Cookies. Now, these weren't Ginger Snaps - they were Ginger Cookies, retaining all the cookieness that seems to get lost for the sake of snappiness. I have to say, they were pretty darn good, and they should be considering all the love that was packed in them. I hope she is at home right now enjoying a cup of tea and a cookie or two. Here's to you Anne!

Ginger Cookies
(for Anne)
2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of baking powder

1 cup of maple syrup
1/2 cup of olive oil
3 tbsp of freshly grated ginger

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, add wet and stir until just mixed. I used a big soup spoon to capture a good chunk of the dough and then used my mitts to form little hockey puck sized patties. I baked at 350 for 17 minutes.

Aodhan turned 7 months today!!
Wishing everyone cookies and happiness for their weekend to come.

Green Smoothie and Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

2010-01-21T06:56:00.003+01:00

Good Morning!
Aodhan and I enjoyed a fantastic green smoothie this morning. Super simple combo of spinach, 1/2 a pear, banana and a tbsp of chia seeds. Double yum!

On Tuesday night I converted last month's Vegetarian Times' Shepherd's Pie into my own concoction and it was great! I loved it and will make it again for sure. Here is what I put in the pie this time around:

1 carrot
2 leeks
1 yellow onion
1 cup of white beans
4 yellow potatoes
2 parsnips

The topping was mega easy to make: dice up a couple of sweet potatoes and mash them to bits after they boil and add it to the top of the insides before tossing it in the oven. I baked it for about 40 minutes and enjoyed with some hot sauce. Num Num!

Pizza and Pumpkin Pie (Ice Cream!)

2010-01-18T19:50:00.003+01:00

We had our usual Sunday Night Pizza Party last night. This was a special one though, because Aodhan got his very own mini pizza. He didn't seem to care too much about what was on his pizza, but was more interested in using the whole wheat crust to help his painful gums. It was a great meal, as usual made by Kevin. He is a pizza pro and spends the entire day getting his veg roasted to perfection before getting started on his dough. What a guy! We also made some really nice Apple Sauce yesterday, which I had for breakie this morning - much to Aodhan's delight.

Tonight's dessert, Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream, which followed a dinner of whole wheat pasta topped with the left over veg from last night, was in one word: heaven. My version of Wheeler's Pumpkin Ice Cream (from Vegan Scoop - great book), sent me into ice cream ecstacy - really. I have never tasted anything quite like it. Visually it looked like, well, baby poop. It smelled just like a pumpkin pie, and it was oh so tasty. Really, I can't recommend enough giving your ice cream maker the luxury of experiencing making this recipe. I could (and just might) eat it all night long.

Well, off to cuddle a feverish baby with hopes that his teeth come through this week and he can have a little relief before which ever milestone he is about to tackle next. Poor little vegan.

Home Baked Goods

2010-01-16T17:15:00.006+01:00

Howdy!
Aodhan and his dad are off to the shop, so I thought I would take a few seconds and give a quick update. The last week has been fantastic, despite teething and crankypants! Aodhan is managing enough non-mommy time that I can actually do things, like: make food, clean the house and shower. I admit it: I have a high-needs baby. He wants to be held all the time, he wants to be cuddled always, and he isn't the kind of baby you can lay down on the floor and let play on his own. But, I am not complaining. He is firmly attached to his mommy, and the theory is that this will help him build confidence and self-esteem. Plus, who would trade in all the cuddles and kisses?

But, it has been nice to see him managing himself a little more. I am so excited to be back in the kitchen at a capacity that goes beyond opening a tin of beans and heating up some potatoes. During the days this week, much in the way of the ACT cleanse, I have been raw. This decision is multi-purpose.
1. I was feeling a little sluggish and blah after all the traveling and visiting of the holidays and the raw goodness helps me feel a little more perky and more like myself.
2. Someone incredibly close to me is experiencing some difficult health barriers right now and having to give up most foodstuffs until tests etc can provide some conclusive answers to a pretty terrible set of symptoms. So, I thought I would stand next to them in a metaphorical way and treat my body with the same kind of love and care as she is currently practicing.
3. I always love having an excuse to make raw Date and Cashew Balls and gorge on them until the sun goes down.

Yum.

The evenings have been some good home cooking! Chickpea Stew, Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Carrots in Miso and Soya, Lentil Soup, and Bread!

I made two giant loaves last night of Herbey Whole Wheaty and they are divine. One is going to my bestie Kim, and the other is going to be gobbled up tonight with some Baked Tofu and Greens. I am also currently freezing some Chocolate Chip Coconut Ice Cream!!!

Chocolate Chip Coconut Ice Cream

1 cup almond milk
2 tbsp arrowroot powder
2 cups coconut milk
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Add the arrowroot to the almond milk and let it sit while you prepare the rest of the ice cream. Throw all of the other ingredients into a medium sized sauce pan and heat until boiling, making sure to whisk occasionally. Once you have a good boil going, and your chips are melted, add your almond milk and arrowroot. Mix and take off the heat. Let this mixture sit for about 30 minutes before tossing it in the fridge for 2 hours. Add to your ice cream maker and follow the instructions (we use one with a built-in freezing mechanism, but the other ones work just as well!)

I am also cooking up another blog, one dedicated to my adventures in attachment parenting - there just isn't enough information out there about the benefits of what makes up attachment parenting, nor are there enough resources. I can't wait for it be ready for sharing!

Well, that's about all from Chez VeganCowGirl.
I hope everyone is happy and healthy!

The Hungry Little Vegan Caterpillar

2010-01-01T17:51:00.003+01:00

It has been decades since my last post. But, no apologies. I am loving mommyhood too much to find the time needed to sink into my blogging. Plus, we have been busy! I do however, have to blog my sister's most amazing tribute to Aodhan's 6 month birthday.

Emily is a stellar cake/cupcake maker, but I wasn't prepared for just how talented she was when she turned Aodhan's favourite book, into the best 1/2 birthday treat EVER.

She used the chocolate cupcake recipe from VCTOTW and the rest was her own inspiration. She was also cool about taking out the sugar and using some maple syrup instead.....

Aodhan loved it. Ok....I LOVED IT!

We are currently enjoying the world of Baby Led Weaning, which involves letting your little make his own way into the world of food. Aodhan can't get enough of anything we offer, including Tofu 'Chicken' Curry Salad, cucumber, rice cakes, peanut butter, hummus - you name it, he'll eat it. He is still 100% a boob man, but I can see that the days will be numbered once he gets his teeth (still NOTHING!) and makes the synaptic connection between hungry belly, chewing and swallowing. Until then he is just enjoying food for the fun of it and learning all about the textures, tastes and smells.

Hope everyone had a very veganny holiday! Happy New Year!

Vegan MoFo Day Fourteen: Quick Post!

2009-10-14T18:16:00.000+02:00

Just a quickie because Kevin and I are enjoying Chinese Take Away!

Hope you are all mofoing it up vegan style!

Vegan MoFo Day Thirteen: Give Away!!!

2009-10-13T12:05:00.004+02:00

What is better then a free book? How about a free book about nutrition?

The folks at BenBella Books Publishing contacted me and asked if I would like two copies of The China Study, one for me and one for one of my blog readers. But of course!

So, here is the deal, comment on today's post and tell me that you would like a copy of The China Study, which does seem to have had great reviews in The New York Times and other fancy-dancy papers of repute, and Aodhan will select one of you lovely folks to receive the book. I plan to review the book on here, once I have had a chance to give it a read. But, the gist is that it draws a variety of connections between government interest groups and the poor nutrition in the US (which can then be applied to other Western countries I suppose).

Today's Vegan MoFo is a simple lunch that allowed me to use up more of that tasty pumpkin and eat up some brown rice that I was craving like noone's business! I also threw in some edamame....though, they were a bit tasteless. The great news is that I have loads left over for lunch tomorrow.

Today's snack was super nummy and I have Katie at Chocolate Covered Katie to thank for the idea. She often posts about frozen grapes and I finally got around to freezing some grapes last night after our trip to the market. They really are fantastic! Thanks Katie - I will be doing this all the time now!

Vegan MoFo Day Twelve: Tempeh Patties

2009-10-12T19:34:00.003+02:00

After reading Bianca's post from last week, I had to give these a try. I wasn't in a recipe following mood, so I decided to skip the instructions in Vegan Brunch - a book which I totally adore - and just decided to wing it.

I steamed some potatoes and tempeh, mashed them together and added (not enough) spice. They were okay, but I think I should have followed some sort of recipe, because I would have liked them to be a bit more tasty...they were just a little bland. But they have loads of potential and I want to play with this combo. Yah for Tempeh.

Vegan MoFo Day Eleven: Pumpkin Hummus and Pumpkin Pasta

2009-10-11T16:35:00.004+02:00

It has been a very pumpkinny 24 hours. But, since I don't have my canned pumpkin to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving with a proper pumpkin pie, I thought I would substitute with some other pumpkin-goodness.

What we came up with was a Pumpkin and Walnut Pasta Sauce for our whole wheat penne, which, to be fair, was the brain child of both of us, but the elbow greese of Mr. VeganCowGirl. I on the other hand take full responsibility for the Pumpkin Hummus I made on a whim today for lunch. It was yummy-nummy and oh my gosh so easy!

I just added some roasted pumpkin slices to my already made hummus and I had an instant pumpkin hummus that worked great on top of a multi-grain bagel. And for the record - it is remarkably difficult to get a good shot of pumpkin pasta!

Vegan MoFo Day Ten: Curried Pan Fried Squash

2009-10-10T11:12:00.003+02:00

One of the best things about the Fall is the bevy of Squash (yes, I think Squash deserves Proper Noun status). They are everywhere right now! We have seen them in various colours, sizes, shapes and flavours! I love it!

One of my favourite ways to eat Squash is by pan frying it. Ok, so not the healthiest, or most low-fat way to eat your Squash, but you have to be naughty once and a while (and you will of course notice the bed of spinach underneath). For this particular treat (which I made during our internet down time) I went with curry spices, but you can do just about any combo of spiceygoodness with your fried Squash.

Num Num!

1/2 butternut squash - cut into chunks after the laborious work of peeling it
1/2 yellow onion - diced
2 tbsp of oil (I used olive oil)
curry spices

This isn't hard to prepare at all. Heat your skillet, add your oil, spices and onions. Let the onions turn transluscent before adding your squash. Add your squash and any water you need to keep things cooking, without sticking. I like to let mine get nice and crispy before serving. You could of course do this whole thing in the oven....but it doesn't taste quite the same. I served this with some Seaseme Flavoured Spinach and a Pumpkin Patty.

Vegan MoFo: Day Nine - Let's Get Nakd

2009-10-09T12:33:00.003+02:00

I am sure I have waxed lovingly enough about LaraBars for you to appreciate a smidgen of my obsession? And perhaps you are aware of the lack o' Lara out here in the antique streets of Brussels? Well, I have managed to find a replacement....sorry Lara. Kevin and I head out to StoneManor a couple of times per month to stock up on things like Puffed Wheat, Baked Beans and Bagels. StoneManor is a 'British Store' that is stocked full of things that are hard (read: impossible) to find in Brussels. I try to be good and not fall for the chickpeas that are in English packaging....we can get chickpeas here, but there are some good finds in this bursting at the seams shop. Enter - Nakd Bars, which are made by Natural Balance Foods. My fav so far is the CocoLoco bar, which isn't pictured (since I gobbled it up on the car ride home), but I also really like the way that they have their 'regular sized' bars and then these little 'nibble' sized bars - perfect for a quick snack, without having to eat a whole big bar (because who could only eat half?)

I also grabbed some of their Trek bars this time - which are higher in protien and also super vegan. I had one for lunch today and it was FANTASTIC. Loved it, and I love their attitude: cute, fun and healthy. I love their openly vegany ways and I get a geeky kick out of their packaging and design. Aodhan thought the wrapping was pretty well done too! Watch out Lara...you got some competition.

VeganMofo: Day Eight

2009-10-08T15:27:00.003+02:00

Mmmm. There are some super delicious meals being prepared for VeganMoFo! So glad I am back online.

Kevin was about ready to pitch some dying bananas last night, when I saved them from the bin. This act of banana-charity meant that I had to get the led out today and make something with them or I would be inviting a Fruit Fly Convention. I searched through a couple of books and found an oldie but a goodie and made the Banana Coconut Cookies from How It All Vegan. How can you go wrong with oats, bananas, and coconut? You can't! These squishy little suckers are great!

Now, why have food without fashion? I admit that I am not in ANY way a fashionista - quite the oppisite in fact. Thrift stores, t-shirts with owls on them, black converse and back packs are the name of my fashion game. Boring maybe, but I have just never had the fashion 'sense' that some people do, and have accepted my geeksheek apparel. I do however see shoes as an essential part of any outfit, something to be considered whether we are talking business suit or jammies (fuzzy slippers anyone?). Don't get me wrong, I only own one pair of heels and I bought them five years ago to wear to a friend's wedding. I am a flat footer for sure. I just don't go in for buying shoes that are supposed to push my rump up for some dude's benefit while simultaneously breaking every bone in my feet. But, I do like a good runner (saucony), a good mary jane (earth-vegan) and I love my vegan Berkinstocks. However, I have been looking high and low for a wicked vegan clog - previously because with teaching you are on your giffers all day, and now...with being a mom, I am still on my feet all day. The ones I found previously - online of course - were either not really clogs, or too ugly to consider purcashing. But then I stumbled on Sanita - The Danish Design shoe folks, and low and behold...they had Sarah. A vegan clog. I loved her from first sight, but the price tag was a little much. Luckily, I have Kevin here to tell me that I need to spend a little money on something other then organic produce once and a while. So, yah, I have my vegan clogs and I vegan-love-em'. They are fabricy goodness on the outside and nice and sturdy on the inside. I highly recommend these babies if you are a floor pounding vegan!

Vegan MoFo: Day Seven

2009-10-07T20:44:00.003+02:00

Damn internet company! We were without any internet connection since last Thursday - so glad to be back online.

VeganMoFo Day Seven was a quick and nummy redo of my regular bean burrito. I substituted the tragically difficult to find black bean with chickpeas and white beans. They were fantastic!!! Boring photo, but great taste. I look forward to reading all Mofoing that has been going on while I was stuck without a signal!

Vegan MoFo: Day One

2009-10-01T13:35:00.005+02:00

One of my old vegan favourites: Ratatouille. I just love this basic meal. Always so nourishing and comforting. I made this last night for dinner, and enjoyed it even more for a quick lunch today.

Hope everyone is yummying-it-up for VeganMoFo?

And for Aodhan's fans, here is a shot of him in a rare pose: in his Bugaboo. Truth be told, this rather expensive purchase is NEVER used. At least not right now. He gets worn EVERYWHERE. I admit to my addiction for baby carriers...A Moby just came in the mail the other day! So, the stroller isn't on Aodhan's list of places he likes to hang. But, we did get out for a spin the other day, and he seemed to tolerate it well enough. Please note the vegan baby shoes and my Matt and Nat wallet peeking out the side! Accessories are key. And, can I just say: My baby is awesome!

Sorry for the less then stellar picture quality....charging the batteries for our Nikon.

Pumpkin Squares

2009-09-15T12:06:00.004+02:00

Here in Brussels, Fall has begun to make her appearance. Last night, while cleaning up from a yummy dinner (Sweet Potato fries, Tofu Cubes and Corn on the Cob), Kevin, Aodhan and I watched a storm soak our back garden. Personally, I have always loved the chillier days of Fall, and welcome them and their soup-squash-stew-casserole-promises.

To match the weather I made some little pumpkin squares. Using my last can of sacred pumpkin (almost impossible to find here in Brussels), I made this really healthy treat, which allowed me to sneak in some important walnuts (EFA's for Aodhan's ever-growing brain), and some hemp seeds for me. I will be making this improv dish over and over again - a great snack!

Pumpkin Squares

Crust:
2 cups of walnuts
1 cup of pecans
2 tbsp of crushed hemp seeds
3/4 cup of oats
1/2 cup of flour (I used 85% whole meal)
1/2 cup of oil (you could omit the oil/flour/oats and make a 100% raw crust by adding some soaked dates and chilling the crust rather then baking it)

Filling:
1 can of pumpkin (ok, I didn't use a FULL can, I had skimmed a bit off the top for my oatmeal in the morning)
1/2 of maple syrup
1/4 of agave syrup
1/2 cup of arrowroot powder
3/4 of almond milk

I made the crust first - adding all the nutty ingredients in the food processor and pulsing for about 30 seconds. I added my oil, flour and oats and pulsed for a further 30 seconds. I pressed this into the bottom of a 10 inch brownie tin and popped it into the oven for 15 minutes, while I made the filling.

The filling wasd dead easy. I washed out the food processor (god, I really want a kitchen aid) and added the arrowroot and milk first, giving it a minute to mix together. I then simply added the remaining ingredients and pulsed for 45 seconds. I added the filling to the baked crust and slammed the whole thing in the 375 degree oven for 40 minutes.

This treat is NOT super sweet by any account...so if you are wanting something a little more sugary then up your maple or agave syrups in the recipe, or add a little maple syrup to the top when serving. Yum Yum.

In non-food related news, Aodhan turned 12 weeks yesterday. I can't believe 12 weeks has floated by since he was born. Kevin and I were commenting the other day that we just can't imagine our lives without him in it. He is rapidly losing all signs of newborn 'ness' and seems to develop new skills everyday.

He is smiling like mad, talking (with lots of goos, ahhhs and ohhhs), holds his head like a champ, does fine stuff during tummy time, bats his toys, tries so hard to lift his shoulders and head as if to sit up, and kicks like crazy when he is lying down. He has already had (still does a touch) a first cold, thanks to his daddy going back to the germ factory of school, and seems to be dealing better with his reflux.

I am a lucky mummy and actually sleep more now then I ever did in my pre-mummy days (when I was asleep by about 10 and up at around 5). Now, I fall asleep around 9 - 9 30 and Aodhan doesn't really wake up until about 9 30 the next day. There are about 3 night feeds, but bed sharing and breast feeding mean that I don't really do much waking in order to accomodate Aodhan's chilled out needs. He is amazing. I just can't get enough of him. I have even been able to start back at the gym, and am retraining my body to run my first post-baby race on October 11th (a BreastCancer run). I am loving mummyhood! Oh, and for any other vegan women out there who are thinking about pregnancy and their lifestyle, check out The Mother. My article on Vegan Pregancy is in their September/October issue.

Speaking of mummies....I am so excited to be flying home for Christmas to see my mommy! We weren't going to fly, but we decided that Aodhan's first Christmas should be spent with family and friends. I can't wait to get home and see my family and celebrate all the great things that have happened this year - Aodhan, my brother's wedding, my mom's new job, my sister's general awesomeness!

Have a Happy Vegan day everyone!

Blueberry Waffles

2009-08-29T10:59:00.003+02:00

Who loves waffles? I do, I do!

Aodhan had an early morning visitor, and I had to use Vegan Brunch waffles to wake Kevin from the depths of Saturday morning sleep. It worked like a charm!!!

This is a fast post, but I promised a totally cool mom, who I ran into while visiting Kevin at work yesterday, that I would get back on the blog-horse. So, here I am.

These waffles were fantastic and I recommend to anyone who doesn't yet have Vegan Brunch to get out there and grab it. Everything I have made from it has turned out amazingly yummy. I used the Old Fashioned Waffle recipe and added about 2 cups of fresh Belgian Blueberries. The recipe made enough to store in the fridge for some breakie tomorrow. Yum Yum!

Love Those Larabars

2009-07-14T12:07:00.005+02:00

In addition to the great meals being cooked by Kevin, like last night's seitan-stuffed zucchini with fava beans, and my slap-dash rice dishes, I have also been indulging in a food that has new meaning for me.

Larabars were my best friend when I was burning up the treadmills. They were the perfect post-workout snack for me, and I loved their rawness and their easy transport. I was super sad when I moved to Belgium and realized that although many health shops sold another bar I occassionaly ate (osaki), no one seemed to carry Larabars. I was elated during a trip to my in-laws local Sainsbury's in England, when I spied a good stock of Larabars....so I have to cross the Channel to get them, but, hey! they are worth it.

I had asked my mom to bring me a couple of bars a few weeks ago when they made their transatlantic trip to visit Aodhan, but I wasn't expecting a WHOLE BOX! That's right! My mom and dad pulled 20 or so Larabars out of their suitcase - I couldn't have been more thankful. They were the perfect food for a new veganmama, who need both the energy and the easy eating styles of all Larabars. I had actually never had this flavour before: BananaBread. Oh! They are just so good and they really do taste exactly like my mom's banana bread. Num Num!

I am nearing the end of the stock and already feel myself getting a little weepy over the idea that I will have to wait another while before I can get my personal Larabar stock over here in Larabar free Brussels.....

If you have some time on your hands write Lara a little email and tell her she needs to get some more stockists over here in Europe....even if only for the expat crowd.....

shhhh he's sleeping....

2009-07-11T15:59:00.004+02:00

I have a few precious seconds. These seconds are usually stored up and used for bathroom breaks or, on a really good day, to take a shower. But, today, I decided to skip the shower and give a super quick update:

I have made ONE meal in the last 19 days...one meal. This is what comes from Attachment Parenting and on-demand breastfeeding, in other words - I live on the sofa with a little vegan baby in my arms. Kevin is great and has been a cookery whiz. No starving going on here.

What was my one meal you ask? I managed, through the ingenuity of 'rice in a bag' (Never would I have considered such a thing) I made myself some Rice Pudding. It was super nummy, but since I used long grain rice, which doesn't produce that nice gummy and goopy consistency of short grain, it was more like Rice-Non-Pudding or Breakfast Rice as I renamed it later in the day (after also having it as Lunch Rice and After-Dinner-Snack-Rice).

Super simple -

3 cups of rice: cooked
2 cups of almond milk - more if you are going for the pudding
2 tsp of cinnamon
1 cup of raisins

warm through and enjoy! I had mine with a banana....the first time that is. :)

Hope everyone is well and enjoying their summer?

and, of course, a gratuitous picture of the cutest vegan in the world!

He's Here....

2009-06-27T11:25:00.004+02:00

I am taking advantage of this two seconds of unexpected double handed time to announce the birth of our son! Weighing in at 7 lbs and strutting 52 cms worth of uber cute vegan-goodness, he is about the cutest little thing I have ever seen.

He arrived, in a very unplanned and unexpected (but safe) way, on Monday the 22nd. We are home from the hospital now, surrounded by family, friends and all the good wishes a new little vegan could hope for.

Just wanted to let everyone know that all is well and say thank you for all your support during my pregnancy. I promise to share lots of good one-hand friendly recipes in the next little while.

Stealing Posts?! Not Cool.......

2009-06-20T09:44:00.003+02:00

Thanks to some uber good blog sleuthing by one of my fellow bloggers, it has come to my attention that the person who writes: duckducksoup.com, is stealing my blog posts and inserting them as their own - without any attempt to link or ping back to me.

It isn't just me, this person is also taking the writings and recipes of other bloggers and blatantly claiming it as their own.

Yucky.

Here is the website if you want to check out to see if your stuff is there, I have tried to alert those whose posts I have noticed.

Lots of love,
The REAL VeganCowGirl