Meatless Monday: Breathing space and Frontyard Gardens

Butterfly enjoying our marigolds

I try to keep the tone of this Blog light and homey. I talk about crafts, cooking, writing, reading and of course The Bumper. With what has been going on in this country lately, those kinds of things just didn't seem very important. What is the point of chatting about flowers, or how many beans we have been picking (a lot!), the progress made on my latest pair of socks, or crochet project; when we have two shootings of un-armed Black men in a week, the retaliatory killings of police officers who were just trying to do their jobs, yet another un-armed Black man shot by a police officer this week, and hateful, fearing mongering political rhetoric on the parts of the candidates for the highest office in the United States.

I wanted to cry out: "Where are you God?!" It seemed like He was very far away. I almost decided to give up blogging.  Then I read a note from a friend of mine's mother "We can rest assured that nothing is happening God did not allow, even though we may not understand." Okay slow down take a deep breath the world is not coming to and our country is not going down the tubes, in spite of what sensationalized media stories and self serving politicians would have me believe. Please note I am not being dismissive of those in true need. I am not saying I am going to bury my head in the sand about issues I feel strongly about and simply say "God's in charge and I don't have to do anything." I am saying that being overly fearful and anxious is counter productive. I am saying I am not going to let negativity depress me. I am saying will I will continue to blog about my family, crafts etc because these things are important to me and bring me joy.  I will continue to to blog about these things to be a place of thoughtfulness, rest, calm, comfort and encouragement in a media world dominated by the sensational, cruel and vapid.

We are leaving for vacation to Vancouver British Columbia Canada on Thursday. I hope to have some great pictures and stories to share.

The cherry tomatoes do not stand a chance!

In the meantime this Meatless Monday is all about the front yard garden We started a front yard garden last summer and have continued it this year. We are growing tomatoes, peppers, eggplant right along our front walkway. It so fun and easy to pick things as they ripen on our way back inside the house after a long day or even first thing in the morning after checking the mail and fetching the newspaper. The Bumper loves to eat cherry tomatoes, as soon as she picks them.  I love sneaking her vegetables in on her this way! I highly recommend front yard gardening who says walkways are only reserved for flowers?

p.s. Expect another post on canning tomatoes and pepper relish this year!

Peace,
Kim

Meatless Monday - Banana Bread

I thought about saving this meatless Monday post until September, but then I asked myself why I was waiting. I have no good reason.  This is my absolute favorite hands down go to recipe  for banana bread. It is a life saver in the hot summer months when banana ripen faster than we can eat or freeze them.  I use this recipe from Post Punk kitchen http://www.theppk.com/2007/10/banana-bread/.

When I first made it I did not have access for vegan margarine so I used 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup applesauce. I also reduced the sugar to one 1/2 cup of brown sugar. This time I made it with Earth Balance brand, and the Bumper and Nana liked it a lot. They also liked the addition of the chocolate chips on top.

It can be made ahead, made into muffins, and freezes well. What is not to love? It is Bumper tested and Pre-school approved. I can't really say more without sounding like a paid advertiser for Post Punk Kitchen, which I am not. The only bad thing I can say is that while making banana bread I did not get a lot of knitting or crochet done, so the sock, blanket and dishcloth are all still about the same size they were on Friday.

The Bumper has two more weeks of camp and then school starts. We are both ready. She is lonely and wants other kids to play with and I am ready to kick up the daily writing.

Kim

p.s. I am pretty sure I have blogged about this banana bread before, but it is seriously good enough to warrant another post.

Meatless Monday- Front Yard Gardening

'Mater's

Peppers

Who made up the rule that gardens should be regulated to the backyard? Tucked away out of sight like a guilty secret. I think the front yard is the perfect place for gardening. I can see the nodding heads, just as long as I keep my front yard for flowers lovely spring or summer blooms: merry marigolds, bright peonies, pretty pansies and the like, maybe even cute little herbs, but nothing so crass as vegetables! What  would the Home Owner's Association say? Well fortunately we live in an area with no HOA.  We have tomatoes and peppers growing in the front walkway and I love it! Next year Nana has decided to put the vegetable patch in the front as the front yard gets better sun because all the trees are in the back.  I am all for this. More gardens mean less mowing, but that is next year for now, I am happy to pick tomatoes at the same time I pick up the mail and newspaper.

Kim

Meatless Monday- Dessert

Chocolate. Chocolate. Chocolate. Did I mention the chocolate? I wanted to bring a dessert to our fourth of July celebration, which started on the third and finished on the fifth (we take our parties seriously around here). So I headed over to my go to website for vegan desserts: Chocolate Covered Katie. I decided to try "The Ultimate Chocolate Fudge Pie"http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/09/06/the-ultimate-chocolate-fudge-pie/.

Wow just wow. The recipe name sounds like it will take a long time  and be super complicated, however making it was really easy; albeit messy. The Bumper loved helping stir in the melted chocolate chips and licking the spatula. I wish I had taken a picture, but my hands were too sticky at the time. It turned out rich and not too sweet. If you do not like dark chocolate then this is not for you. I happen to like both dark chocolate and desserts that are not too sweet. There were only two pieces left at the end of the night. The Bumper and Nana both loved it and neither guessed the secret ingredient. I'm not telling them what it was, because they do not have to know it wasn't as fattening as it tasted. I love it when I can make a dessert, besides fruit, that is reasonably healthy.

I used Enjoy Life brand semi-sweet vegan dark chocolate chips and I chose maple syrup as my sweetener, but I think agave or cane sugar would work just as well. I also used an accidentally vegan store bought crust, but now that I have a good food processor; the next time I make this I will make the date oat crust from scratch.

Kim
p.s.  sock two is slowly getting longer.

Meatless Monday- Fire Up the Grill

Roses, not asparagus, but very pretty

Two words: Grilled Asparagus.

I had never had grilled asparagus before yesterday. Having it grilled changed the way I viewed this under appreciated vegetable. It was bright green and tender with out being mushy. Unfortunately I do not have any pictures, because it got eaten before I could take any. Nana brushed it with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, wrapped it in foil and put it on the grill.

Fun in the water

Yesterday was father's day here in the States. First I lit a candle, in the Bumper's Dad's memory, at church, the we spent the rest of the day with the Bumper's godfather, who is a great dad in his own right, and his family. The Bumper played outside until dark, and the rest of us chatted either on the back porch or inside the house where it was cool. A quiet (not really because the Bumper was very loud) Sunday with family and friends.
Hope your weekend was as pleasant.

Kim

Meatless Monday - What's in a name

I finally did it. For months and months, ever since last August, Pumpkin "Cheese" Sauce has been smeared all over food blog territory, and last week I finally gave it a go. I had been reluctant to try this for two reasons. My Bumper does not like Macaroni and Cheese unless it is totally made from scratch. She can't stand "Kraft Dinner" (which in spite of being totally bad for you, I love), and prefers her pasta plain or with butter and secondly while I love things like pumpkin pie and the occasional pumpkin soup I was skeptical about it being something I would like.

Sure a rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but pumpkin as a substitute for cheese? I wasn't buying it. See the thing is if I hear cheese, my mouth immediately sets it self for the distinctive tang of dairy cheese; otherwise I am disappointed. In spite of my misgivings I tried it.  I used the recipe from "Oh She Glows" http://ohsheglows.com/2011/10/13/vegan-pumpkin-mac-n-cheeze-sauce/ .

Three things: It was good, so good in fact; I could not stop dipping my spoon in for 'just a taste', so good I am thinking of having more after I finish this post. Two I will definitely be making it again. Three it did not taste like cheese, no way no how-- at least to me.

Yes it was delicious, AS A PUMPKIN SAUCE.  As a spot on replacement of cheese? NOPE.

Here is to telling it like it is: I will make and enjoy this Pumpkin Sauce (though I may cut back on the mustard and nutritional yeast next time) over pasta or as a dip for nachos. As an aside neither the Bumper nor Nana liked this so it is a good thing I did because the recipe makes a lot.

Happy Eating

p.s. when I made Chocolate Covered Katie's "Cheese Cake" http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2014/06/26/raw-cheesecake-recipe/ I made sure I told the people at the gathering it was a Cashew Creme cake. I know a few people with severe nut allergies and I would not have wanted them to think it was made with dairy.