It seems like it's been forever since I put together any type of tutorial.  I miss having time to do things that are fun, just for myself.  I gave the time up for a good reason though.  I went back to college at the beginning of the year, and I'm already through my entire semester of credits.  Now, I'm working ahead.  Hence the busy and no time for myself thing.

Last weekend the King and I (not the musical) took the minions out for a day of photographic funtimes.  We had a blast while we were out, but as minions often do, they were starved by the time we got home.  The meal plan for that day called for sushi, so home we went to become master sushi chefs.

I won't lie, I feared the sushi process.  I was sure it was going to be a disaster.  Probably a disaster of epic proportions.  I mean who takes sheets of seaweed and ends up with something good?  Turns out - me!  I'm more than betting it can be you, too!

Things you need:

• Bamboo rolling mat
• Nori
• Sushi rice
• Avocado (or other yummy things to put in your sushi)
• Sushi vinegar
• Sharp knife (wet)
• Sesame seeds (optional)
• Wasabi paste, pickled ginger and soy sauce (all optional)

The first steps are rather boring, so I didn't photo them.
Boil rice until done.
Rinse it lightly and drain.
Add some sushi vinegar (to taste) to your rice and mix it.
I added some black sesame seeds as well.  A healthy shake, maybe two, just for color and interest.
Let the rice cool, and chill it slightly.
Once the rice is cool, you're ready to start.
Lay out the bamboo mat.
Lay down a sheet of nori.
Add  rice to the sheet and gently spread it around.  It doesn't have to be perfect, but you want the rice thin and even.
Make a small valley in your rice to add your veggies or whatever you're adding.

Spread rice to edges on sides, but not top or bottom!

Fill the valley of rice with your veg or other toppings.

Letting the sushi sit a bit before cutting gets the nori damp and pliable.

Cut, cut, wet knife.  Repeat!

Tray of yumminess!

I started watching Downton on a sick day while browsing Netflix.  I didn't know it would suck the King in too.  Let's just say Violet had him when she was describing Downton "Really. It's like living in a second rate hotel where guests keep arriving and no one seems to leave."  I also didn't know how truly lovely the costumes were going to be, or how much I was going to covet being tall and stick-like to carry those costumes off.  Since I won't be growing or losing my girly figure any time soon, I'll have to improvise.

This Saturday is my mom's tea party/birthday present, so Mom, if you're reading this, stop now, or the surprise you want will be gone.

I'll be wearing a blousy, dolman sleeved, lace number.  Mine is actually a blush color, not black, but one can't fight Polyvore.   For fun, I think I'll even try some Marcel waves in my hair.

The invitations that went out specified wearing fancy hats, I chose a fascinator.  Something I didn't own but ran across and decided it would be fun.  The rest of the outfit is Downton inspired, but without wearing an ill-fitting dress for my body type, I wasn't going to go all the way.

I've planned out a tea buffet with teas from a local tea shop called One Good Woman.  The king has been gracious enough to offer a hand and the minions will probably offer up some service as mini garçons.

Smaller scale but same idea

We'll be dining on tea sandwiches like cucumber with dill spread and hummus with sprouts.  I'll be making scones, because you can't have tea without them.  I'm thinking a sweet scone, probably pumpkin with maple icing because it's my favorite, and a savory one like olive and rosemary.  Some lovely little cupcakes (carrot) done up like hats.  Strawberries in a lemon lavender syrup to put something remotely healthy on the table and either french macaroons or cut sugar cookies.

cute cake I did last year

My mother 'gifted' me with my grandmothers china some time ago.  I lovingly refer to it as the ugly china.  We'll be using it for tea.  Yes, it's ugly as sin, but it's my sin.  My sins include way more pieces than I started with as I filled in broken and missing pieces over the years.  I have everything from berry bowls to teapots covered in pink 40's style flowers.

Homer Laughlin Priscilla Eggshell Nautilus

I've been stumped on decorations, I'll admit.  I'm a total black thumb and don't do well with any plant that's alive, or even was alive at one time.  I know I like the big puffball flowers, and I adore the look of this table.  Obviously I'll scale it down as it will be on my coffee table and not at a large scale wedding. But I think I can manage some candles and fake puffball things in a vase.

Puffballs are pretty

No party is complete without something for the guests to take home, so mom and I have been collecting old tea cups and saucers from thrift shops all over the mid-state.  Each guest will be going home with a one of a kind candle in a teacup.  I just have to find a couple more, and soon.  Seriously people, donate more cups!

Le Crueset cookware

Like most people I have a variety of pots, pans and skillets in my cupboards.  I have everything from glass to non-stick teflon going on in there.  After getting sick and figuring out what I can and can't have we started rethinking our cookware as well.  After doing some research, I felt educated...and appalled.  Here is what I found out!

We all know non-stick cookware is convenient and easy to clean, but it also has some health concerns.  PFOA, a component in teflon coating on those pans, is a know carcinogen and mutagenic.  At least 98% of the population of the US will find PFOA in its bloodstream, and even in the cord blood of newborns.  DuPont, the creator of the substance has been fined heavily in the past for covering up just how dangerous it is.  Oh, and if you have feathered friends in your home, non-stick pans can kill them.  No, I'm not kidding.
If you are still using non-stick pans here are a few tips to use them safely:

• Don't overheat them, dry heat them or heat them over 400 degrees.
• If they are in any way scratched or the coating is coming off, throw them away.
• Don't heat an empty pan - it can take less than 2 minutes to over heat a non-stick pan.
• Don't sear or broil meat in non-stick pans.  Typically you need to heat the pan past what is safe to cook the meat that way.

Aluminum Cookware is for many people a cost effective way to cook their food.  Unfortunately aluminum can leach into your food.  Cooking veggies in aluminum cookware produces hydroxide poison which can neutralize digestive acids and cause gastro intestinal troubles.  To give you an idea of how bad this stuff is, the sale of aluminum cookware is prohibited in Germany, France, Belgium, UK, Switzerland, Hungary and Brazil.
Anodized Aluminum seals in the aluminum, and gives it a non-porous non-reactive surface, until the teflon is put on it.  The acidity of your food will break down the surface on these, so be careful to make your sauces in another pot.

Stainless Steel, unless it is surgical grade can be made from pretty much anything, including scrap metal.  The only other thing you have to worry about with these is nickel, in the better pans.  But you have to be able to afford the high end ones to avoid the inferior metals and other leaching concerns.  When you get into that much money, there are better options.

Cast Iron is another great one.  They require some extra maintenance but can be a fairly inexpensive albeit heavy addition to the cupboard.  The drawbacks however, are that seasoned pans are 99.9% of the time seasoned with soy oils.  Be aware of that before you buy them and look for non-seasoned if you want cast iron and season them yourself.

Back in the 80's, glass pots and pans were all the rage.  You can still find them, Corning makes the Visions line here in the US.  No leaching into your food, but a bit on the sticky side.  Great for simply boiling water and making pasta though.  Special bonus with these, they are made by the same group that makes beakers so you feel a little like a mad scientist while doing up dinner!

Ceramic is a newer version of the non-stick pan.  There are a few on the market now in the US, and most aren't worth buying.  The ceramic is inferior and develops pits in the ceramic rather quickly.  Ecoluxe out of Italy is one that's worth buying, but you have to go to Italy or stumble on their pans in Marshalls like I did.  If you find some, buy them.  They're completely worth it.

Last but certainly not least, there are the enameled cast iron variety.  You get all the greatness of the cast iron along with the no leach of the glass.  If you're going to go this route, keep in mind these types of pans are handed down through generations.  They will last you a lifetime and probably your grandkids too, but you pay for that quality.  Le Creuset and Staub are two lines that are worth the money.  Martha is making her own these days, but the reviews were awful on the enamel pitting, cracking and coming off.

For any of you with allergies or intolerances, if you are buying anything second hand and it's porous material, assume it's contaminated and don't buy it.  Save yourself some agony later.

I'm slowly switching over to Le Creuset and glass.  What are you cooking on?

I don't know about the rest of you, but the last week has been a total blur for me.  An office move, making a non-traditional Thanksgiving dinner for 12 and all the things that go with those have kept me busy.
Due to me going vegan and my crazy dietary restrictions I decided to serve Indian food for thanksgiving.  For a family of carnivores that loves their meat, potatoes and gravy it went amazingly well.
The menu was fairly simple.  Crudités with homemade hummus was laid out as guests were arriving.  We chose a simple moscato wine to have, and served it chilled, but not ice cold.  For the starter we had a spicy lentil dahl with papadom and naan.  Then, a buffet style meal of jasmine rice, gobi mutter, chana masala, veggie korma, corn, a simple cole slaw and for the carnivores, chicken biryani and tandoori chicken.

All of the recipes for the meal can be found on my Thanksgiving Pinterest board, except the cole slaw.  I've included a recipe for it below.

If you live in Central Pennsyltucky and have no idea where to get some of the Indian ingredients or spices, Hampden Grocer carries all of it.  As an added bonus, the owner is friendly and helpful!

Yes, we did still have pie.  Minion #2 helped make an apple pie, and there was pumpkin and my famous pecan pie as well.

Dawn's Simple Cole Slaw
Serves 12

1/2 head of green cabbage, sliced thin
1/2 head of red cabbage, sliced thin
large handful of baby carrots, diced, matchstick, or tossed in a food processor
1 medium cucumber
rice vinegar
olive oil
pepper

Slice your cabbages and carrots and toss them together, mixing them thoroughly.  Add vinegar and oil to taste.  You want to taste the mixture, but not leave a lake of it at the bottom of your bowl.  Add just enough to coat the veggies.  Add a good bit of black pepper. You want to give it just a bit of a bite.  Slice the cucumber in thin rounds and top the slaw with it.

P.S. I did make all the food up a day ahead of time with my wonderful Sister In Law.  She and I cooked for 6 hours straight to get everything ready so I wouldn't have to be on my feet from the crack of Dawn (no pun intended) on Thanksgiving.  I doubt there are words to say how nice it was to have the help, but it was truly wonderful and a lot of fun!

I ran across a really good article a few weeks ago and wanted to share it.  It's about how unsafe the meat we eat in the US really is.  The article title is Why is it Legal to Sell Unsafe Meat.  I urge you to read the article as well as the first comment from a veterinarian to give you idea of what is really going on with your food.

One more article I'm going to point you to will explain what some of the food borne illnesses are, how to combat them, who they are most likely to affect, and why.

I'm not going to post slaughterhouse photos with this article, because for most people they are disturbing.  Instead you get Leo Hamderson in the Meatrix.  Cheesy cartoon, but an accurate portrayal of the factory farm system.




For those of you that read this blog on a fairly regular basis, you know I'm a vegan.  It's not because I want to save the animals.  I love me some leather, especially on shoes, and jackets, sometimes skirts... Anyway, the point isn't omg don't eat meat, it harms the animals.  It's about educating yourself about what you're eating, and keep yourself or your children from getting very ill.  By all means, eat meat if you want, just make sure what you're getting is safe to eat.

If you've read the articles and checked out Leo Hamderson and are thinking, I don't know why you're making a big deal about this, I cook all my meat and it's safe, or I really don't care about how my meat exists before I eat it. I have one question for you.  After using the toilet, would you wipe your ass with the meat you're eating for dinner, hose it off, cook it, eat it and think it's perfectly safe and completely ok to eat?

I'm always looking for new recipes that my kids will eat and won't make me sick.  That means it has to be gluten free, soy free, dairy free and free of most nightshades.  This week we tried a Mexican lasagna.  Super simple to make, this only took a few minutes to put together and a few more to bake.

Very, very yummy!

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Things you'll need:

• A baking dish
• Tortillas (gf corn, about 10 of them)
• Enchilada sauce (we used frontera green chile, 1 pouch)
• Refried beans (fat free to keep them vegan, 1 can)
• Black beans (low sodium, 1 can)
• Mexican corn (because it has cute red and green pepper pieces in it, 1 can)
• Onion (small, diced)
• Garlic (2 cloves, diced)
• Cheese (Daiya)
• Olive oil

Optional goodies
We cubed half an avocado and added it to ours once it was plated

1. In a pan, heat a small amount of olive oil and add in your garlic and onion.  Cook until they are translucent. Add in your black beans and corn to heat through.  
2. While you're doing that, open the refried beans and heat them in microwave.  They just need to be warm enough to easily spread.
3. Add some enchilada cause to the bottom of your baking dish.  If you don't your tortillas will burn and stick to the dish.  
4. Put a layer of tortillas in the bottom of your dish, cutting them when needed to cover the entire bottom.
5. Spread a thin layer of refried beans on the tortillas and add a layer of the onion/bean/corn mixture, about half of it.
6. Top with another layer of tortillas and enchilada sauce, refried beans and the mixture from your pan.
7. Add the top layer of tortillas and enchilada sauce then top with cheese.
8. Put the dish in the oven for 20-30 minutes.  All you really need is for the flavors to mingle, everything to heat through and the cheese to melt.

Enjoy!

Some people call the third season of the year fall, some autumn and some of us weirdos refer to it as pumpkin spice latte season.  It's also pretty much my favorite season, ever.  There's really so much about fall to love and one of those things is food.  My fall season arrives with the start of pumpkin spice latte.

For those of you who are allergic to milk, and soy getting a latte anywhere can be a huge pain, mostly in the tummy.  Most places however, will make you a latte (not at a discount or anything) if you bring your own milk. I'm a fan of almond breeze (vanilla, unsweetened) and you can get it in small shelf stable 4 packs.  This will make 2 lattes.  So you'll either need to double fist your coffee that day, or take a friend with you.  Either way, you get a pumpkin spice coffee that won't kill you, or at least make you wish you were dead.

Another thing I personally adore about pumpkin spice latte season is cooler weather.  Yes, I know I've been wearing sweaters all summer because I'm cold, but now I can wear hoodies and vests and my really cool boots with warm fuzzy socks and people won't point and laugh.  In the evenings we can make a nice fire in the chimnea on the veranda, sip some hot chocolate or make smores.

Easy recipe for gluten and soy free hot chocolate:
1- 1.5 cup(s) of almond milk per person
1 heaping teaspoon cocoa
2 heaping teaspoons sugar (optional)
Heat milk until it just starts to climb the pan, take from heat stir in the cocoa and sugar.  Taste and adjust for you.  Some like to add in some cinnamon, some vanilla.  Make the recipe yours.

Smores are another thing we GF/Soy free people have issues with.  The folks at Kinnikinnick have made some graham crackers that actually taste like graham crackers.  Find yourself some quality chocolate and gluten free marshmallows and you'll be set!

A few other things that make pumpkin spice latte season great are football games, trips to the orchards to pick apples, wandering through the pumpkin patch to find the perfect pumpkin for each of us and savory meals after crisp day.

A few of my favorite meals for this season are things from the crock pot.  Anything that makes itself while you're out doing fun things through the day is a bonus in my book.  This year we've adjusted our chili so it's vegan as well as the cornbread I normally serve with it.  Earth Balance makes one buttery variety that's dairy and soy free so we can have the cornbread again.  My mission for this weekend is to figure out Irish Stew.  My normal recipe calls for beef, and beef stock, potatoes and Guinness Stout.  Pretty sure that will kill me.

Photo from gourmetrecipe.com

So I'm going to try this instead:
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium leeks or 2 medium onions, diced
1 cup cup parsnips, sliced
1 cup carrots, sliced
1 cup  rutabagas, sliced into chunks
1 cup turnips, sliced into chunks
1 cup celery, diced
4 cups vegetable stock
1 bottle of Redbridge (or your favorite GF beer, for those of you wanting to fancy this up, use a cup or so from your favorite t-box.  A Merlot or Burgundy would work best, but it's wine, so whatever.)
1/2 cup lentils
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
A few sprigs each fresh rosemary, fresh thyme and fresh marjoram (or 1/4 teaspoon of each dried)
Salt and pepper to taste

With any luck it won't suck, the minions will eat it without too much complaining about the vegetables in it and I can give it a name like Beer Stew (cause I need a liquid dinner tonight), Mommy's Had It (that's why there's wine in there), or if I get creative and throw a bit of pumpkin in there, add a few tweaks to the spices and serve it with a glass of almond milk, it's Pumpkin Spice Latte.

'Tis the season for it anyway!

In a neighboring kingdom, there is a queen who was in need of some minor surgery today.  We've heard from her king, and the quacks have given back her crown and she is regal once more.  However, this queen of the Keebler Elveses' wasn't sure the neighboring queen's scullery staff was up to snuff.  So I did what any neighboring Queen would do and launched an invasion and took over while the other royals were gone.  I mean, gathered my elves and we baked.  It's what we do.  We are some B.A.M.F. little elves in the kitchen.

On today's menu was a vegan shepherd's pie, (because the other queen is a vegetarian) and some muffins.  Banana chocolate chip muffins to be exact.  Yeah, they're as good as they sound.  I threw some extra magic and love in them today, apparently it's what make them taste so good..  At least that's the king's theory.  He's made them from the same recipe I do and they don't taste the same.  Seriously, it's a Scooby Doo kind of mystery.  Pretty sure Ernie Keebler is behind it all.  He just doesn't want anyone else to gain access to the Hollow tree bakery(which could be in one of the trees in our yard), so through some sort of black magic no one else can bake the same thing and have it taste the same in our house.

Anywho... on to the food.  I use a modified version of the Shepherds Pie from the lovely Karina, over at the Gluten Free Goddess.  I cut out the jalapenos, jam, sage, chili flakes, and cut down by half on the broth.  You can use any white beans you have on hand.  Today we used white kidney beans.  I also used red potatoes and I keep the skin on when I mash them.  I think it looks prettier that way.  Men think it looks like bacon, and hey, who am I to tell them different if they're going to eat veggies?

It's BACON!  No, but still yummy.

The yummy insides

The muffins are also a variation on Karina's goodies.  If you have anyone with a wheat or gluten issue in your life and haven't heard of the Gluten Free Goddess... seriously.  Go there now, you may send your thanks in the form of shoes, size 8 US or 38's if you're European.  The banana muffin recipe is modified thusly: I use applesauce in place of the oil, 2Tbsp flax and water for the eggs, no vinegar, I use Bob's Red Mill GF baking flour in place of the other flours and no salt.  If you have a stand mixer, whip it up on high for a bit at the end, the muffins will get a fluffy texture to them.  Enjoy life makes a chocolate chip free of allergens, for any of you with soy issues like me.  And if you don't have a whiny minion who hates nuts, walnuts go great in these.

My muffins bring all the boys to the yard...

Gluten free baking has a slightly different texture to it than what you're used to.  So don't be alarmed when your baked goods are denser, and not as big as you'd think they should be.

Me - I thought you'd be bigger.   Muffin - That's what she said.

Happy Friday!

Beans Beans the Musical Fruit!

Every doctor and nutritionist I've ever heard of or talked to will tell you all about how you need protein in your diet.  They're right, you do.  But, it can come from places other than meat.  Beans and legumes are great sources.  I won't go through the list, but a few of my favorites are black beans and chick peas.  They're also cholesterol free!

Whole Grains, Pastas and Flours

There is a difference in taste between whole grains and those that are refined, or enriched (definitely stay away from the enriched ones).  Not only is there more fiber and less chemicals in whole grains, but you get different textures too.  I'm a fan of Bob's Red Mill Baking mix because of the complexity of the grains used.  It just tastes better.  Just don't forget if you're baking GF to add some xantham gum to your baked goods so they don't crumble as easily.  The mixture of quinoa and corn makes a great pasta.  It's not sticky and can be reheated unlike rice pasta.

Non-Dairy, Non-Soy Milks

The biggest thing that turned me off to dairy milk was that I could never tell by smell if it was good or not.  It always smelled of baby spit up rotting grass to my nose.  When I tried soy, it had an odd after taste.  Then I tried almond milk.  There is no smell to it other than a hint of almond.  The taste is about the same as the smell, a hint of almost with the slightly thick texture of dairy milk.  There are a few different nut milks as well as coconut milk available these days.  Some are sweeter, some are plainer and then there are the flavors.  You can even get some of the varieties in chocolate now!  I've not tried those yet, but I may.  I used to love chocolate milk.  For right now though we all drink the unsweetened vanilla almond milk at our house.

Different Fats and Vinegars

I used to use a lot more olive oil than I do now.  But, the truth is, with the right pans and starting whatever you're cooking with things that make their own juices or oils you don't need them as much.  Avocados are a great fat to use, and infusing small amounts of olive oil with different herbs is nice too.  Same for vinegars.  Make sure you have balsamic, white, rice (sushi) and cider vinegars about, and maybe try infusing them too.

Nuts, Seeds and Butter

Raw nuts are a great way to get your fats and proteins.  Add in some seeds and you nearly have a party mix.  You'll need to have some milled flax seed about for egg substitute and if you're looking for a vegan gf/sf butter, earth balance makes one.  The only soy free thing they make, but they do have one.

Nutritional Yeast

This is an inactive yeast that smells a little funky, but can be used as cheese.  It's also a great source of B-12.  Top your pop corn with it.  Add it on top of your pizza, or toss a bit on pasta if you're looking for your Parmesan fix.  Be sure to keep it in a tightly sealed container.

Condiments

Yeah, you'll find that once you're vegan, these aren't needed as much anymore.  It's crazy, but in all honesty, the food tastes better and you're not as willing to cover the taste with the sugars of condiments.  There are still a few you're going to want though.  Mustards, some really nice flavorful course ground stuff maybe with some bite, maybe not.  Chili sauces, usually for your Asian dishes, and if you can't live without ketchup, there is an organic reduced sugar variety out there.  Agave is a popular sweetener and depending on your preferences, honey.

Herbs and Spices

Being gluten free tends to make you very careful of your spices and everything else that can potentially be a source of contamination.  Eating gluten free also tends to lend itself to trying more ethnic foods.  I can tell you that all of McCormick's spices are gluten free, and many of the ethnic stores will carry fresh items as well that you aren't going to find at the chain grocers.  Grow some of your own if you can, and try some others out.

Canned items

Most canned veg are fine as long as it's just a vegetable.  Anything containing a sauce is going to be full of sodium and maybe even wheat or soy.  Commercially canned items rarely taste as good as fresh, but there are times where we don't have the option of fresh so keep some things on hand where the taste and quality isn't an issue.  If you are able, can things yourself, even sauces.

Fresh Fruits and Veg

Most fresh fruits and veg need to be refrigerated, but a few thrive in cool dark places like your pantry.  Onions, garlic, potatoes, sweet potatoes and winter squashes all can hang about in your pantry until you're ready to use them.

One of the things the little towns do around here is celebrate the 1st Friday of each month all summer long.  The businesses stay open longer, there are things going on, and generally it's just a nice way to connect with the other locals.

Tonight we're headed over to Carlisle to enjoy First Friday, eat at one of the local places and wander through the shops. The first stop will be at Amy's Thai Cuisine.  They're more than willing to adjust their cooking so I don't get sick from the wheat, soy, egg, and just about everything else under the sun.  I can't say how nice places like these are when you have a multitude of food issues.

I'm hoping the architectural elements place is open tonight.  I've been dying to wander through there for ages, but they're only open when I'm at work! After walking about in the heat I'm sure the last stop will probably be to the Malt Shop for something cool.  If I'm lucky they'll have something non-dairy!

I'm wearing a dress for the added "ventilation".  100+ degrees in the shade isn't my idea of great weather, but I'll just take along a few water bottles and it will be fine.

Beating the heat in this ensemble.

I used to giggle each time Fox had a new special on when the network was still new.  They had catchy titles like When Giant Squids Attack!  or World's Deadliest Swarms! and always ended with Next, on Fox, with a Shatneresque cadence.  So, this week it's When Picnic Lunches Go Vegan!  sadly, not on Fox.

There's a state park close by here with a really nice lake that has boat rentals as well.  The plan was to pack a lunch, enjoy the day and spend some time kayaking around the lake.  The big decision is what to pack as food. Peanut butter and jelly makes for something easy, but I wasn't in a sandwichy mood and was really jonesing for some pasta salad.  As I was digging about in the refrigerator figuring out what all was going into the pasta salad I realized we had a distinct lack of hummus as well, so I figured I'd whip of some of that quickly.

Pasta, for those of us who are gluten free is a bit of an art.  Rice pasta, for lack of a better way of saying it is really kind of yucky.  It doesn't taste like much and tends to fall apart and stick to itself when it cools.  I've found that a company called Ancient Harvest that makes a corn/quinoa mixture works much better.  Tastes better too IMO.  I only had some elbows in the cabinet instead of the cute little multi-colored pagodas, but I made do somehow.

Gluten Free, Soy Free, Veggie Pasta
1 box of pasta cooked, drained and rinsed in cold water
1/3 cup each of veggies of your choice.  I used:
carrots
radishes
onions
yellow pepper
cauliflower
broccoli
1/4c of gf/sf greek salad dressing of your choice, or use red wine vinegar and evoo with some spices mixed in.

Mix your veggies into the cooked pasta (2 quart bowl should hold it all) and add the dressing.  Toss to coat, chill for at least an hour.

Quinoa pasta

Yes, I do know how to use the Chef's knife

Yum!

The hummus is just as easy, maybe more so.
Ingredients are:
1 can of garbanzo beans.
1 lemon
2 tablespoons of tahini
cumin
turmeric
cayenne pepper (optional)
roasted red peppers (optional)

Drain your garbanzos, but reserve juice.  We're going to use that instead of oil later.  Put the beans in your food processor.  Cut your lemon in half and juice it, pour into the processor.  Add 2 tablespoons of tahini to the processor and then add cumin and turmeric for your taste.  If you like it spicier add a few shakes of cayenne, then blend!
You'll get a nice paste with small chunks in the first go round of blending.  Add about 2 tablespoons of the reserved liquid from the garbanzos and blend again.  You should now have a smooth paste.
Add your hummus to a 2 cup bowl and top with a tablespoon of roasted red peppers if you like.

See my Ninja?

Hummus with Roasted Red Peppers

Lunch!

The rest of lunch was made up of sugar snap peas, an orange and some Nut Thins, almond crackers.  I use silicone cupcake thingies a lot in our lunch boxes for dip, or small things I don't want spilling into other stuff.  The minions especially love it when I tuck the pink ones in their lunch boxes, complete with a note from me telling me how much I love them.

What did you all do with your Saturday?

Last week I promised I'd make a list of what we ate this week and give you a few recipes as well.  If you missed last week's post about food it's here.  But, the gist of it is that our family has chosen to go vegan for a number of reasons.  I'm not pushing it on anyone else, but I'm offering our menu and some recipes if there's anything you think you might want to try.  Next week I'll probably be publishing something the kids decided they really like and the full recipe.  It's difficult to find things that are vegan that Minion #1 will eat.  The autism sometimes wins that battle :(

Saturday
Cereal - Uncle Sam Cereal, Shredded Wheat & Bob's Red Mill Muesli combination  (corn and honey nut chex for us GF people) with bananas
Veggie Pad Thai  I tossed a few handfuls of veggies I had in the fridge in with this as well.
Pasta  Quinoa pasta and sauce.  The kids had the last bag of the frozen meat balls as well.

Sunday
Pumpkin Pancakes - Bob's Red Mill pancake mix.  Flaxseed meal and water instead of egg and a few tablespoons of canned pumpkin and cinnamon to taste.  We use almond milk at our house and love it.
Portobello Mushroom burger panini  - Marinate in some balsamic vinegar and olive oil with salt and pepper.  On our paninis we had hummus, lettuce, tomato and pickles as well, just like a hamburger.
Shepherds Pie  
Banana "Ice Cream"

Monday
Baked Oatmeal - the kids adored this and are begging for more, so I'd say it was a hit.
Shepherds Pie Leftovers
Black Bean and Sweet Potato enchiladas 

Tuesday
Cereal and fruit
Enchilada leftovers
Fish Sticks Mac and Cheese and Sweet Potato fries

Wednesday
Cereal
Pad Thai and GF hot and sour soup (I picked out the tofu, blech)
Shepherds pie leftovers and Rice

Thursday
Oatmeal with peaches and blueberries
Veggie korma
NatureValley Almond bar
Gobi Mutter and Naan   Not in English, but it's kind of fun to make stuff up.  Turn the volume down and use the Sweedie Chef Voice, you'll amuse yourself the entire video!
Carrot cupcakes - no frosting.  These are awesome enough to stand on their own.

Donated Hat Cake!

These are the frozen leftovers from a GF carrot cake I made a while back for the spring fair, right before Mother's Day.  It was donated to the school as a prize.

Friday
Cereal with strawberries
Mexican out - I had grilled Veggies and adobo sauce with veggie beans, rice and corn tortillas
Homemade pizza with  Bob's GF pizza crust.  We don't use the yeast packet.  Pizza sauce is usually Del Grosso's (they're also family owned and local!) Nutritional Yeast in place of cheese and whatever veggies we have on hand.

Before you make comments about tree hugging and animal loving... Um, not that kind of animal loving.  I want to say that I'll not be giving up my leather shoes, coat, or bracelet. I also won't be out saving whales, or helping to liberate a flock of chickens from the evil corporate giants that stuff them in tiny cages. Those are fine and dandy reasons for some people, just not me.
My Mother's side of the family has a high rate of cancer. Breast cancer also runs in that side of the family. My Dad's side has a history of other fun things like heart disease, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Osteoporosis, Strokes and Diabetes. I'm really not a fan of any of that. I am a fan of keeping both my girls right where they are, and cancer free, not to mention breaking a hip holds no appeal to me.
Does going vegan reduce the risks of that? I can quote you studies that have been done, and someone else can quote studies that say the opposite. What I can say is that after reviewing one of the studies that was done over a 20 year time period, and not in this country where lobbyists and special interest groups have more say than real science, yes it does reduce the risks.

www.happyvegetable.com

Is it for everyone?  Nope.  I don't care what you eat, as long as it's not my brains.
Will I cheat now and then?  Probably, and I'm ok with that.
Do I feel better?  Yes.  We had some concern over what my food was eating (soy - I can't have it) as I was still getting sick from certain things I was eating with no explanation.  Since giving up meat I feel better.  Easily better than I have in years.
Next Friday I'll be posting the menu for the week as well as a few recipes we've tried and really like.  This week I'm only posting one, but it's such an important one around here.  We implemented a tradition of sundaes on Sunday years ago.  It has successfully kept the boys from wanting ice cream as a dessert every night for a few years just by making a big to do out of it once a week.  Without having to go out an buy some expensive non dairy, non soy ice cream you can have a nutritious and economical treat with a few bananas.

Banana "Ice cream"
Huge list of ingredients:
1 medium to large banana for each person  - that's it.

Slice up the bananas and lay them flat on a plate or tray depending on how many people you're treating.
Put the tray in the freezer for at least 4 hours.
Add the frozen bananas to your blender and blend.  And blend.  This is a bit of a process, so don't get discouraged if it seems like you end up with banana shavings.  Just squish them back together and blend some more.
Suddenly, the bananas will turn into something that looks like soft serve.  Seriously, it's banana magic.
Scoop it out of the blender and serve.


Hippocrates: 'Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food'

Eat Seasonally!

I read an article a few days ago, What's Wrong With the American Diet, and I got to wondering how much our way of shopping in the US influences that.  Many of us are in the rut of we go to the grocery store, and pick up everything we need there.  Sometimes we make a list, sometimes we don't, but how much thought do you put into reading labels, or getting what's seasonal?  Do you think about how far that strawberry had to travel before you tossed it carelessly into your cereal this morning?

Yeah, I didn't used to either.  I didn't used to do a lot of things.  I used to go to the local store, and buy everything I needed for the week.  Roughly 40% of what I was buying can in a box, required little cooking from scratch, and even less thought to eat it.  It was put into a plastic bag to be carted home then stuffed into the pantry or fridge where sometimes it went bad before we got around to even eating it.

I cringe thinking about all that now.  We grow though.  We evolve.  We learn to use tools and we do bigger and better things.

I no longer shop at the big chain grocery store.  I shop at a farm market for all my veggies and any fruit we can get local and fresh.  Sometimes, I also venture over to Farmers on the Square and get some additional veg, meats and treats of dairy.  I can't tell you how nice it is to be able to talk to the people who are raising your food.  If it's veg, you can ask exactly what chemicals were used, or not, if it's certified organic, or they just use organic practices, and you can decide who to buy from with an educated decision.  Same with the meats.  If it matters to you how the animal you're eating was raised, what it ate, if it spent its life in a space too small to move, buy local from people you can talk to.

I found myself cringing again today as I was at the farm market buying my veggies.  I was putting a few veg into a plastic bag and then into my tote.  Why?  I have no idea.  Are we so ingrained that no food should touch another even in the shopping bag?  It's nice to keep things from rolling around, but more plastic isn't my answer.  I'll be making some mesh bags in the near future to correct my recent plastique faux pas.

In the mean time, and in honor of earth day, shop locally, eat seasonally, and keep on evolving!

Sometimes, you get a craving for something and you know it's going to make you a little miserable around the edges.  Pizza is that thing for me.  I just don't even care that I'm going to feel a little ick from the cheese.  I know it's going to taste really, really good though.  Mostly I think it's because it's one of the things the husband makes on his own with no help from me, and somehow, food made by someone else always tastes better.

Since I can't have soy, I can't just buy a frozen pizza either.  We use Bob's Red Mill Pizza mix.  The handy instructions are on the package, and Bob, good man that he is, includes enough mix for two pizzas.  Yay for leftovers!

In our house, we make a minor modification and skip the eggs that it calls for and use a flax seed and water mixture instead.  Makes the crust a little more interesting in texture while still tasting great.

Pizza sauce can be store bought, homemade, or if you're really adventureous try pesto.  Tonights version will be made with Del Grosso's regular pizza sauce.  It's good, and fairly local to us.

For any of you not familar with what gluten free dough is like, imagine the gooey part of paper mache.  It's sort of like that and it gets all over your hands.  Fun to play in, but impossible to roll out.  You have to just half the dough and press it to the pan with wet fingers.  The water keeps it from sticking to you.  Pop it in the oven to par bake for a few minutes.

Once the crust has baked a few minutes, pull it out and decorate it up the way you want it with the toppings.  Bake as normal and enjoy.

I know a few of you are thinking, WAIT!  Where is the beer?  Don't you know that pizza and beer go together like bacon and...well, anything?  Yes, I'm well aware.  I don't have beer with every pizza, but when I do, I drink Redbridge.

Uh, Oh, fire alarm just went off.  Guessing that means pizza is ready!

When you can't have wheat, gluten, soy, dairy, kidney beans, things from the nightshade family and certain meats, your food options are fairly slim.  I don't know how others have handled it, but after the shock and awe of it all I realized that if I ever wanted to feel like a person again, I was going to have to eat differently.

Food shopping at first was a nightmare.  A quick trip to the store to pick up a few things turns into a three hour tour of hell when you have to read every label and call the manufacturer to verify things. 

Gluten free food, let me clarify that, PACKAGED gluten free food, for the most part, tastes bad.  And by bad, I mean you don't want to smell it, let alone put it in your mouth.  There are some exceptions to this (thank you, good people from Enjoy Life!) but for the most part, it's unexciting and doesn't make you look forward to meals.  So, I don't generally buy it.

A lot of people ask me, "just what is it you eat?"  The answer to that is the same things you do, just prepared differently, and I make a lot of it from scratch using fresh ingredients.  In addition to the no eat list above, I have to watch my sugar intake, and anything that's been fermented, like alcohol.

What happens if you don't eat gluten free, is usually the next question I get asked.  The answer is, you don't really want to know.  Trust me.  It isn't pretty and can include anything from pain to massive infections.

The other thing I should mention is living with others who aren't gluten free, or in my case, everything but air free.  Gluteny people are messy.  Their crumbs get everywhere.  They stick their gluten covered knives in the peanut butter, wipe their hands on kitchen towels, and they have the nerve to drink out of your glass!  Basically, they contaminate your world. 

Next Friday I'll be posting our menu here for the week and one of the recipes that we use.  Right now I'm only thinking ahead to breakfast tomorrow morning, and that's going to be muffins.  Normally we use a modified version of the Big Banana Muffins by Karina Allrich.  Tomorrow morning I think we're going to try her orange almond muffins, maybe with some craisins thrown in for good measure.

Happy eating!