Dear 2016

Dear 2016,
 Here we are on the first day of a brand new year and in spite of having another nasty cold I am feeling pretty optimistic. I am looking forward to seeing what this year holds. It is hard to believe it has been five years since I started this blog. When I started the Bumper was not yet born and now she is five. I am excited about watching her grow even more. I feel so fortunate that I get to share her adventures with her and I hope there will be plenty in 2016. This year am hoping to improve my knitting, crochet and sewing skills. I have several projects I have finished which have not yet been photographed. I am looking forward to finishing my second novel this year. I had to start all over at the end of November, but I don't mind because the story is stronger than it was before. I also want to improve my physical fitness. 2015 was a year of illness and inactivity. I want 2016 to be the year I get active. As always I want to grow closer to the Lord, but this year I am going to be more mindful of the example I am setting for the Bumper.
What are your hopes for the new year?

Happy New Year!
Kim

p.s. I also hope not to wash out for Vegan MoFo!

Mea Culpa, Socks, and Catch Up

Isn't He Cute?

It has been ages since I have had time to blog. Vegan MoFo was a let down for me this year. Real Life got in the way of my plans, but is how it is sometimes.  Let's just say I ate a lot of veggies burgers and PBJ sandwiches, hardly blog worthy. We are into Autumn now, but the days are still wonderfully warm ( 75F). The Bumper and I have been making the most of the warmth by being out side as much as possible. We stay on the playground  after school until at least 5:00pm.

Shh! I'm Hiding!

It's a Long Way Down!

Up and Up I Go!

 Last weekend we went to a local farmers market which had a corn maze and other activities for kids. The Bumper enjoyed herself thoroughly. She hid in the hay, jumped off  bales, climbed a rock wall, and even finished an obstacle course. It made me tired just to watch her. At the end of the day I had a thoroughly dirty, tired and happy little girl.

Sock Showcase!

I finished my first pair of socks! (Please Insert Happy Dance). I was so excited I did not know what to do with myself, I actually want colder weather just so I can wear them! Naturally I did what any sensible person would do and cast on the second pair right away. This pair will be for my sister and I am hoping to get them finished in time for her birthday in January. It is a pretty long window, but I am a pretty slow knitter.

My Pumpkin Salute!

The weather here has not yet gotten cold enough for me start baking and slow cooking in earnest,  but I did indulge in making some vegan pumpkin muffins for Nana's birthday. Nana turned 69 on October 11 and the Bumper wanted to throw her an impromptu party. We also made a bunt cake complete with frosting and candles (the Bumper helped blow them out),we pinned a ribbon on Nana and the Bumper sang her two versions of Happy Birthday.

Whew! We have been busy! Tonight I am off to a revival meeting at my friend's church. It should be an interesting experience.

Peace,
Kim

Of Peppers and Pretzels

Argh! I had such hopes and I was really excited for Vegan MoFo this year, but back to school laid me flat!. Yes I have more time for writing (the novel takes precedence over the Blog), however there are things I did not count on: The first week of school everybody went a half day, and there was the new sleep schedule to adjust to. I now get up at 6:00am to get the Bumper out the door by 7:45am. Then there are the parental volunteer commitments. I don't mind, I just did not expect to have so may late night meetings to attend. The Bumper also started soccer with practice on Wednesday and games on Saturday.
I am still game to finish out the month and I like the prompts so much that I will be using the ones I miss throughout the coming year.
 Yesterday's prompt was to  make or eat a local dish. I live on Maryland's Easter Shore and the local dishes are not vegan friendly. We are talking scrapple, also called head cheese, which is made from various pig parts, crab cakes, raw oysters, and steamed crabs. So no thank you. There is one Eastern Shore local dish that is vegan: Pepper Relish (I can't eat pepper relish because it makes me break out in hives) and one that can be easily veganized: Pretzel Salad.
The Pepper Relish Recipe is courtsey of my friend Beverly L a life long resident of the Eastern Shore. It is her grandmother's recipe.


Pepper Relish

14 red peppers
10 green peppers
12 onions
Syrup:
3 cups vinegar
2 T salt
4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon celery seed
2 tablespoons mustard seed
Clean onions and peppers, removing seeds and  white pulp from peppers.
Grind in food processor to fine consistancy
Put in large pot or basin and pour boiling water over. Let sit five minutes.
Drain in colander and pick out large chunks.
Prepare syrup in large pot. Add pepper mix and boil 25 minutes. Can in
hot jars and seal. Makes 6-7 pints

Pretzel Salad

Pretzel Salad is made with crushed pretzels, cream cheese, sugar, frozen strawberries, and strawberry jello.
I subbed the dairy cheese for Tofutti brand and omitted the strawberry jello since I couldn't find vegan gelatin.

2 cups pretzels crushed
1 tub non-dairy cream cheese of choice
2Tbs of lemon juice
3/4 cups vegan margarine
1 package of frozen strawberries
3TBS + 1Cup sugar (divided)
Preheat oven to 400F

Crush pretzels and combine with margarine and the 3Tbs sugar. Line the bottom of a greased 9x13 glass baking dish. Bake at 400F for 8-10 min until set. (pretzels should be brown but not burnt)
Take out frozen frozen strawberries and put in bowl. Stir in lemon juice and 1/4cup sugar. Let sit for 10-15 min or until there is a layer of strawberry juice syrup at the bottom of the bowl.
Mix together softened cream cheese, and 1 1/2 cup of sugar, spread over crust, top with strawberries and refrigerate until chilled through.
This version does not have the traditional jello-like top layer but it is still delicious. If you have access to vegan gelatin by all means use it. Just prepare according to package directions and pour over the frozen strawberries before putting it in the refrigerator.

Happy Eating!
Kim
p.s. Most versions use a layer of whipped cream too, but I don't like it that way.

Throw It In a Bowl and Call It a Day

Quick and easy? Sign me up! I do not have time for fussy recipes. In the time it takes me to cook supper the Bumper can undo all of the house work I have done for the day. Now a microwave a veggie burger or dog is fast and can be tasty, but they also full of  additives that I do not want in my regular diet.  Since we are in the middle of a heatwave here on Maryland's Eastern Shore I decided to make a super easy cold salad, from this http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/mango-and-black-bean-salad/ Vegetarian Times recipe.

What I like about this salad is I already had every thing on hand in my refrigerator, the only substitution I made was fresh mango. Unless it is disguised in a smoothie I don't really like the taste of frozen mango. I will use them if I have no other choice, but I prefer fresh.

The Bumper's favorite quick and easy vegan recipe is cherry tomatoes fresh off the vine: just rinse and eat!

P.S.
 On the tofu scramble from yesterday? I think a half teaspoon of cumin will suffice.

Vegan MoFo: Such Fond Memories- Just Like Nana Made (Not Exactly)

Okay so the prompt for today was to recreate a meal from your childhood. I figured a good way to approach this would be to ask my mom what my favorite meal was when I was a kid and then veganize it. I expected her to say something like pizza or spaghetti and meatballs, or tater-tots and fish-sticks, or even beef stroganoff. All of which I definitely liked. Nope none of the above. Apparently from my mom's recollection, my hands down favorite meal was dat da dah dah: Spinach and egg over rice. Does anyone else hear the wamp wamp wamp music?

Apparently I was a budding vegetarian way back when. Just so you know the freak fruit does not fall far from the tree the Bumper's current favorite is spinach pizza with vegan cheese. Well this is vegan mofo, so what did I do to make this dish vegan? I swapped out the egg for that perennial favorite tofu. Yep yet another tofu scramble recipe as if the Internet wasn't awash with them already. I am, however, pretty free wheeling with the tofu scramble and I never expect it to taste like eggs. In fact I think I would be grossed out if it did. Instead I played around with garlic, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper to get something savory and that would complement the spinach. Not quite the dish of my youth, but tasty and cruelty free.

1tsp olive oil
1 bag (roughly 2 -4 cups) of fresh or frozen spinach. Take your pick scrambles are pretty forgiving.
1 package extra firm tofu. ( drain and press lightly)
1tsp cumin
1-2tsp powdered garlic or 1 clove fresh minced.
1-2 tsp turmeric
1 tspt nutritional yeast(optional)
Sprinkle of Old Bay Seasoning optional
dash of salt
dash of pepper to taste.

Lightly saute spinach in olive oil ( about 5min or until spinach starts to wilt but is still bright green) in a large frying pan.Crumble the tofu and add it and the spices to the spinach. Cook until tofu is completely coated with the spices and warmed all the way through. Serve over rice.
To save time you can steam spinach in the microwave, scramble the tofu in the pan, and serve when tofu is done. Like I said this recipe is forgiving. Play with it. I always do.

Happy MoFo
Kim

P.S. I know this isn't MoFo related, but I am on the instep of the second sock, here come the toes!

Kim
Crumble tofu into pan

Vegan Mofo : Breakfast

My hands down all time favorite vegan breakfast is Post Punk Kitchen's Puffy Pillow Pancakes http://www.theppk.com/2011/12/puffy-pillow-pancakes/. Yes  this is an old photo, but it still the best one I've taken even though I have made the pancakes many times since then. They turn out puffy and pillow-like every time, except for the first time I made them on our new flat top stove-- then they were little inedible hockey pucks. Still vegan, just not fit for consumption.

 However much I like them I can not have them every day, or I would end up looking as puffy as the pancakes. So most mornings it is more mundane fare. Including oatmeal or cream of wheat with bananas or other seasonal fruit. Now that school has started for the Bumper, both of us have to get up a lot earlier than we have become accustomed to. Cold cereal to the rescue. Fast, easy and as long as we stick to plain oat, rice or corn brands, vegan. Just add non-dairy milk of choice, my favorite is unflavored soy and the Bumper's is vanilla almond, and eat. Easy. Peasy. And for this mom on the go? A staple.

I am open to trying new things, like avocado on toast, but the Bumper  has put in a request for carrot pancakes. Does any one know a good vegan, kid-friendly recipe?

Happy Start to Vegan Mofo!
Kim

It Is Amost Here

It is coming and I am excited!
Almost as excited as when I finished turning the heel on sock#2

Stay tuned
Kim

Friday Check In

It is already August. Wow! We are making the most of our time before school starts in just three weeks. The Bumper has been in half day camp at our local YMCA. She loves it! She has made friends, played games, learned new songs, and gone swimming twice a week. The three hour break I get gives me time to run errands, clean house and write. I feel so much more like myself when I get to write.
We have been able to eat fresh tomatoes and green beans this week. I can not say enough how glad I am to be eating garden vegetable. The taste is worlds away from winter tomatoes that look pretty on the outside, but are soft, bland and mushy on the inside. Accorinding to Nana we should be feasting on these beauties well into September.
Speaking of September, I plan to participate in Vegan MoFo (Vegan Month of Food) again this year. I had so much fun last year I decided to give it another go. I like the challenge of coming up with recipes and blogging everyday.
On the craft front: second sock is getting longer, blanket has more stripes and dishcloth is almost finished.
Have a great weekend!
Kim

What I Have Been Up To

After blogging about vegan food for a whole month I now feel kind of at a loss. I don't really consider myself a food blogger per say, but I do blog about food. Without that focus I find myself wanting to talk about not only food but writing, daily life with the Bumper, progress with learning to knit, crochet, sew and cook from scratch, and so many other things that I hardly know where to begin.
All of September I made the effort to cook, eat and blog vegan. I learned that it was far more easy than I thought it was going to be. As long as I thought vegetable centric in my meal planning I made vegan meals without much trouble, so I have decided to give it another go for the next month. I won't be only posting about food, but the recipes I do post for the month of October will be vegan. Look for them on Meatless Mondays.

The Bumper, Nana and I  have been been sick for the last couple of weeks. We are playing round robin with a couple of viruses, just sort of passing them back and forth. Any suggestions on how to break the cycle are welcome. Last night we took a trip to the local Emergency Room because the Bumper had spiked a fever of 103F.

 The Bumper is taking swimming lessons which means she (and I) have passed a milestone. She is out of diapers and firmly left babyhood behind. The Bumper proudly tells anyone who will listen that she is a big girl. Her next step will be to sit still in Sunday service. When we go to Mass with Nana it is a little easier because it only last for an hour. When we go to the Mennonite church things get a little dicey. Last time she made it through all of the opening songs, the devotional message and part of the main message before she gave in to her wiggles and just could not pay attention any more. All in all she was able to stay for an hour and forty-five minuets. Home training is the most important part of this and that is where  I struggle. The only time the Bumper sits still during the day is for bedtime stories. I am trying to get her to have a quiet time during the day where she sits and draws or looks at a picture book or puts together a puzzle, but so far she resisted unless she asks for it.
I thinking of sending her to our local Church school, but that will take some prayer, faith and figuring out how to finance it all.
I have finished crochet one baby hat and nearly finished with another. The sock is becoming an albatross, but I am determined to finish it. I haven't sewn anything in awhile but now that the Bumper is back in school I have a little more time to work on such things. Nana's scarf has been cast on, and I will be picking up the yarn for my sister's scarf very soon. I have a lot of projects on the needles, and I am excited by them all. The Bumper has requested I crochet her a purple hat and mittens for her birthday so my next few projects are all lined up.
My book that is out on Kindle has finally started to earn royalties this month. It was a very small check, but a check nonetheless and one I earned from fiction writing to boot! I am quite proud and it put a much needed jolt into the desire to make a living from my writing.
Whew! Now I am all caught up in time for the weekend.
Kim

Sometimes You Just Need It

Chocolate. I feel like I could end my post right there. I thought as a vegan that was something I would never have the pleasure of tasting again. Yes I live a sheltered life, please big city , internet savvy vegans do not mock me. I have two word: Dark Chocolate. It is available in vegan form. Be still my heart. I have made chocolate chip cookies. super rich chocolate cake and even Post Punk Kitchen's Mexican Hot Chocolate snickerdoodles http://www.theppk.com/2009/09/mexican-hot-chocolate-snickerdoodles/. Life is complete. Now if you will excuse me I must tend to my sick Bumper, who turned down the cookies. Sick child trumps blogging and Vegan MoFo.

Happy Eating,
Kim

P.S. I use Enjoy Life brand mini semi- sweet chocolate chips.

My Favorite Brownie

Brownies are the ubiquitous go- to -mom -is- in -a- hurry -and- what- to- bring- to the-church picnic/potluck/picnic/informal gathering dessert.  The trouble is most brownie mixes require at least an egg if not eggs and milk. What is an aspiring vegan mom to do? Chocolate Covered Katie once again comes to the rescue with her black bean brownies ( http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/09/06/no-flour-black-bean-brownies/ ). The first thing I am going to do is ask you to put away your skepticism. I can envision the raised eyebrows and the groans. I too was a little dubious at first, I mean beans in a dessert really? Then I thought for a little bit. I have always liked those sweet red bean paste desserts at Chinese restaurants so I was willing to give the brownies a try.

Oh My! They are so good! The brownies turn out moist and chewy and very chocolaty. They have become my go to brownie recipe and my family likes them better than traditional brownies. I like that I can sneak some healthy goodness into dessert. As for the beans? I have found that most people can't taste them until they are told (then they swear they could taste them all along, but I know better). I won't sugar coat this these are not an easy dessert for me to make because I only have a small mini blender so it takes some time to get the beans smooth enough so the texture is not gritty. The brownies, are well worth the effort. To borrow from Dr. Seuss: Try them, Try them, you will see, you will like them just like me!

Happy Eating!
Kim

Apples, Apples , Apples Everywhere

When the days start get cool my oven heats up. In the heat of summer I can barely even think of the baked goodies I indulge in during the Autumn, but today was as perfectly cool and crisp  a day as one could wish for.  My whole family loves when I get in a baking mood especially when I bake an apple pie, but apple pie from scratch can be labor in intensive so I decided apple crisp would be in order.

A quick aside is needed here. I love apples. love that they are available year round- a shout out and thank you to California - I love that the best time of year for apples is the Autumn - nothing like hot apple cider on a chilly day- The scent of fresh apples always puts me in an Autumn frame of mind.I love that they come in so many different varieties not just the red or golden delicious, there are Braeburn, Fuji, Winesap, Pink Lady, Mackintosh, Granny Smith, and Gala just to name a few.  Apples are vegan (I know that is obvious, but some people get really hung up on a label), they are good to eat raw as a pure healthy dessert or they can be made into cider, sauce, juice, or baked with a little cinnamon and sugar- topped with vegan ice cream of course! Apples can be turned into pies, cakes, cobblers, crumbles, crisps, turnovers, muffins and apple brown Betty.

Okay now that have listed the apples praises, it just so happens I have about four apples that are past their prime for raw snacking, but are still perfectly usable for baking. So here it is a quick and easy apple crisp:

4-6 apples Gala or Fuji tend to work best -- but Red delicious get a bit mushy for my taste.
1/4 cup brown sugar
1tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ginger
1tbs lemon juice
1tbs cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla

Topping

1cup rolled oats
1cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
3-4 Tbs non-dairy milk

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F

Combine apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cornstarch in a bowl and let sit for about 10min.
Mix dry ingredients for the topping, then add oil and milk. Mix thoroughly.

Spoon apples into an 8x8 square pan and spread topping on top. Bake for 45min or until topping is brown. Let cool around 15min before serving.

Plop some vegan ice cream on top and enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from: http://www.theppk.com/2007/10/apple-crisp/

Happy Eating
Kim

One Last Frozen Treat

I realize summer is over, but I could not leave summer behind with out doing at least one post about ice-cream, plus I have sore throat today and something cool is very appealing. Before I gave up dairy I used to love ice-cream, and although there are plenty of good non-dairy options out there nowadays most of them cost a pretty penny. Now I don't mind the expense for a rare treat but with as much as I like the brands I tried it became clear that my wallet was going to suffer.

Then there is the Bumper, since becoming a mom I have become more and more aware of the food I put into my body. Little eyes are watching and I need to set a good example right? Right. Enter frozen banana soft serve. Once I made it for myself I had another "duh" moment like with chickpea salad. Not only is this dessert ridiculously easy to make, it is good for your and tastes fabulous! The Bumper even requests it to have when we have our picnic lunch days. Most often I serve it plain, but sometimes I add strawberries, peaches,  blueberries, cocoa, or peanut butter. All are fantastic! The one pictured above is made with blueberries, and peanut butter.

1-2 cups frozen bananas
1/8th -1/4 cup non-dairy milk of choice
1-2 cups frozen blueberries (optional)
1Tbs peanut butter (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
1tsp vanilla

Put the above in a blender and mix until creamy.
P.S. I promise I will post Autumn type desserts tommorrow


Happy Eating!
Kim

Muffins- Need I Say More?

Okay this is the week I have been waiting for all month: Dessert Week. I am not ashamed to admit that I love desserts and part of the fun of cooking is getting to veganize my favorites and trying out new recipes. Yesterday was the first day of Autumn and in celebration I used the last of the giant zucchini from the garden to make zucchini-banana muffins.

 The Bumper professes to despise all things zucchini, she was disappointed the first time she bit into a raw one because she was expecting cucumber, and she hasn't forgiven the squash, so I was a little nervous making this. After all as yummy as muffins are, I can not eat 24 of them all by my self. My worry was for naught. The Bumper liked the muffins so much she ate four of them in a row!
I used this recipe:http://www.theppk.com/2013/07/zucchini-banana-bread/ from Post Punk Kitchen.
I tweaked it a little by doubling it, using 1/2 cup of sugar (I think maple syrup or agave would work just as well), substituting the allspice for nutmeg and adding 1/2tsp of ginger.

I hope you like them as much as the Bumper!

Happy Eating
Kim

Lazy Man's or Woman's Tex-Mex Black beans

Black beans are my favorite beans. I first fell in love with the little darlings in college where I was introduced to black bean dip. Unlike the fickle lentil with whom I have had an on again off again love affair since the Peace Corps (very bad food poisoning and that is all I am saying), black beans have been a constant and stalwart dining companion.
Dried beans are cheaper, and I don't mind soaking them overnight but sometimes the hungry hoards (In my case a very impatient 3year old) can not wait. Then it is lazy Tex-Mex black beans all the way.
It is so easy and I don't even mind when the Bumper starts stealing the whole beans, I just have to get it on the table before that happens. This dish is so smack yourself on the head simple that I am almost ashamed to blog about it -- almost.

 Step One - Take a 16oz can of black beans drain and rinse.

Step Two - Open Once jar of salsa of your choice. I love homemade salsa and Nana makes a very
good one, and if you have very patient children, or none at all, go ahead and make your own. I have neither the time nor the inclination to visit the ER after the Bumper has gotten jalapeno in her eyes.

Step Three- Combine the two.

You are done.

If you are feeling really lazy serve as is. I try to at least pair it with tortilla chips, and most times I go for brown rice and a green salad on the side. When mangoes are in season I throw throw those in there two. This dish can be serve hot or cold, with avocado or not. The hardest part of this dish is trying serve it before all the individual components get eaten. See how easy eating vegan can be?

Happy Eating
Kim

Last of the summer garden stew

Our summer garden is still producing plenty of tomatoes, squash (yellow and zucchini), peppers, eggplant, kale, corn, patty pans and onions. Nana and I have barely been able to keep up with the harvesting, especially the tomatoes, and we were struggling trying to figure out what to do with it all. It has gotten to the point where the neighbors are hiding their faces at our approach, and we have run out of room for frozen spaghetti sauce. I am not complaining, because I know in winter we will be happy to have a taste of summer, but still we were a bit stumped. Then we realized the best thing to do would be to make soup. Soup is the perfect thing on a cool, hint of autumn in the air, lazy Sunday afternoon. After the hard work of chopping up all the veggies, just put everything in a pot add some stock -either homemade or you can cheat like I did and use vegetable bullion , your spices in this case curry, salt, black pepper, parsley and turmeric, bring to a boil, and then let simmer four an hour or so until the vegetables are tender and it is thick enough handle with a fork. That's it. Easy. No hassle and fills the house with a smell that can't be beat, except by homemade bread, but that is another post. The best part? I have supper done for at least the next two nights. To make the meal for tonight I will serve over quinoa with a green salad. Later in the week I'll add chickpeas and serve with rice.
P.S.
I will be posting more supper ideas because even I can only eat soup for so many days and it is always good to have options available.
P.P.S This post is way late because I am getting over a stomach virus and the LAST thing on my mind over the last few days has been food.
Happy Eating
Kim

My Fridge Runneth Over

One of the ways I dish  up a quick lunch is to use leftovers, and this weekend produced quite a generous quantity! I took the lead in cooking for my birthday party on Sunday. I made a curry coconut lentil stew, and a cashew cream cake. Both were vegan and both were delicious! The hostess sent us home with a rice noodle dish normally made with a fish sauce and featuring pork and chicken, but  she made it with green  beans and tofu for me. Another friend served a up a curried carrot and cabbage dish, that was accidentally vegan. So for today's lunch I used up the last of the lentils along with a salad and warm flat bread.  The nice thing about doing a lot of cooking on the weekend is the rest of the week is a snap. I really won't have to make lunch or dinner until tomorrow night. Unfortunately  I do not have any pictures of the cream cake, because it got eaten up too fast!

Happy Eating
Kim